Mission is home to a small but vibrant creative community of artists and art galleries. View and purchase beautiful handcrafted pottery, original oil paintings, First Nations wood carvings, and more.
Public Art Galleries and Events
The Mission Arts Council operates the Mission Art Gallery in a restored heritage house dating from the 1920s (33529 1st Ave.). Exhibitions typically feature the work of local Fraser Valley artists, such as Lora Armbruster's oil landscapes or the creations of the Mission Weavers and Spinners Guild. Check out the gift shop and tearoom. The day-long Mission Children's Festival (June) is also sponsored by the Mission Arts Council, offering artistic fun for the entire family. Add a splash of colour to the skin with traditional henna art or face-painting, or make headbands and hats at the Imagination Station. Jugglers, dancers, and musicians enhance the festive vibe at the Fraser River Heritage Park.
Feeling artsy and sporty too? More local artists are featured at the Mission Leisure Centre (7650 Grand St.), a $20-million facility with a pool, two hockey arenas, and a spacious fitness centre.
Art Gallery and Studio
For decorative and functional pottery, visit the Jo Priestley Studio and Garden Gallery (33140 Richards Ave.). Jo Priestley's pottery ranges from porcelain pieces with copper-red glazes to innovative horsehair raku urns. The award-winning on-site gardens are an attraction themselves with perennial flowers, herbs, and a goldfish pond. This is a popular venue for events, and is included on Mission's Circle Farm Tour.
Private Art Galleries
Don't miss the private art galleries in Mission. Claim to Frame (33186 1st Ave.) offers custom picture framing and specializes in West Coast native art. It also features glass trays and vases by Mission artist Connie Rivers-Smith. More framing and local artwork is available at Framed by Lewis (33130 1st Ave.). After visiting the site of a 9,000-year-old native village at the Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre (35087 Lougheed Hwy.), browse through the on-site gift shop and art gallery for authentic and affordable First Nations masks, carvings, jewelry, and so on.
From Thursday to Sunday, the Country Cache Store at Cnoccarne Bed & Breakfast (11977 Stave Lake Rd.) is open, selling the work of local artisans. Pick up painted glassware, pottery, and woodwork, and enjoy hanging out with owner Emma Ross and her Irish wolfhounds.
Check with the Mission Visitor Centre for more information about artists and art galleries in the area.