Queen Elizabeth has sent her regrets, but organizers are continuing full steam ahead with plans for a Canada Day weekend celebration in Wynndel.
The O Canada Art Festival will actually run from June 29-July 6, but Canada Day weekend will be chock full of events for the family, with a focus on the arts.
“We will also be shipping the Statue of Liberty necklace to New York on July 4,” organizer Sandy Kunze said.
For two years, Kunze has been co-ordinating the project, with individuals crafting large clay beads, glazed and fired, which are now strung to create a giant necklace.
“I thought it would be a nice touch to invite Queen Elizabeth to our community, so I sent off a letter of invitation a few months ago,” Kunze said.
A letter of regret is now in Kunze’s possession, written by the Queen’s lady in waiting. The letter writer explains that the Queen will be unable to attend, but adds that she was particularly interested in some of the events, as well as the creation of the Statue of Liberty necklace. The invitation and response are now framed and will be hung in the art show.
“We will be showcasing the works of two prominent Canadian artists, local artists, artist demos, an artisan market and other activities such as a petting zoo for the children,” Kunze said.
The art show, From Far and Wide, will feature presentations from two prominent Canadian artists. Yukon’s Sandra Grace Storey and Randall Finnerty of Montreal will be traveling to what Kunze likes to describe as “our quaint little community”. Both will be conducting workshops at the Ingham Arts and Culture Centre in Creston later in the week.
Finnerty is a visual artist who has been working for a number of years with charcoal on paper, portraying a cast of animal and human characters that are often set in wilderness environments or on the periphery of human settlements. Storey makes clay objects that resemble animals or the human figure to evoke a single moment within the ongoing narrative of human existence.
In conjunction with From Far and Wide, Kunze is inviting Idaho artists to submit works for a Without Borders art show.
Among the many planned events are an opening reception, music concerts, demonstrations by local artists, a wine and art bus tour, carnival games and a petting zoo and a lion dance with Red Jade Martial Arts.
The complete schedule of events can be found at www.ocanadaartfestival.com.