Bloomin’ Soon!

by Heath Whittall

We’re very excited about this year’s event. In addition to all the amazing plants that have been donated to us, we’re also holding a loonie auction, there will be live music by The Gala Vanters (www.thegalavanters.com), the Oliver Ambassador program will be holding a Barbeque (all profits go to support their program), and Leza McDonald will be running a kids craft corner and art show. There will also be information booths and a seed swap.

Come on out and see the Oliver Community Garden’s new look and support us at our Bloomin’ Plant Sale on Saturday, May 26th from 10 am to 1 pm. The sale will be held at the Oliver Community Garden at the Quail’s Nest Art Centre on Airport Road in Oliver, across from Transwest Helicopters. Bring a friend!

Hope to see you Saturday!

http://olivercommunitygarden.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/olivergarden
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oliver-Community-Garden/207352179362353

Bloomin' Soon!

by Heath Whittall

We’re very excited about this year’s event. In addition to all the amazing plants that have been donated to us, we’re also holding a loonie auction, there will be live music by The Gala Vanters (www.thegalavanters.com), the Oliver Ambassador program will be holding a Barbeque (all profits go to support their program), and Leza McDonald will be running a kids craft corner and art show. There will also be information booths and a seed swap.

Come on out and see the Oliver Community Garden’s new look and support us at our Bloomin’ Plant Sale on Saturday, May 26th from 10 am to 1 pm. The sale will be held at the Oliver Community Garden at the Quail’s Nest Art Centre on Airport Road in Oliver, across from Transwest Helicopters. Bring a friend!

Hope to see you Saturday!

http://olivercommunitygarden.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/olivergarden
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oliver-Community-Garden/207352179362353

Spot the “Outside the Box” box!

It’s what creative artists do — think outside the box! And this year, it’s the theme of the Fall Art Show and Sale. This popular annual event is on Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2 at the Oliver Community Centre, in conjunction with the Festival of the Grape. See poster for details.

View many interpretations of the “Outside the Box” theme in eight artistic categories: photography,  fibre arts, 3 -D, oils, acrylics, watercolours, other media, and a category for young “emerging artists”.

Saturday is a great day to see the show for free. View the juried art, vote for your favourites, purchase artwork, bid in the silent auction,  nibble at the reception, listen to live entertainment, tour fascinating non-competitive displays and be present for the announcement of winners.

The Sunday entrance is free with your paid entrance to the Festival of the Grape. The exhibits and sale continue, as does the silent auction. View the category winners and the  overall “Best in Show”.

The silent auction continues the “Outside the Box” theme. Bid on one of dozens of tempting painted boxes laden with various themed goods.  Each box is filled with items for “a night at the theatre”, “vacation”, “outdoor living”, “games night”, “school days”, “kitchenware”, “gardening”, “coffee bar” , “tea for two” or “bath and beauty”, just to name a few.   Each filled box makes an attractive gift or keep it for yourself and display it at home.

 Between now and the festival, watch for our travelling “Outside the Box” display! The 6-foot tall stack of boxes looks like the poster graphic.  Can you find it around town? Let us know where you spot it! Hint: The first location is at Beyond Bliss on Main Street this week.  Please patronize these community-minded  businesses!

Spot the "Outside the Box" box!

It’s what creative artists do — think outside the box! And this year, it’s the theme of the Fall Art Show and Sale. This popular annual event is on Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2 at the Oliver Community Centre, in conjunction with the Festival of the Grape. See poster for details.

View many interpretations of the “Outside the Box” theme in eight artistic categories: photography,  fibre arts, 3 -D, oils, acrylics, watercolours, other media, and a category for young “emerging artists”.

Saturday is a great day to see the show for free. View the juried art, vote for your favourites, purchase artwork, bid in the silent auction,  nibble at the reception, listen to live entertainment, tour fascinating non-competitive displays and be present for the announcement of winners.

The Sunday entrance is free with your paid entrance to the Festival of the Grape. The exhibits and sale continue, as does the silent auction. View the category winners and the  overall “Best in Show”.

The silent auction continues the “Outside the Box” theme. Bid on one of dozens of tempting painted boxes laden with various themed goods.  Each box is filled with items for “a night at the theatre”, “vacation”, “outdoor living”, “games night”, “school days”, “kitchenware”, “gardening”, “coffee bar” , “tea for two” or “bath and beauty”, just to name a few.   Each filled box makes an attractive gift or keep it for yourself and display it at home.

