BONNYVILLE - People who visit Bonnyville Town Hall these days will most likely notice the 17 new, colourful and vibrant paintings adorning the walls.
These paintings were created by members of the Aurora Visual Arts Association (AVAA) and were recently put on display inside the municipality's seat of governance.
Esther Byrt, club president, said this artistic partnership between AVAA and the Town of Bonnyville came about last fall when the group approached municipal officials about receiving some funding for its operations.
Then, discussions about artists hanging their work in the town office took place. As Byrt puts it, “a few phone calls and meetings later,” AVAA was given the green light, and with help from Town staff, its members were able to hang up 17 unique pieces of art.
“The pictures have only been up a little over a week, but we are hoping to raise awareness about our club, which may result in more attendance at our shows and workshops and interest in joining our club,” Byrt told Lakeland This Week.
While painting is a popular form of artistic expression among the members of AVAA, according to Byrt, the group also offers other visual arts including quilting, pottery, and drawing. These works are on display during the art show that the club typically puts on in the fall.
Last year, she said, the event took place at the C2 Centre at the same time as the farmer’s market and crafter’s market.
Members of AVAA meet monthly to tend to club business, as well as take part in a monthly art challenge. She explained that the theme of the challenge changes each month. For March, the theme is tropical, and members bring a piece of their art that fits the theme.
“We have also started having short art technique demos at the end of our meetings,” she explained. “Last month, I ran through my process in creating art in Photoshop.”
Anyone interested in joining the group can attend one of the monthly meetings held at the Bonnyville Museum on the last Monday of each month.
