It was her dream to unite arts and the community in Vernon.
And, in honour of her vision on what would be her 100th birthday, the community has rallied together to make Sveva Caetani’s dream a reality.
Sponsored by the Arts Council of the North Okanagan and headed by Powerhouse Theatre officials, SvevaFest is gearing up to kick off its inaugural run, with events happening from Oct. 16-29.
“We were actually doing a survey (at Vernon’s 125th anniversary celebrations) and we had over 100 people stop. I was really struck by the number of people who were taught by Sveva and who knew her,” said SvevaFest chair Barbara Keith, who also sits on the ACNO and Powerhouse Theatre boards.
“We were thinking, are we nuts? We had three or four months to pull everything together.”
But, with the support of the arts community and local businesses, the puzzle aligned.
“When the nucleus of this idea started, I went to the Arts Council president Amanda Shatzko,” she said. “The Italian Kitchen has since stepped up and there’s amazing cooperation from Susan Brandoli and Kerry MacLeod at the Caetani Cultural Centre.”
The centre loaned prints of Caetani’s work to be displayed in the Powerhouse Theatre foyer and in the front window to coincide with Powerhouse Theatre’s commissioned performance of Sveva — written by Janet Munsil and directed by Kevin McKendrick.
After the Powerhouse curtains close, the Vernon Towne Cinema screen is lit up with a special screening of Jim Elderton’s Sveva Imprisoned Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the cinema and the Bean Scene Coffee House.
“I’m absolutely amazed by the talent of this man,” Keith said of Elderton and his full-length feature film.
ACNO artists banded together to create work for Inspired by Sveva, underway until Nov. 1 at the Vernon Community Arts Centre, while the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives display an exhibition of Caetani’s life in the Allan Brooks Gallery and screen a 1983 film of Caetani discussing her Recapitulation series Oct. 18-21 and Oct. 24-28 with showings at noon.
During SvevaFest, Pretium Catering of the Italian Kitchen Company and Wings Tap and Grill offers a special SvevaFest meal of ricotta spinach stuffed cannelloni dressed in pesto, marinara and alfredo accompanied by a glass of wine for $30.
And, in honour of Caetani’s favourite holiday, the Cataeni Cultural Centre hosts A Haunted Halloween at Caetani House Oct. 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or $25 for a family.
The Caetani House will be lit by pumpkins for the Jack o’lantern carving contest while patrons make lanterns, tour through the outdoor haunted garden walk on the grounds and enjoy a spooky soups dinner hosted by Basket Case Picnics and partake in the full bar.
“It will be so cool to have the whole driveway lit with carved pumpkins,” said MacLeod, Caetani Cultural Centre events and volunteer coordinator.
With the abundance of Caetani-inspired events on offer in Vernon throughout the end of October, it would have been an impossible feat without the community stepping up to the task.
“This is a great example of the Arts Council knocking down the stovepipes,” Keith said. “It has been a real amazing journey working with everybody.”
For more information about the happenings of SvevaFest, visit their Facebook page.
