In 1994 a group of 12 artists in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island met to discuss the need for a permanent showcase for selling their artwork beyond the usual venues of craft fairs and exhibitions. Though the initial group changed, a core group of 9 opened their first tiny storefront in downtown Duncan in August of the same year. They called themselves IMAGINE THAT! ARTISANS' DESIGNS. They are a Registered Co-operative.
August 2011 marks the beginning of the 18th year in business for this very successful artist-run store. There are currently about 100 artisans on display. All work is juried and is of very high quality, with price ranges for even the smallest budget. The Members are justifiably proud of their long record supporting local Cowichan artists and other artists from Vancouver Island.
Mid way between VICTORIA and NANAIMO, their great location is at the heart of the Cowichan Valley in historic downtown Duncan. IMAGINE THAT! is a pleasant place to turn off the Island Highway and have an artistic "refuelling" stop. Look for the red brick CITY HALL. We're across the square.
Imagine that! is proudly Canadian, with most works made in the Cowichan Valley or in the surrounding towns of Chemainus, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, and Victoria.
Imagine That! Artisans' Designs featuring Robin Millan, Eva Trinczek, Margot Page, Clare Carver and Sandra Greenaway who are the principal Co-op Members plus upwards of 95 other professional artisans and artists.
Each day, you will meet one of our working artists helping to operate the shop and make it the success it is. Come in and say hello.
Imagine That Artisans' Designs features a collection of First Nations Carvings produced on the West Coast of Canada. These carvings will only be available for a short time. They are older pieces, carved by well known artisans from Haida Gwaii to Victoria, BC.
Every month the displays change in both storefront windows. These windows are available for artists to rent and are booked well in advance.
Store Store Hours
Monday through Saturday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Featured Artists from April 30 to May 26
Come and see enameling by John Agg and Margot Page and kimono by Sandra Greenaway.
John Agg
Imagine that! Artisans' Designs pays tribute during the month of May 2012, to a recently deceased but well-known Vancouver Island artist and enamellist, John Agg.
John was born in Whitby Ontario in 1928. He took his art training at Northern Secondary School and became what was known in the business then as a Commercial Artist. He was the Art Director of Ontario Ladies' College before moving to Toronto where he spent all his time painting.
Read more about John Agg at aggworks.shawwebspace.ca/profile/
Margot Page
The first Anniversary of the Japan earthquake and tsunami has come. The stunning devastation is imprinted in our minds...
I recall April 5, 1985. It is Good Friday and my partner and I have just sailed into Japan on our own sailboat. It is 3 years since we sailed from Ontario..and now we are in Oita, about to clear Customs in Japan, for the first time.
By the time we cast off from Kushiro in July, we will have shared heart-warming friendships and learned their customs.We will have sailed from Kyushu to Hokkaido, followed the ceremonies of Sakura, the cherry blossom season as we went northward..
We will have bathed in their onsen, and been entertained by their hospitality. We will have experienced a typhoon on our own boat, and felt the earth shake from quakes, as we walk the streets..
We know when we go back the hospitality will still be there, in those little villages, and tiny seaports.
My enamelled artwork is inspired by the tiny Geisha I saw on the streets of Tokyo. Proceeds of my sales from the May window, will be sent to Japan via: Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.
Read more about Margot at www.margotpage.com
Sandra Greenaway
The pieced kimono were made in the spirit of the Japanese quilting method called yosegire, which means "to sew together". Yosegire originated in the 16th century, but sewing together bits of precious fabrics into garments dates back long before that.
The kimono were made from left-over pieces of fabric from earlier projects. By sewing them together, we can prolong the fabric's life. A patchwork garment expresses to the recipient the hope for a long life.
Read more about Sandra at www.sandragreenaway.com
