Peachland Arts Newsletter - March 16, 2026
Monday, March 16, 2026
Dear members:
Anyone seen the yellow flowers on Drought Hill yet - the harbingers of spring, the arrowleaf balsamroot, our Okanagan sunflowers? Perhaps I’m living in anticipation, and it's a bit early, but they’ll soon be out - have patience!
On International Women’s Day (IWD) this past Sunday, March 8, the Peachland Community Arts Council (PCAC) hosted its largest event to date. The special day was initiated in 1911 to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and girls. This year, the official UN theme is “Rights, Justice, Action, for ALL women and girls.” The major campaign theme is Give to Gain, which holds that when women are empowered, communities thrive, leading to broader economic growth and social progress. Three colours represent IWD: Purple for justice, dignity and loyalty, Green for hope and a better future, and White for purity, integrity, and sisterhood/solidarity. Our PCAC interpreted the Give to Gain theme by raising funds to award bursaries to two female Peachland students graduating this spring. They also donated clothing to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter for their “Dress for Success” program. The celebration included a “Vintage Glam” fashion show, with models representing every decade from the twenties to modern times, accompanied on piano by Stu Goldberg and narrated to describe the attitudes, roles, and contexts that women experienced in earlier days. Following the show, guests were treated to presentations by Budding Creations, an “upcycling” clothing line, and Ciao Bella, a local cosmetics company, followed by a scarf-tying demonstration and exchange. The afternoon ended with an old-fashioned tea party with china, soothing refreshments, and plenty of time to mix and mingle. The day was highly successful!
Come and support our local talent a week this Thursday at the next Talent /Showcase in Our SPACE on March 26 at 6 pm. This spring concert follows the January concert, which featured the Farmhouse Kitchen Collective Celtic ensemble. Several musicians (of various ages) will perform classical, jazz, pop, and folk on piano, guitar, and vocals, and there’ll even be some comedy! One feature is Nicole Kraft, who performs the jazz vocals of Peggy Lee, a brilliant act! Wow!!! Tickets are $8 for members, $10 for non-members, and $5 for children 12 and under and are available at the underlined above and at the door. Support the arts and local entertainment in Peachland!
It’s that time of year to think about your garden again, and the Peachland Sowers and Growers have your back. Bet you’ve never heard of the word Hügelkultur before! Well, perhaps you should learn about it, because, far as I can tell, it might make your veggies very, very happy. "Hügelkultur is a horticultural technique where a mound constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials is later (or immediately) planted as a raised bed." With that in mind, the Sowers and Growers at their AGM in the Peachland Little Schoolhouse at 1 pm on Friday, March 20, will teach you a technique that will make your veggies vigorously delighted to sacrifice themselves to your discerning stomach. Yes, I’m serious! Go for it!
The Okanagan Folk School is offering two, two-hour drop-in Mosaic Workshops, Shards and Shine at Our SPACE in the Yellow Schoolhouse. They are hands-on, two-hour classes that cost $5 per session and include all materials. Held on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays, there’ll be approximately 3 to 4 sessions per month, with morning sessions from 11 am to 1 pm and afternoon sessions from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. The flexible format allows students to fit the classes into their schedules. Instructor Shauna McKenney will show you how to select patterns and, by using recycled scraps of glass and particular cutting and placing methods, create your unique piece of stained glass art. Transform “waste” into wonder. 'Trash' into beauty! Sign up by emailing itsinmynatureglassworks@gmail.com.
Many Peachlanders may remember the 1898 Peachland Little Schoolhouse in 2000 at the turn of the century - its dilapidation - the badly warped floor, crumbling, stained plaster walls, peeling paint, a front door moved to one side (instead of its original position in the middle ) because the pastor of St. Margaret’s needed an office when that was their church for several years - how it was saved from a town councillor who wanted to set the building alight with a match. Instead, the building was raised on a solid foundation and restored with wheelchair accessibility, a new cupola (constructed by students at the local middle school), and a charming terrace and garden. A board with society status was formed, allowing the building to become self-sustaining. It now provides an ideal community arena for social groups to gather for a variety of activities. Yet, because it is entirely self-governed and financed, it needs to be maintained annually - and there’s the rub!
Two years after the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Peachland Little Schoolhouse, the current society’s board realizes that, in 2026, there will not be enough board members to maintain its status as a society. Three board members are required. While they have a list of volunteers who signed up at the 2025 Volunteer Fair and are happy to help with odd jobs, the board is crying out for some souls who will commit to serving on the board of directors. Although currently lacking board members, they are rich in spirit, and the remaining three have much more to accomplish for this admired, historic spot in Peachland. Will you add your voice by becoming a board member? They are desperate! If so, email Linda Norden at linda.norden@gmail.com for more information about the position.
Linda Lovisa, a West Kelowna artist, will be holding a workshop, Palette Knife Landscaping Techniques, at the Peachland Art Gallery on Monday, June 8. Although this workshop is far off, her workshops are popular. Early enrolment will ensure your acceptance. Also, the firm, Mouldings and More, is offering 20% off all purchases to those who sign up for this workshop. They’re offering, in addition, a chance to win a prize! All the more reason to apply tout de suite. The course involves painting three-dimensional impressionistic landscapes. Lovisa will provide palette knives, a tonal wash, and a landscape photograph, but you’ll also be given a list of other items to bring, such as a sketchbook and canvas. Painting with palette knives is a special art that Lovisa loves, and she invites you to share that love as well.
The Summerland Art Club will display its artwork at an exhibition, Spring Fever, which opens with a reception on Thursday, March 19, from 5 to 7 pm at the George Ryga Arts & Cultural Centre on Wharton Street in Summerland. The exhibition will run until April 10. Do your best to attend if you’re able and support our southern neighbours.
The Lake Country Gallery is accepting submissions for its next exhibition, Hecklers, which runs from April 11 to May 16. They are asking for artists’ interpretations (in any medium, including video or film) of their past or present experiences of being heckled or made fun of in a critical, demeaning way. Many of us have experienced the humiliation of being heckled in public at some time. It can be humiliating, but sometimes uplifting if one retaliates with a strong, positive counter-reply. Have you had such a moment in your life that you might express through an art form? For more information, click the link above.
The next Kelowna Film Society Film is not until Wednesday, April 7, so I’ll mention it in the next newsletter. Until then, enjoy your life!
Auf Wiedersehen!
Chris