Although the political climate in Canada has shifted priorities away from environmental issues, such as plastic pollution and impacts of climate change, artists in the qathet region are reusing, refurbishing, reclaiming and upcycling materials. They make beautiful things, and in their own way, combat our collective accumulation of stuff that in many cases ends up in the landfill.
Artist Teresa Harwood-Lynn is organizing the region's first sustainable maker-fair and art market, in honour of Earth Day, called Renew Art Faire, with 12 participating artists who will display and demo their works on April 26, from 10 to 4 pm, at qathet Art Centre (qAC) above Powell River Public Library.
Harwood-Lynn herself works with scrap metal she finds, or is donated to her by folks who know her craft.
"Typically speaking, if something's broken or nobody has a use for it anymore, I may turn it into something like a piece of jewellery, for example," said Harwood-Lynn. "If it's further deteriorated, like an old rusty bucket, I might make a small sculpture out of it; I try to use as much waste metal when I'm making things as I can."
Currently, Harwood-Lynn has handwoven baskets made of recycled piano wire on display in the gallery at Mattick's Farm on Vancouver Island, and her upcycled jewellery made from an old broken accordion was sold as a fundraiser for the 2025 qathet Accordion Fest.
"I like exploring the intersection between art and sustainability, using unconventional recycled materials," said Harwood-Lynn. "I strive to challenge conventional perceptions of art and material value, telling a story of transformation and renewal."
Onlookers and folks are encouraged to get interactive with the makers and crafters at the event, and might be surprised at what they see.
"When the public goes to take a look, they will see what's being done with recycled materials, and maybe, through talking to the people making the art, might get some ideas of their own," said Harwood-Lynn. "Maybe they will look at their own waste from a different perspective; maybe they can make something, or give it to somebody who will make something and keep it out of the landfill that much longer."
Trish Greenwood will have her reused glass garden sculptures at the fair on April 26, which she started making last summer.
"Basically, they are glass sculptures, or glass totems made out of household items that I find," said Greenwood. "I started finding glass ashtrays at the thrift stores around town; the different colours of glass look beautiful out in the garden because they catch the sunlight so nicely."
Greenwood's creations caught her friends’ and neighbours’ eyes, and then Harwood-Lynn saw them and invited her to be in Renew.
"I had some time last summer, and I saw one [a recycled glass sculpture] and I thought, ‘that's beautiful, I can do that,’" said Greenwood. "So I started thrifting and creating."
Sometimes Greenwood includes other elements such as seashells, pebbles or beads if she feels the piece needs a little bit more light, colour or texture.
Greenwood said she hasn't tried yet, but wants to create garden sculptures using material that may hold the memory of a loved one.
"There's so many beautiful pieces of glass, that might be from say, a grandpa's ashtray, or, it was grandma's glass tray," said Greenwood. "By taking that [glass] and creating a sculpture with it, you can put it out in the garden in honour of your loved one."
Another artist who will be at Renew who has been making a name for herself around town is Jo Forrest. She moved to the qathet region from Ontario a few years ago. Her metal assemblage work, absurdist paintings and sculptures have been in a few art shows that use found objects and discarded materials such as old fishing nets.
"The goal [of the art faire] is that some of the makers will be working on pieces, or they'll have some pieces broken down, so you can see the process," said Harwood-Lynn. "At the very least, it's an opportunity to talk about how [the artists] come up with their finished piece of art and finished product."
As for Harwood-Lynn and how she got started making artwork out of used materials: "I have a metal detector, and at one time, I was accumulating a lot of scrap metal, and I thought, ‘I gotta figure out something to do with this,’" said Harwood-Lynn. "I met a silversmith south of town by the name of Susie McPherson, and we just hung out, and she taught me all the techniques I know about silversmithing."
Harwood-Lynn said she quickly found her passion, not working with nice silver but with scrap metal.
"I'm working on warrior women for the show," said Harwood-Lynn. "They're little sculptures, these beautiful warrior women [that represent] how [women] get to a certain point in our lives, and, you know, we're worn out, we're worn down, kicked to the curb; we're like a rusty old pot."
The 12 artist's participating in the Renew Art Faire are:
Greenwood, recycled glass garden totems; Forrest, metal assemblage work; Anne Leaman, fibre artist; Cindy Neufeld, mosaic artist; Jenny Stevens, rags to rugs; Kathleen Woodman Anderson, rags to bags; Laurel Dahill, reclaimed wood artist; qathet Flax to Linen; eunoia, slow fashion; Sandy McCormick, beach glass artist; Harwood-Lynn, scrap metal artist; Annie Robinson, wild colour and land-based art.
For more information about the event, go to qathetart.ca/renew-art-faire.
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