Sunshine Coast Arts Tours, which has been offering bus tours to local studios and breweries for the past three years, has designed a custom tour experience to benefit people affected by the war in Ukraine.
Douglas Bevans, the owner-operator of Sunshine Coast Arts Tours, was approached by artist Ines Tancré. “I had an idea for a special art tour,” said Tancré, “but I felt pretty lonely, I didn’t know who to turn to. So I reached out to Douglas, and he got on-board right away.”
Fourteen free tickets are available for a bus tour on Sunday, July 17, that will include lunch and three studio visits.
Guests can purchase selected artworks at 25 per cent of their usual sale price. Seventy five per cent of the proceeds will benefit the Maple Hope Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization helping Ukraine and Ukrainians suffering from war.
Bevans consulted with Daria Anico, herself a Ukrainian emigré now living in Gibsons, to select an appropriate charitable organization.
When it came to choosing the artists who would participate, “I think we just accepted anyone who felt passionate about it and responded quickly,” said Bevans. “It was mostly friends of ours and people we know in the community. We went in proposing a lower end of what we hoped they would donate, but they wanted to give more.”
The bus will visit artists Liz Christian, Marlene Lowden, Teryl Mullock, and Tancré herself, who has invited fellow artists Mildred Doubt, George Doubt and Kasia Krolikowska to exhibit works at her studio.
“Since our goal is to create as much financial support for Ukraine as possible, only serious buyers should enroll in this tour,” added Bevans.
Tickets are still available and can be reserved by emailing [email protected]. Donations are also encouraged directly to the Maple Hope Foundation via its website at www.maplehopefoundation.org.
Come in For a Landing
The Landing Artists are inviting the public to browse the product of their creative labour in one of the Sunshine Coast’s most fruitful settings. The local artists’ collective will present a weekend pop-up show at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden from July 23 to 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.
The offerings are bountiful: revel in summer blooms while picking up flattering jewellery (by Diane Clark), a plant-dyed scarf (by Trisha Joel), a lively new painting (by Charmaine Bayntun, Ed Hill, Ruth Rodgers, or Coralie Swaney), a fetching blue cyanotype print (by Nancy Hugh), a hand-carved wooden spoon (by Shirley Burton), or a piece of sparkly stained glass (Susan Furze).
The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden is located at 5941 Mason Road, a few minutes’ drive from downtown Sechelt. Learn more about the Landing Artists via their active Facebook page at facebook.com/landingartists.
On stage in Sechelt
This Saturday, July 16, the Sechelt Summer Music Series features two groups in performance on the new Hackett Park outdoor stage.
The Locals are a popular coastal group composed of Robin Atchison and Nelson Giles, who bring a distinctive sense of humour to their musical output.
The Soleil Duo includes award-winning pianist and composer Kenneth Norman Johnson and singer Nancy Pincombe, who is known for her warm, intimate vocals. The pair will share renditions of standards, pop and original music.
The free concerts begin at noon in the cedar-framed performance stage at Hackett Park.
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