Three years ago, members of the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria made a bold move to reconnect with the community and attract a new audience when they moved from a downtown gallery space into the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill.
On Sept. 13, the non-profit organization takes another step in the same direction with its Fall for the Arts Expo 2014, a day devoted to introducing locals to the art resources and artists within their community – and themselves.
“One of the big motivations for us in putting on this event, and a lot of our other programming, is to celebrate the accomplishments of people who are in the arts and to engage others,” said Bob Williams, president of the CACGV, “to give people a bigger understanding of the arts and appreciate what they’re seeing and hearing and perhaps make them want to pick up a paintbrush or pencil.”
The expo showcases talent, suppliers and retailers and those in the community who are offering courses or workshops in all disciplines, whether visual, literary or performing arts-focused.
Ideally, Williams said, someone could come to the show and go home with everything they need: information on where to get arts supplies, mentoring opportunities and ultimately, encouragement.
“Our sense has been that there’s some mystique that artists live on a cloud and we’re mere mortals,” he said. “But in fact, they’re just people who are expressing their creativity and we’re keen to work with people, no matter what stage they’re at in their arts career – whether they’re picking up a paintbrush for the first time, or they’re professional.”
The Belfry Theatre, Langham Court Theatre, Artbox, Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria and Oak Bay Artists Society are among participating organizations.
Some 35 artists will also be working on site for Paint in the Park.
Claire Christinel, Betty Meyers, Anne Swannell, Peter van Giesen and Jenny Waetli-Waters are among individual artists whose work created in the green spaces around the centre will then be hung in the gallery and available for sale.
As with any of the CACGV’s activities, it’s open to the entire community. Interested artists are encouraged to register at 250-475-7123.
Participate in demos, watch presentations and meet artists at work from noon until 5 p.m. at The Arts Centre a Cedar Hill, located within the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, 3220 Cedar Hill Rd.
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