Arts
Salt Spring is internationally recognized for its gifted population of artists, artisans, musicians and other performing artists. Such is Salt Spring’s wealth of talent that Coastal Living magazine named the island the top “small arts town in Canada” and one of the top ten such arts colonies in North America.
- experience the intimacy of one-on-one contact with artists in their studios on the Studio Tour;
- discover 12 unique galleries in Ganges with an extraordinary diversity of high quality art. Do the Gallery Walk.;
- shop at ArtCraft – an annual summer-long exhibition and sale of juried work created by artisans and artists of the southern Gulf Islands;
- enjoy live music at one of the local restaurants or pubs; listen to “Bach on the Rock”;
- take in a concert, dance performance or exhibit at ArtSpring.
Click here for our full listing of Arts organizations and businesses
or learn more about the different Arts focus on Salt Spring below.
Salt Spring’s reputation as one of the top small town arts destinations in North America is well deserved. The number and quality of fine art galleries sets Salt Spring on the international arts scene. And the number of artists and artisans living on the island, means art is woven into the fabric of everyday life here. Salt Spring Island – where life is art!
Nothing compares to the island’s famous self-guided Studio Tour for visitors who want a first hand glimpse into the inner sanctums of the talented people who live here. If you wonder what it would be like to live a quintessential Gulf Islands lifestyle then grab a free Studio Tour Map, get in your car and follow the little black sheep signs dotting roadways throughout the island.
It is not surprising that SSI with all of its dynamic artists and artisans has a thriving arts education scene happening for both children and adults. Salt Spring’s reputation as an arts destination is well known.
Walk into local bookstore in Ganges, Salt Spring Books and you’ll find a whole section dedicated to local authors. For a rural community, Salt Spring Island enjoys the kind of busy, well-established literary scene you’d expect to find in a city.
One of the great appeals of Salt Spring is that for a small town population, it embodies a cultural scene one would expect in a much larger centre. On any given night you can be entertained by high-calibre local talent or renowned visiting performers.
Imagine entering a historic hall on Salt Spring Island and walking through to enjoy contemporary arts and crafts made by BC’s Gulf Islands’ artists and crafts people. Handmade objects from emerging and well-established artists including wood-turned arbutus bowls, felted wool and silk shawls and scarves, pottery and handmade baskets, an impressive range of silver and goldsmiths jewelry- even hand made soaps, books and greeting cards.
Every Saturday from April to October, rain or shine, Salt Spring growers, artists, artisans and bakers gather in the heart of the main village to sell their products. It’s a weekly event enjoyed by locals and visitors in equal measure. The products for sale are as varied, eclectic and exceptional as the people selling them.
