Island Mountain Arts' (IMA) 47th season of camps, concerts, galleries, workshops and so much more is coming to a close with an online auction to raise funds for the organization and Wells Works, a gallery to support artists from Wells and around the area.
"Wells Works is one of the first shows that I ever found posters for. It's been a staple since I think 1990, potentially '89 and it is a show that basically highlights the artwork of the people that live in Wells," said IMA's artistic/executive director Elyssia Sasaki. "We welcome artwork from our friends that live out in New Barkerville and Bowron Lake Road and folks that have ties to Wells and to the area."
Wells Works will start Friday, Nov. 29 with an opening reception where some of the artists will perform music, read written work and share art with their neighbours. The reception will be held at the IMA Gallery located at 2323 Pooley Street in Wells and will begin at 6 p.m.
The organization's annual auction will run for the first 10 days of November and will feature items donated by local artists and businesses to help put on future IMA events.
“All the donations from local businesses and artists in the Cariboo give the auction a very regional flair. You know that they’ve come from the heart," said IMA's programs coordinator Annie Rutherford. She added there's a wide variety of items to bid on. "Artworks from IMA’s collection, from artists that participated in this year’s Toni Onley Artist Project and I made it through the wilderness residencies, leather bags, colouring books, preserves, woven blankets, plane tickets, flower baskets and so much more.”
Sasaki said the funds raised from the auction help IMA put on its programs and events that keep the arts vibrant in Wells. People can bid on items online at www.32auctions.com/IMAuction2024.
"It includes things like our artistic projects," she said. "Things like the International Harp School which we're anticipating will happen in person next year, our programs, Arts Wells, the gallery, our artist in residence program."
Wells is known as an artistic community, Sasaki said a lot of that is because of the influx of people who moved to Wells in the 1970s.
"In the mid-1970s thanks to help from the Quesnel District Arts Council which had very recently been formed, the founders were really invested in building a summer school for the arts out here to offer more professional training opportunities and formal training opportunities to folks that were living in this area of the province," she said. That school was the beginning of Island Mountain Arts.
One of the challenges IMA faced this season was the cancellation of Arts Wells in what would have been its first year back after the pandemic.
"This year was meant to be the return of the Arts Wells Festival which we had to postpone due to the Antler Creek wildfire. It was tough," Sasaki said. Arts Wells was scheduled to begin Aug. 2, Wells was evacuated July 22. "The first artist we had arriving was meant to arrive two days after we received our evacuation notice." She said while it was a difficult decision, they worked with the District of Wells, Lhtako Dene Nation and the incident command team to come to the conclusion that the safest option was to postpone the festival.
When asked what she's looking forward to for next year, Sasaki said she always looks forward to the same things.
"Just finding ways that we can support emerging, mid-career and established artists," she said. "Building spaces where folks at all levels are sort of brought to this very special place that is Wells and they get to talk to and learn from each other."
Sasaki emphasized that it's not just IMA that makes Wells such an amazing place.
"The Wells Hotel puts on great events, Sunset Theatre puts on great events, Frog on the Bog, they're open every weekend and they've got great coffee. We have great restaurants here in town, The Jack Of Clubs and Diggy's Diner," she said. She encourages people to keep their eyes on Wells and all of the great things that are out there. "Wells is a nice little destination to go if you're looking for a day trip."
