Surrey Art Gallery

05/29/2026

One week left to experience the In the Shadow of the Pavilions exhibition. Be sure to give yourself time to view some of the rarely shown film and video from Expo 86 and the larger expo era

Through original artworks and archival materials, the exhibit examines some of the official art from the world's fair.

05/28/2026

Join the Surrey Art Gallery Association on Thursday, June 4 from 7−8:30pm for Open Mic featuring artists from the annual juried exhibition “ARTS 2026” in partnership with the Surrey Arts Council. Artists will be sharing reflections on their artworks and wider practices at this special open mic edition.

Works are displayed throughout Surrey Arts Centre, and visitors are invited to vote for the People’s Choice Award that will be announced at the Summer Opening on July 11🎉

saga shop hours🛍️
Thursdays 3:30–7:30pm
Saturdays 12–4pm
Other select dates for Gallery and Theatre events

ID 1: A photo of a gathering in a large indoor space. People are sitting on wooden chairs and stools around small tables, talking, and facing toward the middle of the room. One person in a white shirt and blue pants sits on a chair speaking into a microphone. The space has framed artwork on the walls.

05/22/2026

This month, we’re excited to spotlight saga shop artist Ray Ophoff✨

Ophoff is a self-taught oil painter whose vibrant landscapes and intimate garden-scapes are filled with bold colour and expressive brushwork. Working from photographs, Ophoff draws inspiration from growing up in the semi-wilderness of suburban North Surrey, where a deep connection to nature first took root.

For Ophoff, nature holds both chaos and structure. As he reflects “there are no random branches on trees.” Whether painting an expansive horizon on a small panel or enlarging a crocus beyond life-size, his work is an effort to better understand a small corner of the world. And perhaps, as he says, “everyone needs a couple of metres of Swiss chard on their walls.”

saga shop hours🛍️
Thursdays 3:30–7:30pm
Saturdays 12–4pm
Other select dates for Gallery and Theatre events

ID1: A painting of large, stylized flowers in shades of purple and white with thin dark lines defining each petal. At the centers of the purple flowers are bright orange stamens. Surrounding the purple flowers are yellow-gold flowers with smooth petals, creating a strong contrast against the purple flowers.

ID:2 A landscape painting with tall cliffs and a river. The painting shows an elongated view of steep, vertical rock formations in warm brown, orange, and yellow stretching across most of the image. Above the cliffs are thick, fluffy clouds in cream and white tones, with some gray shading, against a blue sky. A bright blue river runs horizontally along the cliffs, creating a strong contrast with the earthy colours of the rocks. On the right corner in small red handwritten signature of the artist’s name.

05/15/2026

Join the Gallery’s Curator of Exhibitions and Collections Jordan Strom for a tour of “In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art” on Thursday May 28, 7-8:30.

Strom will speak to some of the official art from the world’s fair, along with unofficial art and programming that coincided with Expo 86. Following the tour, enjoy a special audio-visual performance of 1980s-inspired chiptunes by FreakyDNA aka Leonard Paul, a pioneering chip and video game music artist who has worked with and learned an extraordinary range of vintage sound chips.

Photo by Dennis Ha Photography

ID: A phot of a yellow exhibition wall. On the wall, a large horizontal video screen is mounted near the centre, displayed two people smiling at a fair. Next to the screen on the right is a framed black and white drawing and a blue and yellow rectangular poster each with a label to the right of them.

05/15/2026

“Across the Fire” by Mustaali Raj is on view until August 1✨

Spanning three synchronized screens, the installation unfolds through shifting colour and motion. As the dragon transforms, the work invites viewers to consider how myths travel and are carried through oral, written, and visual traditions across generations and shaped by migration and exchange. Raj combines hand drawing, digital rendering, and AI-assisted motion composition to extend traditional storytelling into a contemporary media, honouring image making and sharing. Together, these elements of the dragon move together, reflecting the ways in which stories shift, overlap, and continue. The installation offers the dragon as a living being that is continually shaped and reshaped through exchange, adaptation, and shared imagination.

ID1: an orange maze-like structure fills the upper left and center with a patterned blue, light yellow and orange background inside it. In the middle of the image is a stylized dragon in profile looking to the right with a cluster of small light-blue dots arranged in rows on the side appearing like scales and yellow “t” shapes on the spine appearing as spikes. The overall background is a dark purple, making the orange, yellow and blue shapes stand out strongly.

05/09/2026

ARTS 2026 is open!

The Gallery is pleased to announce in partnership with Arts Council of Surrey the annual juried exhibition “ARTS 2026,” on display from May 9 until August 1✨

Come see works by talented artists across the Lower Mainland. This year, jurors selected 50 works from entries across five categories: painting; drawing, mixed media and printmaking on paper, sculpture and fibre art; photography; and digital, performative, and new media art.

Works are displayed throughout Surrey Arts Centre, and visitors are invited to vote for the People’s Choice Award that will be announced at the Summer Opening on July 11🎉

Images: (L) Asma Burney, “Himalayan Poppies” (detail), 2025, watercolour and gouache on Arches paper.
(R) Aman Bakshi, “Spice” (detail), 2025, digital photograph. Images courtesy of the artists.


