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 Harvest at Nk’mip Cellars

The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen (Federation of Canadian Artists) would like to invite the public to a harvest of a different type!  A gathering of art creations, artists are showing the fruits of their artistic labours from the summer season , whether they were created out in the orchards, vineyards or in their studios, it will be a treat!  Join us as at

Nk’Mip Cellars

Osoyoos BC

October 11 to November 7

Hours: Daily  10am -6pm.

For more information please visit our website at  http://fca-sos.ca/show
art-harvest

Get your “wild” going

FASS 2016 Call for Entires

The Oliver Community Arts Councils Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS) will be “Going Wild” on October 1st and 2nd.  The show and sale runs jointly with the wildly popular Festival of the Grape at the Oliver Community Centre. The two-day event includes a competition in nine categories, public voting, exhibits and demos by featured artists, live entertainment, an evening reception, and a draw for a stocked wine fridge.

Visual artists in all media and of all ages are encouraged to enter with their interpretation of this theme. “Going Wild” could inspire an abstract expression of wild emotions: passion, anger, lust, or joyful abandon. The theme could reflect an artist’s choice of unusual media, going “wild and crazy” with new fibres, new digital techniques, new designs, new surfaces and applications. The theme could refer to the artist’s choice of subject matter: psychological turmoil, political ideology, liberation, anarchy, or a “back-to-the-land” philosophy. “Going Wild” might also inspire a nature lover to submit a work featuring flora or fauna, such as an overgrown garden, an exotic animal, or a wilderness adventure. We hope this theme gives you great scope as you decide what you will enter this year. What is WILD for you?

Categories include photography, fibre arts, oils, acrylics, watercolours, three-dimensional, and other media (encaustic, pen and ink, mixed media, etc), Two categories for youth, emerging artists and budding artists, invite entries in any visual medium. Awards are given in each category, as well as an overall “Best Interpretation of the Theme” (Best in Show).

Entry forms must be received by Friday September 9, 2016Artwork need not be completed by that date. We just need to know what it is you plan to enter! Artwork is delivered to the venue on the morning of the show, Saturday October 1. This gives artists up to three extra weeks to complete their piece.

Individual membership in the Oliver Community Arts Council ($15) is not required but does reduce the entry fee for Adult submissions, as well as providing benefits through the year. Emerging artist submissions are a $10 fee. For budding artists the entry fee is waived. If you became a member of the arts council as part of last year’s FASS, your membership is good through to the end of 2016. If you purchase a membership as part of this year`s FASS, that membership is good through 2017 (and the 2017 FASS). That means you are good for two shows in one! If you are uncertain of your current membership status, please contact us.

FASS 2016 Entry Form

FASS 2016 Terms and Guidelines

Check out our website at any time. There you will find forms always available under “Forms” or “Membership”. Please contact us by email if you have questions. olivercac @ gmail.com

Screaming success

ripoffs 2016Here is a photo of the RipOff artists with their creations just after the bell rang on Saturday signalling the end of this year’s challenge.

Although the iconic painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch is considered a depressing picture, the RipOffs did their best to liven it up.   Each of the nine artists added an element from the previous nine years challenges: perhaps a dancing girl from Toulouse Lautrec, a cypress by Vincent van Gogh, or a tulip by Geoorgia O’Keeffe. In addition, the current challenge was to add an anachronism – often a reason for the “scream”. For example, a number of artists chose some form of industrialization or climate change in the background as their anachronism. Guest artist, Bethany Handfield with her encaustic talent was a delightful addition.

To celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary, a grand opening reception was held in “big blue”.  Guests were surrounded by previous year’s RipOff challenge pieces.  Shown together the impressive display gave kudos to the merits of the RipOff’s artistic achievements.

The artists wish to thank the Oliver Community Arts Council  for their support in mounting this year’s special anniversary challenge.

Who knows what the group will conjure up for next year.  Perhaps something acknowledging Canada’s 150th birthday….any suggestions?

It’s a what?

TaraMarion ThingTara Hovanes and Marion Trimble are having a show and sale of their latest work and would love to have friends drop in to come by….. or , come buy!

