Editor’s note: This story appeared in the February edition of the South Cowichan Connector, a publication for and about the South Cowichan Valley. Look for our March edition starting March 7.
Pablo Picasso once said that art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
First founded in 2016, the Cowichan South Arts Guild’s mandate is to support, promote and celebrate an atmosphere of creativity and the Arts in the areas of Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, Mill Bay and Cowichan Bay, ranging from musical to visual arts.
“Cowichan Valley Arts Guild is a little more visual arts based, and we wanted to promote all of the arts genres,” said CSAG president Jennie Stevens. “We wanted to offer things for people in this area that didn’t want to travel all the way to Duncan.”
Stevens, who has been involved with the non-profit and volunteer run guild since 2018, and president since 2021, has actively served the community for decades in a variety of artistic capacities, including nurturing a love for musical expression in children and youth in numerous settings including her unique Woodruff music studio in Shawnigan Lake for the past three decades. One of Stevens’s favourite parts of her journey with CSAG has been both building connections, and renewing connections with people she has known for a long time.
“I just love staying connected with my community,” said Stevens. “I’m a very creative person, and as soon as I wake up I am looking for ways to be creative throughout my day, and I have loads of opportunity to do that within my work, and now though CSAG I feel like I have even more opportunities. I think with having it through the arts guild there is also that camaraderie with the people you are working with.”
Stevens is passionate about music and feels that the guild’s ongoing music events such as their monthly spotlight series and acoustic jams are a great way to bring creative community members together. All acts through the Spotlight series perform year round at the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre, where artists also have the option to showcase themselves on CSAG’s YouTube channel. The guild’s monthly acoustic jam takes place on the first Sunday of every month from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Mill Bay Community Hall over the winter months, and then moves to the outdoor pavilion at the Evergreen Independent School in Cobble Hill throughout the summer. Cowichan Valley’s Grass Roots Orchestra facilitates the monthly event, and provides semi-acoustic equipment for those attendees who need it. These Sunday sessions allow musicians of all levels to connect, and play with other music lovers in a relaxed setting. The next date for musicians of all levels to unite will be Feb. 4.
“The acoustic jam is one Sunday a month, and a really great program,” said Stevens. “It is a jamming session for people who maybe aren’t feeling super confident, or maybe they are but come to support others. It takes place in the form of a song circle where we go around and let people choose a song, and if that person has an instrument and feels confident they can lead, if they don’t have an instrument they can always sing while another person plays and leads.”
The Fearless Friday Art Circle is held September through May on the first and third Friday of each month at the Mill Bay Community Hall from 12:45 to 3:15 p.m. Embrace your inner artist this month and have no fear on Feb. 2 and 16.
You don’t have to be an artist to become a CSAG member. Annual membership is $15 per person, $20 for families with one or two parents of minor children, and $25 for organizations. Membership has its benefits. Not only does it allow creative people to network with other like-minded artists it also supports all of the workshops, performances and events that CSAG hosts in the community. Other perks include discounts on workshops, events, and even at some local art stores. Members have the chance to stay up to date with CSAG’s quarterly newsletter H’ARTBEAT, have their voice heard at their AGM, plus opportunities to share their art and gain exposure. For more information on CSAG and to get more involved email [email protected]
“I hope that the Cowichan South Arts Guild helps to create a hub for people to come to whether they are new to the community, or simply just don’t know how to get engaged in the arts,” said Stevens. “There are loads of individual art things happening, but I don’t see another strong hub in South Cowichan that can bring those all together, as well as coordinate event dates so that we are not all having something on the same date. It is my hope that the arts guild will continue to grow, and become a well-known hub that people can go to, and use as a resource.”