Nelson, BC: Canada’s Best Small Art Town

When I first arrived in Nelson, I saw the creativity, not just in storefronts (though there was that a’plenty), but also in the people themselves. On any given day in Nelson, you’ll find an eclectic crew – folks who express themselves in their street music; by creating varied dishes for the many restaurants around town; in the clothing they make, sell, and wear; and even through the words they place in the locally-produced magazines and books. This small town of 10,000 people create some of the most unique works I’ve laid eyes on (and tasted). Even after living in an urban area of two million people in the States and visiting many artistic communities, Nelson is, per capita, astounding.

Nelson displays its love for the arts.

Walk down Baker Street—the main thoroughfare of town—and you’ll see what I mean: cafe walls are plastered with local photography and paintings, stores sell hand-wrought furniture and folksy paper cut-out art, bakeries whip buttercream deliciously high on cupcakes and bake golden-hued breads. The sensory overload spills down adjoining streets, only stopped by Kootenay Lake’s shoreline.

Another shot from Baker Street’s Heart Gallery.

Spawning salmon on display in larger-than-life focus.

A number of wonderfully sculpted metal pieces adorn the Craft Connection‘s space. As an example of how integrated the arts are in the community, similar pieces have been showcased during Whitewater Ski Resort‘s Coldsmoke Festival in the main thoroughfare of the winter event.

Events throughout the year make good use of all the talent, too. In summer, street markets happen twice weekly and there’s a monthly evening street festival with music, crafts, and food carts. In August, Nelson’s International Mural Festival brings the city to life with vibrant art. Among the festivities, you can watch artists create stunning new murals, adding fresh colour and creativity to the streets.

In the winter, Whitewater Ski Resort’s Winter Carnival shows off intricately carved, larger-than life snow sculptures and local bands—not to mention the award-winning dishes their culinary crew cooks up for hungry skiers the entire ski season. If you’re in town in November, be sure not to miss Burger Month where local restaurants and cafes cook up the most mouthwatering burgers— a delicious way to taste the creativity of the community. And throughout the year, Touchstones Nelson – Museum of Art and History rotates through exhibitions of local creatives, capturing the diverse landscape of the arts represented in the region.

The Craft Connection displays furniture, lighting, ceramics, large-scale art, and everything in between.

A favourite stop of mine is Craft Connection. I came upon it as I was hunting for a unique gift last Christmas during a last minute shopping run on Baker Street. Craft Connection, a mix between gallery and boutique, is a cooperative of Kootenay-region artisans who specialize in wood, leather, metal, clay, glass, fibre, wax and jewellery. Walking through, you’ll see the materials used in uncommon works; everything from delicately-patterned jewellery, to home lighting accessories, to detailed period-style clothing.

The details etched into this artist’s jewellery made me take notice.

The Craft Connection featured entire sets of artists’ work, including this piece that was part of a line of pottery featuring darkly-coloured animals against soft-hued backgrounds.

Not that I’d want this shared with the recipients of my Christmas gifts, but I spent more time in Craft Connection mulling over which piece to wrap up and place under the tree than I did selecting the entirety of gifts on the rest of my list.

This light’s golden glow and soft curves were enough to drift me into dreamland. Well, they would have had I not been in the middle of a busy downtown gallery!

There is so much to explore in Nelson —and this is just a sampling of the Kootenay-region artisans who display their works in Canada’s “Best Small Art Town”.