SUNDRE – Local aficionados of the arts will get a chance later this month to check out a variety of paintings depicting Alberta’s big beautiful skies, and perhaps even take home a preferred piece to adorn their walls.
The Sundre Creative Arts group, formerly the Sundre and District Allied Arts Society, is keeping alive the organization’s annual art show and sale, which is scheduled to take place from 1-5 p.m. on April 27 and then from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the following day at the Sundre West Country Centre near the local arena.
“We have approximately 20 artists coming and we have room for about 125 paintings,” said president Lila Weiss, adding this year’s featured theme is Wild Skies.
In response to being asked whether anything in particular might have inspired that theme, Weiss said, “We just pick a different theme every year and that was one that was quite popular with a lot of the artists.”
The show and sale has traditionally accommodated artists from out of town, but has also tended to incentivize more local talent to showcase their work.
“The majority of the artists are local, but we do have artists coming in from other areas,” she said, adding local artists are allowed to present 10 paintings of their choice.
“And the artists from out of town, we’re allowing them to bring 10 this year if they’re small paintings,” she said, adding visiting artists might be limited to presenting fewer pieces if the canvases are larger.
Continuing to have the West Country Centre available as a host venue has helped to ensure the show and sale’s longevity.
“It’s very suitable because we have a kitchen, we serve a tea and we have lights built to hang from the beam so that it works really well for us,” she said, adding the centre has been the event’s home for many years.
The only time the show and sale was unable to proceed was throughout the period when public gathering restrictions were in place during the pandemic.
“We didn’t have a show for two years because of COVID,” she said.
But that doesn’t change the fact that the group has been around for 49 years and is already looking forward to celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary next year.
“We will be doing a little bit of extra of some sorts,” she said. “We’re starting to plan for next year.”
