The Nelson & District Arts Council (NDAC) is inviting all arts councils and arts organizations in the region to take part in free upcoming training days, led by Intercultural Kootenays in partnership with NDAC and funded by Canadian Heritage.
These sessions support the development of foundational cultural safety policies—codes of conduct, anti-harassment with cultural-safety components, and equity frameworks—so global majority artists can engage safely and meaningfully.
Each stop includes a half-day on anti-racism, a half-day on decolonial practices, and a hands-on policy lab the following morning, so you leave with practical tools you can implement right away.
It could entail producing a graphic novel, citing Shakespeare or demonstrating circus skills—there are myriad ways to get people in the Columbia Basin engaged in arts and culture. To this end, 123 arts and culture projects are receiving more than $540,000 in 2025/26 from Columbia Basin Trust. The funding is distributed through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA), a project of the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council.
Putting on a lion costume and mimicking the regal cat’s movements is a traditional Chinese way to solicit good luck and fortune. To promote knowledge of this practice in the West Kootenay, Zen Wang put on three workshops in July 2025. Participants learned the historical significance of this dance, tried out the instruments and props, prepared their bodies and minds and, finally, fully embodied the lion. The purchased props and costumes have also been used by other local organizations for educational sessions and performances.
“The workshops encouraged involvement in this celebratory form of dancing,” said Zen Wang. “The physical aspect helps people stay healthy, the spiritual aspect keeps them mentally alert and connected, and the cultural aspect makes our communities more multicultural, tolerant and inviting to people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.”
Petra Hekkenberg and The Art of Keeping Safe.
New Denver artist Petra Hekkenberg is undertaking a two-part project to explore feelings around wildfires such as the 2024 Slocan Lake Complex. In summer 2025, this primarily involved creating an interactive map that shows the movement of people, animals and emergency services during the fires. She is now creating drawings—including by using charcoal from wildfires—of people’s most precious belongings. The final products will be displayed in summer 2026 and published in a book.
“This project offers people an engaging and anonymous platform to talk about their experiences and sentiments during wildfires, while bringing awareness to emergency response and forming a bridge between responders and the cultural sector,” said Petra Hekkenberg. “The exhibition with artworks of people’s precious belongings will make the audience wonder what they would keep safe themselves, and the book documents a time in history.”
Mask performance. (Image credit: costume by Marcel Cholo, photo by Dave Best.)
The year 2026 is the 20th anniversary of Golden’s winter festival, EmberFest. To help local creators kick up their skills a notch, Kicking Horse Culture is hosting the Wonderheads, who will offer a six-day Mask Performance Intensive. The workshop will focus on fundamental mask performance techniques, enhancing participants’ physical awareness, movement economy and expressive storytelling.
“Local artists’ new performances will enrich the region’s artistic landscape, inspiring broader public participation and fostering appreciation for physical theatre,” said Logan Thackray, Executive and Artistic Director, Kicking Horse Culture. “By investing in professional training, the project supports more art being produced locally and strengthens career pathways for regional artists, increasing opportunities for future funding and artistic growth.”
CKCA funding is available to both individuals and arts and culture organizations. All arts disciplines are eligible (including visual art, theatre, music, dance, media, literary and inter-arts), as are cultural projects like traditional cultural practices and preserving languages. Separate granting streams target different focuses, such as individual and group projects, master classes, touring and major exhibition projects. Overall, the goal is to help artists and arts and culture organizations create exceptional projects that enliven life in the Basin.
“I want to thank all applicants of this year’s funding cycle and commend the creativity throughout the Basin. Support from CKCA and funding from Columbia Basin Trust enable artists and organizations to showcase their work, build connections and enrich our communities. This valued partnership continues to nurture the arts and celebrate the Basin’s vibrant spirit.”
Christine Nichol, Manager, Delivery of Benefits, Columbia Basin Trust
“Columbia Basin Trust is proud to collaborate with the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council to support projects that strengthen the Basin’s rich arts and culture scene. By investing in local artists and cultural projects, we help bring communities together, celebrate the Basin’s creativity and ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part in and enjoy these unique experiences.”
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants.
Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.
