About the Artists

Queenstown Goldsmiths is the creative partnership of Erica and Aidan Stanley — goldsmiths, makers, and life partners whose work is deeply rooted in place, material, and meaning.

Together, we built our home with our own hands in the woods of New Brunswick, where we live with our son and our dog. The rhythms of slow living shape everything we do — from the organic garden that feeds us, to the daily walks that ground us, to the careful craft of each ring, pendant, or sculpture that leaves our studio.

Our work is a reflection of how we live: intentional, tactile, and attuned to the natural world. We believe in making things that last. In repurposing heirloom gold. In experimenting with colour, form, and fire through techniques like enameling and forging. And in sharing what we know through workshops that invite others into the joy of making.

Erica is drawn to materiality, to the play of colour in enamel, and to the quiet conversations between craft and place. Her background in sculpture, teaching, and gardening feeds her artistic practice in both small-scale jewellery and larger installations.

Aidan brings a rare blend of skill, sensitivity, and problem-solving to his bench. A creative and intuitive maker, he can fix or build anything — and often does. Whether he's setting stones under a microscope or fabricating a complex setting from scratch, his work is rooted in precision and care.

Queenstown Goldsmiths is not just our studio — it's our life’s work. Built with intention. Grown with love. Made to be passed on.

spoons: by metal six
Saint John Arts centre, City Gallery

Nov - Dec 2025

Threshold

Fredericton Temporary Public Art Installation 2025

Threshold invites you to pause and pass slowly through three sculptural doorways, each framed by living gardens of climbing beans and vegetables. This installation encourages reflection on sustainability, nourishment, and the value of slowing down in a fast-paced world.

Located in Carleton Park, Fredericton (beside Picaroons Roundhouse). Take a picnic and enjoy the organic vegetables as they grow throughout the summer months!

June - Oct 2025

Here’s some process photos to enjoy:

Endangered Rings

Aidan Stanley, Fundy National Park public art installation

Brink of extinction

Erica Stanley, fundy national park public art installation

There are currently fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales left in the world. Loss of food and habitat, due to climate change and human action, have left this ancient species facing potential extinction. Six brass North Atlantic Right Whales swim, nestled in a protective, sacred vessel, formed by hand from recycled copper. The whales, sitting at a cliff edge, look outwards towards their feeding grounds. Copper forms echo out from the central bowl, alluding to the calls of the whales, and a call to action towards ecological decisions and their positive reverberating consequences.

Erica Stanley is an artist, goldsmith, educator, and arts advocate living along the beautiful Wolastoq River, in New Brunswick. Stanley’s artistic practice serves as a means of experiencing, understanding, and honouring the natural world around her, and has shown in various galleries, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. She has taught at Nunavut Arctic College, the NB College of Craft and Design, and currently runs Queenstown Goldsmiths with her husband, Aidan Stanley. Slow living is her form of rebellion against mass-produced consumerist culture, and she aims to bring humanity back into the process and objects she creates. She gives great thanks to ArtsNB for their support, and dedication to the arts.

Fundy National Park, NB
May - Sept 2023
Beneath the Surface c/o CraftNB

Brink of extinction

Erica stanley, City Gallery, Saint John Arts Centre, Nov 1 - Dec 19, 2024

Written by St John Arts Centre:

City Gallery is honored to present Brink of Extinction, a deeply moving installation by artist and goldsmith Erica Stanley. This immersive exhibition highlights the magnificent beauty of the North Atlantic right whales, and illuminates the perilous future these whales face, a species with only approximately 350 individuals remaining. Through an evocative blend of materials and textures, Stanley’s work explores the vulnerabilities of these majestic creatures and the human-made threats endangering their survival.

In Brink of Extinction, Stanley offers a poignant tribute to each remaining reproductively active female right whale, representing their unique histories and survival scars. By integrating techniques such as textural transfers from beach-found objects, color applications, and precious stones, Stanley captures both the beauty and fragility of these marine giants. The installation encircles the gallery, confronting viewers with the tangible impact of fishing gear, ship strikes, and climate change on each individual whale’s life. As visitors move through the space, they encounter powerful visual narratives that serve as both tribute and call to action.

Stanley’s work transforms ordinary materials into symbols of protection, safety, and resilience. Steel and copper structures cradle the sculptural forms, representing an artist’s desire to shield the whales from further harm. Elevated and enclosed within symbolic shelters, these forms illustrate both the magnificence of the right whales and the shelter they so desperately need from a world altered by human impact.

Stanley’s practice is deeply rooted in her connection to the natural world. Living along the Wolastoq River in New Brunswick, she brings a lifetime of craft experience and artistic vision to each piece. A respected goldsmith and educator, Stanley has taught goldsmithing at the Nunavut Arctic College and is currently the Studio Head of Entrepreneurship at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. Her art has been featured in prestigious venues, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, where her works evoke nature's beauty and resilience through metalsmithing and welding.

Brink of Extinction is more than an art exhibition; it is a call to reflection on the impact and echo of human choices on vulnerable ecosystems. This exhibition is made possible through the support of Artsnb and the collective encouragement of her creative community, especially her husband, Aidan Stanley, and the inspiring women of Metal Six.

Join us at City Gallery for this powerful exhibition and witness the compelling artistry of Erica Stanley. Together, let’s consider how art can inspire change and a deeper respect for our shared environment.

Nov 1 - Dec 19, 2024

HER METAL: by Metal Six
Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Jan-May 2019

Works Featured in “Canadian Art” Magazine