Cortes Island Museum & Archives

Cortes Island Museum & Archives The Cortes Island Museum building began life in 1946 as a family store at the head of Mansons Landing. Our exhibits change often! We value your donations.

We have now two locations, 957 Beesley Road – Main Ballery, 1255 Seaford Road – Wild Cortes, Natural History Centre. It helps us with our programs and activities. Please donate: https://cortesmuseum.com/about-us/support-us/donate/

Stardust Studio, Twilight Gallery, and Thistle Ranch Gardens, South End“Come wander, wonder and see what blooms when cre...
06/15/2026

Stardust Studio, Twilight Gallery, and Thistle Ranch Gardens, South End

“Come wander, wonder and see what blooms when creativity runs free! Visit our gardens, studio and gallery as we shape and adapt our spaces.

“The all-new and glorious Stardust Studio offers paintings, mixed-media, assemblage, cards, and prints. Most work is abstract and intent on expressing the energy of our coastal lands and waters. Twilight Studio has shifted since last year and has become a small gallery, Twilight Gallery.

“Our older, more established space, the Yard Garden, boasts both natural and cultivated areas. The newer Twilight Garden, recently fenced, provides sunny spots for growing vegetables and berries to augment our bounty. Here, roses blend beautifully with rose campion, foxglove, and artichokes!

“Park on the road and follow the markers to where art and plants take root!”

Cortes Island Museum invites you to the Creative Spaces: Garden and Studio Tour!
Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Join the tour and spend the day visiting some of Cortes’s private spaces, which are open to the public as part of a fundraiser supporting the Museum's programs.

Tickets ($20) are available at Cortes Island stores, Inspirations on Quadra, the Friday Market, and the Museum and Wild Cortes. Tickets will also be available at the first studio on the tour, #1, Curious Art Studio in Whaletown. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

Thank you, all hosts, for opening your creative spaces for visitors to see!

Visit our website www.cortesmuseum.com for more information.

Curious Art Studio, WhaletownInterested in exploring an artist’s workspace? Check out Curious Art Studio. Filipe Figueir...
06/11/2026

Curious Art Studio, Whaletown

Interested in exploring an artist’s workspace? Check out Curious Art Studio. Filipe Figueira, who works with oil paints on canvas, is inspired by the local landscape and creates semi-abstract views of his surroundings. The studio is cozy, featuring paintings of different sizes and styles.

If you arrive by ferry, at the first T-junction, turn left onto Carrington Bay Road.

From Carrington Bay Road, take the first right onto Olmstead Road. Curious Farm and Art Studio is on the right. There are two red-and-white fishing floats on the gate. The studio is on the left side of the drive. Park on the road, or, if there is space, in the small car park in front.

The host will have Creative Spaces tickets for sale!

Cortes Island Museum invites you to the Creative Spaces: Garden and Studio Tour!
Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Join the tour and spend the day visiting some of Cortes’s private spaces, which are open to the public as part of a fundraiser supporting the Museum's programs.

Tickets ($20) are available at Cortes Island stores, Inspirations on Quadra, the Friday Market, and the Museum and Wild Cortes. Tickets will also be available at the first studio on the tour, #1, Curious Art Studio in Whaletown. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

Thank you, all hosts, for opening your creative spaces for visitors to see!

Visit our website https://cortesmuseum.com/home/creative-spaces-garden-studio-tour-june-20/ for more information.

Cortes Island Creative Spaces: Garden and Studio TourIntroducing Little Bluff Gardens: The garden is set in a large clea...
06/08/2026

Cortes Island Creative Spaces: Garden and Studio Tour

Introducing Little Bluff Gardens: The garden is set in a large clearing on the north side of Manzanita Road. James and Lynda have been cultivating gardens here for a little over ten years. They grow much of their own produce and enjoy the changing patterns of the trees and plants as they respond to the seasons.

Cortes Island Museum invites you to the Creative Spaces: Garden and Studio Tour!
Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You will spend the day visiting some of Cortes’s private spaces, open to the public as part of a fundraiser supporting the Museum's programs.

Tickets ($20) are available at Cortes Island stores, studio #1 in Whaletown (Filipe Figueira), Inspirations on Quadra, the Friday Market, and Wild Cortes and the Museum. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

Thank you all hosts for opening your creative spaces for visitors to see!

