Summertime, and the Livin’ is Artful
The Shuswap Artisan Market in Sorrento is a popular stop for art lovers.
(Photo credit: Jerre Paquette - IG @jerre.paquette)
By Carole Jeffries
Ah! Summertime: the season when visitors and locals enjoy the Shuswap lifestyle—and an integral part of it is the arts scene.
Shuswap artists are known at home and abroad. Some have been featured in European magazines, and others have sold their work nationally and internationally to corporate and individual art-lovers.
Fortunately, their artwork is also available locally:
The Notch Hill School House Artisan and Coffee Studio is a relative newcomer in the South Shuswap. Now in its third year, the studio offers artwork from seventeen artists as well as occasional classes. Displayed alongside antiques from Notch Hill’s early days (the community is one of the oldest in the Shuswap) are watercolour, oil, and acrylic paintings plus pen and ink sketches and even hand-painted stones that make charming home or garden decorations. There’s also jewellery, fabric art, home décor, and more. Stop for coffee and a cinnamon bun, or step back in time and arrange high tea. Open Tuesday through Saturday (10:00 am – 2:00 pm), the studio is located in Notch Hill’s 1921 one-room schoolhouse (beside Notch Hill Hall).
In Sorrento, the Shuswap Artisan Market is a popular stop. Twenty-one artists create the works and run the shop, and behind their lime green door, you’ll find original paintings, fine art photography, high-quality pottery, inspired fabric art, unique home and garden décor, and handmade greeting cards. This is art that delights. There’s humour in some, luxury in others. Some is practical and some is whimsical. Throughout the summer, the shop is open from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm daily.
Beside the artisans’ market, Steamers Coffee Company and Art Café offers artwork from more than 200 Canadian artists—and over half are local. Enjoy a cup o’ coffee or some homemade soup (a work of art on its own), and admire the creations on display. Then, choose a favourite (or two) to take home. The café welcomes you seven days per week from 6:00 am – 6:00 pm.
On Saturday mornings, Sorrento Village Farmers’ Market offers an array of artwork that’s sure to awaken your senses. Live music will tickle your ears. Paintings and photographs will arrest your gaze. Creations in wood, pottery, fabric, and fibre will invite your touch. Slide your hand along the smooth surface of a charcuterie board or around an enticing objet d’art, pat a garden bear crafted from redwood cedar, cradle a pottery bowl, or snuggle into a shawl made of soft alpaca fibre. Your senses will transport you into the artist’s world.
And who would argue that the market’s artisan breads and other baked delights aren’t works of art, too? After all, in the words of Chef Chris Whittaker at Timber restaurant in Blind Bay, “Art and food go together.”
That’s certainly true at Timber where fine art photography creates an artistic backdrop for the restaurant’s handcrafted cocktails and artfully presented cuisine. The large-format photographs combine painterly and photographic techniques, and yes, you can view or buy them right at the restaurant.
While visual and culinary arts go together, performing arts go with them too. You can experience all three at Centennial Field in Blind Bay where Market by the Bay accompanies Music by the Bay. On Thursday evenings (5:30 pm – 8:30 pm until August 28th), over 50 artists, vendors, and musicians create a family-friendly event that speaks to the arts lover in all of us.
Also combining various art forms, Art on the Green returns to Cedar Heights Golf Course on August 16th (10:00 am – 4:00 pm). Now in its fifth year, this outdoor show and sale is a local favourite featuring the juried artwork of over 20 artists. Enjoy the picturesque course, yummy desserts, and strolling musicians, and find some art for your home or office. Everyone is welcome, and a paved pathway makes the event accessible.
Yep, summer in the Shuswap is artful. For more details, see the venues’ websites, social media, or local advertising.
