Artists in Longview are showing tourists there’s more to their village than beef jerky and award-winning steak.
Owners of Prairie Light Studio, The Lost American Art Gallery and Museum and the Garside Wilson Gallery, along with other local artists, joined forces last spring to create the Longview Arts and Culture Connection and increase awareness around the village’s arts scene.
“A couple of us got together and decided this is what we need to do to get people more aware of Longview and the number of galleries and artists in Longview,” said Dave Marshall, owner of Prairie Light Studio. “It’s quite amazing a village of 300 people has five galleries representing some 29 artists from the area.”
Marshall sees the Longview Arts and Culture Connection as a vehicle to make Longview a tourist destination for arts and culture.
“I would like that atmosphere and branding the same as Black Diamond and Turner Valley in the sense of being the place to go for local art,” he said.
The group held its first event, an art walk through the village’s galleries, during a fundraising motorcycle ride last month, said Marshall.
“We were on social media for three or four days and every gallery saw the most people it had ever seen in one day,” he said. “I saw more than 50 people on Saturday. We expect to get a better impact with six month’s notice and a bigger push on social media.”
Debra Garside, co-owner of Garside Wilson Gallery, said the Longview Arts and Culture Connection is planning more activities.
“(We) decided there was enough stuff going on now artistically in Longview that we needed to really have our own association and events,” she said. “One of Longview’s strengths is arts and culture.”
Garside said the group plans to have a big presence in next month’s Longstock Music and Arts Festival and will host a second art walk Oct. 14-15.
The galleries will also piggyback off of each other when planning openings and other events, she said.
“If the Garside Wilson Gallery has a special exhibit or opening and has people coming into town for that why not visit all of the galleries,” she said. “We are cross advertising and cross promoting. Longview is a bit of a drive and if people are going to take the time to get out here it’s nice for them to make a day of it.”
Garside said the goal of the Longview Arts and Culture Connection is to also connect with other businesses in the village.
“We wanted it to be quite inclusive in terms of food, culture, western lifestyle, artisans and things like that,” she said. “What we’re hoping is when people see how much energy and enthusiasm is behind it that the restaurants and other local businesses will hop on board and maybe we can create something even bigger over time.”
The group’s Facebook views have reached a broad audience, said Garside, and its posts are getting shared by the Village of Longview and Cool Little Towns.
“We’re feeling like it’s got a bit of momentum,” she said. “The more things you have going on the better.”
Longview artist Deanna Lavoie Sinton said she is excited about the group’s potential.
“I see it evolving where Longview is a destination for art and culture,” she said. “There is such a big talent base in Longview and the surrounding area. It’s really going to snowball as things go on. It’s just a great happening for this area.”
The award-winning painter, who’s had work displayed in the Prairie Light Studio, said many people who attended last month’s art walk were surprised that Longview has so many art galleries and artists.
For Lavoie Sinton, art and Longview go hand-in-hand.
“The scenery just beckons art to be in the area,” she said. “When I first moved here I did my whole mountainscape series. It was the perfect subject matter for the area.”
The next step for the Longview Arts and Culture Connection is to become a not-for-profit organization.
