Potato Nation

What makes MADE so mahvellous? Moldy dishes.

Posted by Lisa Richardson on November 15, 2010 · 1 Comment 

David Moldofsky is the new Chair of the Pemberton Arts Council. We pinned him down for long enough to get the dirt on Pemberton’s arty houseparty, MADE, coming to the Community Centre November 27.

What makes MADE so damn marvellous? MADE is so marvelous because it is an informal event that celebrates Pemberton in all its funky artistic glory by bringing artists and citizens together so they can experience  all the talent Pemberton calls its own.

This is the 3rd year for the event – what ingredients will stay the same as in previous years and what will be different? The third MADE will keep the same general format as the previous two showcasing Pemberton artists. The biggest difference this year is that we are adding a children’s component earlier in the day with performances and installations by and for children. We are coordinating an opening for some children’s cedar baskets that will be on display at the library for the following months.

What are the key ingredients that make up MADE? MADE stands for Music Art Dance and Expression which are pretty much the key ingredients for this event, but its all about getting the public out and participating in the arts and culture Pemberton has to offer.

Who founded the event? What was the initial inspiration? The PAC founded the event as an attempt to use the community centre as it was intended, to bring the community together to share and enjoy the place we call home. It was partially inspired by Artrageous in Whistler and is our effort to bring the art party to Pemberton.

How many artists are represented by PAC? PAC represents about 100 artists although we also have members that are not artists and merely want to support the arts. Visual artists are more widely represented than others but we are always trying to get all forms to participate.

How many artists take part/exhibit at MADE? Last year we had 46 artists at MADE and this year hopefully we can add a few more as the community centre is quite large and we can still squeeze some in there.

What’s the goal for this event? The primary goal of this event is to use the community centre for the community’s enjoyment,and celebrate art,  but also to raise awareness of and promote participation in the arts council. It is our primary membership drive which is currently our only significant source of funding, as well as a fundraiser. Last year we made about $600, the event is by donation because we strongly  believe that economics should not be a barrier to participation, but if people can afford it we could use the financial support.

Why do you think there are so many artistic types in the Pemberton area? Pemberton is so beautiful it inspires people to come out of their shells and create beautiful things. But I don’t know that Pemberton is such a good place to be an artist – it is a great place to create art but pretty difficult to be an artist. I definitely think it could take on Nelson and Saltspring for funky artsy status, maybe it already even is, but it needs more support.

What are some of the highlights for the Arts Council from the past year? Attending the Assembly of BC Arts Councils AGM  was quite an eye opener for me, being new to all this, and has helped us define some of our goals. The success of the 2nd annual MADE was certainly a highlight for us. The cultural scan was the first of several important steps in recognizing  where we need to go and how we get there as far as creating an artistic and cultural landscape that encourages participation and adds to the enjoyment of life in Pemberton.

What’s the biggest challenge facing the Arts Council right now? The biggest challenge for the arts council right now seems to be administration and funding which are related because one of the primary roles of administration is funding. Like many small volunteer non profit organizations it is difficult to find good help for free and  progress is slow, at times frustrating, but ultimately quite rewarding. We have a lot of artists, but no adminstrators. Attending the Assembly’s AGM, we realised that  many other arts councils suffer the opposite – administrators and no artists. I figure its preferable to have the artists than the administrators cause we aren’t an Administrators Council but it is still one of our biggest challenges.

What do you think MADE will look like on its 10th anniversary? Even more marvelous but hopefully stay true to it’s roots as a community event for the benefit of all.

You’re new to the Board, serving as President. What made you get involved? Tell me a bit about your background? I got involved with the Arts Council to help create an artistic community that we can all be proud of and participate in because art is life and life is art, and if anything is to flourish here artistically, community support is necessary so I am doing my part for what I believe in. I was born and raised in Toronto, but have been living in the Sea to Sky since ’89, though now I have settled down in Birken.  I have a BA in Fine Arts from Brandeis University and had been neglecting my art of late so felt joining PAC would help me reengage. I enjoy drawing, painting and sculpture and look forward to the day everyone else can recognize Pemberton as the amazing place it is.