TONIGHT!
Posted on 18 May 2012 | No responses
Choosing the colour
Posted on 17 May 2012 | No responses
The arts council has moved to form a committee of interested members who will shortlist options for painting all the exterior doors at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre. Interested in having your say on the colour palette and design for the eight doors on site? Contact OliverCAC @ gmail.com
This past winter, two new steel clad rollup doors were installed on the smaller Studio Building on site, primed white. Last fall, two older rollup doors on the Big Blue Building were scraped and primed, ready for painting. Two steel entrance doors had been installed on Big Blue within the last few years. All these doors, plus the two entrance to the Studio Building now need a fresh colour scheme. The Board hopes the resulting design will help to co-ordinate and unify the two buildings on site, helping to identify both buildings as belonging to the arts centre.
Some ideas have already been put forward:
* paint them all white * match the colours to those on the gold, black and white OCAC sign on Big Blue’s north side * include the OCAC quail logo on each door * match all doors to the previous royal purple colour of the Studio building’s bay doors, with gold trim * co-ordinate all doors to the blue of Big Blue * paint a multi-coloured graphic on the doors symbolizing the arts, such as horizontal rows of colourful crayonsThe arts council Board has authorized a committee to shortlist three recommended designs, together with their proposed cost for supplies, labour time, and any labour costs. Volunteer now to sit on the committee, or contact the OCAC to add your design suggestion.
No Rain on our Parade!
Posted on 17 May 2012 | No responses
The Oliver Community Arts Council is looking for people who love to walk! We are entering the International Sunshine Festival Parade on Saturday July 14 and require several volunteers to be part of an eye-catching procession.
To publicize the broad range of our membership and give our members an advertising opportunity, we are asking for volunteers willing to carry a poster naming each group and business that operates under the OCAC umbrella.
And of course we need someone to hold … the umbrella!
Yes, this procession will have a multicoloured umbrella bearing our name, with colourful streamers connecting each strip of colour to a matching placard. That could mean up to 25 or so volunteers in the procession.
Ideally, each member holding a placard would be a representative from that group or business named on the sign. So does your group or business have someone who likes to walk? AND have fun in a parade? Let us know at OliverCAC @ gmail.com
Thanks to Arvie Bourgeault, BettyLou Trimmer Bahnsen, and Heather Fink for their creative efforts on this committee!
Cleaning the Nest – Inside and Out
Posted on 17 May 2012 | No responses
Spring Cleanup
Friday June 8
Saturday June 9
8 – 12 noon
Quail’s Nest Arts Centre
5840 Airport Road
Bring your favourite cleaning and gardening tools and wear your favourite cleaning / gardening clothes. Most creative outfit each day wins a prize!
Your choice of jobs awaits you: weeding, pruning, mowing, garbage collecting and dump running and other outside jobs are the highest priority, but indoor window washing, and mopping are also available. Rags, sponges, mop, buckets, cleaning products, garbage bags, and hoses provided. Coffee time treats also provided.
Anyone with a truck or trailer willing to take items to the dump, please drop by in the late morning each day.
Thanks to SOAP Players for pressure washing and cleaning Big Blue on the Sunday!
Painting in the Wild
Posted on 16 May 2012 | No responses
Painting Wild Horses and Burros in the Desert
Photographers Welcome!
A 5-Day Workshop in and around Las Vegas
Mon. May 28 – Sat. June 2, 2012
with
Professional Artist and Instructor
Kindrie Grove
(250) 490-1625 www.kindriegrove.com www.onlineartinstruction.comPresented by Renee Matheson
Robinson Place Workshops 60 Robinson Point Road, Naramata Home (250) 496-4265 Cell (250) 488-4999 Email: www.robinsonplace.ca Arlene Gawne www.discoverwildhorses.comThis first workshop was developed to help save the wild horses and burros of the Las Vegas area. By benefiting the local economy and drawing visitors to the area, the wild horses and burros become a valuable living resource for both international visitors and locals alike.
Kindrie will lead you through the En Plein Air painting process, with step-by-step demonstrations, focusing on landscape painting and helping you edit to get the moving subjects of horses into your paintings.
This is a rare opportunity to paint in the beautiful spring desert, closely surrounded by wild horses, their foals and burros at three locations. On each of the 2 plein air painting days, shuttles will take you from the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vagas to the painting sites. Catered lunches are included and a chance, if you choose, to exhibit in a Las Vegas gallery for the First Friday Artwalk at the end of the week. Critiques and access to Kindrie and her expertise for the week will create a fulfilling and immersive artistic learning experience for both artists and photographers.
