Four arts groups win contracts

Arts Jam  blank

Four local arts groups have been awarded funds from the Oliver Community Arts Council (OCAC) to supply public arts programming in the

2013-14 season.  Contracted Service Agreements permit groups to function as an “arm” of the arts council by providing public artistic events  in accordance with the OCAC mandate.

The Oliver Sagebrushers  was awarded a contract to run two weeks of “Art and Gardening” during August 2013. The lessons will be open to both children and adults.

The South Okanagan Concert Society was granted an award to assist with their upcoming concert series: Bergmann Duo (piano), Musica Intima (vocal ensemble) , Khac Chi (bamboo instrumentalists), and Ken Lavigne (tenor).

The Sage Valley Voices Community Choir received funding for their Christmas Concerts, December 7 – 8, 2013.

The Friends of the Oliver Library successfully applied for financial assistance for their 2014 Summer Reading Program for Children, specifically, to hire a professional magician to entertain participants at one event.

The maximum amount an applicant can request is $500. The award is based on adherence to the OCAC constitutional mandate, meritorious programming, and demonstrated financial need. All applicants were successful this year, receiving full funding for the amounts they each requested.

The next round of Contracted Service Agreements (CSAs) will be evaluated next year, in June 2014 for programming from Sept 2014 – August 2015. CSA applications are always available for downloading from the OCAC website (oliverartscouncil.org) on the “Forms” page. Deadline: June 1 of each year.

Best quilters in Canada found right here at home

Set in Stone full

The South Okanagan can boast some of the best quilters in Canada, as seen in the Canadian Quilters Association’s National Juried Show held in Penticton, May 16-18.

Marianne Parsons from Oliver won first place in the Original Design Abstract Pictorial category for her “Set in Stone” quilt (at left) with 5 fossil panels on it. The award came with a $1000 prize. Marianne is a member of the Fabricators, a local art quilt group, and the Double O Quilters Guild. She is also a member of the Fibre Art Network, and will participate in a curated show of work by that group at the La Conner Quilt Museum in La Conner, WA, Oct. 10 – Dec. 31, 2013. Two of her quilts can also be seen in the Grand National exhibit at the Josef Schneider Quilt Haus in Waterloo, ON for the summer.

Joan Bielun from Penticton (another one of the Fabricators) also won first prize in her category for her “Elements of Change” quilt featuring the giant Wave. It was nice to see that the first award of the evening ceremony in Penticton went to a Penticton resident! That quilt is the cover quilt on the national magazine, The Canadian Quilter, summer issue.

Maya Brouwer  Hide and Seek  TTex viewers choice

Maya Brouwer, a former Oliver resident, now a Double O Quilters Guild member living near Victoria and a Fabricator as well, won the Viewer’s Choice award for her Trend-Tex Challenge, “Hide and Seek” (at left). Her piece also earned the highest bid at the event.

Miriam March Lattice Garden

Miriam March is a Double O Quilters member and is a longarm quilter from Rock Creek. She took first place in Canada in the Bed or Wall Quilt longarm quilted category at Quilt BC with her quilt, “Lattice Garden”. (pictured foreground below, Pat Kelly photo, Boundary Creek Times)

Several other area quilters earned awards as well. Judy Harpur from Rock Creek, (who grew up in Oliver), earned a Judge’s Award for her quilt, “Picasso’s 39 Ford”, and Karen Thatcher from the Grand Forks area won 2nd place in the Original Design, Abstract Pictorial category. 

To see all of the winning quilts, go to www.canadianquilter.com then click on Galleries on the red bar, and then on NJS 2013.

Arts Council receives performance award

On March 14 the Oliver Commmunity Arts Council was approved for an annual grant from the BC Arts Council totalling $7923.00 to assist with 2012-13 operating costs.

