Massive Canada 150 paint-by-number project reaches its goal
The Canada 150 Paint-by-Number Project is now completed; all 6,048 squares of it!
Our hearty thanks to Peachland Community Arts Council director Shelley Sweeney, who devised and coordinated the project, to all the volunteers who have put in so much effort, and to the participants themselves who have ensured the goal was reached!
We now wait with bated breath that the appropriate steps have been taken and documented following due procedure to satisfy the Guinness World Records. Remember that the current world record holder for a paint-by-number is populous Victoria in Hong Kong, China, with 2,603 participants. Keep your Àngers crossed! This Saturday, Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., members are invited to the opening wine and cheese reception of Progressions, showcasing the modern-day impressionist style of Okanagan artist Ann Willsie and the contemporary works of Vancouver based artist Jeff Wilson. Space is limited, so please RSVP the Gallery by emailing: gallerycoordinator@peachlandarts.ca. The following Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., enjoy an evening with Sharron Simpson, historian and storyteller. This is the second in this Fall’s Speaker series at the Peachland Art Gallery.
Simpson, a familiar person to locals, is the author of The Kelowna Story that was first published in 2011 and will read humorous stories from her book that illustrate the gradual growth of the city from its indigenous beginnings. She’ll be open to discussion and any budding authors in the audience may like to question her about aspects of publication. She’d be delighted to respond. Free tickets are limited to 50 and can be reserved by phoning 250-767-7422 for pick up from the Art Gallery. If unable to attend, please return the tickets or hand them over to someone else. It is a courtesy and we don’t want empty seats because of the limited seating. The PCAC is looking for artists interested in instructing a class or volunteering at one of its scheduled Sip N Paints which will begin Oct. 16. These fun informal learning experiences initiated by the PCAC last year proved highly popular especially among those new to the Àeld and eager to try it out.
The gatherings are scheduled to occur on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., beginning Oct. 16 continuing every two weeks through to April 2018 with the exception of the holidays. Hours may change depending on the restaurant.
The PCAC will provide the instructor with all supplies and an honorarium of $150 for each class. A complete list of teaching requirements is offered on at peachlandarts.ca/adult-workshops/#Sip. For further inquiries, please contact Shelley Sweeney at shelleysweeney@shaw.ca or by phone at 250-212-2025 or Suzana Glodjo by email at fsglodjo@telus.net. The Peachland Art Gallery has a closed Call for Artisans for its second annual Christmas Market held within the Gallery, which runs during the Artists of the Okanagan exhibition from November 29 to December 23. The Gallery is looking for pottery, woodwork, ornaments, handcrafted jewellery, unique fine art pieces, textile art, sculptures and Christmas décor items that will make the season sparkle!
Please send your proposals, including inventory amounts, price point and images of your products, to gallerycoordinator@peachlandarts.ca, attention Janet. The cut-off date for submissions is Nov. 17. All work will be judged for quality, originality and overall craftsmanship. Further details can be found at peachlandarts.ca/calls for submission.
The Peachland Visitor Centre likewise is preparing for their 2017 and 2018 Peachland Indoor Artisan Market. The Visitor Centre on Beach Ave. in partnership with the Bat Society becomes an indoor attraction in the autumn and begins this coming Saturday, October 7 in time for Thanksgiving.
All items must be made, baked or grown by local artisans and are for sale on certain days during the months of October through to March 2018 with special attention to the Christmas season. If you are interested in being part of these markets, please contact Joey Byatt or Linda Norden at 250767-2455 or email: visitpeachland@gmail.com to request an application. The Summerland Arts Centre on Wharton Street is presenting a new gallery show, Consent, a mixed media exhibition by artist Barbara Younger. The artist’s reception is on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1-3 pm when cake and coffee will be served. Consent runs from Oct. 7 through Nov. 10. The Suk’wtemsqilxw West Kelowna Arts Council’s (SWAC) annual opportunity to display and sell art began this week at its Kelowna airport kiosk with a call to artists.
Both indigenous and non-indigenous artists of all media from the Thompson-Okanagan region are invited to submit six of their pieces relating to a Thompson-Okanagan theme. They must become members of SWAC and follow guidelines outlined and downloadable from their website at: swacarts.com/airport. The deadline is Nov. 15. Have you visited in person the art in Downtown Gallery 2017 yet? Forty-nine businesses in downtown Kelowna are currently displaying over one hundred paintings, prints, and photographs from talented local artists for BC Culture Days until the end of this week on Saturday, October 7. Merle Somerville is a busy photographer these days. He no sooner closed his exhibition in the Summerland Arts Centre, then began another at the Front Street Gallery in Penticton on Sept. 29. And no wonder; his photographic art is highly popular!
This exhibition is titled McIntyre, which is also the title of his large 30 X 60 canvas of the wellknown bluff in South Okanagan and which is a legend - one of four ‘must sees’ on Trip Advisor. The canvas has won multiple awards locally and internationally, best in show and people’s choice. If you have never seen it, this is a stunning piece. Be sure to drop into Front Street Gallery, 10 am to 2 pm before it closes on Saturday, Oct. 7. How often does one get to hear a live professional quartet perform in your local library for free? Well, true, it won’t be in the Peachland or West Kelowna Libraries. However, on Oct. 14, it will be in Kelowna and Penticton, and Oct. 15 in Vernon, you’ll get to see and hear a quartet of strings from the Okanagan Symphony playing Your Symphony at the Library program.
This educational program for young people is part of the OSO’s Interactive Concerts series that started with brass last Saturday and Sunday. Following the strings will involve quartets made up of wind instruments in November followed by drums playing at the libraries of those cities. The full program can be viewed at: okanagansymphony.com/ 30409-2
Today’s Àlm at the Kelowna Film Society is The Midwife showing in French with English sub-titles at the Orchard Plaza Cinema (4 p.m. and 7 p.m). The complexities of the major conflict are performed skillfully by the acting of the two main roles, both female, one of them being the incomparable Catherine Deneuve.
Can you believe it? Six thousand and forty eight? That many passed through our Gallery to paint a square? And we did it with three months to spare? Absolutely fantastic!
Christopher Byrd is the PCAC’s director and webmaster. Visit the PCAC online at: peachlandarts.ca