Museum of Anthropology

Museum of Anthropology Explore traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures across the world at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.
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Plan your visit: https://moa.ubc.ca/ -visit Just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver and the Vancouver International Airport, the Museum of Anthropology at UBC houses one of the world’s finest displays of Northwest Coast First Nations arts in a spectacular Arthur Erikson designed building overlooking mountains and sea. See magnificent carvings, weavings and contemporary artworks inside the soar

ing glass and concrete structure of the Museum’s Great Hall. Admire the world’s largest collection of works by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid, including his famous cedar sculpture The Raven and the First Men. Explore the Museum’s Multiversity Galleries where more than 16,000 objects from around the world are displayed. Visit the award-winning Koerner Ceramics Gallery, displaying a collection of European ceramics unique to North America. Stroll the Museum’s grounds, where monumental Haida houses, poles and Musqueam house posts capture the dramatic beauty of traditional Northwest Coast architecture and design. Enjoy a wide range of special exhibitions and public programs, including free guided gallery walks. Visit the MOA Shop for thoughtful selections that reflect the Museum’s current exhibitions and permanent collections, where both local and international artisans are featured. We acknowledge that MOA is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.

June is National Indigenous History Month — a time to recognize and reflect on the rich histories, cultures, resilience,...
06/01/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month — a time to recognize and reflect on the rich histories, cultures, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across the country.

MOA is deeply honoured to be situated on the ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, a place shaped by millennia of Indigenous presence, knowledge, and stewardship.

This month, we invite you to explore exhibitions that highlight Indigenous voices, knowledge, and artistic practices:

🧵 I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson celebrates the extraordinary work of the late Haida artist, whose 51 appliquéd robes tell stories of Haida history, culture, and resilience.

🌄 Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision explores Indigenous worldviews from the Andes, highlighting enduring knowledge systems and relationships between people, place, and the cosmos.

✨ In a Different Light: Reflecting on Northwest Coast Art presents more than 110 historical Indigenous artworks, inviting visitors to engage with Northwest Coast art through contemporary perspectives and ongoing conversations.

🤝 As part of our commitment to increasing access and supporting ongoing relationships with Indigenous communities, admission is free for Indigenous Peoples year-round.

Join us this month as we celebrate and honour the rich and diverse Indigenous cultures of these lands and around the world.

Plan your visit: https://f.mtr.cool/jygcbwdrug

Slides 1: Photo from I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson. 📷: Sarah Race
Slides 2: Photo from Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision. 📷: Sarah Race
Slides 3: Photo from In a Different Light: Reflecting on Northwest Coast Art. 📷: Kyla Bailey

05/30/2026

It's MOA's 50th! 🥳 Here’s a clip of a speech given by Michael Ames—Director of MOA for over two decades—at the opening ceremony of MOA’s iconic, Arthur Erickson-designed building on May 30, 1976. Fifty years later, the sentiment in his words still rings true today. ✨

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of MOA’s iconic building this weekend, we’re reflecting on the many artists, makers, staff, volunteers, visitors, and communities who have shaped the Museum over the past five decades.

Enjoy 50% off museum admission all weekend long on May 30 + 31 in celebration of this occasion! We hope you’ll join us in celebrating 50 years of MOA. 💛

Join us: https://f.mtr.cool/cdererquvr

Video transcript:
“We who work here in this building are dazzled every day by what we see, and by what we feel. And we are pleased that from today, we will be able to share that experience with everyone. Today, then, is the result of many hands.

But there are some people above all others to whom the museum wishes to pay special tribute. Not all of those others are here today. Many are nameless and forgotten by time. The Staff and Volunteer Associates of the Museum of Anthropology nevertheless wish to record their sincere appreciation to all of those artists, and craftsmen and women from around the world, whose creative achievements we are now privileged to display, and which so enrich our lives… Thank you.”

Audio: MOA Archives, 002b (rr_0068), 22:02–22:53.

Photo credits: 1) Photographer unknown. 2) Audrey Hawthorn, MOA Archives ( ). 3) Harry Hawthorn fonds, MOA Archives ( ). 4) Bill McLennan fonds. 5) Anthony Carter, 1976, MOA Archives ( ). 6) Audrey Hawthorn, MOA Archives ( ). 7) Anthony Carter, 1976, MOA Archives ( ). 8) Anthony Carter, 1976, MOA Archives ( ).

Send us your MOA memories and win! ˙✧˖°📷 ༘As we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of MOA opening its iconic buil...
05/28/2026

Send us your MOA memories and win! ˙✧˖°📷 ༘

As we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of MOA opening its iconic building on May 30, we’re looking for your personal photos and memories at the Museum from the past five decades. ✨

Childhood field trips, family outings, vacation visits, meaningful moments with the collections, special occasions—we’d love to see the memories you’ve made at MOA over the years.

We’re especially looking for photos that include people or animals enjoying the museum spaces! 🫶

Share your photos with us for a chance to be featured on our channels.

🎁 All eligible submissions will be entered into a draw to win a $50 MOA gift card!

💌 DM us your photos on Facebook or Instagram, or send us your written memories here: https://f.mtr.cool/bagqsizllf

📅 Contest closes July 1, 2026. One winner will be selected at random and contacted via DM. By submitting, participants grant MOA permission to share their photos on MOA’s digital channels with credit.

📷: Ariadna Bu ()

🎉 Celebrate 50 years of MOA this weekend with 50% off museum admission! 🎉Join us on May 30 + 31 as MOA marks 50 years si...
05/27/2026

🎉 Celebrate 50 years of MOA this weekend with 50% off museum admission! 🎉

Join us on May 30 + 31 as MOA marks 50 years since opening the doors to its iconic Arthur Erickson-designed building overlooking the Salish Sea.

