Creative Community
I imagine that an inspired thought, that creates a good vibration, spreads. So, in our Creative Community, meme creation....
A creative community inspires, accepts, nurtures and acknowledges its participants.
The members of a creative community innovate, collaborate, cooperate, communicate, initiate and...create.
From young to old, celebrating diversity, and recognizing a variety of creative expressions, a creative community provides excitement, motivation, and support.
A creative community is:
- curious
- collaborative
- committed
- resilient
- courageous
- productive
We live in a creative community...
In a Creative Community, choose a positive direction...
Our creative community is always ready for authentic change in positive directions!
- Check out Experience Nicola Valley, a blog site all about the people, the creativity, the service, and the adventures in our community. I write an Arts and Culture blog on this collaborative site!
- Keep tabs on some things happening here in Merritt, BC, Canada on my Facebook page, Creative Community.
- Get out and shop local! Keep an eye on my FB page Creative Community Shop.
- Enjoy local live music weekly at our Open Mic at Kekuli Cafe! (Soon again I hope!)
OMG Covid, forest fires, river floods... A creative community adjusts.
Our latest art shows at the Nicola Valley Arts Centre Gallery
I'm the curator, and think up the shows with my friends and colleagues...
It's 2022 and and Ive just set up my 56th show at our Gallery. Fun! Inspiring.
Right now, a Show of Shows...all the posters since 2017 when I came on with the Arts Council.
Fun show and poignant show for me, full of memories!
All posters for this show, except one, were designed by local artist Kim Leclair.
As Gallery Curator, I send Kim a photo, or several photos to choose from, and she creates a one of a kind poster design for the show. Kim is excellent at picking up the tone of the art show and getting that across in this popular form of promotion.
Kim’s graphic design posters for each show are printed to post around the community, and are also distributed on our social media. So all the posters on display currently in the Gallery have been out promoting the shows we’ve had over the five years.
The posters are both eye catching and informative. And they remind us of all the wonderful shows we have put on for our Nicola Valley community.
We collected a variety of frames and Kari Kroeker spray painted them, as a part of her summer job with the Arts Council. I scattered the frames around the walls, informally framing the posters on our gallery walls.
Gathering all the posters was an awesome trip down memory lane for me. From the time I began with the NVCAC until the present, there are so many stories!
Coming Home, our 5th show with the Merritt Senior Secondary School senior students. This year the art and write ups were a touching expression of students' experiences of Covid, and the fires last summer and the devastating floods last fall. Our Nicola Valley affected. The students affected...
Look at these two posters! Must be spring!
Both of these artists paint our valley...our flowers, hills, forests, lakes.
And both very different!
But both committed artists and contributors to our community.
Both changing the arts in the community for the better!
Bev Veale! Painting in our valley for decades... Reminiscences
Shirley Reynolds, a true creative in all areas of her life...
Colour Personified
Creature Comforts was a tribute show. A tribute to the creatures who fill our lives with meaning and joy, during good times and bad. During the fires and floods of 2021, in the Nicola Valley.
The care people took of their animals, and livestock was heartwarmimg. As were the stories of what comfort our creatures offered us during that very difficult time.
Thanks to Miriam Loken and all those who participated.
Long time Merritt resident, Kevin Griffiths, has his photography on display in the Gallery. Photos spanning decades, with people in the community serving up memories as they peruse the show.
Thanks Kevin! Love the night shots!
Gallery Shows 2021
This Winter Artisan show was on for the 6th year. It was planned and designed especially with the help of, and under the direction of, Mischelle Pierce, Jennifer Artibise, and Cindilla Trent.
Lots of beautiful work by our local creatives!
This show features over 30 of our Gift Shop artists and artisans, . And during this annual show we invite more artisans from the community to join us and get their wares out to the community.
This year we set up a week early, just in time for a three week shut down while our Nicola Valey commu ity experiencd a shocking river flood event that evacuated our whole community and destroyed the highways our location is so well known for. Merritt as a hub of roads leading in all directions, became isolated for days, and the highways are still not mended. And some may not be for years, like the highway from Merritt to Spences Bridge.
We were able to open our show again early December but several of our participati ng artists were affected by the floods. Some lost homes, some lost access to town.
We are thankful that most were safe, but know there are long term effects from the natural disaster.
Our community was still recovering from the devastating forest fires that also destroyed homes, land, livestock...for miles around.
The people in the community showed a lot of support over the weeks of this show, coming in to buy gifts, honey, coffee...all local. Thanks to all....
In the fall...Baskets and Bowls. A show with vintage Indigenous baskets from long time artists and resident, Evelyn Armstrong.
And wood carver Andrew Ruigrok's many beautiful bowls and trays.
Also Leonard George's basket weave design paintings.
And more!
This was a very local and fascinating show, with photos, soundscapes and videos...
Videographer Frank Ritcey and photographer Bruce Walter spiced up the show with their stories.
Check out their fcebook pages!
Worth following!
Summer. Visit Experience Nicola Valley for a blog about our creative summer shows!
Passed now, June 30-Aug 1st.
Body Art: Living Art of Tattoo and Body Adornment.
Tattoo, airbrush, henna artists.
Makeup and hair artists.
Fun show!
Past Gallery shows...
2021
"Art of Covid, Creativity Persists"
Part of a trilogy...Wash. Your. Hands.
By Nona Tickner
Begin the Year..."Street Art"
A collaboration project with the City of Merritt. Public art coming...
Want more?
Instagram and Facebook pages Nicola Valley Arts Council and the NV Arts Gallery. I post to both...
And my own Jano Howarth, a personal take the creativity around me.
And my Creative Community, periodic posts on stuff happening around here in Nicola Valley Canada..
Most pages here on Meme Dreams are compiled from several different sites I've created over the years. All pulled together here, in various stages.
The most recent page is "Mischief", a journal of mood and music as I make my way through a grief journey. Missing loved ones. Especially G.
I love ya.
I wanna get down...
If the wrong video plays, refresh your page.
In psychology, there are two popular conceptions of happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic.
Hedonic happiness is achieved through experiences of pleasure and enjoyment,
while eudaimonic happiness is achieved through experiences of meaning and purpose.
That's a little simplified :) but a useful distinction.
Not pursuing happiness as in waiting, creating it as in now.
Talisman stories...
A greeting card with this quote, found early, followed me through the years. Chosen as a guiding principle. Lifelong...
For me, there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length - and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.
Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Jaun: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
Oh ya? You've done that? Well...kind of. In a relaxed kind of traverse. That counts?