Art tours of the Alberni Valley invariably begin at the first-rate Rollin Art Centre in the heart of town. From there, aficionados can chart their own course in touring the area’s 20 plus workshops, studio galleries, and home studios.
Rollin Art Centre
Home base for the Community Arts Council of the Alberni Valley, the Rollin Art Centre space features a rotating series of seasonal exhibits. The gift shop is packed with locally made arts and crafts – paintings, glasswork, First Nations carvings, painted rocks, jewellery, pottery, sculptures, and hand-made teddy bears. The surrounding gardens make for a peaceful stroll following a spot of tea on the centre’s terrace. (3061 Eighth Avenue at Argyle Street.)
Harbour Quay Galleries
A 10-block hike downhill from the Rollin to the waterfront Alberni Harbour Quay leads to several more fine professional galleries. The Clock Tower Gallery carries Vancouver Island sculptures, pottery, jewellery, and oil and acrylics. Watercolour artist Janice Sheehan displays her own paintings and hand-coloured landscapes at the Waterfront Studio Gallery.
Home Studios
Pick up the latest Artists Studios brochure at the Visitor Centre (2533 Port Alberni Highway). It features a map and list of local artists who welcome home visits. Apart from the two galleries at Harbour Quay, all are open by appointment only. Highlights include: Ahtsik Native Art Gallery (7133 Pacific Rim Highway) is home base for carver/engraver/jeweler Gordon Dick, a member of the local Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. His work has found its way into the collections of actors Ashley Judd and Steven Seagal, among others. Off Tangent Artworks (7381 Plymouth Road) has colourful and inventive glass clocks, bowls, platters, dishes (in the shape of tropical fish), bathroom vanities, lamp shades and ceiling fixtures.
Deborah Philipp Fine Arts (8899 Faber Road): Phillipp, a renowned San Francisco-based abstract and landscape painter, spends her summers in the Alberni Valley. At Silverstone Photographics (3938 8th Avenue) veteran fine art photographer Norman Silverstone sells archival-quality giclee prints and also offers occasional photo workshops to amateur shutterbugs.
Stop by the Port Alberni Visitor Centre for more information about artists and art galleries in the area.