Pier Gallery Launches for the Summer

Our Pier Gallery doors are now open for this, the busy summer season down at the beautiful South End of Gabriola Island. Situated just down past the Silva Bay Pub we are located closer to the Marina and all it's nautical amenities.

Our hours our Wednesdays - Sundays, 11-5 PM or by appointment. If you need to reach us to revisit that special piece  please click here.






One of our 'piers', Christine Chourmouzis, is currently a student of the Shipyard School , and will have some of her sea inspired and environmentally minded paintings on view at the gallery. Kate Wood will be also be showing off some of her latest wearable art as well as her newest ceramic creations. In addition, Yvonne Noyon will be showcasing her bead and wire jewelry. Tony Grove's love of boats and all things nautical will be featured in his large painted works and Zena Rogak  will charm charm you with her menagerie of painted farm friends. Ceramic artist  Mariko McCrae will help you launch your dinner parties with platters, plates and mugs galore and of course, Panacea Herbs will have a sampling of beautiful natural body products to scrub you up and make you look spiffy.

Other reasons to visit the South End? Well, in addition to the Pier Gallery there is another new gallery/studio called the Henhouse that is situated to the left of the Silva Bay Inn. Upstairs at the Inn you'll also find our fabulous friend Jenny Mundell who owns and runs Lily's Boutique, a super treasure trove of gently used fashion! Next to her is the eclectic MADD Art shop...just look for their open signs to stop in and say hello. Just in for the weekend? Be sure to stop by the South End to visit the Sunday market that boasts an array of artisan wares as well as organic home grown vegetables....then wander down to the Pier Gallery to add to your island booty!

Have a great summer everyone!

Welcome to the Pier Gallery Artist Collective!

Pier Gallery Artists Collective is currently composed of seven artists who live, work and create on Gabriola Island.

Located on the south end of Gabriola Island, Silva Bay Marina will serve as the gallery home. Just head towards the water 'round the right side of the Silva Bay Pub and you will find us in the hub of all things nautical.

To the left of the this posting you can browse through a list of talents that include painters, illustrators, jewellers, and a ceramic artist. Click on an artist name to link directly to their personal sites or on the Artist Tabs above to read a short Artist Bio.

We are slated to open in May 2011, with a sneak peak during the Silva Bay Launch Festival April 16-17th. Please check back to our blog and we will keep you posted of all the details!

In the mean time, feel free to email us at Pier Gallery. or visit our Facebook Page!

Margo Anfossie (Panacea Herbs)

Panacea Herbs, located on the beautifully pristine Gulf island of Gabriola, is an organic,  homegrown skin care company.  Surrounded by the clear Pacific Ocean and abundant fresh air; old growth forests and rich soils I grow organic herbs and sustainably harvest from the diverse local flora.  It is here, on this tranquil and bountiful island, that I gather my inspirations to provide the very best skin care possible.   Panacea Herbs organic skin care line is totally free of parabens, sulfites, colorants, petroleum, soy, phthalates and perfume oils, while uses only pure and organic butters and oils.  My expertise are based on 15 years of studies of herbology and horticulture as well as feedback from my very loyal customers.
Of course I don’t test on animals but my kids are always happy to try something new!

Zena Rogak

 Zena Rogak has been drawing and painting animals from an early age. Born and raised on the west coast of Canada, she has a biology degree from the University of Victoria and graduated from Emily Carr College of Art and Design with a major in painting and printmaking.

She lives on a small farm on Gabriola surrounded by animals including assorted chickens, a Flemish giant rabbit, a horse, a miniature donkey, a parrot, two sheep and an assertive turkey. This menagerie is the primary source of inspiration for her work.

Yvonne Noyon

Yvonne Noyon designs and creates beaded and silver wire jewellery. She began 12 years ago, beading detailed tapestries and amulet bags, then continued experimenting with beads and wire, discovering endless possibilities.

Her inspiration comes from organic shapes and elements, especially spirals, incorporating semi-precious stones and glass beads with silver wire into a multitude of unique pieces that bring a sense of joy and pleasure. 

Lately she has rediscovered her love of intricate tapestries, beaded using minuscule Japanese Delica beads. Her creations have been displayed for sale at local markets and craft fairs and at her own studio, SpiritSong Designs, which has been part of the Gabriola Thanksgiving Studio Tour since 2004.

Christine Chourmouzis

I have been fortunate through my work over the past 15 years. As a research scientist in forest ecology at UBC, and as a resource assessment coordinator in the wind energy industry, I had the opportunity to travel and develop both a scientific understanding of, and an aesthetic fascination with, the most remarkable ecosystems, landscapes, and climates of the Pacific Northwest.

