The Sundre Art Society's upcoming annual art show and sale provides local talent with a creative outlet as well as an opportunity to present their work to the community, said the group's president.
"That's really one of the functions of local shows like this, is that it gives an outlet for everybody," said Virginia Wilson.
Going to a local art show is also the only way for residents to see artwork created by a variety of local talent in one location, she said.
"You go to a local show and you see images that are derived from people who live in the area who have been influenced by the same area you live in. It sort of has an immediate appeal on those who have grown up in the area."
Although the art show does not feature photography or fully computer-generated images and is instead focused mainly on painting media ranging from watercolours to acrylics, it is open to artists of all skill levels, including beginners, she said.
"We had to keep it fairly restrictive" in terms of media of art showcased, she said.
The reason for that is the society doesn't want the event to outgrow the space available at the West Country Centre, which has for years been the traditional venue for the show and sale. The centre fills up as it is, so if there were too many entries, the society would then have to restrict the number of artists who can come, which it does not want to do, she said.
The show is also geared towards putting a focus on local artists who live within a 40-kilometre radius of Sundre. Although artists from further away are welcome to present at the show, they are restricted to displaying five pieces while local artists can showcase up to 10 pieces, she said.
"That's the way we ensure that we keep it local" and promote local talent, she said.
Only members of the society can feature their art at the annual show and sale, but anyone who wants to display their work can simply join the art society at the show. Some art societies have a group jury that determines whether an artist can join, but that's not the function of a local art society, she said.
There are usually about two dozen artists featuring a total of as many as 150 pieces, but those numbers vary, she said, adding the number of artists who turn out to showcase their work is always a big surprise for the society.
The society receives 10 per cent from the proceeds of any sold artwork, which usually covers the cost of putting on the show, she said, adding the society's aim is not to profit but to break even so as to continue being able to host the event every year.
The art society celebrated its 40th annual art show and sale last year. The theme for this year's show, which takes place from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday April 23-24, is Chinook Country Impressions, she said.
The society strives to come up with a different focus every year, and agreed on this year's theme "because we all live in this area," she said.
"Anybody who paints is always inspired by things that surround them."
That doesn't mean there won't be other kinds of pieces, but many of them will relate to or represent the region, she said.
The society has always seen terrific support for its annual show from the surrounding area, and Wilson encourages people to come out and have a look.
"It's important to have a nice crowd."
