AAC hosting Arts Days this weekend
By Lethbridge Herald on September 23, 2023.
Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
The Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge is hosting Arts Days over the weekend to give members of the community an opportunity to immerse themselves in art while downtown.
AAC communications manager, Kelaine Devine spoke told the Herald Friday she was not sure how many years Arts Days has been taking place for as their computers do not go back far enough.
“It feels like we have been doing this always,” said Divine.
She said Arts Days happens at the end of September every year in conjunction with Alberta’s Month of the Artist and Culture Days, which is a provincial and national program.
“During Arts Days it’s kind of like a giant explosion, so much art is happening all at the same time, it’s a bit overwhelming sometimes. It’s so exciting because there’s so much stuff going on, but you better be prepared because you’re going to run out of energy,” said Devine.
One of activities that community members can take part is the Downtown Lens:Window Mural Gallery, where businesses and artist have come together to offer a variety of window murals for everyone to enjoy while taking a stroll through downtown.
Nineteen windows are being beautified with art from talented artists, and one of them is Jessica Semenoff, a muralist from Calgary who is displaying her art for the first time in Lethbridge.
“I drew up a kind of minimalist version of Lake Louise, and on another wall (window) is going to be a sister mural with the same colour palette, but it’s going to be Waterton. Two of the national parks within Alberta and I love them both,” said Semenoff.
She said she is happy to bring some of that beauty from the parks into town and hopes that her art attracts people to the businesses where they are displayed.
Semenoff said she is in the middle of creating an art piece in Sylvan Lake and took the day on Friday to come to Lethbridge to work on her two murals, but the weather was not cooperating, which was making things a bit difficult for her.
“Tempera paint just doesn’t dry very quickly on its own, as well the rain doesn’t help, and it’s also not very opaque, so all of the things that make a project extend in time are happening right now,” said Semenoff.
She said she is determined to finish both pieces and was willing to stay as late as necessary to make sure people of Lethbridge had something beautiful to look at.
“I hope people can go around and see the outdoor art gallery, it’s very accessible and anyone can see it, there’s no fees for window galleries, so I love that that public art is for everyone, that’s my favorite part,” said Semenoff.
When asked about the length of time the window art was going to be displayed for, Divine said people have a week to enjoy them and after that, the AAC has hired a window cleaner to take care of them.
Devine said other activities that will be taking place through the weekend include their partnership with the Lethbridge Public Library through Word On The Street where they will have artists working with clay, faceprinting, poetry writing among other activities.
“Word On The Street is about literature, but literature is more than just the words, it’s also the visual and the tactile part of it all, so we’re going to set up our tents and just bring the arts,” said Devine.
Other activities taking place include:
• Downtown Lens: Window Mural Gallery, Sept. 21 – 24
• Public Art: Big Ideas, Sept. 23, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Community Room at Casa
• Kiosk Visual Arts Project, through Sunday at the artists kiosks at Casa.
• Arts Days at Word on the Street,today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Orange Shirt Day Workshop, Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Casa.
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