Photo: Sebastian Kanally

"Area 27 Geode" winner of Best in Show.

Wine Capital Weekend saw South Okanagan artists' creative works on display at the Fall Art Show and Sale.

The two day show saw people vote on their favorite pieces of art among 104 different entries to nine different categories: photography, fibre art, three dimensional art, watercolours, oils, acrylics, mixed/other media, and two youth categories.

Adrienne Herbert won best in show with a stunning piece called “Area 27 Geode”. Local photographer Greg Reely won first and second place in the photography category with his pieces “Four Quail” and “Okanagan Falls Solstice”.

Other winners included R. Leslie Forbes for “Exuberance” in the Fibre Arts category. Maureen Walker won with “A gift” in the three dimensional category.

Photo: Sebastian Kanally

Mike Beaulieu won the watercolours category with his piece “Classic Reflections”. The oils category winner went to Jacqui Keseluk with “Great Blue Heron”, and the winner in the acrylics category was Joie Pare for “Down time”.

Owen Grice won the emerging artists category with a piece called “Blood in the Water”.

Penelope Johnson, Fall Art Show and Sale Chair explained that she was happy with the turnout, despite the added rush of getting the show ready a week earlier than normal.

Wine Capital Weekend, and the Fall Art Show used to be on the last weekend in September, but Ian Lobb, Executive Director for Oliver Tourism explained that they moved it out of respect and to give space to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

“So it's been a little more stressful with us here getting ready, but the results are great,” Johnson explained.

This year’s 104 submissions is up from last year's total of 72, which as Johnson explained was a low number impacted by the post COVID-19 years.

Photo: Sebastian Kanally

There were over two hundred people who voted for their favourite pieces, and artists sold some of their art as well.

Along with the pieces that were entered to be considered for the competition, the Double O Quilters Guild were showcasing the beautiful pieces they have constructed over the past year.

Also present and featured on stage was the popular RipOff Artists, showcasing this year's ripoffs of Jack Shadbolt’s painting “Summer Icon”.

Terry Irvine was on stage introducing people and speaking about the RipOff artists' work. She is a three dimensional artist, who constructed an outdoor butterfly statue that will be placed in her garden.

This is the 17th year of the RipOff artists and Irvine has been there since the beginning.

One thing that she pointed out was that the RipOff artists philosophy hasn't really changed in those years. “We have had some artists come and go but we still have a core of about four or five people that were there in year one.”

Photo: Sebastian Kanally

RipOff Artist Terry Irvine's butterfly created to go out in her garden.

Irvine noted that this year’s task of ripping off Jack Shadbolt was quite enjoyable as she particularly liked the butterfly theme, but also Shadbolt’s general interest in birds which inspired her first creation in this year’s challenge.

The Artists always do one warm up piece, where they choose a piece by the artist and create it in their own medium to get their minds in the same space as the artist they are ripping off. Then the actual RipOff piece comes after that.

When asked what artist she may want to do next year, Irvine commented “well, I think since we've done a BC boy we should do a BC girl. So I'm thinking of Emily Carr. But there's other people around the table."

Photo: Sebastian Kanally