Hot flamenco to cool jazz at summer’s Music in the Park

Nankama-Aug-09-018

The musical lineup reads like a whirlwind trip around the world. Spanish flamenco, Caribbean reggae, funk, South American Latin, country, African djembe …. Save yourself the cost of an airline ticket and join the summer crowd at Music in the Park instead!

Music in the Park is held on Thursdays throughout July and August,  6:30 to 8:00 pm, on the Riverside Patio behind the Oliver Information Centre (the historic CPR Station) at 6431 Station Street with two exceptions listed below. All concerts are admission by donation, with a suggested $5 minimum. :

July 4: Penticton Concert Band: Spanish classics and big band favourites. Oliver Bandshell, Oliver Community Centre, 6359 Park Drive 
July 11: William Leggott, Spanish and Flamenco Guitar. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street

July 18: The Cha Cha Laca Love Machine, funk, reggae, Latin, plus insanity! Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street Feed the Valley Concert, sponsored by Valley First Credit Union, Food donations accepted in cash or in kind.

July 25: Okanagan Divas; Cindy Doucette and Mikie Spillett. Country, pop, jazz, rock and original. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

Saturday August 3: Michael Burgess in Concert. “Canada’s own Jean Valjean”. Special ticketed performance.  $25 advance, $35 door.  7 pm Oliver Bandshell, Oliver Community Centre, 6359 Park Drive 

August 8: Nankama Drum & Dance. African djembe drumming and dancing.  Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

August 15: Guys with Guitars: Jeremy Cook & Brian Highley. Classical guitar, original instrumentals, pop and folk vocals. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

August 22   Jazz Out West. Light jazz and popular standards.  Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Picnics welcome, or light refreshments available for purchase.

Pictured: Nankama Drum and Dance

Hot flamenco to cool jazz at summer's Music in the Park

Nankama-Aug-09-018

The musical lineup reads like a whirlwind trip around the world. Spanish flamenco, Caribbean reggae, funk, South American Latin, country, African djembe …. Save yourself the cost of an airline ticket and join the summer crowd at Music in the Park instead!

Music in the Park is held on Thursdays throughout July and August,  6:30 to 8:00 pm, on the Riverside Patio behind the Oliver Information Centre (the historic CPR Station) at 6431 Station Street with two exceptions listed below. All concerts are admission by donation, with a suggested $5 minimum. :

July 4: Penticton Concert Band: Spanish classics and big band favourites. Oliver Bandshell, Oliver Community Centre, 6359 Park Drive 
July 11: William Leggott, Spanish and Flamenco Guitar. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street

July 18: The Cha Cha Laca Love Machine, funk, reggae, Latin, plus insanity! Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street Feed the Valley Concert, sponsored by Valley First Credit Union, Food donations accepted in cash or in kind.

July 25: Okanagan Divas; Cindy Doucette and Mikie Spillett. Country, pop, jazz, rock and original. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

Saturday August 3: Michael Burgess in Concert. “Canada’s own Jean Valjean”. Special ticketed performance.  $25 advance, $35 door.  7 pm Oliver Bandshell, Oliver Community Centre, 6359 Park Drive 

August 8: Nankama Drum & Dance. African djembe drumming and dancing.  Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

August 15: Guys with Guitars: Jeremy Cook & Brian Highley. Classical guitar, original instrumentals, pop and folk vocals. Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

August 22   Jazz Out West. Light jazz and popular standards.  Riverside Patio, Oliver Tourism Information Centre, 6431 Station Street 

Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Picnics welcome, or light refreshments available for purchase.

Pictured: Nankama Drum and Dance

Cull your book shelves now for good cause

FOTOL

These Friends Of The Oliver Library (FOTOL) are definitely nuts about books! They are hard at work sorting books in preparation for the

15th Annual Summer Book Sale

Saturday, July 6th

9:00a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Oliver Regional Library parking lot

Proceeds go to the Library’s Summer Reading Club for Children. Additional book donations are welcomed and can be left at the Library now. Many thanks!

Photo Credit:  Heather Frank

Be a Friend ~ Buy a Book

Don’t miss the best deal in town this weekend, courtesy of the Friends of the Oliver Library! Pick up all your summer reading, and stock up for those winter nights by the fire.  Don’t forget your cloth bag, a handy box, or even a wagon to cart away those great finds.

Your book buy list should include:

* easy reading for the car, camper, or RV,

*classics for the ski cabin,

*short stories or an anthology for the guest room (what a thoughtful host you are!) ,

* picture books for the grandkids,

* a juicy romance or a thriller beside the bathtub,

* “stimulating” reading for the washroom (need we say more),

Proceeds support children’s summer programming at the library.  So your purchase goes to your own enjoyment AND encourages a whole new generation of readers.

