Comox Valley Arts

Jaques De Backer
2025-07-31 12:00 - 2025-08-23 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Jacques De Backer has filled the walls at Artful : The Gallery with colour and light through August 23. His iconic Cumberland alleyways, farm scenes and stunning cow portraits are interspersed with his wood sculptures and memories from a life lived globally. Jacques De Backer has been painting and sculpting since he retired 30 years ago, and he is a Comox Valley favourite, with other artists, and art collectors. The majority of the artworks are oil on canvas, with a wide range of sizes and prices to choose from. From small oil on panel studies for $50 to 3’ X 4’ scenic oil on canvas panoramas well priced at $2000. Artist reception Saturday, August 2, 7 to 9pm at Artful : The Gallery. 526C Cumberland Rd in Courtenay. Gallery hours Weds-Sat 12-5pm.

Crafty Summer Fun: Clay Creations (Week 1)
2025-07-29 10:30 - 2025-08-01 11:30 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
For ages 7-11 (must have completed kindergarten)
Join us for a fun 4 day camp full of fun with clay! Kids will be guided through multiple clay activities that they will bring home at the end of the week. Please bring a small item that can be used for impressions in our fun creations.
Register Now!
Register now by emailing student@courtenaymuseum.ca.

Chromophobia
2025-07-22 10:00 - 2025-08-16 16:00 | Pearl Ellis Gallery, 1729 Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M2, Canada
Pearl Ellis Gallery is excited to announce Chromophobia, an art exhibit by Queer for Queer Artists’ Collective.
This exhibition is a vibrant celebration of queer identity, creativity, and self-expression. Featuring over 60 pieces of art in various styles, the exhibition uses bold colours and designs to challenge societal pressures to conform. It emphasizes the importance of individuality, love, and acceptance while fostering a sense of community and pride.

Comox Valley Songwriters Circle
2025-07-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Each month singer/songwriters gather to share their tunes at Artful : The Gallery. The range of abilities, experience and genres welcomes musicians who appreciate the challenge (and the deadline!) of creating a new song each month.
The circle provides a place to be inspired, seek feedback and to be
able to hear what other creatives are working on. Most musicians bring along their
guitars or ukuleles, although some sing a capella or use the in-house piano for accompaniment.
Host Ashley Sykes’s love of connecting with other artists provides motivation to write
and perform in the supportive group. The circle does not provide instruction; it provides an opportunity to perform your song, and to be impacted by others doing the same.
Attendance is by donation ($10 or pwyc). The group welcomes newcomers, and the
only criteria is that the songs performed are original.

BLACK MOUNTAIN with Heavy Trip & Ofcosmos
2025-07-13 18:00 - 22:00 | Comox Valley Curling Centre, 4835 Headquarters Road, Courtenay, BC, V9J1P2, Canada
CVGBs presentsFrom Los Angeles & VancouverATO Recording Artists
BLACK MOUNTAIN

With special guests from Vancouver HEAVY TRIP

With Cumberland’s OfCosmos

6 PM Sunday July 13Comox Valley Curling Centre4835 Headquarters Road, Courtenay
Licensed all ages event.$30 Advance tickets at https://www.eventbrite.ca/ https://shorturl.at/LJMzU and https://cvgbs.tickit.ca/events/29760#t-18663d834

A night of glorious space heaviosity headlined by BLACK MOUNTAIN, the now approaching legendary psych rock, genre challenging cosmonauts fronted by singer/songwriter Stephen McBean (Pink Mountaintops, Jerk With A Bomb, Mission of Christ, Ex-Dead Teenager, Obliterations, Jerk Ward, Grim Tower, Gus, Onionhouse) and Amber Webber (Lightning Dust).Touring with Black Mountain are Vancouver’s Heavy Trip. Cumberland’s Ofcosmos will get things started!

