The Maritime Museum of BC

Fabric Printmaking Workshop
2025-07-23 13:30 - 15:30, 2025-08-16 13:30 - 15:30 (America/Vancouver) | The Maritime Museum of BC, 744 Douglas Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W3M6, Canada
Join us at the Maritime Museum of BC for a hands-on, ocean-inspired printmaking workshop! In this creative session, you’ll carve your own linocut stamp and print it onto fabric. Explore block printing techniques while celebrating the beauty and history of our coastal heritage.

Bring your imagination—and leave with a practical, personalized item for your home or wardrobe that showcases your love for the ocean!

Each participant will take home:

One 4×6” carved linoleum block with a design of their own creation

A printed cotton tea towel or tote bag featuring their design

Participants are also welcome to bring additional fabric items to print on—think old jeans, a stained t-shirt, or any fabric piece that could use a creative refresh. Smooth, non-stretch fabrics with minimal texture work best with our inks. Ideal options include cotton, linen, broadcloth, and denim. Lighter-coloured fabrics will display your design best. If you’re purchasing new fabric items for the workshop, please wash and dry them beforehand to ensure best results.

Register Here

Sensory-Friendly Hours
2025-07-27 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-03 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-10 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-17 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-24 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-31 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-07 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-14 09:30 - 12:00 and 4 more dates
Explore the Maritime Museum of BC during our weekly Sensory-Friendly hours, designed for visitors who prefer a quiet and subdued environment. Enjoy low-volume surroundings, dimmed lighting, and a scent-free atmosphere. These dedicated hours provide an inclusive experience for all, ensuring everyone can engage with our exhibits comfortably and peacefully.

Sensory kits are available to borrow during your visit from the front desk during all opening hours.

Salty Sundays: Rope Keychains
2025-07-27 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-14 14:00 - 16:00
This program invites participants to explore the art of knot making, inspired by sailors who crafted intricate designs during their leisure time at sea. In this hands-on workshop, attendees will learn essential macrame techniques to create their own unique keychains while discovering the rich maritime history being this creative pastime. By the end, participants will not only have a stylish accessory but also a deeper appreciation for the craft’s nautical roots.

This program is drop-in anytime between 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and it should take you between 15-30 minutes to finish your keychain. You are always welcome to stay longer!

This program is recommended for ages 10+.

Sea Glass Jewelry Workshop
2025-08-02 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-07 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-09-13 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-10-04 14:00 - 15:30
Join us to learn about the history and beauty of sea glass in this hands-on workshop. Design your very own stunning piece of jewelry using locally sourced sea glass. No experience necessary! You’ll leave with a unique and wearable work of art that captures the beauty of the sea.

Salty Sundays: Linocut Printmaking Workshop
2025-08-10 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-07 14:00 - 16:00
Join us for an educational and creative drop-in program where participants can create linocut bookmark or postcard prints, while learning about Salish Sea animals and their ecosystems.

This program is drop-in anytime between 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and it should take you between 15-30 minutes to finish. You are always welcome to stay longer!

Anyone ages 10+ is welcome to carve a stamp, and younger participants can make a bookmark or postcard with a pre-carved stamp!

This program is included in admission or membership, and does not require registration.

Salty Sundays: Collage Buttons
2025-08-17 14:00 - 16:00
Join us to explore collage as an artistic medium while embracing a zero-waste philosophy. Participants can discover how to create stunning collages using recycled materials and fostering a sustainable approach to artmaking. Unleash your creativity and make a button that shows everyone your creativity and love for the planet!

Workshop: Visible Mending Methods
2025-08-23 14:00 - 16:00
Want to fix your clothing, but don’t know where to start? Join us for a program that explores a useful art form that has been around forever – visible mending! See its connection to our maritime heritage, learn fundamental mending skills, and have fun creating a functional piece of fabric art!

All participants will bring home:

An embroidery hoop and needle

A hand-embroidered tea towel OR tote bag

A set of skills they can use to repair holes, rips, tears, and stains on any fabric item.

