Past Events

asian heritage month at morrow

ahmm (asian heritage month at morrow)May 6 – 29, 2023 at Morrow, 910 Richards St, Vancouver

Folklore, Feminism, and Sea-Maidens: A Mythic Evening with Nalo Hopkinson in Conversation w/ Valérie d. Walker

On Thursday, May 25 at 6:30pm, join Massy Arts Society, SUM gallery, SFU Library, SFU Public Square & Massy Books at The Djavad Mowafaghian...

When I Stop Saying Your Name – Five Songs of Grief and Grieving

SUM gallery + Little Chamber Music present: When I Stop Saying Your Name – Five Songs of Grief and GrievingWorld premiere of new...

Performing Memories with pianist Michael Park

Performing Memories with Michael ParkUnravelling a queer boy’s coming out, through recollections at the piano Co-presented by Erato...

Salón Silicón: Senos de Hombre

Senos de HombreCurated by Mexico City's Salón Silicón: Olga Rodríguez, Romeo Gómez López and Laos Salazar Exhibition runs...

sticky extensions: Romi Kim in Collaboration with Queer Based Media

sticky extensions: Romi Kim in collaboration with Queer Based Media Exhibition runs Oct 13 to Dec 8 Gallery hours: Tue–Sat, 12...

Queering the Air with Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa

QUEERing the air with rachel kiyo iwaasaSept 23, 7:30pm An evening of music by Queer and Trans composers, performed by pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa SUM Gallery

MOTORBIKE/SUPERDYKE 

SUM gallery co-presented in partnership with Vancouver Queer Film Festival Opening reception: Sat, Aug 13, 7 to 10pm Installation runs Aug 16 to 20,...

Don Kwan: Beyond Exclusion

JUL 28 TO DEC 4: DON KWAN: BEYOND EXCLUSION EXHIBITION Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St., VancouverBeyond Exclusion is Don...

Pride in Chinatown

July 24-30, 2022Founded by On Main’s Artist Director, Paul Wong and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden,

Vanishing Act at Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

Jul 2 - Sep 1, 2022Centre A: Unit 205, 268 Keefer St. Gallery hours: Wed-Sat, 12 to 6pmThe extension to QAF 2022: Hauntings...

SUM gallery is one of less than a handful of permanent queer-mandated art galleries in the world. SUM produces, presents and exhibits with a curatorial vision favouring cutting-edge, thought-provoking multidisciplinary work that pushes boundaries and initiates dialogue. SUM brings diverse communities together to support artistic risk-taking, incite creative collaboration and experimentation and celebrate the rich heritage of queer artists and art.

The artist-run SUM gallery was founded in 2018 by Artistic Director SD Holman as a permanent space supporting multidisciplinary exhibitions, events and artist residencies. At the time of the founding, SUM was the only queer-mandated gallery in Canada—not the first, but earlier attempts have succumbed to gentrification, or exhaustion, or both. And we salute you.

SUM gallery came to BC Artscape’s space in the Sun Wah Centre as a partnership with Full Circle First Nations Performance, the Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival, and multimedia titan Paul Wong’s On Main Gallery. We populate the empty 4th floor, previously left in shell condition since the 1980’s when it was built.

The SUM gallery name honours our location with multi-layered meaning:

○ Originally envisioned as a Dim Sum (點心) restaurant, our space features the traditional round window, now a striking feature of our office

○ The name pays tribute to the Pearl River Delta immigrants who settled our neighbourhood 150 years ago: Sum (心) means heart in their Cantonese dialect

○ Words for queer people in Chinese include the Sum 心 character

○ SUM = summation (∑), the sum of its parts, the sum total, 2LGBTQIA+

○ Some (art)