BLACK MOUNTAINThe rock canon has many anti-heroes, Black Mountain being the latest. In the past, Can’s ‘Tago Mago’ established that the only rule in rock and roll is that there are no rules. Delinquent proto-metallers Black Sabbath demonstrated that you can make a lot from not that much. Now Black Mountain teach us that you don’t have to be afraid of the past to move bravely into the future.
Black Mountain is a Canadian psychedelic rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band is composed of Stephen McBean, Jeremy Schmidt, Adam Bulgasem, Amber Webber, and Arjan Miranda. Since forming in 2004, Black Mountain has released five globally celebrated LPs: Black Mountain (2005), In the Future (2008), Wilderness Heart (2010), IV (2016) and Destroyer (2019)
https://www.blackmountainarmy.com/https://blackmountain.bandcamp.com/https://www.instagram.com/blackmountainarmy/https://www.facebook.com/BlackMountainOfficialhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountain_(band)

HEAVY TRIPAlong shore of an all powerful river, thousands of years heavy water flow crushed gargantuan bedrock into fine un earth like sands. Three men found this estranged riverside and endured an al mighty HEAVY TRIP.https://www.facebook.com/HeavyTripDudeshttps://heavytripdudes.com/https://www.instagram.com/heavy_trip_dudes/

OFCOSMOSWith a solid, groove based rhythm section, ambient effects driven, hypnotically rhythmic guitar and powerful lead vocals, Ofcomsos’s sound isn’t easily sorted into a familiar genre. You can find elements of psychedelic folk, dub, post punk and even the funk.https://www.instagram.com/ofcosmosmusic/https://ofcosmos.bandcamp.com/album/see-the-skyhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092328942636…

CVGBs is a loose collective bringing oddball music, art, & culture to the Comox Valley.

WALL THINGS ART
2025-07-05 00:00 - 2025-07-12 23:59
July 5 – July 12th 2025, WALL THINGS ART will be featuring a week of mural painting across West Courtenay featuring local artists culminating in a wrap up event hosted by Gladstone Brewing Co. The wrap up party will include interactive art events, a freewall unveiling and Live DJ’s on Saturday July 12. Check out wallthingsart.com for more details.

The Boy in the Treehouse
2025-07-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Sid Williams Theatre, 442 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2J2, Canada
Reconciliation Theatre invites audiences of all ages to experience The Boy in the Treehouse, a touching and humorous coming-of-age story by award-winning Anishinaabe playwright Drew Hayden Taylor. This enchanting show is perfect for families, blending laughter, discovery, and the universal journey of finding where we belong. The production team features many of the families of Reconciliation Theatre Society, as generations of artists come together to share cultural practice and produce The Boy in the Treehou

Canada Day Open House at The Courtenay and District Museum
2025-07-01 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 Tuesday, July 1st. 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 Broken Promises, a travelling exhibit from the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.

Skits Happen Improv Show
2025-06-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Little Red Curch, 2182 Comox Ave, Comox, British Columbia, Canada
East Comox’s #1 Amateur Improv Comedy Troupe will be performing extraordinary aerial acrobatics and there will be unicycles. Just kidding. But they will most definitely make you laugh with their skits. See you there!

Zeke Ziner : Freedom and Discipline
2025-06-25 12:00 - 2025-07-19 17:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Joe Ziner presents a retrospective legacy of Graphics and Sculpture from the oeuvre of his father Zeke Ziner. The collection includes works from the late 1930s through to the 21st century and collectively provide a fantastic overview of mid-century modern sculpture and art. Lovingly curated by Joe Ziner, on display are examples of the various print series created in collaboration between Zeke and Joe. Most notable are the relief prints created using edge grain cedar plates, utilizing the linear depression of the spring wood with a gramophone needle to create the completely unique effect. Exhibition runs through July 19.

