Culture Days focus on local activities
Culture, according to the 2006 Collins Gage Canadian Dictionary 2006, refers to the “the customs, values, arts and other forms of human endeavor and characteristic of a particular community.”
Culture Days may be a nationwide celebration, but the focus is on local events.
Culture Days is a month-long festival of free events across Canada beginning with a virtual kickoff on Friday at 4 p.m. Links can be found through the main website at culturedays.ca. Once inside this website you will also find hundreds of in-person activities and small gathering events.
Culture vultures across Canada will be able to access many experiences through the Internet. Going digital, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, allows us to virtually criss-cross the country and discover live-streamed performances and other online presentations.
Lake Country Art Gallery Curator Wanda Lock is hosting many virtual exhibitions, including Vancouver artist Scott August inside his art studio, explaining what he is currently working on and his experience in lockdown.,
Lock will also introduce you to Liane McLaren, Melany Nugent-Noble and David Alexander. She will open up to us a world behind the scenes of an artist, the materials they use and talk about the inspiration for their completed pieces.
Visit the website at lakecountryartgallery.ca to sign up for these tours as well as learn about the many interesting community-based projects curated through this small but perfectly formed gallery space.
—————
As part of Culture Days, Central Okanagan Heritage Society is hosting a heritage picnic at the Benvoulin Heritage Church (2279 Benvoulin Rd.), Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Participants are asked to bring their own picnic lunch, but enjoy together the beautiful gardens under the shade of ancient trees. Chairs will be set up, coffee, tea and some tasty treats will be provided.
The Heritage society also plan to have smallgroup tours of the church, there will be music in the park and local art on display. Provincial health and sanitation guidelines will be followed.
Call or email Kathy at 250-861-7188 or kathyh.cohs@telus.net to register, as attendance is limited to 50 people. Admission is free but donations will be gratefully accepted.
—————
Also, on Saturday afternoon, The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art will host an exhibition titled, “A Clog in the Machine.”
This body of work explores isolation, productivity, over- and under-stimulation, and the interruption of ubiquitous systems brought on by the worldwide COVID-19 shutdown. It will include sprawling collections of derelict antiques, fragments of abandoned poetry on yellowing notebook paper, and images sketched with a finger onto a dusty window. Vancouver-based artist Jack Kenna and curator Asia Jong will both be at the gallery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The gallery is situated inside the Rotary Centre for the Arts at 421 Cawston Ave. Visit alternatorcentre.com for more information and know that masks must be worn to this event.
—————
Kelowna Pride Week us underway, having been postponed from its originally scheduled dates in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The September Pride festivities will be different from years past, but Pride will still be an inclusive celebration. For details about events, visit kelownapride.com/pride.
—————
Grizzli Winery, 2550 Boucherie Rd., is honing its vast space in West Kelowna by launching a new art gallery with a grand opening tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring artist Randall Young and his most recent exhibition, called ‘Layers of Time.’
The public is invited to attend by making a reservation online at exploretock.com/grizzliwinery/event/181844/grizzli-gallery-art-gallery-openingevent or by calling 250-769-6789 to book your spot.
Sip wine by the glass while enjoying local jazz duo The Double Sharp as you peruse his paintings.
—————
Urban Fare Grocery Store at Mission Park, on Lakeshore Road is celebrating cheese. From
Sept. 24 to Oct. 7, as a perfect pairing for the fromage, they have invited me to perform live on their window front stage to sing for the “Swiss,” belt it out for the “Brie,” tantalize the “Taleggio,” in view of all who do their grocery shopping on Saturday, Sunday and Oct. 5.
From 3-5 p.m. on the aforementioned dates, Loni Moger and I will celebrate the “cabecou.”
OK, I’ll stop it now. Just want to let you know we can’t wait and I love cheese!
—————
Sunday afternoons can be spent on the lawns at the Vibrant Vine Winery, 3240 Pooley Rd.
The Vibes at the Vine series has been popular with locals and tourists alike, providing local entertainment as patrons enjoy sips and snacks.
This week, my great friend Michelle Desousa is performing with her band member Kent, under the band name M&K.
They’re an acoustic duo that has been performing around the Okanagan touching on 10 years. Best known for their engaging repertoire of popular, contemporary, and classic songs.
I promise you this lady has a fabulous personality and a vocal tone that will leave you wanting more.
There is a $5 cover charge that is refundable with a purchase at the Snack Shack F&B bar, so really there is no excuse not to wile away the last few drops of summer on the cusp of autumn days to come. This event is from 1-4 p.m.
Anna Jacyszyn is an award-winning jazz singer. Email: artafactevent@gmail.com.