Exploration describes ongoing, adaptive learning; cultural and natural environments encompass nature and community diversity; with the goal to enrich our communities’ resilience and well-being through creativity and positive response.
Developing visual literacy is key to navigating today’s highly visual society. Making and understanding art promotes problem solving, communication and emotional skills. For our future, we encourage kids to develop a broader worldview, find their unique perspective and powerful means of self-expression.
Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre Inc. is a charitable cultural centre with the mandate to promote and maintain opportunities and facilities for the study, practice and appreciation of the arts, handcraft, nature, and conservation.
Our Vision is to be an enduring and accessible space that supports creativity and welcomes diverse users.
Our Mission is to explore cultural and natural environments through creative experiences to enrich our communities.
We respond to our communities’ needs through programming for all ages and skill levels, with exhibitions, professional instructors, arts education, music, film and literary events, professional development assistance, high quality studio facilities, and more. SSANC has endeavored to be a supporter of all arts and cultures of St. Andrews and surrounding Charlotte County communities since 1964, and are proud to have multi-generational program users.
We share best practices with like-minded centers through the NB Art Centres Association, to support both emerging and established artists, regional schools and other non-profit organizations – and promote St. Andrews, the Southeast, and New Brunswick as an inspirational destination for arts & nature experiences, tourism, and cultural development.
News
Current Exhibitions
Michel Beaucage & Anne Hill: A New Brunswick Vernacular
May 22 – June 27
Opening. Friday, May 22, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Pastoral landscapes and coastlines form the bulk of the New Brunswick vernacular in art. Like much Atlantic Canadian work, the New Brunswick artistic tradition is an invitation into memory, emotion, and the things we hold close. Whether motivated by a desire to develop technique or to preserve a moment, landscape painting in New Brunswick reflects the artist’s lived experience, attachment to the land, and serves as a record of nature, past and present.
The paintings of Anne Hill and Michel Beaucage share a distinctive graphic quality that emphasizes the energy, lines, and shapes found in the New Brunswick landscape. Hill approaches the land through representation while Beaucage explores the natural geometry of those elements, abstracting them in imaginary and playful constructs that recreate the spectacle of experiences in nature and of nature itself.
In a contemporary space where art is expected to carry explicit meaning and livelihoods are increasingly unstable, landscape and nature painting frequently turn toward environmental concerns. Faced with the magnitude of climate change, it feels counterintuitive to stress the imminent crisis and then advocate for a moment of pause but it is necessary—to be still, to simply enjoy art and nature for the joy and connection they offer in an increasingly fast-paced and uncertain world. Métis artist Christi Belcourt articulates this powerfully: “People are not going to act for the Earth unless they remember how much it means to them.”
Monique Martin
May 22 – June 27
Opening. Friday, May 22, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
“Slow Emergencies” examines humanity’s impact on nature, whose timescale extends far beyond our days and years. Our disregard for this natural rhythm has left the Earth vulnerable, and our attempts to combat climate change may come too late. Faced with our delayed responses, future generations will judge us on what we have failed to do. The eternal passage of time will eventually mask our mistakes, revealing the extent of our complacency and the fragility of our efforts to repair what we have damaged. Time is eternal, and everything is gradually covered by Mother Earth.
Exhibitions
Exhibits change every 6 weeks. We feature solo and group exhibitions by professional and emerging artists. Visit us to experience and enjoy the unique work of New Brunswick artists, and work by artists from afar.
Courses
Professional and emerging artists, experienced instructors, and environmental specialists offer quality courses for Children and Adults of all ages. We strive to be one of the leading visual arts centres in Atlantic Canada.
Studios
Find out why our first-rate studio facilities attract students at all levels, artists and nature lovers! Our printmaking, ceramics, metals and media studios are professionally-equipped spaces for all skill levels.
Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature acknowledges we are privileged to carry out our work on the traditional unceded territories of the Peskotomuhkati peoples. The staff and Board pay respect to the elders, past and present as descendants of this land. We honour the knowledge keepers and welcome their guidance as we strive to continue the long traditions of creation of arts and crafts, understanding of diverse cultures, with care and respect for our environment and all of our community members.