Last weekend saw the revitalization of the Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts in Sorrento & Blind Bay.
The Arts Council for the South Shuswap took the festival under its wing to ensure the 30-year history of hosting the festival continued, says South Shuswap Chamber of Commerce manager Karen Brown.
“Over four days, hundreds of art enthusiasts took in the outstanding exhibits of paintings, pottery, sculpture, woodwork and more at the festival,” Brown says. “New this year, was the addition of a large exhibit of fabric and fibre art that many viewed as a highlight of the festival.”
Also new to the festival was the addition of three evenings of music, including feature artists Cod Gone Wild; each evening drawing hundreds of people to enjoy the music at the waterfront in Blind Bay.
In the Visual Arts category, more than 60 artists took part, submitting 250 works.
People’s Choice Awards were as follows: Carving: Jim Hauser – Grizzly; Woodwork: Larry Bell – Segmented Success; Fabric/Fibre (large): Melissa Nasby – Humphrie’s Lunch; Fabric/Fibre (small): Nikki Webber-Grace; Mixed Media: Melissa Nasby – Our Secret; Bead/Glass/Mosaic: Diana Waller – Canadian Pacific Railway; Pottery: Linda Webster – Assortment Displayed; Pencil/Pastel: Justin Maas – Sister Golden Hair; Acrylic: Pat Taylor – River Crossing; Watercolour: Becky McMahon – Cliff Dweller; Oil: Gloria Werstiuk – Jimmy; Sculpture: Lynn Erin –Tender.