The British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC) is an independent agency that supports arts and cultural activity in communities across BC: not only arts councils, but also dance and drama companies, art galleries, local museums and music festivals. The BC Arts Council receives funding from the Province of BC to disburse through grants, community initiatives, training and scholarships. The Council also acts as an advocate for the Arts in B.C., provides public education, and conducts research that helps inform provincial arts policies.

The Oliver Community Arts Council completes a set of essays and questionnaires each September in order to qualify for BCAC funding. Anyone wishing to see the complete application from September 2011 is welcome to contact the OCAC at OliverCAC@ gmail.com

The award is divided into three components:

1) Basic Assistance ($1423.00): This is determined by community population size and distance from the Lower Mainland. This year’s figure was similar to previous years’ amounts at $1423.00

2) Local Government Matching ($3500) :  The BC Arts Council agrees to pay up to $4000 when proof is supplied that local government will match the amount. Oliver Parks and Recreation Society budgets $3500 annually for the Oliver Community Arts Council, and this figure has been matched by the provincial arts body.

3) Annual Performance Award ($3000): For the last two years, the Oliver Community Arts Council has written an additional essay to demonstrate meritorious programming, events, and administration that meets the “core values” of the BC Arts Council.  These core values include: artistic excellence, a vibrant arts and cultural community, inclusiveness and cultural diversity, encouragement of artistic activity, transparent, fair, and accountable administrative and adjudicative processes, and clear operational goals.  The arts council asked for and received $3000 this year, up from last year’s figure of $2000.

The Oliver Community Arts Council is grateful for the financial support of the Province of BC, the BC Arts Council, and local government (Town of Oliver and RDOS through the support of Oliver Parks and Recreation) to provide much needed operational funding.

Jenavieve Moore: Can you match this?!

The Oliver Community Arts Council was pleased to award Oliver’s Jenavieve Moore $1000 towards her tuition and related expenses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. Now in her second year of studies in this prestigious programme, the operatic soprano incurs huge expenses for accommodation, performance costumes, and music, in addition to her schooling costs.  

During this past year, Jenavieve was one of eight singers personally chosen by the Metropolitan Opera’s Thomas Hampson to participate in the first ever Heidelberg Lieder Akademie. In May, she sang the role of the First Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute at Guildhall. Jena will be the featured soloist in a new music project with the BBC Symphony Orchestra next spring.

While Moore has potential as a professional artist one day, she must first manage a massive debt load, and will continue to rack up expenses just to gain exposure in the world of opera.

Moore may have “unmatched” talent, but she shouldn’t have unmatched funding support! The Oliver Community Arts Council challenges other businesses, service organizations, and individuals to match our donation!

The public is invited to attend the

Jena Moore Fundraiser and Reception
Sunday August 14
3:00 p.m.
Oliver Word of Life Church
35025 – 119th Street (off 350th Ave. near the cemetery)
Information and pledges: 250-498-6473
Donations of all sizes gratefully accepted!

Jena is realizing a dream to take her place in one of the most competitive roles on the world stage, and to share her rare gift with music lovers everywhere. The reception/fund-raiser is one way for our community to show generous support to one of our own.

Jena will demonstrate some vocal techniques she is learning at Guildhall, and perform a selection of her favourite pieces. It is also a chance to meet Jena, hear more about her experiences studying, and performing in London. And get an autograph! Who knows, it may be a priceless memento one day… 

Why?

Because Jenavieve + Opera = a match made in heaven!

More about Jena: http://jenavievemoore.com/

Original press release submitted by Val Friesen (adapted)

Arts Council funds four local arts groups

At their June Board meeting, the arts council awarded Contracted Service Agreements in varying amounts to four local arts groups. Financial aid is granted to successful applicants presenting a public seminar, workshop, performance, exhibit or other event with an arts focus that upholds the mandates of the arts council. As such, these events now become an extension of the work of the arts council.

