YVR Art Foundation (YVRAF) is a not-for-profit, charitable organization founded in 1993 by Vancouver Airport Authority to foster the development and enhancement of BC First Nations art and artists. The Foundation provides scholarships, grants, awards and exhibition opportunities for BC First Nations artists, and in 2015 the Foundation expanded program eligibility to include Yukon First Nations artists.

The Foundation’s programming addresses a need expressed by the late Bill Reid, acclaimed Haida master, one of Canada’s greatest artists, and a founding patron of the YVRAF, who said that “artists need to learn the basic knowledge and skills of northwest coast art if quality is to be maintained and evolution of the art is to flourish”.

To date the YVR Art Foundation has awarded more than $400,000 and over 100 scholarships, grants and awards to BC and Yukon First Nations artists working in woodcarving, weaving, jewelry design, painting, printmaking, photography, film and other media. In addition, the Foundation provides a unique opportunity for scholarship recipients to exhibit their art work at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

The success of the Foundation and its programs is evidenced by the quality of the artwork created and the recognition award recipients have achieved in their communities and throughout the broader art world. Read more about the Foundation

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) offers a spectacular visual showcase of BC First Nations art. See the Vancouver Airport Authority’s website for information about this unique representation of our province’s cultural heritage.