Behind the Scenes: Q&A WITH SHEILA TANSEY, CKCA STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER
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.
Sheila Tansey, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Sheila Tansey works in retail and is a practicing artist in Invermere.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
ST: I moved to the Columbia Basin a year and a half ago from the Central Okanagan, so I’m a new resident. I grew up on a farm in west-central Saskatchewan, on some of the flattest, quietest big-sky prairie imaginable. However, I dreamt of big mountains, lakes and forests to explore. And after university in Saskatoon, I did that! I spent nearly 20 years in the Vancouver area, was in the Okanagan Valley for nearly 15 years, and now here I am! Having grown up in a small community, I feel at home here. Smaller communities have challenges, but also opportunities like the connection I feel to the land and the people. This community is fulfilling all my needs for nature, exploration and creativity.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I paint fun, colourful images that relate to my memories of farm life and my adventuring in the mountains. I’ve recently had my art products accepted at a local artisan shop and I’m very happy to share my creations with the community. I am also volunteering with the Columbia Valley Arts Council. In the Okanagan, I was very active as a volunteer and practicing artist in the local art scene. I taught art classes and participated in many exhibitions and events. I want to continue to do this in the Columbia Valley.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
I worked for the Columbia Valley Arts Council for five months in early 2024 and decided that arts administration was not for me. During that time, I was offered a volunteer opportunity to be on the CKCA steering committee. Immersion is a great way to get to know a community. I certainly found being a “newbie” on the committee posed a delightful challenge for me, and I’ve learned so much. Columbia Basin Trust and the CKCA provide arts and culture with a unique opportunity in this province, and I am learning so much about the vibrant, creative people and events in the Basin
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
We should be proud of how the Columbia waterway ties us together. The river, the mountains and the woodland prairies sustain our lives. The First Nations communities here have known this for thousands of years. I had heard about the many arts and culture, music and heritage festivals in the East Kootenay before I moved here. Now I get to assist and be part of the community that makes these events happen. People come here from all over the world to attend these amazing events.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
I think persistence is a great attitude. A career in arts, culture and heritage can be challenging. I find I need to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset most of the time and it can be distracting and feel counterproductive when all I want to do is create art. Learn how to run a small business. Learn the history of the First Nations peoples of this area to understand and accept their challenges and successes. Participate in different cultural celebrations. Learning is lifelong. Embrace it!
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I hope to see more of the younger generation that grew up in this valley return or decide to stay here. To do that we need to have ways to help them find a future in the valley. I think with new technologies, awareness of the fragility of our environment, and acknowledgement of the importance of a strong community we can do that. It is a work in progress.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I am happy to have found an area of British Columbia that I feel a huge attachment to. I am excited to call myself a Columbia Basin resident. I can create, explore and make a life here!