What: ArtWalk opening
When: Friday, July 3, 6:30 p.m.
Where: TD Canada Trust/Whistler Real Estate Company
Cost: Free
Anyone familiar with the Whistler arts scene is all too aware that the community is lacking a public space for artists to display their work. It's not a new problem. But a few years back, the Whistler Arts Council decided to take matters into its own hands, hosting a special summertime event that saw the arts and business communities working together to promote one another.
"Basically, it started because there was no public art gallery in Whistler and the Arts Council wanted to find a place for artists to showcase their work," Ali Richmond, spokesperson for WAC, explained.
They simply reached out to the local businesses, asking them to display local artwork that fit with their décor. The art ranges from conventional mediums and subject matter, like watercolour landscapes, to more underground work with an edgier, urban feel.
"There is something for everybody," Richmond said.
The concept seems to be working. When ArtWalk was launched in 2004, it was only one month long, featuring 18 artists in 17 venues. Today, it has grown to include 71 Sea to Sky artists at 40 venues.
"I think definitely each year we seem to get more and more artists and more venues coming on," Richmond said. "...Which is always good to see, because it means that we're not attracting the same artists and venues every year, it's actually getting through to the community."
The end result has been a win-win situation for artists and business owners alike as the artwork draws people into cafes, restaurants and retail spaces throughout town while showcasing the talents of local artists.
"It's an event that attracts visitors and locals," Richmond said.
It's not a huge sales event, though pieces are sold throughout the summer. Most artists are hoping to gain exposure.
"We see a lot of new artists coming out so I think it's sort of a great way for artists to come out of the closet. It might be their first event where they've actually shown their work," Richmond said.
Lots of local artists like Joan Baron and Ruth Johnson have participated for multiple years while others, like Moira Duff, are newcomers to the ArtWalk scene.
Also, Transitions Space Gallery, which is an artist-run local gallery managed by Andrea Mueller, has joined the event this year, hosting 13 of the participating artists in their space behind Marketplace. MY Millennium Place will host a photography exhibit, rather than its traditional landscape paintings.
"A lot of people just see the benefit and want to show that they support arts and culture in Whistler," Richmond added.
The free, self-guided walking tour showcases the work of regional artists. Simply pick up a brochure from MY Millennium Place, the info centre beside the taxi loop, and throughout the village, and make your way to the venues at your own pace, browsing through a range of work.
Sound a bit too laidback for your place? Well this year, thanks to funding from the Cultural Capitals of Canada program, organizers are able to offer weekly, one-hour guided tours leaving from the Whistler Information Centre every Wednesday and Saturday at 1 p.m.
Mueller has hired six local artists to lead the tours and guide interested art lovers through the venues, offering some perspective on the works along the way, while also offering some cultural and historical insights.
"It's definitely a unique opportunity (for the artists)," Mueller said. "They get to take everyone around and give them a different feeling about Whistler, depending on who they are."
The numbers of artists and venues have increased significantly this year with the addition of a number of venues in Function Junction, four kilometres south of the village. They have been added to the new Function Junction Block pARTy. This event takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 17 and Friday, Aug. 21, bringing ArtWalkers to galleries and studios that have always been slightly out of reach before.
"So we get to go to some of the studios as well as some of the other places that have artwork up already, and just get those artists and venues involved, and it seems like everybody is keen!"
One event that's sure to be enjoyed by anyone who attends is the opening party. The annual summer exhibitions kick off on Friday, July 3 with the first of two receptions - one held at the beginning and one mid-way through the summer - complete with live music and live painting. Friday's Marketplace Opening Reception, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at TD Canada Trust, offers the opportunity to experience ArtWalk with almost 100 fellow art lovers, strolling from one gallery to the next. TD Canada Trust's travelling exhibition of Inuit art will also be on display.
Whistler Brewing Company and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly will be on hand for the opening, while the Vancouver Island entertainment duo known as The Human Statues entertain with their unique, funky pop rock fusion.
Also providing entertainment throughout the evening will be Murphy's Lagh, Alice Newton, Dana Marie, Dani Quayle, and Papa Josh.
Other local community groups, like Whistler Reads, are also getting in on the ArtWalk action. They're hosting a provocative discussion on contemporary art, accented by a custom-made book sculpture on Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m.
