Curator Jordan Strom will lead a free tour of "In the Shadows of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art" at Surrey Art Gallery on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 7 p.m. The group exhibition features original and archival work from 1986 by over 50 artists, including Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Debra Sparrow, and Paul Wong, spanning photography, painting, film, weavings, sculpture, video, performance, and installation art. The tour will be followed by a chiptune performance by Freaky DNA (Leonard J. Paul). Additional events include a beading workshop on May 30 and a closing event on June 7.
The tour matters because it offers the public direct access to curatorial insights about Expo 86's cultural legacy through contemporary art, connecting a major historical world's fair to current artistic practices. The free programming and community workshops also highlight Surrey Art Gallery's role in making art accessible and engaging local audiences, fostering dialogue between past and present through diverse media and participatory activities.