Published On: October 26, 2022 | By Zoe Wu |

Sean Schuster Fine Art Gallery

October is Small Business Month! To celebrate, we are introducing numerous amazing downtown business owners all month long. We talked to each owner to learn more about their business and individual experiences making downtown a vibrant community.

Meet Sean from Sean Schuster Fine Art Gallery!

Prairie to Coast

Sean grew up in the prairies of Alberta. He visited Victoria on holiday in 2008 and fell in love with the Island. He loved taking photos of natural landscapes and decided to make the move! At that time, he worked for a company travelling across the country and took his cameras with him to take photos at night and on weekends. He slowly built a portfolio and transitioned into full-time photography. With his passion for presenting his work to the public, Sean opened his own gallery in early 2019; a milestone in his ongoing photographic journey.

All About Fine Art Gallery

Sean classifies his gallery as fine art photography. Unlike many galleries that feature multiple artists and various kinds of artworks, Sean’s gallery is focused on his photography. He is proud of himself for having artwork showcased around the world including Europe, the United States, Australia, and Israel. As room to display the artwork is limited, he encourages everyone to check out the website to view the other 80% of the portfolios and keep up to date with the new location.

Exciting Business Future

Sean is proud that they survived the pandemic and are still here. With his business growing, he shared that the long-term goal of the gallery is to move closer to Government Street to capture more tourism and cement his position in the downtown core. He looks forward to positioning there where locals can see them while attracting tourists.

Sense of Downtown Community

The main reason Sean choose downtown as the location was not just to capture the tourism, but also because Victoria is such a walkable city. The city is perfect for window shopping, and his artwork lends well to that attitude of stopping. Sean further shared he appreciates that people can park blocks out of town and just walk around the downtown core all day without seeing the same view twice.

Suggestions for Whoever Wants to Start a Business

“Do it!” Sean said. He encourages entrepreneurs to find a way to make their businesses happen, overcome obstacles, and realize their dreams. Victoria is also a place that embraces local business, so just do it if you have an idea. Although there is always a risk involved and will be a lot of work, you get back what you put into your business.

“I was always of the attitude that I would rather be 50 and have failed than be 50 and still wondering if this would work.”

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Make sure to visit Sean Schuster Fine Art Gallery located at 636 Fort Street!

Thank you to Sean for participating in Small Business Month and sharing your voice as a beloved downtown Victoria business owner! View our other blog posts for more incredible local business interviews.