Made in B.C.: Home-Grown Design at the Concourse Gallery

B.C. has made a big-time name in design, from the bold buildings of Arthur Erickson to the ethereal resin furnishings of Martha Sturdy. But there’s been innovative design happening in this province from its earliest days, and a show at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design reveals how those big names are really just part of a continuum. Made in B.C.: Home-Grown Design, on view at the school’s Concourse Gallery, spans everything from colourful salmon and apple labels to glass work, ceramics, postcards, and cigar boxes. It’s a fascinating history of the province through applied arts, and, cocurated by professor emeritus Sam Carter and alumnus Patrick Gunn, it’s drawn from teaching tools used in an online course in B.C. design. The show runs till August 25.