Visit them at 6220 Main Street – between the Oliver Shoes and the Artisan Bakery.  Enter through the doorway and proceed down the hall towards the back of the building.

 

Federation of Canadian Artists on display at local winery

FCA Art at Tinhorn
by Carol Munro, FCA

“Art at Tinhorn” – The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen return to Tinhorn Creek Vineyards with their annual summer exhibition of fine art. August 23 to September 8, daily from 10-6.

This popular annual summer show and sale features paintings by the Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen, all of whom belong to the Federation of Canadian Artists. You can expect to see paintings in a colourful array of media: oils and acrylics, watercolours, encaustics and mixed media.

A visit to “Art at Tinhorn” makes a great outing, and it’s a good way to showcase for summer visitors our rich and lively world of art. So plan to spend some time with art. Visit Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, between August 23 and September 8. The Tinhorn gallery is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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.

See Lake to Lake Tour at Dogtown Cafe

by Carol Munro, FCA

FCA Lake to Lake Studio Tour

Artists from the ‘Lake-to-Lake Studio Tour’ invite you to visit their Summer Showcase Exhibition at Dogtown Coffee Company in Okanagan Falls, August 1-31 Art studio tours are a popular summer pastime—especially the self-guided tours which encourage visitors to drop in to meet the artists and see how the work is done.
From August 1-31, the “Lake-to-Lake Studio Tour” artists are presenting a group show of their work at the popular Dogtown Coffee Company’s gallery in Okanagan Falls. The exhibition provides an opportunity to see a showcase of work from these artists all in one place, with the opportunity to follow up those which interest you most as you map out your route along the Corkscrew Drive on the Vaseux Lake-to-Penticton corridor.
The self-guided studio tours are in their third year of operation, and there are similar tour routes in Summerland and on the Naramata Bench. The “Lake-to-Lake” tour includes studios which lie between Vaseux Lake and Okanagan Lake. The route takes you to 12 studios, and includes sculptors, painters and mixed media artists. It’s a great opportunity to look, listen and watch; to ask questions and to see how the art is created. You may find yourself making new friends with art and the artist.
Visitors are welcome to drop in or call ahead to arrange a time. For more information, look for a tour brochure at the Visitors’ Centre, the Library, Dogtown Coffee Company—-  or you can find “Lake-to-Lake Studio Tours” online at http://laketolakestudios.weebly.com

Seeing double at Oliver Art Gallery

[slideshow_deploy id=’7677′]June is the month where the South Okanagan starts to hum. With daily sunshine, sweet smells from the orchards, people are happily looking foreword to Summer. The Oliver Art Gallery Artists, are also inspired to go out and paint the local scenes and produce more of the fine art, the gallery is famous for.

This month, as a special to bring in Summer, we have a double spectacular show by featuring, not one, but two of our fine artists.

The art of Nancy Gray and Jennifer Farnell will be displayed during June. These two are spectacular artists in different ways. One is a detailed realist, while the other is inspired by life’s situations and emotions.

Nancy Gray took several art classes in 2003, which re-ignited her need to be creative. She continued painting and then moved to the South Okanagan in 2007 and thoroughly loves it here. After getting established, she joined the Artists on Main in Osoyoos in 2008 and then the Federation of Canadian Artists as a supporting member. She was juried to Active status in May 2009. In June 2012 she joined us, at the Oliver Art Gallery.  Nancy usually works in watercolour, however she does like to explore in other mediums like graphite and acrylic.

Jennifer Farnell paints from life’s inspirations, feelings and imagination. She never uses a reference photo. Her work lets the observer interpret whatever it is they may see or feel in their own unique way. Jennifer paints mainly in acrylics and he work has sold in many venues between Alberta and B.C.

The Oliver Art Gallery is lucky to have Nancy and Jennifer add to the variety of styles and mediums by its 20 artists. Drop in to view the high quality art, ceramics and jewelry.

