Artful : The Poets Featuring Landon Norris
2026-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Vancouver) | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Artful : The Poets welcomes Landon Norris as feature poet, with host Diana Kolpak, on March 2, 7-9pm.
Landon Arora Norris is a visual artist, actor, and poet, bringing an abundance of energy and colour to the stage, with vibrant brush strokes and line-work, wordplay, quirky subject matter, and eye-catching composition, leaving the ear a myriad of details to explore and become lost in. Landon mixes her personal experiences, interests in games and pop culture, along with her affinity for literary exploration and play.

Landon earned a BFA in Drawing & Painting from OCAD University, while working steadily as a professional on-screen and voice actor. Her engagement in the artistic world quickly segued into music and poetry, latching onto linguistic intricacies, like anagrams, palindromes, and spoonerisms. She enjoys the carefree exploration involved in abstraction, and cartooning, while having a deep-rooted understanding of realism, light and shadow. With this amalgamation of artistic expression, Landon crosses the lines between free-spirited childlike poetry and highly technical lyricism and flow.

Landon drove out from Toronto to Courtenay four years ago and planted roots on the island rather quickly, enjoying the pace of life, and the immediate connection to nature and the breathtaking outdoors this country is rich with. When she’s not glued to her creation station, playing games of the board or video variety, or out partaking in community events, you’re likely to catch Landon slinging ice cream at Blue Spruce during the weekdays.

Poetry Reading and Book Launch
2026-03-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Join host Kelly Madden at Artful : The Gallery for the poetry reading and book launch of Ed Varney and Dan Kirk. Guest poet Kristina Campbell will also join the reading for an entertaining trio of Comox Valley Poets.

Ed Varney was inspired to become a poet during his second year of University and has followed that idea over the past 60 years. Along the way he has learned printing technologies, publishing strategies, book binding skills, graphics and fine arts, arranged exhibitions, edited anthologies, founded small poetry magazines and published over 20 books and chapbooks of his own poetry. Varney reports that poetry continues to engage him and new poems emerge on sheets of paper in his studio. Varney’s latest chapbook is ‘Crossroads’, published by the Poem Factory. It follows the path that thought takes as it expresses itself in words and how those words morph into poetry.

Dan Kirk has spent extended periods of time over the past 20 years reading American poets William Stafford, Robert Bly and Emily Dickenson, Spanish poets Antonio Machado and Juan Ramon Jimenez, Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer and Norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge. They have informed and inspired Kirk’s writing in an ongoing conversation where he has responded to, argued with and extended their words and ideas and brought them into his world. This volume ’Still Talking’ represents a distillation of his ongoing dialogue with these poets and others who evoke a response. Kirk founded and ran the Red Tree Poetry Series and co-produced the first two Cascadia Poetry Festivals in Cumberland, B.C. with Adelia MacWilliam and Ed Varney. Reading in locations around Vancouver Island and Kelowna, Daniel has enjoyed the varied audiences for poetry in these communities.

Kristina Campbell is an artist and therapist who has lived in the Comox Valley since 2017. In 2020, Campbell established Artful : The Gallery to provide a home base for her multi-media art practice which includes painting, poetry and experimental film. Campbell has reached back through her Danish ancestry to bring the Nordic gods to her mythopoetic sensibility as an artist. Campbell’s style is an expression of her belief that using mythological imagery can inspire and lead to the creation of new narratives. Campbell’s fascination with mythology, symbols, memory and dream imagery is a unifying theme throughout her work.

Kelly Madden is a Vancouver Island poet whose writing is raw, unflinching, and deeply rooted in place. She speaks for the overlooked: those lost to the overdose crisis, those unhoused, and the ecosystems we continue to erase. Her work has appeared in numerous publications supported by the League of Canadian Poets, Reckoning, SAPPzine, Island Writer’s Magazine, CV2, The Poet, Drift, Drunk Monkeys and elsewhere. She is currently working on her second collection of poetry.

