For more than a decade, the Copper and Fire arts event has attracted artists who create everything from chainmail to wire art to jewelry with valuable minerals.
And Britannia Mine Museum executive director Kirstin Clausen wouldn’t have it any other way.
The annual event returned to the museum grounds on Sunday (July 19), and Clausen reflected on the popular gathering of unique artists.
“The original design of the event was asking how do we merge mining and the arts together,” she said. “And it’s very obvious when you think about the link with metal and jewelry.”
Clausen said prior to the museum’s upgrades in 2010, the event was much bigger, but it has evolved into a nice added bonus to the facility’s calendar.
“It gives people a little extra value when they come to the museum,” she said. “They can talk to the artists and see all the details in their art up close.”
One of the artists at this year’s event was West Vancouver resident Joanne Waters. She has delved deep into the world of metal wire art since 2011 and said she slowly developed her passion.
“I had worked with kelp before wire and began making jewelry and baskets out of wire,” she said. “Then I decided to make a dolphin because the name of the building I lived in was called the dolphin. Then I made a crow and pretty soon I started doing all sorts of stuff.”
It’s the second time that Waters has displayed her creations at Copper and Fire, and she said one of the best things about the art form is its versatility.
“You don’t have to be so accurate,” she said, as she bent and re-shaped a cylinder. “You can always change the shape after, and all you need are pliers and a plier cutter.”
She said her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren live in Squamish, so the Copper and Fire event allows her to visit them as well.
Waters is also excited about being featured for the second time at the Squamish Public Library’s Foyer Gallery in November. The title of the collection is Outdoor Squamish, and Waters will showcase her creations of windsurfing, mountain biking, kayaking and the other outdoor sports for which Squamish is known.
Clausen said she’s an artist at heart and is a big fan of the Copper and Fire event.
“I’m passionate about this day because we do science and environmental discussion about metals, but we don’t often stop to think about how our quality of life is impacted by the raw materials that we make into beautiful and valuable things,” she said. “It’s a way for us to have one day a year to talk about art.”
This summer at the museum, there’s a new Science of Metals show, which occurs every weekday at noon and 2 p.m. Clausen hinted that the new attraction has been popular and may become part of the permanent set up.
She added that the museum will also have a Halloween event this fall and a new Christmas-themed event in December.
For more information on the museum, visit www.bcmm.ca.