Natural Dye; Deep Dive!
2025-06-12 15:00 - 18:00 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
Jan 12 – Feb 16
If you love natural dyes, working with fibre and exploring colour, you’ll love this six week course with Eloise Holland!
Take control of your dye work and look more closely at the processes and chemistry behind the colours. This six-week intensive course is geared for fascinated beginners. You will finish this course feeling more confidence in your ability to safely and beautifully use natural dyes at home, with resources to continue building your skills!
On day one we will touch on best practices for a safe and efficient dye process, and look at the different materials to dye including recycled fabrics, wool, cotton and silk. We will cover tannin dyes with either Sumac or Walnuts
On day two we learn about the charm of red dyes. Madder is one of the oldest reds, and is a plant that can be grown locally. Coccineal is derived from an insect that feeds on cactus. These reds will bring us a variety of tones using modifiers and post mordants
On day three we cover the various yellows that are so abundant in the plant world. From Goldenrod to Tansy and Chamomile we look at the subtle shade variations these flavonoid dyes produce.
On day four is an introduction to Indigo which is always magical and exciting. We will touch on the basics of this vat dye, exploring resist dyeing and giving you the grounding for your own experiments.
On day five we will build on our previous work by looking at overdyeing. This is a day of experimentation.
On day six we will touch on dyeing with mushrooms and lichen. We are blessed with several locally available dye mushrooms and this is your chance to learn to coax colours from them.
-All materials will be provided, but please bring gloves and a face mask (to protect against small airborne particles). Feel free to bring a notebook, and please dress for mess. If you have some small fabrics or textiles you would like to dye, please feel free to bring them (doilies, scraps, small pieces only. No yardage!)

Wingnut Comedy Open Mic
2025-06-04 19:30 - 21:00 | HighTidePub, 268 Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1J6, Canada
This Wednesday at High Tide Pub in Courtenay. Emcee Chris Basso from the Comedy Misfits leads an evening of comedy from valley comedians trying new material. Headliner Alex Grant will finish off the evening. Comics sign up at 7pm. Show starts at 7:30pm. Cover charge $5.00

Adult/Teen Intro To Crochet
2025-05-28 18:30 - 20:30 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
May 28 – Jun 11
Ready to get crocheting? You will love this three-class session! This class is for Teens (14+) and Adults!
Starting with some simple stitch trials,you will gain experience and confidence in crochet, and then make this adorable cat plushy!
Learn to work in rows, circles and make a granny square!
All materials are included, with a range of colours to choose from.
You will be able to bring the project home to work on between classes, and keep your new crochet hook and yarn!

Lecture: The Coast Salish Woolly Dog
2025-05-27 19:00 - 20:30 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: researcher and writer on Coast Salish textiles Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa
This illustrated presentation will give a brief overview of Mutton’s story (Mutton was the name of the only known woolly dog whose pelt is at the Smithsonian). Genetic research has been combined with Oral History from Elders, weavers and Knowledge Keepers to reveal the Coast Salish Woolly Dogs’ cultural significance.
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public. Advance tickets recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.

Flourish: Pearl Ellis Gallery Summer Members Show
2025-05-27 10:00 - 2025-06-21 16:00 | Pearl Ellis Gallery, 1729 Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M2, Canada
The Pearl Ellis Gallery is delighted to present Flourish, its annual Summer Members Show, on display from May 27 to June 21. This vibrant exhibition celebrates the beauty and abundance of the season through the eyes of local artists, with works that capture the warmth, colour, and energy of summer.
Over 40 artists from across the Comox Valley will be featured, showcasing a variety of styles and mediums including painting, photography, fibre arts, and sculpture. From lush landscapes to vivid florals, each piece invites viewers to reflect on the joys of summer and the natural world in full bloom.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 31, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Visitors are invited to meet the artists, explore the show, and enjoy light refreshments in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.The Pearl is a non-profit community gallery, located across from the Comox Mall at 1729 Comox Ave, and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is always free, and all artworks are available for purchase.
For more information, visit pearlellisgallery.ca or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Natural Dye; Deep Dive!
2025-05-10 14:00 - 17:00 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
May 10 – Jun 7
If you love natural dyes, working with fibre and exploring colour, you’ll love this six week course with Eloise Holland!
Take control of your dye work and look more closely at the processes and chemistry behind the colours. This six-week intensive course is geared for fascinated beginners. You will finish this course feeling more confidence in your ability to safely and beautifully use natural dyes at home, with resources to continue building your skills!
On day one we will touch on best practices for a safe and efficient dye process, and look at the different materials to dye including recycled fabrics, wool, cotton and silk. We will cover tannin dyes with either Sumac or Walnuts
On day two we learn about the charm of red dyes. Madder is one of the oldest reds, and is a plant that can be grown locally. Coccineal is derived from an insect that feeds on cactus. These reds will bring us a variety of tones using modifiers and post mordants
On day three we cover the various yellows that are so abundant in the plant world. From Goldenrod to Tansy and Chamomile we look at the subtle shade variations these flavonoid dyes produce.
On day four is an introduction to Indigo which is always magical and exciting. We will touch on the basics of this vat dye, exploring resist dyeing and giving you the grounding for your own experiments.
On day five we will build on our previous work by looking at overdyeing. This is a day of experimentation.
On day six we will touch on dyeing with mushrooms and lichen. We are blessed with several locally available dye mushrooms and this is your chance to learn to coax colours from them.
-All materials will be provided, but please bring gloves and a face mask (to protect against small airborne particles). Feel free to bring a notebook, and please dress for mess. If you have some small fabrics or textiles you would like to dye, please feel free to bring them (doilies, scraps, small pieces only. No yardage!)

