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.

Andra Louie, CKCA Steering Committee Member

Andra Louie lives in Kimberley, where she works as the Regional Program Manager for East Kootenay for the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy.

WKRAC: How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?

AL: I grew up in Invermere and moved away for post-secondary school and the start of my career in the big cities of Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. I was thrilled to relocate back to the region in 2014 with my family.

Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?

I help organize and produce community cultural events and love to attend as many live music and theatrical productions as I can.

Why did you wish to join this board/committee?

It’s really important to me to be an advocate and champion of artists. I see this as an opportunity to get to know and work with others around the Basin who have a similar interest in supporting the arts, while growing my skill set in grant adjudication.

What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?

Our region is gifted with a plethora of accessible art and culture year-round. I think people should be proud of the high calibre and variety of art, culture and heritage that is in our area and First Nations communities. We are fortunate to be able to take part in a multitude of events and performances that range in every direction.

What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?

Seek out others who share your passion. Be authentic and don’t give up!

What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?

I envision greater financial support from various funding streams to ensure that artists can afford to remain in the region while continuing their artistic pursuits, raising their families and contributing to the quality of life we all love so much here in the Basin.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’m hopeful that summer theatre will return to Kimberley! (Haha!)

Each year, the public is invited to explore and enjoy studios, galleries, museums, events and more through the free, self-directed Columbia Basin Culture Tour. We invite you to become one of the essential stops!

This year, the tour takes place:

• August 10 and 11, 2024
• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Register now if you’re an artist, or an organization or venue focused on arts, culture and heritage, anywhere in the Columbia Basin. Your venue will receive a listing in the 2024 Culture Tour brochure, a profile on our website and a social media spotlight; our tour promotions help you extend the reach of your cultural practice!

Ensure your spot now:

• Early bird rate ($50): register by March 31, 2024.
• Regular rate ($60): register by April 15, 2024.

NEW THIS YEAR!

• Hold your spot through a simplified registration form. We won’t ask for details about your venue until later in the process, which will give you plenty of time to think through the details of your venue and activities on the weekend.
• Benefit from our new venue supports. You’ll gain skills to help you make your tour weekend a success, which will also support your practice into the future.

For more information, contact [email protected] or 250-352-2421.

View venue terms and conditions here.

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.

Before applying:

• view this video
• register for a grant-writing workshop.

To learn more about the programs and how to apply, visit wkartscouncil.com/ckca-funding.

Denise Baughan, Chair, CKCA

“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.

• form.jotform.com/233633234167353

2.

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.

• docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwunTcHd2RIs4RsD1zjav3ctj2GbzF6ovdL2CqE1q8478Ffw/viewform

While you’re at it, read about how Castlegar Sculpturewalk and other Canadian charities have contended with rising insurance costs in this article:

• futureofgood.co/some-canadian-charities-reeling-from-insurance-premiums-doubling-over-past-five-years

3.

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:

• columbiavalleyarts.com/about-us

With a chill in the air, it’s time to start thinking about warmer things: the spring issue of ARTiculate magazine!

To create an amazing publication like always, we need two things from you:

1: Your content ideas

Send us your pitches:

• by Wednesday, February 7, 2024 (new deadline!)
• to Margaret Tessman, Editor, at [email protected].

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.

Pop in to check it out and say hello!

Here are some photos of the move in progress:

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.

Listen to the Vibrant Basin season one trailer:

Thank you to the Government of Canada and United Way British Columbia for their support of this project.

Enjoy a few images from the recording session between Shayna Jones and Nelson-based videographer Carlo Alcos. (Click on each image to see it larger.)

REGISTER BELOW!

Do you have an idea for a project that focuses on arts and culture? Grants from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) could help.

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.

REGISTER NOW IN THE ONE THAT WORKS FOR YOU!

• Monday, January 8, 2024: noon Pacific / 1 p.m. Mountain
• Wednesday, January 10, 2024: 11 a.m. Pacific / noon Mountain
• Monday, January 15, 2024: noon Pacific / 1 p.m. Mountain
• Wednesday, January 17, 2024: 11 a.m. Pacific / noon Mountain
• Wednesday, February 7, 2024: noon Pacific / 1 p.m. Mountain
• Monday, February 12, 2024: 11 a.m. Pacific / noon Mountain

Before you attend a session, we encourage you to watch the following video. Then come to the session with your questions.

VIEW THIS VIDEO BEFORE ATTENDING A SESSION 

If you have questions about your specific project, rather than the programs themselves, contact us directly instead of asking them during a session.

The CKCA application period will open January 17, 2024, and close March 1 or 8, 2024, depending on the program.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CKCA PROGRAMS

We have two winners!

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:

“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.”

Here are a few photos of other entries: