With the annual Eastside Culture Crawl kicking off this week (Nov. 16), having a game plan for who and what to see during the four-day art and design festival is essential.
This year, more than 500 local creatives are opening their studios and welcoming more than 30,000 visitors this weekend, showcasing artistic talents ranging from handcrafted furniture to mixed media artwork to artisanal housewares and beyond.
If you’re looking for local offerings to amp up your style at home, we’ve nailed down our “must-see” shortlist, and asked our five faves to share a little about their creative inspiration, and why they feel the Crawl is an integral part of Vancouver’s artistic community.
Note: The map codes are to help guide you via the Culture Crawl's official event map.
1000 Parker St., Studio 221. Map code: D3
What keeps you inspired to continually create?
So many things... traveling, talking to interesting people, other artists, observing life from different lenses. I love newness and the way it stimulates my senses. I create based on what I feel in the moment drawing attention from my own stories and experiences. See more
AMANDA BULLICK OF BRUTALLY BEAUTIFUL
651 E. Hastings St. Map code: A13
How would you describe your work?
Pondering the cycles of life, death and rebirth, my work aims to conjure a feeling of earthy connectedness as well as a sacred sense of magic; like altars honouring the dearly departed and the stories of their wild lives that they took with them. The natural world, although it is all around us, never ceases to dazzle with its quiet secrets and mysteries. If you look hard enough there is beauty all around us, even in the decay. See more
JUSTIN WILLIAMS OF BISON FURNITURE + DESIGN
1000 Parker St., Studio 101. Map code: D3
Why do you think the Culture Crawl is an important part of our creative community in Vancouver?
The Crawl helps connect the general public with local makers. With the vast amount of information and images available on internet/social media, it’s such a rare opportunity to see and feel something in person. It also helps keep artist places like 1000 Parker St. alive, which is especially important in a city like Vancouver, where spaces available for public or creative use are rapidly disappearing. See more
JAMES KEMP OF HAND EYE DESIGN CERAMICS
112 E. Hastings St., Studio 140. Map code: B17
How would you describe your work?
My work is bodily and exploits basic human senses. It’s physically non-kinetic in its final state, but, as it operates through an evocative nature, using textures and form, its gestures engage with our primal human anticipation of movement. See more
1000 Parker St., Studio 108. Map code: D3
What keeps you inspired to continually create?
I am inspired and am drawn to the juxtaposition of perceived beauty alongside the harsh reality of the undervalued and neglected. I love light and the complexity of what my images reveal or uncover. Put simply, when I photograph, I feel completely alive. See more
• The Eastside Culture Crawl runs from Thursday, Nov. 16 to 19 at various times and at various locations in East Vancouver. Admission is free.
