dia-de-los-muertos“Dia De Muertos”

The 2nd annual Day of the Dead Celebration will be held at the Shatford Centre in Penticton, from October 29 to November 6, 2016.

The Day of the Dead is a special day in Mexico, and the ancient rituals are an important part of the celebration carrying a special meaning and purpose; to lovingly remember ancestors, honor their memory, and commemorate their lives. By doing this, life is given meaning and human existence is given continuity beyond the material world.

This year, the celebration will include a Collaborative Altar Art installation featuring the Ripoff Artists, the Sagebrushers group, the Canwax West group, and the 557 Artist Block;  one ancestral altar;  a slide show;  music, food and drinks; art show by norberto rodriguez presenting a brief history of Dia de Muertos; sugar skull face painting; creative stations to learn  sugar skulls painting, pierced paper and more.

Come with your family to see, learn about, have fun, taste and experience this unique tradition at the Shatford Centre on Saturday, Opening Saturday October 29th 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Continuing until November 6 at the regular hours of 9 am to 5 pm.

From Wikipedia:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.

The holiday is sometimes called Día de los Muertos in Anglophone countries, a back-translation of its original name, Día de Muertos. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. Gradually it was associated with October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Western Christian triduum of Allhallowtide: All Saints’ Eve (Oct 31), All Saints’ Day (Nov 1), and All Souls’ Day (Nov 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions for honoring the dead. It has become a national symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation’s schools. Many families celebrate a traditional “All Saints’ Day” associated with the Catholic Church.

Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was unknown until the 20th century because its indigenous people had different traditions. The people and the church rejected it as a day related to syncretizing pagan elements with Catholic Christianity. They held the traditional ‘All Saints’ Day’ in the same way as other Christians in the world. There was limited Mesoamerican influence in this region, and relatively few indigenous inhabitants from the regions of Southern Mexico, where the holiday was celebrated. In the early 21st century in northern Mexico, Día de Muertos is observed because the Mexican government made it a national holiday based on educational policies from the 1960s; it has introduced this holiday as a unifying national tradition based on indigenous traditions.

The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is similar to other culture’s observances of a time to honor the dead. The Spanish tradition included festivals and parades, as well as gatherings of families at cemeteries to pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day.

Nest and Nectar

 

nest-and-nectar

The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen (Federation of Canadian Artists) would like to invite the public to an Art Show celebrating BC Culture days as well as the Grand Opening of the Nest and Nectar Restaurant located in the historic Cannery building in Penticton adjacent to Many Hats Theatre. Proprietors of the restaurant, Randy and Fergy, are big supporters of the arts and plan on featuring entertainment and events over the upcoming year including live music, art exhibits, kids cooking classes, senior’s nights and food/wine pairings hosted by Okanagan’s wineries.  The show runs from Oct 1 – Dec 19/2016.

Art Happening with Federation of Canadian Artists

by Carol Munro, FCA

FCA Art Happening

The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen return to Shatford Centre with “Art Happening”, an exhibition of fine art on view from August 2 – September 12.
“Art Happening” is a new show opening at August 2 at Shatford Centre in Penticton. The exhibiting artists are all members of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and you will find a wide range of media on view: watercolours, oils, encaustics, acrylics and mixed media among them.
A visit to the show makes a great outing on a summer’s day, and it’s a good opportunity to showcase for summer visitors the lively world of art to be found in our neighbourhood!
So plan to spend some time with art. Visit Shatford Centre to see “Art Happening”, any time between August 2 and September 12. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 9-5. Shatford Centre is located at 760 Main Street in Penticton.

“Untangling” the Imagination

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Untangled”: encaustic paintings by Thea Haubrich and Bethany Handfield
Leir House, 220 Manor Park Ave., Penticton
September 8 – October 6, 2011
Opening event: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 7 – 9 PM

 On display at Leir House, Penticton from September 8 – October 6, 2011, is the work of Thea Haubrich and Bethany Handfield. Though a generation apart, the two artists share a love for colour and texture.

Featured is a selection of their works in encaustic, a medium that involves painting with melted beeswax to which coloured pigments have been added. The versatility of the medium untangles the imagination of artist and viewer alike, to freely enjoy the often unexpected changes during the painting process.

