The Community Art Gallery at Anvil Centre celebrates the rich cultural landscape of New Westminster. The gallery forges creative dialogue, brings attention to local art and creates new opportunities for artists in our city.  It is an accessible space where New Westminster-based art groups can organize members’ exhibitions. It is open to New Westminster emerging and established artists working in two-dimensional media.

During the month of October explore the Changing the Conversation exhibition. Changing the Conversation: Re-envisioning Narrative Engagement about Housing Insecurity in Communities, which is a partnership between Arts New West and Douglas College that explores how to improve public discourse on different dimensions of housing insecurity through the arts.

Exhibit Statement

Housing is not just a place; it is a foundation for life, dignity, and community. The “Changing the Conversation” series explores the multifaceted challenges surrounding housing—from inflation and the job market to the rising costs of living, the scarcity of supportive housing, shelter beds, and public rehab facilities in the face of a growing overdose crisis. These issues are not just statistics; they are lived realities for many, including those who have worked their entire lives, only to find themselves reliant on food banks or services like the Union Gospel Mission, and for youth aging out of foster care, who face a harsh world that often leaves them neglected and forgotten.

This exhibit unfolds in two parts. The first offers a platform for the voices and visions of the youth from the Purpose Youth Hub. Here, they share their stories, dreams, and perspectives—because every young person deserves to be heard. The second part features a powerful collection of paintings, poetry, and photographs from public art installations by resident artist PJ Murashige Patten. Through his own lived experience and deep engagement with the community, Patten’s work captures the raw, unfiltered realities of housing insecurity, shedding light on the humanity often overlooked in the broader discourse.

“Changing the Conversation” is not just an exhibit; it’s an urgent call to listen, to empathize, and to act. It challenges us to see housing as a universal right, and to recognize the diverse faces and stories behind the statistics.