The West Vancouver Art Museum builds awareness of diverse forms of contemporary and historical art, architecture, and design, engaging audiences with issues and ideas central to the community and the world beyond. The West Vancouver Art Museum is located in the historic Gertrude Lawson house. In 1929, local teacher Gertrude Lawson purchased two lots of land at 17th Street and Esquimalt Avenue, and the house was completed in 1939. She is thought to be among the first women in B.C. to have a mortgage in her own name. In designing her home, Lawson was influenced by a trip to Scotland, during which she toured several stone castles. Lawson’s home became a social hub for her friends and family. She hosted teas, traditional Scottish dances, and weddings at the house throughout her life. Lawson died on January 22, 1989, at the age of 96. The House was acquired by the District of West Vancouver in 1994 and became a museum.