Artist Residency in BC’s Glacier National Park
Hosted by Parks Canada and Revelstoke Visual Art Centre
In July of 2024, I had the amazing opportunity to join 11 other Canadian artists in British Columbia’s Glacier National Park for a week long artist residency. I had visited this park a couple years back to hike to the stunning Hermit Meadows backcountry campsite, and was very excited to be coming back to explore this beautiful area again.
We spent the days hiking and exploring, and learning about the amazing history and ecosystem that encompasses the area. We were lucky to have amazing weather, sunny, smokeless days (albeit quite warm- one day reaching over 35 degrees celsius!).
Evenings were spent making dinner together and socializing, while creating artwork, reviewing our photos, and sharing our experiences. We stayed in a bunkhouse at the Rogers Pass Parks Canada compound, (which during the winter is used for the military while they perform avalanche control in the area).
I was able to do a few hikes in the area but felt like I definitely could have explored much more if I had the time:
On day 1, we walked past the ruins of the old Glacier House- which was a busy destination during the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, where our Parks Canada hosts Laura and Renee talked about the history of the park. We then continued along the Meeting of the Waters trail, a beautiful forested rolling trail passes by where the Asulkan Brook and Illecillewaet River converge.
Day 2, we divided into a few smaller groups and my group hiked to Marion Lake, and then up towards Abbot Ridge. While we didn’t summit the ridge that day, we found a beautiful spot in the shade of a Warden cabin overlooking the prolific Mt Sir Donald, Illecillewaet Glacier, and Rogers Pass. We spent a couple hours there sketching and enjoying the view.
Day 3 was our group hike along the Great Glacier Trail. This trail used to end at the foot of the Illecillewaet Glacier, but the glacier has since receded so much that it is completely out of sight from the end of trail. What’s left is the carved bedrock and beautiful waterfalls.
Great Glacier: here is where the toe of the glacier used to be, and what the glacier left behind as it receded
Day 4, I took the opportunity to explore the little stops along the highway. We explored the beautiful forests at the beginning of Bostock trail, spotted some of the unique flora and fauna that call the Subalpine Rainforest home, including the Hemlock, Cedar, Devil's club, and so many mushrooms and wildflowers.
An ink drawing I completed while sitting in the stunning rainforest
We spent some time at the Bear Creek Falls- a stunning waterfall tucked away about 500 meters into the rainforest. It was a wonderful cool refuge from the scorching heat.
Day 5, we had our last breakfast together, then cleaned up and said our farewells. I joined a couple of artists in Banff to view the J.E.H. MacDonald Exhibit at the Whyte Museum, which was a perfect splash of inspiration to end the busy week.
I will forever be grateful for this amazing experience and the connections I made during this residency.
We will each produce 3 works of art that will be part of a traveling exhibit promoting Glacier National Park during 2025 and 2026, starting at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre March 27 to April 27 2025.
Stay tuned for more details about this amazing exhibit, I’m so excited to share what I create!