Spring Fling and Easter Magic 2026
2026-03-21 11:00 - 14:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
The Courtenay Museum invites you to their annual “Spring Fling and Easter Magic” event on Saturday, March 21st, from 11 am to 2 pm. Admission is by donation.
This will be a fun-filled, action-packed three-hour event.
The ever-popular petting zoo provided by Barnyard Party Animals gives folks a chance to meet ducks, geese, bunnies, chicks, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs.
We have invited a special guest this year, “Magician Donald Dunphy,” who will be performing amazing magic shows. Audience participation is a must. There will be two magic shows, one at 11:45 and the other at 12:45. Each show will be different.
You will have the opportunity to visit with volunteers and a rescue bird from MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre, where you can learn about their amazing wildlife rescues.
A couple of games are planned for the Fling, including a scavenger hunt and guess how many treats contest. People can also enter to win door prizes. Don’t forget to bring your craft skills to make a cute Easter craft to take home with you.
The Elasmosaur mascot will be making an appearance for photo opportunities and handing out delicious chocolate treats.

Triskaidecadarn! ookoolaydeez postponed to April 10th
2026-04-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Well….it seems the Ookoolaydeez should have been scared of Friday the 13th!

Tara has lost her voice because of laryngitis. We have been crossing our fingers she would be recovered for the originally scheduled March 13th concert, but, sadly, it’s not to be.

We are crestfallen that we won’t be able to entertain you this Friday, BUT **we have rescheduled the concert to Friday, April 10th at 7:30 p.m. at Artful : The Gallery.**

If you can attend on the new date, yay!
If you are unable to attend, I will refund you via e-transfer.
Please let me know which option works for you. Email: ookoolaydeez@gmail.com

Thanks for your understanding, and sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.

The ookoolaydeez are on a mission to light up the world with joy using irresistibly singable tunes, playful wit and exuberant whimsy.
Songbirds Tara Hope and Diana Kolpak serve up a spicy buffet of original songs and poems that take you on an unexpected, hilarious, profound, wild and juicy journey. Among the tasty offerings are: snappy blues, dark lullabies, Shakespearean rap, sweet bluegrass and flirty musings about housework. Harmonies are sophisticated. Instruments include a motley assemblage of ukuleles, a washboard, a toilet plunger, a toy glockenspiel and baby tap shoes…just to name a few.
The ookoolaydeez made their debut at the 2025 Woodstove Festival in November, followed by house concerts and an appearance at the Art is Love is Resistance fundraiser in Cumberland.
Diana studied classical piano and has decades of experience as a theatre performer and director. Tara studied ukulele and guitar and is a prize-winning wearable art creator/performer. Both are poets and published authors. They started writing songs together in the autumn of 2024.
In addition to performing as the ookoolaydeez, Tara and Diana also sing as part of The Happy Gang, an ensemble of six fiddlers, four vocalists, a percussionist, a guitarist and a bass player, who play monthly concerts at several of the Comox Valley’s long term care facilities.

Courtenay Little Theatre Presents: “The Children” by Lucy Kirkwood
2026-04-15 08:00 - 2026-04-19 17:00 | Sid Williams Theatre, 442 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2J2, Canada
What do we owe the next generation?
Courtenay Little Theatre presents The Children by Lucy Kirkwood at the Sid Williams Theatre, April 15–19.
Part mystery, part comedy, and part eco-thriller, The Children is witty, gripping, and deeply relevant. Retired nuclear engineers Hazel and Robin are living in a cottage on the coast of England after a disaster at the nearby power station. When their former colleague Rose arrives unexpectedly, an evening of food, drink, and memories takes a surprising turn.
As old secrets surface, the three must confront questions of responsibility, sacrifice, aging, and what they will leave behind.
Directed by Catherine Hannon and featuring Simon Easterman, Erin Malin, and Ruthie Tilston.

