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ArtWalk goes with the flow

Two parties punctuate annual art showcase
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I once had an art teacher who informed the class that the average person spends less than 10 seconds looking at a piece of art before moving on to the next one - and that's for the paintings they actually like. A good artist, he said, was someone that could stop you in their tracks for a few a seconds; a great artist might hold you for a minute.

Since I could only stand to look at my own art for about a second before turning away I decided then that it was best to apply myself to other subjects where I had a little more talent.

But this idea that people only spend seconds devouring pieces of art that took artists weeks, months and sometimes years to complete, has stayed with me. I recently searched the web to find out whether this was true or not and found a half dozen references ranging from 5 seconds to 20 seconds, dating back as far as 1979. None of the sources pinpointed any particular study - but like me they all heard it from various art teachers and art professors, who presumably heard it from somewhere else.

So is it true or an urban legend? I have a feeling that it's subjective, like all things about art. Some art pieces will literally freeze you on the spot for minutes at a time while others will only capture your attention for a few seconds.

And then there's ArtWalk. This year there are 52 artists displaying work at 44 host galleries - mostly in the village and upper village, although the Function Junction component is bigger than ever with 14 artists on display. With the participation of every gallery in town, that adds up to thousands of pieces of art on display that you can take in over a single afternoon. How long you spend looking at all of this creativity is up to you, but it's a lot to absorb in a single stroll.

ArtWalk runs from July 1 to Aug. 31. You can pick up brochures around town that will guide your journey from stop to stop. Some stops are working galleries, others are restaurants and stores - and all are welcoming, having had a hand themselves in selecting the artist on display at their location.

Ali Richmond, manager of communications and marketing for the Whistler Arts Council, says the appeal of ArtWalk is big, and growing every year.

"We printed about 7,000 (brochures) last year and went through all of them," she said. "The village info centre and village hosts were constantly asking for more brochures, as were many of the hotels."

Whistler residents account for a lot of that interest, but more and more visitors are tuning in. With so many venues taking part and so much art on the walls of local restaurants, cafes and retailers it's hard not to notice that something is going on.

While the goal of ArtWalk is to showcase arts and culture in Whistler, and to give Whistler artists a chance to gain some exposure, ArtWalk does sell a few paintings as well.

"We're seeing more sales each summer," Richmond acknowledged. "We're not a huge sales-driven event yet, unfortunately, but it does get the artists' names out there and we've seen sales after ArtWalk when people have had a chance to make up their minds. I'm always surprised by how much does get sold.

This is the second ArtWalk event of this year - the first took place during the 2010 Olympics - part of the reason Richmond says there are a few less venues this summer compared to last year. The Olympic event was very successful, she added, and one artist sold two pieces before the Games ArtWalk even got underway.

All of the artists on display at ArtWalk are selected by a panel, then approved by the galleries/businesses where the art is displayed. This year there were over 70 applications for space.

The artists themselves run the gamut from hobbyists making their first ArtWalk appearance to some of Whistler's most established names who have made art a full time occupation.

One of the new faces this year is Susie Cipolla, who only started painting last year. She will be showcased at the Whistler Real Estate office in Marketplace - a prime location where the kickoff party will be taking place. She will have roughly a dozen paintings on the walls for July 1 (as well as a few new paintings on the wall at Gone Bakery, no connection to ArtWalk).

"I sold all my interest in Whistler Physiotherapy last July 1, which was the end of my contract with the new owners - I have officially changed careers, and now I'm painting full time," Cipolla said.

Cipolla took one of the Whistler Arts Council's Art on the Lake workshops in May of 2009 and has been hooked on painting ever since. She has taken additional workshops to bolster her skills. She works with acrylic paints on canvas and mainly sticks to landscapes - "I had to start somewhere" - but is taking courses on figurative painting as well.

"I had never painted before," she said. "I always wanted to but with four clinics and 40 staff on the go it was pretty much impossible and I never had the time. Bea Gonzales, who is quite involved in the Whistler Arts Council, encouraged me to take a workshop, and after that I took a few more on my own. And they're incredible workshops, it's an incredible venue and there are some very good instructors and artists coming to teach... I think if people knew about these workshops and how good they are, they would all be full."

Going from never-ever to ArtWalk in a year is impressive, but Cipolla devotes a lot of time to her craft and paints every day for two to eight hours. She literally has dozens of pieces completed and usually has several paintings on the go at any one time.

"I'll get three quarters done and then hit a point where I'm not sure how to proceed, then put it away until I figure out where to go from there. I usually have three or four things going at the same time so I can move from one painting to another."

She has already sold Olympic-themed paintings as an exhibitor at the Adele Campbell Gallery during the Games. She says it was a privilege to display her work in a gallery and a thrill that a customer chose her work.

Cipolla is just as busy as when she was running those four clinics, she says.

"I have not slowed down," she jokes, "I'm just doing something else. But I must say I love every bit of this."

This year there are just two ArtWalk parties instead of four, after organizers made the decision to have two big events rather than a handful of smaller ones.

While ArtWalk gets underway on Canada Day, July 1, the first official party is the Whistler Village Opening Reception on Friday, July 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feel free to start at any stop on the tour and linger at any one of the special events taking place en route including live musical performances by Dr. Dave, Brother Twang and Stone Soup Marimba; painting displays, wine and cheese receptions and travelling entertainers that will lead art aficionados from one venue to the next.

Bring the kids along as there will be balloon twisting, face painting and a number of other attractions to appeal to families.

As always this event provides an excellent opportunity to meet the artists.

The second official party of ArtWalk is the now annual Function Block Party on Friday, Aug. 6 starting at 6 p.m. While there are just 14 venues in Function a number of Whistler's top artists have studios in the industrial park and last year's event was a huge success. Like the village event there will be a number of receptions taking place, as well as activities for the kids.

For a complete list of artists and venues visit www.whistlerartscouncil.com and look for the ArtWalk link.