An upcoming self-guided tour will allow Greater Victoria residents to dive into Oak Bay’s thriving art scene in an up-close and personal way.
On April 5 and 6, nine of the district's creatives open their home studios to the public. Locals can also check out the work of 11 more artists at the Monterey Recreation Centre.
Louise Quinby is one of the Oak Bay artists set to showcase – and hopefully sell – the pottery she meticulously crafts in her home studio.
The 64-year-old artist went all-in on her artistic journey in 2018 after retiring early from her nursing job, which she found infringed on her creative life.
"It was just really challenging because it's a very demanding profession. I decided that I would strive to retire early and do an art career," she said. “I just put my nose to the grindstone and paid off the mortgage and it all worked out."
Quinby now has a kiln at home, where she crafts tableware using a rainbow of vibrant glazes – a process she enjoys from start to finish.
“I really like being able to design from the get-go, every part of it. There's nothing that isn't up to me to design,” she said. "There are lots of steps in pottery, and lots of opportunity to put your own personal style and creativity in it and really make it where no one else could have made it.”
In the seven years she has dedicated to mastering her craft, Quinby has found a vibrant, thriving community of Oak Bay creatives. According to the potter, more than 20 of the people in her small Harling Point neighbourhood are artists.
“I just have to walk around my block, and I can bump into my neighbours who are painting and sculpting and doing all different things,” she said. “It's very vibrant."
For more information visit oakbay.ca/event/spring-oak-bay-artists-studio-tour-2025.
