Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Fernie & Elk Valley Cultural Guide - Winter 18-19 | Page 22

FEATURE ARTIST
SANDRA BARRETT
Seamlessly fusing ancient and modern
techniques, Sandra Barrett and her
husband David create intricate and
artistic 3-dimensional artwork and
functional homewares. The pair work
with steel, bronze, and copper using
modern welding and plasma cutting
equipment and a traditional coke fired
hearth at the Fernie Forge in Hosmer,
just outside Fernie.
The pair moved their family to British
Columbia and set up the Fernie Forge
through the Provincial Nominee
Program, (relocating workers to rural
areas) when the 1893 forge they were
working out of came to the end of its
natural life in England. After 10 years,
they purchased the former Salvation
Army Hall in Fernie and launched Eye
of the Needle Studio & Gallery.
The couple’s daughter, Florence,
opened a sewing studio on the ground
floor of the retail space while the
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basement galleries were dedicated to
showcasing a range of fine artisan crafts
from a variety of producers in metal,
glass, textiles and wax. After winning a