Vanguard (1972-1989) was a much-lauded visual arts periodical that emerged from the Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin (1931-1971) "to cover all the arts and give space to cultural events of interest in British Columbia." After Luke Rombout replaced VAG director Tony Emery in 1975, the magazine, like the exhibition program, placed greater emphasis on what Rombout called "the visual arts" over Emery's "larger cultural milieu." This shift intensified in 1979 when the magazine expanded to 56 glossy, perfect-bound pages and featured some of the densest art criticism this side of the Seine.
Something that is rarely talked about in Vanguard's history is the "rogue year" of 1976, when editorial met with representatives of the British garment industry to produce an issue devoted entirely to cable knits. Some saw the gesture as conceptual, while others saw it in reaction to a rising regional interest in Cowichan or "Indian" sweaters (whether this reaction was in fear of a burgeoning Indigenous clothing industry or to issues of cultural appropriation is uncertain). In any event, after a single issue (see picture) the magazine returned to visual art exhibitions, lectures and publications, leaving the business of culture to future generations.
