Heidi VanLith
Special to The Chief
Art, Nature, World, Word - if you close your eyes for a moment and envision what those words mean and how they connect, you may get a glimpse of what wonderful creations area artists are contributing to the third annual Wild at Art Festival.
"The goal is to build a signature event showcasing the unique art and culture of the Sea to Sky corridor, and ultimately presenting an outstanding month long celebration coinciding with the unprecedented attention the corridor will receive in 2010," said Wild at Art visual art coordinator Krisztina Egyed.
Paintings, textiles, sculptures, text-based art, jewelry, ceramics, one-of-a-kind furniture, poetry, and other innovative media will transform the Adventure Centre into the Wild at Art Gallery from Feb. 25 to March 5.
"This is a multi disciplinary exhibit emphasizing our relationship with art and nature through physical, graphic and literary interpretations," said Egyed. "People are really excited about the momentum that's being built with submissions from nearly one hundred corridor artists."
Special attractions at this year's event include showcases from world-renowned local artists including the Masseys, Susan Remnant, James Pereira, Fran Solar, Christina Nick, Martin Thorne, Chief Floyd Joseph, and others.
Martin Thorne, voted one of the most popular area artists for his exceptionally creative woodturning and furniture making, focuses on locally found materials such as driftwood, burls, and natural inspiration from his home near the Estuary to form his wood creations for the event.
"The theme is giving me the opportunity to pursue the work I've always wanted to do," said Thorne, who's been honing his craft since childhood. "I've been inspired by what's around me. All I have to do is go a very short distance and sculptural pieces come to my head."
Squamish First Nation and Joy McCullough of Spirit Keeper Design will be exhibiting a large outdoor wood carving of Kwos, the First Nation's legendary salmon chief, fashioned by renowned artist Chief Floyd Joseph.
"The magnificent and culturally relevant Kwos will be installed later this year along one of our local rivers," said Egyed. "I'm deeply moved by the gesture and encourage the entire community to come out for this alone."
Community groups like the Squamish Quilters Guild, Tantalus Seniors Paint and Sketch Club, and the Squamish Writers Group will also be showcasing their works during the event.
Mountain Building Centre and Paul Acorn Renovations are onboard again this year after generously contributing to last year's festivities and facilitating the makeover of Raj's TruValu hardware store.
The Gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 5 through March 5 with two days of outdoor performances on the 25th and 26th.
