The guys at Vice are hitting the art gallery scene. You read that right. Vice magazine, the indie glossy freebie that was once crafted in a basement in Montreal, has grown up. In a brand extension initiative, the rag’s in-house marketing agency, Addvice, is bringing ‘Slapshot,’ a travelling hockey art exhibit sponsored by 2K Sports and Xbox, in an effort to intro the brand-new NHL 2K6 videogame.

‘We were given a lot of liberty [by client 2K Sports] to promote the new game. And so we asked 30 artists from all over the world to each immortalize the greatest – and most notorious – hockey players,’ explains director of marketing Erik Lavoie. ‘The art show was launched in New York last week, and it’s really just a way for us to get people to talk about hockey.’

And so it is that artists such as Buck, Ellen Stagg and Gordon Hull among others have immortalized the likes of hockey greats Tie Domi and Grant Fuhr. Xbox game consoles were available for party-goers – which numbered 800 at the NYC launch.

‘Slapshot’ is hitting Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver beginning Sept. 23. According to Lavoie, sponsorship opps are still available with crowds expected to reach up to 350 at each venue.

Aside from art, Vice is also in the midst of producing more regional city guides ‘as a way to leverage national advertising opps.’ The first one, on Toronto, was released in June. On the heels of that well-received success, the Montreal and Vancouver editions are slated for release in October and spring 2006, respectively. So far, opps for marketers exist in page buys only, says Lavoie.

Vice targets 18-34s with a male skew.