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Invitation to an Art Crawl

October 17 to 19
art crawl
Clay pots, prints and peaceful rabbits will be on show at potter Georgina Brandon’s studio in Gibsons during the fifth annual Art Crawl.

 

The fifth annual Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is back in business from Oct. 17 to 19. It’s a three-day extravaganza of open houses and demonstrations in artists’ studios, galleries, stores and community halls from Langdale to Lund, professionally organized and encouraged by the Coast Cultural Alliance.

At a pre-crawl launch party Sept. 26 at Strait Coffee, chief crawler Linda Williams told the crowd that 141 artists had signed up this year, up from 122, last year’s total. Some former members had dropped out simply because they wanted to be free to go on the Crawl themselves.

“There are lots of new faces,” she said, and told the crowd that the Sechelt Indian Band was on board this year, opening up the tems swiya Museum of shíshálh culture and displaying the work of First Nations artists at the Longhouse.

Also new are some clusters of artists showing together, such as the 11 painters calling themselves Edges who will exhibit in a home on Sunnyside Road in Gibsons. Most of the artists in this group had taken artist Todd Clark’s class, after which they met each month to share their art. One of the Edges’ artists, Judy McLarty, said that most were producing abstract expressionist paintings.

“Except for Jill King,” she said, “who does spectacular flower garden settings and landscapes.” Each artist has a unique approach. “I’m the colour fanatic,” McLarty laughed, “bright brilliant colours.”

Other artists choose to invite colleagues to share their venue during the Crawl. The collage and painting work of David Sheffield and Carole Sinclaire will be launched on Friday evening at the art.site lab on Nickerson Road in West Sechelt, the architectural home of contemporary artists Claudia Cuesta and Bill Baker.

It’s not all about paint. Junco Jan invites poets, songsters, strummers, dancers, quoters and emoters to bravely take up a mike during her Art Crawl photography show situated on the top floor of Gibsons Cinema. Glass artists David New-Small and Dyan Vidulich invite you to their studio just outside Roberts Creek. Fibre artists of all kinds will show their work — from the ArtToWear Studio in Gibsons all the way to Three Stone Soup in Lund, a new natural fibre art studio. Jack Gibson in Garden Bay will put his bronze sculpture on display, while Keith Burdon will show his wooden carvings.

Elaine Futterman and Mike Allegretti of Creek Clayworks in Roberts Creek will be in their overalls all weekend making pots.

“The first Art Crawl, I thought that no one would come because our studio is open to the public at other times,” Futterman told Coast Reporter. When they did show up at the door in droves, she realized that the Crawl was popular with those who normally would be shy of taking up an artist’s time when they did not necessarily want to buy any of the creations.

Though there is no obligation to buy, most artists make sales. All of them are asked to keep track of the numbers. Williams said that this year the Art Crawl did not apply for a grant-in-aid as per usual for arts groups, but put in an economic development application.

“That’s what it is,” she said, pointing to the many alliances with tourism and sponsors such as the credit union that help boost the economy.

The Sechelt Arts Festival opens on Oct. 17 as well, with a program that runs until Oct. 26. Williams sees no problem with the overlap of two other events taking place that same weekend, the Mushroom Festival in Pender Harbour and the Apple Festival in Halfmoon Bay. It makes an entertaining weekend for all.

The Crawl is open for three full days this year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with some Friday evening events. You’ll need a map guide; you can pick one up at many local stores or galleries or find it online at www.sunshinecoastartcrawl.com