ID1: A poster with two colour images. On the left a loose watercolour painting of green and teal flowers with yellow and red accents. On the right a close up of sliced green chili peppers with visible seeds on a dark background. Under the images on the left, the large vertical text says, “ARTS 2026.” On the right, the Surrey Art Gallery logo is placed. Below the vertical text it says “May 9-Aug 1, Free Admission, surrey.ca/artgallery.” Near the bottom right, in smaller text it says “In partnership with” and below the vertical text is the Surrey Arts Council logo.

05/09/2026

This month, we’re excited to spotlight saga shop artist By the Sea Jewellery!

The goal of By the Sea Jewellery is to share the beautiful energies of natural gemstones. Founded ten years ago by a passionate mother-daughter duo – Susan and Katie – each piece of jewelry is handmade with love and features a mixture of genuine gemstones, sterling silver, pewter, and freshwater pearls. For the jewelers, it is gratifying to create something that others see the beauty in and likewise appreciate. As they stated “To us, Surrey is community-driven, bringing diverse cultures together, with opportunities to learn, create, and visit beaches, parks, and trails. We are excited to share our journey with you.”

You can find bracelets and necklaces from By the Sea Jewellery in the saga shop✨

saga shop hours🛍️
Thursdays 3:30–7:30pm
Saturdays 12–4pm
Other select dates for Gallery and Theatre events

Images courtesy the artist.

ID 1: A photo of two beaded bracelets. Each bracelet is on a small square wood board with a white card underneath that has text and a turquoise whale logo. The top bracelet has round beads in shades of green, white, and a bit of brown. The bottom bracelet has beads in light blue, white, brown, and a few darker tones. Both cards underneath the bracelets have handwritten words that say, “by the sea.”

ID 2: A circular beaded bracelet arranged around a round logo card. The bracelet is made of polished round beads in three main colours: pale lavender amethyst, darker purple amethyst, and clear beads that look like faceted crystal or glass. In the center, a round card shows a simple drawing of a pale turquoise whale. Below and around the whale, the text on the card reads, in a handwritten font “by the sea.” Underneath that, in small capital letters it says “JEWELLRY.” The bracelet and card are on a textured off white woven surface.

05/06/2026

Join us this Saturday, May 9, from 1 to 4:30 pm, at Expo Lines: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art, a symposium, featuring panel discussions and performance reflecting the artistic legacy of Expo 86 and its lasting impact on Canada.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition “In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art”, the symposium brings together artists Debra Sparrow, Michael de Courcy, Stan Greene, and Paul Wong, alongside curators Nika Collison, Tom Graff, and Monika Kin Gagnon as presenters.

The event will also feature a performance by Gamelan Kembang Telang. The Indonesia pavilion at Expo 86 presented concerts of Indonesian dance, music, and theatre throughout the fair. At the close of Expo 86, the pavilion organizers donated the gamelan instruments to Simon Fraser University, forming the Vancouver Community Gamelan (Kyai Madu Sari), which has trained generations of musicians the art of gamelan. One of the groups informed in part by this musical history is Gamelan Kembang Telang.

Photo by Yohei Shimomae.

ID: Three performers sitting on the floor in a triangle around a set of small bronze gongs arranged on a woven mat. Viewed from above under dim blue stage lighting, each performer holds padded mallets and faces inward.

05/04/2026

Join a beading workshop lead by artist Keerat Kaur on Saturday May 30th from 2 – 4pm.

Create a beaded strand to become part of Kaur’s upcoming exhibition, “If Gardens Could Dream.” Each participant will craft a unique beaded strand that will be woven into the hanging roots of a banyan tree installation on display this summer, supporting a collective artwork shaped by many hands and stories. Create a second string to take home or gift to a loved one.

Space is limited, to register please email [email protected] to RSVP.

ID: A hand holding various colourful beads; light baby pink flower beads, red translucent gems and aquamarine teardrop-shaped stones. The backdrop has diamond-like geometric patterns composed of white, yellow, navy blue, orange and gray tones.

05/01/2026

Last weekend to see “Art by Surrey Elementary Students” – closes Sunday May 3🎈

This exhibition shares the importance and depth of art education in the Surrey School District. Participating artists range from grades one through seven. Artworks on display highlight a wealth of subjects, both personal and universal.

Working across mediums such as 3D geometric string art, papier mache, and painting to name a few, “Art by Surrey Elementary School Students” provides visitors with insights into the critical thinking and visual literacy skills of young developing artists. Along with the accompanying text, the exhibition demonstrates how teachers connect with BC Education Big Ideas curriculum.

Images: Dennis Ha Photography.

ID1: A large blue information panel. At the top in large white text reads “Art by Surrey Elementary Students.” Below that, there are several paragraphs of white text. In the lower right corner of the blue panel the logo for the Gallery and Surrey Schools logos appear. Father away on the same wall, a long row of small, framed artworks are visible, each with a small blue liable to the right of each work. A wooden railing runs horizonal below the row of artworks.

ID2: A row of small, framed artworks hanging against a white wall with a wooden handrail and thing hanging wire, each holding a single frame with a small blue label to the right of each work. The artworks are colourful and varied: one looks like a close-up-of a face with blue and green hair, another has a black and white checkerboard, another appears more abstract with many bright colours, and further down on the right there are pieces with cartoon-style faces. The floor beside the white wall is a mix of smooth and concrete and darker tile. Metal posts and rails run parallel to the wall creating a barrier between the walkway and a lower area.