Endless Pursuit of Art
Top art town tag well deserved for Salt Spring
Salt Spring painter John Macdonald
With more artists per capita than many places on earth, Salt Spring Island revels in its natural beauty as a source of inspiration. Whether you’re one of the fine artists who live on the island and supply galleries elsewhere, or an artisan who relies on locals and tourists to supply your daily bread, the level of sophistication is astounding.
It’s no wonder arts writer John Villani named Salt Spring the ninth best art town under 30,000 population in North America in the 2005 edition of his book called The 100 Best Art Towns in America.
High-quality galleries featuring Gulf Islands artists, including First Nations art, are easily accessible in downtown Ganges at Grace Point Square, Mouat’s Mall and on other nearby streets. Pick up a Gallery Walk brochure at the galleries or Tourist Info Centre to ensure you don’t miss a single spot, and then head out to the Merchants Mews complex on Upper Ganges Road and Salt Spring Woodworks on Churchill Road, where more acclaimed artists show their unique wares.
Real treasures are found in home studios and galleries with the artists often in attendance, so you can forge an intimate connection with your purchased piece. The Salt Spring Studio Tour also has a fantastic reputation.
ArtCraft, coordinated by the Salt Spring Arts Council in Mahon Hall, sells lovely items from over 200 artists with featured “showcases” running throughout the summer.
Christmas craft fairs at Mahon, Fulford and Beaver Point community halls are another popular draw for visitors and residents.
The Saturday Market in Centennial Park is a huge attraction for people who love arts and crafts, and its “make it, bake it or grow it” mandate plus high community participation guarantees a festival feel.
ArtSpring is Salt Spring’s eight-year-old arts centre, housing a 259-seat theatre, two gallery spaces and extensive lobbies available for hanging art. This well-used and loved community building is now on the circuit of musical acts from all over the world.
“ArtSpring is an absolute winner,” comments Richard Moses, a musician, thespian and serious supporter of the local arts scene. “It attracts great numbers of people, succeeding in putting Salt Spring on the arts map.”
For the latest on entertainment happenings, stop in to the centre at 100 Jackson Avenue, in Ganges, call the ticket centre at (250) 537-2102, or visit www.artspring.ca.
Professional musicians abound in venues like restaurants, pubs and halls, and several famous writers also call the island home.
For an authentic Salt Spring experience, check out a Beaver Point “boogie” at the quaint hall deep in the island’s south end, where the historic building’s floor bounces from the frenzied dancing.
On the theatre front, watch for the 11-show run of The Tempest (July 26-August 11), mounted by the semi-professional Graffiti Theatre Company in Mouat Park near Ganges. Shows by the amateur Salt Spring Community Theatre and WordPlay, a readers’ theatre covering American and British classics, also bring out the crowds.
For enthusiastic amateurs, numerous choirs, a concert band, swing band, several arts and craft guilds, and any number of trained professionals teaching classes ensure the artistic life can be endlessly pursued on Salt Spring.