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papaiscollettmosaics

Artist's Mission Statement

We envision Ashcroft filled with beautiful MOSAICS and other forms of Art. We hope to entice the world to come share in the beauty and Wellness of our  Wonderful Village.


Our Mission is to help create an art environment within the township of Ashcroft that is energized with local art, so much so that it entices the world to visit our village.  The hope is that the art we create and install in this town inspires the town to grow through the arts: music, sculpture, paintings, murals, writing, plays, poetry and so on.  We envision this town bringing the world here to see what we are made of and in turn, the town will grow to accommodate the tourism that it generates. 

Marina Papais and Daniel Collett, 2019

Marina Papais

Mosaic Project to enhance the Art Scene in Ashcroft

commenced 2015

  • Marinella is the daughter of Italian immigrants who came to Canada after the 2nd world war to make a bettter life.  She was the first in her family to be able to get a University education and received two degrees from UBC: BA and BEd.  She also received a full ticket scholarship to Grad Studies in Education but realized early that her passion was for Art.
  • Marina  began her business Marina Papais Glass Art Studio in the 1980's.  Her primary target was Architectural Glass applications such as businesses, churches, city halls and integrated public art projects. 
  • Marina was invited to represent Canada for glass art in the 1990's by the Eastern Block European countries who craved, once the WALL had been torn down, to share glass art with the world.  In all, she was invited to seven countries and attended five symposiums in total.  The sharing she was exposed to was a life changing experience where she worked with some of the Best Glass Artists in the World.  The works she created were the payment for her invitation and the compiled works went off to European expositions.
  • Marina received a number of scholarships from Pilchuck International Glass School, the last of which was due to her patience with carved glass and developing a technique never done before called "breaking the mold".
  • Marina began curating art shows in the 1990's.  She is best known for her curated art shows "Our Salmon,Our Children, One Earth" that happened in West Van, the Roundhouse in Vancouver, and the tri-cities area.  In these shows, she worked with a thousand students each year, directing salmon images that included each student's personal inspirations.  These salmon were hung up around each show that included national and international artists.  Eventually salmon covered the fences of school grounds throughout BC.  Art influences Action.
  • Marina retired in Ashcroft because her father always loved the beauty of this town, and she developed the love herself.  She retired from Gallery and business life into being unfettered by financial obligations and micromanagers.
  • Marina is Passionate about Art in all its forms.  Her concentration is glass art, as she feels it is important to have focus. However, Marina believes the Heart and Soul of art lies in drawing, as it is the initial translator of personal temperament from which all other expressions grow.


Daniel Collett

  • Daniel was born in Oliver, B.C. and raised in Kamloops so is much accustomed to the Ashcroft environment. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker before he realized just how much he wanted to be a tech-ed teacher.  He has become a teacher of auto-cad and also has taught students at the BCIT level for first year carpentry.  
  • Daniel met Marina in 1999 on a year long Coquitlam City Millennium Project where he also convinced Marina to build a duplicate piece for Centennial School.  They discovered soon that their talents worked together very well, he with the architectural and structural elements that held her artwork.
  • Daniel has since created and installed all of Marina's architectural works and even gotten fully involved in the more intricate parts of the mosaic works.
  • Daniel has lead the creation all the structures for the Chinese Cemetery, the Harmony Bell Project, the Communities in Bloom  project and all other mosaic structures in Ashcroft.  He works with a wonderful group of volunteers in town, especially Pache Denis and Bruce Walker who have given immeasurably towards these projects.


 Contact us

marinapapais@hotmail.com

HUB Mosaic Studio, 711 Hill St., Ashcroft, B.C., VOK 1AO

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