Fernie Arts and Culture Guide Spring 2022 | Page 17

FEATURE ARTISAN ace ferguson studio

Fun , funky , and eccentric , but also understated , fresh and stylish . Maybe not all are words you might think of to describe an old school bus , but somehow , Ace Ferguson Studio manages to be all these things . The white school bus , usually parked on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 6th Street in Fernie from Wednesday to Sunday all summer , is an enticing haven with a light wood interior , delicate signage , and a range of handcrafted artwork , Shred Kelly merchandise , and beads and findings for sale . The style reflects its owner who says she loves the simplest of clothing accessorised with the craziest jewellery .
Kate Moran was inspired artistically by her mother , started knitting as a child at hockey games and was making her own clothes by the age of 11 . A childhood dream of riding across the country was inspired by her own horse named Ace . Instead of a horse , she bought a bus for $ 100 and drove around the country along with a friend whose last name was Ferguson . And so , the story evolved , and the name was already written .
Arriving in Fernie around a dozen years ago , Moran joined the Fernie Spinners & Weavers Guild and took up crochet one very cold winter . She continued her passion for jewellery and macrame , using
colourful waxed polyester thread to wrap gemstones into intricate other-worldly wearable art , but is just as comfortable crafting fun friendship bracelets .
Her first foray into freeform crochet was a peach and a pear , and then an avocado - which turned into all the ingredients for guacamole . Her desire to create more large-scale wall art led to a grant from Columbia Basin Trust to create four freeform crochet portraits . The first , of Lennon Stella , was a success and she plans to continue with portraits of Shred Kelly ’ s Sage McBride , and Joni Mitchell . Stop by the bus to browse the goods and chat with the artist at work .
acefergusonstudio . square . site
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