 Between now and the festival, watch for our travelling “Outside the Box” display! The 6-foot tall stack of boxes looks like the poster graphic.  Can you find it around town? Let us know where you spot it! Hint: The first location is at Beyond Bliss on Main Street this week.  Please patronize these community-minded  businesses!

Summer’s Coming and so is… Music in the Park

Summertime is outdoor concert time in Oliver! The arts council has been hosting Music in the Park concerts at the old CPR station for 11 years now, and they keep getting better and better. We make sure to bring back your favourites, but there’s always lots of new music in the mix.

This year, things get off to a heart thumping start with something new: West African drumming and dancing courtesy of Nankama, with leader Bobby Bovenzi. Local audiences will know Lou Lou and the Scrappers,  newcomers to Music in the Park,  and will love their  1940s flair.  The Naden Band of the Maritime Pacific will present sure-fire entertainment.  

Some old faves return after an absence: Long John Baldy ( a tongue in cheek name for a local rock /alternative group), and Shindigger Rick Wood with his classic rock n roll on guitar. 

Gospel Night always brings out a crowd. Ingrid Schellenberg returns with lyrical sounds from her harp. And the season would never be complete without Jazz  Out West closing out the summer. They are pictured at left from their 2010 concert.

The Oliver Community Arts Council presents
Music in the Park
Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
July 7 – August 25
Oliver Visitor Centre: Riverside Patio
(Rain Venue: Quail’s Nest Arts Centre)
Suggested minimum donation: $3
Dessert Vendor on site! Buy a tasty treat!
 
July 7: Nankama Drum and Dance: toe-tapping West African rhythms
July 14: Lou Lou and the Scrappers: hits from the 30s and 40s
July 21: Long John Baldy: rock and alternative music
July 28: Shindigger Rick Wood: classic rock ‘n’ roll
August 4: The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific: big band, swing, dixie, and show tunes
August 11: Gospel Night: joyful inspirational music
August 18: Ingrid Schellenberg on Harp: Celtic, classical and popular music
August 25: Jazz Out West: light jazz and favourite standards

Please support this program generously. It is costly to produce, so those donations are sure welcome!

Photo credit: Heather Fink

Summer's Coming and so is… Music in the Park

Summertime is outdoor concert time in Oliver! The arts council has been hosting Music in the Park concerts at the old CPR station for 11 years now, and they keep getting better and better. We make sure to bring back your favourites, but there’s always lots of new music in the mix.

This year, things get off to a heart thumping start with something new: West African drumming and dancing courtesy of Nankama, with leader Bobby Bovenzi. Local audiences will know Lou Lou and the Scrappers,  newcomers to Music in the Park,  and will love their  1940s flair.  The Naden Band of the Maritime Pacific will present sure-fire entertainment.  

Some old faves return after an absence: Long John Baldy ( a tongue in cheek name for a local rock /alternative group), and Shindigger Rick Wood with his classic rock n roll on guitar. 

Gospel Night always brings out a crowd. Ingrid Schellenberg returns with lyrical sounds from her harp. And the season would never be complete without Jazz  Out West closing out the summer. They are pictured at left from their 2010 concert.

The Oliver Community Arts Council presents
Music in the Park
Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
July 7 – August 25
Oliver Visitor Centre: Riverside Patio
(Rain Venue: Quail’s Nest Arts Centre)
Suggested minimum donation: $3
Dessert Vendor on site! Buy a tasty treat!
 
July 7: Nankama Drum and Dance: toe-tapping West African rhythms
July 14: Lou Lou and the Scrappers: hits from the 30s and 40s
July 21: Long John Baldy: rock and alternative music
July 28: Shindigger Rick Wood: classic rock ‘n’ roll
August 4: The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific: big band, swing, dixie, and show tunes
August 11: Gospel Night: joyful inspirational music
August 18: Ingrid Schellenberg on Harp: Celtic, classical and popular music
August 25: Jazz Out West: light jazz and favourite standards

Please support this program generously. It is costly to produce, so those donations are sure welcome!

