CreateAbility is an arts council program that offers monthly art workshops  to adults with special needs. Each session has 4 – 5 volunteer instructors and 10 – 20 clients with their care givers.  Most are local, some from as far away as Penticton, some in sheltered housing, some employed in sheltered work environments, all enjoying some creative energy! Every workshop has 3 – 5 different art stations with various media available, to keep everyone’s interest high.

We are always on the lookout for a variety of art instructors. The cost of supplies is reimbursed and instructors receive an honorarium. Mentorship is available for all new instructors. Request a visit, a tour, or a discussion with a member of the CreateAbility committee who will provide helpful guidance. A criminal record check is required to work with vulnerable adults, but the arts council provides a link to the form and there is no cost.  Contact OliverCAC @ gmail.com 

The program is very rewarding and beneficial to clients , aides and instructors alike.. Here are what some clients and care aides have to say:

” My residents love coming to the program when it is offered and happily give up other activities they love in order to attend the program. This says a lot about how much they enjoy this program.”

“I feel so empowered; I feel like I can do things, like this is one place where I can be independent. I surprise myself with what I can do on my own. I did not think I would be able to do this.”

“I am so impressed with the wonderful instructors in the CreateAbility program. They give their time and expertise so willingly to both care staff and participants. They make us feel like we all can be artists; like we all have hidden talents. I love the variety of art work they present each
time. There is not much talking – just doing which I like.”

“I love the people. They are so friendly and nice. They make me feel
good. I like the aft too. I like that I can choose where to go. If I want to spend more tirne on one station I can. If I want to come back and do more in one place and skip another I can.”

“Many of my clients are unable to express verbally how they think or how they feel. The art work gives them a canvas to show their emotions – joy, anger, sadness, wonder. Their art work shows me a different side of them. I can see and feel what they are thinking about through their art.”

“I love the colors. Pink is my favorite color and the teachers always have lots of pink. There are different things to try and have fun with but my most fun thing is to make cards which I can send to my boyfriend or family.”

“As a support worker I seldom have any personal time. I love the fact that when I attend the CreateAbility sessions even though I am working I feel like I am doing something good for myself. It feels like fun for me and I leave feeling happy and encouraged.”

CreateAbility art cards are available for sale at Maker Place, 101 6272 Station Street, Oliver, BC. Tues – Fri 10 – 5 and Saturday 12 – 5. They cost $5.00/single card or $15.00 for 4. Proceeds go towards purchasing art supplies to maintain this program.

Thank you to Munday Media and Design for their support of the Art Card project!

Women of Oliver for Women host

Mainly for Women Trade Show

Saturday February 16

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Oliver Community Centre

Lunches, Refreshments, Door Prizes Book your Table ! – $50

Entry Deadline: February 6

Entry Forms: www.wowoliver.org or below

The Trade Show began in 1993 as a fundraiser for Soroptimist International of Oliver. When that group disbanded in 2003, the Trade Show continued through the work of the WOW Club.

The Trade show title “Mainly for Women” reflects our mission statement, with the funds raised going to support our projects which focus mainly on women and children within our community.

Trade show displays feature everything from beautifully handcrafted jewelry to pottery, wood crafts, fibre art, health products and services, real estate and investments, home improvement, fashion, food, and many more themes.

The ‘Mainly for Women’ Trade Show occurs every February, on the third Saturday of that month.  Forty to sixty individual vendors showcase their wares in the Oliver Community Centre, where there is free parking for patrons.  A lunch and snack area is available.

If you would like to be part of this Trade Show, please download the information package and the entry form.

WOW Trade Show INfo Sheet 2019

WOW Trade Show Entry Form 2019

Doulandie presents
Dancing for Birth
from preconception to postpartum!
Tuesdays: January 22 – February 26
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Plass

a new community space for movement, education, art & expression
6570 Park Drive, Oliver
(upstairs from Park Drive Church)
$75 for 6 classes in a session, or $15 drop in
(604) 842-5050 or Email:  Doulandie

Maker Place hosts

2019 Vision Board Workshop

Set our intentions for the coming year

Jan 19 and Jan 23

7 – 10 p.m.

Maker Place

101 – 6272 Station Street, Oliver

Register and Info: (250) 498-6696  or Email:  Maker Place

Maker Place on FaceBook

Bring any mixed media, be it magazines, notes, photo’s to add to a board. A board can be cardboard, picture frame, corkboard or anything you want to create with. We will supply glue, scissors, modge podge, tea, coffee and a great table to work at. Last year we had a packed house full of laughter and sharing. We will kick off the night with smudging and a prayer to the goddess.

Start the dreaming of how you want your best year to be!

