The Jasper Library and Cultural Centre鈥檚 grand opening is about to get a lot more extravagant thanks to a $4,500 cash infusion from the provincial government for Alberta Culture Days, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
This will be Jasper鈥檚 eighth year hosting celebrations, however unlike other years, this year鈥檚 festivities coincide with the grand opening of the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre, Sept. 30.
The three-day affair takes place across the province every year to raise awareness about arts and culture in communities across Alberta.
鈥淲e鈥檝e created a whole weekend of events and it鈥檚 going to be really fun,鈥� said Marianne Garrah of It Only Takes A Dream (IOTAD). Garrah has played a major role organizing Jasper鈥檚 culture days events since its inception in 2008.
According to Garrah, the $4,500 will be divvied up between the building鈥檚 five occupants, which includes Habitat for the Arts (which is part of IOTAD), the Jasper Artists Guild (JAG), the library, l鈥橝ssociation Canadienne-Fran莽aise de l鈥橝lberta (ACFA) and the municipality.
During Alberta Culture Days, each organization will host various events throughout the building, which will include food, music, workshops, improv performances and a magician. The three-day event will also include the Mayor鈥檚 Night for Raven about the Arts, Sept. 30, and Bowls with Souls, a community soup-tasting experience, Oct. 2.
Garrah said she expects the events to attract about 700 people and cost around $8,000. The rest of the money for the weekend will be doled out by the cultural centre鈥檚 five organizations.
鈥淲e received more than half of what we need and that鈥檚 better than nothing, but we have to make it last for three days and spread it out,鈥� Garrah said.
Out of the eight years that Jasper has participated in Alberta Culture Days, 2015 was the only year the town didn鈥檛 receive some type of provincial funding.
鈥淲e still made it work last year though,鈥� Garrah said.
According to the province, arts and culture organizations across Alberta could apply for three separate grants, but could only accept one.
The highest grant was for $10,000; the second $4,500 and the last grant was for $1,000.
The $10,000 grant is only awarded to a few key sites鈥攃alled feature sites鈥攖hroughout Alberta. IOTAD had applied for this grant, but was turned down. The $4,500 grant鈥攃alled a host grant鈥攚as awarded to numerous places across the province while the $1,000 grant is intended for communities that are only interested in holding one night of festivities.
鈥淭o be considered a host site you have to have things happening for all three days of culture days,鈥� Garrah said. 鈥淵our community organizations also have to have their own money set aside for the events because the grant isn鈥檛 going to cover everything.鈥�
Garrah said that within Jasper only one organization could put their name on the grant application, so without hesitation, she volunteered and offered to write the winning grant proposal.
However, Garrah reiterated that despite the grant being given to IOTAD the money will be split equally among the five organizations.
鈥淭he whole grant is to help cover some of the wishes of those five groups,鈥� Garrah said. 鈥淲ith this grant the government usually allocates the money to only one organization in each community.
It鈥檚 not common for them to give a grant to one art club and then move on to a second in the same community.
鈥淪ince we鈥檙e all in the same building I thought it would be smarter to apply this way.鈥�
Yvonne McNabb, the town鈥檚 culture and recreation director, said a schedule of events will be finalized near the end of August.
Kayla Byrne
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