What is billed as the largest art show in the Okanagan brought thousands of people together to support artists from the valley at the 31st annual Lake Country ArtWalk.
“This is a multi-arts festival and it is filled with thousands of pieces of original artwork, all kinds of forms, all kinds of styles — it’s such a rich, high-quality display of art,” said Sharon McCoubrey, Lake Country Art Walk chairperson.
The two-day festival has become so large that it’s been split between two locations, George Elliot Secondary School and HS Grenda Middle School, to accommodate the more than 140 Okanagan artists on site with their works of art.
“It is a hugely important event because it’s a real strong contributor to the culture of the valley and it’s a support of many artists who are at different stages of their art career,” said McCoubrey.
This year’s theme is ‘Art for a Changing World’ with a focus on the environment in hopes of inspiring others to protect it — which would benefit George Traicheff, an Okanagan Falls-based artist who finds inspiration in nature.
“It’s great to share experiences with them and talk about your painting, fill them in about some of the techniques and it’s just a great crowd. It’s a wonderful place to be and meet people and sell artwork, of course,” said Traicheff.
Kelowna-based artist Vanessa Ali puts her own impressionist spin on on landscapes.
“I really love the mountains we have here in Western Canada, so a lot of my scenes are from B.C. and the coast and Alberta because I am just so drawn to that scenery,” said Ali.
The ArtWalk is a two-day festival that combines art with music, theatre, workshops and more.