Robert and Mary Blake House
421 Richmond Street • Traditional Bungalow to Contemporary Two-storey • Built 1939 • Builder: Robert Blake
Van Dop Gallery – Art Hub for the 2026 Heritage Homes Tour
Step inside Canada’s only home-gallery, located in New Westminster’s Massey-Victory Heights neighbourhood. Curated by arts champion Trudy Van Dop, the gallery offers visitors a chance to experience contemporary Canadian art within a warm and welcoming residential setting.
During the Heritage Homes Tour, visitors can also view HNW's Art for a Cause featuring watercolour prints by Angie Au Hemphill and pen-and-ink works by Robin Ward. Proceeds from artwork sales support Heritage New West bursaries and grants for NWSS students and emerging New Westminster artists.
Weather permitting, heritage artwork will be displayed throughout the gallery’s remarkable garden setting; otherwise, exhibits will be located indoors. Visitors are encouraged to explore both floors of Van Dop Gallery during their visit.
Accessibility Note: Visitors wishing to avoid stairs may enter via the garage-side entrance or through the garden entrance on Surrey Street.
From Traditional Bungalow to Unique, Contemporary Two-Storey Home-Gallery
It is difficult to imagine that this elegant contemporary home began as a modest bungalow built in 1939 by millworker Robert Blake for his new bride, Mary.
The current owner, Trudy Van Dop, moved into the house with her four children in 1985 and later undertook a major transformation, adding a second storey using innovative engineering technology that allowed the roof to be suspended from a timber strand beam. While the artistic qualities of the home appear purpose-built for gallery use, Van Dop Gallery evolved gradually over time as both a family home and creative space.
After years of operating traditional gallery venues, Van Dop established what became known as Canada’s only home-gallery — an environment intended to challenge the formal and often austere presentation of art in conventional gallery settings. By displaying contemporary Canadian artwork within a lived-in residential setting, the gallery encourages visitors to experience art as part of everyday life rather than as something separate from it.
Today, the house functions as both residence and gallery, reflecting the idea that art can animate domestic spaces while supporting community gathering, hospitality, and creative exchange.