Fall for Arts this fall
October 10 , 2016
By: Blair Kaplan
Make business easy — tune in to The Big Idea, a bi-weekly column from the Whistler Chamber of Commerce showcasing a Whistler business innovating in their sector
One of the most wonderful things about Whistler is that there is almost as much to do off the mountain as there is to do on it. Some may even say there is a little something for everyone.
According to Maureen Douglas, executive director of Arts Whistler, “arts and culture is really accessible and is as awesome an adventure as any day on the hill.” It’s true, Whistler is drenched in arts and culture, and sometimes you may absorb its beauty without even knowing it. The Whistler community is lucky to have such an active arts organization creating interactive initiatives that engage current and future art lovers, and their new Fall For Arts campaign is doing just that.
Fall for Arts is a celebration of arts and culture in Whistler throughout the fall season. With some of the resort’s signature festivals happening during this period, the timing just made sense. “Arts and culture are essentially weatherproof,” said Douglas, who sees fall as a great season to amplify the celebration of Whistler’s arts and culture scene.
Grant funding
So, how could a charity afford to implement such an awesome program? The Canadian Heritage Grant was a big reason Fall for Arts was able to happen. Arts Whistler received a grant of $490,000, which was to be used to expand cultural awareness, increase cultural marketing and create more cultural inventory for Whistler.
Time of year matters
During ArtWalk, Whistler turns into a living, breathing gallery, allowing people to celebrate the creative minds of our community. In the past, this event took place in the summer, but with ArtWalk shifting to fall — and kicking off Fall for Arts — it’s been given new life. With a full calendar of events already animating Whistler in the summer, Arts Whistler felt that moving this event to kick off the fall season would enhance the program. This shift also allows people to have more physical space to take in the art. With the change of this program to a new season, there is hope that it will inspire the growth of cultural tourism in Whistler.
Create something tangible
Art Scene, the art magazine you may have spotted around town, packs a lot of punch. The eye-catching publication engages the whole arts community. It’s the perfect size to carry in your bag, and you can also check it out on the Arts Whistler website. There are 122 different arts and culture activities listed. What’s interesting is that a lot of the information comes from the whole creative community, making this a one-stop shop for all things arts in Whistler.
Interactive education inspires
Have you ever crossed a piece of art and wished you knew more about it? Arts Whistler has solved that problem with their newly launched culture map. This map acts as a creative guide (and as a self-guided tour) of the different museums, galleries, cultural venues and public art in Whistler. A digital version, with more extensive information, is available online (www.artswhistler.com/explore).
This is the first year of Fall for Arts, but it won’t be the last. In fact, Art Scene will be published three times a year, which will help keep the passion for arts and culture alive year-round. Perhaps the future of Fall for Arts will allow for additional crossover cultural opportunities with all of the other amazing events happening in the fall? The campaign ends in December, but the Whistler arts and culture community is a 365-day-a-year experience that everyone can be involved in.
Feeling inspired to launch a new campaign, business or product? Douglas emphasized: “Be bold. Take risks. If we let the fear of failure get in the way, nothing cool will happen in this world.”
Make business easy — tune in to The Big Idea, a bi-weekly column from the Whistler Chamber of Commerce showcasing a Whistler business innovating in their sector
Link to Whistler Question article: http://ow.ly/VJRnm