Lainey Benson, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Artist Lainey Benson divides her time between Nelson and Montreal.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
LB: I left home in the Ottawa area at the age of 17. It’s a long story, but I really needed to leave. So, I followed a boy to the Kootenays. While the boy is long gone, my love for the Kootenays endures 47 years later.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
Yes, I’m a full-time artist. I paint landscapes, cityscapes, people…. My style is a little variable. The more I learn, the more I play with it. I love exploring values and colour. I do a lot of commissioned work, which continually offers me fresh challenges.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
I was delighted to be invited. I’m away from home frequently because of family, which makes volunteering in my community a challenge. This position is very time-flexible, which allows me an opportunity to give back to my community. Beyond that, I value being part of the art community, learning about our local arts culture, and meeting fellow art enthusiasts. I’m very grateful for this position.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
Everything. The Kootenays are such a melting pot of creativity. There’s great passion for all three. There are many perspectives and forms of expression, and that diversity is welcomed. I feel that as we grow as a society, the arts community embraces an earnest desire for openness and inclusiveness.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
Get involved, explore which other artists you’re drawn to, find mentors and access available resources. The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council would be a good place to start.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
Hmm. I think the vision I see is what is already demonstrated by the steering committee: an intention to support and expose local artists, to be inclusive, to celebrate individual and group efforts, and to educate the community on the value of the arts.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I believe that arts, culture and heritage will face many challenges for funding and political will as we move forward. So, having institutions such as arts councils is vitally important in supporting and encouraging creativity through our individual and collective voices.
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants.
Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
SS: Aside from being drawn to the natural beauty of the land, and wanting to live in a place where it felt like nature was still bigger than humans, I have enjoyed 25 years of teaching theatre and music programs in the local schools. This evolved into creating my theatre company, Wishbone Productions.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I am a theatre artist and artistic producer of Wishbone Theatre Productions, a company based in the Robson Valley community of Valemount. We produce original theatre and music pieces and play to local audiences, as well as tour our shows further afield. I am predominantly a playwright, although I also act and direct, and have worked with theatre companies across Canada over my 40-year career. I also teach theatre both privately and within the public school system.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
Wishbone Theatre has received funding support from CKCA for many of our shows over the 17 years I have been based in Valemount. This has helped me build a solid core ensemble of theatre artists and a dedicated audience. Being a part of the board gives me an opportunity to show my appreciation. I am also able to increase my awareness and understanding of all the exciting art disciplines spread throughout the Columbia Basin and offer my voice of support.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
A strong, vibrant arts and cultural sector contributes so much to the vitality of communities, and sense of connection to communities.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
If you are passionate about your arts discipline, use this passion to fuel your commitment and dedication to your craft. Any creative endeavour involves vulnerability. Going out on a creative limb is hard, going further can be harder, and the payoff is always worth it, especially when it develops and hones your skills.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
My vision includes a community where artists and art are valued, and their creative work is supported and sustainable.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Arts-based education and community recognition of its importance is an essential component to fostering a thriving arts and culture community.
Artisans of Crawford Bay (photo credit: Spencer Legebokoff)
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council is prepping to go on the road! Sign up below to indicate your attendance.
Every so often, we get the itch to abandon the Zoom calls and make some good, old-fashioned, face-to-face connections.
That’s why Kallee Lins, our Executive Director, and Lily Andersen, our Grants Officer and Operations Manager, are heading in mid-September 2025 to a few communities we don’t often get to visit in person.
Cranbrook, Fernie, Invermere and Golden—this means you!
We want to meet the folks involved in arts, culture and heritage in these locations (and surrounding areas). We’ll learn about you and your needs, while you’ll learn more about:
Wire Woman Studio, 2025 Columbia Basin Culture Tour (photo credit: Spencer Legebokoff)
ATTEND OUR AGM—AND ENJOY A GREAT NEW REASON TO BECOME A MEMBER!
Becoming a member of the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council and attending our annual general meeting is always useful and interesting. But this year, we’ve added a unique reason for organizations to become a member: the new Basin ArtSafe initiative.
Launching in November 2025, Basin ArtSafe aims to enhance workplace safety for cultural producers in the Columbia Basin, while supporting cultural sector employers in meeting WorkSafeBC requirements. Learn more here, attend our AGM for even more details, and plan to take advantage by signing up your organization as a member or renewing its membership if you haven’t already.
Individuals are welcome to become WKRAC members, too!
Attend our AGM
Join us as we reflect on WKRAC’s past year:
Thursday, October 16, 2025
noon Pacific / 1 p.m. Mountain
online through Zoom.
You’ll hear from Maggie Shirley and Nate Gerber, who will provide updates on their exploration of digital needs within the cultural sector.
In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to share your own efforts, voice your needs and seek advice on issues your organization may be facing. You’ll connect with other arts-focused people and organizations across the region to hear what they’re doing, learn from one another and exchange information and resources.
Members and non-members are welcome, with voting reserved for members. (Below, see how to become a member, plus view AGM voting details.)
As a member, you’ll be able to vote during the AGM and organizations will be able to access Basin ArtSafe. You’ll also be helping us deliver programming to amplify, celebrate and strengthen the cultural sector throughout the Columbia Basin. This includes valuable resources like these:
Ongoing sector news and updates about arts policy and advocacy opportunities.
