The Crofton Art Group — the oldest art group in the Cowichan Valley — is celebrating 70 years of creativity on Friday, May 10 at the Crofton Senior’s Centre and it’s sure to be a banner day.
“It’s amazing that the group has stuck together for that many years. We are the second oldest art group on Vancouver Island next to the Victoria Sketch group,” said group president Sue Bosecker. “To celebrate we have created new banners for the town, which were made possible by a grant from the Municipality of North Cowichan and facilitated by the Crofton Community Centre Society.”
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas will say a few words before a cake for the community is cut at 1:30 p.m.
The Crofton Art Group was first founded in 1954 by Mrs. Elosie Kearney when she moved to Crofton at the end of the Second World War with her husband, who was a retired merchant marine captain. In 2019, when lamp standards were installed along Joan Avenue as part of a revitalization project, the Crofton Art Group was commissioned by the community to create 34 banners to decorate the standards.
“There were arms to hang banners from so as an art group we got together and created banners,” said Bosecker. “The banners have lasted very well for five years and now it is time to renew them. The Crofton Community Centre Society was kind enough to apply for a grant of $2,000 from the Municipality of North Cowichan in order to facilitate the purchase of the banners.”
The 41 members of the art group have been busy painting original artwork on the new banners with a Crofton theme for the last four months. They arrived on April 26, and members couldn’t be more excited.
“All of the members were asked to create a painting with a theme of Crofton around town,” said longtime member Diana Binks. “The banners are completed and will be hung before May 10 by our very helpful volunteer firefighters.”
“They look great,” said Bosecker. “Our community is so supportive of our group and it makes us feel so good that we can contribute to the ambience of our town.”
The Crofton Art group will also have their Spring Show and Sale on May 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where they will sell both framed and unframed artwork.
“I love being a part of this group. They are just so friendly, and supportive,” said Bosecker. “It’s not just an art group where you go and paint, but it’s a group of people that are so helpful and so compassionate, and interesting, so we support each other and it’s nice to have.”
“It’s like a family,” said Binks. “If you have a problem there is someone there to support you.”