Charlene Lau
I experienced the best of both worlds this year during North Thompson Arts Council’s third annual Art Crawl on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11 – as a host and as a visitor.
I opened my studio to art crawlers from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the Saturday, welcoming new and returning visitors into my studio. It was really rewarding to be able to share my process with people and experience their enthusiasm of the day.
On Sunday I packed a picnic and took off in search of some fantastic local art. It was the first year I was able to explore the Art Crawl as a visitor, rather than just a host.
Starting in Blackpool, I visited Helen Knight’s amazing art retreat, flipped through her inspirational scrapbooks and took in walls full of paintings.
My second stop was Joanne Wright’s wonderful textile studio, where she showed me her 90-something year old loom with its current project as well as new felted pieces.
A beautiful drive towards Wells Gray Park took me to a display of local artists and craftspeople at the Upper Clearwater Community Hall. I completed the day at Doris Laner’s shop, Harvest Studio. Laner is one of the Art Crawl’s principal organizers.
For those who are not familiar with the Art Crawl, each year artists and artisans of the North Thompson Valley invite the public into their shops and studios to see and learn about the creative process, giving visitors a wider understanding and appreciation of what is involved in creating art in any form
The organizers appreciate everyone who participated in the Art Crawl and the North Thompson Communities Foundation for sponsoring this fantastic cultural community event.