The Polygon Gallery has finally opened its doors! The news is embraced by Lower Lonsdale residents and by those who spend time down by the Quay.  At times, watching its construction process was like watching water boil. It felt very close, but it just wasn’t there yet and months passed before the Gallery was ready to receive its first visitors. 

The good news is that it doesn’t disappoint and it was worth the wait. 

The Polygon Gallery is a love letter to the North Shore. Of course, this is exactly the aim of the first exhibit (N. Vancouver) in the new abode of the former Presentation House Gallery, which was founded over forty years ago and had been looking for a new home for more than two decades. 

N. Vancouver, the current exhibit, is the organization's most ambitious project to date. It is the Gallery’s pitch for its first visitors to “witness the imaginative possibilities of visual artworks in discourse with the immediate surroundings of its new home.” It does a great job doing just that and feels almost like a preview of the amazing work the Gallery will do. 

The building designed by Patkau Architects honours the history and present of the City of North Vancouver with its industrial and sleek glass look. The perfect amalgam between old and new and includes the beauty of its location almost as if it was its permanent exhibit. All you have to do is peek through the south facing windows and see Vancouver between fog or sunshine, depending on the weather. You might also get a feeling of being somewhere foreign, and yet so familiar because it allows us (the locals) to see ourselves in a new light and question where we, as society, are going.

 Perhaps that is exactly what art intends to do. 

Or perhaps that feeling also has to do with the Gallery being a peek into the future of our community.

It is not only about art – though just thinking about the future world-class exhibits is enough to get excited about – it is also about how we are shaping our city and all the possibilities the future brings. The North Shore is undergoing massive transformation with all the new developments, and it is crucial to remember the importance of community space. 

The duo formed by the Polygon Gallery and the North Vancouver Museum (which will be part of Promenade at the Quay, the new retail/residential complex currently being built in Lonsdale and Esplanade) is strengthening our local public life and will transform Lower Lonsdale into the cultural heart of the North Shore.  

The Polygon Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit the Gallery’s website.

If you want to live in Lower Lonsdale, one of the most vibrant and the new cultural heart of the North Shore, I can help you achieve your dream. Click here to contact me for a chat.