Mike Redfern
Once again, when it was all over and the last note had been played in the final concert, Kaleidoscope festival organizers not only gave a sigh of relief but a smile of satisfaction, knowing that they had pulled off yet another successful festival, offering 8 days of enjoyable, entertaining or educational events that justified the many months of planning and preparation.
The week started on Saturday, August 18, with an outdoor concert that, despite the smoky atmosphere, attracted a great crowd to the Centre 64 Outdoor Stage to listen and dance to the music of Buckman Coe & Adam Shaikh with their backing band, and Riff, the new Kimberley band that opened for them. As concert organizer Keith Nicholas said afterwards, “We made almost enough in admission donations and bar sales to pay the band!” Knowing that a grant from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance will make up the difference, that is a statement of financial success.
Over the weekend a group of Kimberley area painters enjoyed the expert instruction of Castlegar artist Mirja Vahala as, undeterred by the smoky conditions, they participated in a 3-day plein air painting workshop that was described by participants as excellent. Mirja went on to challenge the abilities of a full house of wannabe artists Monday night at the Da-vin-ci paint and sip event in Studio 64.
Although attendance at Tuesday’s Salsa Social Dance Night in Studio 64 was smaller than hoped for, those in attendance had a happy time learning and practicing the steps of this Caribbean danceform.
Wednesday’s Jazz Night with the Don Davies Quintet was well attended at Studio 64 by a largely senior crowd who reveled in the music of the Big Band era that most had grown up with. It was followed Thursday by an equally well attended and enjoyed spoken word evening at Studio 64 with six local writers and flautist Khoji Vihara filling the first half of the program before headline storyteller Ivan E. Coyote took the stage and soon had everyone eating out of his hand as he told tales of growing up transsexual. It was a joyful and uplifting evening.
Also on Thursday, one of the local writers, Lori Craig, led a group of 10 local would-be writers in a successful writing workshop in her home.
On Friday evening the largest crowd yet filled the Centre 64 Gallery and Studio 64 for the Gala Reception for the Arts on the Edge exhibition. The evening included prize awards, a live art auction, musical entertainment, and gourmet edibles. $2,950 in prize money was awarded to artists from around the Kootenays, thanks to the many generous community sponsors of this event.
Saturday, August 25, the final day of the festival opened with a children’s festival in the Platzl in the late morning with a juggler provoking lots of children’s laughter and busy craft and educational booths attracting the kids’ interest. The day concluded with an upbeat and humorous bluegrass concert by Edmonton’s Bix Mix Boys in the Theatre at Centre 64.
Festival committee member and volunteer worker at many of the events, Helen Robertson, declared the festival “an outstanding success” as she high-fived fellow committee members after the event.
The Kimberley Kaleidoscope festival would not happen without the financial support of many sponsors, pointed out Mike Redfern, who MC’d several of the events. He expressed the gratitude of Kimberley Arts Council, organizers of the festival, to the Columbia Basin Trust, the Regional District of East Kootenay, the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, the City of Kimberley, the Kimberley Alpine Resort, the BC Gaming Branch, Pacific Coastal Airlines, A B&B at 228 Stemwinder, Mountain Spirit Resort, and the many Kimberley businesses and individuals who made the festival possible.