Art in Lake Country

ARTWALK, LAKE COUNTRY COMMUNITY COMPLEX, Lake Country BC - Sep 7 - 8
ATKLOKEM, LAKE COUNTRY ART GALLERY, Lake Country BC - To Sep 29
by Michael Turner
Now in its 26th year, the Lake Country ArtWalk is the Okanagan’s largest arts festival, attracting over 7,000 visitors and featuring displays of visual and performing art from over 200 Okanagan artists. Along with workshops and the ever-popular “live” artmaking demonstrations, the festival features art auctions, numerous children’s activities and a menu of meals made from the freshest food the region has to offer. This year’s theme is “Art in Fashion.”
Chairperson Sharon McCoubrey lists some of the special events this year: “Fashion Marketplace, for vendors who create interesting garments and accessories; a mini fi lm festival that addresses many of the negative aspects of fashion, such as exploited workers and polluting rivers with indigo dye; ‘live’ fashion model drawing; a ‘paint-off,’ where three artists have 15 minutes to paint a shared still life, with the paintings given to audience members; two slide shows: one featuring images of wearable art fashion, the other focused on illustrations within fashion. There will be five ‘selfie sites’ as well as a juried exhibition of works inspired by the festival theme.”

Weaving reeds as resurgence, Mariel Belanger learns
Sqilxw practices as methodology for understanding self in relation to land and body

Concurrent with the ArtWalk and continuing through September is Atklokem, a “collaboration of contemporary Syilx Art” (painting, mixed media, sculpture and performance) organized by Okanagan artist David Wilson at the Lake Country Art Gallery. (Atklokem is an anglicized version of the Syilx word for the area that became known as the ward of Winfield, where the gallery is located.) In addition to Wilson, participating artists are Mariel Belanger, Sheldon Louis, Barb Marchand and the Okanagan Indian Band Youth Group.
lakecountryartwalk.ca
lakecountryartgallery.ca