Plus, you’ll be helping us administer the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance granting programs, funded by Columbia Basin Trust, which provide direct financial support to artists and arts organizations in our region.
Since it launched over two decades ago, Articulate magazine has evolved from a newsprint version to a full-colour magazine, and recently, a new website!
We continue to produce an annual print issue available for free at your favourite local venue.
2026 print issue—submit your ideas now
Articulate magazine highlights the rich diversity of artists and arts, culture and heritage organizations in the Columbia Basin. To do that, we need your help!
We’ll assign the articles to writers, so don’t send completed stories, please. Just send a quick email with the who, what, when, where and why of your idea or news item, and who the contact person is. Also briefly explain why you think this story would be of interest to a broad range of readers.
We’re on the lookout for information about interesting people, timely happenings or community news, with a focus on the arts, culture and heritage of the Basin. We’re also interested in tips on new releases of books, films and music. Browse recent stories online for a sense of editorial priorities.
The next issue will be distributed in December 2025 and covers events through to fall/winter 2026, so take that into consideration when submitting your ideas.
Note that, while the magazine previously included events listings, our online calendar continues to provide this function. Submit your events to our online calendar for distribution.
Request a copy Get Articulate magazine mailed to your home or business—for free—by clicking here.
Advertising Discover our competitive rates to feature your business in this widely read print publication, all while helping to support news focusing on our arts, culture and heritage community. Articulate is distributed to cultural venues like theatres, bookstores and galleries, as well as to hotels, cafés and many other high-traffic locations. Email to learn more: [email protected].
Writers We are always on the lookout for writers to take on story assignments. Interested? Send us an expression of interest and a brief writing sample and we will reply with a copy of our editorial guidelines. Pssst: We pay our contributors!
NOTE: To continue receiving notifications about calls for Articulatecontent in the future, please make sure to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
Me7 Elkstwéwc-kt means “we are working together” in Secwépemctsín—a reminder that meaningful heritage work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built in relationships, through respect and in shared responsibility.
This gathering marks a continuation of the intentional shift we (Heritage BC) began last year—a move away from a traditional, presentation-style conference format to a more collaborative, place-based approach that is grounded in community. It isn’t just a change in style; it’s a reflection of deeper values and a growing recognition that our sector’s most pressing questions—about sustainability, reconciliation and inclusivity—can’t be answered from a distance. They require us to be present, to listen deeply and to learn in place.
We’re hosting the 2025 conference in partnership with the Kamloops Museum and Archives and Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park, two institutions whose work reflects what it means to care for their community through heritage. Tk̓emlúps (Kamloops) was chosen not only for its accessibility and natural beauty, but because of the layered histories and relationships it holds—between people, across time and in conversation with the land. As a site of cultural continuity, memory and both colonial harm and Indigenous resurgence, it offers a meaningful space to explore this year’s central theme: Me7 Elkstwéwc-kt — Working Together. By spending time on these lands and learning from local leaders, Elders and practitioners, we are invited into a different kind of heritage conference—one that’s participatory, respectful and centered in truth-telling and collaboration.
What does this mean for you as a heritage professional, educator, community organizer or institutional leader? It means stepping into a learning environment designed not only to inform, but to transform. Over two days, you’ll gain practical tools for co-creating heritage projects with community, strategies for deepening relationships between institutions and Indigenous partners, and ideas for reimagining how heritage work can be more sustainable and inclusive. Whether you’re coming from a museum, archives, local government or grassroots initiative, this conference offers a space to reflect, re-energize and reimagine what’s possible when we work together. You’ll leave with tangible examples, renewed partnerships and inspiration for how to shift practice in your own context—wherever that may be in the province.
Expect to:
learn how local communities are reclaiming their histories through collaborative partnerships, with sessions led by those doing the work on the ground
explore how emerging leaders and experienced professionals can support one another through inclusive, intergenerational dialogue and skill-building
participate in tours and workshops that ground heritage practice in land, community and lived experience—including opportunities to engage with both settler and Secwépemc perspectives
centre Indigenous voices in conversations about heritage conservation, truth-telling and the future of our shared histories
build lasting relationships through shared meals, evening gatherings and facilitated opportunities for collaboration.
Maggie Shirley, WKRAC Project Manager, Digital Services Transformation Project
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants. We also have great employees!
Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.
Maggie Shirley, Project Manager, Digital Services Transformation Project
Based in Castlegar, Maggie Shirley was instrumental in hosting our Kootenay Art Connect Conversations, and continues to work on a digital project to bring together those working in arts, culture and heritage in the region. She also works as the Project Coordinator for the Dementia Project based in the Trail Hospice.
