Upcoming dates:
- July 3: Parks Alive!’s Jazz Jam
- July 6-Sept 21: Cultural District Walking Tours
- July 11: Okanagan Heritage Museum’s Dinosaur Roar of BC
- July 12: Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art’s Postcard Project Opening Reception
- July 12-14: Kelowna Fashion Week(end)
- July 15: Artist in Residence applications deadline
- July 16: Arts on the Avenue
- July 20: Downtown Kelowna’s Block Party
- July 21: Imagine Pandosy Art Festival and Gallery Stroll
- Every Thursday until Aug 29: Downtown Kelowna’s Night Market
Investing in non-profits for community enrichment
Kelowna’s thriving not-for-profit sector is a testament to the residents who make things happen. From theatre and music shows to touring conferences and sporting events, it doesn’t take much searching to find exciting opportunities to learn new skills, support social causes or build strong connections with others.
But how do we foster growth and allow this sector to shine? What’s missing, and what needs to be done to ensure non-profit organizations can bring their visions to life?
Read the full Community Story at kelowna.ca/communitystories.
Cultural Plan Highlight: Share our Story
The 2020-2025 Cultural Plan sets priorities for the enhancement of cultural vitality and community spaces and sets a course for future cultural development in our community.
This month we are featuring Cultural Plan Strategy 8.3: Make information about cultural events, programs and services easy to find for residents and visitors.
Here are some ways you can support this Strategy:
- Provide a community bulletin board in your establishment that showcases upcoming community events
- Know where to find information on cultural events and share that source with others
- Post all events and activities using the #KelownaCulture Facebook page
Another way to support this strategy is to check out the new Central Okanagan Arts & Culture newsletter, Heard About Harold, and find out how you can be a contributing partner to help spread the words of arts and culture in the Okanagan.
The 2020-2025 Cultural Plan sets priorities for the enhancement of cultural vitality and community spaces and sets a course for future cultural development in our community. Learn more at kelowna.ca/culture.
Arts and culture events:
Cultural District Walking Tours are back!
Join us Saturdays this summer for free guided walking tours starting July 6 and running til September 21. Meet your tour guide at 10 a.m. at the Kelowna Visitor Centre, 238 Queensway Avenue, and enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the Downtown Cultural District. Please note that there is no tour on August 3 and August 31.
No registration necessary, for more information visit kelowna.ca/culturaldistrict.
Fashion Show to hit the streets!
AesthetiKs Lab is excited to announce a three-day fashion weekend of events and shows! This premier event will be held within the Kelowna Cultural District, showcasing innovative designs from both emerging and established designers.
When: July 12 – 14
Find more info and tickets online.
Arts on the Avenue returns
Join Arts on the Avenue for its 9th year!
Artists of all disciplines will be taking over the street and sidewalks of Bernard Avenue and Kerry Park for an adult focused evening of artistic revelry. When: July 16, 3-9 p.m.
For more details visit festivalskelowna.com.
Capacity building and grant opportunities:
Artist in Residence deadline
Are you an artist residing in the Okanagan and looking for a new opportunity? Don’t wait too long!
Our Artist in Residence application deadline is coming up, be sure to get your application in today!
Application deadline: July 15. Learn more and apply online.
Truth and Reconciliation learning opportunity
Cultural Services, along with our community partners, are inviting you to join us for a five-session reading circle where we will discuss the Executive Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future.
Learn more and register online.
Anti-Racism Impact Grant
United Way BC’s Anti-Racism Impact Grant (ARIG) helps to strengthen connections and foster a caring, inclusive community. This grant funds local initiatives focusing on mental health, resilience building, anti-hate education, empowerment programs, and enhancing anti-racism services.
Application deadline: July 25. Learn more and apply at uwbc.ca.
Community built, artist run
The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is looking to expand their roster of writers to assist with their ongoing exhibition essay series.
Alternator exhibition essays respond to the artworks presented through the Main Gallery exhibition series, and add another layer of interpretation to the exhibition on view.
More information and to apply, visit alternatorcentre.com.
Each month, we feature a piece from a local creative youth who shares their words and art as part of our Creative Youth Perspective series. Cultural Services would like to thank Daisy for all of the wonderful submissions made over the past year. Thank you Daisy and good luck in the future with your art!
Do you know a creative youth who would be a good candidate for our Creative Youth Perspective program? Have them submit an application today!
Daisy Smith shares their inspiration for the piece of art below:
With this being my last submission to this column, I wanted to try a few things that I’ve never tried in my art before. First, was an emphasis on texture; a far cry from my standard clean, solid lines. I got the texture from a close-up photo of a chocolate loaf I had with my grandparents, which I then turned greyscale, and upped the contrast a lot. I think that all came together really well to make the smoky explosion effect you’re seeing here.
Also, looking up to my grandparents as much as I do, it’s nice to be able to incorporate a memory of them nestled within my artwork, just as what they have taught me will always live inside me Another diversion from my usual style that I did here was making my art less colourful, with pink being the only colour aside from the blacks, greys, and whites.
As for the emotions behind this piece, the main one would be frustration. Like most artists, I began feeling inadequate and talentless in the week leading up to me making this piece. I think part of that reason is the nature of abstract art itself; whereas representative art is much easier to realize the quality of, abstract art is much more difficult to place. I was really worried that this art piece looked amateurish, but upon thinking about it, I realized that that wasn’t such a bad thing. The origins of the word amateur are traced back to the Latin word amator- meaning lover. To be an amateur is to love what you do, to be eager to improve, and to take joy in your creations. It saddens me that the modern meaning of the word has more negative annotations. And it’s that feeling of joy in creation that has driven me for the other art pieces in this column, and I will continue to relish in that love and joy as I continue my artistic path.
I sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed reading and looking at my art and writing these past months as much as I have enjoyed creating them.
With love, Daisy Smith.
