Jasper performers, artists heading for Hinton

This is an exciting time for the Jasper Elementary School recorder club.

After entertaining classmates at school assemblies and Christmas concerts, they are off to Hinton on Monday morning, to perform at the Yellowhead Rotary Arts Festival  - one of 42 entries from Jasper in drawing, painting, fabric arts, piano, strings, band and instrumental categories.

“We’ve been working on some of the pieces for a couple of months,” said Raymond Blanchette- Dubé,  school principal and instructor.

“I’ve put a lot of challenges to them, and they’ve risen to those. Their music is coming along and I’m pleased with their stage presence. They are very cool. They played for an audience of 300 at the Christmas concert and there was no sign of stage fright.”

The annual festival provides the opportunity for participants of all ages and abilities to share their talents and receive adjudication in an encouraging atmosphere, said Joan Udell, executive director of the festival.

The festival opens Sunday, April 27 in the Hinton Centre.

There are 900 entries in 13 categories this year, down slightly from 2007,  and seven venues in Hinton and Edson. Next year, the festival hopes to add a venue in Jasper, Udell said.

“We will be working on it,” said Alex Beztilny of the Jasper Rotary Club.

The festival grew out of an adjudicated event organized by the Hinton Piano Teachers Association. As a millenium project, the Rotary Club of Hinton expanded it to include voice, handbells, dance, instrumental and speech categories. 

In 2001 visual arts were added and  the category has grown to more than 250 entries this year. Sculpture and short film were added in 2003 and two years later, a special event was added to the visual arts venue. Creative writing was added in 2006 and pottery was added to the visual arts for 2008. 

Depending on entries, the festival gives out $2000 - $3000 in scholarships each year at the awards ceremony which precedes the grand concert on May 7. 

All participants will receive a certificate to recognize their efforts and talents.  Medals and scholarships will be awarded for performances exhibiting excellence and promise, based on adjudicator recommendations.

The Yellowhead Rotary Arts Festival is the largest project of the Yellowhead Regional Arts Festival Society.  The society plans and manages workshops and arts and cultural events in Hinton, Edson and Jasper.