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At the Cowichan Community Centre, there’s an art show taking shape.
For 51 years, the Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show has been highlighting talent across Vancouver Island.
But last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the gallery sat empty.
“We had to go completely online and that was a big learning curve,” says the show’s coordinator Lynda Baker. “All of a sudden we had to struggle.”
However, this year the in-person exhibit is back with COVID protocols in place and the Cowichan Valley Arts Council is also sticking with its online content.
“It’s like having two galleries now, we have one space that’s a physical space and one space that’s an online space,” says Baker.
“We can allow a certain amount of people into our gallery at a time, so it’s nice and big and you can easily see the exhibit.”
It’s a unique split show that is seeing a record number of entrants from across the Island, including Maple Bay’s Wilma Millette, who specializes in unique collages made up of vintage books and trinkets.
“I combine them in different ways to create sort of a narrative,” says Millette.
“I think for me it’s like a sense of history then I combine them to create sort of an upcycling of the past if you will.”
Works like Millette’s help differentiate the show from many others on the island.
“They’re being really inclusive of other forms of art, art installations, they include movement, group projects, collaboration,” says Millette.
The event is free to attend and runs until May 22.
For more information visit the Cowichan Valley Arts Council website.
Maple Bay’s Wilma Millette, who specializes in unique collages made up of vintage books and trinkets, is among the artists featured in this year’s Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show.
One of the many art pieces to be featured in this year’s Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show. The annual event features dozens of artists from across Vancouver Island will be virtual as well as in-person this year. (CHEK News)
Cole Sorenson