Lecture: Challenging Exile: Japanese Canadians and the Wartime Constitution
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: UVic Professor of History Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross
Dr. Stanger-Ross’ illustrated talk will explore the government’s attempted mass banishment of Japanese Canadians after the close of the Second World War.
Stanger-Ross was the lead researcher for the Broken Promises travelling exhibit from the Nikkei National Museum currently on display in our upstairs gallery.
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public. Advance tickets recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.

Slow Stich Series
2025-05-02 18:30 - 20:45 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
May 2 – May 23
If you find yourself seeking a chance to slow down, to deepen your relationship with your garments and with your self, this 3-4 week series is an opportunity to do just that.
Join costume maker and artist Lori Kenney for a deep breath and many small stitches.
The practical side of this course is one of basic sewing skills many of us are missing, taking care of our clothes to make our wardrobe last longer.
The artistic side of this course will help you add character and understand traditional textile art practices from around the world, connecting you to the way humans have worked with fibres through history.
The meditative elements of this series will help you slow down, connect to your breathing and the rhythm of stitching.
Take inspiration from global textile traditions such as Kantha
techniques, mending and darning, and Japanese Boro, which focuses on re-purposing old textiles, re-piecing fabrics and building texture with stitch. Bring awareness to the calming repetition of hand stitch rhythms and discover the simple pleasure of making.
There will be time in this class for connection with each other, and portions of silence and breath.
The goal is to leave this series with a set of skills and abilities you can carry with you to calm your heart in times of need.
Please bring some worn and loved garments, as well as any scraps you would like to incorporate.
We will include materials to use, and have additional supplies available for purchase to bring home.

Bag Making With Lorraine
2025-05-02 10:00 - 12:00 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
May 2 – May 16
Join Lorraine for this great bag-making class!
You will use the Traverse Bag by Noodlehead Patterns, with a small modification to make it even more beginner-friendly.
Choose from two sizes!
This class is a great way to keep practicing those straight lines, sewing zippers, and making accurate measurements and cuts. You’ll learn how to use bag patterns, rotary cutters, and hardware.
For your convenience, we have included all the hardware, straps, zippers (with a few colours to choose from) and interfacing, so all you need to buy is your fabric. Use a lovely canvas or even a linen!
The only prerequisite: Basic knowledge of the sewing machine (Foundations, Get to Know your sewing machine class or Fundamentals are a great start.). If you are still beginner, Lorraine can help set up your machine, but there isn’t time to explain how to thread the machine, in order to keep the class focused on bag making!

Step-by-Step Acrylic Painting with Alexander Campbell
2025-04-27 13:30 - 15:30 | Lion’s Den, 1729 rear, Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M1, Canada
Dates: Sunday, April 27th, 1:30-3:30 PM
Location: The Lion’s Den, Comox
Level: Beginner
Cost: $45
Join Alexander Campbell for a guided acrylic painting experience, perfect for beginners. In this step-by-step class, Alexander will demonstrate a painting while participants follow along on their own canvases. By the end of the session, each participant will leave with a completed painting.
About the Instructor:
Alex Campbell is a Comox Valley artist known for his vibrant West Coast-themed paintings featuring wildlife and wilderness. Skilled in multiple mediums, he has experience painting on rock, wood, glass, fabric, and canvas. As a dynamic Paint Nite host and tour guide, Alex is adept at leading groups through creative activities in a fun and engaging way.
All materials are provided, including aprons, brushes, paints, canvases, easels, water cups, and tablecloths.