The Desert  Sage Spinners and Weavers received funding for an eco-dyeing  workshop with Coby VanDerGaast at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre this summer. VanderGaast is an instuctor in the fibre program at Kootenay School of the Arts at Selkirk College in Nelson, B. C. She is also an organic farmer and is currently growing dye plants for Earthues, a natural colour company based in Seattle. Desert Sage regularly seeks arts council funding, enabling them to hire professional instructors in the fibre arts.

The Oliver Handbell Ringers were awarded financial aid to purchase sheet music for two public performances in the 2011 – 2012 season. This is the first year the Handbell Ringers have been members of the arts council and applied for funding. The arts council was especially pleased to see a new group apply — and apply successfully.  

Another first-time applicant, although long-time member of the arts council, was the Oliver Sagebrushers. The painting club received funding  for a public demonstration and exhibit entitled “En Plein Air Painting at Rustico Winery” on the weekend of September 10 – 11. The public can watch artists at their easels at scenic locations around the vineyard and winery. Arts council funding will cover publicity and live music at the event.  

The South Okanagan Concert Society, which has relied on  arts council support for many years, has been awarded $500 towards expenses for their 2011-2012 season. The season is a promising one, including  

Fri. October 28: Alexander Sevastian, solo accordion
Fri. Nov 25: Kallisto Trio, a capella female trio
Fri. Jan 27: Daniel Bolshoy, solo guitarist
Fri. Feb 24 : Penderecki String Quartet

$60 regular flex pass and $20 single ticket. Tickets at Beyond Bliss, Oliver and Imperial Office Pro, Osoyoos. All performances at Oliver Alliance Church.

Congratulations to the successful applicants! Please attend these fine artistic events over the next year of programming!

 Photo Credits: Gail Erickson, Val Freisen (file photos)

Arts Council awards graduating students

Vice President Darryl MacKenzie was on hand to present two OCAC bursaries valued at $500 apiece to SOSS graduating students pursuing post-secondary education in the arts. 

Adam Silbernagel (pictured at left) and Marli Mounsey were the winners. Silbernagel’s photo was taken as part of the RipOff Artists’ Challenge 2009, at which the teen reproduced Gustav Klimt’s Emilie Floge as a cubist pen and ink.

Photo Credit: Val Friesen

Enter to Win! Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest deadline extended

The arts council has extended the deadline to enter the Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest to Saturday June 18. Those of you who’ve had a slow start in the wet cold garden this year still have time to participate. If you are doing all the work of making your garden look beautiful this spring anyway, why not pick up an entry form and win a chance to get rewarded for all your hard labour? It’s a no-brainer!

The contest, held in conjunction with the Communities in Bloom project, is meant to motivate residential owners as well as commercial, industrial and municipal property managers to spruce up their outdoor space in time for Communities in Bloom judging this summer.   It’s a little friendly competition and a way to show your community spirit.

Entry forms are easy to fill out! An entry form for the contest is available right here: Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest 2011 Entry Form or pick one up at one of these local businesses: Future Gardens, Tru Value Hardware, Heather’s Threadz, Tussie Mussies, Sagebrush Nursery, and Riverside Nursery.

 Decide what category your “spruced up space” best  fits into. Pick one of:

** Residential Yard or Garden:  Only have time to do the front lawn? or the rock garden? You can choose just a section of your property to enter in the contest!

** Outdoor Living Area:  This might be a constructed deck, patio, water feature, or pool area. Don’t worry if the rest of your property is below par. Show off your outdoor reno!

** Xeriscaped Garden:  If you’ve used drought tolerant plants and materials, this category is just for you. Congratulations for thinking water-smart! 

** Commercial, Municipal or Industrial property: This category is for all non-residential entries. Planters, container gardens, landscaping and other attractive features to beautify your workplace all qualify.   

Email your entry form by June 18 to olivergardencontest @ hotmail.ca ,  or email olivercac @ gmail.com for other entry arrangements. And don’t worry — you can keep on beautifying up to the beginning of July when judging by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club takes place.

The Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest is a Communities in Bloom project brought to you by the Oliver Community Arts Council, and supported by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club.