Successful Book Sale = Successful Summer Reading Program

The Friends of the Oliver Library helped to finance the Summer Reading Program with proceeds from their July book sale which netted just over $1400.  

The first session of  the Summer Reading Program had eighty-two children and their parents in attendance. They enjoyed a fun filled evening with stories, contests and crafts prepared by the library staff.  Since then, according to FOTOL member Val Friesen, attendance has been consistently in the 80 – 100 range.  Several Library “Friends” have been helping out with the programme on Thursday evenings during the summer.  Heather Franks of the FOTOL says “We are happy to lend a hand and help get those kids “hooked on books.”

Although program nights are now completed, boys and girls are encouraged to continue to work on their Reading Logs and bring their completed records into the library before August 26 so that they can “SAVOUR THE MOMENT” on Saturday, August 27 at 11:00 a.m.  Savour the moment at this Medal Presentation Party. Throughout the summer when children complete their Reading Log they receive a special invitation to this exciting event. See who is the first to read their way on to the podium! And someone will take crunchy, munchy dog home!

Jazz winds up the summer

The Oliver Community Arts Council presents

Music in the Park

Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Oliver Visitor Centre Riverside Patio
Suggested minimum donation: $3
Dessert Vendor on site ~ Buy a tasty treat!

Thursday August 25:

Jazz Out West

light jazz & favourite standards

This is a group never-to-be-missed! Iris’ smooth jazz stylings will relax you, and the gents are oh-so-cool! Jazz Out West is a truly professional group, having earned their band touring stripes on many a cruise ship.  Let their music take you away on a mental cruise of your own. Here’s hoping they’ll have some CDs for sale…. 

Thank you to Music in the Park sponsor Valley First Credit Union!

 

Donations to their Feed the Valley program are welcome. Drop off any canned goods at Valley First. Proceeds go to the LOCAL food bank.

 

Ingrid Inspires

The Oliver Community Arts Council presents
Music in the Park
Celtic Harp with Ingrid Schellenberg
Celtic, classical, and popular pieces
Thursday August 11
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Oliver Visitors Centre “Riverside Patio”
(Rain venue: Quail’s Nest Arts Centre,
34274 – 95th St)
 
Suggested minimum donation $3
Bring a blanket or lawnchair.
Picnickers welcome. Dessert vendor on site.
 
The OCAC gratefully acknowledges the support of
Valley First Credit Union
for our summer concert series.
Non-perishable food donations to their Feed the Valley program are welcome or drop off at your local branch.

We also acknowledge the support of the BC Arts Council, the Province of BC, the Town of Oliver, the RDOS, and Oliver Parks and Recreation for all our programming.

Photo Credit: Heather Fink  (file photo 2010)

RipOff Artists “Stick It” to American Gothic

“All the really good ideas I’d ever had came to me while I was milking a cow,” declared Grant Wood whose American Gothic painting of the dour-faced pitchfork wielding farmer and his sister is famous worldwide.  Wood’s masterpiece became a national symbol; a vision of hope during the Depression that still resonates today. “Because American Gothic is so iconic, it was the perfect mark for this year’s RipOff challenge,” raves fiber artist, Terry Irvine.

This July the RipOff Artists stick it to American Gothic at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver, BC. This multi-media collective includes artists working in fibre (quilting, felting, weaving), photography, mixed media collage, oils and acrylics, 3-D installations, and encaustic (hot beeswax).  For the fifth year in a row, this nefarious group has dared to take on the grand masters of art. To mark such an auspicious occasion, they added a twist to the proceedings. Each artist has chosen another artist through which to interpret American Gothic. It’s double the ripoff and double the fun!

The public is welcome to watch the RipOff Artists assume the styles of  Picasso, Klimt, and Degas, along with seven other famous artists, and reinterpret Wood.  

American Gothic Challenge
Monday July 4 – Saturday July 9
Opening Reception:
Monday July 4, 
6 – 8 pm
Daily Hours:
Tuesday July 5 – Saturday July 9
9 am to 3 pm 

You are encouraged to come frequently during the week to get a true sense of how their artwork progresses from rough idea to finished creation.  Be sure to see the completed project on the Saturday! It will be left to you to decide: Is Wood’s masterpiece a celebration of America’s stoic determination during the Depression? Or is the finished product a critique of those same American values? Come view the action and decide for yourself.

Incidentally, the treasures from the four previous “RipOff raids” are currently on display at Leir House Cultural Centre in Penticton until June 23. You can view their “stolen” interpretations of Gustav Klimt’s Emilie Floge, Goergia O’Keeffe’s Pink Tulip, Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Cypresses, and Lawren Harris’ Mount Lefroy in a variety of artistic media.

For more information about the RipOff Artists, click on their link under “Member Groups” in the column at right.  Or use the search bar on our website (type in “RipOffs”) for photos and articles from their past shows.