Just in Time Choirs Spring 2025 Concert "New Orleans"
2025-04-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Sid Williams Theatre, 442 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2J2, Canada
Just in Time Choirs present “New Orleans”, their Spring Concert at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay at 7:00 pm on Saturday April 26th.
Join us in celebrating the fabulous, diverse music of this vibrant and iconic city, the city that gave us Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste and John Boutte to name just a few. The songs are legendary. The choirs will be covering much loved tunes like “Iko Iko” by Dr John, Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya”, the trifecta of “Sweet”, “Freedom”, and “It’s All Right” by Jon Batiste, the cherished “Mr Bojangles” by Jerry Jeff Walker, and a reprise of a choir favourite, “Proud Mary”. And of course, a New Orleans set list would not be complete without Harry Connick Jr’s “It Had to be You” and “What a Wonderful World” by the master, Louis Armstrong.
“The music borne of the vibrant multicultural hub of New Orleans has heavily influenced modern music genres such as jazz, blues, R’n’B, and gospel,” says Wendy Nixon Stothert, Just in Time’s founder and choral conductor. “With 40 of us from Just in Time having travelled to NOLA during March Break, we’ve gleaned a deeper understanding and appreciation of the musical legacy of New Orleans and we’re looking forward to sharing that with our audience.”
Now in their 20th year, the thriving Just in Time Choirs organization comprises three ensembles: Unplugged (everyone welcome), and the smaller auditioned groups, the Jems and Vocal Minority. These renowned local contemporary choirs will be joined by talented musical collaborators: Sean Mooney on piano, Britt Bowman on bass, Beau Stocker on drums, and special guest, Rachel Cooper on clarinet and saxophone. The infectious joy that all three choirs project in their presentations is uplifting and entertaining and has the audience tapping their feet and singing along.
Tickets are $28.00 for adults, $15.00 for children 12 & under (including fees). There is also a live stream option for $28.00 per household, and we are again offering a limited number of Community Supported Tickets at $15 for those under financial constraint. Tickets and full details available online from the Sid Williams Theatre or the Just in Time web site. Tickets may be purchased at the door, subject to availability, but patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early as performances regularly sell out.
So, if you “Feel like funkin’ it up” join us at the Sid. We look forward to sharing the joy of singing with you and welcoming you to the show!

CCFS Earth Week: Reading of "Together a Forest" with author illustrator Roz MacLean
2025-04-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Smol Store, 2704 Dunsmuir, Cumberland, BC, Canada
Join the Cumberland Community Forest’s Earth Week Festival and local author illustrator Roz MacLean for a reading of Together, a Forest: Drawing Connections Between Nature’s Diversity and Our Own, accompanied by a nature activity and snacks offered by the Building Connections Project. The book’s reading level is for 4-8 years, but all ages are welcome. This story explores the parallels between human and natural diversity while illuminating the ecology of old growth forests.
This is a FREE event!
– author reading– art activities– snacks– time for mingling and Q and A– all ages welcome
Wednesay, April 23rd, 4pm
Taking place at Smol Store’s NEW location, 2704 Dunsmuir, Cumberland!
“Together, a Forest begins as an exciting journey into nature and blossoms into a meditation on how our unique personalities and ways of being help create a more vibrant and beautiful world. The forest reveals that everyone―including those of us with disabilities and neurodivergence―belong to nature. There is no one right way for a mind, body, or person to be.
Roz MacLean is an artist and children’s book author illustrator living on the traditional territory of the K’omoks First Nation in Comox Valley, British Columbia. Roz is interested in reflecting the rich and diverse world we live in and using imagination to wonder, explore and create. Her previous book More Than Words: So Many Ways To Say What We Mean was nominated for CBC Kids Read as Well As a the Forest of Reading’s Blue Spruce Award.
This event is presented with support from the Building Connections for Vallely Families Project, the Cumberland Community Schools Society, the Cumberland Community Forest Society, and Smol Store on the unceded ancestral territories of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), and Sathloot (sath-loot) people, known today as the K’omoks First Nation.

