The Ripoff Artists are at it again! This year, the target of their larcenous endeavours is A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven, and his “Hills Killarney (Nellie Lake).” See for yourself as the Ripoff Artists use sly skills to interpret this artwork in their own media, every day from July 6 to 10, 9 am to 3 pm, at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre at 5840 Airport Street in Oliver. Saturday will be the big rush to finish their pieces before 3 pm!

In honour of Oliver’s 100×100 celebration, the nefarious gang interpreted Oliver landmarks in the style of A.Y. Jackson, even luring members of the SOSS Art Club into artistic skulduggery. See their efforts on display at the Quail’s Nest, as they warmed up their slippery fingers and artistic wiles for this summer’s shameless exploitation of a Canadian art legend.

Alexander Young Jackson (1882-1974) was born in Montreal, worked in a printer’s shop as a boy, and studied fine art there. He later studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and spent time in France. Montreal had no interest in new Canadian art, then a letter from eager young painters about one of his paintings took Jackson to the cultural backwater of Toronto. His knowledge of the art world and the fresh ideas of Tom Thomson and others combined into innovative ways of painting the rugged Canadian landscape. The friends set themselves up in a large studio in downtown Toronto, and made canoeing trips to Algonquin Park and Georgian Bay, sitting on rocks and stumps in all weathers to paint tiny panels they expanded into full sized paintings back in Toronto.

Jackson shared a studio with Thomson, then served as a war artist in the First World War. In 1920, the “Algonquin” painters exhibited for the first time as the Group of Seven.

Jackson was often seen as the spokesman of the Group. Another member, Arthur Lismer, wrote that “Jackson has done more than any other writer or artist to bind us to our own environment and make us vitally aware of the significance, beauty and character of the land.” Jackson was the last surviving member of the Group of Seven and is buried in the grounds of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario.

For more information about the Ripoff Artists, visit their website at ripoffartists.ca and follow them on Facebook at South Okanagan Ripoff Artists.

Art is definitely not “for the birds” – except in this one instance. The Oliver Community Arts Council and the Fibre Art Network (FAN) are excited to be sponsoring “For the Birds”, a travelling art exhibit featuring a flock of 88 feathered friends. This colourful display of fibre art from across Western Canada comes to roost briefly at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver before taking flight on a three-year tour.

Using birds as their theme, 62 members of FAN created personal interpretations of all aspects of a bird’s life, interests and interactions with the world it inhabits. The exhibit features eight-inch square pieces of artwork in a wide variety of fibre mediums, styles and innovative techniques. Each miniature, like the birds they represent, is a tiny marvel of ingenuity and beauty.

The exhibit will be open July 16 and 17, Friday and Saturday, from 10 am – 4 pm both days, in the smaller Studio Building at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre (5840 Airport Street, Oliver). Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Any current COVID-19 restrictions will apply. Weather permitting, the Studio bay doors will be rolled open for maximum ventilation.

FAN is a 90+ member co-operative network of fibre artists from across Western Canada. Every year, FAN produces a large format exhibition for galleries, and a small format exhibit designed to be loaned to guilds, art groups and libraries throughout Canada for a three-year tour.

For the Birds is the group’s current small exhibit, which begins extensive touring in September. The Arts Council and FAN are pleased to preview this exhibit before it migrates to other parts of Canada. See it before it flies away! Binoculars not required.

To learn more about this exhibit or other FAN exhibitions and artists, go to fibreartnetwork.com.

Good news! The Quail’s Nest Arts Centre has reopened just in time for Summer Studio bookings!

OCAC members can book the Studio Building for weekly summer rentals at the unbelievably low price of a $75 flat fee. Weeks are still available in July and August. BOOK SOON before the remaining weeks are gone!

A “week” is a minimum of three consecutive days to a maximum of six consecutive days within the Sunday to Saturday weekly calendar. e.g. Tuesday to Thursday, Monday to Saturday.  The same $75 fee applies regardless how many days in the week you use. 

Offer a small workshop, open a temporary studio, hold a series of demonstrations, advertise a sale, teach classes – any event of an artistic nature. Or book the space for your own personal artistic time, especially if you need a larger space for “messy” work or uninterrupted quiet: do some painting, spinning or dyeing, practicing music or recording a video.

Everyone must comply with our COVID Safety Plan when using the building, including compliance with occupancy limits, contact tracing, and sanitizing.

The Quail’s Nest Arts Centre is located at 5840 Airport Street, Oliver BC. The smaller of the two buildings, the STUDIO building (pictured), is available for rent. It has undergone several small renovations in the past year. 

While the space is not air-conditioned, the bays and doors open up for a nice breeze.  There is a full kitchen to make your lunch and chill some bevvies. There is WiFi to support your digital media. If you anticipate a lot of kitchen use (cooking meals, running the dishwasher) or a liquor event, add a $10 surcharge. 

Renting for consecutive days means you also have exclusive use during evenings and overnight, so you can store your supplies without interruption. Of course, you are also responsible for your own “no-trace” cleanup at the end. We have cleaning supplies to help you with that! 

Contact the rental agent by EMAIL for information and bookings. When your dates are confirmed, you can use the Rental form HERE to complete the rental contract and submit your payment.