This workshop is limited to 10 participants for reasons of the permits required to take people into that area with the horses.
Workshop Only: $450.00 plus tax
Includes: All instructional workshop hours, Tues/Wed/Thurs. lunch and beverage (Tues/Wed only), shuttle service to the three locations with permit access and the gallery showing and reception.
Contact Keri-Lynn Grell at K. Banks Travel to find Packages which include airfare and accommodations at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
250 492 0726 kerilynn @ bankstravel.com
Note: all participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements to Las Vegas.
Registration:
For workshop registration please contact Renee Matheson at Robinson Place Bed and Beach.
Home (250) 496-4265 Cell (250) 488-4999 Email: info @ robinsonplace.caA 50% deposit is required upon reservation for confirmation.
For more information on the workshop content, schedule, and supplies please contact instructor Kindrie Grove. (250) 490-1625
Explore your creativity all weekend
Posted on 16 May 2012 | No responses
Creativity Workshop Weekend
June 15, 16, 17
with Professional Artist and Instructor Kindrie Grove(250) 490-1625
www.kindriegrove.com www.onlineartinstruction.com Presented by Renee Matheson & Tina Baird Robinson Place Workshops60 Robinson Point Road, Naramata
Home (250) 496-4265 Cell (250) 488-4999 Email: info @ robinsonplace.ca www.robinsonplace.caThis workshop is about learning to listen to the inspiration that drives us to create, to access it and then manifest it. In a supportive and non-judgmental environment, you will hear your own creative voice of inspiration. Intuitive artistic expression will be accomplished with the accompaniment of music preformed by Brian McGibney playing intuitively to add to our own energy. Learn how to honour and hone the skills of accessing the creative flow and incorporating it in all aspects of your life.
Imagine giving yourself the gift of a creative weekend. Good company with like-minded artists, comfort food, a private beach, a warm beautiful home on Okanagan lakefront…a time away to create, learn, share, and relax. Robinson Place Workshops are hosted at Robinson Place Bed & Beach. This beautiful lakefront home sits on the land that once was part of the Naramata Heritage Inn. The beautiful Spanish style home is filled with original art and antiques, many from the original Inn.
This workshop is limited to 15 students in total, on a first-come first-serve basis.
The Full Immersion includes accommodation and is limited to 6 people two beds to a room. Workshop Only (without accommodations) $385 + HST. Includes: All instructional workshop hours; main art supplies; Friday evening Welcome Tapas and dinner; Saturday evening Tapas and potluck dinner; 2 continental breakfasts; 2 lunches; coffee and tea beverages for the weekend; access to the Jacuzzi and grounds; and Saturday and Sunday morning yoga and meditation.
Friday:
Check in 4:00 p.m.
*5 PM – Tapas and Welcome
*6:00 PM – Dinner provided
*7:30 PM-9 PM – Creativity Workshop.
Saturday:
Day one of this workshop is geared toward learning to listen to the inspiration that drives us to create. From paintings, photographs and sculpture to music and literature, to innovative thought and invention, all these endeavours begin with tuning in to the song of creativity within us. Through reflective directed meditation, creative play and fun exercises in a supportive and non-judgmental environment, you will begin to hear your own creative voice of inspiration. Intuitive artistic expression will be accompanied by Brian Mc Gibney’s music.
Sunday:
Day two will continue the process of self-expression. With creative projects that are kept in the vein of play, and that require no specific skill set, you will perhaps discover new passions or make deeper connections to existing ones. Brian will accompany the creation of a large-scale intuitive painting outdoors in the yoga studio on Sunday morning. This piece may be an abstract expression or might incorporate personal symbolism, but it will be a direct representation of the process of music combined with intuitive painting. (art supplies provided) From self-affirming games to the creation of your own personal creativity mandala.
Registration
For workshop registration and accommodation reservations please contact Renee Matheson at Robinson Place Bed and Beach. Home (250) 496-4265 Cell (250) 488-4999, Email: info @ robinsonplace.ca A 50% deposit is required upon reservation for confirmation.
For more information on the Workshop please contact instructor Kindrie Grove at (250) 490-1625.
Supplies
Please bring a sketchbook and an assortment of drawing materials such as: pens, pencils, chalk pastel, crayons, oil pastel or felts, and 4 latex paint brushes from 2”- 4” in size. Newsprint pad also recommended. All other supplies will be provided.
