Painting in Paradise -although it's not the name of the Gibsons School of the Arts, it very well could be. Eight years ago local artist, Peggy Small had a brain wave - why not bring folks to Gibsons to study painting? The passionate Gibsons advocate was worried there would be nothing to attract artists after the long-running CBC series The Beachcombers wrapped up.
"We needed something in Gibsons at that time. We had nothing to attract artists. It was the ideal place for the school of the arts," Small said.
Barbara Bradshaw, another Gibsons' artist who has been involved with the school since its inception, explains the birth slightly differently. "Peggy Small was the instigator. She came into our art group and said 'I'm going to start an art school' and I thought, oh good, another pipe dream," Bradshaw said.
Small laughs that for three years the school ran on three-and-a-half people when another of their members, Vivian Chamberlin was away for six months of the year.
But, says Small, everyone knew their jobs so the group didn't even need formal meetings.
"We made it a point to be the best we could be," Small said.
To that end the small group decided early on to limit class size to 15, and over the years to have only four or five instructors per year.
And the budding school administrators took care to emphasize the host part of the equation too.
"We always serve muffins and coffee every morning. We have a reception on the Sunday before the school begins so the instructors and students have a chance to meet each other," Small said.
Although the reception is generally held in a private home, Small is hoping the Gift of the Eagle art gallery will host the event this year. Small is anxious to show off the talent in Gibsons to the out-of-town guests. And a lot of the students are from off-Coast.
"Most are retired people. They have the time and money to come," Small said.
Local artists are also important to the school. Many such as Chamberlin and Bradshaw look forward to the yearly offering as a way to build their own skills and at the same socialize with other artists. "The classes are fun as well as educational. They bring people into the community," Bradshaw said.
And while it's easy to get carried away and partake of everything offered, Bradshaw does not recommend it. "One year I took all four courses - not a good idea," she laughs.
But she goes on to say learning new techniques "really gets you going again."
And considering a full 50 per cent of the students are repeats, a lot of people must agree with her.
"We have people come from as far away as Prince George to the north, San Diego to the south and Ontario to the east," said Dorothy Fraser, the publicity director for the school.
Fraser is also proud of the fact the school is able to offer scholarships to budding artists. This year the 12 members of the not-for-profit organization that runs the school offered a $1,000 tuition award to Malgorzata Kopania of Gibsons. Kopania is a second-year student enrolled in Capilano College's fine and applied arts program.
The group also has a scholarship worth $500 up for grabs. The award is for a course of the winner's choice (valued at $450) at this year's school and $50 towards expenses. The competition is open to young people between the ages of 16 and 20. The deadline has been extended to April 30. For further information on how to apply, call 604-886-1496. The Gibsons School of the Arts is pleased with the stellar lineup of instructors this year. Several different painting mediums are being offered. Artists include Robert McMurray, Dick Phillips, Janice Robertson, Kiff Holland and Carol Orr. The classes run from July 4 until August 19 with each artist's class lasting five days. And, as always, only 15 students are registered per class so each student is assured a maximum of personal attention.
Fraser reminds everyone registering for classes this year that payment by May 1 gives students an opportunity to win a free class. With odds of one in 75, your chances are good. Small's dream is to someday expand beyond painting. She would like to be able to offer sculpture and pottery. But she said, first the school needs a permanent home. "If Bill Gates came and said, 'what do you want kid?' I'd have no trouble telling him," Small joked.
Then she added, "We live on faith - and so far it's worked."
