Fundraiser mixes art with fashion
Models hit the runway wearing sculptures on Sunday at the Cannery Brewing Company
For Vaelei Walkden-Brown and Jordan Keis, coordinating a wearable art show that’s slightly unorthodox from a traditional fashion show has been something these two artists dreamed up out of spontaneous spite.
In true artistic nature, the local women will be showcasing their work on Sunday at the Cannery Brewing Company with ARTwear: A Wearable Art Show beginning at 6 p.m.
Attendees can expect a unique juxtaposition between an art showcase and a traditional fashion show. The pieces will not be made from traditional fabric, instead constructed out of materials such as cardboard and beer cans.
“It will be sculpture made of refuse from the Cannery Brewing Company, so rather than having it look like a dress or a top it will be a piece of sculpture on a model’s body,” Keis said.
To set the mood, the art show will be accompanied with soundscapes from The Peculiars. Unlike a traditional runway strut, the models will respond to the sounds of The Peculiars in conjunction with the sculpture the model is wearing — and in a theatrical way. The show will be all-encompassing, with pieces moving along with the models, blending art, fashion and theatrics.
Walkden-Brown said audiences will experience a thoroughly engaging atmosphere.
“It will be an immersive art experience because it is quite experiential,” she said.
Though Walkden-Brown and Keis have never studied studio arts or fashion, they have always been highly creative, expressing a love for the arts from very young ages. Walkden-Brown took her creative sense to study interior architecture in college, and Keis went from painting canvases to learning face painting and studying makeup artistry in Los Angeles.
Both aspire to bring the Penticton art scene to life, which is why proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Penticton and District Community Arts Council, which hopes to bring an arts music festival to the city.
“There are a lot of amazingly creative people here, and there is so much potential for that to feed into the city as a creative destination,” Walkden-Brown said.
Tickets for ARTwear: A Wearable Art Show are $30 ($25 for Arts Council members), which includes one drink, and are available from The Leir House, 557 Artist Block, Tiger Alley Clothing Store and Eventbrite.ca.
More details are available on Facebook or at www.pentictonartscouncil.com.