Registrations are currently being accepted from artists and venues in the Columbia Basin — which includes the Greater Trail region — to participate in the Columbia Basin Culture Tour (CBCT).
The CBCT is a two-day celebration of culture Aug. 11-12, creating a self guided tour showcasing local arts, culture and heritage offered at no charge to the general public.
Full colour tour directories will be available free of charge to the public as a guide to visit studios, exhibitions, museums, art galleries, cultural centres or heritage sites throughout the Columbia Basin during this special weekend event.
Eligible artists include visual, written, performing, media and inter-arts. Participating individuals and venues must be located in the Canadian Columbia Basin, the southeast corner of British Columbia roughly bordered by the communities of Valemount, Golden, Elkford, Creston, Rossland, Arrow Lakes and Revelstoke.
Although not in the Basin, the communities of Grand Forks and Christina Lake are again invited to participate this year.
Participating as a venue allows an artist to really connect with locals, develop a wider audience, educate the public about what they do, market activities, and attract visitors to a community.
The CBCT allows visitors to meet the participants “behind the scenes” and allows them to: visit artists studios that may not regularly be open to the public, purchase works directly from the artists, visit art galleries, museums and cultural centres to view special interpretive displays, archives, demonstrations or performances.
It is also a chance for them to meet people such as artists, curators, historians and volunteers that are such a vital part of local culture.
The final registration deadline is April 15.
Early registration packages received by March 31 are $40, costing $50 between April 1-April 15. The registration fee includes: inclusion in printed directory, web page profile, placement on online interactive map, event signage, province wide promotional campaign.
If an artist plans to have any special programming or demonstrations at their venue, details can be included on a web page profile. Directories and web profiles will be released by the end of May.
Artist and venue web profiles will remain online until Dec. 31 to provide contact information for follow up visits.
For information or to register visit: www.cbculturetour.com.
