If you enjoyed Art Walk last September or took in the show at Wild at Art last February, you know that Squamish has a vibrant visual arts community.
The work of 20 local artists is on display now until March 8 at the Foyer Gallery of the Squamish Library. Photography, paintings in various styles, paper castings, and pen and ink drawings fill the walls, while pottery, stained glass, turned wood, paper maché, lanterns, and jewellery occupy the three large display cases.
Curator Fran Solar, along with Micheline Bell, Jane Runnals, Sonia Richardson and Jenny Smack, had their hands full this past Tuesday (Feb. 8) to organize and mount the show.
This size of event is not a regular occurrence at the Foyer Gallery. Usually, two or three artists are featured in any given month.
Most of the participants - Linda Wagner, Joanna Schwarz, Heather Royal-Brant, Lori McKay, Gail Christopher, Gary Hughes, Jane Runnals, Gunter Wissmeyer, Maureen Brown, Ruby Finck, Sonia Richardson, Fran Solar, Kay Austen, Judy McQuinn, Jenny Smack, Micheline Bell, Liza Liebich, Martin Thorne, Ann McCutcheon, and Jeannine Bradshaw - were either part of Art Walk 2004 or plan to show in 2005.
On that note, "Visuals-Squamish Valley Artists", has put out the call for entries for next year's Art Walk. All Squamish and area artists are invited to submit applications to participate in the fourth annual Art Walk on Sept. 17 and 18, 2005 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work will be juried and applicants notified of acceptance. The deadline for submission is March 1. As a key organizer last year, Fran Solar has dreams for Art Walk. She hopes it will raise the profile of local artists. "They tend to hide away," she says. "There are lots of good artists waiting to be discovered".
She predicts this area will become a destination for people from Whistler and Vancouver. "Others will come and stay in B & Bs and enjoy our restaurants while they take in Art Walk."
Heading up this year's event are Vlasta Dusil and Craig Caldwell, partners in Eclectic Woodworking. "Art Walk has the potential to become a great community event," Vlasta says.
Application forms for Art Walk 2005 can be picked up at Eagle Run Coffee Company, Nothing Finer, Pause Cafe and the Squamish Public Library. For more information contact Craig Caldwell at [email protected], phone 604-815-8461 or visit www.squamishart.com.
