Artist In Residence
Nimmo Bay centres around creative powerhouses. One of the things that makes Nimmo Bay unique is the focus we have on quality, high-end, locally crafted art, homewares, and antique finds. The time and care that goes into selecting goods for around the resort is huge and we look for that same commitment in the artists we source from. So much of what you see when you wander around the resort is small-batch and hand-made. It’s not just about the products, but it’s about supporting our neighbours within British Columbia and growing a genuine community.
To bring these partnerships to life in the most authentic way possible, Nimmo created the Artist in Residence initiative. It’s a program where our favourite artist and makers visit the resort and set up shop for the week to create. It’s an opportunity for artists to immerse themselves and get inspired by the wild that we are so gratefully surrounded by each and every day.
After another incredible year of collaborations, we wanted to give you a glimpse at some of the artists and what they’ve created while at Nimmo Bay.
Meet SOME OF The 2023 Artists
Ryan Fogarty
The Blacksmith
Ryan Fogarty’s forge has become a mainstay on the dock outside of Anchor Lodge. His blacksmith pieces are the stuff of legend at Nimmo Bay. Whenever he’s on-site, you can hear the distinctive clash of metal on metal, reverberate off the trees. Despite the short-lived cacophony, it’s soothing to know that he’s in the process of creating a unique piece that will blow away any guest who gets it in their hands. If this is the first time you’ve heard of his incredible craftsmanship, you can read our in-depth story about his journey into blacksmithing. This season, he’s even introduced us to the forge fired old-fashioned. It’s an immersive cocktail experience that gets you up-close and personal with the fire power of the forge. We watched Ryan make his own bar behind the anvil and explored the delicious taste and aromas of charred orange and bourbon.
This year Ryan has created a new set of incredible Damascus steak knives for our online shop. These knives are stunningly simple and feature the telltale waved pattern. Damascus is both hard and flexible, and creates the perfect sharp edge. Rolled in hand-crafted waxed canvas, these sets are sure to impress in the dining room and last for generations.
Jamie Gentry
The Moccasin Maker
We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Jamie Gentry this fall for the debut of The Blossoming Collection. Alongside photographer Kimberley Kufaas, they arrived at the resort and used the Nimmo Bay landscape as their wild backdrop. The two of them spent several days shooting the stunning array of hand-crafted moccasins Jamie created. The Blossoming Collection is one that Jamie created purely for herself. The designs are those she felt deeply and emotionally connected to. For the first time in a long time, the moccasins she created weren’t customized with a customer in mind. Her hope and desire for this collection is that it becomes an exhibit. She poured hundreds of hours into meticulously planning, crafting, and hand beading the flowers into each pair.
Her passion for making moccasins is ever growing. As she explores her craft, it brings Jamie closer to herself and also forges connections with others. “My goal is to create meaningful connections through moccasins making. When we connect with the maker and the product, we are more likely to hold that product closer to us, and it is less likely for that product to end up in a landfill. I hope to contribute a meaningful product to the world, build connections and share culture.”
At this time, you can request your own custom pair of handmade moccasins from Jamie directly.
Miller + Co.
The Potter and the Woodworker
When Jen Rose and Devin Miller flew into Nimmo Bay with their young daughter Kai, we knew something special was about to happen. With hand-turned bowls and raw pottery pieces loaded up in the plane, the plan was set in motion to create one-of-a-kind art, touched by the wild elements. The entire journey was captured on film, and we’re thrilled to share the Miller + Co. journey with you now.
They’re both masters of their crafts, but had never experimented with practicing them in the wild. In this environment, they had to let go of an element of control. This was a trial by fire, quite literally. Devin was set up to Shou Sugi Ban (literal translation ‘burned cedar’) the exterior of his wood bowls and Jen used a converted oil barrel to fire her pottery pieces outdoors overnight in the Great Bear Rainforest.
A short boat ride away from Nimmo there’s a rocky outcrop and we chose this as the ideal wilderness studio. Devin lit the blow torches and let the flames ride on the wind, licking at the surface of the oak bowls. The exterior of the bowls get preserved by the char and it provides stunning contrast to the bright natural wood interiors. On the edge of the rocks, Jen found a flat space to set up her makeshift kiln. She filled it with foraged shells, seaweed, and mosses, weaving the natural materials through the pottery pieces. As they burned down to embers, the colour imparts on the surface of the clay. In the end, the result is stunning homewares touched by fire, rain, salty ocean air, and a little Nimmo magic.
Diane Rudge
The Textile Artist
Diane spent a wonderful week diving into knitting at Nimmo Bay. She is a fabric and textile artist based out of Vancouver Island who uses natural fibres to create wall-hangings and classic knitwear. Diane spent her days wrapped up in Anchor Lodge, embracing the cool misty rain of our wild season. During her stay, she dove into creating a new collection of knitwear, exclusive to Nimmo Bay. The Artist in Residence program was an opportunity for Diane to experience her craft in a way she hadn’t before. She could create with a new awareness of her art, in its purest form, out in the British Columbian wilderness. It’s rare that you get to experience time in such a distraction free way. As Diane’s mind quieted, it brought a rush of clarity, about her art, her style, and her process.
The end result is a collection of timeless pieces that fully embody the style of the Pacific Northwest. She’s crafted high quality, sustainable, and all-natural mohair and wool outer layers that you’ll want to get your hands on immediately.
Miigwan Feather
The Painter
Miigwan Feather Reine is an award winning First Nations Artist who we had the pleasure of hosting at Nimmo Bay during the summer. She’s a painter who draws great inspiration from the natural world, but also from within herself. Art is a form of alternative therapy for Miigwan and has been an important tool to help her heal from trauma she’s experienced.
Miigwan Feather finished her piece The Horse Spirit/Thy Queendom Come while she was up at Nimmo Bay. This painting came to her in a vision, and it was a surprise that she was being led to create it. The piece represents a Goddess Warrior Queen, whose extension is the Horse Spirit, and she’s leading it from the Spirit World. These images hold strong meaning to Miigwan, as horses have helped carry her spirit and guide her through much of the trauma in her life. Horses were the only thing that helped her through the deep grief she experienced after her father passed away a few years ago. Her earliest memories with her Father were on the back of a horse. It’s her hope that when you see her works, they’ll emanate an essence of strength and empowerment.
