The Caetani Cultural Centre Society has received a major donation of $70,000 in the form of a recent bequest from the late Vernon artist Joan Heriot.
“We are very grateful for this impressive and much-needed bequest and also for the vote of confidence that we have received from such an outstanding, long-time member of the Greater Vernon cultural community,” said Patrick Allen, Caetani Cultural Centre Society president.
The Caetani centre has also received several small works and prints from Heriot’s private collection.
Heriot was a long-time friend and companion of the centre’s namesake, Sveva Caetani, sharing an interest in art and culture and a strong interest in community.
She lived in the Caetani house for many years in a suite on the second floor.
Born in the Okanagan, and a zoologist by training, Heriot returned to Canada after many years in England, and turned her extensive talents towards capturing the vast Okanagan landscape through her pastel paintings.
One of the studios located on the grounds of the Caetani property, above the courtyard, has been renovated and named after Heriot in her honour.
“Joan was a strong supporter of Sveva’s vision of establishing the Caetani house and grounds as an artist-in-residence centre, where visiting and local artists could exchange ideas and skills and share this creativity with the local community,” said Allen.
Heriot’s donation will be added to the original Caetani bequest, held by the Community Foundation of the North Okanagan, to assist with the ongoing upkeep of the house and grounds.
The Caetani Cultural Centre Society itself has been a separate society since 2008.
Next year will be a banner year for the Caetani Centre as it celebrates the 20th anniversary since Sveva’s death in 1994 and her bequest to the city of Vernon.
“Both Sveva and Joan were forward thinking individuals, and very much ahead of their time,” said Allen, “As an artist, mentor and teacher, Sveva envisioned the use of the house and grounds as a place where artists and creative activities could thrive and flourish.”
The board and staff of the Caetani centre have continued to adhere to Sveva’s vision by offering public programming and facilities.
The past few years have seen increased activity at the centre, with expanded programming such as art trails, art markets, and a successful artist-in-residence program that in 2013 has gone international, said Allen.
Several other projects have also been undertaken over the years to begin the upgrading and improvement of the house and grounds for cultural and public use.
However, more needs to be done.
“Major upgrades still need to be completed within the house in order to begin to open it up for public use. These are often projects that are not visible to the naked eye, but yet so vitally important to achieving the goals of the society,” said Allen.
The society has identified replacing and upgrading knob and tube wiring, the addition of a sprinkler system, window replacements, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, insulation and plumbing upgrades as some the projects yet to be completed.
For more information on the Caetani Centre, visit www.caetaniculturalcentre.org or call 250-275-1525.
