ZOOM | Fall/Winter 2016

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
Over the years the Council has hosted musicians,
artists, performers, and authors, including such
well-known figures as Margaret Atwood, Michael
Ondaatje, John Ralsten Saul, Jane Coop, Robert
Silverman, David Hockney, Bill Reid, and Don Jarvis.
Longtime annual Arts Council events have become
seasonal highlights. The Hackett Park Arts and
Crafts Fair opened with fifteen booths in 1987. Held
in August, the fair now attracts more than sixty
province-wide artisans and welcomes 4,000–6,000
visitors. Begun in the early ‘80s, the Deck the Halls
Christmas Craft Fair, known by different names and
held in various locations over the years, now takes
place in the Arts Centre each November.
In its ongoing role of creating and staging cultural
activities, the SCAC presents not only regular
exhibitions of emerging and professional artists
of all kinds, but also music concerts, film series,
workshops, and literary series. For Coast youth,
programs include the Young People’s Own show for
both elementary and secondary school students,
the Street Banner Project, Young Artists’ Awards,
and a summer children’s art workshop.
The Council honours local talent through three
annual awards: the Anne and Philip Klein Visual
Arts Award recognizes an artist who discovers an
artistic passion later in life; the Louise Baril Music
Award supports ongoing musical education; and the
Gillian Lowndes award acknowledges long-standing
achievement in any art discipline.
A supporter of other major cultural activities on the
Coast, the SCAC acts as an important resource for
several organizations that depend on its charitable
status to apply for grants. These groups include
the Sechelt Arts Festival, Gibsons Jazz Festival,
Coasting Along Theatre Society, Deer Crossing the
Art Farm, Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers
Guild, and the Arts Building in Gibsons.
Another resource is the Arts Council building
itself, which has become a popular rental facility
for groups of all sizes holding regular weekly or
monthly meetings. The general public has also
come to appreciate the venue for personal events
such as birthdays, weddings, and memorials.
If you’re not already familiar with the Sunshine
Coast Arts Council, drop in to the Arts Centre and
check out what’s going on.
THE SUNSHINE COAST ARTS CENTRE IS LOCATED AT 5714 MEDUSA ST., SECHELT, BC | WWW.SUNSHINECOASTARTSCOUNCIL.COM
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