Photo credit: Heather Fink

Fall Art Show and Sale: Those Were the Days

The 2010 Fall Art Show and Sale  waxes nostalgic this year, with a competition, exhibit, and sale that reminisces: “Aaaah, those were the days!”  Paired with Oliver’s Festival of the Grape for several years now and held at the same venue, the Oliver Community Arts Council event always draws a huge crowd of locals and tourists.

The Fall Art Show and Sale is held on Saturday October 2 and Sunday October 3 at the Oliver Community Centre Hall.  The Saturday event opens at 3 p.m. with an exhibit, sale, and public voting on the competitive entries.  Free admission on Saturday from 3 – 9 p.m. 

This year, 71 works of art will compete across seven categories: Painting – Representational, Painting – Abstract, Photography, Fibre Arts, Three – Dimensional, New Media, and Emerging Artists (under 19) .  The winners are selected by public ballot. An overall best-in-show category requires the winning entry to reflect “Best Interpretation of the Theme”.  The theme, “Those Were the Days”,  is broad enough to allow artists a wide interpretation: last summer’s vacation to the last century’s pioneer culture.

In addition to the competitive entries, two non-competitive displays will also be on show. The Oliver and District Heritage Society exhibits a slice of Oliver’s history with their display of Oliver’s Museum and Archives  treasures from the 1930’s. The popular RipOff Artists will present their latest multimedia interpretation of a famous artwork: Lawren Harris’ Mount Lefroy. The Group of Seven painting is recreated in wood,  quilting, weaving, oils, watercolours, encaustic (wax), photography, and three-dimensional installations.

Mirroring the nostalgic theme, the Oliver Community Arts Council will run a silent auction of small antiques and collectables from the early to mid 20th century.  Among the charming items for bid are a bakelite vanity set from the 1920s, Royal Winton chintzware, and several porcelain and silver items.  The collectables silent auction will run across both Saturday and Sunday. An additional wine auction will run on the Saturday only.

Visit the information table both days for promotional items, OCAC memberships, publicity about upcoming arts events, and information about OCAC member groups and businesses. Learn about the work of the Oliver Community Arts Council by viewing their powerpoint presentation. Make an offer on two lovely  works of art donated to the council for fund raising purposes. 

On Saturday evening, a public reception begins at  7 p.m. with live entertainment, appetizers, and wine. At 8 p.m. voting on entries closes and the ballots are counted. Right before 9 p.m., winners in all categories will be announced. Silent auction winners can claim their wine prizes.  

 On Sunday, the Fall Art Show and Sale continues by admission through your Festival of the Grape  ticket. The exhibit is open from 12:00 noon to 5:30 p.m. Although the competitive portion is over, the show and sale continues. View the winners across all categories. Wander through the Heritage Society and RipOff Artists’ exhibits. Meet the artists. Make a silent auction bid on “Those Were the Days” collectables before 5:00 p.m!  Become a member of the Oliver Community Arts Council. Buy some OCAC promotional items. Wax nostalgic, fall in love with art, and purchase artwork at the sale. Bring your chequebook and plastic!  Take a piece of Oliver home with you!

Poster artwork by Evie New
Poster layout by Heather Fink

Music, Sweet Music

Have a look at Music in the Park’s photo album of outdoor summer concerts:

The Desert Airs Men’s Chorus work their a cappella magic on the crowd at Music in the Park’s opening concert July 8.

The Nouveau trio, featuring Chris Stodola on piano, and Lori Stodola  (voice) share the opening night with the Desert Airs.

Shane Swift and Luke Whittall share some fun moments making indie folk music on July 15th.

The ever-popular Dale Seaman delivers great country hits and some of his own songs on July 29th.

Singer-songwriter  Deborah Lee Puder wows the crowd with her compositions, on August 5th, backed by a trio of great local musicians.

The young men of  Tusk Mountain ( Travis Eek, Carson Ruhland, and Mike Szalay) rock out  on August 12.

Ladies’ turn! Zyonya MacKenzie and sister Chenoa sing on August 12.

Celtic harmonies with harpist  Ingrid Schellenberg, on August 19th, 2010

All photos courtesy of Heather Fink.

So where will you be on Thursday nights in August? At Oliver’s CPR Station (Visitor Information Centre) of course! See you at 6:30 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket, even a picnic, and a $3.00+ donation!  

 
August 26th: Jazz Out West, light jazz and vocal standards