The Creative Spaces Garden and Studio Tour is Saturday June 22, from 10 am to 4 pm. This is an annual fundraiser for the Cortes Island Museum, as well as a showcase of some of the island’s hidden gems.
“It’s a great opportunity to feature creative talents of people on the island, and it’s a self guided tour of studios and gardens that takes you all the way around from Whaletown, down to Smelt Bay, and Cortes Bay. We’ve got painters, textile artists, weavers, spinners, ceramicists . We’ve got a number of potters and pottery studios that are participating. And then some beautiful spaces with gardens that range from low bluff to high bluff. You pick up a map, which includes a button, and you just go around the island visiting people with talents you may not have known about, or see spaces that you were curious about but never had an opportunity to actually walk into. Walk through the gates and see what people are growing there,” explained Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the Cortes Island Museum.
“We have 15 spots, when I say spots I mean locations, because, even though one person’s name may be on the garden description, we know that there are a lot of people who participate and contribute to the shape of any garden. So we say 15 different locations, and I would say that we’ve had a good representation of artists.”
Some of the artists will be selling work .And it’s a great opportunity just to engage with your neighbors, for locals as well as people coming from off island.
Cortes Currents: Can you give examples of some of the spaces on the tour?
Melanie Boyle: “Suzu Matsuda and Larry Cohen are longtime friends and longtime residents of Cortes. They have some beautiful works to show and their studio is beautiful. Larry and Volker Steigeman built it. It’s a really unique space and a lot of people on the island may know of their space because they held an annual pottery sale, which was really popular.”
“Brian Hayden’s house in the Gorge is one of the houses that we’re featuring here in the exhibition. Brian has a really unique Mediterranean focused garden. People visiting it can see the outside of his home, which is based on a traditional pithouse design from the Interior of BC. Brian really integrated his home with the landscape. His home was designed by David Shipway, and built by Tryge Ellingsen and his crew.”
“Christer Ekstrom has a very beautiful contemplative style of painting. He has a beautiful studio up north of Whaletown, and it was a delight to have visited his studio last year.”
“Filipe Figuera will also be showing his paintings at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery this year. He was on the tour last year as well.”
“Jeramie Ellingson and Aaron Ellingson live in a historic float house on Hague Lake. Jeremy has a ceramics practice, and she will be opening the doors to her studio, as well.”
“Mary Claire Preston is down at Foxglove Pottery Studios.”
This is the first time Ayami Stryck has opened her textile studio for the tour.
“Hollyhock Garden is always spectacular and they’re on the tour as well. Hollyhock is offering a 10 percent discount for lunch for ticket holders. This lunch discount requires pre-reservation, as spots are limited.”
“The Heritage Garden here at the museum has really been spruced up. So much hard work has been put in through our volunteers.”
“That’s a few spaces. I don’t want to mention too many people because I think everybody is bringing some really unique work to this tour.”
“We really thank the people who participate, it does require them to work hard in the garden or get their studios prepped. We couldn’t do it without them. I think it is also rewarding for the people who participate because they’re able to share some of the creations they’ve made.”
“The Creative Spaces Garden and Studios Tour is a significant annual fundraiser for the museum. It’s been running for many years. Last year was the first year post COVID that we were able to run it, so we had a hiatus of about four years. It was a big success.”
“This year it is on Saturday, June 22nd, 10am to 4pm, rain or shine, and tickets are $20. Kids 12 and under are free. The maps and the tickets are available at all the local stores. The Cortes Market, Gorge Harbour General Store, Marnie’s Books, Cortes Natural Food Co-op, Squirrel Cove General Store, here at the museum, and even Inspirations on Quadra Island is going to be carrying them. Hollyhock will be carrying them closer to the date and the Whaletown Garden Centre, the day of the event.”
Top image credit: Norah Johnson and Jerry Prussin’s Garden
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