It’s time to start thinking about what amazing venues you want to visit during the Columbia Basin Culture Tour!
Taking place around the Columbia Basin on Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11, 2024, the tour features nearly 100 venues, from artists’ studios, to museums, to heritage sites.
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.
Keiko Lee-Hem, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Living in Blewett, Keiko Lee-Hem works as a freelance graphic designer.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
KLH: In 2011, my extended family was in search of land to build on communally. We were lucky to find a sunny spot in Blewett whose zoning allowed us to build our multi-generational triplex where we all live today. The region’s natural beauty, paired with Nelson’s stellar arts and culture scene, made the decision to relocate a natural one.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I work as a freelance graphic designer, which gives me a consistent outlet for digital creation. However, I always come back to my fine arts training, with drawing and printmaking as my primary mediums of expression. I also love the chance to create in community, for instance working on an annual fundraising calendar with the Ink & Moon Collective, doing the Poppy’s Embrace Mural at the Oxygen Centre, and hosting nature-drawing sessions in my garden.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
Joining the steering committee gave me the chance to contribute to the health of the arts in our region, a sector that brings so much vitality and joy to us all. As a person of colour and an immigrant, I also saw value in bringing some representation of these groups into the committee. It was really interesting to learn more about the funding process, as well as about the diverse and creative artists and the projects that are brewing in every corner of the Columbia Basin. Finally, it was a great chance to build community with the other committee members!
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
It’s really special to live in a region with such a strong and well-recognized creative identity that draws people from near and far. We must continue to advocate for and support the arts in all the ways we can, to ensure that this sector remains vital and continues to serve us all.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
Follow your interests and passions and get involved in your arts community! That can look like so many things, from simply attending events, to volunteering at events, to spearheading something yourself. Being out in the world with your passions puts you in touch with people and opportunities that wouldn’t find you otherwise, and this shared energy will help to build the momentum of your own creative journey.
Also, make sure to check out Keiko’s chat with host Shayna Jones in our Vibrant Basin podcast, speaking about her holistic approach to design work and how she prioritizes work/life balance.
The Canoe Journey in June 2024 is a powerful assertion of the belief that Indigenous peoples of the region are stewards of the river and the salmon—one of their first foods. This journey highlights the vital connection between their language, culture and the natural environment.
The team for ARTiculate magazine will soon be planning its 46th issue! We’re proud to offer this long-running resource that contains stories, events and news about arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin.
Now, we hope to make the magazine even better! Please fill out our short survey; your input will help us make sure that we’re meeting the needs of readers and of those involved in the region’s arts, culture and heritage sector.
If you decide to include your email, you could win a $100 gift certificate to Notably: A Book Lover’s Emporium, which ships throughout the region!
The deadline to submit the survey is Friday, June 14, 2024.
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.
Carlo Alcos, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Living in Nelson, Carlo Alcos is a freelance videographer.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
CA: I grew up in the lower mainland and left Vancouver in 2007. After a few years living abroad in Australia and travelling, I came to Nelson in 2010. I had just separated with my ex-wife and was looking for a place to land and clear my head. I had no expectations of moving permanently to Nelson but I quickly fell in love with the community and the city and I’ve never left! I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
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 freelance videographer and documentary filmmaker. I produce videos mostly with non-profit organizations, helping them tell the stories they want to tell so the public has a better understanding of the services they offer to the community. I also have the pleasure of collaborating with a lot of local artists, from dancers to poets to musicians, to capture their performances. As a documentary filmmaker I tell stories; I’m currently working on a personal documentary called Outsiderness that explores my experiences growing up as a second-generation Filipino in Canada.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
There are a few reasons. One is that, as a visible minority and a male, I wanted to ensure representation in a group that makes important decisions that impact the lives of Columbia Basin artists. As it was, in 2024 I was the only male in the group and one of only a few visible minorities. The other is a less altruistic reason; as someone who applies for grants for my own projects, I felt that I could learn a lot by being on this side of the process and better my own chances in the future of being successful on grant applications. Lastly, I really enjoy working with Executive Director Kallee Lins and Grants Officer and Operations Manager Lily Andersen!
