It ain't easy being WOW

I suppose to the average concert-goer, WOW looks pretty easy. There's a band, there's a sound guy, there's an audience. Simple. To any of the previous 15 coordinators, this statement is ridiculous. From February onward each year, the Arts Council starts seeking sponsorship, placing ads, applying for grants, booking the sound technician, promoting band participation, booking the gazebo, creating a new poster, establishing a marketing plan, and pulling together a committee of people to select the line-up. This year, things were more crazy with the knowledge that Gaming funds were not forthcoming, and the work to partner with the Downtown Association to make this concert series even possible. And then the concerts start! When the coordinator is up on stage at the half-time break, they are juggling 25 announcements, thank you's and scheduling notes in their head. It's tough, but the main message is that it takes a whole community of individuals, businesses, dollars and volunteers to make this event happen. Let's not let it slip away.

Combining Events

Yesterday, my family had a combined birthday party for the four family members whose birthdays are in June. What a rip. Sure, it's easier for those of us whose schedules seem to require 28 hours in a day. But what we're doing is under-celebrating people, and exhausting ourselves by trying to cover all the bases. Silly?

Let's consider the next scenario: We (being SAGA and the Arts Council) are combining events on Wednesday, June 16. It is time for SAGA's AGM, which at this point doesn't promise to be a blockbuster event. It is also time for the Marie Manson and Blair Borden Awards to be handed out. So instead of plugging in the tea kettle on two different days, we're working together to make a nice reception for the SAGA members and the very talented award recipients; Scott Crocker (MM), Joseph Dansereau (BB) and Asha Pratt-Johnson (BB). Then, weather permitting, we will all hike down to the wharf and enjoy ShuJaz at WOW. We'll be exhausted, but we'll have accomplished a great deal in a day. I wonder if we'll remember any of it on Thursday.

Tribute to Bern Smith

A wonderful opening reception tonight at SAGA. Bern's work is really amazing - his skill at portraits is unsurpassed. It was a delight to see all his friends from the seventies and eighties come out to see the show, and to meet Bern's son, Brett. So many stories, many old photos were passed around, lots of laughs and memories. What a fitting tribute to the man who had such an impact on this community. Bern is the one responsible for many Shuswapians beginning an art collection. He showed us that original works of familiar landscapes have vitality, an energy that prints and posters lack. Like many great artists, this exhibition came 16 months too late. But tonight we celebrated the man and his work. This show continues to June 26. A must see.

WOW begins again

Perhaps it's the crazy weather, but summer doesn't feel quite upon us yet. The first concert of Wednesday On the Wharf is my harbinger. Brian PJ will be there with two big jazz bands. Concert starts at 6:45pm, and the clouds better be white. Roger Parenteau (WOW Coordinator) has just returned from coordinating a triathlon in Calgary during that snowstorm. What a nice change for him to come home to the Shuswap!

Done Deal

Well, it's official. The September 2010 issue of the Umbrella newsletter will be the last. We'll go through the summer promoting all the wonderful Shuswap events, and Wednesday On the Wharf, then that's it. Knowing this made the production of the May issue a little nostalgic. It's a beautiful watery colour combination, blues, purples and green, quite Shuswap-y. I was quite pleased with myself until it was pointed out that I omitted the O-Zone Drama Festival, and made a time error on another event. Now I'll be glad to see the end of it. At least with online info, you can make a change and reload.

TONAC meeting today

Once a year, representatives from the Arts Councils in the Thompson Okanagan region get together for a networking meeting. That is a fancy way of saying "full day of visiting, bragging, whining and laughing." We spent three hours on item 2 of the agenda, which was "highlights," interrupted by a dreadful lunch at the bistro at Rotary Centre for the Arts. At the end of the day, we skipped items 3, 4, 5 and 6, and moved on to item 7 which was determine the date and place of the 2011 meeting. Does anyone else operate like this?

The Paper Newsletter

Now is the time to let me know if you actually read this blog. The Arts Council is considering the elimination of the hard copy Umbrella newsletter and going to an online newsletter only. Currently, the monthly one-page newsletter is distributed free of charge throughout the downtown, malls, schools, hospital, etc - a run of about 600 copies. About a dozen volunteers pick up their "route" and deliver within the first few days of the month. The cost per year - about $1500 in printing, and maybe $4000 in wages for the crazy person who puts it together. The big question is "Do we need it?"

The Umbrella newsletter began 20 years ago in response to a lack of effort by local newspapers to cover/publicize arts and cultural events. Now we have four community newspapers, most of which do a reasonable job of such. SDAC stopped mailing out the newsletter to members when it became a monthly, and at the request of a few members who simply didn't want more mail. Now some are asking for just the simplified online version, "Artscape."

What to do? Please, give me your thoughts about this dilemma. The Umbrella has gone through several evolutionary changes over the years, but this is a biggie. We should know what the community wants and needs before making this decision.