"Grace"
Arthur Vickers, "Grace," 2003, hand-created gold-leaf work, 30" x 34"
ARTHUR VICKERS
By Shannon Heth
Arthur Vickers spent his early years in the Tsimshian coastal village of Kitkatla on the Northwest Coast of B.C. As a young boy, Vickers fished the B.C. coast with his Heiltsuk family. He has been recording the essence of British Columbia’s beauty for most of his life, and many of his images stem from these childhood memories. Accomplished in several disciplines, including portrait sketches, painting, serigraphy and carving, his latest creations are meticulously hand-laid relief works in 23K gold and gold-leaf. Vickers is known for his attention to detail. It was the “intricate simplicity” of Vickers’ work that attracted Store Street Gallery owner Richard Conover. “Knowing how he creates the work adds to my appreciation for what he does... technically he is an amazing artist.” Recently one of Vickers’ gold-leaf pieces sold at a charity auction benefiting the Greater Victoria Hospital Foundation for a record $180,000. The work of Arthur Vickers is on view at Store Street Gallery in Victoria. Vickers is also represented by the Schooner Gallery in Tofino, B.C., and the Arctic Raven Gallery in Friday Harbour, Washington.