Contest sponsors are OK Photo Lab, Future Gardens, Sherwood Trophies, Fortis BC, and Paw Prints Studio and Gallery (The Art of John Salsnek).

Come on, Oliver! Let’s get BLOOMIN’!

Enter to Win! Best Bloomin' Garden Contest deadline extended

The arts council has extended the deadline to enter the Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest to Saturday June 18. Those of you who’ve had a slow start in the wet cold garden this year still have time to participate. If you are doing all the work of making your garden look beautiful this spring anyway, why not pick up an entry form and win a chance to get rewarded for all your hard labour? It’s a no-brainer!

The contest, held in conjunction with the Communities in Bloom project, is meant to motivate residential owners as well as commercial, industrial and municipal property managers to spruce up their outdoor space in time for Communities in Bloom judging this summer.   It’s a little friendly competition and a way to show your community spirit.

Entry forms are easy to fill out! An entry form for the contest is available right here: Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest 2011 Entry Form or pick one up at one of these local businesses: Future Gardens, Tru Value Hardware, Heather’s Threadz, Tussie Mussies, Sagebrush Nursery, and Riverside Nursery.

 Decide what category your “spruced up space” best  fits into. Pick one of:

** Residential Yard or Garden:  Only have time to do the front lawn? or the rock garden? You can choose just a section of your property to enter in the contest!

** Outdoor Living Area:  This might be a constructed deck, patio, water feature, or pool area. Don’t worry if the rest of your property is below par. Show off your outdoor reno!

** Xeriscaped Garden:  If you’ve used drought tolerant plants and materials, this category is just for you. Congratulations for thinking water-smart! 

** Commercial, Municipal or Industrial property: This category is for all non-residential entries. Planters, container gardens, landscaping and other attractive features to beautify your workplace all qualify.   

Email your entry form by June 18 to olivergardencontest @ hotmail.ca ,  or email olivercac @ gmail.com for other entry arrangements. And don’t worry — you can keep on beautifying up to the beginning of July when judging by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club takes place.

The Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest is a Communities in Bloom project brought to you by the Oliver Community Arts Council, and supported by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club.

Contest sponsors are OK Photo Lab, Future Gardens, Sherwood Trophies, Fortis BC, and Paw Prints Studio and Gallery (The Art of John Salsnek).

Come on, Oliver! Let’s get BLOOMIN’!

Local support acknowledged in receiving BCAC Grant

Unlike the picture, there are no easy pickin’ “money trees” in the arts. That’s why the arts council is thrilled to announce that it has received news from its governing body, the BC Arts Council, that the council has been awarded an annual operating grant of $7000.

The sum includes three parcels:

$1500 Basic Assistance, from a formula calculated by the BC Arts Council based on population size and distance from the Lower Mainland.  All arts councils who apply receive a basic assistance amount.  

* $3500 Local Government Matching Grant, determined by the amount of funding received from local government. The OCAC is grateful to Oliver Parks and Recreation Society and the Town of Oliver for their financial support. 

* $2000 Annual Performance Award.  This is the first time the Oliver Community Arts Council has received this award. The council was required to submit an essay demonstrating artistic acheivement, community engagement (e.g. community partnerships), organizational management, innovation, and sustainability.

The BC Arts Council grant will be applied to operating costs – all the basic necessities that keep the arts council functioning, such as heat and light, office and organizational materials, telephone service, publicity, and so on. While these costs may sound mundane, it is funding that is desperately needed.

Imagine an artist trying to create a new work, but only supplied with colourful acrylic paint, or pottery glaze, or vibrant yarn. It may look pretty but without the proper tools (canvas, clay, or a loom) no art can be created. 

So too with grant funds. The vast majority of arts grants available are designated only for programming (concerts, exhibits, educational classes, workshops, etc). That’s the “colour”.   Those grants do not cover operating costs. That’s the canvas, clay, or loom – the backbone or armature of the organization.  An arts council cannot provide vibrant programmes without  being assured it will cover its operational expenditures.

