For over five decades, the Creston Valley Arts Council has brought together artists of all kinds, whether painters or actors or musicians or authors — and everyone in between and beyond.
The organization has spent over a year celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary in 2019, with a series of events highlighting the achievements of artists from Yahk to Riondel. And it’s never been more visible, now well into the second year of operating an expanded gift shop and gallery at in the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce building on Northwest Boulevard.
“With all we actually did, we’ve certainly raised awareness of the arts council in town,” said president Brenda Brucker.
The 50th anniversary events — which kicked off in late 2018 with Indigo-Go-Go, a juried student art show — conclude this week with Friday’s opening reception for Home Is Where the Art Is, which runs Jan. 6-Feb. 13. After that, the arts council will keep right on promoting art in the valley, with seniors variety show this month, a second “trashion” fashion show during Focus on Youth, a scarecrow festival leading up to the Creston Valley Fall Fair, and the annual Christmas market.
The arts council’s inception was announced in a 1969 letter to the Creston Valley Advance: “We are here to help co-ordinate the work and programs of cultural groups in the valley, stimulate and encourage the development of cultural projects and activities, render services to all members, act as a clearing house for information, and foster interest and pride in cultural heritage.”
In the early years, a significant task (then known as the Community Arts Council of Creston) was the hosting of travelling art shows sent out by the provincial government, as well as pulling together an annual art show during the Creston Valley Blossom Festival each May.
“We’d go to all the artists and coerce them into putting up their stuff,” said Dorothy Edwards, a quilter who served as secretary from 1972-1978. “I think it’s more exciting right now. It’s more about getting artists involved and getting art into the community.”
In the mid-1970s, the arts council owned a building that housed studio and a small performance space, but sold it for $7,000 near the end of Edwards’ tenure. That venture may not have been a lasting one, but the Creston Christmas Art and Craft Market, launched with a slow start in 1977, proved to be a smashing success in the ensuing years, and now attracts hundreds of customers to see more than 60 vendors sharing their homemade and handmade creations.
In general, though, the arts council doesn’t organize events but rather offers community groups moral and financial support, by distributing funds from the BC Arts Council, Columbia Basin Trust, Town of Creston and Regional District of Central Kootenay, among other funders.
“Instead of the arts council organizing a concert series, a group does that,” said Frank Goodsir, a former president. “Instead of the arts council seeing if anybody wants to do a play, there’s a group that does that.”
Over the years, the arts council has co-sponsored Focus on Youth, a student performance and art showcase that has run annually since 1986; the now-defunct Artwalk that ran from 1995-2014; and even sent volunteers to Vancouver to assist at Expo 86. It sponsors activities for Arts and Culture Week, a Teen Art Walk on the May long weekend, and works with the Creston Valley Public Library to maintain a rotating art display.
From the beginning, a large performance venue was cited as a necessity for the community. An old barn, since condemned and demolished, on Creston and District Community Complex property was considered, as was an old church in Lister. But it took the rebuilding of Prince Charles Secondary School after a 1980 fire for that dream to become reality, with the arts council offering support to the Creston Community Auditorium Society.
“The school board wanted to build a general purpose room,” says Goodsir. “We raised the money to construct the 320-seat theatre we have today.”
With 2019 membership up about 20 per cent over the previous year, the arts council is enjoying support from members. And with that support, the council can give back, and strengthen an already thriving arts community.
“Art will flourish no matter what you do,” said Edwards.