VMF Winter Arts 2021 wins IDA Achievement Award
We are incredibly proud to share that VMF Winter Arts, presented by the Downtown Vancouver BIA, has received an Achievement Award of Excellence from the Washington, DC-based International Downtown Association (IDA), recognizing excellence in Urban Place Management.
In February 2021, VMF Winter Arts transformed Vancouver’s streets, plazas and alleyways into an open-air gallery featuring augmented reality (AR). During this time, Vancouverites were able to safely explore the city and discover digital art by local and international artists using their own personal smartphones.
To support the in-person festival, VMF also organized a series of informative online webinars that offered an opportunity to learn about the artists behind VMF Winter Arts, how to become an AR creator, and how Indigenous storytelling transforms immersive technology.
VMF Winter Arts was first conceptualized in the Summer of 2020, when social distancing was in full effect, large public gatherings were prohibited, and uncertainty surrounded how to safely activate public spaces during the winter months.
Looking for a safe way to activate downtown public spaces and acknowledging that doing nothing was not an option, the DVBIA’s placemaking team and the creative team at the Vancouver Mural Festival joined forces to create VMF Winter Arts, Canada’s first free public exhibition of augmented reality.
The ongoing pandemic and physical distancing restrictions were a challenge as no one knew if restrictions would tighten or if the City permits would be pulled for certain city owned locations. In the end, the event overcame the many challenges of planning public activations during a pandemic. VMF Winter Arts successfully connected art and people in public space and revived a sense of community in the downtown core, while supporting local businesses and artists.
“The COVID-19 pandemic required so many of us to pivot and find the silver linings. The Downtown Vancouver BIA proved to be the perfect partner for our experiment in bringing light, colour, and joy to the urban centre of the city.
The result was VMF Winter Arts, and an opportunity for us to find our place in the exploding world of cutting edge technologies — all while doing what we do best: bringing it to the streets and making art accessible to the public.”
The success of our inaugural event has inspired greater visions for VMF Winter Arts 2022.
We can’t wait to share more details about what we have planned for downtown Vancouver this winter!
