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New leadership at Sooke Fine Arts Society in 2025

Retirements; Sooke Fine Arts Society Executive Director Terrie Moore and Board Chair Katherine Sutherland

sooke fine arts show, 2024, sculptures
Artworks on display at the Sooke Fine Arts Show, July 2024. [Mary P Brooke / Island Social Trends]
ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS Holiday Season COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Friday November 29, 2024 | SOOKE, BC

by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends


A major shuffle of the leading energies within the Sooke Fine Arts Society (SFAS) is underway.

In 2025 things will look and possibly feel different for the major economic driver that is the Show Fine Arts Show. Such is the nature of change.

terrie moore, sooke fine arts show
Show Fine Arts Show Executive Director Terrie Moore at the Awards Evening on Aug 2, 2024. [Island Social Trends]

Terrie Moore retiring:

After six years as the SFAS Executive Director, Terrie Moore is moving on to “the next chapter of life”.

“I will carry with me countless cherished memories and a profound appreciation for the friendships we’ve created along the way. I know that the Sooke Fine Arts Show will continue to flourish and evolve, driven by the spirit, purpose, and enthusiasm of our amazing staff, volunteers, team leads and board of directors,” Moore in the SFAS December newsletter.

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Sooke Fine Arts Show Executive Director Terrie Moore at the 2019 Sooke Fine Arts Show. [Mary P Brooke / Island Social Trends]

Moore’s family has long been of Sooke. Her mother was the late Martha Moore who was a longstanding fixture of the Sooke community.

Terrie Moore’s legacies with the Sooke Fine Art Show include:

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“Being part of this community has been an absolute privilege, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside so many talented, dedicated and passionate people to bring the Sooke Fine Arts Show to life every year,” said Terrie Moore this week.

Her favourite parts of the job? Meeting the artists, musicians, volunteers, sponsors, donors and guests along the way, to whom she says: “You all have enriched my time here and left a lasting impact on me.”

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New Executive Director:

Coming up fast behind Terrie Moore has been Jen Hayward who has been the Event Coordinator for the past several years.

Yesterday, Hayward officially became the new Executive Director.

jen hayward, sooke fine arts show
Jen Hayward is the new Executive Director of the Sooke Fine Arts Show. [SFAS]

“Jen brings exceptional expertise, dedication, and a genuine passion for the arts,” says Moore.

“Her leadership and creativity have significantly contributed to the success of our events and programs, and she is well-prepared to guide Sooke Fine Arts into the future.”

Hayward’s previous role as Event Coordinator is current in the process of being filled.

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A full house of art patrons at the 2022 Sooke Fine Arts Show Artists Celebration on July 23, 2022. [Mary P Brooke / Island Social Trends]

Board shuffle:

Also moving on is SFAS Board President Katherine Sutherland.

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Katherine Sutherland has been the Sooke Fine Arts Society board chair (to Dec, 2024). [SFAS]

Hayward and the Board currently are focused on the resulting staffing transition.

“The Board is also busy with the Board recruitment and nomination process,” said Sutherland who retires from the board on December 20, 2024.

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The board until now has been:

• President – Katherine Sutherland (to Dec 20, 2024);

• Vice President – Janet Evans; Treasurer – Robin Middleton; Secretary – Margaret-Elizabeth Schell

• Directors – Jeff Head, Alison McKay, Abby Owen, Claire Wollen.

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Planning for 2025:

Once staff and Board positions are filled, members will be notified, and the Board can shift focus to the exciting business of planning the 2025 show.

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Bright and whimsical exhibit at the 2023 Sooke Fine Arts Show, awards night Aug 4, 2023. [Mary P Brooke / Island Social Trends]

About the show:

The Sooke Fine Arts Show has for decades been a fixture of the summer season in Sooke, for both the community and the town’s economy.

Each year the show features about 375 artworks by artists from around the Vancouver Island coastal region.

The Purchaser’s Preview evening and the Artists’ Awards evening are two important social gatherings of the summer season.

maja tait, john horgan, july 2019
Sooke Mayor Maja Tait and Premier John Horgan coordinated a working relationship over many years where Horgan has been the MLA since 2005, seen here at the Sooke Fine Arts Show in July 2019. [Mary P Brooke / West Shore Voice News]

The show’s success depends on volunteers, sponsors and staff “all of whom go above and beyond in their support of the show every year no matter what challenges they face”, says Sutherland.

The regular annual venue for the Sooke Fine Arts Show is the SEAPARC Recreation Centre within which the skating arena becomes an impressive art gallery for what is now a 10-day show.

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Many local and regional businesses have been sponsors of the Sooke Fine Arts Show for many years.

Island Social Trends has been a significant sponsor of the Sooke Fine Art Show each year since 2017.

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