PHOTOS: Creativity shines at Ignite the Arts’ Sculpture Contest in Penticton

Ignite the Arts Festival’s Sculpture Contest brought the most out of the community members on Saturday, April 2, at Okanagan Lake Park. A group of judges named co-winners at 4 p.m. (Logan Lockhart, Western News)

This Penticton art duo was one of two winners to win a $100 prize at Okanagan Lake Park on Saturday, April 1 at Ignite the Arts’ Sculpture Contest. (Logan Lockhart, Western News)

The co-winning sculpture featured a Canadian flag and outlines of each of the globe’s continents. (Logan Lockhart, Western News)

The other co-winning piece resembled a car. Artists were permitted to use several different materials on Saturday to make their sculptures come to life the way they wanted. (Logan Lockhart, Western News)

Artists at the contest told the Western News that they worked for over two hours on their sculptures at Okanagan Lake Park during the inaugural edition of the event. (Logan Lockhart, Western News).

Penticton’s Ignite the Arts Festival got the creative juices flowing for many on Saturday, April 2, when the Sculpture Contest officially kicked off at Okanagan Lake Park.

The inaugural edition of the contest was such a grand success that even the designated judges couldn’t pick just one winner.

Two separate teams shared the $200 prize when the event’s co-winners were announced at 4 p.m.

Competing in the contest was secondary for one team, though. Instead, it was about building a sculpture that could bring an entire community together.

“Today is about being in harmony with each other,” said Pat Field, the leader of Team Harmony at the festival’s sculpture contest.

“Because of the Ukraine situation, it’s time to sit down, be at peace and think about the people over there. We want to send good energy to them.”

Field’s team used driftwood from the Similkameen River to create one of their sculptures.

“Team Harmony” created their sculpture with Ukraine on their minds. “Because of the Ukraine situation right now, it’s time to sit down, be at peace and think about all the people over there,” local artist Pat Field said.

Sculpture teams began working on their pieces at 2 p.m. and had until approximately 3:20 p.m. to finish before the judge’s deliberated for almost half an hour in picking the winner.

A car sculpture and world-inspired piece emerged victorious as the co-winners of the competition.

The inaugural Ignite the Arts Festival began on March 25. In what’s described as a nine-day celebration of arts and culture, the festival’s sculpture contest was slated as one of the final weekend’s headline events.

A total of 70 performances across six different Penticton venues make up the event, which is scheduled to end with an after-party at Slackwater Brewing on Sunday night.

Penticton Art Gallery curator Paul Crawford told the Western News that he expects the final turnout number to be over 1,000 people.

@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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Arts and culture Okanagan Penticton