100 Mile House is home to many talented artists whose work can be viewed in private galleries or at the community's public gallery in town. Local artists here use a variety of media, including photography, oil and water colours, wool and wood, as well as unusual materials, including bone and feathers.
In addition to the galleries, many businesses in 100 Mile House showcase these artisans' work, providing them with a unique venue to display and sell their wares.
Highlight Galleries and Artists
One local artist, Vance Theoret, is a self-taught stone carver of Mohawk descent and carves pieces from alabaster, soapstone, slate, chlorite and moose antlers. Theoret's private gallery, the Stone Bear Gallery, is located on First Street in downtown 100 Mile House. Parkside Centre for Arts & Culture, located on the corner of Fourth St and Cedar Avenue, is a public gallery displaying the works of local artists and artisans, and covering a wide range of media. Visitors are invited to browse in the gift shop for that perfect original piece of art work, CD, book, toy or piece of jewelry.
The Chris Harris Studio Gallery, a private gallery featuring Harris' photography, is nestled among the aspen trees near a bird-watching conservancy on Back Valley Road, about 10 minutes' drive north of 100 Mile House. The gallery is a unique structure built using straw bale construction and is, itself, a beautiful work of art. The Gallery is a perfect setting for Chris's extensive collection of photographs and photograph montages.
Lithographs and Sculpture
Artists such as Roy Tomlinson and his wife, Olga Kornavitch-Tomlinson, have explored a wide variety of media over the years, but have settled and focused on lithographic prints. They opened their home as a private studio/gallery to the public more than 20 years ago in the spirit of sharing art in its various forms with like-minded travelers and locals. Their gallery can be found on Mahood Lake Rd., on Sulphurous Lake, 35 minutes' east of 100 Mile House.Master Sculptor Teddy Mahood and his wife, professional photographer Laurie Mahood, create sculptures, murals and artwork in red cedar and blue pine. Their large private gallery, Mahood Gallery and Café, is located in the heart of Lone Butte on Hwy 24, just 15 minutes southeast of 100 Mile House. Mahood sculptures and photography are the featured displays but they do carry work by other local artists. Watch for the amazing, delicate images painted onto feathers!
For more information on these various galleries, stop in at the South Cariboo Visitor Centre for maps, directions and operational hours.