Your guide to a Southern Gulf Island studio tour
The Southern Gulf Islands are home to a unique concentration of artists, crafters, and makers of all kinds. It could be the dramatic coastline, the sense of remoteness, or the creative community itself, but whatever the allure, Salt Spring, Mayne, Pender, Saturna, and Galiano have long drawn more than their fair share of artistic talent.
Any visit here comes packed with opportunities to see artist studios, roadside galleries, farm stands, and community spaces that capture all the special creative energy flowing through this region. Even better, many communities host self-guided studio tours and seasonal events that invite you to explore the art up close and personal and maybe even meet the artist behind it.
Ready to discover it for yourself? Here’s your guide to the studios, tours, and other art-filled adventures waiting across the Southern Gulf Islands.
The Salt Spring Studio Tour
The Salt Spring Studio Tour is the largest and longest-running tour in the Southern Gulf Islands. With the official tour running from late spring into September, and iconic sheep roadside signs sprinkled everywhere on the island, it’s impossible to miss.
Pick up the map on the ferry or at the visitor center, or download a digital copy directly to your phone. Then spend your trip to Salt Spring seeing the best the island has to offer. The studio tour, with new destinations added all the time, features a wide variety of makers, artists, and local gourmet food stops.
From fine wines and local cheeses to world-class pottery and textile arts, consider this like the greatest hits of Salt Spring. It’s a great excuse to see more of the island and to go beyond the Saturday Market.
A second self-guided option for seeing what the island’s creatives get up to is the DIY Farm Stand Tour. Use the interactive map to explore more than 200 roadside stands, with information on offerings, seasonal hours, and more.
Visiting Salt Spring Island closer to the holidays? Don’t miss the Holiday Farm Stand Light-Up Tour, a festive twist on the island’s beloved farm stand trail. For two weekends, farmers, artists, and makers reopen their stands (often closed for the season) and transform them into magical, light-filled holiday displays overflowing with goodies. Each year brings a new lineup of participants, so be sure to check the updated map to see who’s joining in the celebration.
The Fall Crawl on Pender Island
Pender Island opens its studio doors for its annual Fall Crawl, usually held in late September. This is a community-driven, weekend-long self-guided tour celebrating all the artists that call the island home.
Plan a trip to Pender specifically for this annual tradition, and you won’t be disappointed. Explore local studios, meet artists in their element, and gain a behind-the-scenes look at their private studio spaces.
Organized by Pender’s own Ptarmigan Arts Society, the studio tour map becomes available a few weeks before the main event. Download it to your phone or pick up a copy at Talisman Books. Grab all the information on the next Fall Crawl through Ptarmigan Arts.
Made on Mayne Studio Tour
Made on Mayne is quickly becoming a semiannual tradition on the island. Held every spring and fall, this self-guided event brings together over 50 local artists, artisans, crafters, and food vendors for a weekend-long showcase across Mayne Island.
Visitors can explore open studios, galleries, roadside stands, and the Creative Collective at the Agricultural Hall, all filled with handcrafted treasures. Check out Arts on Mayne or visit the Southern Gulf Islands Arts Council to find the latest events and seasonal dates, and grab a printable map to guide your artist adventure.
Self-Guided Studio Tour of Saturna & Galiano
Although there may not be an organized event on Saturna and Galiano, that doesn’t mean these islands aren’t equally filled with artists. You can still visit just as many amazing makers as on the other local islands, but a studio tour will take a more DIY approach, with opening hours being more studio- (and seasonally) dependent.
On Galiano, no studio tour is complete without a visit to the local Yellowhouse Gallery. This cozy yellow space serves as a community hub for Galiano artists, and you can expect regular temporary exhibits, as well as ongoing events, from life drawing to workshops for kids.
Other must-see open studios on Galiano include Jeanne Erickson’s landscape paintings, Marcia DeVicque’s glass works, and Sandra Dolph’s ceramics gallery.
For those heading to Saturna, take the island’s windy roads to find Donna-Fay Digance’s Dreamscapes Studio and Grouchy Crab Pottery & Gifts, alongside more seasonal roadside stands that pop up at the whim of the artist. You might also want to check out The Saturna Saturday Market, located at the equally interesting local General Store, while you’re at it.
See Behind the Scenes on a Southern Gulf Islands Studio Tour
No matter which island you find yourself on, each offers endless opportunities to connect with the artists and get an insider’s look at their creative spaces. From glasswork on Galiano to pottery on Saturna to artisan spirits on Salt Spring, there is always something new to explore on your next visit. No two trips are ever quite the same.
Just remember, artists maintain their own open studio hours. Schedules are often seasonal, with studios closed or only open by appointment online during the winter months. It’s best to contact the artists directly before heading their way.
