SFU Galleries encourages dynamic and open learning about our past, current, and future worlds through a commitment to the presentation and support of critically engaged and research-driven visual art practices. We do so by organizing exhibitions, publications, residencies and other special projects, within the context of SFU, a public research university known for its radical beginnings and its commitment to community engagement, intellectual freedom and interdisciplinary research. Our work unfolds in a complex cultural context on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaɬ, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm peoples, within a university bearing the name of a white male colonial explorer. Diversity and inclusivity are core principles at SFU Galleries; we collaborate with artists, writers, and organizations that share these values, as well as partners who help us expand beyond those audiences who already understand SFU Galleries as a place they feel welcomed. Metro Vancouver’s diversity is reflected in our programming, particularly around the inclusion of Indigenous, South Asian, Latin American, Black, and Asian cultural producers.
The Harbour Centre Lounge is an active public space in SFU’s Harbour Centre frequented by students, faculty, and visitors. Distinct from a conventional “white cube,” the space is defined by a large picture window framing commanding views of the city’s working shoreline. Projects are informed by these spatial conditions: artists develop and exhibit year-long projects that are propelled by interdisciplinary research, engaging with local contexts and questions of place.
