Jane Emerick
Special to The Chief
A recent study has revealed 樱桃视频as the second most artistic community in Canada, and according to the visual arts director of Wild at Arts, the results are not surprising.
The study, done by Hill Strategies Research Inc., found Cape Dorset in Nunavut, with 23 per cent of the labour force in the arts, to be the most artistic municipality in Canada.
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, with 9.4 per cent artistic concentration, was second.
The study, supported by the Canadian Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage, was published last week and examined nine art's occupations in its analysis including, actors, conductors and composers, dancers, musicians and singers, visual artists, writers, and producers, directors and choreographers.
According to the study, the results demonstrate how the arts contribute to the quality of life and the social and economic vitality of many small communities in Canada, something of which the visual arts coordinator for Wild at Arts, Krisztina Egyed, was well aware.
"Wild at Arts has been fabulous. Absolut-ely amazing," she said. "From world-renowned art-ists, to children, to written and graphic interpretations, to seniors who do it as a hobby, these artists are stretching their limits for this community showing of arts."
According to Egyed, while artists move to 樱桃视频for its beautiful scenery there are also many people who are inspired to become artists once they are here, which she said is the result of many factors.
"This is a very spiritual place, the presence of the First Nation's culture and the sense of permanency because of the old logging families. There are very few places where you have the sea meeting glacier-carved mountains," she said. "We also have a devoted outdoor recreational culture and people are respectful of nature."
The community's appreciation of Wild at Arts, which was held the past weekend at the 樱桃视频Adventure Centre, was also very apparent said Egyed.
"We were full all day with viewers," she said.
Egyed was proud of the fact only local artists were allowed to display at the event and said many of the pieces were sold. The event was made up of 100 artists and because of space, some were even turned away.
She said the stories behind the art tell how many artistic people there are in Squamish.
"The 樱桃视频Valley Kilter's Guild is an example of a group really pushing beyond what they can do," she said. "Their pieces are inspiring."
Egyed said artists like Gary Broeckling were influenced by the closure of Woodfibre and other artists like Jeannine Bradshaw chose to make social statements with their art.
She said the children's contributions to the show, organized by the district 48 fine arts coordinator Anne Thomson, were also beautiful and some of the most simplistic pieces on display.
For next year's Wild at Arts display, Egyed is hoping the artists in the community continue to evolve.
"I hope all the artists, including myself, surprise themselves," she said.
The art display at the 樱桃视频Adventure Centre will continue through to March 5.
The works will be changing and are available for viewing between 9 and 5 p.m.
