Sunday Snapshots: Native Inspired Art of Vancouver

Hello! This is Todd (Meg’s husband).. I’m not much of a blogger, but Meg asked me to share some photos I took in Vancouver last month. One thing that really struck me about the city was how seamlessly it embraced the diverse cultures that thrive within it. Nowhere was that more evident than with the aboriginal community. From street art to gallery space and everything in between, the distinct color combinations and strong line work of the native hand was visible.

While walking through the city, I stumbled across an amazing gallery called Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery which is a community-owned resource for Aboriginal artists. In addition to showcasing the talent of regional artists, the gallery also helps to support the adjacent Healing Lodge which offers a place to stay to native people traveling to Vancouver for medical treatment. The art was incredible and the passion held by the staff for art and artists alike was undeniable. They explained to me that although native art is often appropriated by commercial design, very rarely does the money trickle down to the source of the inspiration. Urban Aboriginals is working to change that, elevating the position of the aboriginal artist, and sharing some truly amazing work with the rest of us.