Those planning to browse Elma Street for Alberta Culture Days will bump into a range of artists on Saturday. Residents and merchants on the quiet downtown street are bringing together painters, chefs, bakers, musicians and various other talents from the region to engage visitors in their crafts for ARTSwalk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Michael Edgar, an Elma Street resident with his own talents, will guide people in making their own spices and rubs. Edgar is the former owner and chef of San Remo, an Italian restaurant in Calgary, and now works for Worldwide Specialty Foods. “One of the most important parts of food is seasoning,” said Edgar. “We’re going to bring every spice I can get my hands on. We’re going to have a pumpkin spice station, turkey rub station, barbecue rub station and different types of seasoning people might not know about.” Edgar said participants can grab a jar and choose a station to build their own spice. “It’s their call,” he said. “We will point them in the right direction. With their artistic tone they can make their own spice jar.” Edgar said he wanted to be a part of ARTSwalk to help support the business community. “It’s just to draw more attention to that part of Okotoks,” he said. “I know people who grew up in Okotoks and went to school in Okotoks and they had no idea that Elma Street existed. It’s something fun to do to support your community.” Edgar’s session is sponsored by Century 21 Power Realty in Calgary. Realtor Amy Simpson, who lives on Elma Street, said the company is sponsoring the event to give back to the community. “I’ve been wanting to help out for a while with something on Elma Street and do something fun,” she said. “I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, but I thought it would be fun to bring the art to the masses in a way that was relatable to them.” Simpson said she and Edgar explored different options before deciding on a spice-making session. “I was trying to think of something that wouldn’t compete with the other businesses on the street,” she said. “We thought it was something a five year old to 95-year can do.” Former Okotoks artist Judy Kirschman will also be on site to lead the public in some plein air painting on small canvases. Joining in the entertainment this weekend is singer/songwriter Hanna Taylor, who will busk on the Lineham House Gallery patio. The 23-year-old Taylor, who began playing piano at age six, has gotten radio play in both Calgary and New Zealand and is a resident musician at Chateau Lake Louise. “I am a folk singer but I like to expand and do things that are jazzy and country as well,” she said. “I do a lot of covers but I do have some original stuff. I like to release new original stuff every now and then.” For her cover songs, Taylor sings a mixture of traditional New Zealand songs and music from her favourite Canadian artists like Jon Bryan, an east coast folk singer, and Bruce Cockburn. “I’m sticking to my New Zealand and Canadian roots in both my original and cover music,” she said, adding she grew up in New Zealand. “A lot of New Zealand music is influenced by the Maori culture.” In addition to performing at corporate events and house parties, Taylor has also done a lot of busking. “I enjoy busking,” she said. “I enjoy being exposed to new audiences and just performing for people who wouldn’t have heard my music otherwise. I very much enjoy being background music while people go about their day.” Taylor has been putting herself out there a lot the last couple of years with regular performances across southern Alberta. “That was when I started writing my own music and I wanted to share that,” she said. “I had a lot of encouragement from family and friends saying, ‘You really need to get out there and perform.’ I was quite shy about performing my stuff for quite a while. I’ve gotten past that and love to do it.”
