The Art Scene in Kelowna

spring in kasugai garden

spring in kasugai garden

I have heard so much about the art scene in Kelowna recently. Strange how a phrase comes to be floating about in conversations no matter where one goes. Some have said they don’t know anything about the art scene. Some new councillors the other evening at the NERA open house stated that the art scene in Kelowna should be supported and brought up a notch.

Recently on Face Book a new artist came to town and was trying to connect with other artists and I laughed to myself. I have been here over thirty years and cannot connect with the art scene. It is a bit like a medieval landscape. Everyone has his or her own castle, the moat is full of crocodiles and some have the draw bridge lowered during a show… but it is tightly held to the castle walls as soon as the exhibition closes. Small groups get together to paint and it is the style and mediums that drive the group, ostensibly. Really it is that the group are on some level friends.

How can we extend the hand of friendship from all artists to one another? That is what has puzzled me. I would like to help publicize all visual artists and work together to make Kelowna a vibrant tourist destination. Can someone suggest a way to get the artists to poke more than their heads out of their hidey holes and start to work together to make a bigger statement?

If you do have an arts event, I would be happy to put it up on my web site. Just call out!