Arts with Altitude will bring together a celebration of culture and the arts into two jam-packed weeks. 

Marianne Garrah, co-ordinator at the Jasper Habitat for the Arts, said the arts deserved a showcase and the Arts with Altitude Festival is a great venue for all different areas of artists’ expression. 

Before the Alberta government established Arts Day, there was no formal celebration of art in Alberta. This is now the third year, and the event is getting bigger and better as the organizers learn what works and what doesn’t. 

Eventually the federal government developed Culture Day the weekend before Art Day, and Garrah and others in the community decided to combine the events into a two-week-long celebration. 

“Artists deserve more than three days,” Garrah said. 

This year’s celebration will once again bring together residents of all ages (school children, youth and seniors). A unique event that is being planned is turning the dark walls of the People’s Gallery into a cave for classes to come in and make cave paintings as part of their geology studies. 

Ursula Winkler, one of the many people involved with the Habitat, said art is an important part of life. 

“You need to feed your own soul to keep it going,” Winkler said. “Living is an art, living is not just work, and people in this town forget that.”

New to Arts with Altitude this year is the film club signing on to launch their season with a mini film fest. The Robson Fair will bring what used to be held inside to a bigger stage, with more fun activities for kids and families. 

“Now we’re going to take all day Saturday and just play outside,” Garrah said. “The outdoor fair is new and terribly exciting.”

Also new will be a corn roast hosted by the Association Canadienne-Francaise de l’Alberta, the Raven’ About the Arts Awards and Touched by a Star. The Artcetera event will have artists and performers in the streets throughout the day. 

“If you’re walking through the core (of Jasper), you’ll get a little treat,” Garrah said. 

Garrah is hoping to have more artists such as painters in the street. Anyone interested can register up to Sept. 23.