The September issue of En Route Magazine features 2 articles profiling Ucluelet.
One day in Ukee and we’re starting to think artistic talent blows in from the sea. Just walk down to Whiskey Landing – the building itself is a work of art – where the Cedar House Gallery shows off Vancouver Island First Nations art and crafts, including whalebone sculptures by Patrick Amos. At the neighbouring Mark Penney Gallery, we marvel at Metis artist Terry Jackson’s delicate slip-cast porcelain vessels depicting whales, coyotes and eagles. “
~ Marine Land – EnRoute Magazine
The Wild Pacific Trail is way more docile than the name suggests. Hugging the black rocks that rise along the craggy shore, this path is divvied up into three sections, allowing you take in the crashing waves and the forest in five minutes or 50. The surface is level enough that you can take a wheelchair or baby stroller for a spin here. And if hunger strikes during your mid-morning walk, just grab a table at Fetch at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort; the trail passes right by the restaurant’s patio. There are also benches placed along the route so you can sit down and admire the sunset, or just take a breather. And you may need it – the views are breathtaking.”
~ Happy Trails – EnRoute Magazine
Ucluelet is a fantastic place to visit, and every day I’m asked about things to do and see in Ucluelet. Here is a list (in no particular order).
1 Visit the Art Galleries; Mark Penney Gallery is certainly the finest art gallery in the Pacific Rim… don’t believe me? I invite you to visit them all and then come tell me different. Huu Mees Ma-as or Cedar House Gallery at whiskey Landing (right next door) showcases local native talent. Reflecting Spirit Gallery is up in Davidson Plaza and has a sister gallery in Tofino. DuQuah Gallery occupies a longhouse style building near the entrance to town, Dytimus Bernadot is Glen Carlson’s contemporary gallery on Peninsula, Image West Gallery hosts a lot of interesting gift items and souvenirs. Cedar Corner Gallery in Tofino has a growing collection of flat works and sculpture. Shorewind Gallery is arguably Tofino’s most prominent fine art gallery, but House of Himwitsa as well as Roy Henry Vicker’s Eagle Aerie Gallery have long been favorites for contemporary native art.
2 Explore the Wild Pacific Trail ; a breathtaking route along Ucluelet’s Peninsula. Open ocean viewpoints and small rocky outcrops dot the trail as it winds along for about 6.5 kms. The Lighthouse Loop offers views eastward into the Broken Group Islands and occasionally it’s clear enough to see the Olympic Mountain range in Washington.
3 Discover the Ucluelet Aquarium. You’ll have to see it to believe it. An astounding collection of specimens that are caught and released each season. Plenty of touch tanks allow for an interactive experience. Nothing will turn you back into a child faster than gawking at these fascinating critters, bring kids and your camera.
More…
I’m not much of a MyFace kind of guy, but Flickr holds a little more interest in terms of showing some photography and exploring other images.
view my photostream on flickr.com
The Artist’s Magazine Annual Art Competition has recognized Marla Thirsks’ portrait Disconnect. The portrait and figure entries were judged on expressiveness, personality and draftsmanship. The portrait category juror; Sharon Sprung teaches at the Art Students League and the National Academy’s School of Fine Arts in New York City; she has hosted two films on painting the figure for ArtistsNetworkTV videos.
Congratulations!. Disconnect, has been selected as a finalist in the Portrait/Figure category of The Artist’s Magazine 27th Annual Art Competition. …, as a finalist your name will be featured in the December 2010 issue of the magazine.
Your accomplishment is one to be proud of.
~Maureen Bloomfield, Editor ‘The Artist’s Magazine’
Marla’s original works can be viewed here at Mark Penney Gallery in Ucluelet and also at Cedar Corner Gallery in Tofino.
Sooke Fine Arts Society has an annual art show consisting of works by hundreds of area artists and is attended by more than 7000 visitors each year. This year the event runs from July 24th ’til August 2nd. Regionally, it’s a fairly high profile event.
It’s jurored by Jeffrey Spalding the President of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, John Luna a Painter, Writer, Curator, and instructor at Vancouver Island School of Art and UVic as well as Diane Farris a noted curator and owner of Diane Farris Gallery in Vancouver.
I’m pleased to report that Ucluelet’s own Marla Thirsk has been selected for the Juror’s Choice Award (sponsored by the Sooke Community Arts Council) for her recent portrait ‘Disconnect‘.
Marla’s works can be viewed here at Mark Penney Gallery in Ucluelet and also at Cedar Corner Gallery in Tofino.
Marla Thirsk Art, Cover of WineTrails Magazine
Wine Trails Magazine, Summer 2010 Issue features Marla Thirsk’s Art on it’s cover. Just inside the cover is explained the following:
Marla Thirsk was born in Vancouver, BC and showed an early aptitude for art by drawing in the cover pages of her father’s university books at the age of 2. Her Art career really started when she decided to change her life around by believing in herself and following her life-long dream of being a professional artist. Since then she has created award winning posters for the Whale Festival, Edge to Edge Marathon, Ukee Days and just finished one for the Tofino Food and Wine Festival. She has designed logos and costumes and done set design. She was president of the the Pacific Rim Arts Society for six years running. She has painted every mural in her town of Ucluelet but one and continues to be a major figure in the planning of local Art Events. She has worked in all mediums but oil. Her works have sold and gone worldwide. She proudly wears the title of “Towns’s Artist”.
The original acrylic paintings in the theme of the Tofino Food and Wine Poster on this issue’s cover are the newest venture for her. They are inspired by old photos ofher mother from the 30′s to early 60′s and old french postcards of the 1800′s and early 1900′s. with these new works she feels she has finally found her own unique style. for a more comprehensive look at her work, please visit her website (www.marlathirsk.com) or see her work at Cedar Corner Gallery in Tofino and Mark Penney Gallery in Ucluelet.
The magazine is widely circulated in BC and can be found at most BC Liquor and Beer & Wine Stores, the painting was created specifically for Tofino’s 8th annual Food and Wine Festival which ran June 4th-6th.
