High-quality Photographs and Painting to Decorate Your Home in Surrey
Art is fundamental to human expression. As Phylicia Rashad, the first African American woman artist to win a Tony Awards, said, "Before a child talks, they sing. Before they write, they draw. As soon as they stand, they dance."
Art is an integral part of our lives. It affects every aspect of our lives, from personal to professional, helping us heal, grow and improve.
Art is the voice of humanity. The most important function of art is therefore to protect against the erasure of one's history and culture.
Art, therefore, is a valuable resource, worth investing in.
Our love story with art began thirty years ago when the owner, Robert Blanchette commissioned his first major oil painting with local artist, Rudy Benno. Since then, Robert has published and supported an impressive portfolio of artists and photographers from diverse backgrounds.
Today Blue Lotus Art Gallery continues to expand its vision. Our aim is to promote diversity and acceptance through art.
Blue Lotus Art Gallery is a locally owned and operated Canadian company consisting of an active community of artists and investors, joined together with the aim of sharing beauty through the medium of visual art.
Throughout our gallery, you will see elements of art from various sources, Eastern arts, African semi-precious stone sculptures, Canadian Indigenous art and carvings, originals as well as limited editions and posters in both contemporary and traditional styles and our signature large format panoramic photographies.
Whistler's Charm Chickadees by New Westminster artist Denis Meyer - one of the many artists that Robert published.
Robert has travelled several times around the world, experiencing art and culture everywhere he went. He observed in each country that beyond the external social, cultural and political differences, art was one binding factor that connected people. Art became a universal language that everyone and anyone understood and appreciated.
Using art as a common ground for connecting people, Robert created this concept of harmony among diversity in the Blue Lotus Art Gallery with the aim to help our customers and viewers explore the richness of art with an open and curious mind.
We want you to connect to the power of art, to look beyond the decorative and aesthetic value of art. Art has a presence, a powerful restorative and rejuvenating presence. Scientific research has shown how slow, mindful looking at art can help reduce or alleviate stress thus establishing a strong connection between art, healing and public health. [American Journal of Public Health/ H.L.Stuckey, DEd and Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH]
Browsing through an art gallery and the act of viewing art help lower the body's concentration OF THE stress hormone cortisol and increase that of the pleasure hormone dopamine.[Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions/ G. Kaimal, EdD]
When choosing art, choose with mindfulness. You can get art that conveys the "it" and the "wow" factor but beyond that, we invite you to find something that celebrates you and your life experience, art that connects you to a happy place or memory and gives dignity to your life story.
Read more about art and mindfulness below.
Why Mindfulness?
When your brain is overstimulated, your fight or flight mode is activated. The zone of resilience in your brain where we can think, feel, care and reflect is reduced.
Mindfulness makes you view a painting slowly. Slowly. The moment you slow down, you breathe deeply. This relaxes your mind and body. Your brain finally gets a chance to recharge.
Neuroscientists have long been intrigued by the impact of visual art on the brain since 30% of the entire cortex is devoted to visual processing, compared to 8% for touch and 3% for hearing.
Just by looking at a painting, scientists say that blood flow carrying oxygen in the medial orbitofrontal cortex has increased by 10%. This stimulates the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, resulting in a better mood and less stress.
Now combine the act of viewing art with the practice of mindfulness, and you receive double the benefits.
Our Goal
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Accessibility. To provide an inclusive, dynamic art space where everyone can appreciate the beauty of art, starting right here at home with Canadian art.
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Relevance. To provide a self-sustaining commercially successful retail environment in order to promote the exposure and growth of local Canadian artists and photographers.
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Diversity and Acceptance. To re-fashion the culture and ownership of art by breaking down institutional barriers and tokenism of what is considered high and low end art, by bridging the gap between the museum and commercial art and finally by giving a platform for marginalized artists.
Our Mission
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Art Legacy. We are committed to maintaining and preserving the culture of art history. It is this commitment that has led us to champion the legacy of past artists through art awareness, educational posts and printing of works by forgotten masters. In this way we are providing an educated platform not only for the public to invest in art today but also a solid foundation for future generations of artists to grow, be inspired and flourish.
Our Philosophy
Art is an Essential Service. Our philosophy is based on neuroscience which shows a growing amount of science-backed evidence that art plays a crucial role in healing our minds and bodies.
In children, arts impact everything from improving fine motor skills, overall academic achievement to social development and emotional resilience.
For adults, art opens difficult conversations and can reduce depression and anxiety that are often symptomatic of chronic diseases.
For the elderly, art increases the brain's cognitive function by triggering previously forgotten memories. Art keeps the brain active and stimulated and promotes a sense of accomplishment.
Art is therefore more than a decoration to cover your wall. Art creates space. When you bring art to your home, you invite certain energy into your home. With careful mindfulness, you create a space that is sacred, vibrant with life and joy. We can help you choose the right art for you.
"The arts are a critical component of healthcare. Expressive art is a tool to explore, develop and practice creativity as a means to wellness." [Wellarts Association]
Meet Our Team
Brinda at Guildford Town Centre is the art curator for Blue Lotus Art Gallery and organizes events and art shows with local artists. Her specialty is 19th-century art history. Her favourite 19th-century artists are Canadian Sophie Pemberton and French Alexandre Cabanel.
All artists' submissions should be directed to her. You can reach her at info@bluelotusartgallery.com.
Denise specializes in Canadian Indigenous art. Her intensive knowledge in native art history and her empathy dealing with indigenous artists has earned her the unofficial honorific name “Raven woman" by the late Haida artist Ron LaRochelle. You can reach her at Surrey Central mall.
Leni at Tsawwassen Mills will be happy to assist you in choosing art according to Feng Shui sensibilities.
We as a company understand how colours have a big impact on the Qi (life force energy) in your home, and we can guide you on how to choose colours and mix shapes and sizes for a more dynamic Feng Shui energy.
Sandra at Metrotown is an artist who loves painting nature and still life. Her favourite artist is Swedish figurative painter Nick Alm. Recently Sandra has been experimenting with abstraction on acrylics.
Finally, we wouldn’t be complete without our team of framers, printers, artists and photographers.
Artist Submission: Info@bluelotusartgallery.com
Contact Us to Buy Appreciable Artwork by Local Artists in Surrey
Blue Lotus Art Gallery is dedicated to helping local artists grow by providing them the exposure they need. We have three locations in the Lower Mainland displaying various art forms from local Canadian artists. Bringing the unique styles of different artists to the walls of your house, we are proud to have created a space that connects artists and art collectors.
Our goal is to bring artists and photographers together in a place where they can display their work proudly. We also provide custom framing and printing as well as sales of art for homeowners looking to decorate their homes.
Whether you are an artist looking for a platform or a consumer looking to appreciate the value of local art, come by our gallery and see what we have in store.
Contact Information
Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
For art submission and collaboration, please contact us at info@bluelotusartgallery.com
For quality framing and printing services, contact us at info@bluelotusartgallery.com.
Can’t step out and travel to our art gallery to buy our stunning photographs and paintings? You can instead browse through our collections and shop online!