Beyond Therapy
by Christopher Durang
Directed by Nathan Linders
February 1, 2, 8 and 9
Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday February 3
Sunday matinee 2:00 p.m.
Venables Theatre, Oliver

TICKETS:
Adults: $23 in advance; $25 day of the show
Students (with ID): $14 in advance; $15 day of the show

TICKETS HERE

INFORMATION

Things are getting a little crazy in Oliver. In an old highways shed on Airport Street that members of community theatre troupe, SOAP Theatre, affectionately refer to as “Big Blue”, the cast and crew of Beyond Therapy are working hard putting on the finishing touches for opening night on February 1. In rehearsal since late 2018, they are almost ready to present a bold and controversial story of a strange, double love triangle.

Beyond Therapy was written by Christopher Durang in the late seventies and remains one of Durang’s most frequently-produced plays to this day. It opened off-Broadway with big names like Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Collins. The success of the off-Broadway presentation led to a second run in the late spring of 1982, where David Hyde-Pierce made his stage debut.

The cast seem undaunted by the very big shoes they need to fill, and the air is alive with laughter and excitement on rehearsal nights as they are closing in on opening night. The story is set in 1977 New York, when therapist Charlotte Wallace (Diane Gludovatz) has encouraged her patient Bruce (Joel Browne,) despite being in a monogamous relationship, to place a personal ad which is answered by Prudence (Jenn MacNeil). Prudence is nonplussed by Bruce’s plan to keep his current lover, Bob (Craig Bjornson), in the garage while they marry and have children. The encounter is ill-fated and ends disastrously due to the couple’s incompatibility and Bruce’s rush to seek a premature commitment from the date he just met.

Bruce’s rush to commitment isn’t the only aspect of the story where we can apply the term ‘premature’. We soon learn of the dysfunctional relationship between Prudence and her therapist, Stewart (Trevor Leigh), whose shortcomings are exacerbated by his own insecurities and deep-seated jealousy of Prudence’s attention to Bruce.

With the table set, Bruce and Prudence meet again in a strange twist of fate. Their relationship warms, but what good can come of therapy when the therapists need more help than their patients? Can Bruce learn to find balance and reconcile his two lovers? Can Prudence learn to assert herself and escape the madness, or are they all Beyond Therapy?

Things come to a head in The Restaurant where the waiter Andrew (Tristan Duursma) never seems to show up.

Five performances are scheduled at Venables Theatre at 6100 Gala Street in Oliver. Curtain time is 7:30 pm on February 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th, and a Sunday matinee will commence at 2 pm on February 3rd. Reserved tickets are available online at www.venablestheatre.ca. If you prefer to buy in person, the ticket office, located at 6100 Gala Street in Oliver, is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. You can also buy by phone at 250-498-1626 during the same office hours. Some tickets are also available at Your Dollar Store With More in Osoyoos. Purchase early for best selection and a discount from day-of-show prices.

Warning: Adult themes and strong language.

When was the last time you laughed as hard as your kids?

Alex Zerbe: The Professional Zaniac bounces on to the Venables Theatre stage Friday January 25th. A self-described “human cartoon,” his show isnʼt only for the young ones in the family.

See his many talents on display in this promo video:

With the energy of 1,000 suns, Alex moves like a rubber band from one end of the stage to the other. Beatboxing, juggling, dancing and magic!

The “Professional Zaniac” zigzags between physical stunts and non-stop comedy. During the show vegetables are sliced in half by flying playing cards, bowling balls are juggled with ease and every audience volunteer leaves the stage in triumph.

Zerbe is a Hacky Sack World Champion, was voted The Pacific Northwest’s Funniest Prop Comic and is a two-time Guinness World Record holder. Heʼs performed everywhere from cruise ships and comedy clubs to prime-time television in three countries, including “Americaʼs Got Talent!” and “Last Comic Standing”.

Alex Zerbe: The Professional Zaniac shares his wacky comedy Friday January 25th at 6:30. Series tickets are only $30 for the remaining three shows or individual show tickets can be purchased for $12.50. Tickets and more information can be found at www.venablestheatre.ca

The Firehall Brewery honours Robbie Burns Day in fine, traditional style.

Robbie Burns Day

Friday January 25

Soup 4:30 p.m.

Haggis 5:30 p.m.

Firehall Brewery “Beer Shop & Social”

6077 Main Street, Downstairs (Alley Access), Oliver, BC

(778) 439-2337

Haggis, stew, kilts, poetry, perhaps some keg throwing. We will be having a night for the Scots and those who love them. Don’t miss the Address to the Haggis. We will have some amazing stew made by our Beer Department members of the month and there will be Scotch available for a wee dram. There is no charge for entry so come and enjoy the pipes and the great company.
NEW WINTER HOURS at the Firehall Brewery:

3 – 7 Tuesday – Thursday

2 – 9 Friday & Saturday

Closed Sunday & Monday

We will always stay open later if there are events happening.

The Fox Returns… Oliver BC was fortunate to have Lion Bear Fox come and play in March. We have lured Ryan McMahon, The Fox, back for another special show on Thursday January 24.

Advance ticket sales at the Firehall Brewery Beer Shop & Social, and limited in quantity at $20 per person. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. but the doors open at 6:30 p.m. for beer sipping and schmoozing!

