A month-long mid-summer arts festival will bring Port Moody together, says the vice-president of PoMoArts.
Tracy Schaefer said the new Art Out Side event, that’s scheduled to take place from mid-July to mid-August, will draw people from all over the city to see temporary and permanent works by emerging visual and performing artists like chalk art, painted murals, installations, film screenings, music and even dinner theatre. The displays and performances will be both indoors and outdoors.
Tuesday, Feb. 11, Port Moody council approved an expenditure of $40,000 to help launch the event this year.
Organizers are also applying for BC Arts grants and will pursue sponsorship opportunities.
Schaeffer said such arts happenings are “necessary for the fabric of our society.”
She added, “Arts events give us the time to be together, to dream of what we love.”
“We are looking to transform the city annually each summer.”
In a presentation to council last October, PoMoArts executive director, Deanna Kayne, said the event would “cover the entire city with arts,” adding it will also complement established events like Car-Free Day and RibFest.
“We want to see what people want to make,” Kayne said.
Robert Simons, the president of PoMoArts, said the “creative endeavour” would “really add into Port Moody’s festival spirit.”
Coun. Kyla Knowles said she’s excited about the prospect of a major arts festival taking over Port Moody every summer. She said the city’s financial contribution is a great opportunity to flex the newly-expanded parameters of how it uses its public arts reserve fund to include new programming and festivals.
“This would be one of the first beneficiaries of restructuring how arts money can be used,” she said.
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