WCML x Thermador x Niekamp – 2026.05.27

May 27, 2026 from 5:30–8:30pm

Pop-Up Gallery & Reception
Presented by Thermador with the West Coast Modern League & Trail Appliances
Hosted by BSH Experience & Design Centre | 30 E 6th Ave | Vancouver BC

An evening of art and architecture in celebration of Vancouver artist Amanda Niekamp and the unveiling of her new work inspired by G. Douglas Wylie’s 1962 Taylor House.

The West Coast Modern League joined Thermador with Trail Appliances at the BSH Experience & Design Centre for an evening of art and architecture in celebration of local artist Amanda Niekamp. The evening featured a pop-up art gallery and reception in the artist’s honour along with the unveiling of new work inspired by G. Douglas Wylie’s 1962 Taylor House and its Japanese influences, commissioned by Thermador Canada. Richelle Greabeiel of studio ilo created a series of sculptural floral installations to accompany Niekamp’s works on display. The West Coast Modern League shared remarks on West Coast Modernism, Japanese influence at its roots, and the importance of celebrating and retaining our modern heritage.

Amanda said it beautifully, “together, it felt like a celebration not only of design history, but of the stories embedded within our built environments. A reminder that as our cities and landscapes continue to evolve, there is immense value in slowing down, paying attention, and preserving the character and spirit of that places that shape us.”

Taylor House was designed by G. Douglas Wylie for Pat and Rikk Taylor, completed in 1962. This modern house, situated on a steeply sloped site, is part of a small modernist enclave in the middle of a city otherwise dominated by Victorian, Craftsman, and colonial heritage homes. Characterized by a low-slung form nested into its landscape, douglas fir beams, large overhangs with full height expanses of glass, and natural, unadorned materials, the house is a modest yet refined version of a typical post-and-beam design that proliferated across the south coast of BC.

Amanda Niekamp, a graduate of Emily Carr University, is an accomplished painter and illustrator based in Vancouver. Her work draws inspiration from the enchanting West Coast landscape, modernist principles, and global architectural design. Niekamp’s style is characterized by its tangible, unfiltered expressiveness, evoking the simple joy of childhood memories and the immediacy of picking up a crayon. Her creativity is sparked by the raw patterns and vibrant colours found in industrial forms, architecture, and natural environments. Niekamp is deeply influenced by the surrealism inherent in everyday spaces, reflecting this fascination in her unique artistic vision.