Human Spirit

Vancouver Convention Center

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)

Susan Point · Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building · Vancouver, BC

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) · Medium: Carving, Painting & Metalwork · Installed: 2010

A monumental welcome woven into the walls of the city's gathering place.

The Work

Installed along the main corridor of the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building, Human Spirit is one of the most significant works of public Indigenous art in the city — and one of the easiest to miss if you don't know to look for it. Carved and painted cedar panels run the length of the corridor, punctuated by copper figures whose outstretched arms have welcomed millions of visitors to this territory since 2010.

Human Spirit is the work of Susan Point, one of the most celebrated artists of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. The piece spans the corridor in a series of carved and painted cedar panels with a copper figure at its centre — materials drawn deliberately from the Northwest Coast, where both cedar and copper carry deep cultural significance within Salish tradition.

The copper figures are water-jet cut from quarter-inch sheet, each rendered with arms outstretched in the Salish gesture of welcome. They represent not only the Salish people but all who have chosen to make their home in British Columbia.

The panels are spaced in a pattern drawn from Salish textile and basket weaving. In Salish culture, stories were passed on orally and recorded through carving, textile art, and basketry — each motif carrying symbolic weight. As you walk the corridor, the spacing of the panels creates a sense of movement, echoing the woven structure of a basket in motion.

In Susan Point's own words: "This piece tells the story of the Salish, linking them to their traditional lands and welcoming those who have chosen to visit and live in British Columbia. It represents people coming together, connecting, working and creating new ideas and vision." — Susan Point, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)

Know Before You Go

Indoors and fully accessible year-round during Vancouver Convention Centre opening hours. Ground-floor corridor with level access throughout. Accessible entrance via Canada Place. Accessible parking on P1 level of the Canada Place parkade.

Best time to visit: Weekday mornings are quietest. The corridor gets busy during major conventions — check the VCC events calendar if you prefer a calmer experience.

Human Spirit is at the Vancouver Convention Centre — one of the two primary grounding points for the First Welcome Trail. If this is your first stop, the Trail extends outward from here in every direction.

Getting There

By Transit — SkyTrain Canada Line or Expo/Millennium Line to Waterfront Station, then a 5-minute walk west along Canada Place to the Convention Centre West Building entrance.

By SeaBus — Coming from North Vancouver, take the SeaBus from Lonsdale Quay. 8-minute walk along the waterfront from the SeaBus terminal.

On Foot — Directly accessible from the Vancouver waterfront seawall. 2 minutes from Canada Place cruise ship terminal. 8 minutes from Gastown.

By Vehicle — Enter via Canada Place Way. Parkade access at the Canada Place complex with accessible parking on P1. Higher rates during cruise ship and convention days.

By Bike — The Coal Harbour seawall cycling path runs directly alongside the Convention Centre. Bike racks outside the main entrance.

From YVR: Canada Line from YVR Airport Station to Waterfront Station — 25 minutes direct.