Guest curator Judith Williams has distilled the human history of this amazing inlet, and blended in its spectacular geology and geography, to create an exhibit of beauty and depth.
The exhibit includes: a large scale hand-painted map depicting the geography of the inlet, as well as First Nation and settler sites; large scale photographs of 13,100 foot Mt.Waddington; diaries; Bute wax; plus archival and settler family photographs featuring float camps, hunting, trapping - and pet cougars!

Of special interest is a display called The Glacier Museum. A desk faces a cabinet filled with small jars holding water samples collected from 12 Bute Inlet watercourses. A tray on the desk holds sheaves of translucent paper containing stories,ideas,and research. Patrons are invited to interact with the material by reading it and rearranging it at will. Surrounding the desk are small paintings created using only water. Paintings using water from Bute are juxtaposed with those using water samples from as far away as Venice, Italy.

It is hoped that the exhibit, which is featured through August 2011, will aid in the discovery of a respectful plan for the future of this magnificent wilderness and marine site.

The Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society is grateful to those who made this special exhibition possible, including our loyal members, dedicated volunteers and generous donors.

We are honoured to have received significant financial support from the following sponsors;

The Vancouver Foundation
Strathcona Regional District
The ILLAHIE Foundation
Dr. Andrew Weil
The Watson Family Foundation
Coastal Community Credit Union
Human Resources Development Canada
The Province of British Columbia Gaming Commission