Art lovers are invited to enjoy hundreds of creations at the 32nd annual Sooke Fine Arts Show, July 27 to Aug. 6, 2018.

The juried event features examples of painting, sculpture, glass, ceramics, fibre arts, jewelry and mixed media produced on Vancouver Island. Funded in part by the Province’s Tourism Event Program, the show is expected to attract more than 8,000 art tourists to Sooke, and is expected to generate over $600,000 in economic benefits for the community.

“The Sooke Fine Arts Show is a fantastic local event that has earned a well-deserved international reputation for excellence,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “It illustrates the magic that can happen when artists, organizers, and volunteers and a municipality work together to achieve a common goal.”

“The Sooke Fine Arts Show is a great example of one of the many community art fairs we have across our province,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “It gives artists the chance to showcase their work, while also raising the profile of Vancouver Island as a world-class destination for arts and culture. I’m proud to support events like these. They boost local businesses and provide a fun, inexpensive opportunity for people of all ages to experience different kinds of art.”

Besides showcasing 380 pieces of art, the Sooke Fine Arts Show offers four artist demonstrations each day, two live music performances, artist talks and lectures, and child-friendly activities. The provincial government provided $10,000 to help organizers promote the event.

“We are very grateful for the provincial government support,” said Christa Brenan, Sooke Fine Arts Society. “It has allowed us to stretch our advertising dollars and attract more art lovers from the Lower Mainland and Washington state. We hope they will stay for several days to experience all the great activities our region has to offer.”

The Sooke Fine Arts Show, which runs at the Seaparc Leisure Complex, is Vancouver Island’s longest-running juried art show. More than 600 emerging and established artists submitted over 1,400 works of art to be considered for inclusion. The pieces selected for the show are judged by a jury of art experts, who will award prizes for artistic excellence.  

The fine arts show received $10,000 in funding through the Tourism Events Program, which supports events that raise awareness of B.C.’s tourism experiences, and inspires people from around the world to visit the province. These events also generate tourism and economic activities in regions throughout British Columbia.

Quick Facts:

• Tourism is an important economic driver for B.C., generating more than $17 billion in revenues in 2016.
• Tourism is one of the province’s biggest employers. More than 133,000 people work in this industry.
• Tourism is growing in importance for B.C’s economy. In 2016, the industry contributed $7.9 billion in added value to the province’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is an increase of over 5.6% over the previous year.
• The Government of British Columbia invests over $123 million in the tourism sector annually.
• In 2017, 5.7 million international visitors came to B.C. — a 3.3% increase (181,700 more visitors) over 2016.

Learn More:

For more information about the Sooke Fine Arts Show, visit: http://sookefinearts.com/

For more information on the Tourism Events Program, visit: www.destinationbc.ca/BC-Tourism-Industry/Municipal-and-Regional-District-Tax-Program/Tourism-Events-Program.aspx