The tradition of art tours on the Semiahmoo Peninsula – a chance for potential art buyers to meet local artists in their own studios or workshops – continues this weekend (Sept. 24-25) with the first annual South Rock Art Tour.
Some 29 artists and artisans living and or working in White Rock, Ocean Park, Crescent Beach, and South Surrey will be participating in the open-studio event.
Following in the footsteps of the Peninsula Art Tour, which ran from 2010 to 2019, it features 17 separate locations which will be open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. both days (some artists will be sharing their spaces with fellow artists who have smaller studios or work spaces which are not easily accessible to the public).
The artists and artisans will be at their showrooms or studios to talk with visitors and answer questions about their work – which offers plenty of variety to appeal to every taste.
Included will be paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolour, and mixed media; as well as jewelry, ceramics, mosaic, glasswork, sculpture, turned wood, wearable art and home decor, and the majority of the work will be for sale.
To learn more about the artists and artisans – and for a map showing all the locations – visit www.southrockarttour.com
Peninsula-based artists featured are Adele Samphire, Alyson Thorpe, Armida Ortega, Audrey Bakewell, Bruce Kleeberger, Carla Maskall, Caroline Baasch, Catherine Sheppard, Cheryl Bodnar, Ciel Ellis, Colleen Lumb, Constance Glover, David Klassen, Deb Swartz, Doris Anderson, Eileen Fong, Georgina Johnstone, Jacquie Janzen, Jeanette Jarville, Joanne Carter, Laurie Thomasson, Lisa Samphire, Mindy Hardiman, Nicole Carrie, Richard Schmid, Sandra Tomchuk, Sid Samphire, Sylvie Peltier (Esspé) and Tammy Bailey.
During the tour, Maskall will be offering her new colouring book featuring local scenes of White Rock and South Surrey. She also illustrated the book What the Seal Saw which was recently chosen as a “Heather’s Pick” at Indigo Grandview Corners.
Produced by Peltier and her husband, Greg Nosaty, the tour is presented by Arts of Course – Peltier’s online watercolour school – and sponsored by CIBC Wood Gundy, The City of White Rock and Nautilus 1500 Oxford.
“The tour is the new post-Covid version of the Peninsula Art Tour which ran for 10 years and was produced by Nicole Carrie,” Peltier explained.
“It stopped during Covid, and after a two-year hiatus, Nicole wanted to let it lapse.”
Peltier said that, as an artist who had previously participated in the tour and visited other artists that way, she felt that it would be a big loss to the community if the event didn’t continue in some form.
As the founder of Arts of Course, I thought this would be a great opportunity to give to the community, she added.
“With my husband Greg we decided to rebrand and grow the Tour. We were fortunate to have CIBC Wood Gundy continue as sponsor and we were able to bring in the City of White Rock and the Nautilus 1500 project which also showcases the work of Tour artists in their sales office.”
- During the Tour, artist Carla Maskall will be offering her new colouring book featuring local scenes of White Rock and South Surrey. She also illustrated the book “What the Seal Saw” which has been chosen as a “Heather’s Pick” at Indigo.
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