The Ticket: Rove, a Mount Pleasant art walk

Did we mention there’s an after party?

kaVancouver’s bi-annual art walk, Rove, is back on May 27. Inspired by Portland’s monthly art event First Thursday, eight galleries and artist spaces in Mount Pleasant will extend their hours until 10 p.m. for all to wander through. Rovers can grab a map at any of the locations and follow the route to each art space. Whether you are a seasoned patron of the arts or a newcomer, Rove founder Jamie Smith welcomes everyone. “Usually art shows are a bit intimidating for people,” Smith says. “My idea for it is it’s like a starter art event for someone, and then they know that these exist and I hope that they will come out to an art opening at a venue.”Rove began two years ago after Smith returned from a trip to Portland. “They have a big thing called First Thursday and every first Thursday of the month, galleries open up, young and old come out, it’s like the pulse of the city.” In Vancouver, Rove is twice a year, but Smith would love to work it up to something like First Thursday. “I think Mount Pleasant is the perfect area for it too because everything is so close by,” Smith says.While some of the galleries have been a part of Rove from the start, each event features different artworks curated by the participating galleries, artist spaces, and cafes. A stop to watch out for is the LPY & GB studios featuring work by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Graeme Berglund. Yuxweluptun is a First Nations artist and an environmental activist whose show Unceded Territories is currently on display at the Museum of Anthropology. “He’s kind of like a Canadian treasure in that way. He’s one of the biggest artists we have,” Smith says. “So that’s just so neat that he works at Main and 7th.”If you’re looking to rent art, another destination to look out for is stop number five, Kafka’s Coffee, featuring the works of six artists from the Vancouver Art Gallery. “Vancouver Art Gallery, they have an art rental and sales program that most people don’t know about, but you can go and rent art for your home at a reasonable price, and they’re big artists and beautiful work,” Smith says.Smith herself is also an artist and runs THRIVE Studio, a space where female artists gather and discuss their work and what’s happening in the art world. She started Rove as a way to show her own work and gather the community, but for the first time she will be roving herself. The locations are all close together, and while the event is open for four hours, you can walk to each space within 15 minutes.So grab a beer at one of Mount Pleasant’s many breweries and then rove around the art block. There’s even a free after party for rovers at The Projection Room (all you have to do is show your adventure map). “I would love people to come to Mount Pleasant and realize what’s here and see that there’s shows they can go to and the value of buying local art.”When: Friday, May 27 | 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.First location: Grunt Gallery 116-350 E 2nd Ave.Free admission Rovers checking out art at the September Rove