ArtsFest 2023 delivered a creative, fun-filled day!
Organizers, participants and volunteers were thrilled with the success of ARTSFEST 2023, staged Saturday, July 15, in downtown Kenora. Thank you to our talented performers and exhibitors, our dedicated volunteers, and the generous residents of Kenora and surrounding areas for joining us to celebrate our region’s artistic brilliance.
A special thank you to our incredible funders, sponsors, donors and community partners, who enable us to do what we do. It was a magical day filled with warmth and creativity.
The grounds of The Muse – the Lake of the Woods Museum and Douglas Family Art Centre – came alive with a spectacular array of live performances, artist exhibits and demonstrations and the tremendously popular KidZone.
Shauna DeGagné, LOWAC’s 2023 Event Coordinator, said “We couldn’t be happier with how the day unfolded,. Bringing joy and positivity into our downtown core via the arts is something that everyone can be proud of.”
The day started with the traditional Waubshkih Gaubaawiik drum leading the opening ceremonies, with prayers by Elder Jeanette Skead of Wauzhushk Onigum.
Main Stage performances drew enthusiastic crowds for harpist Olivia Whiddon, Jada’s Children’s Music, soloist Ted O’Flaherty, and The Sunday Mornings (Missy Jacobson and Peter Welch) folk duo. The Nish Deva Fashion Show mesmerized festival attendees with the beauty of the Indigenous regalia and fashions created by youth under the guidance of local artist Evelyn Finlayson.
The lively KidZone was a huge success. “Many people came out specifically to bring the kids,” said KidZone coordinator Carolyne Lynch. “I spoke to people from town, from cottages, day trippers and campers traveling across Canada.” The group of young volunteers in the kid’s tent was vital to its success as was artist Susan Bulman, tactile artisan Aimee Baldwin, and entrepreneur Vic Moss, who all offered guided activities throughout the day.
Just under twenty exhibitors from many different disciplines – painting, writing, digital media, beading, pottery, sculpture, fashion, and jewelry – were on hand for art sales and demonstration. Many shared how they loved staging the event in Kenora’s new arts hub.
Exhibitors were duly impressed with efforts taken to provide an inclusive, welcoming festival environment that truly celebrated them. Some of the feedback received was music to the ears of our hardworking coordinator and volunteers:
“Let me congratulate you on a successful ArtsFest 2023! I was very impressed by the efficiency of your volunteer staff and by the location of the event. Where in Canada can you find a war memorial surrounded by four amazing buildings with architecture representative of the era in which they were built? Kenora must be very proud of this unique location.”
“I appreciated the breakfast and one of your staff even brought me my lunch during a busy period. There were great snacks and you even provided a tarp in case it rained (which it did). It’s these little things that made the event such a pleasant experience.”
“From a vendor’s point of view, the day was excellent and well-organized. You thought of everything. Loved the tents, the food, the helpful volunteers, the entertainment. Kudos to all involved.”
“The positive energy of everyone – volunteers, exhibitors, performers and attendees arriving at the location – was great. I think the opening ceremony with the drums and elders helped to start us in a very good way.”
“I think all went superbly well. I liked the one day event. Entertainment was fab! Great day!”
“I thought the event was well organized this year. The volunteers even had volunteer help! Great foresight having these helpers on hand in the KidZone, which gets very busy.”
Special thanks to the Community Arts Hub who offered an interactive activity asking the public to spend a moment reflecting on what they love best about our community. Kenora-themed postcards were provided so that messages of love could be written on them and then popped into a handmade postbox. This project will circulate around town this summer and eventually, the responses will be displayed as one community arts project.
The event saw just under 1,000 attendees throughout the day and raised just under $1,000 that will go towards LOWAC’s ongoing delivery of arts programming and scholarships.
ARTSFEST 2023 would not be possible without the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation, Kenora Hospitality Alliance, The Muse, City of Kenora, and numerous other community and media partners including Kenora Honda, Kenora’s Home Hardware, Northern Sounds & Systems, Ronning Law Office, Wake Marketing, Lake of the Woods Cottage Guide, Out of the Woods Counselling, Canada Safeway, World of Water, and Lana Wong of Lana’s Kitchen.
Full details about our sponsors and the festival are available at lowac.ca/artsfest-2023.
Special thanks
We are especially grateful to our 2023 event coordinator, Shauna DeGagné, who did an outstanding job making ArtsFest 2023 the success it was – from daily planning, organizing, and coordinating all aspects of the event. Shauna also handled LOWAC’s booth at the Matiowski Market and our face painting fundraiser at Coney Island Music Festival.
Shauna’s role was made possible through the support of our granting agencies.
What’s next?
The success of ArtsFest 2023 is thanks to all of you but also once again, a very small organizing committee and group of volunteers. If you would like to see ArtsFest happen in 2024, we need you – either as part of the volunteer organizing committee, as a coordinator (if funds are available), as a volunteer at the event, or as a community partner or sponsor. You can email lowacdirectors@gmail.com to let us know how you would like to help or any ideas to make ArtsFest even better!
Our goal for Artsfest is always to provide a welcoming, inclusive space to give our artists and community the opportunity to come together to experience, explore and perhaps discover something new!
We hope you’ll join us!
LOWAC Board looking for new directors
We are always looking for new energy to be part of LOWAC’s Board of Directors. We meet monthly on the second Tuesday of every month, currently via Zoom. With some upcoming “retirements” we are looking for new directors and officers. You don’t have to be a practicing artist to join our Board. We are looking for arts enthusiasts, people with fundraising experience, and those who just want to be part of something inclusive and creative in our community. You are asked to give what you can – there’s more strength in numbers! Our Annual General Meeting is held in November, at which time we accept nominations. Contact our chair Leanne at president@lowac.ca if you are interested!
Fundraising
In order to continue to host events like ArtsFest and run other programming, LOWAC has some operational expenses in addition to the $1,000 in arts scholarships we give each year to St. Thomas Aquinas and Beaver Brae high schools. This includes the storage unit for our tents, supplies and files, annual insurance, bookkeeping, and web hosting. Everything else including our website updates, social media, payables, etc. are provided gratis by our volunteers.
You can help by keeping your membership up to date or making a donation as a patron or supporter to help us continue to work to fulfill our mission. If you prefer to send a cheque, you can do so and mail to Lake of the Woods Arts Community, PO Box 10002 Harbour Postal Outlet, Kenora ON P9N 4T1.
We are also looking for fundraising ideas and people who are interested in running events in support of LOWAC. We’d love to hear from you!
Happy Summer!
LOWAC will be taking a break until September.