Psychedelic vintage dresses, mid-century homeware, innovative chair designs and more await at the Canadian Modern exhibition, on display at the Royal BC Museum until Feb. 16, 2025. This captivating exhibition offers a glimpse into the creative minds behind some of Canada’s most iconic designs and showcases more than 100 culturally significant objects that have shaped the global modern design movement.
Produced and circulated by the Royal Ontario Museum, the RBCM team has supplemented the exhibition with additional provincial pieces that hold significance to British Columbia’s design and innovation history.
“Canadian Modern is a testament to the ground-breaking creativity of some of the best Canadian industrial designers and crafters, including those from British Columbia,” says Tracey Drake, CEO, Royal BC Museum. “We are delighted to host this exhibition and to include a number of additional local works, both from the provincial collection and on loan from local designers
The inclusion of provincial pieces in this engaging national collection offers visitors a unique perspective on B.C.'s contribution to Canada’s design legacy, from post-war innovations to contemporary modern design.
One of the works featured by loan is the 1951 Springback chair designed by BC architect Peter Cotton, provided by private collector Allan Collier.
“The Springback is a fine example of regional modernism,” says Allan Collier, independent curator, writer, and collector based in Victoria. “Cotton expressed modernist ideas like simplicity, practicality, inventiveness, and honest use of materials by specifying locally available steel fabrication for its frame and regional materials like moulded fir plywood, veneered in teak, for its seat and back.”
Explore the experimentation, innovation and ingenuity that led to some of Canada's most iconic designs at the Canadian Modern exhibition, on display at the Royal BC Museum, at 675 Belleville St. in downtown Victoria, The Royal BC Museum is open Mondays to Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Buy your tickets online today!
Also on display: Stonehenge
Don’t forget to check out Stonehenge during your visit, featuring more than 400 ancient artifacts, including burial belongings of the Stonehenge and Amesbury archers. Providing an in-depth look at the 4,500- to 5,000-year-old Stonehenge, including how the stones were transported and what they meant to the people who built it, the exhibit is on display until Jan. 5, 2025.
Learn more information at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for the latest updates on exhibitions and events.