Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is a leading public art gallery currently situated in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. It is a registered charity and the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic perspectives since 1999.

Centre A’s mandate is to produce exhibitions of contemporary Asian art, develops innovative public programs, and creates ongoing learning opportunities for artists, cultural workers and organizations. We strive to activate contemporary art’s vital role in building and understanding the long and dynamic Asia-Canada relationship while tackling questions of broader concern from Asian and Asian-diasporic perspectives.

While we play an active role in community enlivenment and conviviality, we are a means for broader cultural productivity; a local and transnational community-building apparatus that acts as a conduit for the contest of ideas and a site for the contemplation of issues of contemporary concern.

In addition to our exhibition space, we house a boutique space featuring works by local artists, and a reading room with one of the best collections of Asian art books in the country, including the Finlayson Collection of Rare Asian Art Books. In these facilities and beyond, we rigorously engage in culture-making through research, curatorial engagement with artists, mentorship of emerging arts professionals, presentation of works, public dialogues, and various forms of documentation.

In July 2024, we conducted a series of strategic planning sessions for the next three years with our staff, board and community representatives, facilitated by Jenie Gao. The timeline and action items of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan can be viewed HERE.

 

Vision
A society where people and art of a multiplicity of cultures and communities are respected, represented, and empowered.

Mission Statement
Centre A uplifts globalized Asian experiences through contemporary art, multi-disciplinary practices, and critical engagement and dialogue.

Values
We lead with compassion, empathy, and respect in our pursuit to uplift and represent diverse voices.

 

 

History

Centre A was founded in 1999 by Hank Bull (Founding Director), Zheng Shengtian and Stephanie Holmquist, who assembled an all-star board consisting of such distinguished figures as Milton Wong, Joanne Louie Mah, Joe Wai and Anndraya Luui. Through their, and subsequent boards’ leadership, as well as the contributions of our curators and directors (Sadira Rodrigues, Alice Ming Wai Jim, Makiko Hara, Haema Sivanesan, Tyler Russell, Henry Heng Lu, and Ellie Chung), and a robust list of donors, volunteers, interns and staff, Centre A continues to make an important impact on Vancouver’s art scene and community at large.

Over the years, Centre A has worked with countless artists including Yoko Ono, Ho Tam, Vanessa Kwan, Young Hae Chang Heavy Industries, Hong Kong Exile, Samson Young, Khan Lee and Subodh Gupta. Additionally, we have collaborated with numerous organizations, locally and internationally, such as the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Or Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Long March.

 

Contact Us

+1 604.683.8326

[email protected]

205 – 268 Keefer Street

Vancouver, BC, Canada V6A 1X5

 

Accessibility Information

 

Centre A is located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, on the second floor of the Sun Wah Centre Mall. The gallery is located on the second floor of the building, in unit 205. 

 

Sun Wah Centre Entrance: 

 

To enter into the Sun Wah Building, you have to come in through a locked door, you will be able to find a security guard in front to let you into the building from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. If there are no security guards or after hours, please call 778-232-3593 to be let in. 

 

The first white door/gate is not automated and swings outward and is 38” wide. The second door is a sliding automatic door and it is 128” wide. 

 

Gallery Accessibility (Second Floor) 

 

To reach the second floor, visitors can take the elevator up or walk up the escalator with a 42” clearance. To access the elevator, guests will have to go up a ramp that is 230” long with a railing. The clearance for the front gate of the gallery is 87”, to access the other parts of the gallery, visitors will need to pass through two doorways of 59” and 60”. To access Centre A’s reading room, there is a doorway of 52”. 

 

Washroom Access: 

To access the washroom on the second floor, guests will have to go through one locked doors, both 33” wide. The bathroom has two gendered washrooms, to access the washroom, visitors will have to get a set of keys from the Centre A office and will have to go through two locked doors that swing outwards that measure 33”.. Both washrooms have an accessible stall that has a clearance of 10” on the left and 35” on the right with a support bar on the left.

 

Public Transportation

The Sun Wah Centre is located 5 blocks from the Main Street – Science World Skytrain station. We are also near the following bus routes: 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, and R5. Detailed transit information is available by phone call. There is limited metered street parking.

 

Centre A is 850 metres from the Main Street – Science World Skytrain station.

Centre A is 210 metres from the 3, 8, and 19 bus stop on Main and Keefer.

Centre A is 350 metres from the 4, R5, 14, 16 and 20 bus stop on East Hastings and Main.

Centre A is 350 metres from the 7 and 210 bus stop on  East Pender and Main.

 

Funders and Sponsors

Centre A gratefully acknowledges the generous support and financial assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, the British Columbia Arts Council, BC Community Gaming Grant program, the Government of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, Cultural Services, Young Canada Works, and Canada Summer Jobs, as well as all of our donors and programming partners.

 

Employment

 

Centre A is committed to paying fair wages, and is a certified Living Wage BC Employer.

 

Membership