Deemed a success: Arts, culture and heritage celebrated on 2012 Columbia Basin Culture Tour

A project of the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance

Ruth Prosser of Thunderhoof Clayworks demonstrates the art of pottery making. —

Photo courtesy Columbia Basin Trust.

On August 11th and 12th, artist’s studios, galleries, cultural and heritage sites opened their doors for the 2012 Columbia Basin Culture Tour. On this free self-guided tour, visitors and residents of the Columbia Basin had the opportunity to visit over 70 venues all over the Columbia Basin.

Many locations had special presentations, demonstrations and happenings, including Shelley Ross’s venue near Kaslo who invited pianist Elle Anderwert, of Liberty Light Music Studio, to play two hours of ragtime music which added to visitors' viewing pleasure. Watercolour artist Shelley Ross, joining the tour for the first time, shared: “Opening my home to visitors during this weekend was an adventure as I had no expectations as to how it would all work, but in the end I received lots of positive feedback. Inviting people in to the private space in which I work was a bit like baring my soul. Now my friends and neighbours know where I spend most of my time.”

Culture Tour visitors got insights into the private studios of artists and received special treatment at historical venues like at The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook who had tours of their two historic model railways including the HO-scale model of the historic Crowsnest Railway Route and Cranbrook’s status as the railway headquarters. Volunteer modelers explained and operated the trains for all ages—nine months to 90 years!

Sandra and David Barrett of Fernie Forge have been part of the annual Columbia Basin Culture Tour since it began in 2009 and had people who drove specially from Kimberley to see them during this year’s tour. Over the two days they gave visitors and locals a unique insight into the workings of their shop and forge where they demonstrated the ancient craft of blacksmithing.

Each year brings new vendors and returning favourites. “It’s a wonderful occasion to celebrate the diverse and rich culture we have in the Columbia Basin” said Natasha Smith, one of the project co-ordinators and a participating artist. “As an individual artist showing at my home studio it gave me the opportunity to share my work in quite a personal way with visitors, which is different to showing in a public gallery setting.”

To find out more about the Columbia Basin Culture Tour, visit the website or Facebook. If you are interested in participating as a vendor, registration will start in March, 2013. To receive a registration notification, email: [email protected]. The Columbia Basin Culture Tour is generously supported by Columbia Basin Trust funding.