By Manveet Virk, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

When you think of boutique hotels, there are four key traits that come to mind; it’s a one-of-a-kind property, it has a creative concept, it has fabulous service and of course, it is probably in a really cool location.  Last month, I discovered a true gem when it comes to Vancouver boutique hotels. An option that should really be on everyone’s radar is the Listel Hotel.

Located just seconds from the shopping haven of both Robson and Burrard Streets, Listel Hotel is probably the most unique boutique hotel I’ve discovered in Vancouver thus far. There are two words to describe it in a snap shot: Cultured + Sustainable.

Art Culture at Listel Hotel

 If you are looking for a cultural experience, you are going to get one without even setting foot outside of the hotel. With a boutique hotel allure, Listel Hotel houses over $2,000,000 worth of original and limited edition art. Curated by the Buschlen Mowatt Galleries, Listel Hotel is nothing short of an art gallery with distinct pieces featured in the lobby, at each level’s entrance off of the elevator, in various sections of the hotel and of course, in each guest room and suite.

While taking a tour with Lise Magee, Listel Hotel’s Director of Public Relations, she mentioned that guests even purchase art pieces right off the walls from time to time. The guest rooms each profile an artist’s work. The most intriguing of all room types were the premier rooms on the gallery floors. Each room as been designed as an individual gallery featuring original and limited edition works by artists at the forefront of the International and Canadian art scenes. Plus, the rooms offer a truly charming and luxury stay with fluffy goose down duvets, comfortable beds and a chaise lounge to overlook the streets of locals and tourists alike.

Sustainable, Green Initiatives

What is a big reason why guests return to Listel Hotel time and time again? It has a large part to do with the eco-initiative ‘Environment Matters’ program at Listel. With a zero waste policy of turning all of our organic waste into compost, converting our non-recyclables into electricity, reusing all our recyclables and working diligently to minimize waste and conserve natural resources, particularly through water and energy conservation (ie. the first Vancouver hotel to install solar roof panels), Listel is making its mark for a greener Vancouver.

Also, as the host hotel of the Vancouver Jazz Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale, the arts and cultural scene is serious business at Listel. My verdict? Mr. Governor says it best… I’ll be back.

MMV Giveaway: Modern Mix Vancouver is giving away a FREE night stay* at Listel Hotel! Leave a comment below telling us what makes you want to stay at the Listel Hotel and a random winner will be chosen from the comments below. Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re a winner. Contests ends Sunday, March 11th (11:59pm PST).  

For additional entries, you can do the following things;

• For a second entry: Follow @ModernMixVan on Twitter and tweet “I want to win a FREE night stay at @ListelVancouver from @ModernMixVan http://bit.ly/ydc27r RT to enter!”
• For a third entry: “Like” the Modern Mix Vancouver Page on Facebook and post on the wall “I want to win a FREE night stay at Listel Hotel Vancouver from Modern Mix Vancouver! http://bit.ly/ydc27r”

*This MMV giveaway is valid from April 1 to April 30, 2012 and October 1 to November 30, 2012. It is subject to availability and blackout dates, is based on double occupancy, and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Once prize is awarded, the winner will need to contact Listel Hotel for availability and bookings.

By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

The Rosewood Hotel Georgia is now home to a stunning collection of fine Canadian art curated by Farmboy Fine Arts, an international art consultancy group based in Vancouver, which focuses on collaborative art. The collection comprises of over 200 pieces of Canadian art, with the only exception being two pieces by British artist, Patrick Hughes, which are located in the hotel’s lobby and in the entrance to the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia. The art collection was formally introduced to the public by Farm Boy Fine Arts’ President and Director, Todd Towers, on October 5th. Attendees at the event packed the hotel’s Bowden Room for a good solid two hours of mingling, networking and celebration of fine art. Guests were given a tour of part of the collection, which is spread out within the hotel and located in both private and public spaces.

The unique collection features a broad spectrum of Canadian artists including Douglas Coupland, Takao Tanabe, the Group of Seven’s Jack Shadbolt, Sonny Assu, and Guido Molinari. Most impressive is a limited edition print by Damien Hirst, entitled Big Love with Diamond Dust (see left), and a custom installation of vibrant shapes and colours by the world-renowned, Rodney Graham, entitled Anamorphic Psychomania, both located within Hawksworth Restaurant. Hirst’s dramatic piece is one of 50 prints signed by the artist, while Graham’s signature piece is the third in a series inspired by a british zombie movie, Psychomania, from 1970.

For self-guided tours, maps of artworks in the lobby, reception, 1927 lobby lounge, and pre-function spaces on the second floor are available from the Concierge desk.

Last Sunday, on May 10th, the Vancouver Art Gallery unveiled its latest collection of art work: Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art, an exhibition that depicts some of the most celebrated artists from 17th-Century Netherlands.

On loan from the Rijksmuseum (Museum of Art and History) in Amsterdam while the gallery undergoes massive renovations, the VAG is the only other gallery to be showing this collection.

Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor, Vanitas Still Life (Skulls on a Table), c. 1660, Oil on canvas

The 128 paintings, drawings and decorative pieces in the Golden Age collection are presented in a historically comprehensive way that outlines the rise of the Dutch Republic’s political, economic, and cultural prominence. As a result of its maritime power 17th-Century Dutch society had grown in wealth and an emerging middle class could afford to decorate their homes, and newly bought country homes, with lavish paintings and drawings. This lead to a boom of artistic talent.

The exhibit is divided into subjects such as Portraits, Still Life, Landscapes, and Scenes of Everyday Life. Along with masters Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer, the collection also holds portraits by Frans Hals and Gerard Ter Borch, and scenes of daily life by Karel du Jardin, Adriaen van Ostade, Jan Steen and Pieter de Hooch.

The precision and detail given to the still life pieces is remarkable. In one piece by William Claesz Heda simply titled Still Life there is beautiful, ornate cup on its side that looks more real and vivid than any photograph ever could. The painting also shows a half-peeled lemon and a half-full glass to emphasize the need for moderation.

Jan Steen, Woman at her toilet, c. 1659-60, oil on panel

But symbolism isn’t limited to still life. In images from Scenes of Everyday Life you will see the same beautiful detailing of textures and features typical of the period, but with an added moral undertone. In the image Woman at her Toilet by Jan Steen, a woman removes her stockings on her bed. Though it looks innocent enough to current viewers, a 17th-Century audience would have inferred the erotic emphasis in the image of a sleeping dog, known to be emblematic of sexual desire, and the presence of a bed pan, which in Dutch was a synonym for “slut”.

The exhibit is on now until September 13th. Visit the exhibit On Tuesday, May 19th (when admission is by donation) and attend More Than a Love Letter, a lecture presented by Timothy Brooks that will discuss the various worldly influences on Dutch art.

LES Gallery is a small but growing commercial gallery in Vancouver, BC that’s proud to support and feature a roster of local and international artists. The focus of this intimate gallery is to push for new and innovative ideas with the shows it produces as well as with the artists it represents.

• art is what you can get away with
• i think everybody should like everybody
• the world facinates me
• but i always say, one’s company, two’s a crowd and three’s a party
• i wonder if it’s possible to have a love affair that lasts forever

Check out similar styles of images by Bruce MaGaw Graphics.

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