Museums & Galleries in Ferndale

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre reaches into the great unknown to pull the mysterious night sky a little closer with informative and entertaining astronomy exhibits. The evening programs include admission to a visually exhilarating multimedia show in the Planetarium Star Theatre. Delve into mind-scramblers such as the birth of stars, the age of the universe, and what came first, the chicken or the asteroid, in 360-degree panoramic glory. Also included in the program is admission to the microlecture "Hot Topics," which tackles the latest developments in all things astro. The observatory caps an awe-inspiring evening with a sky-watching session, during which patrons play connect-the-dots with the constellations and discover space's heavenly imitations of spoons, hunters, and South American tapirs on jet skis.

Cities are the ultimate conglomerations, existing as both the collections of people, institutions, and locations that currently compose them as well as the memories of all of the bygone inhabitants that came before. Without some concept of that past, current-day residents are hard-pressed to really understand their present. Fortunately, the historians at Museum of Vancouver keep visitors in the know with expertly curated exhibits revealing the unforgettable events that shaped the city's character. In the permanent galleries, a series of permanent historical displays chronicle the city’s evolution from the 1900s real-estate boom into the excitement of the 1970s. In 1960s-1970s: You Say You Want A Revolution, Vancouver’s hippie community comes to life with the jangling tunes of local bands of the day and discussions of the Greenpeace movement; in Neon Vancouver, Ugly Vancouver, gallery walls fill with the sizzling light of antique advertising and signage rescued from obscurity before its date with the dump.

To complement the history galleries, three special rotating exhibits each year showcase works by artists such as Tobias Wong, a cheeky craftsman considered one of the forerunners of conceptual design. In 2013, visitors will revist Vancouver's street photography era as they delve into the works of the infamous Foncie Pulice, and explore the west coast modernist architecture of Daniel Evans White. During special events, the museum’s halls fill with the wisdom of curators, artists, and others explaining their work.

After more than 60 years, the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology could almost do an anthropological study on its own history, from its humble basement beginnings in 1949 to its present-day status as Canada's largest teaching museum. Today, it is home to thousands of ethnographic objects—archaeological objects gathered from indigenous cultures around the world—including totem poles, silver, and masks from the First Nations. The array of artifacts from the province’s northwest coast is eclipsed only by the museum’s Asian collections, which transport visitors back in time with historical Cantonese opera costumes, ceramics, and paintings.

Prose in both Lushootseed and English caption the displays inside the 23,000-square-foot Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, chronicling the journey of the Tulalip people in honor of those who have passed. The Tulalip represent the successors to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish tribes, as well as other signatories to the 1855 Point Elliott Treaty. Exhibits on their traditional territories, the importance of the cedar trees, and their seven value stories extend viewers' eyes to the distant past to learn their culture.

Historic canoes and archaeological remains provide tangible proof of the lives of the people remembered, and 50 acres of forests and wetlands preserve the natural landscape they called home. Back inside the museum, a life-size Tulalip longhouse expounds upon these artifacts and tales with recordings by Tulalip storytellers. Progressing to the present day, the exhibit Warriors: We Remember details more than a hundred years of veteran service, from the warrior spirit in ancient military traditions to recent sacrifices by men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Featured in the Vancouver Sun and TLC Vancouver, glass artist Braden Hammond has skyrocketed from life as a simple student at Santa Cruz Art and Glass Studio to the current head of one of Canada’s largest lampworking facilities. His artwork peppers galleries and boutiques throughout the country, ranging from statement glass jewellery to chandeliers shaped to resemble glowing roses or venus flytraps devouring lightbulbs. At his studio, Hammond also hosts classes for budding glass artists at beginning through advanced levels, teaching students the art of glass blowing, borosilicate glass manipulation, and crafting glass with marble moulds.