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Art in the Library

LIBRARY FOYER

Salt Spring GREENWISE by Bonnie Dalziel

Bonnie Dalziel, a former resident with family island roots, made this quilt showing a map of Salt Spring Island for a book cover for local author, Brenda Guiled. Brenda purchased the quilt,, although the book was not published, and has loaned the Library the quilt, which hangs above the Library display case.

 

 

 

 

Once Upon a Time by Ronald T. Crawford

Ron Crawford, a painter and sculptor for 35 years. His modern frescoes are carved into plaster with acrylic paint on top. Once Upon A Time, a 8 ½ x 12 ½ foot acrylic and plaster painting featuring the opening lines of 49 great fictional novels, will greet library visitors when they enter the lobby.

https://artists.ca/dupuy/working_methods


TECH DESK

Ravens Reading and Writing by Paul Burke

Paul Burke, a Salt Spring resident since 1996, who has been carving wooden animals since 1988 and whose work has been in exhibitions in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and Courtney. His work features local authors, and is a sculptured installation carved in wood, painted in acrylic that “celebrates reading, writing, our island community and the natural environment.”

http://www.bluehorse.ca/paul_gallery.html

The Letter “R” by Nicola Prinsen

Nicola Prinsen, a West Coast artist who has been sculpting for more than 24 years, began by studying ceramics, and then figurative and portrait sculpture. Her experience in clay includes wheel thrown pottery, stoneware, Raku, and both figurative and animal sculptures and bronzes. Her work is in private collections in Canada, USA, Germany, Holland, Japan and the Grand Cayman Islands.

 

Books by Audrey Garwood

Donated by Jack Hallam

Audrey Garwood was a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, with postgraduate studies both in Amsterdam and Paris, she began early to develop her distinctive style … and produced major works for more than fifty years.

 

 

 

 

 

 


CHILDREN’S AREA

Mouse story hour by Audrey Wild

After retiring from being a teacher-librarian and moving to Salt Spring in 1989, Audrey began carving. She had tried chip carving, but had not tried bas relief or carving in the round. She went on to carve for the Anglican church when it was being built.

 

 

 

 

 

Hare by Pat Webber

Hare is a wood fired sculpture mounted on a wall plaque. The hare is one of the creatures Pat often makes to tell a visual story. Some times it is accompanied by other creatures, like dog or frog, and sometimes alone.

https://www.patwebber.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children’s Book Covers by Maria Sourial

Maria Sourial, a self-taught artist from Italy, has been painting locally since 2003, and her work has been exhibited under a pseudonym described as “magical compositions where people, animals and objects float Chagall-like across the canvas.” Children’s Book Covers, is a brightly coloured acrylic piece that the artist hopes “to engage children’s imaginations so that they may develop a love of books and art.”

60 Years of Reading by Tracy Harrison

This 60th anniversary legacy project was created and facilitated by Tracy Harrison, along with 32 budding young artists. Funded by SSI Foundation.

The piece is “a reflection of our youth and children’s interest in contemporary and classic literature.

The Story Dragon by Tracy Harrison & 32 Salt Spring Children

Tracy Harrison, a local painter and sculptor who works with abstract and realistic imagery in her tile installations and architectural ceramic projects. Her work includes photography, paint and fibre optics and has been shown in Seattle, Calgary, Victoria and Ontario.

https://artbyharrison.com

 

 

 

 

Land Sentence Zoo by Jane Kidd

Jane Kidd, a former teacher at the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary has exhibited in numerous solo and more than 50 group shows across Canada, the United States, Japan, Poland, Hungary and Australia. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 2001 and was awarded the Alberta Craft Council Award of Excellence in 2008. Land Sentence: Zoo, is a tapestry described as “visual poetry open to interpretation.” It references the punishment imposed by mankind on the environment.

https://www.janekidd.net/

 

Rainbow Quilt by Stich Dimension Quilt Guild & Orchard Valley Quilt Guild

 


CIRCULATION DESK

Untitled by Gwen Ruckle

By age 32, Mary Gwendolyn Ruckle had earned a diploma in Commercial Art from International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania, dated 1963 October 9th.

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled by Gwen Ruckle

Gwen studies included colour theory, elements of design, and production processes and techniques.

 

 

 

 

Sylvia stark & Howard Este portrait by Alli Hames

This sepia-toned piece was commissioned by Stark descendant Judy Sims and painted by Alli Hames and is on loan to the library. “The Stark family, early pioneers with an incredible history demonstrating bravery and determination the likes of which we rarely see today”

 

 

 

 

 


ROOM 103

Joy by Jae Dougall

Canadian painter Jae Dougall has evolved a unique and immediately recognizable style with high-keyed post-impressionist oils on canvas employing fluid lines, strong colours and patterning.

https://jaedougall.com/biography/

Mobile Market by Rosamund Dupuy

R. Dupuy was born in 1950, in Southampton, England, and emigrated to B.C in 1957. A move to Salt Spring Island in 1973 followed, with several years spent travelling and working in France. The mobile market was housed in Creekside

https://artists.ca/dupuy/working_methods

 

Wheelbarrow in the Garden by Judy Nurse

Former Board Chair. Oil painting, 2009.

After moving from Saskatoon to Salt Spring with her husband Murray, Judy was active in a range of community groups. Judy was a Library Board chair during her 6 years on Board. She also chaired the ArtSpring Treasure Fair twice, and served on the board of ArtSpring for 6 years, including 2 as President. Judy was a member of the Painters Guild for 10 years, serving 3 years as President. Judy loved libraries and made a point of visiting them when travelling. She used a year as a ‘shelver’ in the new library to get to know the shelving system and building. When not in her studio, gardening, or on the golf course, Judy had her nose in a book. Wheelbarrow in the Garden was donated by her husband Murray in 2024.

 


COMPUTER ZONE

Thirsty Tiger by Verna Meyer

Donated Bydon & Kit Stevens Family

Verna Meyer, island artist specializing in oil-painting born on Salt Spring Island. She specializes in painting wildlife and is passionate about teaching others to paint.

https://vernameyer.com/bio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


ELEVATOR

Immerse by Carole Miles

Carole Miles is an artist in the public realm fascinated by layers, light, histories, lost and forgotten spaces, urban decay, rural isolation, places of peace, mystery and quiet contemplation, wide skies, spacious landscapes, growth, change, memory and communication.

 

 

 

The Hiding Place by Audrey Wild

“The Hiding Place” was one of Audrey’s first pieces. Carved in yellow cedar using hand tools.

 


INDIGENOUS AREA

Images of Grace Islet by Gary McNutt, Christopher Roy, Sean McIntyre, Derek Wilkinson

Images of Grace Islet pay tribute to the joining together of communities in 2014 to halt the desecration of a Coast Salish Burial ground on Grace Islet in Ganges Harbour. Penelakut Tribe, Cowichan Tribes, Tsartlip First Nation, Lyackson First Nation and Pauquachin First Nation combined efforts with local allies and supporters , including locally elected representatives, the Islands Trust and the CRD.