Exhibitions

CONNECTED REALM – Maryanne Wettlaufer

About the artist: For Maryanne, art and adventuring are inseparable. A Canadian born and raised in Stratford ON, she graduated from the Ontario College of Art and kept a studio in Stratford for a number of years before deciding to move to Vancouver in 1996 where she worked as an art director for outdoor apparel company Stormtech. She spent her weekdays in the office and her weekends out in the back country with her truck, kayak and sketchbook. Eventually, she realized she needed to spend more time painting and adventuring and less time in an office, and decided to move to a place where this would be possible.

After a stint in Inuvik, she landed on Haida Gwaii in 2006 and immediately embraced the islands’ outdoor lifestyle, supportive arts community, and natural beauty. Haida Gwaii has a tempestuous energy she finds invigorating. “It’s a big place, and it demands big art; here, nature is always reaching out and touching you.”

When she’s not painting, Maryanne works as a paramedic and is a Canadian Ranger. She takes advantage of every opportunity to get out on the land, hiking, camping and kayaking with her recent expeditions to places like Mosquito Mountain, East Beach, and SGaang Gwaay have been transformed into paintings.

Artist Statement.