Photo Melanie Boyle

Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. around Cortes.Cortes Island Museum Annual Fundraiser!This annual, self-guided...
06/02/2026

Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. around Cortes.

Cortes Island Museum Annual Fundraiser!

This annual, self-guided, all-island tour showcases numerous gardens and studios on Cortes Island.

You will spend the day exploring some beautiful spaces on the island from Whaletown to Cortes Bay and discover the creative talents of Cortes Islanders. Tickets, which include the tour map, are now available at Cortes stores, Quadra Island’s Inspirations, Friday Markets at Manson’s Hall, Wild Cortes, and the Museum. Please bring cash; the Museum also accepts credit cards and Interac.

This tour is an important fundraiser for the Cortes Island Museum & Archives, and all proceeds will support the Museum’s programs.

Some studios or gardens will be featured in more detail in separate posts. Please stay tuned and visit our website at www.cortesmuseum.com for additional information.

Thank you to all gardeners and artists participating in the tour and showcasing their talents!

We invite everyone to take advantage of this unique opportunity to visit spaces you do not normally get to see – so get your tickets soon!

For more information about the tour or to purchase tickets, call the Museum at 250-935-6340 or email [email protected].

This position is now filled.You will have another chance next year, 2027. Watch announcements in March and April 2027.Ar...
05/26/2026

This position is now filled.
You will have another chance next year, 2027. Watch announcements in March and April 2027.

Are you 17–30 years old and looking for engaging work in natural history this summer? Wild Cortes is hiring a Curatorial Assistant/Host to assist with mounts, displays and interpretation this summer season.

Located at Linnaea Education Centre, 1255 Seaford Road, Wild Cortes is the Cortes Island Museum's off-site learning centre and EcoLab.

Museum and Archives Society. The wage for this position is $23.00/hour for a 30-hour workweek from mid-June through the end of August.

We are looking for a science-minded, hands-on, self-reliant and friendly person with a desire to learn about taxidermy, species at risk and the natural history of Cortes Island. Computer skills are required. Applicants should be comfortable working with animal specimens.

Position – Curatorial Assistant/Host

• Where: Wild Cortes, Linnaea Education Centre, 1255 Seaford Road
• Date: Mid-June (flexible) through to the end of August
• Wage & Hours: $23.00/hour, 30 hours/week
• Position: A hands-on opportunity ideal for learning and sharing knowledge about taxidermy, species at risk, and the natural history of Cortes Island. Candidates should be comfortable working with animal specimens. Computer skills are required, and all training will be provided.

Funded by Canada Summer Jobs, this position offers excellent opportunities to build skills tailored to future careers in museums, natural history centres, education, visitor services, event planning, and more! Do you have questions and want to chat? Call the Museum at 250-935-6340.

We value diversity and inclusivity and welcome applications from individuals of all abilities and backgrounds. To apply, please submit your resume to [email protected] with “Wild Cortes Curatorial Assistant” in the subject line.

Candidates will be interviewed as applications are received. The position will remain open until filled. Interviews may be conducted in person or virtually.

Secure accommodation on Cortes Island is essential.
To learn more about Cortes Island Museum and Wild Cortes, visit our website, www.cortesmuseum.com and www.wildcortes.ca, and visit our page, https://www.facebook.com/CimasCortes/

Workshop: Kintsugi: Embracing ImperfectionPresenter: Yuka Morino, Three Little Spruce (https://www.threelittlespruce.com...
05/06/2026

Workshop: Kintsugi: Embracing Imperfection
Presenter: Yuka Morino, Three Little Spruce (https://www.threelittlespruce.com/)
Date: May 23, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., May 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society, 957 Beesley Road
Fee: $400
Registration required. Call the Museum at 250-935-6340 or email [email protected]
Workshop limited to 12 participants

Workshop Details:
"Kintsugi: Embracing Imperfection" *No repair experience required. Everyone is welcome.

In this 2-day course, participants will learn the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery, Kintsugi.

