Gold Rush: Artists in the Alpine
Gold Rush: Artists in the Alpine brings together 8 local artists for a creative adventure in the alpine. In September 2025, this group of professional and emerging artists from the West Kootenays spent several days at Carlyle Lodge near Sandon, BC, exploring the area’s stunning landscapes and rich history.
From abandoned mines and old trap lines to the towering Kokanee Glacier, the lodge and surrounding mountains offered plenty of inspiration. Golden larches, early snow, and rugged peaks set the scene for plein air painting, sketching, photography, and journaling. Back in the studio, each artist transformed those on-site studies into larger works that reflect both the land and its stories.
The exhibition is a mix of perspectives and media, all tied together by a shared experience of the alpine and its layered histories. It’s an invitation to see the mountains through the eyes of the artists, from intimate details to sweeping vistas.
Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 from 6PM–8PM
Exhibition Dates: February 18th – March 19th, 2026
Gallery Hours: Monday – Thursday, 12PM–4PM
Exhibitions
Offering 6-8 exhibitions per year, our focus is supporting both emerging and established artists located in the Kootenay/Basin area. We also facilitate opportunities to exhibit elsewhere in the community.
Programs
The VISAC Gallery offers workshops in a variety of mediums. Facilitated by our talented arts practitioners, we welcome all skill levels to explore their creativity! Our workshop space is also available for private rentals.
Pottery Studio
Our pottery studio hosts over 70 members, as well as 100+ workshop participants per year. Membership benefits include access to kilns, glazes and tools, as well as arts opportunities such as sales and exhibitions.
Create with VISAC!
We are pleased to be offering core youth programming, as well as a variety of adult classes and workshops, such as pottery and lapidary learning opportunities. Facilitated by our talented arts practitioners, all of our programming fosters creativity in an encouraging environment.
$35 for 35 Years
VISAC is proud to be celebrating 35 years of excellent visual arts activity in the Greater Trail Area. Incorporated in 1989, the Greater Trail Visual Arts Centre Society has a long history of representing visual artists in a community-minded way.
We’ll be organizing events and activities all year long that celebrate and reflect our long history of serving the arts in the community. If you’ve long been a patron or have never visited us before, we invite you to celebrate with us this year.

