Art galleries in Nanaimo
Nanaimo, BC has 10 art galleries on the map. That's 10 galleries mapped around Nanaimo. The exhibition schedule matters more than the count: a small gallery with a great current show beats a big one between exhibitions. Many are free to enter, so the only cost of a gallery afternoon is your time.
This guide covers every art gallery we could verify in and around Nanaimo (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Nanaimo Art Gallery and Ladysmith Gallery, plus Artisans' Studio. If a gallery's missing from Nanaimo's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Nanaimo gallery lineup
10 mapped within about 40 km:
Nanaimo Art Gallery
Art gallery
Nanaimo Art Gallery — Art gallery, found on 150 Commercial Street in Nanaimo. Also worth knowing about Nanaimo Art Gallery: the map lists its hours as Mo closed, Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00.
150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, V9R 5G6
Hours: Mo closed, Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00
Ladysmith Gallery
Art galleryRun by Art Council of Ladysmith and District
Run by Art Council of Ladysmith and District, Ladysmith Gallery is Art gallery on 1900 First Avenue. Also worth knowing about Ladysmith Gallery: the map lists its hours as We-Su 10:00-17:00.
1900 First Avenue
Hours: We-Su 10:00-17:00
Artisans' Studio
Art gallery
Artisans' Studio is Art gallery on 70 Bastion Street. Artisans' Studio also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 11:00-16:00; Dec 25-Jan 07 off; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
70 Bastion Street, V9R 3A1
Hours: Tu-Sa 11:00-16:00; Dec 25-Jan 07 off
Phone: +1 250 753 6151
Free Spirit Studio Gallery & Shop
Art galleryRun by Free Spirit Gallery Studio & Shop
Free Spirit Studio Gallery & Shop is Art gallery run by Free Spirit Gallery Studio & Shop on 590 North Road, Gabriola. Free Spirit Studio Gallery & Shop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
590 North Road, Gabriola, V0R 1X3
Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00
Phone: +1 250-247-0197
Nightmare Oasis
Art gallery
Nightmare Oasis — Art gallery on 45 Victoria Crescent. Also worth knowing about Nightmare Oasis: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 12:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
45 Victoria Crescent
Hours: Tu-Sa 12:00-17:00
Canadian Indigenous Art
Art gallery
Canadian Indigenous Art — Art gallery. Also worth knowing about Canadian Indigenous Art: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Phone: +1 250 591-4767
Nanaimo Ceramic Arts Studio & Gallery
Art gallery
Nanaimo Ceramic Arts Studio & Gallery is Art gallery on 115 Chapel Street. Nanaimo Ceramic Arts Studio & Gallery also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
115 Chapel Street
Hours: Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00
Phone: +1 250 754-8377
Yellow Bird Arts Gallery
Art gallery
Yellow Bird Arts Gallery — Art gallery. Also worth knowing about Yellow Bird Arts Gallery: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-18:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-18:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +1 250 758-2480
Cheeky Monkey Glassworks
Art gallery
Cheeky Monkey Glassworks is Art gallery on 427 Terminal Avenue North. Cheeky Monkey Glassworks also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as We-Fr 09:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
427 Terminal Avenue North
Hours: We-Fr 09:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-16:00
Phone: +1 250 754-5254
Waterfront Gallery
Art galleryRun by Ladysmith Arts Council
Run by Ladysmith Arts Council, Waterfront Gallery is Art gallery. Also worth knowing about Waterfront Gallery: the map lists its hours as closed.
Hours: closed
What the map tells us about art galleries in Nanaimo
9 of the 10 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — galleries keep proper public hours, so plan around the listed times.
6 have websites listed. That's where the current exhibition is announced — the one thing worth checking before you visit.
Most of the art galleries in Nanaimo list a phone number. Handy for confirming opening times around exhibition changeovers.
6 galleries list websites — that's where the current exhibition is announced, and it's the one thing worth checking before you visit.
The Nanaimo gallery walk
Plot these on a map and the day plans itself: Nanaimo Art Gallery on 150 Commercial Street, Ladysmith Gallery on 1900 First Avenue, Artisans' Studio on 70 Bastion Street, Free Spirit Studio Gallery & Shop on 590 North Road, Nightmare Oasis on 45 Victoria Crescent, Canadian Indigenous Art, Nanaimo Ceramic Arts Studio & Gallery on 115 Chapel Street, and Yellow Bird Arts Gallery. That's 10 stops on the Nanaimo gallery walk. 2 more are listed below.
Gallery tips for Nanaimo
How the regulars do Nanaimo's galleries:
- Ask the gallerist at Nanaimo Art Gallery. They know the work, the artists, and what's coming next. Most are delighted when someone asks a real question.
- Follow the galleries online at Ladysmith Gallery. Openings and one-night events get announced on social media first. One follow catches them all.
- Read the wall text. It's short and it's there to help. Even the cryptic ones give you a way into the work.
- Many galleries are free. Smaller and artist-run spaces often charge nothing. When in doubt, check the website rather than assuming.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Nanaimo — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new art gallery in Nanaimo can take a while to appear. The 10 above are only as current as the community map. A art gallery that's shut, or a new one nobody's added yet, gets fixed with a single OpenStreetMap edit.
We don't review exhibitions — shows change too fast. What we list is the where: real galleries, verified by real mappers.
If you run one of the 10 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Art gallery listings for Nanaimo: 10 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.