Get out and enjoy Downtown Thursdays in Okotoks
The first Downtown Thursday of the summer was a hit for Okotoks residents as they gathered in the centre of town to celebrate Okotoks culture, recreation and events.
The Okotoks Art Gallery was front and centre as they launched this year’s edition of Art on the Lawn, a creative showcase of the works of Southern Alberta artists on the front lawn of the art gallery.
Guest performers and even residents were invited to spontaneously step up to an open microphone. There were kids activities and hang out at the Family Fun Zone in Triangle Park. There was outdoor fitness at the Plaza and each week a new activity or type of fitness will be featured with the public invited to join in.
Downtown Thursdays throughout the summer months will be an excellent way for new residents to discover the Town’s downtown area and see what the local community has to offer.
Bistro 1882 across from the art gallery made menu items available for takeout. Families took advantage and brought their Thursday night dinner back over the picnic tables which were provided for the event.
Art on the Lawn
Rain or shine, Downtown Thursdays at the Okotoks Art Gallery will enjoy live music and an art market with a guest emcee. The gallery has put out a call to local artisans to participate every Thursday, charging a $10 fee per Thursday to participate. The gallery will not be taking a commission from participating artists. All they ask is that participants become a Culture Member. The same goes for musicians who are interested in playing for an enthusiastic outdoor audience. The Okotoks Art Gallery will provide the sound system.
Interested people can find application forms on the Town of Okotoks website.
This free event will run Thursday evenings until August 25 beginning at 4:00 pm.
About the Okotoks Art Gallery
The first gallery opened in 1981, housed in the former CPR Railway Station built in 1929. The building was renovated in 2009 when the Town of Okotoks assumed responsibility for the art. The mandate of the gallery and the board which operates it is to promote and exhibit art and visual culture in Okotoks and surrounding area. To cover all artistic media, the Okotoks Art Gallery features contemporary and historical art exhibits. The gallery runs classes and community events for families and aspiring artists of all ages.
The gallery has become a go-to venue for some of the town’s more elegant events offering a sophisticated, upscale atmosphere and an excellent, centrally-located location.
Current Exhibits
This summer’s exhibition is Jason Carter, known for his public art and murals. He created a new body of work just for this Okotoks exhibition, the subject of which is grain elevators. Carter’s works are acrylic but he works in other mediums as well, having just attended the unveiling of a public sculpture he created for the City of Calgary.
His books of children’s illustrations are also in display in the gallery’s smaller room.
Carter is from the Little Red River Cree Nation which is located in the northern part of the province.