Tourism Fernie Cultural Guide Fall 2024 2024 | Page 20

ARTS & CULTURAL HUB

THE ARTS STATION

A vibrant and engaging space for the creative community in Fernie featuring all disciplines of the arts for visitors and locals alike . The Arts Station has a varied program of entertainment and activities throughout the year including live concerts , film screenings , pottery workshops , community theatre , gallery shows , and creative classes for all ages .
LIVING HISTORY IN A HERITAGE BUILDING
From 1898 to 1964 , the Canadian Pacific Railway ( CPR ) station was the economic and social hub of the community . The current station building was completed in the spring of 1909 after an earlier incarnation burned down in the Great Fire of 1908 . The CPR donated the disused building to the City of Fernie and in 1987 the Fernie Arts Council began the four-year process of moving the building onto a new foundation and completely renovating the dilapidated structure . The former waiting room became the foyer gallery and every other space found new life as studios , event space , and even a restaurant . The Arts Station opened in 1990 as an indispensable base for artists in the Elk Valley .
The Arts Station has been a hub for local artists to gather and share all forms of artistic expression for 30 years and is home to many guilds . The Arts Station produces new public art regularly , including murals and the Fernie Banner Project . Outside , discover ‘ A Hardy Town ’ – a sculpture by local artist Michael Hepher and Kootenay metalworker Paul Reimer , commemorating the 1908 Great Fire . Next to the sculpture is ‘ Grow With the Flow ’ by Tara Higgins and Becca Davies . ‘ All Aboard ’ by Erich Stoffels is the newest addition across Station Square .
601 1st Ave | 250-423-4842 theartsstation . com
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