Thursday March 3, 2022 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
As spring approaches, so does the Sooke Fine Arts Show emerge from two years of online shows. The in-person gallery exhibit and sale is back in 2022!
The popular show of artworks by creators from Vancouver Island and BC’s coastal island community will run July 21 through August 1 at the SEAPARC Leisure Complex in Sooke.
Virtual access continues:
The virtual SFAS over the past two years during the COVID pandemic made the show accessible to new audiences within Canada, the USA and abroad.
These new-found connections will be continued by having an online gallery of art pieces displayed at the in-person show.
The show organizers say they still have flexibility and adaptability in mind.
Back in the arena:
Executive Director Terrie Moore says the show once again will be under the guidance of returning show designer Bob Preston. The SEAPARC arena will once again be transformed into a 16,000 sq ft gallery in which more than 350 curated art works will be on display.
As well, there will be the return of live music performances, artist talks and demos, docent tours and the popular Seniors and Art4Kidz programs.
The Purchasers’ Preview Event on July 21 offers keen art enthusiasts to have the first in-person glimpse at the gallery.
The live show opens to the public on July 22 and runs through the BC Day long weekend to August 1. The online gallery will be viewable during that period as well.
Safety of volunteers, guests and artists:
“It’s been a challenging two years for those in the arts and we’ve missed these kinds of events that bring the community together,” says Moore.
“We’re working hard to include as many of the show’s live elements as possible while keeping the safety of our volunteers, guests, artists and community top of mind.
Artist submissions March 15 to May 24:
Artists are encouraged to submit their works online starting March 15, through May 24, at www.sookefinearts.com
A fresh theme to the overall show emerges each year through the guidance of a new set of three jurors is selected to adjudicate the many pieces that are submitted.
A key part of the community:
The Sooke Fine Arts Show has been an annual event in Sooke since around 1985, weaving itself around the conditions of the times and the community as it has grown.
This week Moore said that over the past two years new collaborations within the community have emerged, making it even more of a full-community experience to present the Sooke Fine Arts Show for all the reasons that art shows persist: inspiration, creativity, gathering of people, expression of society and culture.
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has attended the Sooke Fine Arts Show each year since 2008. She and the Island Social Trends team will cover the show again this year, including previews and art reviews.
Island Social Trends is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the 2022 Sooke Fine Arts Show.
