Oak Bay Avenue transforms into a week-long art show starting with demos, prizes and live music on Aug 9.
Art from paintings to sculptures, in styles ranging from landscape to abstract to pet portraits, are on display at two dozen businesses between Richmond Road and Monterey Avenue for the public to enjoy as a free self-guided art tour the entire week.
“We host the Art Walk to showcase the region’s artists while people are strolling and enjoying Oak Bay Village,” said Heather Leary, managing director, Oak Bay Business Improvement Association. “It brings a burst of additional colour to the Village and people can see all the locations in one visit or over multiple visits. We feature Oak Bay artists on our banners and have several in the Oak Bay Village Night Market. The Art Walk extends that collaboration and support of local artists.”
By displaying the art in the shop windows, people can enjoy the pieces at their leisure whether it’s over a lunch break, after work or during a weekend outing.
The many galleries that already dot The Avenue will be open regular hours and live music runs 2 to 5 p.m.
Lazy Susan’s in the 2000-block hosts a vintage fair from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring 13 unique vendors in an outdoor market format. One-of-a-kind finds include vintage clothes, toys, jewelry and housewares, as well as collectibles from the last few decades. Handmade goods in a vintage style include ceramics, artworks and more. Inside the store, Auntie Bionic will have artwork based on vintage designs for sale, and Ribcage T-shirts, formerly of the public market, will be selling their custom T-shirts in the back room. Watch for the Lazy Suzannes, whose comedic antics will take place through the day.
A downloadable, printable map of the self-guided tour is posted on the events page of visitoakbayvillage.ca. Printed maps are available at locations throughout Oak Bay Avenue.
The second Oak Bay Avenue Art Walk runs Aug. 9 to 17.
A handful of Arts Alive sculptures also make up the art available on The Avenue. Arts Alive is Oak Bay Parks, Recreation and Culture annual public art program where sculptures on loan from artists are displayed for up to a year throughout the municipality. Until November, the public can vote for a favourite. Maps to temporary and permanent pieces are posted at oakbay.ca/parks-recreation/arts-culture/arts-alive.
