Hinton’s Arts on Fire celebration was enjoyed by all who attended the gala evening, says Joan Udell, chair of the Arts on Fire organizational committee, and a similar celebration could be hitting Jasper later this year.

“It was great,” Udell said. “The food was amazing.”

The evening featured food paired with wine, served to each table. The elegance helped make the night special, and some felt as if they had been transported out of Hinton for the gala evening. 

“I heard a few people say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we’re in Hinton,’” Udell said. 

The Hinton Centre was exquisitely decorated in a way Hinton residents had never seen before. About 200 people were lucky enough to get tickets to the exclusive evening that honoured local performers and visual artists. 

“It was a very upscale event,” Udell said. 

Nine artists were honoured for their contributions to the local arts and culture scene. Udell said the emerging artists were thrilled that their awards came with a bit of money to put toward future projects.

The night featured several local talents on stage to entertain, followed by an out-of-town performer, Heather Blush and the Uppercuts, a jazz trio that were a great match for the theme of the evening. Lead singer Heather Blush was suffering from a cold, but Udell said it was hard to tell – even as she did her best to stay hydrated with glass after glass of water. The local performers were well received as well, and the audience reacted favourably to each performer. 

“The audience seemed to be really excited to be celebrating people from our community,” Udell said. 

One of the biggest awards of the night was the lifetime achievement honour, which was bestowed upon Don and Maureen Engerdahl for their work with Break-A-Leg Theatre. 

Udell said it was perfect timing to honour the Engerdahls, as Break-A-Leg is planning a dinner theatre later this month from March 16 to 19.

“These guys have done a good job, and they’re still doing it,” she said. 

Following the 2011 edition of Arts on Fire, Udell will step down as committee chair and a new person will step in. 

Marianne Garrah, director of Jasper’s Habitat for the Arts, is hoping to bring a similar celebration to Jasper this year. 

So far the plan is to include an awards ceremony with  September’s Arts with Altitude celebrations, which Jasper hosts in line with Alberta’s Arts Days. Garrah says she has contacted Mayor Richard Ireland in hopes that council will get on board with the idea, but has yet to hear back. 

After attending the Hinton ceremony, and soaking up some ideas, Garrah realized it would be a great addition to Jasper’s Arts Days which already includes a variety show and other great activities. 

“We can do that here,” she said. “It’s delightful and simple.”

With September over a half a year away, Garrah said there is plenty of time to organize a great event. 

“We’ve got six months to fire it up,” she said. 

Garrah hopes to bring together the many artists and programs that facilitate the arts community in Jasper such as JAG, the Habitat, IOTAD, the theatre program, Creative Campus and more.