WKRAC: When did you join WKRAC, and why did working here appeal to you?
MS: I first joined WKRAC in 2023 when we received a grant to do outreach work with the Columbia Basin arts sector. The grant finished, but as an outcome of that work we applied for a grant for the Digital Services Transformation Project. We were successful and so I’m back working with WKRAC.
What are the main things you do in your position?
With the Digital Services Transformation Project, I am working with consultant Nate Gerber and the leaders of six arts and culture organizations on a pilot project. We are working together to analyze the systems of each organization and to identify ways in which we can create digital or other solutions to improve ways of operation both individually and as a collective group. It is groundbreaking and exciting work.
How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
I first moved to Nelson in 1981 and attended David Thompson University Centre. I’ve moved away several times, including to Ireland for seven years, yet I have always returned. The West Kootenay is home for me.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I consider myself an artist. I am part of an arts group called Ten Thieves. I create theme-based work in a variety of media and methods, primarily three-dimensional work. At the moment, I’m experimenting with creating bioplastics and then creating objects combining the bioplastics with found objects harvested from the forest floor. I examine themes such as gender, the body, evolution and the natural world. Ten Thieves has an exhibition scheduled for the Langham Cultural Centre in 2026, so I hope you come see it.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
I think we punch above our weight when it comes to the quality of our professional artists. There are folks living here who are exhibiting in galleries and spaces across Canada, in the States and in Europe, as well as in the Kootenays. CKCA grants have been an important source of support for these artists and for Columbia Basin galleries so they can show regional professional artists. I hope professional art continues to be valued, as it has in the past.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
There’s an old cliché of a starving artist working alone in a garret. Aside from the dearth of garrets in the Kootenays, to be a thriving artist you need to build relationships and community with other artists, with curators and with local businesses that can support you. A lot of work can be done alone in the studio, but connecting to the larger community will enhance your practice in a multitude of ways.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I envision a healthy, thriving arts sector that is interconnected and working collaboratively to support arts and culture workers. I believe the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council can play an integral role in bringing this vision to reality. This is what the Digital Services Transformation Project is working toward.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Although it not considered an essential service, arts and culture plays such a vital role in our society. It brings us together. It can get us talking about controversial ideas. It gives voice and visibility to non-dominant cultures. It lifts our spirits in difficult times. It is a binder that holds us together. Whatever happens, we need to support and celebrate our Columbia Basin culture and the people who create it.
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants. We also have great employees!
Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.
Galadriel Watson, Communications Manager
The WKRAC website and monthly newsletter are just a couple of the items overseen by WKRAC’s Communications Manager Galadriel Watson, who lives in Nakusp.
WKRAC: When did you join WKRAC, and why did working here appeal to you?
GW: I’ve been doing communications on a part-time basis for WKRAC since August 2022. As a freelance writer, I was excited to find a position that would nicely slot into my other writing tasks. Plus, as a former staff member of Columbia Basin Trust, I was keen to work for an organization that had strong ties to the Trust—such as managing its arts and culture program—but which also enables me to obtain an even broader vision of arts, culture and heritage in the Basin.
What are the main things you do in your position?
Outward-facing messaging is my main domain, such as maintaining the WKRAC website, writing news stories, compiling the monthly newsletter, and advertising programs like the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance grants or the Columbia Basin Culture Tour.
How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
My family and I had been living in Calgary and dying to get out of the city and into a small town. When we camped in this area, we decided to make moving here a goal. It took a few years, but we finally secured jobs and made the leap in 2010.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I’m a writer of non-fiction books and articles for children, and newspaper and magazine articles for adults, which have been published in outlets like The New York Times for Kids and The Globe and Mail. Over the past few years I’ve also taken up linocut printmaking, and greatly enjoyed taking part in last year’s Nelson ArtWalk.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
There’s so much of it here! One of the first things I did when I moved to the area was attend the Columbia Basin Culture Tour—it was so cool! Whether you’re interested in textiles, painting, pottery, photography, metalwork, historical sites or so on and so on, there’s going to be something available.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
Diversify. To make a living, you may need to create your art, plus teach your art, plus take a part-time position somewhere, plus be open to anything else that fits your values and interests while helping you pay the bills. And remember that you’re being creative because you love it. Don’t let the pursuit of dollars suck away the joy of doing what you do.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I think arts, culture and heritage in the Basin will only grow stronger. We’re extremely lucky to have supports like the Trust’s CKCA grants that no one else in the province has, and opportunities like the Culture Tour. Know that behind the scenes, the WKRAC is working hard to give artists and arts, culture and heritage organizations tools to build even more positive futures.
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