Area residents should not have to embark on long, costly trips to the city simply to enjoy an evening of live music, according to a group of local enthusiasts.
The Sundre and District Allied Arts Society’s primary goal is to provide a cultural experience in a small rural community so people don't have to travel far and spend big venue prices to enjoy a pleasant evening out on the town, said Cindy Orr, one of four subcommittee members organizing the annual Sundre Music Series.
Although many people do not hesitate to spend big bucks in the $100-plus range to attend performances in Calgary or Edmonton to see popular artists, Orr said they usually end up far from the stage in the so-called bleeders section.
“We’re able to bring special musicians with a unique experience into the facility,” she said, calling the Sundre Arts Development Centre a more personal and up-close “intimate, table and chair setting.”
The organizers aim to offer a larger urban experience in a smaller atmosphere, she added.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.”
The 2018-19 Sundre Music Series started late in October with performances by James Keelaghan and Jez Lowe as well as 54-40. The last two shows of the season are lined up in the coming months, with Tanya Ryan scheduled to appear on Saturday, Feb. 2 and The Slocan Ramblers set to hit the stage on Friday, March 15.
“We’ve had a few larger artists like Big Sugar, the Trews acoustic, Martin Sexton and Jimmy Rankin,” she said, referring to performances from past years.
“We’ve built a good reputation with agents. They know the artists will be professionally handled when performing at our venue.”
Orr said the crowds are not only always receptive, but almost without exception fill all of the available seats for each show. Building that reputation has helped the subcommittee’s efforts to secure bigger names such as 54-40 and Big Sugar, she said, adding the planning process sometimes starts years in advance.
“We do spend a lot of time working behind the scenes trying to get that side of things organized.”
Nick Vanderzwan, Ryan Sande as well as Corynn Wylie are also subcommittee members and community volunteers play a pivotal role during events, she said.
Arranging shows on Fridays and Saturdays remains a hurdle, Orr said, since those days are not only the most popular options for area residents to attend the concerts but also the toughest times to secure talent.
Additionally, potential scheduling conflicts are always under consideration to avoid overlapping a show with another major event going on in town, she said.
The committee attempts to provide a variety of musical genres and also seeks to entice musicians that will most likely resonate with residents in the area, she said.
The Sundre and District Allied Arts Society has been around since the early 1990s and the music series has been running for a little more than 15 years. The arts centre officially opened in 1999 and coincided with a concerted local effort to bring publicly accessible performing arts to a small rural community, she said.
According to the arts centre’s website, the facility can accommodate 130 people with a table and chair seating arrangement or 180 guests with assembly-style seating. Depending on the performers, music series tickets are in the range of $25-$50.
The building serves as an ideal hub not only for the music series, but also for local dance groups as well as theatre productions. Although those are separate organizations, they also have members who sit on the society’s board, said Orr.
“We all are under the umbrella of bringing arts to a small community,” she said, adding another mandate is to create opportunities for students and people interested in pursuing and developing their passion for performance arts.
The society is a charitable organization that owns the arts development centre. The music series helps raise extra funds to support the facility and ensure its continued operation, although sometimes they just break even, she said.
Balancing ticket sales with artistic appeal for the community as well as popular bands “that put butts in seats” can be challenging, she said.
However, Orr said there is a modest grant available through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts that helps to offset the fees and cost of accommodating artists. That amount varies, depending largely on how much the province allocates in a given year as well as the number of applications submitted and how much the musical talent costs. The committee applies for funding on an annual basis, she said.
However, she said without a home to host the events, the music series might not be possible to begin with.
“We’re so fortunate,” she said.
“Everyone who comes to Sundre is blown away that a small community has a venue like that.”
The community has every reason to be appreciative of the group of volunteers who in the 1990s led the charge to form the society, raise funds, and build the centre, she said.
“They’re who we have to thank,” she said.
“Every day, we’re grateful to have such an incredible place to be able to work out of. We’re so lucky to have it.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with the society or interested in upcoming dance, theatre and musical events can visit www.sundreartscentre.com for more information as well as to submit an email inquiry or sign up for a digital newsletter.
