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The Wright stuff

As the audience crowded the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt for the popular Pecha Kucha evening last Friday, Sunshine Coast Arts Council director Linda Williams took the opportunity to present the Gillian Lowndes Award to Steve Wright.

As the audience crowded the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt for the popular Pecha Kucha evening last Friday, Sunshine Coast Arts Council director Linda Williams took the opportunity to present the Gillian Lowndes Award to Steve Wright.

Williams praised the long-time active musician for his innovation and growth in the Coast's art scene and particularly for his involvement with the Across the Lines project with residents of Christenson Village in Gibsons.

Wright was honoured to be the recipient and noted that he knew first-hand how hard the volunteer board of the Sunshine Coast Arts Council worked to promote, encourage and support all artists.

"This award is special to me," he told Coast Reporter, "in that the application included the Across the Lines project, which is something I am very proud of and I felt was a big leap forward for me artistically, so it is nice to be recognized for that."

Wright runs a music and sound design studio and he worked with Christenson's Bruce Devereux on the successful project.

During the course of several workshops, Wright brought iPads and iPhones, along with musical instruments, to the care home and encouraged residents in making creative sounds that incorporated technology, music and voice. This developed into a CD, Across the Lines, that was rounded out by local musicians.

Wright has also been a key figure in the annual Rainforest Circus, a creative performance in the forest during the Synchronicity Festival, and he worked to bring a TEDx conference to Sechelt. The Sound studio in Sechelt has been nominated for three B.C. small business awards. More information about the musician can be found at www.steveweave.com.

The Gillian Lowndes award is given annually to an artist in any medium. It was introduced in honour of a promising young Coast dancer and vice president of the Arts Council who died in 1981. The cash award is financed by bonds donated by the dancer's parents.