The Route 22 Artist Collective Gallery is raising the bar for its fourth annual Art in the Park Festival by welcoming one of the biggest names yet to its lineup.
Executive director Lara Kruger says celebrated wildlife and landscape painter Dwayne Harty will lead a workshop during the festival, Aug. 26 to 30.
Harty, whose work has been exhibited across North America and Europe, first connected with the gallery through the Whyte Museum in Banff last year. He has taught workshops for more than 30 years in Ontario’s Algonquin Park, and Kruger says having him in Cochrane is a major coup.
“We’ve never had a guest artist of this calibre,” she said. “It’s a perfect addition to what we’re building here.”
An early bird registration discount is available until this Friday (Aug. 15). You can register here.
Art in the Park is part of a growing southern Alberta festival circuit that has grown to involve nine arts organizations from Red Deer to Lethbridge. Kruger says the goal is to foster creativity, community and a deeper connection to nature.
“It’s about growing arts and culture and celebrating the landscapes all around us,” she said.
In addition to Harty’s sessions, the festival will feature workshops with local artist Stephen Purdy, live demos, and plenty of opportunities for beginners to try their hand at outdoor painting capturing the breathtaking vistas of the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.
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The weekend wraps up Saturday with a wet paint sale and soiree at the downtown gallery from 4 to 8 p.m., showcasing works created during the festival.
Event details are available at route22gallery.com.