It seems that art, like happy news or good food, is best shared. That is certainly true for Alternative Creations Studio, a creative hub that opens its doors for the Eastside Culture Crawl Nov. 20-23. The studio is one of many in Vancouver’s artistic mecca, set to welcome more than 20,000 art admirers during this signature community event. Steamrolling into its 18th year, what started as a small group of artists displaying their work to a few hundred people has grown into one of Vancouver’s biggest art events, where studios open their doors and let the public get up close and personal with the city’s flourishing creative scene.

Located in the artists’ haven that spans the heart of East Vancouver, Alternative Creations Studio is operated by posAbilities. The crawl offers a valuable opportunity for Alternatives’ artists to showcase their work and meet their neighbours. “We just fit,” says project lead Cindy Mateush of the crawl’s natural affinity with Alternatives’ ethos of creating a “community of belonging”.

Alternative Creations and the Culture Crawl are threads that weave individuals together, connecting people who were previously strangers and growing a community where all members are valued for who they are and for the contributions they make. “What we’re doing is building a stronger community by having people work together, learning to co-operate and share and in the end a piece of art happens,” says Cindy of the studio’s collaborative creative processes.

While browsing the studio for local treasures to bring home, culture crawlers can keep warm by sipping a cup of hot chocolate provided by the studio. It’s a small act of giving back and one that can help draw together artists and art lovers over a warming beverage.

Alternative Creations Studio is located at 1387 Venables Street, Vancouver. Artists from Pottery Works, a workshop operated through the Community Living Society, will also display their beautiful pieces at this location. To learn more about the Eastside Culture Crawl, click here. To view more photos of the work featured this year, click here.