Our art shows are fun, weird, and accessible featuring mostly Vancouver-based artists. Our primary focus is on contemporary, pop-culture, pop surrealist, and fan-art themes, narrative and figurative work, illustrative, street, low-brow… without lengthy artist statements.
The video blog started in 2012 and ran weekly for two years. The series of 130+ interviews introduces you to the cultural creators of our wet city. Each new, intimate interview features an artist, curator, or facilitator from a broad spectrum of disciplines showcased the arts in Vancouver. We aimed to connect art audiences with their creative neighbours, and expose our city as an incubator for talent.
HISTORY
In October 2011, local art event Hot One Inch Action began interviewing artists who had participated in the show. In March 2012, Hot Art Wet City began, showcasing the artist interviews and reaching beyond H1″A. From September 2012 through February 2013, HAWC was a pop-up gallery. It’s permanent space was at 2206 Main Street in Vancouver from April 2013 until March 2017. We hosted art and comedy shows, interactive events, workshops, seminars, talks, and more. Voted second best gallery in Vancouver for Westender Best of The City in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Chris Bentzen is the owner of Hot Art Wet City. He is a freelance graphic designer and event producer. Also voted Vancouver is Awesome Visual Arts Community Builder for 2014.
Thanks to Erin Gibbs for your help and support at the gallery. Also thanks to Alex MF Quicho, Hilary Henegar, Amy Walker, and Jim Hoehnle for interviewing some of the artists, and to Natalie Vermeer and Rohit Prasad for making some of the music. Thanks to Rachael Ashe for organizing Hot Talks. Also thanks to our curator of comedy Alicia Tobin. Want to support the arts? Make art! Buy art! Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest
