DeCosmos Fine Arts Society is celebrating their over-the-hill milestone.
This Saturday, DeCosmos will be celebrating their 50th anniversary at the opening reception for the MAC’s June exhibit.
“For a group to be able to keep going for 50 years,” said incoming DeCosmos president Susan Rogers. “We’ve seen a lot of change over our members which any group does, but just the fact that we’ve been able to remain a group for that long, in a small community, is something to be proud of.”
DeCosmos was started by two local artists Jean Vowel and Agnes Doolittle in an attic studio in 1966. Then in 1967, an executive was created, bylaws were drawn up and June Molliet became the first president of the society, according to some of the society members.
Current president Bernice Stearns said the DeCosmos Fine Arts Society is very welcoming. She said people don’t have to be an artists, they just need to be interested.
“They open their arms to anyone. For over 50 years they’ve been doing that, and that’s amazing,” Stearns said.
For the June exhibit at the MAC, past-president Linda Strand said there will be work by society members displayed along with two additional exhibits.
Strand said there will be a 50-piece exhibit of painted six-by-six inch canvases — which were donated by Qualicum Stationers — with a common theme of gold. Each canvas is painted by a DeCosmos member.
“So the only linking criteria is that there be gold in the image somewhere,” said Strand, adding that 50 years is the golden anniversary.
Strand also said the individual pieces will be for sale for $50 each.
The other additional exhibit, Strand said, is a scrapbook of work by DeCosmos members which will be compiled and kept in the archives afterward.
The opening reception for the monthly exhibit is June 4 at from 1 to 3 p.m. at the MAC (133 McMillan St., Parksville).
The DeCosmos “Anything Goes” show will be up from May 31 to July 2.
Sophie Skapski
Along with the DeCosmos exhibition, there will be work by Sophie Skapski in the concert gallery of the MAC.
The gallery will be transformed into a playground with 45 depictions of children caught in action or moments of reflection.
Skapski’s series of work, which is called “Their World — Moments in Childhood,” spans a few years, according to a press release. As the children grow, so do the painting style.
Most of Skapski’s works are in oils on linen or canvas.
Her work will hang from June 1 to July 3 with the opening reception at the MAC (133 McMillan St., Parksville) from 1 to 3 p.m.