August 23 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Save the date! August 23rd, 2025 @7-11pm
Hosted by the Vernon Public Art Gallery, Riot on the Roof is the Okanagan’s annual celebration of emerging artists and musicians. Settled in the heart of Downtown Vernon, this lively arts festival features a diverse array of creative expressions including painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, animation, interactive art, and more.
This year, we’re excited to introduce a mannequin decorating contest! Attendees will have the chance to vote on their favorite decorated piece, take part in creative activities, and listen to live music. Join us in celebrating the Okanagan’s growing arts and culture community! All ages are welcome. Purchase tickets below!
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PURCHASE TICKETS HERE:
A BIG THANK YOU TO THIS YEARS SPONSORS:
February 11 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
VPAG & The Vernon Winter Carnival Present Pinot & Paint
Join us on February 11th for a painting event, hosted by local Artists Mandi Irmen and Christine Kashuba for an evening of creativity, laughter, good company and wine.
In conjunction with the Vernon Winter Carnival’s Back to the 80’s theme, we will be painting Keith Haring’s iconic work Best Buddies Pop Shop I (A) from 1987. Haring was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. Launched in 1986, Pop Shop I was a revolutionary concept that blurred the lines between commercialism and high art. An extension of his work, the boutique sold prints, T-shirts and novelty items with Keith’s imagery as well as some of his contemporaries, like Kenny Scharf and Jean Michel Basquiat.
Best Buddies remains a testament to Haring’s commitment to accessibility and his belief that art should be for everyone. Aligning with our Mandate to promote and encourage visual arts in the broader community, Best Buddies exemplifies Haring’s dedication to using art as a medium for social change, encouraging dialogue, and breaking down the exclusivity often associated with the art world.
Tickets can be purchased via the Vernon Winter Carnival’s website, bring your group, your friends or just yourself and enjoy a relaxing and creative evening
January 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
We invite you to celebrate the opening of our latest exhibitions: Pictograph Roots by David Wilson Sookinakin, Once For A While by Chrystal Phan, and Home On Syilx Territory in collaboration with the Vernon & District Immigrant & Community Services Society and Mariel Belangier.
Join us on January 9th from 6-8 PM at the Vernon Public Art Gallery for an evening of art and conversation. The community is warmly welcomed to attend, meet the artists, and enjoy brief talks where some will share insights about their exhibitions. We’ll be serving light bites and drinks, and entry is by donation.
January 9 @ 10:00 am – March 5 @ 5:00 pm
Vernon & District Immigrant & Community Services Society Project
Community Gallery
January 9 – March 5, 2025
Opening Reception: January 9, 2025 from 6-8 PM
The focus of the project was to introduce recent newcomers to visitor protocols of engagement with local Syilx First Nation people’s culture and the land itself. The four-day series of workshops were focused on Land Acknowledgement, Allyship, traditional Tule mat making and the cultural importance of marshlands. In the final session the participants created a series of collages which will be on display at the gallery. The intent of the final workshop was aimed towards appreciation of culture and building relationship through art. The workshops were led by Syilx Nation members Mariel Belanger and her daughter Sienna.
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January 9 @ 10:00 am – March 5 @ 5:00 pm
Chrystal Phan
Community Gallery & Up-Front Galleryy
January 9 – March 5, 2025
Opening Reception: January 9, 2025 from 6-8 PM
Chrystal Phan is a representational artist who integrates the Vietnamese-Canadian experience into narrative oil paintings to challenge the ways in which we imagine Canadian identity, drawing particular attention to how the reification of racial stereotypes in art and media can actually reinforce social divisions that prevent racialized people from ever feeling “Canadian”. Using personal narratives Phan’s work collapses the boundary between public and private so that viewers can connect their own lives and experiences to the paintings at an intimate level.
Once for A While is a series of oil paintings that explore a Vietnamese family’s awkward attempts at integrating into Canadian life. Using examples from Phan’s own childhood and those of her friends, Phan’s intention is to capture humorous moments where cultural values have clashed.
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January 9 @ 10:00 am – March 5 @ 5:00 pm
David Wilson Sookinakin
Topham Brown Memorial Gallery
January 9 – March 5, 2025
Opening Reception: January 9, 2025 from 6-8 PM
Over the years, David Wilson Sookinakin has developed a signature style of paintings based on the traditional pictographs found on numerous locations throughout Syilx Nation Territory. He uses pictorial elements which often illustrate some of the stories and narratives passed down through oral tradition and storytelling. In addition to the traditional narratives, Wilson creates narratives which he invents to highlight the context of post-contact experiences of First Nations peoples. Nevertheless, Wilson’s artforms have been evolving over several decades of his prolific artistic career.
“My art is ever evolving and is a true representation of my identity as an Interior Salish person. It is natural evolution of pictographs from their ancient form to a contemporary interpretation using form lines unique to First Nations art. I am a storyteller through art and words and my message to the Interior Salish people and the world is that we Interior Salish have at least one beautiful and vibrant First Nations art form totally unique and must be shared with the world.”
David Wilson Sookinakin
2024, acrylic on canvas, 66 x 66 in
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October 17, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Join us for the opening of our member’s exhibition, Exposed! The reception will take place on October 17 from 6-8 PM at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.
The community is warmly invited to join in the celebration, meet the artists, and enjoy a short talk by some of the artists about their exhibition. Light bites and drinks will be served, and entry is by donation.
October 3, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The opening reception for our new exhibition, Rewilding: The Forest Will Forget Us, will take place on October 3 from 6-8 PM at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.
The community is warmly invited to join in the celebration, meet the artists, and enjoy a short talk by some of the artists about their exhibition. Light bites and drinks will be served, and entry is by donation.
June 27, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The opening reception for our Midsummer’s Eve of the Arts Auction Preview will take place on June 27th.
The community is warmly invited to join in the celebration and preview all of the artwork that will be available for bidding during the auction at Midsummer’s Eve of the Arts. Light bites and drinks will be served, and entry is by donation.
July 25, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The opening reception for our new exhibitions will be on July 25, from 6-8 PM at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.
Opening on July 25th are the following:
Descent into Classicism by Glenn Clark
The community is warmly invited to join in the celebration, meet the artists, and enjoy a short talk by some of the exhibiting artists about their exhibitions. Light bites and drinks will be served, and entry is by donation.
