FEATURE ARTISTS & PERFORMERS
ANIE & MIKE HEPHER
In a perfect world, an artist has just
the right amount of space, clarity,
and a dozen other things necessary
for internal ideas to become finished
creations. It’s not a perfect world
though, so when two russet-haired
multi-disciplined artists find each other
from distant corners of BC and come
together to build a life, raise a family,
and make beautiful music, it’s clear
something quite special has happened.
Mike and Anie Hepher met as guests
at a mutual friend’s wedding in Gibsons
on the BC Coast where Mike was also
performing and needed a harmony
for a particular song. Music turned
to conversation that went long into
the night; fast forward a few months
and Mike packed up his VW Van to
join Anie in Cranbrook. They speak
enthusiastically of being immersed in
the music scene there and married in
nearby Mayook on a rural property
known in the grassroots music scene for
intimate musical gatherings.
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Mike recharged his graphic design
education at Driven Media in
Cranbrook following a spell as a
blacksmith. In 2003, he obtained
a printing press with the intention
of using it for manual designs –
typography wasn’t in the plans at that
stage. Inspired to open a business and
now with two young children, Finn
and Wren, the young family began
scouting the Kootenays for a suitable
home and workspace. Enter Fernie,
and the wood-paneled, steel-gated
studio space in the Ghostrider Trading
Building. They moved in July 2011 and
opened Clawhammer Letterpress, one
of Canada’s few traditional printing
studios, along with a gallery showcasing
local art.
Anie produced a line of eco-friendly
hand-sewn articles, and later, started
the Fernie Ukelele Orchestra; seeking
out an instrument that was easy for
others to learn and share. The orchestra
was an immediate hit with locals. Anie
ran the orchestra from 2011 until 2017,
and although she has now released the