The Bowen Arts Tour Team
Let us introduce you to some of our Team Members, each bring a wealth of experience and share a love of the Arts! We hope you have an amazing experience when you join us to Tour Bowens Arts!
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Marie Neys
Marie Neys' websiteMarie has dedicated the last decade to The Arts on Bowen Island. Her background in Marketing, has allowed her to mentored numerous artists, open an art gallery that sells art for over 55 artists, and be a founding committee member for the Bowen Arts Tour. Marie founded the Paint it Forward program and continues to teach others how to create in Acrylics.
You can enjoy her paintings, created in both Acrylics & Oils. Browse her website to purchase Original Art, Home Décor Designs and more. MarieNeys.com -
Janet Esseiva
Janet Esseiva's websiteJanet was born in South Africa and emigrated to Canada with her young family in 1998. Art has always been part of her life, and she attended art school and took workshops and classes at night, while working in IT in South Africa. She moved to Bowen Island in 2005, where she keeps her home studio. She started offering workshops in 2010 which became a sold out hit year after year, with her very accessible teaching style. Her work is represented by several galleries in the Vancouver-Whistler area.
Janet strives to continually reinvent herself as an artist, challenging the limits of both her skill and her preferred medium, acrylics. -
Liz Nankin
Liz Nankin has been a costume designer in film, theater and television for over three decades. She has also trained as a puppeteer at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Telling stories with fashion and sculpture has led to a passionate life of creating community workshops.
A new Canadian citizen, she moved to Bowen Island in 2018 and joined the Arts Committee of the Hearth Gallery on Bowen Island. She has worked with the Hearth Gallery creating arts community events supporting artists.
As a participating artist in DIVING IN: THE ART OF CLEANING LAKES AND OCEANS, she has a passion for arts activism. She has taught debris art activism workshops in the Metro Vancouver area as well as Bowen Island. She was awarded a community arts grant in partnership with the Bowen Museum and Archives to co-create BOWEN FABLES, a series of five shadow puppet films about Bowen’s history.
It’s a joy to gather our Bowen artists and celebrate their work on Tour Bowen Art. -
Kathy Clarke
Kathy Clarke is a talented jewelry artist with a passion for creating unique and stunning pieces. With a keen eye for design and a love for working with different materials, she has established herself as a respected figure in the art community.
“Each one-of-a-kind, sterling silver design celebrates self-expression and individuality! Inspired by the natural beauty of Earth’s gemstones and guided by the unique qualities of each stone, I create jewelry that reflects personal style and tells a story. The handcrafting process is as meaningful to me as the final piece, blending creativity and craftsmanship into something truly special.”
Kathy is excited to be a part of the Here's Bowen Arts Tour 2025 committee and looks forward to showcasing her work and supporting fellow artists in the upcoming event. -
Iryna Ivanenko
Iryna Ivanenko's WebsiteIryna grew up in Ukraine, where she studied marketing and public relations before working in advertising. Over time, she transitioned into floristry, a field that allowed her to combine her creative instincts with a deep love for nature. After years of working in floral studios, she became a freelancer and founded Ordinary Matter, a niche florist specializing in high-end floral installations and styling. Since moving to Canada in 2014, Iryna has developed a deep connection with the natural beauty of British Columbia, acknowledging the land as unceded territory - a poignant parallel to her homeland, currently under invasion and occupation. A passionate art enthusiast, Iryna has taken courses at Emily Carr University and other institutions. She continues to expand her knowledge by helping to organize the Bowen Arts Tour, where she connects with and learns from fellow artists.
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Heather Doherty
Heather Doherty's WebsiteI’m That Lady Heather and you can spot me collecting flowers and ferns, seashells and sand and other treasures all throughout Bowen Island to use in my resin art pieces. I preserve the flowers and ferns using a variety of drying techniques including flat pressing or drying crystals. Once dried I combine the flowers with resin, glass, metals, wood and other materials to create unique pieces. I do custom pieces for weddings and special occasions too!
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Paul Zysman
Paul’s formative life experience in Africa triggered a lifelong journey in community development, counselling, and being a beatnik on the road. This lifelong journey led to the founding of the foundation commumnityevolution.org - Google Search
In addition to social activism, Paul’s entrepreneurial drive founded colleges and language schools for international students …...Learn English and more in Australia & Canada | ILSC…...ILSC | Greystone College
In his golden years, Paul is happily retired on Bowen heaven.