Introducing SPARK!
A creative challenge from the Summerland Arts Council that promises action, fun, and community connection.
Feeling isolated due to Covid-19 restrictions? Just want to rediscover your creativity? Join the 10-week online arts challenge starting June 15, 2021.
Participate individually, invite a friend, share with an art group, encourage a grandchild or inspire an international challenge with an art organization in another country.
Each week a prompt will challenge participants to create something new in any form of art—a song, a video, a painting, a poem, something out of fabric—the possibilities are endless. Get stuck one week? Try a different form of art. Group submissions are welcome.
Weekly prompts will be posted Tuesday, starting June 15, 2021 to our new Facebook Group, Summerland Arts SPARK! Creative Challenge, also on our Instagram account summerland_arts_culture, and on our website, www.summerlandarts.com.
“You’re encouraged to post your creations on the Facebook page. And don’t worry if you’re a bit late or miss a week. There aren’t any rules,” said art council director Elaine Watts who organized SPARK with Sharon Kurtz of the Summerland Potter’s Guild.
At the end of summer small prizes will be awarded in various categories, including kids under 12, written works, and sculptural, culinary, and performing arts.
For further information contact Elaine Watts at (778) 516-1500 or Elaine@ElaineWatts.com
Example
Invisible
Here is an example prompt inspired by this news article: news.artnet.com/art-world/italian-artist-auctioned-off-invisible-sculpture. Over the course of the week, we will pick a few of our favourite artworks and feature them. If you want to see what others are up to, press the Inspiration button!
An image gallery will appear with our favourite artworks from the week. If you want to be featured here make sure you post with that week's hashtag, to our Facebook Group or to your Instagram account.
1.
Ignite
The Summerland Arts SPARK! Creative Challenge has officially begun, so light your ceramics kiln, glass furnace, metal foundry, or a candle to paint by and start creating awesome art!
2.
Germinate
Sprout your leaves, get out into nature, and make some art! Show off what’s growing in your garden, or something else you have sown. Fabric, watercolour, or even a play, all forms of art are encouraged.
3.
Isolation
This week's prompt is a little darker, so use charcoal, graphite, or ink to illustrate how you furnish your personal space!
There have been so many inspired artworks so it has been difficult to pick our favourites. All of the featured pieces have come from our Facebook Group, so checkout facebook.com/groups/summerlandartsspark to see more!
4.
Colour
If you aren't inspired by all the wavelengths of light, we now have awards! So set out the crayons, pastels, or hand paints, and have some fun with your kids or grand-kids.
The Summerland Okanagan Regional Library has donated two books to SPARK! participants. A Teen prize, "These Violent Delights" by Chloe Gong, and a Junior prize, "Tiny Infinities" by J.H. Diehl, will go to our two favourite artworks from any prompt created by someone 0-12yrs for the Junior prize and 13-18yrs for the Teen.
The winners will be chosen and announced on August 31st, make sure to include the age of the artist and that week's hashtag on your posts.
5.
Inclusive
Symbols of inclusion in math group together elements so they can be combined into a single unit, just like artists who combine many colours and textures into one work of art. This week you should try mixed media, abstract painting, or mandala drawing.
We are looking for local artists to be featured in a display, so if you, your children, teenagers, or grand-kids would like to have work displayed in the library showcase, contact Elaine Watts by phone (778-516-1500), or by email (elaine@elainewatts.com), before July 19th
6.
Savour
Enjoy the moment by making a fantastic dish, or some macaroni art!
The Summerland Okanagan Regional Library will have a display case inside the library set up from Tuesday July 20th, until Tuesday August 3rd, featuring artist’s work inspired by the SPARK! Creative Challenge. The showcase will also include several books related to each weeks’ prompt, so be sure to check it out!
7.
Artifact
Restore a classic work of art, or create something new out of old, refurbished, and found materials. Write a story about mysterious marvels left behind by ancient civilisations, or detail your own archaeological discoveries!
8.
Repurpose
Turn trash into treasure by making something new out of something old. Paint over an old canvas, make a mosaic from dusty pictures, or make some news-papier-mâché!
9.
Masked Conversations
Sometimes, having a mask on makes it difficult to convey our ideas and emotions. Instead, transcribe your voice into your art and share it with the world..
10.
Free
Everything in life has a cost. Be it financial, mental, or physical, sometimes the risk is worth every second of liberation. Safety is the antithesis of freedom, so take a chance and put your art out there for the world to see.
This may be the last prompt, but it is not the end of SPARK! Thank you to the more than 140 participants, and to the Summerland Library for putting us in their display. The winners of the youth prizes will be announced here and on Facebook on August 31st so there is still a chance to post your work and have it considered.