Cultural collective promoting local fine art initiatives
By Lorenzo Gavilan Vargas Times Reporter
Photo Courtesy of The Vault Cultural Collective
The Vault Cultural Collective celebrated its soft opening on July 16. The collective is made up of Arts on 817, Strathmore Children’s Choir, Strathmore Performing Arts Festival, Strathmore Theatre Players’ Guild, Western District Historical Society, Wheatland Society of Arts and the Vault Emporium.
The Vault has been in the works for almost a year, with the first meetings taking place in August of 2020, according to Chair Carolyn Steeves. She says the goal is to make local art as accessible as it can be.
“Our goal is to basically be a one stop shop for all things cultural in Strathmore.”
The idea of the Vault came as a result from the long history of the building in which it is located. The building at 136 2nd Ave was constructed around 1909 for a local branch of the Union Bank of Canada, and later was home to the Strathmore Standard, a now-defunct newspaper.
The building received a complete renovation from top to bottom before it became the Standard One Stop Shoe Shop. After the shoe shop closed, the building owner and town council made a decision on Sept. 16, 2020, for the building to host a downtown base for local art, music, culture, and history.
“Our non-profit association, The Vault Cultural Collective, is the tenant of the building for five years,” said Steeves.
The Vault is planning on holding events in the building. Currently on show are various art pieces from the Wheatland Society of Art and a number of consignment items from local artisans. There are also plans to partner with Siksika artists as well.
“This is a work in progress, but we’re hoping to have, possibly, artist in residence, artist displays,” said Steeves. “The sky’s the limit in what we’ll be able to do on the artistic front for Strathmore and community.”
The Vault’s grand opening is set for Sept. 18 where events will be put on and hosted by the collective. More information can be found on their website, thevaultonline.ca, or on their Facebook page.