The Oliver Community Arts Council regrets to announce the cancellation of its 37th annual Fall Art Show and Sale which was set for October 3 – 4, 2020.
For the last 14 years, this large multimedia art show has appeared in the same venue and on the same weekend as Cask and Keg (Saturday) and the Festival of the Grape (Sunday). Both these Oliver Tourism events were cancelled in mid-June.
While the Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS) ran for more than two decades independently, it would be very difficult to maintain the distancing and sanitization necessary to mount this flagship event in a comparable format. The FASS requires 300 person-hours just during the one-day set-up and two-day show, with large crews working closely together to move display materials and furnishings, receive and return artwork, display the art, and providing services during the show. Maintaining distance between visitors viewing artwork poses many challenges, as would sanitizing between visits. Extending the length of the show to allow a prolonged set-up and public viewing in smaller numbers would increase expenses, especially rental; and the lack of other drivers that draw audiences would seriously compromise revenue. We are also aware that many participants and volunteers fall into a high-risk category for COVID-19.