Register Here

Salty Sundays: Paper Weaving Cards
2025-08-24 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-28 14:00 - 16:00
Learn how to create woven designs using paper, inspired by the historical techniques used in sailmaking. Participants will learn about patterns and materials, gaining skills that connect art with the practical aspects of making sails. Participants will leave with a beautiful woven card to send to someone they love!

This program is drop-in anytime between 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and it should take you between 15-30 minutes to finish your card. You are always welcome to stay longer!

This program is recommended for ages 8+. No experience necessary!

Participation is included in admission or membership, with no extra cost.

Fabric Printmaking Workshop
2025-09-20 13:30 - 15:30
Join us for an ocean-inspired printmaking workshop at the Maritime Museum of BC, where you will carve your own linocut stamp and apply it to fabric! This hands-on session invites participants to explore the history and beauty of our rich maritime heritage through creative block printing techniques. Bring your imagination and leave with a practical item for your home or to wear that celebrates the ocean!

Each participant will take home:

4×6” Linoleum block carved with a design of their creation

A cotton tea towel or tote bag, printed with their design

Participants are also welcome to bring additional fabric materials to print on if desired. Maybe you have an old pair of jeans that need some sprucing up, or a stained t-shirt that could be printed over? Feel free to bring those in to print on as well. Please note:

Lighter coloured fabrics will show your design better.

If you decide to purchase something new for the workshop, please wash and dry it before the workshop.

Smooth fabrics that do not possess a heavy texture or stretch are best for use with our inks. Cotton, linen, broadcloth and denim are examples of ideal fabrics for use. Nylon and canvas are not recommended.

Registration includes workshop, all supplies, and admission to the Maritime Museum of BC (valid for 24 hours).

Register Here

Salty Sundays: Beaded Fish
2025-09-21 14:00 - 16:00
Dive into this creative program inspired by the beautiful fish of British Columbia. Participants will explore the amazing diversity of native marine and freshwater fish, discover their importance to our ecosystems, and learn how to protect them. By the end, they will have a new appreciation for our fishy neighbours and a stylish beaded charm to take home.

This program is drop-in anytime between 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and it should take you between 15-30 minutes to finish your charm. You are always welcome to stay longer!

This program is recommended for ages 8+.

Sound Like a Sailor Book Launch
2025-09-26 15:00 - 16:30
As this event is included in admission and free for members, there is no option to pre-book tickets. Simply join us in the MMBC gallery!

Returning to the Maritime Museum of BC gallery, author R. Bruce Macdonald launches Sound Like a Sailor (Harbour Publishing)! Join us on September 26 at 3 PM.

Lifelong sailor Bruce Macdonald knows a thing or two about the language of the sea and, in Sound Like a Sailor, he catalogues nautical terms and idioms that are used in the common vernacular. Delving deep into the colourful history behind each word or phrase, this alphabetical reference will help readers understand the maritime origins of our most ubiquitous expressions.

Discover how minding your p’s and q’s originates in how bartenders kept track of pints and quarts on sailors’ tabs, how “going berserk” calls up images of shirtless Vikings, and how the word “footloose” originally referred to an untethered sail flapping around like Kevin Bacon’s legs. And, as any superstitious sailor knows, it’s best to “cheat the devil” by having an arsenal of euphemisms at the ready when needed, as cursing is said to invite trouble aboard.

An essential book for boating enthusiasts and language buffs alike, Sound Like a Sailor is a windfall of fascinating linguistic information.

Salty Sundays: Collage Bookmarks
2025-10-05 14:00 - 16:00
Join us to explore collage as an artistic medium while embracing a zero-waste philosophy. Participants can discover how to create stunning collages using recycled materials and fostering a sustainable approach to artmaking. Unleash your creativity and make a bookmark that shows everyone your creativity and love for the planet!

This program is drop-in anytime between 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and it should take you between 15-30 minutes to finish your collage. You are always welcome to stay longer!

Anyone of any age can join – no experience necessary!
