Heritage Art: Shack Island

July 1st – August 31st 2025

Heritage Art is an annual Art Exhibition run by the Nanaimo Museum that highlights the history of Vancouver Island. This year the theme is Shack Island. Artists were asked to look at the unique charm of Shack Island and create a piece based on their perspective.

Shack Island is a cluster of islets beside (Pipers Lagoon) in Nanaimo. Located in Snuneymuxw First Nation territory, Pipers Lagoon was initially called Page’s Lagoon by white settlers and in 1907-1908 a whaling station operated on the site, which prompted Japanese Canadian fishers to name the area Kujira (Whale) Bay. In 1917, Joseph E. Piper and his two sons purchased 142 acres of land that included Kujira Bay and nearby Neck Point.

Stop by to view the community gallery 10am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday for free! Use our ballot box to vote for your favourite work.