Monthly Archives: March 2017

Canada 150 Mosaic Mural has a tile for you

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The Town of Oliver has received full funding for an exciting community arts project called the Canada 150 Mosaic Mural. Six hundred tiles will be individually hand-painted and mounted to create one iconic image representing Oliver. Each tile, while restricted to certain colours, can be painted in a mini-scene of each artist’s own choosing.  The finished artwork will be assembled and permanently installed on the east side of the Archives building, facing Main Street near the John Oliver statue.

Every person in Oliver BC, artist or not, is invited to paint their own tile. It only takes one hour! Children, seniors, all abilities are welcome. This is a terrific opportunity for groups, organizations, and classes to paint together. Gather your art group, book club, friends, neighbourhood, church group, school class  — whatever! — and make a fun group activity. Or book yourself solo and celebrate the “150” with other folks in your one-hour time slot.

The painting days are Tuesday May 30, Wednesday May 31 and Thursday June 1. Times are 10 – 7 on the first day, and 10 – 4 on the last two days. Closed for lunch from 12 – 1 each day. Pick the best one-hour slot that works for you.

The arts council is providing the painting venue, the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre, 5840 Airport Street. There will be room for between 30 and 40 participants per 1-hour slot.

INFORMATION about the Canada 150 Mosaic Project:

http://oliver.ca/canada-150-mosaic-oliver

BOOK your slot:

http://oliver.ca/canada-150-mural-mosaic-book-spot-community-painting-workshop

You can book for yourself, or on behalf of your group, but you will need to provide the exact number of participants at time of booking. Don’t miss out!

You can also get some help at Oliver Town Hall by booking by phone:

(250) 485-6200

Create a lasting memory and celebrate Canada’s birthday with us!

Line, Light, & Living Things on Fabric

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Janet is passionate in her work with fabric. She finds the textures that emerge from manipulating fabrics delightful. She hand dyes and paints the fabrics in her art. She loves mixing media, fabric and paper in particular. She always uses stitch to join and elevate the mix of media. Her goal with fabric creations is to excite viewers to appreciate the beauty and mystery of living thing. There is so much around us that is magnificent if only we would take the time to notice it.

Please join Janet at the “vernissage” Artist Opening Event on Saturday, March 4, from 11am-1pm.

RESPECT NETWORK EVENT

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Each year South Okanagan Immigrant & Community Services (SOICS) host an annual event to promote the values of tolerance and racial equality in the South Okanagan through Respect Network funding. This year, we are using the funding to host a 2.5 hour workshop which will raise awareness on how body language and choice of words can be impactful in building tolerance.

The facilitator is a PhD student from UBCO who aims to incorporate a simulation game to raise awareness on various elements that contribute to cultural conflict. She will also present scenarios of racial discrimination and how to apply our newly developed knowledge to diffuse those remarks. 

March 15, 2017

3:30 – 6:00 pm

207 – 399 Main Street, Penticton

It is a free workshop, however we are requesting guests to RSVP to Tahira Saeed:  tahiras @ soics.ca

Wine Capital Art Walk

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CALL FOR ARTISTS: Wine Capital Art Walk (Thursday, May 11, 2017)

This spring, there is an exciting opportunity for artists connected with the Oliver Community Arts Council. The OCAC is collaborating with other Oliver organizations to host an art walk on the evening of Thursday May 11 from 6 – 8 p.m. Participating artists (in all media) will be paired with main street businesses to display their best work. Currently, the committee is considering only the first block of Main Street north of the Fairview Road intersection.

This Call for Artists is open to all visual media:

* photography

* digital media such as computer graphics and film

* three-dimensional, such as pottery, sculpture, mixed media installations, metalwork,   woodwork, jewelry and other artisan crafts

* fibre and fabric arts, such as quilting, weaving, spinning, clothing/fashion

* painting, including acrylics, oils, watercolours

* mixed / other two dimensional media, such as charcoal, ink, encaustic, and collage

All artwork must be display ready. Sale pieces are welcome. Artists must be present during the event and take responsibility for their own sales.

Space may also be available for performing arts:

* street theatre and improv

* dance

* live music (choir, band, instrumental soloists)

* other entertainers

NOTE: This component will be limited by available space and noise level.

There is no entry fee and no commission. However, preference will be given to artists who are members of the Oliver Community Arts Council. Membership forms are available at OCAC Membership  or olivercac @ gmail.com

Only artists who have been confirmed as an entrant may display or demonstrate their art at the event. The committee reserves the right to choose the business venue for each participating artist. In cases where more than one artist will display in one business, the committee also reserves the right to pair artists.

