The Permanent Collection

Art That Tells the Story of British Columbia

From historical masterpieces to contemporary works, the Permanent Collection celebrates the diverse artistic heritage of British Columbia. Spanning centuries of creativity, it reflects the province’s ever-evolving identity through carving, painting, photography, and more.

Since the Museum’s founding, the collection has grown from the original donation by Founders Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa to over 300 works by artists from British Columbia and those inspired by the province. Highlights include hereditary Haida Chief James Hart’s The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), an exceptional collection of historic Indigenous masks, the largest permanent display of paintings by Emily Carr, and key works from Vancouver’s photo-conceptualism movement.

Emily Carr, War Canoes, Alert Bay (detail), 1912, oil on canvas, 84 x 101.4cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.

Collection Highlights

Gordon Smith, *Summer Pond*, 2002, acrylic on canvas, 170.1 x 208.3cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Joan Tuey.

Dempsey Bob, *Northern Eagles Transformation Mask*, 2011, yellow cedar and acrylic pigment, 58.4 x 40.6cm x 15.2cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.

Edward John (E.J.) Hughes, *Departure from Nanaimo*, 1964, oil on canvas, 120 x 143cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.

Rodney Graham, *Artist in Artists' Bar, 1950s*, 2016, transparency in lightbox, 241.3 x 181.9 x 17.8cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Purchased with funds from the Audain Foundation.

The Dance Screen

A monumental cedar carving, James Hart’s The Dance Screen (The Scream Too) pushes the boundaries of contemporary Northwest Coast art. Rooted in Haida aesthetic traditions, the work depicts beings from the sky, land and sea with an emphasis on the role salmon play as a keystone food source, now threatened by industrial development. Hence, Hart’s underlying message is a cautionary tale of environmental loss, while celebrating a reconnection with Haida values.

James Hart, The Dance Screen (The Scream Too) (detail), 2010-2013, red cedar panel with abalone, mica, acrylic, wire and yew wood, 323.1 x 478.9 x 35.7 cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.
Photo: Bob Frid, Peak Communicators.

Emily Carr, *Eagle Totem*, c. 1930, oil on canvas, 75.9 x 64.9cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.

Emily Carr and Depictions of Indigenous Art

Regarded by many as British Columbia’s greatest painter, Emily Carr’s work is synonymous with the province’s magnificent forests and Indigenous people’s artistic presence. Her journeys took her across British Columbia, from the lush islands of Haida Gwaii to the picturesque Nass and Skeena river valleys and the timber-laden interior of Vancouver Island near her home in Victoria.

Known for her energetic brushwork and expressive style, Carr's documentation of monumental Indigenous art and its perceived loss in this country continues to spark debate about Canada's colonial history and multicultural identity.

Jeff Wall, *Hotels, Carrall St., Vancouver, summer 2005*, 2005, transparency in lightbox, 249 x 311.9 x 26.5cm. Audain Art Museum Collection. Purchased with funds from the Audain Foundation.

Through the Lens of Vancouver’s Photo-Conceptualists

A defining force in contemporary art on Canada’s West Coast, the Vancouver school of photo-conceptualism emerged in the 1980s. Characterised by large-scale, carefully constructed images as well as actual street scenes, this internationally acclaimed group of artists challenged traditional boundaries between photography, painting, film, and performance. Jeff Wall is widely considered a leading figure of the movement, renowned for his influential use of illuminated lightboxes, introducing the medium within a fine art context.

Artists of the Permanent Collection

The Audain Art Museum collection celebrates the work of British Columbia's most influential artists. Learn more about their practices, inspirations, and the stories behind their art.

The Building

Designed by award-winning firm Patkau Architects, the Audain Art Museum is a masterpiece of modern design. Elevated above the floodplain of Fitzsimmons Creek, the building appears to float within the forest, its dramatic sloped roof engineered to withstand Whistler’s heavy snowfall. Deliberately restrained in form and character, the Museum’s dark metal exterior and minimalist design provide a quiet backdrop for the art within and the surrounding natural landscape.

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