Mouthwatering international and regional dishes cooked by local foodies with coordinating quaffs: some of the ingredients for an appetizing activity this March 16.
The World Food Contest is the inaugural project for the new ArtZone Food & Wine Collective. In this community challenge, 10 teams of up to 10 participants pick a different country or region to exemplify with food, decorations and even dress-up elements. Having chosen their gastronomic genre, the teams work on menu planning and preparation, sourcing all the components to depict the flavours of the country.
On contest day, their culinary creations will be distributed potluck-style on a total of 100 tasting plates. Teams will taste each other’s entries through round-robin sampling, with independent judges picking the winner.
“The Food & Wine Collective came up as an idea at the November annual general meeting,” said ArtZone’s president Marj Knive. “They have not begun regular meetings, but thought the World Food Contest would gauge interest of local ‘foodies’”.
Locally known as the “chocolate people,” Rob Gilmore and Kris Klingbeil are spearheading this event.
“Having organized these world food events in his time in the military, with troops from around the world, Rob was keen to try it out in our local setting,” Knive said. It is also a collaborative community concept, with ArtZone wood artist John McKnight providing a trophy dubbed the golden ladle award.
The purpose behind the project is sociable fun and community connectivity, Knive explained.
“Not a fundraiser, not a tourist activity, but an opportunity for people from the community to get together.”
Depending on the success of this inaugural contest, the Food & Wine Collective will consider a monthly meet-up on similar lines. While launching this new group, ArtZone is also developing the profile of other collectives within its portfolio.
“We are working to build the music collective to include house concerts and a concert series – funding pending,” Knive said. “ArtZone is open to adding collectives when there is a demand for them and is happy to try a ‘test’ – like the World of Food Contest or the upcoming House Concert on March 23 with Marin Patenaude – to see what interest there is in new collective ideas.”
The ArtZone Anonymous Art Show is currently running, with local artists registering, picking up and returning their canvases at Sotheby’s. From March 19, their art will be hung in the lower level of the Sun Peaks Grand with a sale running from March 28 to 31.
“Proceeds go 50/50 to the artist and ArtZone,” Knive explained. “It’s a fun event where you don’t know whose art you’re buying until it comes off the wall. We hope lots of emerging artists will give it a go and some of the better known artists put something together for the show.”
The Annual ArtZone Film Festival is a year-round undertaking for Knive, who has already secured award-winning local filmmaker Noah Lara and judge KJ Miller to participate in the 2025 Local Filmmakers Night. A professional photographer and videographer, Miller has recently produced a video called What is ArtZone?
This will be used for the group’s grant applications and marketing. And, for everyone else, it will neatly portray the wide range of activities and events encompassed by this enterprising arts and culture organization.
For more about ArtZone Sun Peaks, go to: https://www.artzonesunpeaks.com/.
Editor’s Note, March 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m.: This article was updated to reflect a date change for the Anonymous Art Show.
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