A fleet of Modo car-shares depicting iconic B.C. artworks have hit the streets of Vancouver

A Modo van emblazoned with Emily Carr artwork outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. (Courtesy: VAG)

One of B.C.’s most iconic pieces of art has taken to the streets of Vancouver.

A creative collaboration between car share company Modo and the Vancouver Art Gallery has seen a select few of its vans revitalised with a famous Emily Carr piece, that can now be spotted travelling across Vancouver and Victoria.

Fifteen vans have been given a makeover as part of the Modo art project, each depicting pieces from a number of local artists and

cultural organizations, including the VAG, alongside the Eastside Culture Crawl, the Black Block Association, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and the Audain Art Museum in Whistler.

One of the most iconic pieces highlighted is oil painting Deep Forest by famed B.C. artist Emily Carr. The painting, made in 1931, depicts the experience of entering one of British Columbia’s dense forests and is currently one of the centre pieces of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s show Emily Carr: Navigating An Impenetrable Landscape, dedicated to her lifetime of works.

“Hopefully people see the artwork around the city and feel a connection, and are then inspired to come to the gallery and see the piece in real life,” said Vancouver Art Gallery spokesperson Jasmine Bradley, adding how the collaboration creates an opportunity for people across the city to “experience art in unexpected places.”

Chosen to celebrate the “cultural richness” of the region, the pieces each highlight East Vancouver, Black artistry, Filipino heritage, Latin American cultural diversity, and marine conservation, among other things, said Emeline Calpetard, a spokesperson from Modo Vancouver.

“Each van tells a unique story, offering a diverse and exciting art experience on wheels,” she said.

Calpetard said the goal of the initiative was to “bring art into everyday life” and make it more accessible for everyone, particularly those who may feel intimidated by large scale galleries housing esteemed pieces, like the Vancouver Art Gallery.

“We wanted to provide a unique platform for artists and cultural organizations to showcase their work in an accessible way,” she said.

“By transforming Modo’s vehicles into mobile canvases, we are able to foster creativity, promote cultural appreciation, and offer unexpected moments of inspiration to both passengers and pedestrians alike.”

For passengers, said Calpetard, the art vans add a “touch of creativity and excitement” to their journey. For those who spot the vans on the streets, the vehicles transform the city into a living gallery, she said, “encouraging curiosity and engagement with the diverse stories” that are behind each design.

Calpetard said the organization has already received “fantastic feedback” from the public, with many people expressing “how much they love seeing the artwork in their everyday environment.”