After a decade of planning, Arts Country Canada Framing Gallery is finally putting on the first Bragg Creek Plein Art Air Festival at Redwood Meadows.
Set to start on the night of Sept. 30, the festival will bring artists from around surrounding areas, as well as from across Western Canada.
“We have one of the biggest websites in North America, so I can look at artists from all over the world, but I thought it would be something fun to do with all the artists out here,” said organizer and president of Art Country Canada Angelo Avlonitis. “I finally got some extra money to put this on, so why not?
“It’s probably going to be the largest plein art air festival ever done in Alberta.”
Once the festival kicks off, there will be a weekend of painting where registered artists will paint at four different locations around Bragg Creek.
After that, the top 15 to 20 plein art air paintings will be displayed during a sale at Redwood Meadows the following weekend (Oct. 7 to 9) and awards will be given out.
“We’re trying to help all of the artists sell their paintings,” Avlonitis said. “Hopefully, we’ll get quite a few Bragg Creek artists out. A lot of people around here don’t have much art by locals, so we’ll see how everything works out.
“It’s a nice fit. We’re going to put the paintings on the website after they’re done as well.”
So far, artists such as Neil Patterson, Diane Anderson, Henri De Groot, Eric Erwin, Doug Levitt and more are taking part with more expected to sign up.
Ever since the flood, Bragg Creek has been off of a lot of people’s radars and Avlonitis is hoping to bring more tourists and business to the area, he said of why he wants to put on the festival.
“Bragg Creek needs a bit of promotion, like every little town in Alberta,” Avlonitis said. “Since we got hit by the flood, there’s been very little tourism. There’s no buses coming here anymore and Americans hardly know we exist.
“People act like we’ve been wiped off the map.”
Avlonitis also went onto say that while tourism has all but dried up for the hamlet, the glamour and lights of Hollywood still have their eye on the area.
“The Bourne Legacy was filmed at Elbow Falls,” he said. “Brad Pitt bought 20 acres out here when he made Legends of the Fall and part of The Revenant was shot around the area, so Hollywood hasn’t forgotten we have some unbelievable areas.
“I’m here to promote the artists, but also the area because artists are going to be painting places around here.”
Another reason Avlonitis said he wanted to put on the festival was a lot of people he’s run into can name American artists but draw a blank when asked to name anyone from the area.
“It’s important for the artists to become bigger household names in Canada,” he said. “People know more American artists than local ones. A guy from the States came in the other day and said Canadian artists were just as good as if not better than ones in his country.
“We want to get people away from buying reproductions and buying something original made by someone in Canada.”
Registration fees for artists looking to enter the festival are $50 and the deadline is Sept. 30 at orientation night, which begins at 7 p.m.
Painting sales on the last weekend of the event will be a 50/50 commission split, with 50 per cent of the profits going to a local charity for the arts.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
For more information visit www.artcountrycanada.com or call 403-949-4141.