RipOff Artists "Stick It" to American Gothic

“All the really good ideas I’d ever had came to me while I was milking a cow,” declared Grant Wood whose American Gothic painting of the dour-faced pitchfork wielding farmer and his sister is famous worldwide.  Wood’s masterpiece became a national symbol; a vision of hope during the Depression that still resonates today. “Because American Gothic is so iconic, it was the perfect mark for this year’s RipOff challenge,” raves fiber artist, Terry Irvine.

This July the RipOff Artists stick it to American Gothic at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre in Oliver, BC. This multi-media collective includes artists working in fibre (quilting, felting, weaving), photography, mixed media collage, oils and acrylics, 3-D installations, and encaustic (hot beeswax).  For the fifth year in a row, this nefarious group has dared to take on the grand masters of art. To mark such an auspicious occasion, they added a twist to the proceedings. Each artist has chosen another artist through which to interpret American Gothic. It’s double the ripoff and double the fun!

The public is welcome to watch the RipOff Artists assume the styles of  Picasso, Klimt, and Degas, along with seven other famous artists, and reinterpret Wood.  

American Gothic Challenge
Monday July 4 – Saturday July 9
Opening Reception:
Monday July 4, 
6 – 8 pm
Daily Hours:
Tuesday July 5 – Saturday July 9
9 am to 3 pm 

You are encouraged to come frequently during the week to get a true sense of how their artwork progresses from rough idea to finished creation.  Be sure to see the completed project on the Saturday! It will be left to you to decide: Is Wood’s masterpiece a celebration of America’s stoic determination during the Depression? Or is the finished product a critique of those same American values? Come view the action and decide for yourself.

Incidentally, the treasures from the four previous “RipOff raids” are currently on display at Leir House Cultural Centre in Penticton until June 23. You can view their “stolen” interpretations of Gustav Klimt’s Emilie Floge, Goergia O’Keeffe’s Pink Tulip, Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Cypresses, and Lawren Harris’ Mount Lefroy in a variety of artistic media.

For more information about the RipOff Artists, click on their link under “Member Groups” in the column at right.  Or use the search bar on our website (type in “RipOffs”) for photos and articles from their past shows.

Lake-to-Lake Studio Tour this Summer

Wondering what to do to please yourself—-or your guests—in the sunny summer days ahead? A visit to an artist’s studio can make a great outing, paired with a day of wine touring or just savouring the spectacular landscape we enjoy here in the South Okanagan.

A group of 12 local artists, including encaustic artist Thea Haubrich, a member of the Oliver Community Arts Council,  have teamed up to offer a Studio Tour. They will open their studios to the public from May till October. Taking their cue from the successful self-guided studio tour offered last year by artists on the Naramata Bench, the South Okanagan “Lake-to-Lake” artists are extending the possibilities for everyone to explore art in the place where it is created. (And, by the way, the “Art on the Naramata Bench” Studio Tour is up and running again this year, so with the addition of this new Tour Route, there are studios lined up all the way from Naramata to Vaseux Lake, just waiting for you to come in and say hello!)

In the new “Lake-to-Lake” Studio Tour Route, the twelve artists offer a journey along the ‘Corkscrew Drive Wine Trail’, which takes you from Penticton along hauntingly lovely Skaha Lake via Eastside Road and the Oliver Ranch Road, to Vaseux Lake.

Studio visits are an unusual and colourful way to meet the artists and their work ‘on home ground’. You can meet the artists, see how they use their tools and work-space — and witness for yourself the work behind the works!

You’ll encounter artists working in a wide variety of media. Besides Thea’s work in hot beeswax, there are painters, a potter, a sculptor, a photographer, one working with gourds and another encaustic artist! They are all keen to welcome you and happy to share with you how they do what they do.

To get you started: you’ll find brochures at your nearest visitors’ centre, wineries, hotels/motels, bookstores, local libraries and galleries. You can also download the brochure and tour map from http://bit.ly/jC39sp The tour map (part of Google maps) lists all participating artists, their locations, contact information, and links to websites.

It’s simple to plan your tour. Decide which studios you’d like to see, check the hours of opening, and set out. As you travel the route, watch for the Studio Tour signs telling you that the artist is “In” (or call ahead). Visiting an artist in the special atmosphere of a working studio is a wonderful way to explore the Valley’s treasures. Enjoy your valley touring, and expand your art collection through personal connections with the artists.

In other news, Haubrich has recently won the competition for the cover art in Okanagan Art Work magazine’s fifth anniversary issue (May 2011).  Go to this link for more information and to see her winning submission: http://www.s2sartworks.com/MayCoverArt.html

To top it off, she won second place as well! Congratulations Thea!

