On Sunday, May 15, Sicamous artists young and old came together at the Red Barn Arts Centre to find out who took the top prizes in the Eagle Valley Arts Council’s Beautiful Sicamous contest.
It was a very nice turn out and it was such a thrill to see the surprised faces of the people who won.
Well done to all the contestants, and thank you for participating in this first-ever arts contest. It may just encourage the Eagle Valley Arts Council to do it again next year with a different theme.
The winning poem ($150 prize) was read by its writer, Kevin Kaiser. It is short, but says everything about Beautiful Sicamous:
We Love Sicamous
Beach, Mountains
Fun in the sun
You can hunt and go for a run
Ice Cream, Quading
Cody and Shea
We can all play any day
Houseboats, Fishing
Kayaks too
Beautiful Sicamous
There is so much to do.
Winning song, “Feet on the ground” by Monica Wilson, received a big prize of $500. It was extremely well sung and performed. Wilson told everyone that when she heard about the contest she just had to write a song because, as a young girl, she used to come to Sicamous on holidays. Wilson thought of it as a magical place, and in her words “it puts a smile on your face.”
We hope to have a good recording of “Feet on the Ground,” and copies available to the public.
As soon as details are available, I will write about it in this column.
The winning artists in photography were: six -12 years – $100 to Natanya Quessy; 13 – 17 years: $150 to Victoria Rowbottom – 18 and over – $200 to Lisa Bond.
Painting: six -12 years – $100 to Darian Sundby; 13 – 17 years – $150 to Jennifer Halley; 18 years and over – $200 to Joyce Balestra.
The paintings and photographs will be displayed in the Carnival of Arts on the July 1 long weekend. It is up to the artists whether they want to sell their work at that time.
Congratulations to all the winners, and a big thank you to the 12 judges who gave of their time. And a thank you to all the contestants who did not win. You all did well and the art work was of great quality and all I can say is better luck next year.
For art information, please contact Carla Krens at 250-836-4705 or carlakrens@telus.net.