Gallery celebrates first anniversary at Rustico
Posted on 16 May 2012 | No responses
Spring Palette exhibit by Federation of Canadian Artists
Posted on 13 May 2012 | No responses
“Spring Palette”
Federation of Canadian Artists,
South Okanagan-Similkameen Chapter
Juried Art Exhibition
May 25 – June 21
Leir House
220 Manor Park Avenue, Penticton
Tuesdays through Saturdays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m
“Spring Palette”, an exhibition of fine art, opens May 25 at Leir House in Penticton. In the show are paintings by artists from among the 95 members of the South Okanagan-Similkameen Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists.
Each year the local Chapter presents several exhibitions of members’ work, with one or two shows each year adjudicated by the national organization. Work selected by the jury must meet the standards applied to paintings exhibited in any Federation venue, regional or national.
“Spring Palette” is one of these juried shows. Accordingly, the art will reflect the high standards expected by the Federation of Canadian Artists. Works on view in “Spring Palette” include a variety of painting media — watercolours, oils, acrylics and encaustic. The Arts Councils of Penticton, Summerland, Osoyoos and Oliver are generously supporting this exciting event in the arts community.
The exhibition will reside at Leir House Gallery from May 25 to June 21. An Opening Reception is set to take place on the evening of Friday May 25 from 7-9 pm. Everyone is invited to attend the occasion; the artists will be present, and it is an opportunity to meet them and discuss the art.
Leir House is located at 220 Manor Park Avenue in Penticton. Gallery Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call Leir House at 250-492-7997 or email
The South Okanagan-Similkameen Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists meets at 10 o’clock on the the first Saturday morning of the month (except for July and August). The meetings are held at Leir House. New members and visitors are always welcome; artists and those who are supporters-of-the-arts will find the monthly programs (presentations, demonstrations, talks, which form part of the meetings) informative and stimulating. To learn more about the local Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists, contact the President, Brad Hillis, at, or visit the Chapter’s website at www.fca-sos.ca
Contact:
Carol Munro Publicity Committee Federation of Canadian Artists, South Okanagan-Similkameen Chapter carol @ carolmunro.ca http://www.carolmunro.ca 250-497-7806 Thea Haubrich info @ encaustic.ca http://www.theahaubrich.com 250-497-5163Artisans’ Market opens May 26 at Medici’s
Posted on 13 May 2012 | No responses
by Silvia Badger, Medici’s Gelateria and Coffee House
Come for the art. Come for the crafts. Come for the people.
Artisans of the South Okanagan invite you to come and see displays of their skills and craft at the new
Artisans’ Market Saturday, May 26 *** NEW DATE 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Medici’s Gelateria and Coffee House 522 Fairview Road, OliverThe Artisans’ Market will offer a unique and select blend of finely crafted creations by well established artists working in many media. The market will feature pottery, jewelry, glass-etched creations, crystals, drums and wood-crafted items from bird houses to handmade tables, quilted, knitted and a wonderful variety of material handiworks plus hand painted wine glasses and amazing creations on canvas by gifted artists.
This market aims to be selective and exquisite and will ideally feature some new and changing faces as the season moves along. Join us Saturday, May 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 522 Fairview Road. Watch for regular markets on the following Saturdays throughout the spring and summer.
Interested in showcasing your handiwork at the market? Please contact us to express your interest if you are a creator of hand-crafted original works. We have limited space, so don’t wait. You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity! Contact Medici’s at (250) 498-2228 or drop by with a sample or photo of your work!
Stuff and staff needed for Quail Garage Sale
Posted on 13 May 2012 | No responses
Come give us a hand with the
Donate your good used items to a worthy cause! Start saving your unwanted “stuff” now! Your rummage is welcome for drop off at the Big Blue Building at the arts centre on Friday June 15 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. No heavy or bulky items please! Just things one person can lift.
Volunteers are needed to help sort and price on Friday, and to help with sales and pack up on Saturday, during the hours listed above. Please contact OliverCAC @ gmail.com to volunteer, for more information, or for assistance with your rummage donations.
Many thanks to Linda Nunweiler for offering her leadership to this arts council fund raiser!
Help Plant Sale “bloom” on May 26
Posted on 13 May 2012 | No responses
by Heather Whittall, Oliver Community Garden Society
We’ve been hard at work preparing for our big Bloomin’ Plant Sale on Saturday May 26th from 10 am to 1 pm at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre, 5840 Airport Street. We’ve held a plant sale in combination with Communities in Bloom for the past 3 years but this year we’re flying solo as the Communities in Bloom competition is finished for Oliver, for now.
Gardeners will want to check out the plants and other gardening products for sale, as well as bring along some seeds for an informal seed swap on site.