More about Thea Haubrich’s encaustic art can be found at these sites:

Web: http://www.encaustic.ca
Online store: http://www.encaustic.ca/shop/html/
Fine Art: http://www.theahaubrich.com
Blog: http://encausticcanada.wordpress.com/

Music, Sweet Music

Have a look at Music in the Park’s photo album of outdoor summer concerts:

The Desert Airs Men’s Chorus work their a cappella magic on the crowd at Music in the Park’s opening concert July 8.

The Nouveau trio, featuring Chris Stodola on piano, and Lori Stodola  (voice) share the opening night with the Desert Airs.

Shane Swift and Luke Whittall share some fun moments making indie folk music on July 15th.

The ever-popular Dale Seaman delivers great country hits and some of his own songs on July 29th.

Singer-songwriter  Deborah Lee Puder wows the crowd with her compositions, on August 5th, backed by a trio of great local musicians.

The young men of  Tusk Mountain ( Travis Eek, Carson Ruhland, and Mike Szalay) rock out  on August 12.

Ladies’ turn! Zyonya MacKenzie and sister Chenoa sing on August 12.

Celtic harmonies with harpist  Ingrid Schellenberg, on August 19th, 2010

All photos courtesy of Heather Fink.

So where will you be on Thursday nights in August? At Oliver’s CPR Station (Visitor Information Centre) of course! See you at 6:30 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket, even a picnic, and a $3.00+ donation!  

 
August 26th: Jazz Out West, light jazz and vocal standards

Folk and Guitar this week at Music in the Park

The popular summer music series is back with a lineup of great new artists and some old favourites.  Check out the young local talent tonight playing instrumental guitar and indie folk. 

 July continues with some great songsters: Gail Riddall and Dale Seamans are terrific crowd pleasers. Don’t forget to bring your donation to the concert series, and some extra moolah for CDs!

Comments about this article? Share them at olivercac@gmail.com We’ll post them at the bottom of this article as received. (The email method helps us avoid spammers. )

A-Pluckin’ and A-Strummin’ Good Time

The South Okanagan Bluegrass Society hosts

An Olde Country-Bluegrass Weekend
Friday June 18 – Sunday June 20
Oliver Rodeo Grounds
  
$10.00 per person
$10.00 per rig – make yerself at home!
$5.00 per day visitor – com’on in and set yerself down!
 
Dry Camping
Concession Stand
 
 
Gates Open: Thursday Noon
Gates Close: Sunday 2:00 p.m.
 
Schedule:
 
Friday:
2:00  Stage Opens
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Supper break
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Evening Performances
 
Saturday:
9:00 – Noon:  Band Scramble!
1:30 – 5:00   Open Mike
5:00  – 6:30   Supper Break
6:30 – 9:30  Open Mike
 
Acoustical stringed instruments welcomed
Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Dobro, Autoharp, Harmonica, Fiddle
(Electric Bass acceptable)
 
Also watch for appetite-whetting performances at  
Bluegrass Coffeehouse
Thursday June 17
7:00 p.m.
Quail’s Nest Arts Centre
$10 Admission
includes coffee, tea, and goodies!
 
and
 
Oliver Country Market A-Fair
Saturday June 19
Lions’ Park (near the CPR Station Visitors Centre)
 
Sound by Hans Devo with thanks!
 
Need more information? Camping?  Performing?
Info: 250-495-0637
Email: jimbeau@persona.ca
Download Flyer at http://members.shaw.ca/greenwoodbluegrass 

A-Pluckin' and A-Strummin' Good Time

The South Okanagan Bluegrass Society hosts

An Olde Country-Bluegrass Weekend
Friday June 18 – Sunday June 20
Oliver Rodeo Grounds
  
$10.00 per person
$10.00 per rig – make yerself at home!
$5.00 per day visitor – com’on in and set yerself down!
 
Dry Camping
Concession Stand
 
 
Gates Open: Thursday Noon
Gates Close: Sunday 2:00 p.m.
 
Schedule:
 
Friday:
2:00  Stage Opens
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Supper break
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Evening Performances
 
Saturday:
9:00 – Noon:  Band Scramble!
1:30 – 5:00   Open Mike
5:00  – 6:30   Supper Break
6:30 – 9:30  Open Mike
 
Acoustical stringed instruments welcomed
Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Dobro, Autoharp, Harmonica, Fiddle
(Electric Bass acceptable)
 
Also watch for appetite-whetting performances at  
Bluegrass Coffeehouse
Thursday June 17
7:00 p.m.
Quail’s Nest Arts Centre
$10 Admission
includes coffee, tea, and goodies!
 
and
 
Oliver Country Market A-Fair
Saturday June 19
Lions’ Park (near the CPR Station Visitors Centre)
 
Sound by Hans Devo with thanks!
 
Need more information? Camping?  Performing?
Info: 250-495-0637
Email: jimbeau@persona.ca
Download Flyer at http://members.shaw.ca/greenwoodbluegrass