Red Dress Day MMIWG2S+ Awareness Event
2026-05-05 12:00 - 15:00 | Florence Fliberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay, BC, V9N6C6, Canada
This event is in honour of all MMIWG2S+
The event will include local indigenous organizations, educational booths and tables as well as community speakers and will conclude with a community awareness walk.
For more details, please vist the Facebook event page.

Holding Heritage: Unspoken Stories
2026-05-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Cumberland Museum & Archives, 2680 Dunsmuir Ave, Cumberland, BC, V0R 1S0, Canada
Unspoken Stories showcases candid conversations between
Chinese-Vietnamese Boat People refugees and their families.
At its heart is the belief that for younger generations to carry culture forward, they must first be inspired by the stories of their own families.
By encouraging honest and intentional dialogue across generations, we invite viewers to see how embracing personal understandings of their roots can spark pride, belonging, and a deeper connection to both their identities and family histories.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with:

Hollie Ha, Holding Heritage founder and Unspoken Stories creator
Sandy Ho, Author of “No Way But Through: A Family Memoir”
Andrew Ha, interviewee from the Unspoken Stories project

Hollie Ha bridges generations by sharing candid conversations and untold stories of Chinese-Vietnamese Boat people refugees and their descendants. Through these meaningful exchanges, the series explores the delicate interplay between heritage, identity, and family dynamics.
Watch the trailer here!

Book Launch and Reading, Do You Know the Dark?
2026-05-30 10:30 - 11:30 | BC
Join us to celebrate the release of local author illustrator Roz MacLean’s newest picture book, Do You Know the Dark? !
“A mesmerizing invitation to embrace night’s beauty—great for bedtime shelves and budding naturalists alike.”
– Kirkus starred review
Do You Know the Dark? published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, uses minimal text and traditionally created artwork to explore what is beautiful and fascinating about darkness, from dancing shadows to seeds growing underground, bioluminescence, deep sea beings, shooting stars and black holes. Grounded in darkness as a space of rest, regeneration and possibility, this book is a gentle companion for bed time and curious minds.
We will have a story reading, crafts, snacks and time for questions! This event is free to attend, open to all ages, and focused on being fun for kids. You can see a preview of the book at: https://us.macmillan.com/…/9781250392206/doyouknowthedark/
Roz MacLean is also the author of More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean (featured on CBC Kids Reads) and Together, a Forest.
May 30, 10:30 am, at Smol Store (previously Little Village) at 2704 Dunsmuir Ave, Cumberland.
Space is wheelchair accessible, with a bathroom nearby at the library.

Artful : The Poets
2026-06-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Join host Dan Kirk as he welcomes our feature poet Michael Penny at Artful : The Poets. Michael’s feature spot will be followed by an open mic. Sign up at the door for the open mic, 5 minutes max per poet, $10 or pwyc.
Michael Penny was born in Australia, but his family moved him to Canada when he was young. Since then, he has published five books, most recently, ‘Particles’ and ‘Outside. Inside’, both with McGill-Queen’s University Press. His work has appeared in many literary magazines including Fiddlehead, The Antigonish Review, The Amsterdam Review, Acumen, The Malahat Review, and The Salzburg Review. He lives on Bowen Island, and, once upon a time was a lawyer.

Art Opening Celebration (with Artist Talk by Michael Campbell) | Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting
2026-06-19 16:00 - 18:30 | Comox Valley Art Gallery, 580 Duncan Avenue, Courtenay, BC
ART OPENING CELEBRATION (WITH ARTIST TALK)
Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting by multi-media artist Michael Campbell will open at the Comox Valley Art Gallery on Friday, June 19. Doors open at 4:00pm to view the new exhibition.
At 5:30pm, there will be an artist talk, followed by a casual reception and hospitality. Everyone is welcome.
—

