Current Exhibits

Made in B.C.: Home-grown Design
November 26, 2011 – May 27, 2012
Museum in Presentation House

Design implies application of creativity, invention, innovation, production, craft and skills associated with tools and materials. Design is about function and communication. The history of BC’s design reflects the diverse cultures, needs and spirits of the province’s places and people.

This exhibit contains works that are both well known and obscure; some are award winning designs others are vernacular-folk design. Included are objects created by aboriginal people, early immigrants and more recent newcomers. Both academically schooled designers and self-taught designers are represented. Some works celebrate regional images and natural materials; other designs use exotic materials.

This is an opportunity to see many locally-significant and rarely-seen items from the collections of both the Museum and the Archives. The show also brings together recent works by local designers Brent Comber (furniture), Stuart Kerr (bicycles), Farouk Noormohamed (architecture), Phil Nuytten (undersea technology), and Xwa-lack-tun (Rick Harry) (aboriginal arts).

Videos
The exhibit contains a video presentation showcasing examples of BC design from 1858 through 2008. The video component is also available online.

Made in BC is co-curated by Sam Carter, Professor Emeritus, Emily Carr University of Art + Design and Patrick Gunn, designer.

John B. Holdcroft: A Civil Engineer's Photographic Eye
Mid-June to 2012
Archives in the Community History Centre

John Barber Holdcroft (1884 – 1975), lived in North Vancouver for most of his life. He came to North Vancouver during the First World War (1914-1918) to serve with the 6th Field Engineers. In 1923, he became chief engineer for the Pacific Coast Pipe Company. This job took him across Canada, always with a camera slung over his shoulder. He never tired of the many opportunities to capture the awe-inspiring designs of woodpipe and tank projects from BC to Newfoundland. This exhibit is a small selection of photographic prints made from the Holdcroft Collection, which actually contains over 700 negatives. They provide a glimpse into family life, engineering activities and rare moments in North Vancouver. View Photos

The North Vancouver Story
Museum in Presentation House

In one of the world’s most spectacular settings, human activity has shaped the environment and has been shaped by it. Learn the story of North Vancouver’s rise from an isolated logging town to today’s dynamic urban community. The permanent exhibition gallery encapsulates 150 years of history, from pre-contact times to the present, using artifacts and photographs in themed displays to tell the unique story of the community and its people.