Sointula Art Shed

The Sointula Art Shed is an artist residency established in 2013 in the small coastal fishing village of Sointula on Malcolm Island, off northern Vancouver Island. The village itself carries a distinctive history, founded in 1901 by Finnish socialist settlers who named it Sointula, meaning place of harmony, on the unceded Kwakwaka'wakw territories of the 'Namgis, Mamalilikala and Kwakiutl Nations. Run by local hosts, the residency welcomes artists to stay and work, offering an artist-in-residence cottage for lodging and a dedicated shed studio for making. Beyond the residency, the Art Shed animates the community through projects such as its street-facing window gallery, Songs in the Shed and portrait sessions, and it has hosted a rotating roster of visiting artists over the years. With its blend of Finnish and Kwak'wala heritage and a warm, welcoming spirit, the Shed is a small but distinctive creative hub where everyone is genuinely welcome.