An Evening Where Vancouver’s
Cultural Pulse Takes Centre Stage
An elegant hum filled the galleries as Vancouver’s cultural and community leaders gathered beneath the soaring interiors of the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Live It Up Awards — an evening that moved seamlessly between spectacle, conversation, and celebration. From the moment guests arrived, the tone was unmistakable: this was not simply a gala, but a reflection of the city’s evolving identity, shaped by those who choose to live
with purpose.
The evening unfolded with a sense of theatre. Guests were welcomed by striking visual performances — winged figures in sculptural gold and ethereal silhouettes that set a dreamlike stage, framing the night as both artistic and immersive. Inside, the atmosphere shifted into a refined intimacy. Candlelit tables dressed in soft blue hues and delicate florals created a setting that felt considered and quietly luxurious, where conversation carried as much weight as presentation.
Music wove its way through the space, most notably through a live piano performance that anchored the room with a sense of calm sophistication. The notes carried across the gallery, offering moments of pause between courses and speeches, and reinforcing the evening’s central idea: that lifestyle is not defined by excess, but by the thoughtful layering of experience.
At its core, the evening was a celebration of Vancouver Lifestyle Day, officially proclaimed by the City of Vancouver, and brought to life through The Lifestyle Foundation’s Live It Up Awards. Building on the day’s earlier forum — a roundtable exploring how individuals shape meaningful
lives within rapidly changing social and technological landscapes — the gala translated those ideas into lived,
visible recognition.
The awards themselves highlighted a cross-section of the city’s creative and cultural fabric. The Sanctuary Award honoured spaces that reflect personal expression, with Bruce Munro Wright receiving distinction for A House That Lives for Art, while Courtenay Webber’s Superfunctional Tiny Home Design Studio was recognized for its thoughtful approach to living well within constraint.
The Vanguard Award celebrated individuals forging their own paths, with Jacques W. Martiquet recognized for Adult Summer Camps & Sober Raves — a reimagining of connection and celebration — and Lucinda Xue acknowledged for Where Courage Led Me, a deeply
personal narrative of direction and change.
Cultural connection was brought forward through the Mosaic Award, where Naomi Narcisse’s Another Coyote received distinction, and Siqi Xu and Megan Hodgson were recognized for A Family Where East Meets West — a reflection of how shared lives create layered meaning across traditions.
Perhaps most resonant was the Icon Award, honouring those 65 and over who continue to redefine vitality and expression. Jila Amirshahi was recognized for Life with Voice, Art, and Storytelling, while Haicheng Yang’s The Stage Never Retires served as a reminder that creativity does not diminish with time — it deepens.
Beyond the awards, the introduction of City20 added another dimension to the evening. Rather than ranking destinations, the initiative highlights the places people return to repeatedly — cafés, shops, and cultural spaces that quietly shape collective memory and belonging within the city.
Throughout the night, what emerged was a shared understanding: Vancouver’s identity is not solely defined by its natural beauty, but by how its people choose to live, create, and connect. The Lifestyle Foundation, founded by Shasha Liu alongside Echo Wu and COO Lorna Lu, has positioned this initiative as more than a moment. It is an ongoing cultural platform, one that amplifies the belief that vitality, aesthetics, and creativity are not luxuries, but essential elements of a life well lived.
As guests filtered out into the evening, there was a sense that something meaningful had taken place — not just recognition, but reflection. In a world that often moves quickly and uniformly, the Live It Up Awards offered a pause, inviting the city to consider that every choice, every space, and every story contributes to the broader tapestry of how we live.