Denman Island Women’s Craft Collective

Driving off the ferry onto Denman Island, you encounter a steep hill. If you drive straight ahead after the road levels out, you’ll pass a little cafe, a real estate office, and the next building is the Denman Craft Shop. Inside the little house, with large wooden sculptures in the the front yard, you’ll find an amazing selection of art and craft by local artists: weaving, pottery, painting, jewelry, basketry, cards, soap, clothing and more. It’s hard to resist the beautiful works that you will find, so be prepared to leave a little cash behind. The store is a sampler of the work of talented Island artists, and most have home studios open to the public as well.

The store is managed and staffed by a collective of women artists, who can fill you in on each artist’s work, and point you in the direction of studios where you can find yet more pieces by the artists that interest you.

When we visited, we talked to Lee Andra about the birth and development of the women’s craft collective. The following video is a tour of the store with an edited version of our conversation.