The votes have been tallied for this year’s Quilt Show.  Best in Show was Nancy Eichel for her quilt Double Vision:

Cindy Hannah won the Out of the Blue quilt challenge. As the winner, she will come up with the challenge for the next Quilt show here in Oliver, in 3 years time!

And Viewers Choice was The Story Quilt by Lynda Brown (below are front and back views of this quilt):

Although a small town, Oliver knows how to grow big talent, if local youth are anything to go by. Young singers, pianists, artists, photographers, dancers and multi-instrumentalists all get their start under the tutelage of stellar local teachers.  On the evening of Wednesday May 3, some of Oliver’s classiest musicians take centre stage at Showcase of Talent in the Venables Theatre lobby. Music students will perform selections from recent Kiwanis Festival competitions, highlights from musical theatre, and recital pieces from their studies.  Their repertoire is wide-ranging: blues, jazz, and pop, as well as classical. All performers will be acknowledged with bursaries to assist with their music education. Many Showcase “graduates” have continued performing as adults, even professionally. Meet the performers at the reception following:  autographs are welcome!

The rotunda venue allows the students to play the new Petrof grand piano, a memorial to local music teacher Agnes Sutherland. The intimate setting also creates a mellow, bell-like acoustics, with the sound filling the space and floating to the mezzanine above.  An added bonus at this season is the views from the rotunda windows, adding visual beauty to the beautiful sound.

Showcase of Talent begins at 7:00 p.m. Admission is by donation. Refreshments will be served.

Showcase of Talent is sponsored by Oliver Kiwanis, and presented by the Oliver Community Arts Council.

File photo: 14-year old Kelan Harty plays the Petrof Grand in the rotunda of the Venables Theatre, January 28, 2017

Wednesday, May 3 – 7:00
Oliver Community Arts Council presents
SHOWCASE OF TALENT
Youth Recital

Come out to see come of the talented youth of Oliver showcase their talents in the theatre’s beautiful lobby. If you haven’t had a chance to hear the Agnes Sutherland Memorial Piano in performance, now is your chance! Refreshments will be served.

Admission by Donation
General Seating
​Performance takes place in the Theatre lobby.

Visit venablestheatre.ca for info.

During this long-awaited spring season why not pair your wine touring with some Art touring! The Artists of the South Okanagan-Similkameen (Federation of Canadian Artists) are pleased to show a collection of member works in their upcoming spring exhibit “New Beginnings” at Leir House Cultural Centre, 220 Manor Park Avenue, Penticton B.C.

The exhibit is on May 5 – May 26 from Tuesday – Friday 10:00AM – 4:00PM.   For more information please visit our website at  http://fca-sos.ca

Cast and crew look forward to presenting SOAP’s production of this dysfunctional comedy dealing with love, death and dependencies… but most of all, about family and the influence family has on all of our lives.

Set in her once-charming East Vancouver home, we encounter a peculiar relationship between Denny and her “fur-son” Jack, a very senior Jack Russell Terrier. Denny’s siblings, Mike and Fanny, each carry their own baggage; and after meeting their mother, Dolly, we realize the apples have not fallen far from the tree. Mike’s long-time friend, Chuck, shows up for Dolly’s birthday party because…. well let’s just say it’s not to visit with Mike. Rounding out the family tree is Fanny’s son Danno. Although we can hardly blame Danno for having run away, it seems he really was “lucky to be born into this family.”

Vancouver playwright, Susinn McFarlen’s, Since You Left Us is definitely a comedy, farcical in parts, dark at times and touching at others; it promises to be be an entertaining evening for anyone with a family, good or bad! For more show details and ticket information, please visit the show page at www.soplayers.ca/since-you-left-us

Since You Left Us opens at OSS Theatre in Osoyoos on Friday-Saturday April 28-29, moving to Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver on Friday-Saturday May 5-6. All shows start at 7:30. 

**Warning – Adult Themes and Occasional Coarse Language**

Since You Left Us will also be SOAP Theatre’s entry in the 2017 Okanagan Zone Theatre festival in Salmon Arm on May 25.

The 2017 Quilt Show presented by the Double O Quilters ran on Friday April 7 and Saturday April 8 at the Community Centre. The event also featured several demonstrations, a special exhibit by Enid Baker and Shirley Cade, and a silent auction.  Hover over each photo to see the title of each quilt and the name of its creator.  

Two Months Remaining for Artist Submissions

Until May 31, 2017

The Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP)

Offering $30,000 in Awards

Canadian artists and permanent residents of Canada are invited to submit their 2D and 3D work for consideration to this national art prize jury.

In its second year, SSNAP is offering $30,000 in awards.

The intent of SSNAP is to encourage artists whose practice demonstrates originality, quality, integrity and creativity, resulting in significant work with visual impact and depth of meaning.

Finalists will be chosen by an independent jury from across Canada and artists’ submissions will be anonymous to the jury.

 SSNAP Is Offering Awards Totalling $30,000:

THE JOAN McCONNELL AWARD for OUTSTANDING WORK: $17,000 ($12,000 and a $5,000 Salt Spring Island artists residency)

THE STEPHEN P ROBERTS JURORS’ CHOICE AWARDS: three awards of $2,000 selected by each juror

THE ROSEMARIE BEHNCKE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS: with a 1st Prize of $3,000, 2nd Prize of $2,000 and 3rd Prize of $1,000 determined by a vote of visitors to the exhibition

THE ASA (Alliance of Salt Spring Artists) AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SALT SPRING ISLAND ARTIST: $1,000

Approximately 50 final works will be selected for exhibition and sale at historic Mahon Hall on Salt Spring Island, from September 22 through to October 22, 2017. The list of finalists will be announced by July 19, with winners announced at the awards gala on Saturday, October 21, 2017.  

Our accomplished jurors are David Garneau (Associate Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina), Denis Longchamps (Artistic Director and Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Burlington), and Naomi Potter (Director/Curator of Esker Foundation Calgary). They all share a deep knowledge of Canadian art while bringing diverse areas of expertise and perspective on submissions to a national art show.

 The call for submissions is open to May 31, 2017, with details found on our website at The Salt Spring National Art Prize.

The boys are flying in from Toronto for tonight’s show! There are still a few tickets available. Students with a secondary or elementary school ID card can get a ticket at the door at 1/2 price.