Picturesque St. Andrew's is known for the Algonquin, the Huntsman, its beautiful ocean vistas, and especially in the arts community, you can't forget the Sunbury Shores Art and Nature Centre. Gallery and studio space, the Centre plays an important role in showcasing local artists and facilitating creative learning, drawing people from the area and around the province to its classes and workshops. (For a full list of what they offer, click here)

Last March, Sunbury Shores welcomed a new executive director, the small but mighty Claire Shiplett. Coming from a position as program officer at artsnb(and CraftNBbefore that) where she interacted regularly with artists, it was a natural transition to bring her experience to such a well-known pillar in the arts community as Sunbury Shores. Claire is a writer, photographer and performance artist, which gives her an added understanding and connection when working with other creative people in her job. I asked Claire a few questions so we could get to know her a little better. Here is what she had to share!

What do you do in your own artistic practice? How do you balance your job and creative work?

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I am a writer, photographer and performance artist. I’ve studied photography, film and performance art at Wellesley College and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. I am currently most active as a writer with areas of interest in short fiction, children’s literature, and critical art writing. Writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and it’s something that I’ve always done on the side of other work, so I tend to find my own balance there. My work in photography and performance art has been more dormant for the last few years, but I believe both will resurface. Being surrounded by a creative community, exceptional art by emerging and professional artists, and the natural beauty of St. Andrews is only further fuelling my artistic practice!

What attracted you to this position?

Working for a community arts centre has been a goal of mine for a long time. I wanted to be in a position where I could help to foster the arts in New Brunswick by actively engaging with artists and communities. I am also interested in curatorial and gallery work. Sunbury Shores presents a unique hybrid of gallery and community centre, so this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. The renewed focus on innovative programming that explores the intersection of art and nature as well as a commitment to youth-centric programs also aligned with my interests. Sunbury Shores is focused on serving the local community, but it also has a vision that expands outward to attract exceptional talent to our province. That multi-faceted view is something that I found challenging and attractive.

What does this job look like for you?

For a centre like Sunbury Shores, which has been around for over 50 years, the wheels are already in motion. Sunbury Shores has played an integral role in arts & nature education in St. Andrews since its inception. There are strong ties with the community, artists in the Maritimes, and artists from other parts of Canada and the United States. So there is momentum. As Executive Director, my role is to work collaboratively with the Board of Directors, committees, staff, instructors, volunteers and community partners to help steer that momentum, build from the past, find the gaps, deliver new programs, inspire, innovate, and respond to community need. In my view, a community arts & nature centre needs to be responsive and malleable, just as our environment and communities are ever-changing, while still offering a strong foundation built from history and experience. I implement programming and build partnerships with other organizations, explore new possibilities, manage financials, write grants, design promotional material, manage social media and press relations, organize exhibitions, advocate for arts and nature education, liaise with stakeholders…I’m sure I’m leaving out some bits. Generally, I’m here to make things happen. Luckily, I have an active and supportive Board of Directors, incredibly talented instructors, superhero volunteers, generous donors, willing community partners and a smart and lively Operations Manager, Janie Jones. Those are the people who really make things happen.

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What do you anticipate as being some challenges?

One of Sunbury Shores’ challenges is the seasonal nature of the local economy. Saint Andrews is buzzing in the summer, but it is quieter in the winter months. As we are open year-round, we are looking for ways to invigorate the off season and increase engagement with the community during that time. A lot of our expenses are fixed and it is more difficult to cover operational costs during the winter.

What should we look forward to seeing at Sunbury Shores this year?

There’s honestly so much to choose from - from children’s programming to painting outdoors to jewellery making in our new metal studio - there’s something for everyone. The calibre of art instruction happening here is very exciting; many of our instructors are critically acclaimed artists, such as Alan Syliboy, Brigitte Clavette, Jessie Babin, Maja Padrov, and Maggie Rose. We also offer fun, educational courses such as a Marine Debris Art class with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre where kids worked together to create a sculpture of a turtle out of local marine debris, which will run again in August.

On the gallery side, we have 10 exhibitions slated for 2017 from emerging and renowned artists in painting, photography, drawing, pottery, stone, mixed media, and more. Currently on display is St. George, an exhibition of photography by Susan Lapides that showcases the daily life, culture and industries of the fishing community of St. George. We are also looking forward to an upcoming exhibition opening of Three Generations: The Buerkle Family of Artists on Friday, August 4th. We are already putting together our programming for next year and there is an open call to artists for 2018 exhibition proposals, which can be found on our website at sunburyshores.org.

I’m especially looking forward to Making Waves: Art on the Island, which is a curated art auction presented by Sunbury Shores at the beautiful Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island. This is the 3rd annual summer auction hosted by Sunbury Shores and our largest annual event to raise support for the Centre. The auction will feature work by 20 contemporary Canadian artists with proceeds split 50:50 between the artist and Sunbury Shores. There will be food, wine, beer, cocktails and live music!

What do you hope to bring to the vision and purpose of the centre?

At the core of our mandate, we explore the connections between art and nature. I think connection is what it’s all about – building meaningful relationships. Between a child and their natural environment, the hand and the brush, the mind and creative expression. Between communities and artists, between the disparate and the similar, between science and the arts. When we create those connections between ourselves, others, and the environment, we become stronger through complicating our perspectives of the world. Science and art play a key role in challenging us to see things in a different and more complex light. At an organizational level, my aim is to foster these connections through taking a collaborative and community-minded approach to programming and partnerships which will open our doors to the new, while maintaining a commitment to artistic and educational excellence. Making art & nature education accessible and engaging to diverse groups, and especially to youth, is central to that approach. I understand the importance of building bridges for emerging artists to foster the development of the arts in our province. On another note, I also hope to help the Centre become a stronger voice through participation in public and critical dialogue.

Thanks Claire! Good luck with your new job, can't wait to see how the Centre blossoms with you at the helm!

**Tickets for Making Waves: Art on the Island are $50 and are on sale now at makingwavesauction.com. Not to be missed! Click here to see the incredible pieces for sale!**