The Shatford Centre is going to be a happening place this weekend, as the new home of the Okanagan School of the Arts gears up for its first summer.
The fun gets underway June 24 with a performance by the Taylor Cook Quintet, who are making the Centre the final stop on their B.C. tour. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Shatford and Cook, a Pen High grad, is enthusiastic about playing in the heritage building with his group of friends.
Originally from Naramata, Cook now makes his home in Toronto, where he leads his newly formed quintet, consisting of himself on saxophone, Ben McChonchie on trumpet, Brandon Wall on guitar, Mark Godfrey on bass and Dan Gaucher on drums.
The quintet focuses on original material from members of the band, bringing everyone's personal experience into play, though they will also be rounding out the performance with material from classic quintet recordings such as Cannonball and Coltrane and The Adderley Brothers Quintet.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and are available through Okanagan School of the Arts by phone 250-770-7668, or at Shatford Centre, 760 Main St. or send your request by e-mail to info@osarts.com. Proceeds from ticket sales to benefit The Shatford Centre.
“Shatford Centre is open and we hope that everyone visits often. Bring friends, family and enjoy this first summer at the Shatford,” said Jane Shaak, a supervisor at the centre. Shaak is also encouraging the community and visitors to come out for the first indoor Sunday Creative Marketplace with original works of art, food, entertainment, healing arts and creativity. That gets underway at 11 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m.
And already underway is the Federation of Canadian Artists’ Triptych, which runs until July 27, with more than 70 artworks on display inside the Shatford.