FCA in the Okanagan
Guest contribution by Jim Laing
"I'll give a first prize of $2,008 for such a show" – and with these words, a barely-known acquaintance became the anonymous patron of Art Visions 2008. That was twelve months ago; now Art Visions 2008 is a reality.
The mission of the Art Visions 2008 exhibition is to recognize and promote the excellent art being created in Canada today. From the beginning the idea has been to offer significant awards to attract quality images for exhibition, and to reward excellence. Submissions have been sought from members of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), an organization with approximately 2,500 members across Canada.
Art Visions 2008 is an exciting collaboration between volunteers and professionals. Volunteers from the Kelowna based chapter of the FCA are organizing the show and raising funds; two of Kelowna's finest professional galleries, Hambleton Galleries and The Art Ark Gallery are sponsoring the show by co-hosting it and contributing their sales expertise.
The show will run from October 25 to November 7, 2008 with up to 60 images being exhibited, split between the two galleries, which are adjacent to each other in the downtown Kelowna Arts Precinct. Images ranging from realism to modern styles have been sought for the show.
Deadline is September 12, and all submissions will be independently juried by FCA headquarters in Vancouver. At the time of writing, the show has been planned, the funds have been raised, and we are eagerly waiting to see artists' submissions. In other words: the invitations are out, the table is set, and now we await our guests!
It is hoped that an excellent show in 2008 will grow into a prestigious annual arts event. Fundamentally, the "stars" of the show are the companies and individuals who have demonstrated faith in Art Visions 2008 by generously supporting it. This includes Opus Framing & Art Supplies, along with many others. The original seed money has grown to over $8,000 – including over $6,500 worth of awards. None of this would have happened without our anonymous patron's commitment to the idea.
I wonder if our patron will allow their name to be known?
For more information about the show, please visit our website at www.artvisions.ca Towards the end of September, a selection of accepted images will be on view on our website.
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