Dear Editor:
The organizers of the first Marginal Arts Festival wish to thank all the volunteers and participants who worked so hard during the past few months to make this event a success.
About a dozen presentations were held over three days last week, including free concerts in Memorial Park, an evening of spoken word at the Waterfront Resort, a variety show called Quit Your Day Job, and a homecoming jazz concert by native son and three-time Juno Award winning saxophone player Campbell Ryga.
In addition there were workshops in storytelling, singing, acting and writing, given by nationally prominent artists. Two of them, playwrights Leanna Brodie and Mark Leiren-Young, also read from their works at the library.
The Marginal Arts Festival was inspired by the legacy of George Ryga, the great Canadian writer who lived and died in Summerland in 1987.
His most famous play was The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, and one of the highlights of the festival came when celebrated singer Ann Mortifee, who wrote the music for the play and performed in the original production almost half a century ago, sang during the special tribute to her friend and mentor, George Ryga.
This was followed by veteran actor Dick Clements reciting from One More for the Road, a play that Ryga specially wrote for him.
At least a dozen members of the Ryga family returned to Summerland to attend and participate in the festival, which greatly enhanced its success.
And none of it would have been possible without the initiative and support of Council, the municipal staff, the Summerland Community Arts Council, the Credit Union and many local business sponsors; there was also help from the federal government and national organizations.
Not least of all, several articles and columns in your pages helped to keep our community informed.
And it is here that we thank everybody who supported us and worked so hard this year, and we call upon those who want to help us in the future to make this arts festival an important annual event for our community and a tourist destination in the province.
Please get in touch through our website: www.marginalarts.ca.
Dorthea Atwater and Peter Hay
Ryga Festival Society
Summerland
