The RCA is thrilled to unveil its latest round of inspiring exhibitions to the public. On June 12, you’re invited to a gallery reception at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, in partnership with the City of Kelowna and UBCO. Featuring opening remarks, live music, outdoor lawn games, and more, you won’t want to miss this evening of vibrant art and engaging activities. 

RSVP for free here. Wednesday, June 12, 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM. 

“These exhibitions are truly special and feature the diverse creations of artists of all ages from the Okanagan” says Andrew Stauffer, the RCA’s Theatre Programming Director, “Each exhibition features something unique: naturalistic and abstract photography, works created with local plant-based paints and suspended quilts. I’m delighted to have these work in our centre.”   

RCA Youth Mural Project

The RCA Youth Mural project began in December of 2023. Sheldon Louis, a renowned Syilx mural artist, along with RCA staff, collaborated with teachers and students from three schools to design and paint a large-scale mural. The mural will be mounted on the West side of the RCA at the end of the Art Walk facing the Arts Commons. The students and Sheldon are ready to present this mural after much planning and hard work. 

More details on how this mural came to be coming soon!

The Thursday Group    

On display in our Alex Fong Galleria, you’ll find stunning photography works from The Thursday Group. Since 2013, The Thursday Group has united friends with a shared passion for photographic art. Meeting weekly at a local coffee shop, they exchange ideas, compare techniques, and plan photography field trips. Their work, showcasing a variety of camera and digital darkroom techniques, reflects their individual artistic visions.  

Orchard Valley Quilters Guild: Comforting Families Affected by the McDougall Creek Wildfire 

In our Atrium space are breathtaking quilts from the Orchard Valley Quilters Guild. Founded in 1982, the Orchard Valley Quilters Guild fosters creativity, friendship, and community through quilting. Guild members, committed to improving and sharing their skills, have crafted quilts for families who lost their homes in the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire. This fire, which began on August 15 north of West Kelowna, affected over 35,000 evacuees and involved the efforts of over 500 firefighters. The Guild's quilts are a heartfelt expression of sympathy and support, aiming to bring comfort to those rebuilding their lives. This project received partial funding from the City of Kelowna. 

Strengthening Sustainable Communities: 5th Grade Eco-Art and UBCO Land-Revitalization Initiative 

Down our 1st Floor Studio Hallway amongst our tenant studios, you’ll find The UBCO Land-Revitalization Initiative. This exhibition shows how education and art can foster a connection to the land. UBCO teacher candidates, alongside Dr. Seiki, transformed invasive weeds from their campus grassland restoration site into paint. Partnering with Georgia and the Shannon Lake Elementary fifth-grade classes, they created eco-art that expresses their appreciation for the Okanagan land. This collaborative project aims to inspire the community to live out a land acknowledgement through sustainable practices. 

Gerald Siemens 

Upstairs on the walls of our Mezzanine gallery space are works from Gerald Siemens. Gerald is a self-taught artist with a focus on detail, has spent considerable time mastering his craft through extensive reading. His exhibition features realistic coloured pencil drawings of BC wildlife, showcasing his dedication to capturing the natural beauty of animals. 

UBCO’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Art Walk Banners 

We are excited to be sharing this exhibition opening with The University of British Columbia Okanagan and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies’ Art Walk Banner unveiling. Installed along the Art Walk between the RCA and Kelowna Art Gallery you’ll find artworks hung on banners created by students and alumni. This is the 4th year of the partnership with the City of Kelowna.  

For the second year in a row, you will also find four banners presented using augmented reality (AR) allowing three-dimensional animations to appear on top of the printed image. These works are part of the “Press Play!” research project through UBCO’s AMP Lab. 

Join us Wednesday, June 12 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM as our community comes together to enjoy these compelling works. We look forward to welcoming art lovers of all ages and backgrounds to the RCA! RSVP for free here. 

RCA’s galleries are free and open to the public during regular building hours: Monday-Friday, 9AM - 9PM; Weekends and Holidays, 9AM – 5PM.