It was a celebration of the arts in Ashcroft last week, when the Winding Rivers Arts and Performance Society held its annual general meeting.
Among the events produced or co-sponsored by the group in the past year were the Plein Air Paint-Out; Music in the Park; Dessert Concerts; the play “A Midsummer Night’s Mid-Term”; the Ashcroft Canada Day celebration; a Kids’ Arts Camp; workshops focusing on comedy, improv, and acting; and a series of “open mic” nights.
Outgoing WRAPS President John Kidder pointed to the success of these ventures in bringing a wide variety of arts to people of all ages in our community and the surrounding area. He also praised the hard work of the WRAPS directors and volunteers who devote countless hours to ensuring that the group continues to deliver quality arts programming to the region.
Director Nancy Duchaine noted that since WRAPS is now a registered charity, any donations to the group are tax deductible. She also announced that WRAPS was recently the recipient of two generous grants from the United Way, which will enable the group to purchase new sound equipment and hold a second Kids’ Arts Camp in summer 2014.
Other 2014 events were discussed, including the third annual Plein Air Paint-Out, which will build on the resounding success of the first two. The 2013 Paint-Out attracted 42 artists from around the province, and positive word of mouth indicates that the event will continue to thrive. Music continues to be in the air, with the Dessert Concert series resuming on Feb. 16 with the Paws and Tales Classical Music Ensemble (tickets would make an excellent Christmas gift for the classical music lover in your life!).
Anyone who wants to tread the boards should note that WRAPS will be doing a major theatrical production in the spring of 2014. If you would rather stay “behind the scenes”, the group is planning a training session for anyone interested in learning about the technical aspects of producing an event, such as sound and lights. Details and dates for the play and training session will be announced early in the new year.
With John Kidder stepping down as President, there was a vacancy on the Board, and WRAPS director Barbara Roden was voted in as President for the 2013/2014 year. She is joined by Jessica Clement (Vice-President), Andrea Bona (Treasurer), and Martina Baier (Secretary). New recruits Dave Dubois and Connie Walkem join current directors Nadine Davenport, Nancy Duchaine, Jim Duncan, John Kidder, Susan McLean, Jo-Anne Portman, and Tim Roden.
Membership in WRAPS is $5 per year for an individual, $10 a year for a family, and $20 per year for a business or group. Membership benefits include advance notice about upcoming WRAPS events; voting privileges at the WRAPS Annual General Meeting; web links (for business/group members); and the satisfaction that comes with knowing you’re helping support the arts in our community. For more information visit www.windingriversarts.ca, e-mail windingriversarts@gmail.com, or call (250) 453-9100.
Submitted