Lecture: The Francophone Ranchers of BC’s Interior Plateau, 1860s-70s
2025-04-15 16:30 - 20:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Event type: In-person
Time and Date: 4:30 pm en francais; and 7:00 pm in English. Both on Tuesday, April 15th (doors open 6:30 pm for 7:00 pm lecture)
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: Historian Maurice Guibord
Tickets: free admission thanks to a Heritage Canada grant to the SHFCB. Please call to reserve a space as seating is limited. 250-334-0686 ext. 2

Join Maurice Guibord for a lively presentation on this noteworthy aspect of early BC history. Attendees will also hear how the Indigenous descendants of these ranching families found their respective places during their historical journeys.
Maurice is the Executive Director of the Société Historique Francophone de la Columbie-Britannique and an award-winning contributor of francophone history and heritage in BC.

words + images: collage poetry workshop
2025-04-13 13:30 - 16:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Celebrate National Poetry Month by exploring this year’s theme, “family,” to create your own collage poem, as well as to contribute to a collaborative poem.
All materials will be provided, just bring your own scissors and any extra special bits you want to use for your creation.

Email wordsandimagescollagepoetry@gmail.com to register.

Layering Colours for Luminosity A Watercolour Class with Alora Griffin
2025-04-13 13:00 - 17:00 | Lion’s Den, 1729 rear, Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M1, Canada
Date: Sunday, April 13, 1 to 5 pm
Location: The Lion’s Den, Comox
Level: Intermediate – participants should be familiar with colour theory and mixing.
Cost: $100 per person
Students will learn how to layer transparent watercolour paints to achieve a luminous effect on paper, much like layers of stained glass. The instructor will illustrate the technique which the students will try out in the first half of the class. In the second half of the class, students will create a painting of a simple landscape or seascape by layering colours. Students can work from their own photo or print although prints will be provided.
About the Instructor
Alora is a skilled watercolourist who has recently returned to Vancouver Island to retire. She was previously a practicing architect in Toronto, Prince Rupert and on Salt Spring Island and prior to this taught high school art in New Zealand and Vancouver. She was recently accepted as an exhibiting member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.
What to bring

PAINTS: We will be using a limited palette of transparent colours. (If you wish to substitute other primary colours they have to be transparent, not opaque.)

Aureolin Yellow

Rose Madder Genuine or Permanent Rose

Cobalt Blue

Viridian

PAPER: We will be painting on 2 blocks of 140 lb. watercolour paper, which have 3 or 4 sides glued. Sizes may vary depending upon the manufacturer.

1 block – 7” x 9.5” ( 18 x 24cm )

1 block – 9.5” x 12.5” ( 24 x 32cm )

BRUSHES: Brushes can be natural fibres ( the most expensive ) synthetic ( the least expensive ), or a blend:

1 Pointed #8 or #10

1 Round #12 or #14

1 Flat 1/2” or 3/4”.

Small roll of paper towels and a soft graphite pencil

NOTE: Palettes for mixing paint and containers for rinsing brushes will be supplied.
Where to purchase

PJ’s Art Supply, 1365 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)

Monk Office, #3-2760 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)

Benjamin Moore House of Color, 249 5th St (Pearl members receive a discount)

Valley Art Supply, Comox Mall, lower level

Layering Colours for Luminosity: A Watercolour Class with Alora Griffin
2025-04-13 13:00 - 17:00 | Lion’s Den, 1729 rear, Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M1, Canada
Date: Sunday, April 13, 1 to 5 pm
Location: The Lion’s Den, Comox
Level: Intermediate – participants should be familiar with colour theory and mixing.
Cost: $100 per person