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
I think the support of artists in the Basin is amazing, as evidenced by the CKCA granting programs that are funded by Columbia Basin Trust. It would take a lot for artists to be truly recognized for their place in society, but it feels like this region really appreciates the arts. In terms of culture and heritage, living in Nelson I’ve experienced so many events and festivals and I get to enjoy all the heritage this place has to offer. For a region with a relatively small population, I think we punch well above our weight and we should be really proud of that.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
It would be the same for anyone in any discipline, and that is to connect with people in your area of interest in a genuine way. Be curious, be humble, ask questions. Be kind and compassionate. Skills and technique are easy to learn and time takes care of experience, but our shared humanity underpins it all and shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s all about relationships.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I think that depends on the voices of the people here. As I said, I believe as a whole we appreciate arts, culture and heritage immensely—whether it’s going to see a movie or a play in a heritage theatre, attending one of the several local music festivals, or simply enjoying open mic stand-up comedy at a pub—so we need to continue showing our support by going to events and voting for municipal and provincial governments that are in line with our values in this regard. The Trust is showing commitment in terms of its slated increase of funding year over year for CKCA grants for artists and non-profit organizations, so that is very promising.
Thank you for attending the 2025 Columbia Basin Culture Tour! We appreciate everyone who took part in enjoying and supporting arts, culture and heritage in the region.
To make the tour even better in future years, we’d love your feedback. If you’re a member of the public who visited one or more venues during the tour, please complete our short survey. You could win a $100 gift certificate to Cowan’s office and art supply store!
(Note: If you were a venue, we’ll send you an email for a survey specifically tailored to you!)
The deadline to submit the survey is 10:59 p.m. Pacific / 11:59 Mountain on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
The idea of photographing your artwork or your arts, culture or heritage space may seem overwhelming, especially if you’re not a professional photographer. The good news is that there are steps you can take to make the process easier and produce better results!
Photographer Jeremy Addington, who has taught photography at Selkirk College, among other places, has put together some simple tips that you can use right away to take better photographs.
We asked him to compile these tips to aid the venues in the upcoming 2024 Columbia Basin Culture Tour, so they could express through photos how fabulous their artwork and spaces are. However, every artist and arts, culture and heritage group in the Basin could benefit—which is why we’re offering them to you, too!
We hope these help you express how amazing your arts, culture or heritage practice is!
The 2024 Northern Exposure conference brought together arts managers, festival directors, artists, emergency responders and community recovery specialists in sunny Wells, BC. Elyssia Sasaki of Island Mountain Arts—in partnership with Elliott Hearte of Arts BC and Carla Stephenson of the Rural Arts Inclusion Lab—welcomed us into conversations about how to prepare for extreme climate events as we go about managing our organizations, particularly when planning for large-scale events.
A session titled “What Happened Last Summer?” brought the urgency of this conversation to the forefront. 2 Rivers Remix, an organization that hosts an annual outdoor “feast of contemporary Indigenous music and culture,” began in Lytton, BC. Technical Director James Still spoke of the challenges of pivoting an entire year of programming following the fire that burned 80 per cent of the village of Lytton in 2021. Focusing now on pop-up events in highly rural and remote communities and reserves, the organization is working to balance increasing festival attendance with the complexity of hosting live events in areas with few services and amenities.
When Nimble Fingers Folk Festival delayed the start of its 2023 festival due to forest fires blocking the highway to the event, it managed to offer a scaled-back presentation of music at a borrowed venue (a racetrack campsite!) to a smaller crowd of folks who were willing to reroute. Staring down what is likely to be another intense fire season, it has already made the call to cancel its 2024 festival, giving staff a chance to recover and regroup. Festival Director Peter Mynett left us with two equally pressing questions:
When is it safe to host events now?
What are the short- and long-term consequences for our communities if we don’t host these events?
While these stories felt overwhelming, the good news is that there are many skilled planners and first responders who are ready to act in the event of an emergency. As arts organizers, we don’t need to reinvent their planning, but we do need to build relationships with these regional officials and communicate proactively with them about our plans.
Irene Israel, the Manager of Emergency Program Services for the Cariboo Regional District, encourages any organization hosting a large event to let its municipality and district know about its plans well in advance. In a town like Wells, with a population of approximately 220, the swell of people attending its annual arts festival (an additional 2,000) creates considerable shifts in emergency management strategies and responses.