This year we’re hoping to make the sale more of an event. We have The Gala Vanters lined up to play some live music, there will be a craft corner for the kids, food, local vendors, loonie auction, lots of gardening information and of course, lots of plants. The Oliver Ambassadors will also be on hand for the festivities.
We still need help with a few things:
First, we need plants to sell! If you’re digging in your garden and have plants to divide and pass on, send them our way! We’ll gladly take those extra perennials or bulbs. Rearranging and no room for that rosebush? Let us help you find it a new home. Please call or email us and we can arrange to pick the plants up from you. In-kind donations are welcome from local businesses and individuals who want to support this very “green” community garden project. It’s a great way to show your support of this eco-friendly group, and encourage more gardening. Donations of soil, fertilizer, seed, garden equipment, gardening clothes and accessories, or anything else related to gardening would be warmly welcomed.
The second thing is a food vendor. We’d love to have a BBQ set up selling hamburgers and hotdogs so consider this an invitation to a local service group to grab an extra fund raising opportunity. You can keep all the profits – we’d just like to have food available as part of the event.
Can you help us out? Call Heather at 250-485-2575 or email olivercommunitygarden @ yahoo.com
And the last way you can help? Come to our Bloomin’ Plant Sale! There will be lots to see and do and you’ll be glad you did. See you there!
http://olivercommunitygarden.wordpress.com/
Now on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oliver-Community-Garden/207352179362353
Be a BC Book Prize Groupie
Posted on 6 May 2012 | 4 responses
If being a rock band groupie isn’t your style, try being a BC Book Prize groupie!
Two authors shortlisted for the BC Book Prizes are touring the Okanagan. and will be visiting the Oliver Regional Library branch on Monday May 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Come meet JJ Lee, the author of “The Measure of a Man: The story of a Father, a Son and a Suit” and Gary Kent, the author of the children’s book, “Fishing with Gubby”. They will be talking about their books and the ideas and stories that inspired them.
The Measure of a Man is JJ Lee’s debut book. Taking as its starting point a son’s decision to alter his late father’s last remaining suit for himself, this is a deeply moving and brilliantly crafted story of fathers and sons, of fitting in and standing out — and discovering what it means to be your own man. For years, journalist and amateur tailor JJ Lee tried to ignore the navy suit that hung at the back of his closet — his late father’s last suit. When he decides to finally make the suit his own, little does he know he is about to embark on a journey into his own past.
As JJ moves across the surface of the suit, he reveals the heartbreaking tale of his father, a charismatic but luckless restaurateur whose demons brought tumult upon his family. He also recounts the year he spent as an apprentice tailor at Modernize Tailors, the last of Vancouver’s legendary Chinatown tailors, where he learns invaluable lessons about life from his octogenarian master tailor. Woven throughout these two personal strands are entertaining stories from the social history of the man’s suit, the surprising battleground where the war between generations has long been fought.
With wit, bracing honesty, and great narrative verve, JJ takes us from the French Revolution to the Zoot Suit Riots, from the Japanese Salaryman to Mad Men, from Oscar Wilde in short pants to Marlon Brando in a T-shirt, and from the rareified rooms of Savile Row to a rundown shop in Chinatown. A book that will forever change the way you think about the maxim “the clothes make the man,” this is a universal story of love and forgiveness and breaking with the past.
Fishing with Gubby is the marvelously illustrated, authentic account of one season in the life of a salmon fisherman. Based on actual events, the story is told by award-winning children’s illustrator Kim La Fave and former fisherman Gary Kent. Together they make the wharfs, boats, fishermen and villages of the BC coast come alive with remarkable detail and humour.
Gubby’s journey first takes him up BC’s west coast, through Georgia, Johnstone and Queen Charlotte straits and north past Port Hardy. He then heads into the open ocean towards treacherous Cape Scott, through to Winter Harbour and Quatsino Sound to settle in for a summer of fishing. Gubby and Puss face rolling rapids, rough and tumble storms and banks of fog, tussle with a basking shark and a pod of orcas, all while trolling for spring and coho salmon and visiting other fishermen and homesteaders along the way.
Books will be available for purchase. Get your copy signed, or buy one for a friend. Or be a BC Book Prize groupie and bring your camera for a photo. Who knows? You may be posing with a winner!
You ARE going, right? Groovy!
Posted on 5 May 2012 | No responses
Balladeers Fricot and Ciseaux at Medici’s May 18
Posted on 1 May 2012 | 1 response
Oliver will be treated to not one but two performers at Medici’s on Friday May 18. These two solo artists have teamed up to bring a doubly good concert: Dominique Fricot and “Ciseaux”.
