I am always amazed by the fact that the Creston Valley doesn’t have a wide-ranging reputation as an arts community. Maybe we don’t have a large publicly funded arts centre like Kimberley or Castlegar, maybe we don’t have a school of the arts like Nelson — what we do have is artists. We have artists in so many different media that Creston should be known far and wide as the spot for art!
Although I normally only write about the Art in the Library and Art in the Chamber displays, this time I decided to expand my scope and, hopefully, yours too. Art is more than paintings; it is theatre, music, pottery, jewelry making and more.
We are lucky to have a wonderful theatre group in the Footlighters; the Creston Valley Music Teachers’ Association and the Creston Concert Society give us a variety of music throughout the year and community coffee houses will soon be offering their brand of entertainment. We have clubs and guilds where artists and artisans share their knowledge: the Creston Art Club, Valley Mudders, the Creston Valley Embroidery Guild and the Creston Valley Quilters Guild, to name a few. There are new and old galleries and studios where are you can see artists at work, as well as seeing a variety of wonderful art and craft pieces. Many of the local restaurants and both of the book stores display art by local artists and, of course, Highway 3A to Kootenay Bay offers a number of places to see and purchase art.
And, thanks to the Community of Creston Arts Council, the Creston Valley Public Library and the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Centre, we have the Art in the Library and the Art in the Chamber displays where valley artists can share their art with the community.
The new Art in the Library show starts on Aug. 29 and features three valley artists, Shelly Lamb, Eleanor Van de Bogart and Karen Mayers. Be sure to stop by and check out the display which continues until Oct. 31.
The Art in the Chamber exhibit will run from Sept. 14-Nov. 6 and includes a fabulous array of art from 10 artists, and a selection of work from the Valley Mudders. A number of the artists in this show have never exhibited at the chamber before and it will be a delight to see their work in this venue.
So, even without a dedicated arts and culture centre, Creston Valley residents can still enjoy wonderful art, music and theatre, and I hope they will!
Artists interested in exhibiting their art in the Creston library or the chamber of commerce during 2016 can contact Val van der Poel at 250-866-5772.
—BY VAL VAN DER POEL
