The teddy bears on display at the Bowen Island Museum and Archives are snuggly, furry, funny and above all, unique. Many of them are also made from scratch, by life-long sewer and teddy bear-lover Shirley Wrinch.
Wrinch says making the bears, with moveable limbs and uniquely expressive faces is a labour of love.
“Don’t ask a craftsperson how long it takes,” she says, when asked how long it takes to make a bear.
Wrinch says she made her first bear roughly 26 years ago, with the arrival of her first grand child. She started collaborating with the Museum and Archives in the early 2000s, and then started up again with the teddy bear exhibit last year.
“I love working with Cathy Bayly,” she says. “I make the dolls, she sets the scenes and we work really well together. And we’re both huge Tolkein fans.”
This year, there is one Lord of the Rings Scene, with Frodo, Gandalf and an Elf. Next year, Wrinch and Bayly want to delve into their passion for both Tolkein and Bears and create a much larger scene.
“We’re thinking about a three layer scene,” says Bayly. “With more characters, elves and maybe even some cute Orcs.”
And if anyone has a stuffed dragon around, she adds, they’re looking for a Smaug.
This year’s teddy bear exhibit is open until January 4.