BC artist, Katie Schaan is Ciseaux. At the age of three she hit the stage with her tiny cello, and she hasn’t slowed down since. Ciseaux takes inspiration from classical music (she is an operatically trained singer), to soulful 60s folk, to the today’s indie singer-songwriters. She has evolved into a performer not limited by genre, and lends her svocal and instrumental talents to other artists. Her first album “Close To Me”, which was released under her own name, earned five nominations at the 2011 Vancouver Island Music Awards (Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year) and won Album of the Year. (Info source: CBC.ca)
After toiling in the trenches of the Vancouver music scene for the past decade, Dominique Fricot is finally starting to hit his stride. With his commanding stage presence, unrivaled songwriting skill and ear for creating pure pop masterpieces, Dominique owns the stage with his rich baritone and his emotive fusion of rock, soul, folk and jazz. His vocal stylings have been compared to Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin and Neil Diamond’.
HIs songs run the gamut from breezy pop to haunting piano ballads and perfectly encapsulate the highs and lows of falling in and losing love. Don’t miss his unique blend of charm, charisma, and relatable, heartfelt music. (Info source: www.dominiquefricot.com
Celebrate a creative spring at Spring Arts Faire
Posted on 28 April 2012 | 2 responses
SOAP’s Wild Guys contribute to new theatre
Posted on 28 April 2012 | No responses
Patrick Turner (right), president of the South Okanagan Amateur Players, presents a cheque for just over $450 to Martin Cattermole of the Adopt-a-Seat Campaign. The fund will help to pay for theatre fittings not covered by the Venables rebuild: seats, stage curtains, lights, sound equipment, and so on. The amount represents a portion of the proceeds from SOAP’s fall production of the comedy The Wild Guys. The troupe had pledged to contribute $1 from every ticket sold plus the profit from the concession.
This marks the Players’ second donation to Adopt-a-Seat: SOAP contributed $1000 in 2010 after their production of the Neil Simon comedy, Rumors.
SOAP has just obtained the rights to produce The Long Weekend by Canadian playwright Norm Foster. Two couples spending a weekend at a country cottage base their friendship on a string of hilarious lies and deceit. Gradually the truth is revealed, but only the audience gets to find out the last and greatest secret. The biting comedy is slated for production on the last two weekends in October.
Photo Credit: Penelope Johnson
Tea Weaves
Posted on 27 April 2012 | No responses
The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers celebrated their 35th anniversary in fine style on Thursday April 26 with a tea, exhibit, sale, demonstrations, and a special performance by the Oliver Handbell Ringers. The event was open to the public, and was well-attended. The date was also picked to coincide with BC Arts and Culture Week, and was one of a number of arty gatherings this week.
Visitors were treated to a sit-down tea with sandwiches and sweets. The audience was delighted with the handbell concert, which transformed the event into a multisensory experience!
Many stalls displayed clothing, linens, purses and other accessories, and whimsical items. A collection of spinning wheels stood at one end of the Oliver Community Centre hall where there was also a slide show of various fibre art projects. Weaving and felting were among the live demonstrations.
At left, Gail Erickson weaves using one of the smaller looms on display. A belt perhaps, Gail?
Felted blossoms and leaves were a sure sign of spring.
Cynthia Jones threads her shuttle, working on the largest loom on display.
A fancy “tea” party must have a fancy tea cosy — or is it a teapot? Notice the bead on the spout for a drip.
Terry Irvine soaps up her wet-felted creation, a sheep tea cosy, while an amused Diane Lindsay looks on.
And a busy happy throng of weavers, tea-partiers, and curious onlookers!
Photo Credit: Penelope Johnson
Call for Entries to Fall Art Show and Sale
Posted on 27 April 2012 | No responses
Artists from all visual arts media are invited to submit works to the 2012 Fall Art Show and Sale: painting, fibre arts, sculpture, photography, and a variety of three-dimensional arts including lapidary, woodworking, leather working, and so on. The theme of the exhibit and competition is “Casting Shadows”, which can be interpreted howecver the artist finds inspiration.
Registration forms are available here: 2012 FASS Entry Form or by clicking on “Forms” on the banner above.
Please download and print the form, and submit by mail to Oliver Community Arts Council , Post office Box 1711, Oliver BC V0H 1T0 or scanning the completed form to OliverCAC @ gmail.com
Oliver Handbell Ringers to perform at Medici’s Gelateria
Posted on 27 April 2012 | No responses
The Oliver Handbell Ringers present
Spring Ring
Friday, May 11 2 p.m. Medici’s Gelateria and Coffee HouseFREE Admission
Delicious desserts and steaming coffees at charge. Medici’s is located on Fairview Road across from the Post Office in Oliver.