FIELD RECORDINGS OF ICEBERGS MELTING
Artist Michael Campbell’s multi-media exhibition “. . . brings into play its place in the cultural imagination of a frontier zone of extreme conditions, and its history during the period of European expansion from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The allusion conjures the stream of survey ships that sought the north-west Passage of the North Pole, strove to classify species and peoples, and to map the New World. It further speaks to present day resource extraction and climate change monitoring, the forays of animal rights activists and increasingly, military survey flights asserting territorial claims. . . . Its steam punk ethos with its fusion of Victorian Era and future technologies sets an undercurrent of planetary emergency in motion. . . .” – Jan Allen
—
The Comox Valley Art Gallery is committed to creating safer spaces where everyone can participate.
All ages are welcome.
CVAG spaces are accessible. Efforts are made to make presented programming contents available to all by using approachable audio and visual technologies to aid in experience and wayfinding. Staff are available to answer any questions and to provide orientation to the presentation and gallery spaces.
Programs are barrier-free (no cost). DONATIONS are appreciated and contribute to ongoing community interactive programming.
PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS: we ask that visitors choose not to visit if they are experiencing symptoms of colds and flus.
Hand sanitation dispensers are available at CVAG. Wearing a mask is at the discretion of the visitor.

John Czegledi Annual Outdoor Art Show
2026-06-20 10:00 - 18:00 | BC
This is John’s 15th Annual Outdoor Garden Art Show. Metal Sculptures large and small. Stainless steel and Patina natural steel.

Come stroll the gardens and find a perfect piece of art for your garden.

Refreshment provided on the patio. Everyone welcome!

6742 Rennie Road, Courtenay, BC

250 338 7904 for more info

National Indigenous People's Day
2026-06-20 12:00 - 21:00 | Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, 4839 Headquarters Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9J 1P2, Canada
National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations coming on Saturday June 20th!
K’ómoks First Nation and their community and cultural partners are inviting the Comox Valley to come together to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day 2026 and the unique contributions and cultures of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities locally and across Canada. This FREE community celebration takes place on Saturday June 20th from 2 pm till 9 pm at the beautiful Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds

This year’s celebration includes interactive Youth and Elder Zones, K’ómoks cultural resource and archeology displays, guided walks to the Tsolum River, live screen printing, story telling and knowledge sharing, delicious food vendors including a traditional salmon BBQ, over 30 Indigenous craft vendors, cultural and community tents, and live music from world class Indigenous artists including The Spiritual Warriors, Tsimka and Michael Red, LOV, and 4 time Juno Award Winner Aysanabee!
Aysanabee is a multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter currently based in Toronto. He is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation, a remote fly-in community in the far reaches of Northwestern Ontario. A four time JUNO winner, Aysanabee merges indie, soul, and electronic sounds with mournful saxophone and pulse-quickening fingerpicking, exploring themes of memory and storytelling.
