[by Carol Girardi, President] 2020 was the 53rd year for the Arts Council of Surrey(ACS) it started off with a promising list of events to take place.The ACS Gallery in January featured Studio 73 show called Through Our Eyes and Semiahmoo Arts Society show called Serendipity – Glass Art by Wolfgang Vogt and Gunilla Kay on display in the ACS from January 3 – 29 at the Newton Cultural Centre (NCC).

The Youth Arts Council of Surrey (YACOS) started off the year right with the third Annual YACOS Artist’s Garage Sale on Saturday, January 11 in the NCC Black Box Theatre. This event was a great opportunity for both hobbyist and experienced artists to find some cool art supplies and other unique finds for an affordable cost.

The ACS features the Work of Art Conference each year. This year the event was scheduled to take place on March 14. ‘Creative Conference 2020: Promotion 101’, had a great line up of speakers. Unfortunately, the event had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. Shortly after, the NCC was closed to the public. The ACS had to create other forms of communication with members that didn’t involve in person interactions.

April featured our first ever ACS virtual exhibition, “A Planet in Peril” featuring a 25 piece collection of traditional and computer art by Grade 9 – 12 students from Ecole Salish, Elgin Park, Fleetwood Park, Guildford Park, Fraser Heights, Lord Tweedsmuir, and Sullivan Heights and addressed such issues as, climate change, atmosphere & energy, oceans, wildlife & habitat, health & environment, fresh water, GMO foods, waste management, deforestation and transition to a sustainable economy. These artworks were featured on the ACS website.

“Art…apART” came to life when we needed to find a way to stay connected with all our members. We asked members of the ACS to submit an image and short write up on something they were doing while we were apart. With positive feedback from members we have continued to host it every few months in the ACS Spotlight on the Arts Magazine.

TOGETHER…apART© , a juried virtual Art Exhibition ran June 1 – 30. The complete exhibition was online. The People’s choice was chosen by the public at large through online emailing voting.

Arts 2020 is a juried exhibition where the Arts Council of Surrey teams up with the Surrey Art Gallery to invite artists to enter artwork. The artwork is based off the criteria that artists make artwork for different reasons and different experiences. This is one of the most requested art competitions each year and 2020 was the 35th year. The exhibit for the first time ever, went virtual. Artwork was featured on the ACS website.

By summer virtual videos had become part of the norm, they are a way to stay connected while remaining apart. The ACS including many members started while posting videos on everything from member group meetings, art exhibitions, and instructional videos. The ACS Instructional-series featured member artists teaching others their craft. Videos can be viewed on the ACS website.

By October ACS was very happy to be able to open the ACS Gallery to the public by appointment only. The Gallery was closed from April through September; however, the monthly shows were featured virtually on ACS website. The artist featured in the October was Leah Murray in the Gallery.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 many of our yearly events were cancelled. Such as Surrey International Children’s Festival, Cloverdale Market Days, Canada Day, and Surrey Fusion Festival, Surrey Festival of Dance and Paint the Train to name just a few.

“JUST…Series” is an annual juried exhibition created by the Arts Council of Surrey (ACS). The exhibition was featured in the ACS Gallery at the Newton Cultural Centre from November 1 – 28th. The artwork created is a reflection of how artists choose to interpret the theme “JUST…Surrey”.

The ACS also hosted a new “Meet the Winner” video which started airing on the ACS website on Saturday November 14. Exhibition was available by appointment only.

“ACS Christmas Card Art & Word Competition 2020” is an annual juried competition that features artwork and words created by artists to capture the warmth and love of the holiday season. Artwork was featured in the ACS Gallery at Newton Culture Centre from December 2-15. The winning pieces were featured in the ACS December 2020 Spotlight edition. Twenty-five greeting cards made up of the winning artwork and winning verse are given to both winning artists. The cards are also sent to all ACS members to wish them a Happy Holiday.

It is great to see our members exploring new options. Even though the year has been challenging at times it is important to stay connected. We have a little motto that runs throughout the SPOTLIGHT on the ARTS magazine in 2020. It says…

Stay Safe, Stay Creative, Stay apART©!