Both the youth and the adult group will be ringing. Please come and enjoy the music of bells.
Library hosts e-reader session
Posted on 27 April 2012 | 1 response
The Friends of the Oliver Library (FOTOL) host several events in the coming weeks. Don’t miss these great opportunities to add some pizzazz to your reading experience!
First up is an evening to welcome BC Book Prize nominees. On Monday May 7 join us at 7 p.m. to meet these yet-to-be-announced special guests and hear excerpts from their nominated books. Be BC proud!
Want to learn more about e-Reading? It’s e-easy! Learn about the variety of e-readers and tablets. Break-out sessions will address the individual types now on the market. Simply bring your questions to this introductory session, or bring along your portable e-reading device (tablet, laptop, iPad, Kindle, e-Reader or whatever) on Saturday May 12 at 10 a.m. This is a free event but please register in advance by calling the library at 250-498-2242 or by stopping by the library. Refreshments will be served following the session.
The monthly Tuesday Morning Coffee happens every third Tuesday of the month. Coming up, it’s Tuesday May 15 at 10 a.m. Make yourself at home! Interested in the behind-the-scenes of the library? Join us an hour earlier at 9 a.m. for the FOTOL meeting. Volunteers welcome.
T
ravel writer Laurie Carter is the guest on Wednesday June 20 at 7 p.m. She is the author of Grandma Wears Hiking Boots, chock full of details on Okanagan trails, wildflower excursions, wine tasting, farm tours, family attractions, historic sites, cultural pursuits, mine tours, jumping off mountains and her favourite subject—food. Carter will entertain with anecdotes and with excerpts from her books.
Start saving those books! The Library’s Annual Book Sale is on Saturday July 7 from 9 – 2. in the Oliver Regional Library parking lot. Your used books can be dropped off at the library.
Watch for the Friends of the Library entry into the International Sunshine Festival Parade on Saturday July 14!
Quilters celebrate Arts and Culture Week
Posted on 26 April 2012 | No responses
The Double O Quilters hosted a Mini Quilt Show and demonstration of their skills on Wednesday April 25 as part of BC Arts and Culture Week. On display at the Oliver Community Centre were a number of outreach quilts in the flower basket pattern and other “remnant” quilts which showed how much beauty can be created from “leftovers”.
In addition to the quilts on display, many members were in attendance piecing new works. Several quilters were wearing their own artwork, adding even more colour to the show!
Thank you quilters, for the refreshments and tour! Drop in any Wednesday to catch the quilters in action. Visitors are always welcome at Oliver Community Centre Hall (stage end entrance) on Wednesdays from 10 – 2.
Sage Valley Voices celebrate the 70s
Posted on 24 April 2012 | No responses
by Heather Fink
The Sage Valley Voices is a 45 to 50-member adult choir based at the United Church in Oliver. Alice DeRoche has fearlessly, and with much patience and good humor, led the Voices for the past eleven years, selecting the music, writing scripts, sewing costumes, and she has even had a hand in designing sets for the choir’s performances. A busy lady indeed!
The Sage Valley Voices will present their 2012 spring concerts, “GOLDEN DECADE OF THE 70s“, featuring a variety of cool music from the 1970′s – think ABBA, McCartney, Cash, Denver, Broadway show tunes and more! – on Saturday May 5 at 7:00 pm and Sunday May 6 at 2:30 pm at the Oliver United Church. Admission is $10 at the door and includes sweet treats following the concerts.
The choir is a non-profit organization and proceeds from the concerts support local community outreach programs such as the church’s soup kitchen and the Oliver Food Bank. Donations of non-perishable food for the food bank are always welcome at the concerts.
The choir usually performs four concerts per year, two in December and two in April or May, and welcomes new members – no audition required. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Oliver United Church. If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a part of this fun-loving show choir, or for more information, please contact Lois Bzdel at 250-497-7966, or Alice DeRoche at 250-492-4159.
Take an Art Trip on May long weekend
Posted on 21 April 2012 | No responses
submitted by Thea Haubrich of Twin Lakes Encaustic Art
This year for the first time ever Artists’ Studios in Naramata, Summerland, Penticton and south to Vaseux Lake, will all hold special open houses on May 19 and 20 from 11 am – 5 pm.