The arts council thanks its many community supporters and partners, whose co-operation has contributed to our receiving this funding package.  Check out our member groups, businesses, and blogroll for just a taste of who our supporters are!

Oliver is Bloomin’

submitted by Betty Lou Trimmer Bahnsen
Communities in Bloom Co-Chair

At the BC Communities in Bloom Conference held in Hope BC on September 24 – 26, Oliver was awarded “Four out of Five Blooms”, recognizing a year of intensive landscaping and cleanup across the district. This is an astounding feat, as this is only Oliver’s first of two years in the provincial Communities in Bloom programme. This date also marks the anniversary of the idea to have Oliver participate in Communities in Bloom. What a way to commemorate a years work with four lovely Blooms!

The Oliver Community Arts Council is basking in the reflected glow. The arts council was asked by the Communities in Bloom (CIB) committee to provide some motivation  and excitement among Oliver residents by organizing a competition to boost interest in the CIB programme.  In the spring of 2010, the OCAC’s “Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest” was off and running. A small group of arts council members solicited sponsors, organized several categories for the competition, determined criteria for each award category, arranged for judging by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club, and designed and presented the awards. Thanks to Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest chair Penny Ruddy, and committee Stephanie Salsnek, Brian and Jennifer Mapplebeck, and Dot Cranston for their hard work!  Thanks to John Salsnek and Linda Blaschuk for designing the charming trophy. Although we were only a part of the overall cleanup efforts across the municipality and regional district, the OCAC-sponsored contest got competitive juices flowing, and gave incentive to residents and businesses to get involved.

Initially, the Oliver Communities in Bloom committee had planned to be in the non-competitive category in the first year thus, using the opportunity of the judges’ visit and evaluation to learn and to build on their adjudication for the following year, at which time Oliver would enter into the competitive category. However, at the final meeting with the judges during their July 2010 visit to Oliver, it was the judges’ suggestion that we upgrade to the competitive category. They indicated that the community had done very well and would gain more public recognition with an award, in addition to reaping the benefits of an evaluation. The Oliver Communities in Bloom committee followed the judges’ advice  — with full awareness that most communities take several years to attain the full Five Blooms. It therefore came as a complete surprise that Oliver was acclaimed with Four Blooms after only one year.

The achievement of the “Four Bloom” status and the community pride associated with this award could not have taken place without the total involvement of the Oliver community. We are thank ful for the support of individual participants , our many partners and sponsors, the local politicians (Town and Area C), the business community who gave so generously in kind, the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Bahvsagar Sikh Temple Council, the many service and cultural groups, the media, the untiring efforts of the special employees of the Town of Oliver administrative staff and Public Works, together with the happy band of Oliver Communities in Bloom volunteers which brought about this great result.

OLIVER, WE ARE A BLOOMIN’ GOOD COMMUNITY!

Photo Credit: Patrick Reid

****************

Want more information about the Communities in Bloom program? Here are some excerpts from the provincial CIB website (http://www.bccommunitiesinbloom.ca/)

All participating communities in either the national or provincial contests receive a rating of one to five ‘blooms’. All participants are promoted within BC and nationally, and are invited to attend the provincial Awards Ceremony which takes place in the fall, hosted by a different community each year. A top five bloom rating may result in an invitation to participate in the following year’s national program.

In addition to their rating, each BC CiB participant receives a comprehensive report, prepared by the judges (all qualified and experienced horticulturalists and specialists). This report reviews the particular features and projects in each of the eight criteria areas that the community has undertaken and presented. These criteria include tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, natural and cultural heritage conservation, tree/urban forest management, landscaped areas, floral displays, turf and groundcover. The judges offer constructive hints and recommendations for the following year.

Of course, all participants are winners with respect to increased civic pride, preservation of natural and architectural heritage, economic development, ehanced property values, decreased vandalism, improved environmental awareness, business development, increased tourism appeal, corporate relocations, new development, investment and general economic activity based on being more attractive, liveable communities!

