You can get stunning pieces of earthen art using mined materials at this event (PHOTOS)

If you’ve ever visited the Britannia Mine Museum, you’ll have enjoyed the fun exhibits and crowd favourites like the Copper Quest underground mine train, the historic 20-storey concentrator Mill building, the BOOM! special effects show, and more.

But there’s another reason to take the 45-minute round trip from Vancouver to the museum and that’s the annual Copper and Fire arts event.

Now in its 18th year, the event — on Saturday, September 17 — features stunning creations from BC artists who specialize in creating unique metal and earthen crafts.

Jewellery on display at the annual Copper and Fire arts event (Britannia Mine Museum)

Whether you’re looking for a unique, handmade gift for a loved one, a keepsake from your time visiting the Pacific Northwest, or you just fancy a drive along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway, then this promises to be a great day out. Plus there’s foot-stomping musical entertainment from Coldwater Road, which is rooted in Canadian History and the Western Frontier — the perfect soundtrack to exploring the area’s gold-mining history while celebrating the local arts.

Featuring earth-inspired jewellery, sculpture, copper work, gemstone art, pottery, and painting, all inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the annual Copper and Fire event is the “signature fall community gathering to show the connections between mined materials and the arts, and to illustrate the importance of mining in our everyday lives,” said Elena Whitman, guest services manager at the Britannia Mine Museum, in a press release. “Our goal is to showcase local BC artists, explore their visions, and learn how they create unique pieces of earthen arts using mined materials,” she said in a press release.

Flowers on display at Copper and Fire arts event (Britannia Mine Museum)

The BC artists featured at this year’s Copper and Fire arts event come from across the province and use a range of materials and techniques. These visual artists will display and sell their works that demonstrate the themes of copper, fire, and earthen materials.

From North Vancouver, Wayne Buhler specializes in oil painting on copper. His love of nature is visible in his artistic creations which event organizers say “exudes visual depth and richness of transparent oil colours.”

Ania Kyte’s work at the Copper and Fire arts event (Britannia Mine Museum)

Hazel Cruse is a Vancouver jewellery artist who combines textures, shapes, and not-so-perfect materials to create pieces which event organizers describe as “perfection in imperfections”. Her custom, handmade pieces showcase her passion for South Coast jewellery, North Coast carvings, and engraved silver.

Ania Kyte’s TurtleBead Studios is based in Mission, where she uses torch flames to melt and create beautiful jewellery, glass beads, and her signature glass turtle.

Angela Muller’s work at the Copper and Fire arts event (Britannia Mine Museum)

Brackendale-based painter Angela Muellers is a portrait and landscape artist who is best known for painting natural forms and the effects of light like mountain landscapes, nature, and animals on copper.

Goldsmith Martin Vseticka operates from both Whistler and Squamish, where he specializes in the form and forge method for gold and silver work and uses recycled metals and Canadian Diamonds whenever possible.

To pre-purchase tickets online, check out the Copper and Fire website.

Copper and Fire

When: Saturday, September 17
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Where: 150 Copper Drive, Britannia Beach
Price: Starting at $15