Sidney Fine Art Show

John January 31st, 2010

Work is well underway on the 2010 Show. Please mark the following dates in your calendar:

Entries

Thursday, April 15th – Call to Artists available
Thursday, July 15th – Deadline for receipt of entry forms

Adjudication

Sunday, September 12th – work dropped off
September 13th and 14th – adjudication
Wednesday, September 15th – work picked up

Show Dates

Tuesday, October 12th – work dropped off
Thursday, October 14th – opening night
October 15th, 16th, 17th – Show dates
Sunday, October 17th– work picked up

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John October 21st, 2009

Once again, the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula, has proved immensely popular. With the votes final tallied, the results our now in. This year’s winner is one of our Show Masters, Johannes Landman, for his Oil on linen work, “Leonard”.

Although only one prize is awarded, we though you may be interested in the top 10 pieces (actually 11 as there was a tie for #10), which are, in addition to the winner:
Clement Kwan, another of our Show Masters, for his oil “Dancing in the Light”
Adam deWolfe for his photograph on canvas, “Bent Pacific Sunrise”
Christine Gollner for her acrylic, “Rugged Shore: Tofino”
Craig Benson, another of our Show Masters, for his African Perypholite carving, “Penguin”
Marion J.E. Morrison for her acrylic, “African Queen”, which also won our “Best in Show award”
Julie Copp for her pyrophylite carving, “Up From the kelp”
Robert Thomas for his welded steel sculpture, “Baby”
Evguenia Ioganov for her oil on canvas, “Light”
Andrée Fredette for her fibre quilt, “Turnicates #2″
Sharon Wareing for her oil, “Coming home”

Congratulations to the artists and our thanks to all of you who voted for the People’s Choice Award.

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John October 19th, 2009

The 2009 Sidney Fine Art Show held October 16th – 18th at the Mary Winspear Centre in beautiful Sidney by the Sea was another record-breaking success. A record 1,436 entries from close to 600 artists were received prior to adjudication in September. With close to 6,000 visitors to the Show over the three days, attendance was up over 15% from last year’s record. Sales were also strong, slightly exceeding the 2008 sales record, with 37% of the artists selling work representing 30% of the 372 pieces displayed. The Show continued a tradition of showcasing excellence with many diverse and exiting works on display. There were many comments praising the quality and variety of the art, as well as the presentation and organization of the Show. The artist demonstrations given every day of the Show, and on “Meet the Artists” night, also proved very popular.

Despite some inclement weather, the town of Sidney was busy with visitors, with many businesses experiencing one of their busiest weekends of the year.

Once again, the Show Committee, and close 300 volunteers did an outstanding job of organizing and running what has become one of the largest and most anticipated juried art shows in British Columbia.

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John October 16th, 2009

There will be daily artist demonstrations during the three days of the Show from 11 am to 3 pm. The artists who will be demonstrating are:

Friday, October 16th: Odette la Roche, Wendy Picken, Jennifer Olson
Saturday, October 17th: Adam de Wolfe, Connie Furgason
Sunday, October 18th: Lynda Faulks – noon – 5…with a live model – and Ann Wheatcroft – painting outside, weather permitting.

Saturday evening from 6 – 9 pm is “Meet the Artists” night – there will be a number of artists demonstrating in two shifts…

5:30 – 7:00 pm: Ann Wheatcroft, Irene Khurani, Linda Rajotte, Connie Furgason, Odette la Roche
7:00 – 9:00 pm: Noah Layne, Rodger Garbutt, Wendy Picken, Lynda Faulks, Jennifer Olson.

There will also be a no host wine bar with wine from Muse Winery, and nibbles.

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John October 12th, 2009

There are fabulous door prizes each day of the Sidney Fine Art Show with two prizes on Saturday – one during the day and the other during “Meet the Artists” night.