Firehall Brewery (lower level) 6077 Main St. in Oliver. 778-439-2337.

Ryan McMahon is an incredibly talented vocalist, musician and entertainer. He fills not only the stage but the whole house wherever he plays. Lion Bear Fox is most likely the best band in BC. Ryan McMahon has and has had a huge impact on the band’s success.

Ryan has carved out a 17-year career as an independent artist in Canada’s vibrant music scene. A genre fence sitter, hanging out on the edges of country just enough to say he isn’t. He has toured Canada countless times, released four full-length albums. He has garnered 3 wins (Male Vocalist, Record & Artist of the Year) at the Vancouver Island Music Awards.

In April of 2014, Showtime’s original series, “Californication” featured the single “I’ll Be Damned”.

Canadian TV/Radio personality Terry David Mulligan summed up Ryan best: “The complete package. Singer. Songwriter. Performer. Troublemaker. Passionate human being. For me… priceless.”

Do you like to travel? Enjoy meeting the local people? Then join us at the library to hear how you can do both by becoming a travelling ambassador of Friendship Force Penticton-Okanagan. Travel on “Journeys” to over 60 countries and start making friends all over the world. Registration appreciated. Drop in welcome. This is a FREE program. Click on link to register:

Friendship Force

Night Moves
Bob Seger /John Fogerty tribute band
Friday January 18
7:30 p.m.
Venables Theatre
6100 Gala Street
Tickets: $35
https://www.venablestheatre.ca/coming-soon.html

Tribute artist Dan Hare re-creates Bob Seger and John Fogerty (of Creedence Clearwater Revival). Two American music legends, all in one evening of entertainment!

Bob Seger hits included Night Moves, Fire Lake, Against the Wind, Old Time Rocik ‘n’ Roll, and Like a Rock
Seger Tribute Video:

Fogerty (CCR) hits included Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, Up around the Bend, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Lookin’ Out My Back Door.
Fogerty Tribute Video:

Hear them all, and sing along!

SOSS Art Club invites you to attend
“Semester End Celebration of Student Achievement”
Thursday January 17
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Southern Okanagan Secondary School
Entrance through the main doors.
There will be a lot of student artwork on display from Lindsey McVicar’s art and photography classes, as well as a lot of other projects from different classes.

Call to Artists NOW OPEN – $40,000 in Awards

The Salt Spring National Art Prize is one of Canada’s largest visual art prizes, offering $40,000 in awards!

Submissions for the 2019/2020 SSNAP awards now open, January 10 through to May 31, 2019. 

SSNAP Awards Totalling $40,000:

SALT SPRING PRIZE – THE JOAN McCONNELL AWARD + RESIDENCY FOR OUTSTANDING WORK– $20,000 ($15,000 and a $5,000 Salt Spring Island artist residency)

JURORS’ CHOICE AWARDS – four awards of $3,000 selected by each juror

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – ROSEMARIA BEHNCKE AWARDS – three awards determined by a vote of visitors to the exhibition – 1st prize – $3,000, 2nd prize – $2,000, 3rd prize – $1,000

SALT SPRING ARTISTS AWARD for outstanding work by a Salt Spring Artist – $2,000

Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who are eighteen years of age and older as of January 1, 2018 are invited to submit their two- and three-dimensional work for consideration.

Guidelines and submission details to be found on our website www.saltspringartprize.ca

The Salt Spring National Art Prize is a biennial competition and exhibition of Canadian visual art.

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.

Approximately 50 finalists will be selected by an independent jury of four from across Canada to participate in the Finalists’ Exhibition on Salt Spring Island. All artists’ submissions will be anonymous to the jury.

Finalists may be selected to win one of nine awards, six selected by jurors and three selected by public vote. Finalist works are exhibited and for sale at the historic Mahon Hall on Salt Spring Island from Sept 21st to Oct 21st 2019, with the award winners announced at the Gala Awards Night on Saturday, Oct 19, 2019.

This exciting endeavour is an initiative of the Salt Spring Arts Council, which represents the arts for Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, known as one of Canada’s premier arts communities.

www.saltspringartprize.ca

2nd Annual Christmas Food Hamper Fundraiser Party
Friday, Dec 14, 2018

5 – 9 p.m.

Firehall Brewery
BBQ Burgers and Dogs, Door Prizes, and Silent Auction
Entry: $12 plus a Non-Perishable Food Item
Entry includes a burger or dog.

Come down to the Firehall Brewery where we will have wonderful local vendors selling everything from Christmas treats you can eat, amazing clothing to keep you warm for the season, some of our best local beverage purveyors and so much more!!!

There will be a craft table for the kids to make their own decorations, mulled wine and cider for the adults. Yummy sausages sizzled and to take home, as well as some other goodies from our friends at Oliver Eats Ltd.

And, as always at the Brewery, lots of good times and Christmas Cheer!