Tara Sprickerhoff
Tribune Staff Writer
The 2013 Williams Lake Art Walk will be officially underway Tuesday Aug 6.
This year will feature 64 artists whose work will be displayed by 54 merchants in town. This is up from 45 artists and 45 merchants last year, said organizer Willie Dye.
In order to celebrate the opening of the Art Walk, on Friday, Aug 9, Art Walk organizers and artists will be meeting at 11:45 a.m. at About Face Photography where they will be joined by the mayor, Coun. Laurie Walters, and MLA Donna Barnett. They will then be given a guided tour of the first 18 stops in the Art Walk Passport by Mary Forbes. Everyone is welcome to join in on the tour.
The art this year will includes paintings, sculptures, pottery, weaving and photography from locations around the province.
A group of women, whom Dye calls the “Nicola Valley Artists,” will each send a piece of their art up from Merritt.
Also featured in the Art Walk this year will be former lakecity resident Randy Moe who is currently based out of Vancouver. Moe is best known for his “photo extensions” where he takes a photo and mats it, and then extends the photo onto the mats using watercolour paint.
A new twist to the Art Walk this year will be the celebrity self-portraits. The mayor, RCMP Insp. Warren Brown, and Lake City secondary principal Gregg Gaylord will be painting their own self-portraits, which will be displayed at Western Financial Group.
Those portraits, alongside a four foot by eight foot Randy Moe painting, will be put out for auction during the Art Walk, with all proceeds going to the Child Development Centre.
Each artist will also be selling a piece by silent auction, said Dye, adding that most of the art displayed will also be for sale.
“People should take the opportunity to get a nice piece of art for their home,” Dye said.
“Buskers” will also be found around town during the Art Walk this year providing entertainment for those strolling down the street in search of the next art display. Those interested in busking are asked to contact Dye at williedye@shaw.ca.
In order to find out where to go and who will be where in this year’s walk, refer to the Art Walk passport. More than 26,000 of the passports will be delivered to homes or they will be available at all of the participating merchants. The passports detail businesses and artists and include a map that lists where to find all of the art.
Those that visit 42 of the stops will be entered into a draw to win the grand prize of a trip for two to Sun Peaks on the weekend of Sept 22. That is the weekend of Sun Peak’s Classic Car show and the package includes two nights lodging, meals, two lift passes, pool passes and a spa treatment.
Door prizes will also be offered for participants by each of the businesses.
Dye encourages everyone in the city to take part in the walk, even if they are only able to make it to a few businesses.
“It’s a great opportunity, an easy opportunity, for people to have an enjoyable day in town, to support arts in the community and to discover downtown Williams Lake,” he said.
“Arty the Artwalker will be out checking on people to make sure they are doing the Art Walk.”