Isreal also emphasised that emergency preparedness begins with making preparations for ourselves, our households and our loved ones. Keeping emergency kits at home is critical; she also recommended signing up for emergency alerts when travelling. Text-based notifications from the municipality or district you’re visiting will ensure you’re up to speed on any critical news while there.
Deb Borsos, a community recovery operations specialist based in Argenta, reminded us about the importance of supporting entities like our local radio stations; in emergency scenarios and throughout recovery, these highly local outlets often provide the most timely and relevant information.
A visual artist herself, Borsos shaped many of the week’s exercises, from a hazard-identification walk through the streets of Wells, to a tabletop emergency planning exercise in which teams strategized getting crowds to safety during a hypothetical festival with an encroaching wildfire.
One of the most empowering messages of the Northern Exposure gathering was that the arts are not only impacted by events outside of our control; we also have a critical role to play in helping communities recover after disaster strikes.
Scotia Monkivitch, Executive Officer of Australia’s Creative Recovery Network, joined us virtually from Brisbane to share the network’s experiences bringing the arts into conversations with other systems actors and sharing the value the arts can bring to emergency planning and recovery work.
Monkivitch believes that imagination is the biggest gift the arts can bring this work. The arts can add value to existing community preparedness activities, “deepening a relational, people-centred approach.” Even before disaster strikes, the social infrastructure that the arts provide can have a significant impact on community resilience. Monkivitch highlighted research demonstrating that “more durable social connections means that recovery happens faster.”
The network recently launched a handbook providing practical advice and best practices for those looking to learn more about creative approaches to emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
What I’m taking away from my time in Wells is that it’s never too late to think about preparing an arts organization for an emergency. I encourage my colleagues to reach out to their municipalities and regional districts to share information and open a line of dialogue; when the time comes for a thoughtful, coordinated emergency response, you’ll be grateful to have those connections in place.
Do you have an event coming up this summer? There are some fantastic resources out there to help keep staff and event-goers safe. Take a look at Actsafe’s resources on managing heat risk or its recent webinar Hot and Smoky: A New Normal about managing the challenges of heat and wildfire smoke.
A little bit of planning will go a long way to helping everyone stay safe and have more fun while enjoying art this year.
Harpist Elisa Thorn.Tabletop emergency planning exercise.The Mayor of Wells showing the contents of his go-bag.Opening reception at Island Mountain Arts.Deb Borsos speaking about recovery considerations.Wells, BC.
Kallee Lins is the Executive Director of the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council.
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.
Denise Baughan, CKCA Steering Committee Chair
Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.
Denise Baughan, CKCA Steering Committee Chair
Denise Baughan works as a teacher in Fernie, teaching drama to grades two to 12 and humanities to grade seven.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
DB: I followed the love of my life out west for a snowboarding vacation. We fell in love with the warmth and friendliness of the community of Fernie, and decided to make it our forever home.
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 heavily involved with the arts outside of the work that I do with CKCA. I am a theatre artist and full-time educator, and am currently a member of the Fernie District Arts Council. Over the years I have directed, performed and hosted theatre workshops in my community. Volunteer work has always been important to me. I help out in my community in a variety of ways—sometimes it’s organizing and helping with logistics of events, other times it’s been tearing down stages in the rain, or MCing concerts.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
I wanted to join CKCA because I felt like the work that they do is important, especially for rural artists. I am a huge supporter and advocate for the arts in my community, and with joining this board my hope has always been to have a positive impact, and to learn. It’s been an honour getting to witness so many of the projects that come across our table become a reality, and to see the impact these projects have not only on the artists, but also their communities.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
I think people across the Basin should be proud of the diversity that each community has to offer when it comes to the arts, culture and heritage sectors. Travelling around the Basin, I am always impressed by the calibre of artists that exists, and how the communities create and support opportunities for artists to showcase their work. The Columbia Basin has a lot to be proud of.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
Don’t be afraid to use your voice and create your own opportunities. Develop a network of supportive people, be persistent, believe in yourself and be authentic to who you are.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I believe that the arts, culture and heritage sectors are the heart of a community, and therefore I hope to see them continue to thrive. I hope to witness continued funding to the arts, artists collaborating and communities continuing to come together to celebrate their uniqueness.
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