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Best of Whistler 2012: Media, Arts and Culture

Best Artist Whistler artist  Chili Thom's  reigning title as Best Artist caps off a year of wins for the ubiquitous painter.
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Best Artist

Whistler artist  Chili Thom's  reigning title as Best Artist caps off a year of wins for the ubiquitous painter.

In 2012, Thom scooped up a "best in show" award at a Federation of Canadian Artists exhibition, won a street banner contest in Squamish with pal Kristen Dillon and recently scored a spot in Whistler Underground's upcoming display.

Still, one accomplishment stands out: his involvement with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation's Art for an Oil-Free Coast project. "I have been doing my best to raise awareness about the hazards of the Enbridge Pipeline proposal and to try to let people know that their opinion and voice does carry weight," Thom says. "It was an honour to be invited on their project as well as being in a film, a book and an art show with such legendary Canadian artists like Robert Bateman and Roy Henry Vickers."

The art book, called Canada's Raincoast At Risk, is filled with mostly original work from around 50 artists depicting different animals, people and landscapes that make up the B.C. coast. For his contribution, Thom offered up "What Lies Beneath" a snapshot of the ocean at sunset with a peak beneath the undulating waves.

As for his Best of Whistler honour: "It lets me know that all my hard work has paid off," Thom says. "I feel like it (shows me) I have not become complacent with my art and that my ever-evolving style still speaks to art lovers."

Second in the category this year was the lovely Vanessa Stark with Andy Fenwick taking third.

Best band

This should come as no surprise.  The Hairfarmers  have been voted Whistler's favourite band for years running and they continued their stronghold on the title in 2012. "Our fans love to have fun," says Doug "Guitar Doug" Craig, one half of the beloved duo. "They are interesting people and we are truly blessed for having such a diverse crowd."

The hardworking pair can be spotted gigging around town regularly, sharing their take on a variety of covers and offering up some of their rockin' originals too. "I'm very proud to be in this band and, mostly, being a part of this amazing place. Whistler is great town."

Coming in second is Whistler's other beloved duo, Ruckus Deluxe, whose guitar and fiddle pairing can frequently be heard at their home base, the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub.

Best arts & culture event

Locals take the  Whistler Ski and Snowboard Festival's  motto to heart.

"Party in April, Sleep in May," the massive 10-day event tells us. Combining winter sports, art and music, this fest is a fav for Pique readers, who voted it their top arts and culture event of 2012. This year, the festival brought us concerts by Dragonette, Cat Empire and The Dudes, along with a killer film competition and action sports photo showdown. Runner-up: inaugural music and yoga festival, Wanderlust.

Best photographer

This category carries extra weight, considering the wealth of talented action sports photographers in Whistler. The reigning champ this year is  Blake Jorgenson,  who had a crazy 2012, dashing around the globe capturing landscape and nature shorts, as well as images of talented folks careening down mountains. "Surviving the hectic schedule and all the travel is always the hardest part, but always worth it," Jorgenson says.

His message for voters (after a hearty thank you): "Local support is very important to all our local artists. It's part of what keeps us going. Support them all the best you can and it will make Whistler a better place."

Biggest arts story of the year

The biggest arts story of the year comes in the form of a huge chunk of cash —  $34 million,  to be exact. In September, the Resort Municipality of Whistler announced that the provincial government was doling out the money over the next five years as part of its Resort Municipality Initiative to fund infrastructure and programming to attract more visitors. In past years, that influx of cash has been used for everything from the Whistler Presents concert series to street performers. The RMOW still hasn't finalized plans for the influx of cash, but the possibilities are what make this story so compelling.

Runner-up was the announcement that philanthropist and art collector Michael Audain chose Whistler to build (and fund) a museum to be filled with his vast collection of First Nations and contemporary west coast art.

Best Free Concert

The Wanderlust festival brought a ton of yogis to Whistler in August. But with them came the wild and wonderful funk-reggae whirlwind that is  Michael Franti and Spearhead.  Franti puts on the kind of show you only need a pulse to enjoy, prompting even the stodgiest shoe-gazers to their feet. Best part? It was all for free. In fact, it was your very favourite free concert of the entire year, inching out the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the smattering of gigs at the Whistler Ski and Snowboard Festival to win the honour.

Best Celebrity Sighting

 Gene Simmons,  KISS bassist-turned-reality TV star, pops up around town — where he lives part time — every once in a while, sometimes in support of his daughter Sophie's burgeoning music career, other times just tooling around the village. You might not point or whisper or snap a photo, but you secretly love it, judging by your votes for Best Celebrity Sighting in which Simmons won by a landslide. In second place is Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson, followed by upbeat folky Michael Franti.

Best Public Art

Visitors love to pose on 'em, (don't fall, guys!) locals love to admire 'em and everyone loves to snap a photo of 'em all lit up at night.  The Olympic Rings  — a lingering sign that "Olympics were here" — were voted favourite public art this year, probably for all of these reasons. (We just collect the "what" not the "why.") Another neat trick: cover up one half and you've got Mickey Mouse!

How would you use culture cash?

What do we want?  More live concerts!  When do we want it? Well, when the RMOW decides that's where its culture cash should go. Whistlerites have spoken (or, more accurately, voted) and they'd like more shows to go to. Besides rockin out, they would also encourage council to ramp up cultural festivals and offer more live theatre, specifically a little Shakespeare.

Best Whistler Resource Website

Aw shucks. You picked Pique Newsmagazine  as best Whistler resource website. Thanks guys! We redesigned our site earlier this year to make it brighter, shinier and more user-friendly. We're so flattered that you noticed. (Now, if only you would comment when we get a haircut.) Runner-up this year is Whistler Blackcomb's site, along with Tourism Whistler.

Best writer

Pique's own  G.D. Maxwell  might say it was publisher Bob Barnett's "momentary lapse of reason" that landed him his column in our pages 17 years ago, but you would argue otherwise, voting him best writer again this year.

The poignant, witty scribe says readers are the key to this category. "Without readers we're not writers; we just have a self-indulgent hobby," he says. "And in this forum, understanding we'd better be entertaining. If we're not, we'll never successfully get a message across, just lose readers' attention before the second paragraph." Our own Feet Banks takes second this year.

Best art gallery

The  Blake Jorgenson Gallery  shares the honour of best art gallery with its helpful neighbours this year. Photographer Blake Jorgenson was busy running around the globe snapping photos throughout 2012, so the neighbourly ladies at the Adele Campbell Gallery next door stepped in to help. "They allowed me to take a step back for a year and concentrate on my photography and still represent me and sell artwork," Jorgenson says.

He'll be back in full swing for 2013. "We will be moving back into events for festivals and special events next year," he says. "Industry events and shows are what this gallery was always known for and I would love to bring it back for the upcoming year."

Art Junction took second place in this category while the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre came in third.