COCHRANE— Creating a unique studio tour that can be enjoyed in-person or online, The Town of Cochrane has partnered with the Cochrane Integrated Art Society to celebrate Cochrane Culture Days.
The Artist Studio Drive is the perfect opportunity to travel around Town to a selection of studios that call Cochrane home on Saturday (Sept. 12) and Sunday (Sept. 13), said arts and culture programmer Jola Muran.
She added Culture Days is ready to bring the community together, but will also be offering a virtual way to attend the event.
“You have to have plan B,” Muran said with a laugh.
Muran is working to capture the different studios and create a virtual tour for guests to visit if they are unable to attend the event.
Culture Days is the perfect opportunity to celebrate local artists while pulling the community together in what has been a challenging year, she said.
There will be seven studios are participating and will be open for the community to come and visit online or in-person.
“It’s a great group of artists,” Muran said. “They are a terrific talented bunch of artists that are working with the times.”
The weekend has been designed to be as adaptable as possible to ensure people can make the weekend what they want. She added crowds are expected to be small because there are so many unique places to visit over the weekend.
“It’s a Canada wide celebration,” Muran said, adding she hopes people appreciate that people across the country will be celebrating the unique artists and musicians in their region. “It brings all of us together.”
Saffron Collective Studio owner Nicole Snider said the Artist Studio Drive serves as the perfect opportunity to experience the vibrant art scene in Cochrane.
“People are craving the arts in their lives, especially with being so sequestered for so long,” Snider said. “This is their chance for a safe galley tour in Cochrane.”
Saffron Collective Studios is a fully functioning pottery studio run by members that offer classrooms, memberships and artist rental spaces.
Snider is a member of the Cochrane Integrated Arts Society and wanted to help highlight the unique artists living in Town during the studio tour.
“People have been around Cochrane for so long but they never venture downtown,” Snider said.
During Culture Days social distancing measures will be in place at the studio and demos will be taking place showcasing the art of potter making. She added masks are recommended for those visiting the studio.
The number of people allowed in the studio at a time will be limited, Snider said, so some activities will also be taking place outside.
Saffron Collective Studio will also be featuring a sidewalk sale for those looking to get a head start on Christmas shopping or looking to add a one-of-a-kind piece to their home decor.
“Culture is still alive, the arts are still alive and well in Cochrane,” Snider exclaimed. “We do have a vibrant art scene and this makes people aware and gives people some hope for a future that’s not all COVID.”
The Route 22 Artist Collective Gallery will also be participating in the Studio Tour.
During the event artists will be outside hosting demonstrations that include different types of painting, said Route 22 Director Karen Chaisson.
Culture Days serves as a great chance to meet artists in the community, she said, adding they can use the experience as a launchpad to become a practicing member of the artistic community in Cochrane.
She said she hopes those that attend Culture Days find it to be an enriching activity that allows guests to see first-hand the vibrant artists community that calls the Cochrane area home.
It is especially exciting having the opportunity to show off Route 22 because the gallery officially opened in June.
During the difficult experience of COVID-19, Chaisson said, she believes people are starved for human activity and crave a connection with others.
It is especially meaningful stopping by for a visit at Route 22 Gallery because it has been able to open and bring the community together in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chaisson said.
“The public is welcome to come down and ask questions— Being an artist is probably a process most people don’t see. We mostly do it alone,” Chaisson said. “Our community is probably not aware of how much local talent is actually here.”
Other studios participating in the Artist Studio Drive include Studio West Bronze Foundry & Gallery, Final Touch Art Studios & Gallery, Blackwell Studio, Starr Kolb Studio and Art 4 Everyone.
