It seems every tourist knows a little about Sooke that some of the locals forget about, and that’s the local shops that carry art and craft made by talented local artists.
The business climate is striving to succeed and campaigns like “Shop Locally” are meant to remind residents what we have in our little seaside town.
So, did you know the South Shore Gallery, which has been a mainstay on Otter Point Road for many many years is now in new hands? Jessie Taylor Dodd took over the retail space from Elizabeth Tanner earlier this year and has transformed the store to a high end galleria with paintings, ceramics, glass, metal work, jewelry and fibre art.
“It’s all handcrafted on Vancouver Island,” said Dodd, whose mandate is to feature the best of local and regional artists and craftspeople.
Sixteen of her gallery artists will be featured in the Sooke Fine Arts Show. They are all extremely good at what they do and the South Shore offers a year-round space for creative works.
For the duration of the Sooke Fine Arts Show many of her gallery artists will be demonstrating their art at the South Shore Gallery, beginning on July 25 with Joanne Thomson. Painters, jewelry makers, clay sculptures and others will show how their creative processes work.
The Sea of Bloom is moving from its current location on Sooke Road to Otter Point Road. Karen Stones will be combining her two stores, Sea of Bloom and Inspire into the larger location.
Also on Otter Point Road are The Tale of the Whale, a unique store offering collectibles and First Nations Arts and a popular stop for tourists seeking West Coast native art. The Barking Dog took over their space from jeweler Jake Grant who now works out of the office building on Sheilds Road.
A little further afield there is the Sooke Harbour House which has a craft store as well as art throughout the premises.
Gallery row is becoming a reality as each new/old business takes a foot hold on that corner block between Sooke, West Coast and Otter Point Roads. Check them out.