Celebrate with:
✨ 50% off regular admission
✨ Special tours
✨ Pop-up displays
✨ Family programming
✨ Opportunities to reflect on memories shared at MOA over the past five decades

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to a place that has long been meaningful to you, we’d love to celebrate this milestone with you! 🥳

Join us: https://moa.ubc.ca/event/moa-at-50-a-weekend-celebration/

📷: Michael Elkan

What a beautiful opening night at MOA. ✨Last Thursday we were honoured to celebrate the launch of MOA’s new feature exhi...
05/22/2026

What a beautiful opening night at MOA. ✨

Last Thursday we were honoured to celebrate the launch of MOA’s new feature exhibition, I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson.

Thank you to visitors and community members who came out to celebrate this special exhibition, to Vanessa Campbell for a warm Musqueam welcome, to Hazel Wilson’s daughter, Dana Simeon for her wonderful words about her mother and her works and a special shout out to Jaclyn Hans and the All Haida Women’s Dance Group, who gave their debut performance for the opening and featured songs and dances that honour Haida teachings, ancestry, and connection.

I Use My Haida Eyes brings together 51 “history robes” created by the late Haida artist Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson (1941–2016). Each robe is a richly layered visual narrative—rooted in Haida landscapes and shaped by lived experience, memory, and story. Wilson’s work expands the possibilities of history painting and Indigenous art, offering a deeply personal and expansive view of continuity and change.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us in marking this evening of art, culture and community. 💖

👉🏽 I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson is on now until October 12, 2026.

Curated by ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson

📸: Sarah Race

Learn more: https://moa.ubc.ca/exhibition/i-use-my-haida-eyes/

*UPDATE: Please note that the Trouble in Paradise Tours on May 21 + 22 have been cancelled due to illness. We apologize ...
05/19/2026

*UPDATE: Please note that the Trouble in Paradise Tours on May 21 + 22 have been cancelled due to illness. We apologize for the inconvenience.

🌏 Celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity at MOA this week with special tours and a creative evening inspired by climate, culture, and connection. 🌿

On May 21 + 22 at 12 pm, join MOA Curator Mitiana Arbon for guided tours of *Trouble in Paradise: Climate Change in the Pacific* in MOA’s Multiversity Galleries. Through photographs by Pacific Islanders and selected works from MOA’s collections, the exhibition explores the relationships between cultural and biological diversity and reflects on how Pacific communities are navigating environmental change with resilience and care.

Then on Thursday evening, get artsy at a special edition of Art Club at MOA created in collaboration with UBC Botanical Garden’s Biodiversity Days! Inspired by *Trouble in Paradise*, this month’s session invites participants to create collage artworks exploring themes of climate, connection, and the natural world. ✂️🌊

🌿 Art Club at MOA: Biodiversity Day
📅 May 21 | 5:30–7 pm
🎫 Free (no museum admission required)

🌏 Trouble in Paradise Tours
📅 May 21 + 22 | 12 pm
🎫 Free with museum admission
👥 Limited to 25 people; first come, first served

All are welcome—come reflect, create, and connect through art, culture, and biodiversity.

Join us: https://f.mtr.cool/ayzizdsauq

Yes, MOA is open today this holiday Monday, and  ! 🌿As museums around the world recognize this year's theme of uniting a...
05/18/2026

Yes, MOA is open today this holiday Monday, and ! 🌿

As museums around the world recognize this year's theme of uniting a divided world, we celebrate the role museums play as places of learning, dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. At MOA, we’re committed to promoting awareness and understanding of culturally diverse ways of knowing the world through our exhibitions, programs, research, and partnerships with Indigenous, local, and global communities—and we invite you to be part of that ongoing conversation.

Explore our galleries and feature exhibitions, then enjoy a moment of quiet contemplation as you wander through the Haida Village and Museum grounds. 🍃

👉 Visit MOA Daily
Monday – Sunday | 10 am – 5 pm
Thursdays | Open until 9 pm (half-price admission after 5)

Plan your visit: https://f.mtr.cool/ayaozxurjb

📷: Michael Elkan

Join MOA Curator ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson tomorrow, Saturday May 16 at 11 am + 1:30 pm for special tours of I Use My Ha...
05/15/2026

Join MOA Curator ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson tomorrow, Saturday May 16 at 11 am + 1:30 pm for special tours of I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson.

Explore the landmark series of “history robes” by the late Haida artist, sharing powerful visual histories that reflect Haida knowledge and innovation.

Limited capacity; first come, first served.

Take a tour: https://f.mtr.cool/nzsrfvqfps

🎨: Glory, 2006/2007. By Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson. Photo by Rachel Topham.

05/13/2026

Tomorrow, the doors open to something extraordinary. ⭐️

Join us on Thursday, May 14 for the opening night of I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson — with FREE museum admission to MOA starting at 6 PM.

This powerful new exhibition brings together 51 extraordinary “history robes” by late Haida artist Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson (1941–2016), documenting lived experiences, memory, and Haida histories across distinctly Haida landscapes.

Opening Night:
✨ Free museum admission from 6 PM onwards
✨ Opening remarks + a performance by The All Haida Women’s Dance Group | 7–8 PM
✨ Light refreshments served
✨ No RSVP required

Come celebrate the opening of this remarkable exhibition with us at MOA: https://moa.ubc.ca/exhibition/i-use-my-haida-eyes/

👤 Curated by ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson

🎥: Bonnie Sun

Address

6393 NW Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC
V6T1Z2

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 9pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16048275932

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