The ART TRIP is a free self guided driving tour that will create a memorable day or two. The adventure begins with you, just circle the studios you think will be most interesting, invite a friend and go for your tour. Take a break for lunch at one of the valley’s amazing wineries or cafes and then carry on to more art studios, see as many as you like. You can start again the next day and go to a different area. Bring the kids, it’s a nice way to expose them to the arts.
The ART TRIP is a unique opportunity to see up close and personal how artists work, ask them questions and learn about the stories behind the art. You’ll see places you never knew existed and you might discover a new favorite artist. Learn how jewellery is made, see a sculptor at work, a blacksmith’s fire, or a piece of wood turned into a bowl. Watch the printing process of t-shirts, see a potter throwing clay or a photographer’s cameras and techniques. You can go into a clothing designer’s studio or see how glass is fused into beautiful objects and watch an artist make magic happen with wax, pastels or paint on canvas, paper or fabric.
“I have toured many of the studios and am very impressed with the quality and diversity of the work. We are fortunate to have a strong arts community in Summerland and the South Okanagan” said Lisa Jaager, Manager of the Summerland Chamber and Visitor Centre. “We are pleased to support the local arts and specifically our studios, there are always maps and information at the Visitor Centre as well as examples of local artists work at the Made in Summerland shop attached to the Visitor Centre”.
So, jump in your car or on your bike and take the ART TRIP. ”If you can’t take the Art Trip on the May long weekend, there are plenty of opportunities to visit the studios throughout the summer. May 19/20 is the opening of the season, and most of the studios will be welcoming visitors through until the fall. Many are open every day. Brochures and websites have all the information you’ll need to check days and times with the studios you want to visit. “
Art on the Naramata Bench: www.naramatartstudios.com Fourteen studios feature interesting artwork of many kinds, come and meet the artists who have chosen to live and work in the unique setting that is the Naramata Bench, including arts council member Renee Matheson at Robinson Point Studio (Robinson Bed and Beach).
Summerland and Trout Creek www.studiotour.wordpress.com Not only is Summerland known for its rural beauty but who would have guessed you’d find more than 16 different artists studios. Come and explore the world of art in Summerland.
Lake to Lake www.tinyurl.com/lakestudio On the Lake-to-Lake tour you will visit 8 artists’ studios in Penticton and 4 studios located between Penticton and Vaseux Lake, including arts council member Twin Lakes Encaustic Art . The self-guided route lies along the Corkscrew Drive on the east side of Skaha Lake, where big horn sheep are often seen. Enjoy the scenery, the wildlife, and expand your art collection through a personal connection with the artist.
Our Lake-to-Lake Studio Tour members are once again exhibiting work at Tangled Vines Estate Winery. I helped hang the show and the tasting room now looks like a real gallery!
TwinLakes Encaustic Art Ltd. Thea Haubrich 128 Eastside Road Okanagan Falls, B.C. 250 497 5163 info @ encaustic.ca www.encaustic.ca www.theahaubrich.comYouth set to shine at Showcase
Posted on 21 April 2012 | No responses
Colour outside the lines: Art classes for children
Posted on 20 April 2012 | 1 response
Sage Valley Voices sing the 70s
Posted on 9 April 2012 | No responses
The Sage Valley Voices are hard at work practicing for their upcoming concert “The Golden Decade of the Seventies”. This concert has something for everyone – a little country, theatre songs, movie music, and those great songs you heard on the radio – so don’t miss it !
Arts Council receives performance award
Posted on 8 April 2012 | 3 responses
On March 14 the Oliver Commmunity Arts Council was approved for an annual grant from the BC Arts Council totalling $7923.00 to assist with 2012-13 operating costs.
The British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC) is an independent agency that supports arts and cultural activity in communities across BC: not only arts councils, but also dance and drama companies, art galleries, local museums and music festivals. The BC Arts Council receives funding from the Province of BC to disburse through grants, community initiatives, training and scholarships. The Council also acts as an advocate for the Arts in B.C., provides public education, and conducts research that helps inform provincial arts policies.
The Oliver Community Arts Council completes a set of essays and questionnaires each September in order to qualify for BCAC funding. Anyone wishing to see the complete application from September 2011 is welcome to contact the OCAC at OliverCAC@ gmail.com
The award is divided into three components:
1) Basic Assistance ($1423.00): This is determined by community population size and distance from the Lower Mainland. This year’s figure was similar to previous years’ amounts at $1423.00
2) Local Government Matching ($3500) : The BC Arts Council agrees to pay up to $4000 when proof is supplied that local government will match the amount. Oliver Parks and Recreation Society budgets $3500 annually for the Oliver Community Arts Council, and this figure has been matched by the provincial arts body.
