For immediate release.
Hey Folks:
Elyssia Sasaki here from Island Mountain Arts.
Since November 2020, I’ve been the Executive Artistic Director of Island Mountain Arts, and the next steward of the ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art.
Though we are incredibly encouraged by the progress we see from the government on the road to restarting live events and returning to large gatherings, our organization will be taking a year of time away from the festival to restructure and rebuild for a gathering in the summer of 2022.
The legacy of this festival, the artists who have graced these stages and the relationships, the memories that have been built as a result of this gathering are nothing short of remarkable. I am humbled by the work that has been entrusted to me by my predecessor Julie Fowler, and the incredible list of artists, staff, organizers and volunteers that have offered me their time and knowledge to see this event continue.
It’s important to acknowledge that as we return to events, we intend to do so with the well-being and safety of our communities at the core of our hearts, on the top of our minds and in the actions we undertake.
I do not take this restructuring lightly. We are changing. Our region’s past with gold mining is poised to become our present and foreseeable future, and much in the way of listening and sharing and understanding must occur. Festivals province-wide are promising returns that are bigger and better than ever. It is my hope that as we bring gathering back, it is a reflection of who we are and how we have grown over the course of the pandemic.
Island Mountain Arts is continuing to look to ways to gather this summer, as restrictions ease and events become possible once again, and we thank you for your patience as we navigate this.
With deep respect.
Elyssia Sasaki
For Island Mountain Arts
On the shared territories of the Secwépemc and Dakelh peoples
elyssia@imarts.com
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