Corinne Lea is opening the Rio Grindhouse Gallery in Vancouver next to the Rio Theatre on Oct. 17 with an exhibition running to Nov. 15.
The Story
After nearly two decades running Vancouver’s Rio Theatre, owner Corinne Lea is opening a new contemporary art gallery next door on East Broadway.
The Rio Grindhouse Gallery officially opens Oct. 17 with the debut exhibition Scenes That Steal Themselves, curated by Graeme Berglund and produced by Tyshaya Smith. The group show runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15 and includes work from 25-plus Vancouver artists.
Berglund said the show is “intentional irony,” focused on the cultural spaces that have been lost, and said Vancouver has lost 350 dedicated cultural spaces over the past 30 years. She also described the curatorial approach of asking artists to create work tied to a meaningful place from their past that is no longer in existence.
The exhibition includes work from artists Maya Fuhr, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Michael Turner and Paul Wong, who this month was announced as Canada’s first Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate, along with younger, lesser-known artists. Berglund said the show is multi-dimensional, spanning paintings, photographs, journalism presented as contemporary art, installations and performance pieces under one roof.
Lea said the space will start as a gallery-only venue, with plans to expand once a liquor licence is approved in about six months. She also said the gallery will use guest curators for monthly programming.
A free public opening reception for Scenes That Steal Themselves runs from 6 to 11 p.m. on Oct. 17, with DJ sets by My!Gay!Husband! and The Ryze.
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