The Cadboro Bay Festival of Fine Art is taking over the heart of the village this Sunday, and with 25 artists on hand, the event promises a diverse display of local talent.
“We have various types of painters – watercolour, acrylic, oil, mixed medium,” said Leanne Allen, community co-ordinator with the Cadboro Bay Village Business Association. “We have a couple sculptors coming and there’s even a silversmith. It’s a little bit of everything.”
The festival features a broad range of artists, including returning watercolour and acrylic artist Paul Redchurch and printmaker, author and illustrator Helen Stewart, who are each going into their third year with the festival.
“I’ve been an artist for a very long time,” said Stewart, who will have a new colouring book on sale at the festival. “I like this event because it’s neighbourly and friendly.”
“I’m a member of the Oak Bay Community Artists, but I’m also a painter at Goward House,” said Redchurch. “I was asked to represent them a couple of years ago and I’m coming back again.”
Nature and landscape photographer Chris Allen, who’s new to the festival this year, said he joined to showcase his work in the area.
“I’ve been doing photography for a couple of years now and, more recently, been honing my art,” he said. “I’m not really sure what to expect, but I’m just happy to participate.”
Hovey Eyres, a recent graduate of the University of Victoria’s visual artist program, is bringing her photorealistic artwork to Cadboro Bay and offering a unique experience for attendees of the festival.
“I work mainly with pen and pencil crayon, anything that I can get really fine details,” she said. “I will be bringing my notebook. I draw selfies, so I ask people to take selfies on my phone and I’ll draw them, and 20 minutes later, they can come back and see themselves.”
In addition to exposing more people to their artwork, painter Peter N. Van Giesen said the festival allows artists to make connections with each other and opens them up to different artistic styles and perspectives.
“This is really about fostering community,” said Giesen. “Sometimes artists are hidden away because, by nature, we’re somewhere else. This is a way for us to participate in the community and for the community and the businesses to profile themselves in a bigger way.”
The festival runs Sunday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Cadboro Bay Road between Sinclair and Penrhyn streets. Parking is limited to street and plaza parking, with overflow parking in Gyro Park’s main lot.
Attendees are encouraged to walk, cycle, take transit or carpool to the event. Traffic will be re-routed along Hobbs Street starting at 8 a.m. to allow for setup.