If you’re an individual or organization in the Columbia Basin that would like to pursue an arts and culture project, you’re invited to apply for a grant from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA). The application period is now open, with deadlines on March 1 or 8, 2024, depending on the program.
CKCA grants—funded by Columbia Basin Trust and managed by the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council—are available for all art disciplines, for both individuals and arts and culture organizations in the Basin.
“The arts and culture sectors are incredibly important to our communities. The CKCA board is grateful for the Trust’s continued support, and is always impressed by the breadth and creativity of the grant applications that are submitted. The Trust’s funding allows artists to grow, and it creates opportunities for the many arts and cultural organizations that apply to celebrate the diversity and individuality of the communities that make up the Basin. We are excited to see what this year’s round of applications will be and look forward to continuing to witness the ongoing positive impacts that this funding creates for the communities.”
Justine Cohen, Manager, Delivery of Benefits, Columbia Basin Trust
“The Trust is pleased to partner with the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council to provide people living in the Columbia Basin region with opportunities to access and enjoy arts and culture. Together we are fostering creativity, cultivating a cultural legacy and adding to the vibrancy and well-being of the region.”
Provide your input to help local arts organizations carry on strongly into the future. Here are three opportunities.
1.
Trail’s VISAC Gallery is busy making plans for the next three to five years. Include your voice in its vision for arts programming by filling out a brief survey. Respondents can enter to win one of three gift baskets featuring pottery by Centre Star Studio, a one-night stay for two at the Prestige Mountain Resort in Rossland and a pair of tickets to see Made in Italy at the Bailey Theatre on Saturday, March 30.
Help steer Castlegar Sculpturewalk toward greater success and relevance by sharing your firsthand experiences, insights into strategic priorities and vision for the organization’s future through a survey. Respondents can enter to win a $100 gift certificate to the downtown Castlegar restaurant of their choice.
Support the development of arts and culture in the Columbia Valley. Columbia Valley Arts is seeking an operations manager to support the overall operations of the organization. View the job description and application process:
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 East and West Kootenays and Columbia Basin.
We’re also interested in tips on new releases of books, films and music to include in our “New and Noteworthy” review section.
The next issue will be distributed in April 2024 and covers events through September 2024, so take that into consideration when submitting your ideas.
2: Your events listings
ARTiculate includes listings of local arts, culture and heritage events; this issue will cover items from April to September 2024. To have your event considered for publication, submit it for free by Friday, February 16, 2024, using this link (*NEW*): wkartscouncil.com/articulate-event-submission-form.
Advertising Ask about our competitive rates to feature your business in this widely read 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 ARTiculate content in the future, please make sure to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
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.
Janey Weeks, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Janey Weeks lives in Valemount, where she retired in 2022 from the Valemount Community Forest.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
JW: I moved here as a teenager from Vancouver and never left. I love nature and untamed spaces, so I stayed.
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 musician; I give piano lessons to a few young people.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
I have been involved with arts, culture and heritage all my life, and then in Valemount since 1975. When I retired, I thought, This is something that interests me and seems to be a theme in my life. It is time to become involved. I see that my role is to encourage individuals and groups in my community to apply for CKCA funding/programs and be aware of opportunities in the region.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
What I think the region should be proud of is the blend of who we are. I think everyone should honour their past—offer forward what they have and pass on what we can to future generations.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
Do what you love. When you come to making a choice, choose the path that will eventually take you where you want to be. Enjoy and be proud of your journey.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
May arts, culture and heritage always be valued by communities in the region. May these communities provide places for display and performance, and that they be open-minded and inclusive for groups and individuals to be able to thrive in the whole region. Always make sure that arts, culture and heritage in the region are well funded and remain focused on the people that live here.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
In small communities (pop <1,200) I would like to see financially supported art, music, culture and heritage as part of mandatory curriculum (at least) in public school, to expose youth to what may be an unknown opportunity. I would like to see publicly funded institutions be inclusive to community-led art, culture or heritage projects, programs and activities year-round.
Happy new year everyone! We hope that the start to 2024 is going great for you, with anticipation of wonderful things to come.
Our excitement for the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024 was a move into a new location. We’re thrilled to be in a more comfortable space, just down the hall from our old one.
Find us from now on in the same building as usual (619 B Front Street in Nelson, above Kootenay Valley Financial Services) but in suite #1 instead of #4.
The wonderful cover art is designed by Keiko Lee-Hem of Keiko Creative and features artwork by Abby Wilson.
The Columbia Basin is a place where vast nature, unbound creativity and rich cultural history intersect. Join us for the Vibrant Basin podcast—where we’ll dive deep into the stories of artists and cultural workers across the diverse communities of the Basin.
In this pilot season, host, performer and storyteller Shayna Jones will be asking guests how their artistic practices have shifted their understanding of themselves, their heritage and their neighbours.
These grants—funded by Columbia Basin Trust and managed by the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council—are available for all art disciplines, for both individuals and arts and culture organizations in the Columbia Basin.
To learn more about these grants and how to apply, attend one of our FREE grant-writing workshops. The sessions all take place online through Zoom.
