On Friday September 25th and Saturday September 26th, the art community of Chestermere filled the Municipal Building to showcase their specific talents. Whether your art form is in the written word, a canvas of paint or musical instrument – events like this show that Chestermere is full of very talented people.
This event is a collaborative effort of city staff and others. This year’s committee was made up of Nancie Huneault with the City of Chestermere, Cathy Burness with the Chestermere Public Library, Carol Smailes with the Ag Society, and local artists Sherry Telle, Lesley Bergen, Marie Lees and Sasa Boric. Weekly meetings were held to build this event, which speaks to the dedication and commitment that the committee made to ensure this event was a huge success.
There was a change in venue this year and there were some hurdles to jump, but in the end, the consensus was that it was a roaring success. The Municipal Office Building and the Chestermere Public Library were transformed into a compendium of fine arts. The artisans and musicians came out Friday evening to delight us with live music and visual treasures. We were entertained by Chris Kostyniuk on Sax and Elizabeth Munson on Cello. This was a closed event, with tickets being a mere $5.00, to help cover costs. The rooms were filled with amazing talent and creativity.
There were also delicious finger foods and a cash bar. The Historical Foundation was on hand with raffle tickets for their beautiful John Snow print. This piece will remain on display in the Library for the next couple of months and tickets are still available. The draw will be made on December 8, 2015.
On Saturday there were free workshops, primarily facilitated by local artists, which people could try their hand at to investigate their creative side. “Every time I poked my head into a workshop, I saw smiling faces and enthusiasm. Thanks so much to these talented people who shared their passion for art”, said Cathy Burness.
The artists were at their displays for the remainder of the day and were available to give information about their pieces of art as well as any classes or programs they run throughout the year. Several ecstatic customers went home with their newly purchased treasures.
No tickets were required on Saturday, you could just walk into the building and soak it all in. “Thanks so much to Leela Aheer and her students for providing music on Saturday. There were sweet melodies ringing through the top two floors of the building. It was an honour to be able to enjoy so much talent right here in Chestermere. For those who felt a little peckish, the Waiting Room Café had coffee and delicacies for purchase in the Library”, added Burness.
“There is already talk about how we will build on this for next year. I felt so privileged to be involved in this event. Huge thanks go to Debbi and the rest of the staff at the Chestermere Public Library for letting us put draperies over their treasured books and for trusting the process. We had very positive response to the new venue. Thank you to the Library customers for your patience over the weekend. Thank you to the Chestermere Ag Society, Alberta Culture and The City of Chestermere for all their support. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with set up and all throughout the weekend. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks so much to Nancie Huneault, Event Planner at the City of Chestermere, for having the vision. She does everything from making sure all the paperwork is in order, and having candles on the tables, to arranging for workshops and food. She does is all, and she was the glue that held us all together. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many special events right here in Chestermere. Once again, thank you Chestermere”, said Burness.
MLA Leela Aheer was heavily involved in this event as it is no secret that she has a great love for music, her community and is also an amazing singer and musician. “Our hope is that students and artistic people of all walks of life are able to develop skills that last a life time even if they are coming into the arts as an adult. Things like thinking from an expressive perspective, the importance of written, spoken, and artistic expression, and finally working together through that creativity. These skills can all be developed through the arts and are an asset in any career. The purpose is to create an expansive, thoughtful engagement in the arts that is inclusive of all people and all walks of life. This creates an atmosphere of understanding which helps our communities to thrive”, said Aheer.
Thank you to everyone who participated in or came out to Chestermere Art Days. This is our local acknowledgement and celebration of Alberta Culture Days. Alberta Culture Days is a special celebration throughout Alberta, to engage Albertans and bring awareness to the Arts and just how much they add to our communities.
