Why artists in Kelowna have to turn to Vernon

The Okanagan has gorgeous landscapes that have inspired artists for years and those paintings are found in most Kelowna galleries, but when it comes to artwork that’s a bit more radical, artists often have to turn to Vernon.

The dynamic between the two cities is complicated, complimentary and nuanced, but many artists have found that Vernon has more opportunities for emerging artists who aren’t necessarily going for mass appeal.

Stevie Poling is an artist based in Kelowna whose work is in this year’s Vernon Public Art Gallery “Emergence” exhibition that shows off art by students from the UBC Okanagan’s art program.

“I would leave Kelowna to see art, generally, but that’s because I want to see the weird shit… everyone’s super enthusiastic, and loves art, and loves to talk about it. But people are a little bit afraid to get gross here (in Kelowna),” Poling said.

“I work with fibre and textiles, which is a pretty non-traditional medium. I make my art about queer and feminist theories and themes. So it would be nice to see the Kelowna Art Gallery represent that side of art a little more.”

Nataley Nagy is the curator at the Kelowna Art Gallery, she’s been there for 15 years and has been a museum director since 1985. She said the gallery takes in a variety of perspectives and artists but it has to consider the kind of draw an exhibit might have.

“We would ask ourselves what kind of interest would there be in this exhibition? Who would come?” Nagy said. “I think there’s a different level of need in various communities.”

Nagy said it’s difficult for a radical artist to make a living anywhere, but especially in an expensive city like Kelowna where there’s a larger market for inoffensive, mass appeal work like landscapes.

“Traditional landscape paintings. Those might be the only artists that sell at wineries or sell in homes and stuff like that. In terms of the artists, they’re kind of hooped, in that there isn’t enough opportunity to make a full-time living here if you’re radical or contemporary,” she said.

Shauna Oddleifson is an artist who works with UBCO’s art program and she said both cities have some opportunities for artists and they work together to support the wider art community throughout the valley.

“Both communities have a number of opportunities and I think that they differ somewhat,” she said.

She said Kelowna has lots of spaces that lean more towards “safe stuff”, landscapes and such, like coffee shops and wineries. Vernon is more amenable to conventional artists because it’s more affordable and the arts community is more grassroots.

“When you’re in a smaller community, there’s a little bit more room to maneuver… there’s less bureaucracy in the way in a smaller centre,” she said.

Even though Vernon might lean more towards riskier, progressive work, there’s some space for art of all kinds in both cities.

“Kelowna is a fairly conservative town, like everywhere in the Okanagan” she said. “But there are places for the things that are not conservative you have to seek them out.”

Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is a gallery at the Rotary Centre for the Arts that puts on shows for local artists and SOPA Fine Arts is a commercial gallery that features emerging artists. There are also public programs like one for art students to create banners that hang in the Kelowna’s Cultural District.

Vernon has its public gallery that takes in emerging artists as well as Headbones Gallery and Gallery Vertigo, along with events like Riot on the Roof which makes space for people to be experimental.

Poling said once emerging artists with a unique style get to a point in their career when they’re looking for exposure they quickly run out of options in Kelowna.

“You can apply for shows at the Alternator and at the Kelowna Art Gallery, and maybe at SOPA, but you’re otherwise left looking outwards and all of the emerging artists leave,” she said.

Oddleifson said the differences between Kelowna and Vernon compliment each other, but admits there’s room for improvement.

“I’m not sure that both communities should be doing the same thing. I think it’s great that there’s differences and different things you can do,” Oddleifson said. “City Kelowna puts a lot of money into sports and recreation which I think is important and I think that they could do better at focusing more on the arts.”