Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio

The VIS Studio operates on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nations,

and we are grateful to operate on Snuneymuxw territory.

294 Harewood Road, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9R 2Y9

250 797 8432

Between Barnacle and Horizon / Group Exhibition

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Exhibition: April 24–26, 11:00–17:00

Opening reception: April 24, 18:00–21:00

Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio, 294 Harewood Rd, Nanaimo

Beyond the beauty of our shoreline, the coast is alive—from invisible microbes to larger coastal forms and the ecosystems that sustain them. This exhibition invites you to explore the shore at two scales: the surreal micro‑geometries of shoreline microbes and the broad, weathered shapes of coastal life. Artists transform these layers into sculptural works that evoke tidal rhythms—barnacle textures, filamentous curves, jellyfish, octopus, and kelp. Together, the pieces celebrate the intertwined beauty and resilience of our seascape, encouraging visitors to reflect on the fragile balance between microscopic worlds and expansive coastal panoramas. Curator: Joel A. Prevost. Join us to experience sculpture that combines micro‑geometry with coastal beauty.

Angellos Glaros / Sculpture

Darcy Johnson / Drawing

Dee Fontans / Jewelry

Denny Provost / Painting

Diane Brinton / Glass work

Gerda Hofman / Painting

Joel Prevost / Ceramics, Mobiles

Private viewings are available from Monday to Thursday, April 20–23, prior to our opening reception on Friday, April 24. To book a visit, contact Joel at 250‑797‑8432.

This delicate work honours jellyfish as both ancient survivors and shape‑shifters of the shore. From benthic polyps that quietly seed the year’s bloom to the drifting medusae that catch light and tide, jellyfish embody simple physiology and complex rhythms: translucent bells, filamentous tentacles, and sometimes gentle bioluminescence. Locally, you may recognize moon jellies, crystal jellies, comb jellies and the rarer lion’s mane — forms that move between micro‑life and visible spectacle.

The “global expansion” of jellyfish is not a simple, uniform phenomenon. However, human pressures and climate change plausibly amplify bloom risk regionally, and their socio‑economic consequences are increasing where coastal use is high.

Their blooms trace a story of changing oceans. Decadal cycles and site‑by‑site shifts combine with human pressures — warming, nutrient shifts, fishing, and coastal development — to alter timing and abundance. These works ask you to hold both wonder and caution: to see jellyfish as beautiful, transient beings and as indicators of fragile coastal balance, folding the small and the vast into a single, living image.