The 'ArtScape' that is Salt Spring Island

There are many reasons to visit Salt Spring Island, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. 
The summer weather is dry and sunny every day for 4 months. The people are amazing. There are farms, hiking, sailing and lots of things to do all around the island. 

As if that weren't enough it must be said that I have never encountered a community (even one with a population many times that of  Salt Spring Island), where the air is literally heavy with artistic and creative endeavour. 

Though I doubt anyone has actually made an accurate accounting of the number of working artists, it has been said that there are more artists per capita on Salt Spring Island than in any other community in Canada, outside of the Arctic, and I firmly believe that.

Arts tourism on Salt Spring Island

Everyone knows about the Saturday Market. Farmers and craftspeople come together in one of the most dynamic markets anywhere. Children and adults alike perform instruments and sing while you stroll along shopping for baked goods, veggies, art and hand crafts. In the park, you may see people dancing and singing. 

For many tourists visiting the island, that is enough to satisfy the accolades, but it is only the tip of the story. The season starts each year with the Easter Art Tour, coinciding with the first official Saturday Market day. A self guided studio tour begins with an exhibit in the historic Mahon Hall in Ganges, and up to 50 open artist studios, art galleries and special art exhibits in such diverse places as cafes, bookstores, art supply stores, yoga studios, hotel lobbies and more. 

Then there is the long running Salt Spring Studio Tour with its 30 artisans. There are often arts festivals and events weekly, or even daily, involving music, dance, and performance right up to the end of September with the Lantern Festival, where revellers snake their way along a route with stations set up for music, dance, performances and singing.

There are a number of Fine Art galleries in Ganges, with stables of high quality artists. There is the Salt Spring Arts Council's summer long annual ArtCraft show at Mahon Hall, where up to 100 artists and craftspeople come together and where special curated  'Showcase' art exhibits are mounted. 

ArtSpring is a full-service performing arts centre where the halls and lobbies, as well as dedicated galleries are devoted to local artists.

Not just a summer thing, but indeed art is everywhere in Ganges all year round, and even the bank and the library have permanent and/or rotating exhibitions of art throughout the year. There is art in the firehall. There is public art. There are art walks and sculpture installations on the Hastings House Country House Hotel grounds. It goes on and on.

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Arts patronage and advocacy on Salt Spring Island

Who buys all this art you say? While we do have a large number of wealthy residents on  who have significant collections of art, it is mostly the average person who helps our artists and artisans to maintain their practices. Many artists who are not gallery represented will organize and promote their own exhibits on a regular basis. 

The various guilds and associations also mount regular shows for their members. The Painters Guild has annual art shows. The Association of Salt Spring Artists also mounts art exhibits of its members. Likewise the Potters Guild, the Basketry Guild, and the Weavers and Spinners Guild hold regular art exhibits.

The Salt Spring Arts Council runs programs and art exhibitions, providing opportunities for artists to sell their work. They also promote other local or regional events that artists can participate in by jury or application, and give a number of grants and awards to promote professional development. 2015 saw the premier of the Salt Spring National Art Prize juried show, with entries and winners from across Canada.

Arts education on Salt Spring Island

It begins in the home. The children of artists have early exposure to the arts through music and dance and craft with parents who are artists. Schools on are also dynamic breeding grounds of continuing arts education. A number of well thought out and run electives right through high school involve as many students as are interested. 

In particular, the Middle School has a regarded music program and the High School has an exceptional dance and theatre program called GISPA, the Gulf Islands School of Performing Arts. The Arts Council has a long running program called Artist in the Classroom, where community artists go into the schools to teach workshops. Likewise, their new Workshops on the Rock series continues that support. 

There are a number of independent organizations running programs, such as the Salt Spring Arts Academy focused on dance. There is the StageCoach theatre school. There are many more initiatives, and the Arts Council is leading an initiative to establish a post-secondary art school on the Salt Spring Island. 

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