The concept of wine tourism is one that has brought tourists from around the world to Kelowna. However; there is a type of tourism is far underplayed. If a person is outside of the Opus Framing supply store on Ellis Street he or she will experience an epiphany. Literally thousand of residents in the Okanagan Valley are practicing visual artists. Bags of watercolours, charcoal, acrylic, oil paint and digital paper move their way out the door every day.

I call the store my “pusher”.

Most if not all of the artists that are working in Kelowna are dedicated to their work. They allocate time every day or every week to create new pieces. If one had a magic reality point of view, one could see the number of pieces increasing in homes, in studios, in storage cubicals. The problem is “Who is Buying?”

After an artist sells those magnificent scenes of autumnal trees to his or her relatives, gives them away as presents to his or her children and donates at least one, large, expensive piece a month to a local charity, what then?

The artists meet in groups to work together. They learn from one another and perfect technique, develop the artistic eye and explore an authetic voice. They carry supplies in carts up stairs, across icy sidewalks in order to meet in a larger space, or in the Rotary Centre’s painting room. Once a year the group might have a group exhibit.

Who attends?

Why other visual artists, naturally. The artists who have every surface in their homes covered. The artists who have turned their garages into a studio to store their many works.

What is not happening is there is little support for these artists financially. W

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The question that arises in my mind is why the excellent work that I see being produced here is not valued by the locals. Is it that every fourth person is producing his or her own work? Is it that all of us give too generously to charities and ask nothing in return?

There are possibilities for creating a lively and healthy “scene” in Kelowna. The first step is for artists to come out of their caves and begin to work together. We need to own the fact that, because of chance or by design, talented people have all migrated to this valley. We need to begin to support one another and get the word out about all of the creativity that is secretly working its way under the surface.

Why doesn’t every musician in this valley have the phone number of every other musician? A sudden gig can be an opportunity for all. Referral service would get the energy flowing.

Why doesn’t a Kelowna tourist web site have every visual artist’s shows and group shows listed on them? We should be communicating with one another and providing opportunity, as in a volley ball team, to loft the ball over the net.

There are so many benefits. First we begin to bring up the awareness of the amazing talent that resides here. Next, we encourage the 100 km green rule. Gifts created by local artists come from local shops. No one has to use gasoline to transport pieces from a locale that took precious resources to move the product. Also, we encourage artists to stay. Many, many musicians have had to move to make a life. Do we want the talented people to leave because we refuse to give them a living wage for their work?

Lastly, the tourists go to Ashland, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; Banff and other cities to experience both the natural beauty and the creativity of the artists in the area.

Kelowna could be such a tourist destination. And one advantage about supporting the arts as a tourist destination is that it is a very green industry. Artists do not require copious amounts of water to keep them alive as the wineries and golf courses do. They, apparently, can thrive and grow with little care.

What if the Okanagan became known as the place to go to hear music, to see dance and to buy art? Wouldn’t all of those artists working away in our valley be an immense benefit to the future of the area? Think about it and get out to a studio or exhibition and observe the amazing committment and energy already here in your own Okanagan.