Saturday, March 16, 2019 ~ COLWOOD.
~ Mary P Brooke, West Shore Voice News
The Bloom 11 meet-the-artists reception at Coast Collective Gallery and Art Centre was accompanied by the arrival of spring-like weather today Saturday March 16 in Colwood.
No rain, bright skies, and afternoon temperatures in the mid-teens was a nice fit for the 11th annual Bloom art show. On display and for sale was a range of 2D and 3D art and paintings, with the collective “spring with bold floral” theme.
Coast Collective president Sheila Lintaman was pleased with the turnout for the two-hour event. She is also excited about how the organization — now over a decade old — has matured into a viable operation. Coast Collective treasurer Kathryn Fudge explains that job descriptions are being fine-tuned and other aspects of the organization are becoming more effective.
The gallery is known in the west shore community and the regional arts scene, including with some long-time participants from the Sooke arts community. A wide range of artists participate, and members of the organization help out in a variety of ways.
For today’s reception, member artists provided the refreshments — all especially creative in display and colour.
“We’re a collective for artists to learn and display their art,” says Lintaman. There are plenty of ways for artist members to take part in running the organization, which builds a strong internal community while serving the broader community of the west shore.
Members can help out on the art-hanging team for the shows that change every two weeks. They can also help maintain the gift shop and display areas, or be active on social media on behalf of the gallery and store. In exchange for helping out, members pay a lower commission on the sale of their artwork.
Bloom 11 runs March 13 to 31. The gallery is located at 103-318 Wale Road with a good amount of parking at the back of the building. They’re open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
Sponsors of the Coast Collective Gallery & Art Centre include the BC Arts Council, Government of BC, City of Colwood, West Shore Arts Council, Westridge Landing, Art Ink Print, ArtWorld Picture Framing & Supplies, and Westshore Town Centre.