Friday, October 16th

Two-night Retreat Time for a couple at Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat in an Oak Suite, Thursday Thru Saturday, including:
• Continental Breakfast for two in Creekside Kitchen
• Lunch at the Copper Creek Dining Room with a glass of wine
• Dinner at the Copper Creek Dining Room with a bottle of wine
• Use of the saltwater hot tub, infrared sauna and fitness room, including a one hour massage each
(Total Prize Value $500)

Saturday, October 17th

One night’s stay for Two at Sidney Waterfront Inn & Spa in the Deluxe accommodation including:
• Two one-hour relaxation massages in the Ocean Palm Spa
• A complimentary Gift Certificate for the Beacon Landing Pub and Restaurant
(Total Prize Value $455)

“Meet the Artists” Night

Winter Storm Getaway for two in the casual luxury of the Wickaninnish Inn,
Chesterman Beach, Tofino including:
• One night of accommodation in a first or second floor deluxe guestroom
(Total Prize Value $390)

Sunday, October 18th

One night’s accommodation for two at Miraloma on the Cove including:
• Continental breakfast
• A Gift Certificate for a Three Course Dinner for Two at The Latch Inn
(Total Prize Value $300)

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John October 8th, 2009

The Sidney Fine Art Show runs from October 16th – 18th at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. Show hours are from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Friday and Saturday and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday. There will be artist demonstrations every day. Saturday October 17th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm is “Meet the Artists” night with more artist demonstrations, nibbles and a no-host wine bar.

Admission is $5 per day, or $10 for a 3-day pass. Visitors can win fabulous door prizes every day.

The Show is not only a keystone event for the arts community – it provides a significant economic boost to the town of Sidney, the Saanich Peninsula and the Greater Victoria area, and this year, it also anchors “Arts Week in Sidney”. In proclaiming “Arts Week”, Sidney Mayor Larry Cross said:

“The arts provide intellectual stimulation, sensory enrichment and emotional fulfillment. From a very practical standpoint the arts are an important economic force in our Town, bringing visitors who stay with us and enjoy the ambiance of the Town and its character. “

For the weekend of the Show, the restaurants, stores, cafes and galleries of Sidney, as well as other local wineries and restaurants are busy with visitors and locals alike. A free shuttle service ferries visitors between the Show and the waterfront. Visitors can follow the “Sidney Art Walk” in the Show catalogue and take in the many locations where the local business community supports artist by displaying work. They can also admire “Art on the Streets” – power boxes wrapped in art, – as well as many the interpretive signs along the waterfront displaying the richness of Sidney’s history.
Visitors can also take in Sidney’s first juried public art installation which will be unveiled on October 16th alongside the new Beacon Park Pavilion.

While at the waterfront, visitors can look for living examples of the Town’s crest – the Bufflehead duck. This is the time of year when the birds – the smallest diving ducks in North America – pass through Sidney on their southward migration and many can be seen off the waterfront.

This year, the Show is especially important to the local art community. Not only do artists receive 85% of their sales revenue, but also any surplus from the Show goes directly back to the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula to support their many diverse programs. At the UBCM Conference in Vancouver last week, Mayor Cross spoke to the Provincial Government about the serious impacts the loss of Gaming Grant funding and other financial support for the arts, culture and recreation was having on local communities, and received strong support from other mayors and council members when he asked that the Government reinstate such funding. These cuts in arts funding make the Show’s contribution even more important this year.

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John September 17th, 2009

The 2009 Sidney Fine Art Show will take place at the Mary Winspear Centre in beautiful Sidney by the Sea from Friday October 16th – Sunday October 18th. Hours for the Show are:
Friday, October 16th 9 am – 9 pm
Saturday, October 17th 9 am – 9 pm
Sunday, October 18th 9 am – 5 pm

Saturday night is “Meet the Artists” night from 6 pm – 9 pm. **Note earlier start time than originally advertised**

Admission is $5 or $10 for a 3 day pass.

Our jurors – Donna Baspaly, Brent Lynch and Catherine Moffat have selected 372 excellent pieces of diverse and exciting work for the Show. All artwork is for purchase. To avoid disappointment consider joining our Patron Programme and be among the first to see and buy work at our October 15th preview reception.