The gallery is at 6046 Main Street, open Tuesday – Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Great Moments in Art with FCA artists

after-the-storm robertsWelcoming the return of spring, The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen (Federation of Canadian Artists chapter) are presenting an exhibition of their art at Leir House, beginning on Friday May 24. The show includes work from the studios of many local artists, all of them members of the Federation of Canadian Artists. You’ll see a range of styles and media, from acrylics and oils, to watercolours, encaustics, pastels and mixed media. It’s a collection full of energy and colour, and it’s called “Great Moments in Art”.  Plan to make a date with art, and come along—and bring a friend!-

Great Moments in Art

May 24 – June 21

Tuesday through Saturday

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Opening Reception

Friday May 24

6-8 pm.

Leir House Cultural Centre,

220 Manor Park Avenue,  Penticton

Make some time for some “Great Moments in Art”, supported by the Penticton  and District Community Arts Council. For further information, contact Leir House at 250-492-7997.

The South Okanagan – Similkamenn chapter of the FCA is  a member of the Oliver Community Arts Council.

Artwork: “After the Storm” by Bonny Roberts

Cowboy Christmas at Rustico

The Oliver Sagebrushers Art Club are celebrating the opening of a second gallery room at Rustico Farm & Cellars Winery, where they have been showing their works over the last several months.  The artists’ productivity and sales have warranted this new expansion.

Join them to celebrate a Cowboy Christmas! Tour the new gallery area, stock up on gifts of art and wine, listen to some live country music, and chow down on some warm chili and hot mulled cider around the campfire.  Artists will be on hand throughout the weekend to tour or answer questions.

The entertainment will feature country singer Mikie Spillett from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday Dec.3.  Everyone is welcome: It’s family fun!

The monies donated during the Cowboy Christmas will go to the Desert Valley Hospice Society.

"Casting Shadows" announced as 2012 Fall Art Show and Sale theme

The Oliver Community Arts Council announces the theme for the 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale: “Casting Shadows”. Artists in all media are invited to begin the creative process using that theme as their inspiration to create new works. 

Precise categories have not been announced, but will include the following: oils, watercolours, acrylics, fibre arts, photography, mixed / new media, and three-dimensional (including sculpture, found object art, leatherwork, metalwork, lapidary and more). Emerging artists (under 19) may enter in their own category.

“Casting Shadows” was the popular choice for the 2012 theme, based on ballots received from the public at this past year’s Fall Art Show & Sale. Whether you draw, paint, take photos, or create in fabric, wool, or in 3-dimensions with wood, clay, metal or other materials, the Fall Art Show and Sale is the perfect place to show and sell your work.

The 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale will take place on Saturday & Sunday, September 29th & 30th at the Oliver Community Centre (held jointly with the Festival of the Grape on the Sunday).

For further information, please call Sally at 250-498-0104 or email the arts council at olivercac @ gmail.com

Visit the Oliver Arts Council’s website in early 2012 for entry forms and more news concerning the 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale.

“Casting Shadows” announced as 2012 Fall Art Show and Sale theme

The Oliver Community Arts Council announces the theme for the 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale: “Casting Shadows”. Artists in all media are invited to begin the creative process using that theme as their inspiration to create new works. 

Precise categories have not been announced, but will include the following: oils, watercolours, acrylics, fibre arts, photography, mixed / new media, and three-dimensional (including sculpture, found object art, leatherwork, metalwork, lapidary and more). Emerging artists (under 19) may enter in their own category.

“Casting Shadows” was the popular choice for the 2012 theme, based on ballots received from the public at this past year’s Fall Art Show & Sale. Whether you draw, paint, take photos, or create in fabric, wool, or in 3-dimensions with wood, clay, metal or other materials, the Fall Art Show and Sale is the perfect place to show and sell your work.

The 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale will take place on Saturday & Sunday, September 29th & 30th at the Oliver Community Centre (held jointly with the Festival of the Grape on the Sunday).

For further information, please call Sally at 250-498-0104 or email the arts council at olivercac @ gmail.com

Visit the Oliver Arts Council’s website in early 2012 for entry forms and more news concerning the 2012 Fall Art Show & Sale.