Students will learn how to layer transparent watercolour paints to achieve a luminous effect on paper, much like layers of stained glass. The instructor will illustrate the technique which the students will try out in the first half of the class. In the second half of the class, students will create a painting of a simple landscape or seascape by layering colours. Students can work from their own photo or print although prints will be provided.
About the Instructor
Alora is a skilled watercolourist who has recently returned to Vancouver Island to retire. She was previously a practicing architect in Toronto, Prince Rupert and on Salt Spring Island and prior to this taught high school art in New Zealand and Vancouver. She was recently accepted as an exhibiting member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.
What to bring

PAINTS: We will be using a limited palette of transparent colours. (If you wish to substitute other primary colours they have to be transparent, not opaque.)

Aureolin Yellow

Rose Madder Genuine or Permanent Rose

Cobalt Blue

Viridian

PAPER: We will be painting on 2 blocks of 140 lb. watercolour paper, which have 3 or 4 sides glued. Sizes may vary depending upon the manufacturer.

1 block – 7” x 9.5” ( 18 x 24cm )

1 block – 9.5” x 12.5” ( 24 x 32cm )

BRUSHES: Brushes can be natural fibres ( the most expensive ) synthetic ( the least expensive ), or a blend:

1 Pointed #8 or #10

1 Round #12 or #14

1 Flat 1/2” or 3/4”.

Small roll of paper towels and a soft graphite pencil

NOTE: Palettes for mixing paint and containers for rinsing brushes will be supplied.
Where to purchase

PJ’s Art Supply, 1365 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)

Monk Office, #3-2760 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)

Benjamin Moore House of Color, 249 5th St (Pearl members receive a discount)

Valley Art Supply, Comox Mall, lower level

Cancellation & Refund Policy:
Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the event.
If Pearl Ellis Gallery must cancel and is unable to reschedule, or if the new date does not work for you, you will receive a full refund.

Pop-Up Poetry Booth
2025-04-12 14:30 - 16:30 | Gladstone Brewing Company, 244 4th Street, Courtenay, BC, Canada
Come celebrate National Poetry Month by visiting a Pop-Up Poetry Booth at Gladstone Brewing Company on Saturday, April 12th from 2:30 – 4:30, where you can meet with a poet, have a chat, and they’ll write you a brand new poem to take home…for free!

Spring Fling and Easter Things 2025
2025-04-12 11:00 - 14:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Celebrate spring at the Spring Fling and Easter Thing, hosted by the Courtenay and District Museum, on Saturday, April 12th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This exciting, family-friendly event has something for everyone to enjoy!
Enjoy a Petting Zoo with friendly and adorable animals like bunnies, chicks, and guinea pigs, provided by Barnyard Party Animals. Get your face painted by the talented Amy Louise for just $5, and don’t miss the lively performance by children’s singer/songwriter Mr. Day, featuring his playful puppets Gus Giraffe and Rocco Raccoon. Shows are at 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, and 1:30. You can also take part in a fun bird nest hunt, indulge in tasty Easter treats, and try your luck at winning exciting games and door prizes.
Best of all, admission is by donation, so bring the whole family for a memorable day of springtime fun!

POEM-PALOOZA
2025-04-05 14:00 - 16:30 | Courtenay Library, 300 6th Street, Courtenay, BC, Canada
Come celebrate National Poetry Month at the Courtenay Library on Saturday, April 5th at this free, family-friendly event!
There’s an interactive poetry booth, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., where you chat with a poet who will write you a brand new poem to take home. Then, from 3:00 – 4:30 you can join us for a showcase reading by poets who have written poems for this year’s downtown Poetry Walk.

Wingnut Comedy Open Mic
2025-04-02 19:00 - 21:00 | HighTidePub, 268 Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1J6, Canada
WINGNUT open mic comedy night for local and visiting comedians. Want to try doing standup comedy for the first time? Want to practice your jokes/sets? Check this open mic out! April 2, 16, May 7, 21. At High Tide Pub in Downtown Courtenay. Featuring headliners. Door prizes. Comic sign up at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm. $5.00 cover charge (used to pay headliners).
