The doors are being opened; all you have to do is walk on in.
The inaugural Vernon Art and Sound Exchange, which takes place Friday to Sunday this weekend, is all about opening a number of downtown venues and spaces to a variety of arts and cultural ventures.
There will be drumming and dance workshops, live music, artisans, kids crafts, face painting, teepees, art demonstrations, a puppet show presentation, and a lot more great things, said the event’s brainchild Moot Murphy, a Calgary transplant who prefers to go by his first name.
An audio engineer, Moot performs in local act, the Expression World Music Collective, which is undergoing a name change to Barefoot Caravan.
“The whole shtick is to go to a show featuring local artists,” said Moot, who grew up in B.C. “People always hire acts from out of town. I would like to raise the local arts scene. I did that in Calgary.”
Moot first got the idea to host the exchange upon meeting local clay artist Gale Woodhouse.
“Just before we left for our second tour, Gale and I made clay medallions, which we were offering to the public. She helped me make connections with some community leaders, and I thought that this would be a great way to get the arts community together,” he said.
“I love art and I think it’s the answer to creating a healthy society. To have a healthy arts and music scene and to know each other through that passion and love, it’s what helps us get along.”
With four months of planning, Moot has invited a number of musicians and artists to join in on the exchange, including acoustic singer-songwriters and bands.
“We will have a ton of music and are kicking off with a youth performance on Friday with Moose People,” said Moot. “There will be an Inspired Word Café at Vertigo Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. that is hosted by spoken word artist Rawle James from Kelowna and Jessie Brown will be setting up teepees for us. There will be lots to see and lots for everyone to do.”
Performers participating include Moose People, Barefoot Caravan, Tanya Lipscomb, Peter and Jayme McKillop, Daniel Stark, Nara Straw, Tomek Masiaszek and the Rusty Muskets, Ryan Murphy of The Original Shakedown, and Snow Owl.
“They are a superb band that just moved here from Calgary,” said Moot, referring to the latter act. “(I am) very excited for people to see them.”
While venues include Gallery Vertigo, The Hub Arts Collective, Okanagan Centre for Spiritual Living, Eclectibles Quality Used Books and Vintage Vinyl Records, the Vernon library, and Cenotaph Park.
Families are not being left out of the action.
A preschool class from the North Okanagan Child Care Society, led by Angela Roy, will lead a drumming procession Saturday at approximately 10:30 a.m. to Cenotaph Park. The kids will also perform there, while a puppet show at the library put on by the Cedar Bridge Waldorf School, also Saturday, is being held in conjunction with Unplug and Play Week.
A full listing of events will be available at Cenotaph Park, alongside the Vernon bus terminal, which acts as headquarters for the Vernon Art and Sound Exchange, as well as at each venue.
Weekend and day passes are available at Eclectibles and the Bean Scene, which includes admission to every venue and event. People without passes can pay $5 to $10 at the door to each event.