Interested artists should contact Tara Hovanes  hovanes @ telus.net  250-498-6132

Background Information

Last year’s Art Walk (April 28, 2016) opened quietly, testing the waters for a larger event. The evening was so successful, several new components will be added this year. We hope the event will continue to grow over the years. Here are some proposals for 2017:

* including Medici’s Gelateria and Coffeehouse as both a gallery space and as the concluding gathering space for refreshments and art draws (see below)

* food service by local restaurants in finger-food, street vendor style

* sidewalk art by local children through the Town Hall Rose Garden

* live art demonstrations at select locations, such as hand-built pottery, spinning, portraiture

* a “passport” map as a guide, stamped for access to activities, and / or used as a draw ticket

* live music

* gift basket and / or mini art draws

* Robert Woods art draw (in support of the Agnes Sutherland Memorial Piano)

There may be opportunities for arts-related businesses that are not located on the first block of Main Street to participate in street vendor style.

This event date has been moved to pair with the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival (May 4 – 14).  There will be wine tastings available during the art walk. Stay tuned for other exciting wine-related news.

The Wine Capital Art Walk also plans to include the Wine Barrel Painting event under its banner this year. The event will host a week of barrel painting at a downtown location, as a demonstration open to the public, and culminating on the May 11 art walk. Silent auction bids will be accepted all week long and the finished barrels will be sold off on that Thursday evening. A Call for Artists for the barrel painting event will be arranged separately.

Arts council 2017 a burst of creativity

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With a full slate of officers and directors, four of them new, the Oliver Community Arts Council is ready for a creative 2017. The council starts the year with several new arts projects already in the works, a high rating of their year-end finances, and the highest ever performance award from the BC Arts Council with the operating grant totalling over $13,000. A local government grant of $4000 will be added to this total later in 2017.

In 2016, the arts council disbursed funds locally to arts and music programs in local schools ($5,000), contracted services for nine local arts events ($4500), and offered two bursaries to graduating SOSS students ($1000), in addition to administering its own arts events and maintaining the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre.

At their Annual General Meeting on Monday February 13, the arts council membership acclaimed directors Janet Bednarczyk, Andrea Gunnlaughson-Furlan,  Brian Mapplebeck, Bernice Myllyniemi, Lillian Sim, JoAnn Turner, Caroline Whyte, and officers  Penelope Johnson (President), Janice Goodman (Vice President), Diane Gludovatz (Treasurer) and Nathan Linders (Secretary). The gathering gave their appreciation for retiring directors Terry Irvine and Christine Seibeck, and also expressed their gratitude for departing Treasurer Arleyene Farnworth. Farnworth has been contracted for service as the external bookkeeper, maintaining the computerized system for the council.

The council has just completed a smooth transition to the new BC Societies Act and, at the AGM, approved a full set of new by-laws, based on the government’s Model By-laws.

During the meeting, plans for the Wine Capital Art Walk (May 11) and the Canada 150 Mosaic Mural Project (May 30 – June 1) were announced. A committee of arts council members, Oliver Tourism, Oliver-Osoyoos Winery Association, and the Oliver Business Association are already preparing for an evening art extravaganza on Main Street this spring, including exhibits, live demonstrations, wine tastings, live music, and other performance art.  The evening concludes with art draws and refreshments at Medici’s. The arts council is also supporting the Town of Oliver in a community arts initiative to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial. This spring, all residents will be invited to paint one of 600 tiles in a mosaic mural, to be mounted in the downtown area later this year.

Following the business of the AGM, representatives from member arts groups shared their news for upcoming arts events. Three choral concerts, several music and dance performances, fibre workshops, a theatrical production, and some exciting Canada 150 exhibits are already being planned this spring.

The arts council has set dates for all its 2017 events. In addition to the Wine Capital Art Walk and the Mosaic Mural Project, the arts council will present the following events: Showcase of Talent (May 3), Music in the Park (every Thursday evening in July and August), the Fall Art Show & Sale (Sept 30 – Oct 1) and the Community Christmas Concert (November 26).

Membership in the arts council is a great way to keep current with local arts news, stay connected with artists, and show support for the arts. Membership at the group and business level includes free advertising in monthly newsletters, on the website, and at their public events. More information is at https://oliverartscouncil.org/?page_id=9604 and olivercac @ gmail.com