Thea Haubrich has been working in encaustic for almost 15 years. She is a sought-after instructor and a proud “RipOff artist” (www.ripoffartists.ca). Echoing the colour and light of the Okanagan, her paintings are vibrant, full of texture and sometimes hidden messages. One of her greatest passions is networking and connecting people, which she realizes through her Ning social network, blogging and writing monthly newsletters. Through her workshops Thea has another opportunity to share her love for encaustic and bring people together.

An Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, she has participated in numerous juried and non-juried art shows, winning several awards and honorable mentions. Her paintings are in collections around Canada, the USA and Europe.

Also on display is a selection of her Zentangle drawings, which she created as she was undergoing chemotherapy, and some portrait drawings. The drawings have been dipped in beeswax, giving them a wonderful translucent quality. Some drawings are for sale as postcards, with proceeds going towards the BC Cancer Foundation.

Bethany Handfield is an encaustic and mixed media collage artist who resides in Kaleden.

She is inspired by exterior and interior landscapes and views painting as a form of inquiry and meditation. She worked for many years in the Vancouver film industry as a television and film editor.

Her encaustic instruction is ongoing with the amazing artist, teacher, and friend Thea Haubrich. She has been fortunate to also study encaustic with the innovative Anna Maria Aigner of Austria and the talented Linda Womack of Portland, Oregon.

Bethany is the acting Secretary for the Federation of Canadian Artists, South Okanagan Similkameen Chapter and has been in numerous shows locally. She will be exhibiting at “Encaustic Masters: Inspirational Visual Voices” in Troutdale, Oregon in late September. Her paintings can be found in collections in Canada, Spain & Australia.

For more information about both artists, please visit their websites:

www.theahaubrich.com and www.bethanyhandfield.com

"Untangling" the Imagination

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Untangled”: encaustic paintings by Thea Haubrich and Bethany Handfield
Leir House, 220 Manor Park Ave., Penticton
September 8 – October 6, 2011
Opening event: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 7 – 9 PM

 On display at Leir House, Penticton from September 8 – October 6, 2011, is the work of Thea Haubrich and Bethany Handfield. Though a generation apart, the two artists share a love for colour and texture.

Featured is a selection of their works in encaustic, a medium that involves painting with melted beeswax to which coloured pigments have been added. The versatility of the medium untangles the imagination of artist and viewer alike, to freely enjoy the often unexpected changes during the painting process.

Thea Haubrich has been working in encaustic for almost 15 years. She is a sought-after instructor and a proud “RipOff artist” (www.ripoffartists.ca). Echoing the colour and light of the Okanagan, her paintings are vibrant, full of texture and sometimes hidden messages. One of her greatest passions is networking and connecting people, which she realizes through her Ning social network, blogging and writing monthly newsletters. Through her workshops Thea has another opportunity to share her love for encaustic and bring people together.

An Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, she has participated in numerous juried and non-juried art shows, winning several awards and honorable mentions. Her paintings are in collections around Canada, the USA and Europe.

Also on display is a selection of her Zentangle drawings, which she created as she was undergoing chemotherapy, and some portrait drawings. The drawings have been dipped in beeswax, giving them a wonderful translucent quality. Some drawings are for sale as postcards, with proceeds going towards the BC Cancer Foundation.

Bethany Handfield is an encaustic and mixed media collage artist who resides in Kaleden.

She is inspired by exterior and interior landscapes and views painting as a form of inquiry and meditation. She worked for many years in the Vancouver film industry as a television and film editor.

Her encaustic instruction is ongoing with the amazing artist, teacher, and friend Thea Haubrich. She has been fortunate to also study encaustic with the innovative Anna Maria Aigner of Austria and the talented Linda Womack of Portland, Oregon.

Bethany is the acting Secretary for the Federation of Canadian Artists, South Okanagan Similkameen Chapter and has been in numerous shows locally. She will be exhibiting at “Encaustic Masters: Inspirational Visual Voices” in Troutdale, Oregon in late September. Her paintings can be found in collections in Canada, Spain & Australia.

For more information about both artists, please visit their websites:

www.theahaubrich.com and www.bethanyhandfield.com

RipOff Artists go retro beginning Thursday May 12

Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keefe, Gustav Klimt, and Lawren Harris — see them all at this retrospective show featuring the talents of OCAC member group, the RipOff Artists, a multimedia collective featuring artists from Oliver and the surrounding area.

Opening reception
Thursday May 12
7 – 9 p.m.
Leir House, Penticton
 
May 12 – June 23
Monday to Friday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Leir House, Penticton