Free and paid art tours and art walks are offered by non-profit organizations and commercial tour operators in cities and towns across Canada. This page details their offerings with links and contact information. If you organize art tours or are aware of a tour service that provides art tours, kindly share details with me. (contact me)
British Columbia Art Walks & Tours
Edmonton Art Walks & Tours
Montréal Art Walks & Tours
Newfoundland Art Walks & Tours
Québec City Art Walks & Tours
Toronto Art Walks & Tours
Vancouver Art Walks & Tours
Winnipeg Art Walks & Tours
Catch artists in their own space and see the inner workings of the studio tours life. Watch as a potter or ceramicist works clay with an expert touch. See a painter use colour, form and composition to splash an image on blank canvas. Experience the process of glassmaking, woodworking, metal sculpting, and an endless variety of artistic expression. British Columbia’s diverse culture and pristine natural beauty create the perfect conditions for a vibrant arts community. Artists all over the province open the doors of their studios to the public for specialized viewing tours that can be found on Art-BC.com. Studio tours are an excellent way to immerse yourself in the local art scene. Some artists open their studios throughout the year, or for the summer season, while others will only be available for viewing during organized studio tours.To begin, find an existing studio tour with a proposed itinerary or create your own cultural crawl – plan a visit to one of BC’s Creative Communities using the Guide and Art-BC.com to curate your own exploration of galleries, artist studios and more!
Whyte Avenue Art Walk, an annual outdoor studio and gallery, has a history that spans nearly three decades. The Whyte Avenue Art Walk is an outdoor studio and gallery featuring hundreds of working artists. For three days every July, artists and their art fill the sidewalks of Old Strathcona. It’s an original experience that artists love. Artists are encouraged to bring their supplies and their ideas and make art right on site, providing an exciting opportunity for visitors to become engaged in many creative processes.
Whyte Avenue Art Walk
Montreal Art Walks connects you with art insiders excited to share their passion for Montreal’s hidden treasures. Visit the museums and Galleries with a knowledgeable local. Learn what inspires artists, curators, and enthusiasts living in Montreal. We are also interested in tailoring your visit to your interests. Our tours are flexible, so don’t hesitate to send us a personal message about what gets you excited, so we can tailor the visit to you.
Join the city’s first and original Montreal mural and street art walking tour to get the skinny on the artists, works, and the public art scene in Montréal. We’ll be covering close to 20 massive works ranging from 2-9 stories high and taking back streets to see pieces by our talented writers as well as installations. This is the perfect outing for locals and visitors, art fans, and people who also just like pretty things… so kind of everyone. Over recent years Saint-Laurent boulevard has been transformed into the country’s premier street art corridor. Since the creation of the first graffiti culture gathering over 20 years ago, the more recent MURAL Festival, municipal and public non-profit organizations, our city, and rightly so, has become a world leader in the urban arts scene. This is a vibrant street art walking tour along St. Laurent boulevard and its impressive outdoor art gallery.
We created Explore Art NL because we believe in the power of art to draw people together, to start conversations, and to attract visitors to the unique landscape and talented artistic voices of our province. Public art also plays an important role in humanizing built environments, reflecting our evolving culture, and invigorating public spaces, inviting people to spend more time in a location. We hope Explore Art NL will help members of the public, tourists, art-lovers and the “art-curious” among us discover the artworks in our own backyard, and appreciate how paint, steel, bronze, rock, and yarn can be used to generate conversations, experiences, and a sense of place. We encourage people to use the app to interact and engage with public art safely and invite them to share their images on social media, helping promote municipalities across the province in the process.
Discover the Art Galleries in Old Quebec on Private Walking Tour. Embark on an enchanting journey through the historic heart of Old Quebec with our Art Galleries Private Guided Walking Tour. As you stroll along the cobblestone streets, a knowledgeable local guide will lead you through a captivating narrative of the city's rich artistic heritage. Immerse yourself in the vibrant arts scene of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover hidden gems, such as quaint galleries and boutique shops showcasing local artisans' work. This tour is a delightful fusion of history and creativity, offering a unique perspective on Old Quebec's artistic soul.
Explore free self-guided public art walking tours today! The City of Toronto has partnered with Driftscape, local community artists and arts organizations to curate free public art tours all across the City. The tours include bonus media materials, artist interviews and features pieces from the City’s various divisions: StreetARToronto, Percent for Public Art, and the Public Art & Monuments Collection. Explore the Tours on Driftscape Mobile App today!
Explore free self-guided public art walking tours on the STEPS Public Art App and experience artworks across Toronto with behind-the-scenes information, artist quotes, and stories!
Find the STEPS App on the App Store, Google Play and Web
The STEPS Public art App is a digital web and mobile platform where users can find public art activations by Canadian artists, take free public art tours to discover art in new neighbourhoods, and meet the talented artists and creators behind the projects! Learn about the self-guided tours currently available you can take in Toronto and the GTA today with more to come across cities!
City of Vancouver
Explore public art. Self-guided walking tours. Tour the sculptures, reliefs, fountains, and other artworks that enhance our Downtown public spaces. Download our brochures and head out for an hour or two.
DeTours came about from an urge to de-touristify the tour and reclaim it as a tool of educational empowerment. After years of working in the tourism industry and seeing repetitive itineraries that projected fluffy and oversimplified representations of his home city, Alasdair began offering walks and talks that disrupted the dominant narratives of Vancouver in 2008. Since then DeTours has become one of the top-reviewed tour organizations in the city, partnering with a host of educational institutions, non-profits, cultural organizations, and forward thinking travel companies to produce engaging walks and talks for over 100,000 guests. Whether you are a resident keen to deepen your local understanding or a visitor who approaches travel as a reciprocal learning experience rather than a leisure activity, we know people appreciate a nuanced approach to learning.
The Winnipeg Arts Council coordinates guided tours of Winnipeg public art. Get outside and explore Winnipeg this winter on a winter tours. Join a summer tour and learn about the artwork you pass by every day… What is it made of? Why is it there? What does it mean? Some works are fun, colourful, and interactive, and some encourage quiet contemplation. Get to know the artwork that punctuates and brightens our city! The Winnipeg Arts Council also offers private tours of public art for school groups, corporate outings, and other events. These tours are subject to staffing availability and on a by-donation basis, with donations being used to further the work of the Winnipeg Arts Council You can also keep the public art tours fun going all year long with the Winnipeg Public Art Works app!
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