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The Arts Council of the Central Okanagan announced the winners for the 7th Annual Okanagan Arts Awards. In total 41 nominations were adjudicated to be entered into this year’s Okanagan Arts Awards and all honourees were given recognition for their commitment and excellence in the arts at the Okanagan Arts Awards held on Saturday, March 22, 2014. This year two new categories were added into the Awards, Youth Arts and Culinary Arts.
The artists represent a wide range of visual, performing, literary, media and culinary artists, from communities throughout the Okanagan and Thompson Valleys, and they reflect the depth of talent in the region.
The Arts Council of the Central Okanagan created the Okanagan Arts Awards to celebrate excellence in the arts in the Okanagan/Thompson and to underline the importance of the arts to the people and communities in the Okanagan/Thompson. The Arts Awards recognize individuals and groups for their outstanding achievement in the arts; for their significant contribution to the arts; or to their noteworthy support of the arts.
For the first time the awards were held in the Rotary Centre of the Arts, Mary Irwin Theatre. The evening featured a formal Nominees Reception and a spectacular Showcase Performance, along with the Awards presentations, which were once again hosted by CBC’s Gillianne Richards and Chris Walker. At the Awards, the winners were presented with an original award created by a Vernon artist Julie Oakes. The 2014 Award is a steel sculpture entitled 'Elemental Okanagan'. Elemental Okanagan is a representation of the elements, fire, water, air and earth.
The Awards night was a fun and an elegant night out on the town and such a great way to meet and mingle with the Nominees and to celebrate the arts and the positive impact they have on the community.
2014 Okanagan Arts Awards Winners
- Youth Arts Award: Chloe and Kyle Davidson - Kelowna
- Culinary Award: Rod Butters - Kelowna
- Art Educator: Rena Warren - Kelowna
- Music: Andrew Smith - Kelowna
- COF Community Arts Group: Kelowna Actors Studio - Kelowna
- Media Arts: Mountain Lake Films: Glen Samuel and Wendy Ord - Lake Country
- Graphic Arts: Timothy Tweed - Penticton
- Literary Arts: Shane Koyczan - Penticton
- Dance: Okanagan Dance Studio - Penticton
- Visual Arts: Ann Kipling - Falkland
- Theatre: Bumbershoot Theatre - Kelowna
- Supporter of the Arts: Glenna Turnbull - Kelowna
- Lifetime Achievement: Arnold Draper – Kelowna
Awards chair Sharon McCoubrey also announced that for the first and only time the jury was presenting four semi-finalists in the newly established Youth Arts category with Honourable Mention Awards. Those recipients were:
- Ben Klick - Kelowna
- Laura Sciarpelletti - Kelowna
- Colleen Venables - Armstrong
- Marko Prodanovic - Kelowna
- Report courtesy Okanagan Arts Awards