Arts Revelstoke: What’s happening this summer and fall on the performing arts scene

Worried about the post-Covid arts scene in Revelstoke? Well, don’t. Just like the rest of the world, Arts Revelstoke, Revelstoke’s arts and culture decision makers, are coming out of it just fine — and we dare say it, with even brighter ideas than before.

Arts Revelstoke had more than a handful of events lined up for summer and fall 2020, including Summer Street Fest, LUNA Art Festival, and its share of Welcome Week. These events are local favourites that we as a town certainly look forward to. However, given the province’s 50-person limit at events, most have been cancelled.

This hasn’t stop Miriam Manley, Arts Revelstoke’s Artistic and Executive Director, and Nik Winnitowy, Guerrilla Gigs Production Manager, from coming up with a killer events line-up, starting with Guerrilla Gigs, a series of weekly live music performances in iconic locations around Revelstoke. Now that they’re fully consumed by their preparations, Manley and Winnitowy are even noticing something positive coming out of these forced adaptations: more than ever, our community — not wanting to stray too far from home — is gravitating towards and showing their gratitude for local artists and venues, a huge feat for an emerging small town. “By doing this guerrilla series we’re proving that there’s more to live music than the band at the Drop or the band at Traverse. We can make live music happen everywhere,” adds Winnitowy. Plus, Manley jokes, artists have a summer schedule that’s unprecedentedly slim, which has made the booking process incredibly simple for her.

Guerrilla Gigs will also be filmed as a means to be more inclusive. In so many words, Covid has provided the arts council with the push they needed to catch up with the 21^st century. (Past arts events were seldom filmed.)

Check out what you have to look forward to in the next few months.

Guerrilla Gigs: Outdoor music in iconic locations

Every Wednesday in July & August, from 7-8 pm

In lieu of the Summer Street Fest, which was cancelled due to Covid restrictions (a maximum of 50 guests are permitted and the Street Fest regularly welcomes up to 500 people), Manley was inspired by a meeting with other Kootenay business folks to organize a series of “guerrilla” music performances. There will be a live music performance every Wednesday evening throughout the summer. Local artists include Maggie ‘May’ Davis and Amy Burton, Al Lee, and Denis Severino who performs July 22; away bands will stay under wraps, but we will say this: expect to see Celeigh Cardinal, who was recently awarded Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Juno Music Awards. The fun part? Locations are in top secret iconic locations (think mountain tops and riversides!) set to be revealed the day before each show. Crowds won’t exceed 30 people. Rain or shine — it’s all part of the guerrilla/do-it-with-or-without-permission experience.

Fall Performance Series in Alternative Venues

While it’s still uncertain what the future holds in terms of COVID and the ‘new normal’, fans of the popular Performance Series will be delighted to know Arts Revelstoke has arranged an incredible line-up of musicians and performers. Performances are set to take place in alternative venues, which have yet to be revealed.

Oscar Lopez: Beloved Canadian-Chilean guitarist

Friday, October 23

Canadian-Chilean guitarist Oscar Lopez

Oscar Lopez is a finger-picking Latin guitar player from Calgary with multiple Juno Awards to his name. Known for his Latin grooves and flawless assimilation of jazz, blues, and roots, Lopez has always been a hit when coming through town. He will be playing as part of a trio.

Circus Luminus by CircusWest: Defying gravity one tight-rope at a time

Saturday, November 7

Circus Luminus rides through in November. Photo: Circus Luminus

CircusWest is a Vancouver-based circus troop showing us all the classics with a west coast flair. We’re talking trapeze, contortion, and tight-rope. You may know them from the summer camps they ran for six years in a row in which they taught children acrobatics, barrel walking, juggling, and ribbons. To accommodate more people, Manley hopes to run three performances throughout the day (to be confirmed).

The Revelstoke Project by Lucas Myers: Making a comeback with the rural rhythm we’ve loved since 2016

Thursday, November 26 (part of Welcome Week)

Lucas Myers performs the Revelstoke Project. Photo: Revelstoke Arts Council

 What happens when you get a rural (Nelson-based) artist to participate in a two week-long residency in Revelstoke? A hilarious theatre performance centered on a newcomer’s first time experiencing all things Revelstoke. We mean all things, from visiting the railway to witnessing the construction of a new roundabout to good ol’ fashioned sledding. The show was first created in 2016 and re-performed in 2017 at Welcome Week. It’s a town favourite and just as relevant today as it was four years ago. Plus, as Manley points out, a lot of art is created in urban settings, subconsciously giving it a metropolitan flavour that’s harder to relate to. “I want to see work that’s actually made in Revelstoke. Artists, especially performance artists, tend to move to the city, but then we’re presenting work that’s coming out of an urban space, where as we in Revelstoke have a different cultural experience of life.” Might that explain our love for the Revelstoke Project?