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Arts

The Nanaimo Arts & Culture Scene

Nanaimo has historically been identified as a working class city in a beautiful coastal setting, but has recently undergone a cultural transformation. The thriving Nanaimo arts scene has truly come into its own, attracting art lovers and artists alike. Artists stay here because it is beautiful and un-crowded, and the lively up-front culture in Nanaimo affords a comfortable setting for expression. The city's large university population also helps keep things creative, with regular live theatre, music, and visual arts events happening on and off campus throughout the year. In downtown Nanaimo, affordable rent has enabled artists and musicians to gain a foothold where retail and financial operations might otherwise dominate the space. Here, a wide variety of art galleries and music venues share the street with bookstores, hip cafés, and fine boutiques. In the spring and summer you'll also find large arts and crafts fairs near the waterfront in Nanaimo, for one or two days each week.

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Take a Tour of Nanaimo's Art Galleries

There are six downtown art galleries in all, including a renovated heritage building that provides an inspirational 10,000 square feet of space to display the paintings, pottery, glass sculptures and other extraordinary works of many Canadian artists.

And just 15 minutes from downtown, Nanaimo artists Nixie Barton and Grant Leier have fashioned their whimsical visions into a truly original garden and art gallery in the Cedar-Yellow Point countryside, included as one of 10 extraordinary gardens profiled in "Artists in their Gardens" by Valerie Easton and David Laskin (Sasquatch Books, 2001).

Be sure to pick up a copy of our Nanaimo Tourism Guide, for a featured map of Nanaimo's art galleries and artisan studios.

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Features

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