The City of Richmond is pleased to announce a partnership with the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency (www.thebluecabin.ca) to provide artist-led public programs at Branscombe House, in association with activities at the floating residency located at Imperial Landing throughout 2023. Free public artist talks, open studio events and workshops will animate the heritage home beginning mid-March through October.
Berlin-based artist Michelle-Marie Letelier will arrive later this month and be in residence at the Blue Cabin through the end of April. Two more residencies will take place later in the year, including a partnership with the Australian Arts Council and Footscray Community Arts Centre (Melbourne, Australia) aimed at fostering intercultural exchange between Indigenous artists and communities in each region. Additional programs by guest conveners will be presented as The Foreshore Immersive, with broad subject matters, and research and questions first introduced during the Foreshore Initiative (2016 – 2018) (www.theforeshore.org).
The Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency is supported by the Blue Cabin Committee, comprising three founding partner organizations: Creative Cultural Collaborations (C3) (www.creativeculturalcollaborations.com), grunt gallery (www.grunt.ca) and Other Sights for Artists’ Projects (www.othersights.ca).
Behind-the-scenes tours of the Blue Cabin will be offered throughout the year, including during annual cultural events such as Doors Open Richmond in June and Culture Days in September and October.
The Blue Cabin is currently moored at Imperial Landing (4280 Bayview Street). Built by a Norwegian carpenter in 1927, the cabin was sited near Cates Park on the North Shore for more than 80 years before undergoing extensive remediation. The cabin’s long-time inhabitants, prominent Canadian artists Al Neil and Carole Itter, as well its unique vernacular architecture and association to artistic happenings in the area, contribute to the heritage building’s cultural significance.
The Branscombe House Artist Residency takes place in a restored Edwardian-style house in the residential area of Steveston. Since its inaugural residency in 2016, the program has hosted seven visiting professional artists for 11 month community-engaged arts residencies. Branscombe House, built in 1908 and restored in 2014, is located at 4900 Steveston Highway and is one of the earliest settler homes in the area.
For more information on the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency and upcoming programs, visit www.thebluecabin.ca. To learn more about opportunities for artists in Richmond, including the Branscombe House Artist Residency, visit www.richmond.ca/culture/artistsopportunities/artists.