While self-monitoring and social distancing have been added to our lexicon, you can still get outside to enjoy a walk. Take in the sights, or some public art, and you don’t have to stay 6 feet away from it either. To help you find public art of interest, North Van Arts recently launched the North Shore Culture Compass, an easily accessible free online platform that catalogues and visualizes the cultural, artistic, and historic institutions and destinations of North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and the region’s First Nations communities.
The Culture Compass encourages local residents and visitors to connect with the arts, heritage, and stories of the North Shore. From museums to natural places, annual festivals to art galleries, and perfect for the present situation, public art, the map encompasses the cultural diversity of the region.
“The North Shore was a bedroom community of Vancouver for a long time — however over the past few decades it has grown exponentially, establishing a distinctive cultural identity,” says Nancy Cottingham Powell, Executive Director of North Van Arts. “The North Shore Culture Compass will help define what North Shore culture is today by making culture more visible and convenient to access, fostering collaborations, and encouraging a better understanding of our shared home. UNESCO recognizes that cultural mapping is critical in preserving both the tangible and intangible components that comprise a community — this interactive tool is a way to appreciate all the North Shore has to offer.”
The Culture Compass is submission-based, with all listings uploaded for free. Listings can includes an image, a short description, an address and a web link to the organization, event, or cultural landmark. With the support of the North Shore community, the Culture Compass already features more than 400 listings of regional points of cultural and historic significance.
Listings are searchable by keyword and organized into 10 distinct categories:
* Creative & Cultural Industries
* Cultural & Natural Heritage
* Cultural Spaces & Facilities
* Cultural Organizations
* Festivals & Events
* First Nations
* Intangibles & Stories
* Public Art
* Public Institutions
* Service Organizations
Created by Esri Canada with geographic information system software, the Culture Compass is accessible from desktop, tablet, and mobile devices with no sign-up or app download necessary. The map is updated by a dedicated project team and overseen by an advisory committee comprised of individuals from North Shore organizations across sectors.
To search for, or upload a listing to the Culture Compass, visit the northshoreculturecompass.ca