Solemn and soaring, his striking sound is equal parts hypnotic and melodic which has been compared to Bon Iver, Matt Corby, Don Ross, Kim Churchill, Kings of Leon and Sam Smith. On March 23, 2024, Aysanabee made history as the first ever Indigenous Artist to win the JUNO Awards for both Alternative Album of the Year and Songwriter of the year, for Here and Now, his sophomore album. This year he won JUNOs for both Alternative Album and Indigenous Artist of the Year for his 2025 album Edge of the Earth!
Tsimka & Michael Red is a collaboration of music from the land and from the heart. Rooted in ancestral Tla-o-qui-aht homelands, Tsimka works with Nuuchahnulth singing traditions along with contemporary inspirations as part of her musical expression. She often invokes Tla-o-qui-aht language in her songs, integrating language revitalization into the experience and tapping into cultural teachings, imagery and love of her home.
Michael Red fills out the rest of the music, beats and atmospheres *all* created from blending & morphing & affecting natural sounds recorded primarily on Tsimka’s ƛaʔuukwiʔatḥ home territory. Sounds like Cixwatsac (Frank Island frogs), Swainson’s Thrush, and other birds, a little creek at Hiłwinʔis, ocean, rain, mist and ice. Together they express a human experience with observations and emotions that arise with desire, joy, care, resiliency, and kinship.
The Spiritual Warriors create music inspired by the land and life in the coastal mountains of the Lil’wat Nation, Mount Currie BC. With their unique blend of indigenous chants and contemporary roots, rock, reggae, The Spiritual Warriors are distinctly west coast.
This internationally acclaimed band performs most of their songs in U’cwalmicwts (the Lil’wat Language) and are passionate about preserving and promoting their language and culture. They use the chanting styles of the Lil’wat/St’at’imc people to fuse with reggae and rock to create uplifting contemporary Indigenous world music. This truly unique band will take you on a cultural journey to the natural heartbeat of the Indigenous drum and the St’at’imc people.
LOV is a force of resilience, rhythm, and reinvention. Hailing from Poundmaker Cree Nation, Treaty 6, Saskatchewan, LOV transforms personal trials into soulful affirmations of strength and independence. With a sound rooted in UK-inspired soul and guided by a deep sense of purpose, LOV’s music is both healing and unapologetically empowering.
Her journey took a pivotal turn when she decided to fully embrace her artistry – stepping into her truth and reshaping her narrative. What followed was a rebirth. LOV’s rich, smoky vocals channel raw emotion into songs that carry the weight of lived experience while remaining light enough to dance to. Whether she’s celebrating matriarchal strength or voicing quiet moments of reflection, her music resonates with sincerity and grace.
Cultural and Community Partners for this year’s celebrations include Kumugwe Cultural Society, Queneesh Indigenous Community Society, Wachiay Friendship Society, MIKI’SIW Métis Association, Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society, Upper Island Women of Native Ancestry, City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland and Comox Valley Regional District.
Volunteers are still welcome for this year’s celebration, with a special meal for all volunteers provided by LUSH Valley! The volunteer sign up, event details, stage schedules, community sponsors can be found at https://komoks.ca/nipd-2026/
For more information message communications@komoks.ca

