A local favourite art exhibit returned to Mission in the new year with the annual Peggy Staber Memorial Art Show Contest and Exhibition. The art show is organized by the Mission Arts Council and features almost 50 submissions from artists of all ages after receiving just 15 submissions last year.
“It’s great that we’re back up to our usual numbers again which was really emblematic of us blossoming out of COVID,” Mission Arts Council program coordinator Mackenzie Widdows said. “We had to shut down operations completely in so many different areas. So it’s good now that we’re finally seeing people back in the gallery.”
The exhibit opened on Tuesday (Jan. 3) and will be open to the public until January 21. On Saturday, the council held the opening reception and presented awards with cash prizes to participants.
Kathy Blore won the $150 Best in Show prize for the oil painting, “Study in Silver” in the Adult category. Maurreen Sinclair’s “Facing the Sun” and Julie Brassington’s “Morning Rose” were honourable mentions.
Shae Bartucci’s “Puppy Love” won the Best in Show for the Child (12 and under) category and Kaede Fujita’s “My Favourite Colour” was victorious in the Youth (13-18) category.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever had such a diverse and eclectic group of submissions,” Widdows said. “We’ve got painting, pencil drawing, acrylic, resin, clay, and so many different things. It’s really quite a fine selection of Mission’s artists.”
The theme for this year’s art show was “My Favourite…” and encouraged participants to create something inspired by things they cherish.
“I think that we really just wanted people to get in touch with what sparked joy and share that with our community,” Widdows said. “It’s great reading each of the artists’ statements — there’s people who drew everything from seasons to animals to feelings.”
The exhibit is named in memory of Peggy Staber, the first executive director of the Mission Arts Council. She was a promoter of the visual and performing arts and organized the first juried art show in the Fraser Valley, which led to the annual provincial Festival of the Arts. Staber also taught painting and drawing for Fraser Valley College and Mission Parks and Recreation for more than 20 years.
The Mission Arts Council has a lot on deck for 2023, including the UFV at the MAC Exhibition, the Second Annual Indigenous Artists Exhibition, the Children’s Festival and an art market at Fraser Valley Pride.
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dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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