ART OF WONDER || An Enchanted Garden Housed in Kerrisdale's Glass Pavilion
Welcome to The Art of Wonder exhibition, where an enchanted garden awaits.
Skipping blue bunnies, layers of beautiful topiaries, lush hanging greenery, and art sculptures draw you into this whimsical scene. The exhibition takes a page from the fairytale Alice in Wonderland and comes complete with its own Mad Hatter’s Party. The experience is thoughtfully designed and every corner is meticulously detailed to ensure multiple photo-worthy stops along the way.
The exhibition is housed within the Glass Pavilion, formerly home to the historic Kerrisdale Lumber family business in Vancouver. The transformation of the Kerrisdale Lumber Glasshouse into the Glass Pavilion was influenced by the beautiful Crystal Palace in London, which was built to house The Great Exhibition of 1851. The space has been transformed into a hidden oasis, and the delightful nature scene pays tribute to the history and evolution of the iconic Kerrisdale neighbourhood.
When the first British settlers arrived in the early 1800s, one of the neighbourhood’s earliest residents named the site after her family home in Scotland, ‘Kerry’s Dale’, meaning ‘seats of the fairies’. This intriguing story behind the name inspired Gryphon Development to honor and celebrate the charming community with The Art of Wonder exhibition.
The exterior of the exhibition is fully enclosed in vibrant pink signage save for a small window exposing a richly decorated tea party with a massive hanging bouquet of pink and red roses overhead, adding to the mysterious, other-worldly experience that lies beyond the entrance.
The enchanted gardens Art of Wonder tour comes complete with its own Mad Hatter’s Party
A dancing rainbow happened to make an entrance
Observing the fairytale scene depicted by this grand setup, it’s hard to imagine that this exhibition has been put together by a local community real estate developer, Gryphon Development, with the goal of paying tribute to the neighbourhood the company has made their home. Art plays a significant role in each of Gryphon Development’s projects, and the team greatly respects the artisans they collaborate with to bring each community to life — whether this is the architects, interior designers, landscaping designers, or mural artists they work with. Their understanding of what makes a place a home is the experience, which is why it is so important for them to convey and capture the essence of Kerrisdale’s rich history and British roots in an art exhibition. Art isn’t an object, it’s an experience. The guided tour through The Art of Wonder exhibition shares the story of the Kerrisdale and Gryphon Development’s vision for the future of the neighborhood, captivating all of your senses by immersing you into the experience of the enchanted gardens.
Checkered flooring, lush florals and an abundance of greenery invites us to indulge in a mental escape
The sensory experience continues long after you complete your visit, as the Gryphon Development team has curated 3 characteristic teas in collaboration with the Tea Sommelier at O5 Tea for each of their guests to select a tea blend to enjoy at home. The specialty tea blends include the Enchanted Garden, an herbal blend with floral notes, the 1905 Blend paying homage to the area’s earliest settlers, and the Arbutus Brew, to celebrate Kerrisdale’s Arbutus Corridor which was the original site of the CP railway.
For those residing in Vancouver or planning a nearby visit, make sure to plan for a stop at The Art of Wonder exhibition, as it will be a pleasant first stop before you explore the rest of the Kerrisdale neighbourhood. Register for a private tour at artofwonder.ca.
Every nook in this enchanted garden beckons photographers to frame the perfect shot