The sensation of one-ness, I believe, is the most precious phenomenon. Everything is connected on some level and every religious or spiritual quest pursues this state of being and realization. For me, it is deep in the forest, on an exposed weather beaten mountain peak, or on the sea, where I feel most free, connected and alive. And it is in front of the easel where I revisit these experiences.

All the subjects I’m presenting are of the sea; visions and memories of much time spent working, sailing and kayaking in BC’s pristine and primeval archipelago – Gwaii Haanas.

KELP

Bull kelp are of particular interest and always draw me close. Bull kelp and giant kelp, found in relatively shallow inshore waters, can form dense forests providing shelter to many creatures. To me, kelp forests reflect the many moods and state of the sea and are a testament to the tenacity needed to endure. I see the kelp as giggling girls, passively bobbing in a gentle swell, or as mature women, mostly submerged, near horizontal in the grips of a strong tidal current.

Like the fate of spawning salmon, these glistening and vibrant forests succumb to decay and all but vanish in the winter. They remind me of the intricate complexity, delicate balance and seasonal cycles of the ocean. The vast extent, immensity and great depth of the sea often give the illusion of a stable, immutable and resilient system. However with the near extinction of the sea otter the balance of urchins, abalone, and kelp forests has been upset.

TIDE POOLS

Not many can peer into a tide pool without being completely overwhelmed by these marvels of nature and their brilliant colours. In this piece the colour has been removed, leaving these odd creatures in the utter eeriness of their subsurface world.

JELLYFISH

Massive jelly fish blooms, due to over fishing and other human related activities affecting nutrients and oxygen levels, are being reported around the world. These blooms are viewed as signs of an ailing sea. One doesn’t have to be know this to be filled with wonder and a haunting sense of doom when immersed in a bloom so thick in breadth and depth its edges cannot be found.

FUTURE PERSUITS AND OCARINA

I do miss the sojourns into the wild but am currently on a different path. Immersed in the age-old craft of wooden boat construction, I spend my days at the Silva Bay Shipyard School on Gabriola Island “messing about with boats”. I’m full of inspiration, anxiously waiting my next opportunity to sail north, this time in my own boat, the intrepid little ship “Ocarina”.

Mariko McCrae

Mariko McCrae is a Vancouver born artist whose career has taken her to the likes of the Banff Centre in Alberta, the International Ceramics Research Center in Denmark, Greenwich House Pottery in New York and both Kent State and Ohio University in Ohio. Her return to Calgary resulted in a teaching position at the Alberta College of Art & Design, but just recently she has moved to Gabriola Island to resume a full time practice at Feedlot Studios.

Mariko’s handbuilt works often pays homage to the world of historical ceramics. She both covets and hoards Christie’s and Sotheby auction catalogs that constitute her prime source of inspiration. With carefully selected historical pieces to serve as visual anchors she then merges them with contemporary subject matters in order to achieve a body of work that demonstrates a strange hybridization of culture, a warped sense of time travel and, as always, challenges notions of taste.

Kate Wood

Kate Wood came to Gabriola Island eleven years ago to embark on a two year silversmithing course at Lindsay Godfrey's Mudge Island Studio. Since about 2002 she has been making silver jewellery on Gabriola and selling through stores, craft fairs, and gift shows. Prior to living on Gabriola she was an art student at Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver.

Her other art interests include drawing, painting, scupture, and printmaking.

For more information please visit Kate's website: katewood.ca

Tony Grove

Tony Grove has always loved discovering new ideas and creating which has led him into several careers.

One of which, is as a commercial illustrator and artist, producing work for Vancouver clients and magazines. One of his largest projects was in 1989 where Tony illustrated a book for the United Nations through the FAO, which has since been published into several languages for distribution around the world.

Tony also completed a four-year boatbuilding apprenticeship that started in 1980, and over the years has honed his skills as a shipwright specializing in wooden boat restoration and construction, working for various companies and private clients around the West Coast.

Educating is something Tony also enjoys which has led him to publishing articles in several publications, lecturing for various groups and classes and consulting on boat interior design and construction. This chain of experience led Tony to leave Vancouver in 1999 and start instructing at the Silva Bay Shipyard School on Gabriola Island and in 2003 he became the schools head instructor, teaching traditional Boatbuilding and Ship cabinetry/joinery.

Tony is now working for himself as an artist, writer, part time teacher, custom woodworker, and boatbuilder and when he is not spending time with his family; he is working at his home shop tucked amongst the trees on Gabriola Island BC Canada.

Tony Grove

2505 Coho Dr.

Gabriola Island, BC

V0R 1X7

250-247-0142

info@tonygrove.com

www.tonygrove.com