The Vancouver Art Gallery Announces Changes to Operating Hours and Introduces New $5 Monthly Pass

The Vancouver Art Gallery has announced several upcoming changes to its operations. Starting in May, the Gallery will be closed to the public on Tuesdays, a common practice for art galleries around the world to allow for exhibition and building-related maintenance. As part of these weekly closures, the Gallery will transition away from 'by-donation' Tuesday nights and introduce, today, a new monthly subscription pass. This will allow visitors to pay $5 per month (plus a $29 activation fee) for unlimited access to exhibitions. This monthly fee is the same amount as the minimum donation currently in place for Tuesday nights.

"Ensuring all visitors who come through our doors have the opportunity to experience the entirety of what the Gallery has to offer is an important part of our vision and mission," said Anthony Kiendl, CEO and Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery. "Through initiatives like our Community Partnership Program and our daily complimentary admission for youth and children under 18 years, at least 20% of visitors come through the Gallery for free each year. By offering a new monthly subscription option for our access pass, we can further increase public access for everyone to enjoy our programs more often."

The Community Partnership Program is a new initiative offered by the Gallery to create unlimited, complimentary access for local registered not-for-profit organizations serving communities in need. This program enables members of more than 15 participating organizations to visit the Gallery for free as often as they wish. By closing to the public on Tuesdays, the Gallery will be able to schedule customized tours for groups with specific accessibility requirements, such as sensory-friendly tours. The Gallery will also continue to offer school tours on Tuesdays, and the Gallery Shop, Bistro and Art Rental and Sales will remain open.

Among these community partners is Curiko, an organization that offers unique and interactive experiences to members of underserved communities. "As a Community Partner, we are very excited that our members, team and associates will have more access to the Vancouver Art Gallery", said Littlewoo, Lead Coach at Curiko.ca. "We are thrilled to be able to offer our community valuable cultural experiences with the level of accessibility that the Gallery will provide".

To coincide with the Tuesday closures, the Gallery will also be moving to more consistent hours: 10 am to 5 pm each day with the exception of Thursday and Friday, which will be 10 am to 8 pm.

The Gallery's final 'by-donation' night will be April 25th, 2023. Days and hours of operation for the 1931 Gallery Bistro, Gallery Store and Art Rental & Sales will remain the same, with the exception of Thursdays, to align with the Gallery's new 10 am opening time.