Important West Kootenay Museums & Art Galleries

Public Venues for Artists & Touring Exhibitions in Interior BC

Jun 4, 2009

Thriving visual arts communities and a vibrant history make for interesting museum and gallery tours during a visit to the West Kootenay region of British Columbia.

Cultural Tourists to the West Kootenay region will find many public galleries and museums which feature exhibitions of visual arts and heritage-related activities from the region. Each urban area has a centre where people congregate to preserve their history or celebrate their art, and here are some of them:

Touchstones Museum

The old postal, customs and internal revenue building in which this museum is housed stands at the corner of one of Nelson's busiest intersections. Two art galleries feature established local and visiting artists and group shows, ranging from retrospectives to installations. A permanent historical exhibition which includes a changing display area on special artifacts. In the basement are the Shawn Lamb archives.

Exhibition information, daily hours and entrance fees are available on their website.

Kootenay Gallery of Art, History and Science & The Doukhabor Discovery Centre

The Kootenay Gallery, overlooking the spectacular Columbia River Gorge across from the airport near the Ooteshenia suburb of Castlegar, is one of the three leading public venues for visual arts in the West Kootenay-Boundary region. Unfortunately, it also has unorthodox hours of operations, so be sure to check their website in order to avoid disappointment.

The gallery features two conjoined exhibitions spaces, and exhibits local artists and touring shows. Outside, the grounds include some wonderful sculptures and a garden designed for butterflies. Their special events include a monthly Sunday Coffeehouse Canada Trust Concert Series, special movie screenings, and children's workshops. The shop features local crafts.

While you are there, be sure to visit the fascinating Doukhabor Discovery Centre next door which features an authentic fully restored Doukhabor commune, with artifacts, cultural activities and workshops.

Grand Forks Art Gallery

The recent move to the newly renovated Old Courthouse building in Grand Forks was fraught with controversy for the Grand Forks Art Gallery, but they are back on track hosting local exhibitions and art tours. The Grand Forks Art Gallery now comprises 4 galleries — two for visual arts exhibitions, two for heritage displays and workshops in cooperation with the Boundary Museum Society and area artisans — a central festival hall, the tourist information center and offices.

While in the museum, visit the Tourist Information Centre which will provide directions to the historic Fructova School and Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village Museum which contain the main Boundary Museum Collections.

Oxygen Art Centre

Oxygen is a multi-disciplinary independent public artist-run facility which includes a school, a gallery, and community resources for:

As an artist-run centre, Oxygen provides some of the most experimental and contemporary work to be found in the region. Be sure to read more about in the article, Oxygen Artist-Run Gallery and Residency .

Oxygen is located behind the building at 3--320 Vernon St., Nelson, B.C., V1L4E4, Canada (alleyway entrance.) Their hours vary, so check out their website first, or phone (250) 352-6322.

Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre

The Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre is located in the centre of "The Orchard", a community on the south side of Carpenter Creek in New Denver on the shores of Slocan Lake, which was once a real WWII Japanese-Canadian Internment camp. The site includes the restored cabins and community centres with artifacts which illustrate the housing conditions faced by women, children, infirm and elderly Nikkei (men were sent to labour camps). It also hosts a permanent exhibition with photos and documents, and a very beautiful memorial garden designed by Mr. Roy Sumi, when he was 87. This is a pilgrimage site for Nikkei and Japanese alike, and an informative museum for Canadians who want to learn about this dark episode of Canadian history. It is also a fitting place to visit in conjunction with the Kohan Memorial Japanese Garden.

The site is north off Second Avenue in New Denver at 306 Josephine Street, Box 273, New Denver, BC, VOG 1SO. Phone: (250)-358-7288 or (250)-358-2663 | Fax: (250)-358-2636

Langham Cultural Centre

The Langham consists of an art gallery, a Japanese-Canadian Historical Museum & Archives, studio rental space, a performance space and cultural centre. The photo archives are one of the most striking records of the Nikkei experience in Canada, and the Langham was used as an internment settlement during WWII. The building was originally constructed as a hotel during the Klondike in 1896, and was so busy that it rented out beds for 3 shifts a day, but there wasn't much left to it but a shell when it was restored in the 1970s. Now it is an important community venue for Kaslo and the North Kootenay Lakeshore region.

Located off the Highway to New Denver at 447 A Avenue Kaslo, B.C. V0G 1M0, the Langham Cultural Centre's art gallery is only open between 1:00 - 4:00 pm from Thursdays to Fridays, but the historical Nikkei archives are open between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm every day all year round.

Silvery Slocan Museum

This Museum, housed in the old Bank of Montreal building, is comprised mainly of permanent displays of artifacts donated from the region. There is nothing profoundly valuable or rare in those collection, but they provide a keen sense of what it was like to live in this mining and lumber community from its inception in the late 1800s and through following decades. The collections focus on the decades between 1890 and 1950.

Corner of 7th Avenue & Bellevue Street in New Denver (near the shore of Slocan Lake).

Silverton Gallery & Interpretive Centre

The bulk of the Silverton Gallery's collection are displayed in their yard as mining implements, and there isn't a lot to describe what they are or how they were used. The gallery itself is on the second floor and features displays of work by local artists. Be sure to call ahead to avoid disappointment.

Telephone: (250)-358-2472 | Fax: (250)-250/358-2321 401 Main (Lake) Street, Silverton, BC, Canada

The copyright of the article Important West Kootenay Museums & Art Galleries in British Columbia Travel is owned by Simone Keiran. Permission to republish Important West Kootenay Museums & Art Galleries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.