Cumberland Home & Garden Tour AND Culture Crawl
2026-06-27 09:00 - 17:00 | Cumberland Village, Cumberland, BC, Canada
Join us for the 2026 Cumberland Home & Garden Tour AND Culture Crawl! Explore the built places, gathering spaces, studios, gardens, urban farms, historic gems and modern additions in the Village of Cumberland.

Early Bird Tickets are on sale now until June 15th for $25 – Buy your tickets HERE

The overarching theme for this tour is ‘resilience’. We explore ways that our community can build resilience through water conservation, mindful landscaping, urban farming, alternative energy, restoring old buildings and building new structures with state of the art materials.

We also explore ways to build resilience through Neighbourhood Emergency Planning, FireSmart assessments and drought and wildfire smart landscaping.

Resilience is also all about creativity! Expect pop up art shows, music, crafts and other creative undertakings as we partner with Comox Valley Arts to activate the culture crawl aspect of this awesome event!

Wan to join this fun this year and share your home, garden or gathering space? We’d love to hear from you. Message courtney@cumberlandforest.com

Ian Fry: Landscapes of Light at Artful : The Gallery
2026-06-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Ian Fry: Landscapes of Light
This exhibition celebrates the work of Ian Fry, a painter whose distinctive vision has been shaped by his remarkable journey from Scotland to the Pacific Northwest. Born in Edinburgh and educated at the Glasgow School of Art, Fry began his career as a successful illustrator before dedicating himself fully to painting. Over the past three decades, he has developed a body of work that captures the enduring spirit of the landscapes he calls home.
Drawing inspiration from Vancouver Island, Bowen Island, and the wider coastal regions of British Columbia, Fry’s paintings reveal an intimate understanding of light and atmosphere. Expansive shorelines, distant mountain ranges, rolling grasslands, and quiet rural scenes are rendered with a striking balance of realism and lyrical interpretation. Whether depicting waves advancing toward a misted beach, horses moving through open country, or birds silhouetted against a luminous sky, his work conveys both grandeur and stillness.
Fry’s background in illustration is evident in the clarity of his compositions and his ability to distill complex scenes into powerful visual narratives. His paintings invite contemplation, encouraging viewers to experience the rhythms of nature and the fleeting qualities of weather, season, and light. His restrained palette and masterful handling of atmosphere create spaces that feel simultaneously familiar and dreamlike.
Throughout the exhibition, themes of journey, belonging, and connection to the natural world emerge. The landscapes are not simply records of specific locations but meditations on our relationship with the environments that shape us. In Fry’s hands, the coastlines, mountain valleys, and open fields become places of wonder and quiet emotional resonance.
Ian Fry’s paintings remind us that landscape remains one of the most powerful vehicles for storytelling, expressing both the beauty of the visible world and the deeper currents of our human experience in nature.
Artist Reception Saturday, June 27, 7-9pm. 526C Cumberland Rd in Courtenay, BC. Exhibition runs thru July 18, 2026. Gallery hours Weds to Sat, 12-5pm. Visit www.artfulthegallery.com for more information.

Canada Day Open House at The Courtenay and District Museum
2026-07-01 11:00 - 14:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
The Courtenay and District Museum will celebrate Canada Day with an open house from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 1. Guests are welcome to enjoy live music by Alan Jossul, enter to win a door prize, and try their hand at kids’ crafts.
There will also be a special one-day-only 50% off sale for the book Step Into Wilderness: A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in and around the Comox Valley (limit of 3 per person).
While you’re at the museum loving the air-conditioned comfort, take a few moments to check out the second-floor exhibit New Acquisitions, an in-house produced display showcasing some of the donations that haven’t yet been seen by the public.

Summer 2026 Make Art Series
2026-07-01 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-07-08 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-07-15 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-07-22 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-07-29 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-05 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-12 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-19 13:00 - 16:00 and 1 more date | Comox Valley Art Gallery, 580 Duncan Avenue, Courtenay, BC
SUMMER 2026 MAKE ART SERIES

This summer, the Comox Valley Art Gallery is inviting the community to explore new worlds and perspectives through its Make Art Series, running in conjunction with artist Michael Campbell’s exhibition Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting.

The free program includes drop-in Make Art Projects for all ages every Wednesday from 1 – 4pm on the CVAG Plaza, at the corner of Duncan and 6th Street in Downtown Courtenay. The activities are guided by CVAG summer interns.

The weekly Make Art sessions will include field journals, map-making, paper mache mountain, found material paintbrushes, planetary cyanotypes, small terrariums, pounded plant prints, and garland-making. As part of the Pulse on the Plaza and Market Day events with our community collaborators, we will also be facilitating the creation of zines and screen prints, miniature spaceships, and pride buttons and upcycled pride flags.

CVAG’s Make Art Series offers accessible art-making experiences for people of all ages and abilities. Materials are provided, and facilitators are on-hand to provide instruction. Children and those needing assistance to participate should be accompanied by adult support persons.

—

WEEKLY ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (1 – 4PM EVERY WEDNESDAY)

• July 1 – Field Journals• July 8 – Map-Making• July 15 – Paper Mache Mountains/Zine-Making (Part 1)• July 22 – Paper Mache Mountains/Zine-Making (Part 2)• July 29 – Found Material Paintbrushes• August 5 – Planetary Cyanotypes• August 12 – Small Terrariums• August 19 – Pounded Plant Prints• August 26 – Garland-Making

—

MAKE ART ACTIVITIES DURING SPECIAL EVENTS

• Pulse on the Plaza – K’ómoks Fusion Festival (Friday, June 26, from 5 – 9pm) – Zine-Making + Screen Printing• Pulse on the Plaza – Inner Space/Outer Space (Friday, July 24, from 5 – 9pm) – Miniature Spaceships• Market Day (Saturday, July 25, all day) – Sunshine Pinwheels• Pulse on the Plaza – Pride Party (Friday, August 28, from 5 – 9pm) – Pride Buttons + Upcycled Pride Flags

