Centre A Reading Room

About Centre A

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Centre A’s Reading Room is a volunteer-run, non-circulating library dedicated to Asian and Asia-diasporic Art, situated in the heart of Vancouver’s (BC, Canada) Chinatown, on the unceded Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. It began in 1999 with contributions from artists, researchers, and curators locally and internationally. It emerged out of a need to collect a body of literature on Asian art practices, and by extension creating transnational ties with international arts communities.

The Reading Room houses materials donated by galleries, artists and artists collectives, and curators. These materials include: monographs, artist ephemera, exhibition catalogs, art criticism texts, artists books, audio visual materials, as well as the Fraser Finlayson Collection of rare books on Classical Chinese and Japanese Art with publications dating back to the late 19th century. We are excited to explore the possibilities of the Reading Room as a site of cultural production and community building. Due to COVID-19, we are currently open by appointment Wednesday to Friday, 12 PM-6 PM.

Please email us through the link above to make your appointment or for any inquiries!

*The Reading Room has a no-scent policy.