Sense of Place

A spectacular overview of one of the most highly acclaimed art collections on the West Coast, which greets travelers at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) as they journey between land, sea, and sky. The airport which is known for its modern design and expansive topography, offers an impressive visual display of award-winning art and architecture. Each terminal building represents the culture heritage, natural beauty, and iconic experiences that embody British Columbia, and the artwork exhibited throughout plays an integral role in telling those stories. Revered in particular for its focus on Pacific Coast Native art, the collection is presented in the thematic groupings of land, sea, and sky—three realms that intersect at YVR.

In A Sense of Place, art historian and critic Robin Laurence will examine the commissioning of dozens of striking artworks as a response to the airport’s overall architectural and design plan, and particularly as a reflection of the cultural heritage and natural environment identified with the province of British Columbia. Among the highlights of the collection are monumental sculptures by leading Northwest Coast First Nations artists including Susan A. Point (Coast Salish), Robert Davidson (Haida), Dempsey Bob (Tahltan-Tlingit), Richard Hunt (Kwakwaka’wakw), Lyle Wilson (Haisla), Joe David (Nuu-chah-nulth), Connie Watts (Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw and Gitxsan), and the late Bill Reid, famed for The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe. Their art both welcomes and bids farewell to the millions of travellers who make their way through YVR each year.