The intricate process of Kintsugi will be taught through hands-on instruction in a classroom setting, and students will also create their own lacquerware pieces from natural-wood chopsticks.
During the session, each participant will have the opportunity to work on broken ceramic pieces at various stages of Kintsugi. All participants will be able to take home the Kintsugi piece they work on.

Important Note: We will use Urushi lacquer, essential for Kintsugi, which can cause severe skin irritation (in this session, low-sensitivity Urushi lacquer will be provided). Participants must wear the provided gloves and apply Vaseline to exposed skin. Avoid contact with unintended surfaces.

Provided Materials
● Broken ceramics to mend
● Urushi lacquer
● Tonoko (mineral)
● Bengara (mineral)
● Flour
● Brass powder
● Wooden chopsticks
● Kintsugi Materials Kit $86

Supplies to Bring with You
● A cardboard box to secure your ceramics (also used as Urushiburo). Your finished piece will take a week to dry so it needs to be protected on its way home. Once home, keep it indoors rather than outside, as exposure to the weather will cause it to deteriorate.
● Towel
● Long-sleeve work clothes to protect your skin

Additional Purchasable Materials (Onsite)
● Gold powder (Market price)
● Silver powder (Market price)
● Ceramic repair full kit $196 ($86 deductible)
● Tool set $34
● Additional wooden chopsticks $6

Kintsugi, 金継ぎ, literally translated from Japanese, means "golden joinery". This traditional Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics uses natural materials, such as tree sap, clay, and flour dusted with gold (or other precious metals) to make the cracks or broken lines beautiful. The cracks are called Keshiki 景色, which in Japanese means scenery, landscape, or view. They become part of the object's story, emphasizing its history. More than just a craft, these practices embody resilience, sustainability, and the beauty of imperfection.

Sunday, May 10, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.at the Cortes Island Museum, 957 Beesley RoadFilm directed by Karen McDiarmid"Shining...
05/06/2026

Sunday, May 10, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
at the Cortes Island Museum, 957 Beesley Road
Film directed by Karen McDiarmid

"Shining Spirit: The Musical Journey of Jamyang Yeshi" was filmed in Canada, India, and Tibet between 2006 and 2009. It documents a recording project that brings together the family of the Tibetan musician Jamyang Yeshi through music and multi-tracking technology. With help from Canadian and Tibetan friends, Jamyang, a refugee in Canada, and his brother, Tsundue, in exile in the United States, join voices with the family they left behind in Tibet. For the first time in over a decade, they sing together again. Shining Spirit is a testament to the power of music, the resilience of Tibetan culture, and the enduring bond of a family separated by politics and geography.

"Shining Spirit" was screened at festivals and venues around the world, including Telluride MountainFilm; National Geographic in Washington, DC; the Rubin Museum in NYC; and the 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival. It won numerous awards, including third prize at the Kathmandu Mountain Film Festival.

Jamyang Yeshi now lives with his wife and two young sons in Duncan, B.C. He was invited to Dharamsala, India, last year to perform at the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations.

This free event is open to everyone. Donations are welcome, and proceeds will benefit the Tibetan Children’s Village charity.

Spring Migration Birding DaySaturday, May 9Meet at 9 a.m. at the Museum, 957 Beesley Road, or9:30 a.m. at Seavista Road ...
05/05/2026

Spring Migration Birding Day
Saturday, May 9
Meet at 9 a.m. at the Museum, 957 Beesley Road, or
9:30 a.m. at Seavista Road in Whaletown

Since 2004, the Cortes Island Museum has led the Spring Migration Bird Count, usually held on the first Saturday of May.

This is a relaxing, fun day when we travel as a group, share our knowledge, and record the species we observe. We meet at the Museum (957 Beasley Road) at 9 a.m., then carpool to the driveway entrance at 286 Seavista Road in Whaletown to join the rest of the birders there at 9:30. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome. Some walking is involved.

You are encouraged to bring binoculars, cameras, bird books, and lunch to eat along the way. How long you stay is up to you, but we usually wrap up at Smelt Bay in the mid-afternoon.
If you cannot join us at the Museum, you can still send us your three days’ observations (species names only, not the number of birds). Email [email protected].

Address

957 Beesley Road
Mansons Landing, BC
V0P1K0

Opening Hours

Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+12509356340

Website

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