After a three-month closure due to the coronavirus, The Village Gallery in downtown Lumby will reopen on July 2 with a new art show from QuArtz, the quilting arts subgroup of Vernon Silver Star Quilters.
The QuAtrz show features art quilters who have incorporated tea bags (yes, tea bags) into their art pieces. For the 2018-19 year, each quilter used their artistic imagination in a theme along with the application of monthly techniques to create their unique art piece.
“This is a delightful show of about 17 larger pieces as well as art cards, art tags and more,” quilter and Lumby show organizer Linda Kuraoka said. “It will appeal to quilters, fabric artists, multimedia artists and of course, tea lovers of all ages.”
Some pieces will be for sale while others are simply on display to complete the show.
The QuArtz rendition of Tea Bag Art will be on display for the month of July at The Village Gallery, 1975 Vernon St. Lumby. Health and safety procedures including hand-sanitizing, physical distancing, non-touch payment, and plexiglass barriers will be in place.
The Village Gallery is grateful to their landlord, suppliers, and individual donors who supported the gallery through three months of expenses while closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. For the past seven years, The Village Gallery had been operated by the Lumby Arts Co-op with over 2,000 volunteer hours given by a small group of artists. During this time, the Co-op re-assessed the feasibility of re-opening under COVD-19 restrictions. The group decided to approach the Monashee Arts Council (MAC) with a proposal to make the Gallery more sustainable as a non-profit gallery under the MAC umbrella.
“We are pleased Co-op members will continue being involved in presenting shows in the Gallery under the Monashee Arts Council’s operation, and that the Gallery will still have a home in Lumby,” Arts Co-op chairperson Robin LeDrew said.
Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10-4 p.m., starting July 2. Guests are encouraged to call ahead to schedule time in the gallery at 778-473-3029.
“Artists have been attracted to this valley as a place to live and keeping this gallery open will allow for greater exposure to their work as well as be an asset to the community,” Monashee Arts Council president Nick Hodge said. “I am grateful to Robin and Linda and so many volunteers for being willing to get it re-started.”
The Monashee Arts Council is a non-profit society established in 1999. MAC revenue is generated from members, programs, donors, and grants. Their mandate includes education about visual, literary and performing arts, sponsoring cultural events, and promoting economic development by assisting individual artists, artisans, performers, and creators of artistic works. The Council has applied to obtain charitable status.
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