Kelowna and District Arts Council will be hosting the 2002 Okanagan
International Sculpture Symposium. The budget for the symposium is
estimated to be 1.5 million dollars
The symposium will consist of a core team of 10 international sculptors
representing a diversity of cultural influences. This core will be
selected with the help of the symposium committee as well as
participating foreign governments. Up to 15 Canadian sculptors will also
participate. All sculptors will create permanent sculpture onsite and
the public will be invited to view the works in progress. All sculptors
will be commissioned to create one monumental sculptural piece.
This symposium will billed as the natural continuation of the 1975 stone
symposium held in Van Dusen gardens in Vancouver. This was an extremely
successful event that averaged over 300 spectators a day for the three
month event and involved 15 sculptors from around the world. Camcorders
will be placed on the various venues, allowing the world to view the
ongoing process from a dedicated web site
Various venues in the Okanagan are being considered for the for the
project with most of the activity, including the core team, being held
in Kelowna. Seven other communities in the Okanagan, from Oosoyoos to
Kamloops will be included in the event.
When finished, sculptures will be permanently placed in the various
communities.
The Okanagan University College will be asked to host an international
sculptors conference at the same time as the symposium is being held,
truly making this international event a one of world wide interest. .
As well the first complete survey of Canadian sculpture will be
undertaken by four major interior galleries in conjunction with the
symposium and Dr. Robert Belton
This project will occupy much of the cultural events in Kelowna in the
year 2002, and many spin-off events and benefits are expected to occur
during this time.
The chairperson of the committee and the instigator of the project is
sculptor Jock Hildebrand, who is presently the first Vice President
of the Kelowna and District Arts Council. He is a professional
sculptor and painter who maintains his own bronze casting foundry in
Westbank B.C. For more information, Mr Hildebrand may be reached at
the KADAC Office at 250 831- 4123, or may be emailed at : artis@home.com
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