Are you an Alberni Valley artist or art lover looking for a cool place to mix and mingle with like-minded people?
If you’ve found yourself travelling to places like Parksville, Qualicum or Nanaimo to get your visual arts fix, Portal Oddities and Curios, a new retail shop and gallery at Port Alberni’s Harbour Quay, might be just the kind of place you’d like to land.
Featuring an eclectic mix of artistic creations, clothing, antiques, vinyl records and more, this is the kind of place where conversations around art happen.
Find ready-made art or display your own
Entrepreneur Andrew Perkins, who remains a co-owner of DoodleArt World – yes, that DoodleArt – moved with his wife, Elizabeth Matthews, to the Valley from Squamish in July. The couple, who opened Portal earlier this month, are fans of all things creative and are excited about enhancing Port Alberni’s artistic scene.
“We’re always going to be evolving,” Perkins says of their new space. “We want to provide a place for people who are into the arts to explore ideas. We’ve got a lot of talented artists here, including some who moved into the area and brought their passions with them.”
If you haven’t yet checked out this unique waterfront gallery and store, their grand opening event Dec. 1 offers a great opportunity:
- Well-known local artist and Shayne Lloyd is helping curate the gallery within the store and will be unveiling a new body of work.
- Vinyl fans will love the pop-up section currently devoted to LPs, including many collectible titles.
- Another Valley newcomer, Juilliard School-educated cellist Audrey Nadeau, will entertain with her unique brand of folk and Celtic music.
With the Alberni Valley’s natural surroundings and the town’s place on the edge of the Alberni Inlet, the Perkins found a lot of similarities between Port Alberni and Squamish, with its access to nature.
“We just fell in love with the place and the people,” Andrew says.
Stop by and say hello at the Dec. 1 opening event, happening from 3 to 6 p.m. at 104-5405 Argyle St. You can also watch for the latest arts happenings at Portal on Facebook.
