Almost every cultural event in Powell River in 2016 was made more significant because of the new Tla’amin Nation. At every event, a feeling of profound honour and respect was evident, recognizing that celebrations of arts and culture in the region were held on traditional Tla’amin lands, and that aboriginal art and culture was here first.
That heritage and those traditions, so much of it lost to the tragedies inflicted on aboriginal people by European settlement, continued to come back stronger in 2016, as reconciliation between neighbours became more meaningful. More people became aware of the significance of the first culture and many artists drew inspiration from it.
For a city the size of Powell River, to boast such a thriving arts and culture scene would likely astonish and make communities of similar size envious. The past year proved once again that the scene is real here, and what a scene it has become; festivals, musicians, visual artists, authors, sculptors and artisans flourishing and thriving.
In 2016, an influx of amazingly talented people continued. They found out about the secret of this place and moved here to enjoy its unparalleled beauty and isolation.
People such as painter and metal sculptor Guillermo MacLean, sculptor Sandra Lopez, metal sculptor Heather Wall and leather craftsman Ken Diamond, arrived and joined the existing and ever-expanding scene of new, rising stars.
Finding a “Take a Peak” subject for the Peak’s culture page each week was never difficult. The feature highlighted many talented people who draw inspiration from living in Powell River and, collectively, are turning the city and area into a large maker-space.
It is commonly suggested that something is always going on in Powell River; 2016 proved that point. On any given day, art openings and exhibits, craft and beer fairs and live music highlighted the calendar. But these celebrations and shows were all dwarfed by the scope of the festivals, particularly in the summer, when the city explodes with cultural and artistic expression.
For two and a half months, festivals drew thousands of participants and visitors, and millions of dollars, to the region.
Even days appearing to be festival-free were consumed with setup, take down, flurries of last-minute ticket sales, rushes to find billets, venue preparation, volunteer management and a host of other details required to put on these events.
How does Powell River do it? It begins with a vision, such as Don James’ co-founding of International Choral Kathaumixw or Arthur Arnold’s idea for a summer music academy. Then the volunteers step up.
Everyone involved in organizing and staging festivals say Powell River is known for dedicated volunteers, the lifeblood of the community, who make events possible that larger centres would find daunting.
Despite the strain of the summer, with one event followed by another, the city showed no signs of festival exhaustion.
“Powell River is very supportive of the endeavours linked to local festivals, and indeed the festivals offered here provide a distinctive feature that makes Powell River an attractive area for residents and visitors alike,” said Kathaumixw chairman Tom Koleszar. “Festivals create culturally vibrant cities and are an economic driver.”
The biennial big daddy of arts and culture, Kathaumixw, returned in 2016. It started small in 1984 and has become huge; one of the largest and most respected choral festivals in the world.
Choral groups from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hungary, United States and Canada attended, along with Powell River’s host choirs, performing in adjudicated competitions and joining in for spectacular opening and closing gala concerts.
One of Kathaumixw’s biggest stories came from behind the scenes, when artistic director Paul Cummings, who was named to the position in 2012, was replaced by Walter Martella, in a decision not entirely made by Cummings’ own volition.
Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, with 70 students from all over the world coming to learn from musical masters, opened the summer culture and arts season in June.
In August, the annual Blackberry Festival once again resulted in thousands of people strolling Marine Avenue to celebrate all things berry.
The summer scene drew to a close in September with the Sunshine Music Festival and, in between, Diversity Festival returned to rock Texada Island.
One event was missing in 2016: Sea Fair, Powell River’s oldest running festival. No one knows when or if it will ever return. With everything else going on in Powell River, some have said it will not be missed.
