LOCAL ORGANIZATION SEEKING PARTICIPATION
The non-profit arts council in Sun Peaks is planning three events for 2016 that will encourage community members to get involved in the local arts scene and be an opportunity to recruit new members.
The first event will be an interactive exhibition during President’s Week where local artists are encouraged to display their work and include an interactive component. The event will take place on either Feb. 19 or 20 at the Sun Peaks Grand.
“(The artists) get some exposure and it might be more interesting for people to come in and do something like a little craft or a little painting,” said Sun Peaks Art Zone board member Liz Derksen.
The Art Zone is also planning an evening of art appreciation in March and a workshop with photorealism artist Terry Isaac next summer.
“We decided maybe this year needs to be a year of growth and we need to grow the membership and make it more open for the community,” Derksen said.
Last year the Art Zone had around 45 members, but fewer than 30 people have renewed their membership in 2016.
“I think a lot of people who are permanent residents here might not be aware that there are artists that live here or people that are wanting this kind of service provided,” Derksen said.
“It’s not an artist collective. It’s people who are interested in art and people who want to try art. You absolutely don’t have to be an artist and you aren’t forced to do art when you come to a meeting.”
Interested members can register online at artzonesunpeaks.com which costs $24 annually.
The Art Zone is also working towards finding a permanent facility to call home. The Sun Peaks Grand has offered the group a space for events, but Derksen said they eventually want their own location where they can host weekly workshops and smaller-scale events.
“When we plan an event we have to think about where we are going to hold it and how much it is going to cost, so the fact the Grand is willing to help us out with this is huge,”
Derksen said.
“One of the biggest things we’d like is to have a home, a permanent place.”
What did you think of this story?
Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