Oliver is Bloomin'

submitted by Betty Lou Trimmer Bahnsen
Communities in Bloom Co-Chair

At the BC Communities in Bloom Conference held in Hope BC on September 24 – 26, Oliver was awarded “Four out of Five Blooms”, recognizing a year of intensive landscaping and cleanup across the district. This is an astounding feat, as this is only Oliver’s first of two years in the provincial Communities in Bloom programme. This date also marks the anniversary of the idea to have Oliver participate in Communities in Bloom. What a way to commemorate a years work with four lovely Blooms!

The Oliver Community Arts Council is basking in the reflected glow. The arts council was asked by the Communities in Bloom (CIB) committee to provide some motivation  and excitement among Oliver residents by organizing a competition to boost interest in the CIB programme.  In the spring of 2010, the OCAC’s “Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest” was off and running. A small group of arts council members solicited sponsors, organized several categories for the competition, determined criteria for each award category, arranged for judging by the Oliver Heirloom Garden Club, and designed and presented the awards. Thanks to Best Bloomin’ Garden Contest chair Penny Ruddy, and committee Stephanie Salsnek, Brian and Jennifer Mapplebeck, and Dot Cranston for their hard work!  Thanks to John Salsnek and Linda Blaschuk for designing the charming trophy. Although we were only a part of the overall cleanup efforts across the municipality and regional district, the OCAC-sponsored contest got competitive juices flowing, and gave incentive to residents and businesses to get involved.

Initially, the Oliver Communities in Bloom committee had planned to be in the non-competitive category in the first year thus, using the opportunity of the judges’ visit and evaluation to learn and to build on their adjudication for the following year, at which time Oliver would enter into the competitive category. However, at the final meeting with the judges during their July 2010 visit to Oliver, it was the judges’ suggestion that we upgrade to the competitive category. They indicated that the community had done very well and would gain more public recognition with an award, in addition to reaping the benefits of an evaluation. The Oliver Communities in Bloom committee followed the judges’ advice  — with full awareness that most communities take several years to attain the full Five Blooms. It therefore came as a complete surprise that Oliver was acclaimed with Four Blooms after only one year.

The achievement of the “Four Bloom” status and the community pride associated with this award could not have taken place without the total involvement of the Oliver community. We are thank ful for the support of individual participants , our many partners and sponsors, the local politicians (Town and Area C), the business community who gave so generously in kind, the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Bahvsagar Sikh Temple Council, the many service and cultural groups, the media, the untiring efforts of the special employees of the Town of Oliver administrative staff and Public Works, together with the happy band of Oliver Communities in Bloom volunteers which brought about this great result.

OLIVER, WE ARE A BLOOMIN’ GOOD COMMUNITY!

Photo Credit: Patrick Reid

****************

Want more information about the Communities in Bloom program? Here are some excerpts from the provincial CIB website (http://www.bccommunitiesinbloom.ca/)

All participating communities in either the national or provincial contests receive a rating of one to five ‘blooms’. All participants are promoted within BC and nationally, and are invited to attend the provincial Awards Ceremony which takes place in the fall, hosted by a different community each year. A top five bloom rating may result in an invitation to participate in the following year’s national program.

In addition to their rating, each BC CiB participant receives a comprehensive report, prepared by the judges (all qualified and experienced horticulturalists and specialists). This report reviews the particular features and projects in each of the eight criteria areas that the community has undertaken and presented. These criteria include tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, natural and cultural heritage conservation, tree/urban forest management, landscaped areas, floral displays, turf and groundcover. The judges offer constructive hints and recommendations for the following year.

Of course, all participants are winners with respect to increased civic pride, preservation of natural and architectural heritage, economic development, ehanced property values, decreased vandalism, improved environmental awareness, business development, increased tourism appeal, corporate relocations, new development, investment and general economic activity based on being more attractive, liveable communities!