Arts Days features music and outdoor events

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It looks like Arts Days will be blessed with good weather for Arts Days this week.

 

Makiisma Plays Arts Days, Sept. 24. Photo by Richard Amery

 It’s not like a couple years ago when we had snow,” said Allied Arts Council Projects manager Tara Gillanders, noting due to Covid , most events will be outside this year.

 

“We’re working hard to ensure that everything is safe. So we had planned to move as much as we could outside even before the current restrictions came into effect,” she continued.

 

 Lethbridge’s annual celebration of the arts begins on Thursday, Sept. 23 with local artists painting the outside windows of of several downtown local businesses including Classique Dance Works, The Allied Arts Council shop, Casa and Sill and Soil.

 

“It’s an excellent opportunity for people to stop and chat with the artists about their work,” Gillanders said.

 

 The musical portion of ArtsDays begins on Friday, Sept. 24 with doom folk band Makiisma and local garage rock/new wave band Body Lens, who perform on Rotary Square outside Casa from 7 -9 p.m.

 The Gallery Stroll  begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 .

Casa is the hub of this year’s  stroll and there will be live music on Rotary square.

 

 There will be stops at SAAG, The Allied Arts Council Pop Up Gallery, Casa Gallery, Mortar and Brick, the Galt Museum and the Trianon. 

You will need to have double vaccination proof to participate.

 

There will be hundreds of local artists  in a variety of disciplines displaying their works.

 There will be a variety of buskers performing all day Saturday, including Karen Romanchuk.

 

 Romanchuk will also be performing at the Affair on the Square, Sunday in Rotary Square outside of Casa from noon to 3 p.m.

 The Taiko Hibikaya drummers kick things off at 11 a.m..

 Then Romanchuk, Mary-Anne McTrowe and JACY will be  performing from 1-3 p.m.

“We’re excited. It’s a little bit condensed.  Arts Days starts on Thursday night,” she said.

“We probably have fewer participants this year because of Covid and people are being careful,” she said, thanking sponsors including grants from the provincial and federal  governments and

“It’s been very challenging for artists. We’re excited and proud to be able to remunerate all of the artists for their work,” Gillanders said.

—By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

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