An evening of art, auctions and live music brought the community together.
The Critical Mass Gallery’s room filled up for a one-of-a-kind performance from two Canadian touring artists.
“Tonight’s event came about after the two artists’ contacted the owner of Critical Mass, Gus [Horn], asking if there was a chance of doing a gig here in 100 Mile,” said the evening’s organizer, Rita Giesbrecht. “So, of course we said yes. We are always game for that.”
To start the night was Naomi Kavka, a folk singing woman from Prince George. The room was still, while Kavka’s voice echoed throughout the gallery, delivering an intimate performance. Kavka was no stranger to 100 Mile, having played the gallery in the past.
“A mutual friend in town put me in touch with Gus,” said Kavka. “Rita took over the reigns and planned the entire night for us. The venue looks beautiful with all of the artwork inside - it looks a lot different from the last time I was here. It’s kind of like playing a whole new room, which is exciting.”
Following Kavka’s performance was an auction for some pieces of art in the studio. Some of those items included an original Warhol print, vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia, local artwork, rare furniture and more.
“We have had really wonderful audiences so far,” she said. “I have been impressed with the range of demographics at these shows. There’s been a big mix of folks for the performances which is really awesome.”
After the auction, Max Marshall, a finger-picking, folk-singing, guitarist from Windsor, Ontario played for the second half of the evening. This is the first time Marshall has ever been to British Columbia. He was accepted into VIA Rail’s Artists on Board program, which offers complimentary or reduced fare travel for approved professional musicians in Canada. In return, the musician’s must perform on board while travelling.
“I feel like I am putting the tourist in tour right now,” said Marshall. “Being away from Windsor is a huge treat, no matter where I am going, but it’s like the extra icing on the cake to be here in B.C.”
The two musicians connected through mutual friends and put together a week-long tour, from Vancouver to Prince George and back down.
“The shows have been really nice,” said Marshall. “It has been a lot of fun to perform with Naomi. We are becoming familiar with one another’s material and I get to hear as her set grows. That is the fun about doing shows with somebody, you both get a chance to really reflect on one another and how our performances are going to go.”
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