In collaboration with us at the WKRAC and the Tilted Brick Gallery, the Basin Food & Buyers Expo—held in Creston on November 3 and 4, 2023—put out a unique call to artists: submit original creations made of food packaging, exploring the theme of food packaging, or offering food packaging designs.
All the entries were amazing, and displayed for a couple of weeks at Creston’s Tilted Brick Gallery. In the end, a locally assembled jury selected two as our winners.
Congratulations to first-place winner Shirley McLim for “Madame Cola – Can Can Dress,” who comes away with $1,000; and to second-place winner Jess Stacey for “Processing Apron,” who comes away with $500. The challenge and prizes were supported by Columbia Basin Trust.
The Madame Cola – Can Can Dress is made of 215 Coke tins—hole-punched to create a sewing connection and cut to make items like roses—and countless tabs crocheted together. Shirley McLim said the following about it:
Second prize: “Processing Apron” by Jess Stacey.
“Madame Cola appears to have a cold exterior with an icy soul, but don’t let her colourful past stop you from approaching her. Her sassy personality will draw you in with her addictive sweetness that will leave you wanting more. I love colour and a challenge, so the vibrant red Coke tins beckoned me. The challenge was to turn Coke tins into a fabric-like medium to create this wearable dress. The bustle unhooks and the back laces up so one can slide it off and on.”
The second-place creation, “Processing Apron,” is a work of mixed-media wearable art made with items from the packaging processes of Creston farmers and food producers that would otherwise have been waste. Jess Stacey said the following about it:
“Less packaging means more kitchen work. When compared to the ready-to-eat food products that often come in substantial packages, the less-processed whole food alternatives ask more of the consumer. They invite us to spend more time cooking, preserving and essentially doing our own food processing at home. What we exchange for convenience is an investment of effort and an interest in the path that our food takes to arrive on our plate.”
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.
Thelma Brown, CKCA Steering Committee Member
Thelma Brown is a second-generation Goldenite, and is currently retired.
WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?
TB: I was born in Golden in 1951 and have lived here most of my life. Locals tend to call our area the East Columbia as the Columbia River is an integral part of the community and our identity.
Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?
I was very involved in the past as an employee of Kicking Horse Culture and as an active volunteer, although not as much in later years. I have always been an advocate and supporter of arts, culture and heritage locally and through CKCA. My personal interests are in silversmithing, raku and painting.
Why did you wish to join this board/committee?
I wanted to be a representative for my community as, having lived here so long, I felt my knowledge of local artists and the art community gave me a broad perspective.
What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?
I feel residents are proud of the arts, culture and heritage that is part of this community. Kicking Horse Culture has provided a broad variety of year-round events that are well attended, drawing in folks of all ages. Many local artists have had shows at the Art Gallery of Golden, allowing the non-artists of the community to be exposed to the amazing talent this area has. Golden has a large, expanded community and many artists live rurally, so having a central location is something to be proud of and be part of. The local museum has revolving displays and events, and local heritage is well preserved and available to old-timers, newcomers and tourists. Locals are proud of the work the Métis Nation Columbia River Society has done to establish a meeting place and a source of information about Indigenous history and culture in the area.
What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?
I would suggest getting involved in all areas of arts, culture and heritage in their small community. It’s valuable to get a broad perspective of the challenges faced and ways to connect with the artist community. I feel it is important that artists themselves help raise that awareness through collaboration with other agencies. Through collective knowledge and working together, information can be shared that can benefit them in the end. Volunteering and seeking out grants allows artists to not be isolated in their artistic practice. I feel that pursuing a career in these fields in the current climate takes dedication, tenacity, creativity and a willingness to push the boundaries.
What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?
I would hope the value of these continues to be recognized by communities at large. With continued and increased collaboration between art councils, museums, Indigenous communities, libraries, collectives and artists of all disciplines, it will continue to grow stronger roots. The support of small local business—such as local co-op radio and newspapers—will help draw people back to the importance of a strong community that looks to each other instead of to their phones to seek out the importance of a strong arts, culture and heritage core. It takes a wide variety of arms to grow, support and sustain a strong arts, culture and heritage future.
As an artist or arts and culture organization, you may have big dreams. So how do you get the funding to make them come true?
Each year, the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA)—funded by Columbia Basin Trust and managed by the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council—provides grants to arts and culture projects throughout the Columbia Basin.
Join us at the Rural Artist Support Weekend
The CKCA application period is traditionally open from early winter to spring. However, it’s never too early to start developing your ideas.
To start, we recommend attending one of our grant-writing workshops. At these, you’ll learn all about the different granting streams available and how to write a solid application. We run a whole series of these workshops, so as many people as possible can find one to fit their schedule.
At this point, we invite you to attend our first grant-writing workshop, which is taking place during the Rural Artist Support Weekend, hosted by the Nelson and District Arts Council (NDAC) in December 2023. For details on the weekend’s events when they become available, follow NDAC on Instagram or Facebook.
As for additional CKCA grant-workshops, coming in January and February 2024, get details as they’re announced by signing up for our newsletter or following us on Facebook or Instagram.
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