'Iconography + Identity' at the Campbell River Art Gallery
2026-07-04 13:00 - 15:00 | campbell river art gallery, 1235 Shoppers Row, campbell river, BC, V9W2C7, Canada
The Campbell River Art Gallery invites you to an artful afternoon full of personal interests, admiration, and identity exploration!
On Saturday July 4th from 1 – 3PM artist Aoife Mckirgan will be hosting a workshop where participants will look at what they hold sacred, whether it be pop-culture, environments, or personal experiences, to create a collage and drawing based portrait on paper. Explore using symbolism and iconography to make a representation of who you are when identities are broken down to simple imagery rather than realism!
Bring your enthusiasm for all that interests you!
For all ages and experience levels!
>REGISTER NOW ONLINE AT https://www.crartgallery.ca/events/#!event/register/2026/7/4/iconography-identity
About the Artist:
Aoife McKirgan is a painter and coloured-pencil artist whose work draws inspiration from her own childhood and contemporary pop culture. Through her art, she explores themes of idolization, gender stereotypes, and personal identity.
She includes the use of pop-culture and everyday imagery in her work to hopefully create connection among viewers through shared interest and experiences.

Venue
Campbell River Art Gallery

Address
1235 Shoppers RowCampbell River BC V9W 2C7, CA

Starts
Sat Jul 4 2026, 1:00pm PDT

Ends
Sat Jul 4 2026, 3:00pm PDT

Artful : The Poets Feature Poet Kristina Campbell
2026-07-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Mytho-poetic artist Kristina Campbell draws deeply from the well of her own life, inviting us to laugh, cry, and cuss right alongside her. With disarming vulnerability and sharp insight, she leads us straight to the heart of the matter, poking fearlessly into the soft underbelly of her dreams, desires and delusions.
Campbell is the founder of Artful Existence Counselling and Facilitation (2018) and the driving force curator of Artful : The Gallery (2020), a creativity facilitating hub of activity in the Comox Valley that earned Campbell the Nonny Milne Award in 2024 for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.
Kristina Campbell makes art using whatever method seems the best choice in the moment: poetry, paintings, experimental film, sculpture, collage, felting or photography. This truly makes her a multi-media artist, possibly afraid of commitment, easily distractible and/or all of the above. Campbell enjoys rewriting Viking mythology, artfully creating new gods from the old ones. She carves portraits of these venerated gods (who often resemble her family members) into wood panels and burnishes them with umber, reds and gold leaf to glorify, immortalize and sometimes mock them.
Campbell uses runes, the Viking alphabet, for divination, to tell stories, and for writing secrets in public. She has designed and created a hand-coloured ‘bind-rune’, a unique design incorporating several runes, for the cover of her first chapbook which will be released at her Artful : The Poets feature reading. “For An Art” is a limited edition of 150 chapbooks, individually numbered and signed, that will be available for sale at the reading.
Early praise of “For An Art” has included comparisons to Alan Ginsberg’s “Howl” and the lyrics of Lou Reed. This feeds directly into the soft underbelly of Campbell’s dreams, desires and delusions.

Aaron Richmond Open Studio
2026-07-16 12:00 - 13:30 | The Jeffrey Rubinoff Sculpture Park, 2750 Shingle Spit Road, Hornby Island, BC, V0R1Z0, Canada
UVic X JRSP A R T I S T- S C H O L A R R E S I D E N T:
Aaron Richmond
Relays of Attention, Works in progress
Montreal artist-scholar Aaron Richmond, the
joint UVic–JRSP resident, opens his studio
process: drawings, lightweight temporary
sculptures and performative readings from the
Park archive. Join his guided “attentional walk”
through the work.
Thu Jul 16 · Event 12pm · Sculpture Garden
Park opens 9:30am