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John September 11th, 2009

We are delighted to announce that Arthur Vickers will be our guest speaker at opening night of the 2009 Sidney Fine Art Show. Born in Vancouver in 1947, his father was of Tsimshian heritage and his mother was a Canadian of British ancestry. He spent his early years in the Tsimshian coastal island village of Kitkatla, on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Described as a modern day renaissance man, Arthur Vickers is an artist capturing his past and our present in unique and ever expanding art forms. He has received the Order of British Columbia in recognition of his art, his charity work (CNIB, Camp Good Times for children with cancer) and his role in keeping alive First Nations heritage. Arthur believes it is his job as an artist to tell the stories and capture through his artwork, not only our world, but also his past and the beauty and legends of the coast he loves. Cowichan Bay is the home of the Arthur Vickers’ Gallery which he has hand created as a special and private place for friends and guests to view his remarkable creations and to hear the stories behind them – is a fitting home for Arthur’s works of art, and is a place for him to continue to create and to share his art of story telling.

The Awards Ceremony takes place on October 15th in the Charlie White Theatre at the Mary Winspear Centre in beautiful Sidney by the sea from 7 – 8 pm. It is open to invited guests, including participating artists, our sponsors and patrons. If you are not yet a patron, there is still time to join our Patron Programme.

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John July 16th, 2009

We received a record 1,436 entries for the 2009 show, from almost 600 artists. This represents more than a 15% increase in entries over 2008 and an almost 20% increase in the number of artists. Thanks to all of you who got your entries in by the July 15th deadline. We are now preparing your packages, including those important Art Identification Forms, and hope to have them in the mail to you no later than the end of July.

You may be wondering why we moved the deadline up by two weeks, and, given that, why we won’t have the packages out to you sooner. The reality is, whatever the deadline, the bulk of the entries come in the last week – this year almost half of the entries came in on the last two days, with almost a third coming in on July 14th. Experience has taught us that if we rush the process of entering the entries, assigning Art ID numbers, and putting the packages together, errors occur. When errors occur at that stage, they have the potential to ripple through the rest of the show, causing extra work and aggravation for all. To avoid that, we try to ensure that we allow enough time to enter all the details into our master spreadsheet, and double check them again against the entry forms, before assigning the Art ID numbers, putting everything together, stuffing envelopes and mailing them.

Once again, thanks to all of you who entered and we look forward to seeing you at Adjudication in September.

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John January 28th, 2009

I’ve been a juror with the Sidney Fine Art Show for the past three years. Each year I’ve seen an increase in participation and quality of work. I’ve also seen an increase in excitement between participating artists. I’ve made presentations and given seminars to quite a number of local artists groups over the past year and in each case, I’ve seen that this show has become an important part of their artistic plans for the coming year. I’ve also been asked on several occasions to speak to artists groups and critique work that was submitted, but not accepted, with an eye to learning what the jurors might be interested in for next year.  There is definitely an already large buzz of excitement around the 2009 show and it is still growing.

The Sidney Fine Art Show has become one of, if not the, largest and most anticipated shows in British Columbia. The Show is also a highlight on the cultural calendar of Vancouver Island.

As artist participation grows, so does the competition and prestige at being included or perhaps even a prize winner. This has, in turn, attracted higher and higher profile artists from ever greater distances. Its shows like this that grows a community. Members of the artistic community know that a show of this size will expose them to unique work and new styles. It’s this exposure that creates a vocabulary for individual’s artistic style.

More and more, Southern Vancouver Island is becoming internationally known for the quality of it’s artists. Thanks to the building of a close community, all learning from and sharing with each other in a forum such as this.

For attendees of the show, it exposes them to styles and art they might never have seen. Without a doubt, the Show opens minds, expanding tastes and challenges perceptions for young and old and perhaps even finding something for their own walls in the process. I’m sure the 2009 show will be another landmark year. I’ll be there!

Lastly, I can’t say enough about the people who coordinate and present this show.  Each year they are forced to become more and more proficient at the various processes.  From  tallying, judging, hanging and presenting, they need to keep pace with the growing number of entries.  They have refined these processes to be art forms, themselves.  I’ve been involved in other shows in the past, but none of this size and complexity. Without outstanding people, there would be no way to put on a show of this scale and in this time frame. They can be trusted to really get it done, and done well.

Mark Heine 

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