With the September celebration of the South Delta Artists Guild 40th anniversary happily accomplished and the choice made by popular vote from All About Delta paintings for a new set of eight greeting cards promoting Delta, the guild enters the fall season with both a sense of achievement and fresh energy for the challenges ahead.
Member artists whose work was chosen by public vote to make up the new set of paintings provided work in pastel, acrylic, watercolour and oil, inspired by farming, Ladner Village, spectacular scenery, nature, boats and the sea, and memories of pioneer days.
Kathy Swift, Ulf Ottho, Marlene Strain, Nancy Dean, Jodie Blaney, Monica Burrow, Jacquie Dunn and Catherine Sheppard anticipate seeing their work produced as a card set available at Gallery 1710 and locally within a month.
The guild's latest show, Local Colour, is showing at Gallery 1710 until Oct. 25, and artists were given freedom to interpret the title any way they wished. The result is an inventive mix of form and experimentation with colour as the basic inspiration.
Gallery 1710, adjacent to the South Delta Recreation Centre, is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is wheelchair accessible.
The guild's monthly meetings, usually held on the first Monday from 6.30 to 9 p.m., always include an art demonstration and a meet-and-greet refreshment time. The South Delta Artists Guild has turned the Kiwanis Longhouse, its home base since 2000, into one of the busiest and well-used local facilities, a non-profit society run by its members, each of whom takes on a volunteer responsibility.
There is always visual art on show and for sale in Gallery 1710, and the studio is in daily use for dropin programs, individual member use and workshops open to all.
Artists expert in their particular fields lead workshops that deal with all aspects of visual art, for beginners to selling artists wishing to expand their knowledge and technique, and can range from three hours in length, to weekends and, occasionally, to a five-day week.
Fees are modest and full information on upcoming workshops and the South Delta Artists Guild in general can be found at www.southdeltaartistsguild.com.