3) Annual Performance Award ($3000): For the last two years, the Oliver Community Arts Council has written an additional essay to demonstrate meritorious programming, events, and administration that meets the “core values” of the BC Arts Council. These core values include: artistic excellence, a vibrant arts and cultural community, inclusiveness and cultural diversity, encouragement of artistic activity, transparent, fair, and accountable administrative and adjudicative processes, and clear operational goals. The arts council asked for and received $3000 this year, up from last year’s figure of $2000.
The Oliver Community Arts Council is grateful for the financial support of the Province of BC, the BC Arts Council, and local government (Town of Oliver and RDOS through the support of Oliver Parks and Recreation) to provide much needed operational funding.
Children’s art classes return April 21
Posted on 8 April 2012 | No responses
The Oliver Sagebrushers are promoting Children’s Art classes. The next semester will begin Saturday April 21 and running for 6 weeks.
Leza Macdonald is instructing the classes and accompanied by another Sagebrusher. To enroll the children between the ages of 4-19
Please contact Leza at or Sally at The spring weather will allow us to get started on more murals.
The Quail’s Roost Art Gallery at Rustico Farm and Cellars Winery will be open to the public for Easter. We will be celebrating our first anniversary in May.
New members to the Oliver Sagebrushers are always welcome. Adults, feel free to drop in on Tuesday 9 a.m. to noon at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre on Airport Street (95th St.) or children with ;parents on Saturdays 9 a.m.
SOAP auditions for comedy The Long Weekend
Posted on 30 March 2012 | No responses
The South Okanagan Amateur Players invite the public to audition for its fall comedy-of-manners, The Long Weekend by Canada’s most prolific and popular playwright Norm Foster. Auditions are Sunday April 15 at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver (5840 Airport St.) and Monday April 16 at St. Christopher’s Lower Hall in Osoyoos (87 St and 74th Ave). Both auditions run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. No previous experience or audition piece required.
The Long Weekend opens at the summer home of successful lawyer Max and his wife Wynn. The couple invite Wynn’s old high school friend Abby and her husband Roger for a weekend getaway. Polite exchanges quickly give way to thinly masked animosity as old jealousies and insecurities resurface. Pompous Max dislikes Roger’s bohemian life as a novelist, while Roger in turn feels threatened by Max’s financial success. Wynn and Abby each secretly dread the other’s criticism of their lifestyle and tastes. Much of the comedy stems from the contrast between the public niceties and the private barbed remarks. Surprising revelations and sharp, biting dialogue turn the weekend into a hilarious disaster as the whole facade of friendship collapses.
At a recent read-through of the play, SOAP Board members were literally weeping with laughter and gasping out the dialogue. The script moves at a whip-cracking pace. The one-liners are snappy and cleverly resurface through the play even funnier than before. The plot is tight but never improbable, and best of all there are several unexpected twists, with a satisfying humdinger in the final few minutes of the play.
The Long Weekend requires four actors: two women of a similar age and their husbands. Director Ted Osborne will consider actors from mid-30s to mid-50s for the roles. Male ages can be more flexible.
The play will be produced over two weekends in late October. Cast read-throughs will begin in May, with some occasional rehearsing during the summer, and more intense rehearsing beginning in September. Cast schedules will be considered when booking rehearsal times. For more information, contact SOAP @ telus.net or director Ted Osborne at 250-495-2776.
Sage Valley Voices seek MC
Posted on 28 March 2012 | No responses
The Sage Valley Voices Community Choir is busy rehearsing for their “Golden Decade of the Seventies” concert, set for May 5 and 6 at the Oliver United Church.
The choir is seeking a Master of Ceremonies willing to have a bit of fun in the spotlight, an “Ed Sullivan”-type. Known as “The Great Stone Face”, Sullivan introduced hundreds of new stars to the limelight, including the Beatles, the Doors, and Motown greats like the Jackson 5. Have a suit? Can you cross your arms in Sullivan’s trademark awkward stance? Bear a passing resemblance? Why not have a little fun that weekend! A written script will be provided to introduce the songs from the 70s. Online videos may help with a simple impersonation of Sullivan’s manner and gestures. It’s all in good fun!. “Ed” would have to be available to come to a dress rehearsal on the Monday evening prior to the concerts, plus do the two concerts on Sat. May 5th at 7:00 pm and Sun. May 6th at 2:30 pm, at the Oliver United Church.
Choir director, Alice DeRoche, would appreciate hearing from interested ”Ed”s by March 31st. Email: derochel @ shaw.ca or Tel: 250-492-4159.