Fort Langley jazz fest kicks off this weekend
Lizete Dureault will have her submission “Cool Blues” on display for opening night of the Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival on Thursday, July 20. (Special to Langley Advance Times)
The annual Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival is only hours away as it kicks off on Thursday, July 20 with an opening night by Phil Dwyer’s Connections Quartet.
The second day has the festival’s arguably most anticipated event, Cool Blues Show, on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 from 4:30 to 10 p.m. at the Fort Community Park.
The two evenings will deliver non-stop blue performances on two outdoor stages from renowned artists like Ruther Foster, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, My Son the Hurricane, Cousin Harley, and Emmett Jerome & Hollywood Alberta on the Friday.
The New Orleans-style Mardi Gras Strolling Parade will open the free festival on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. This crowd-favourite will be led by RazzMaJazz Ensemble and Noxious Obs Society Band, leading participants from Fort Langley Farmers Market to the Fort Langley Community Hall for the official opening of the festival.
Throughout the weekend there will be performances by Indigenous artists including Wild River Singers, Celeigh Cardinal, and Halyley Wallis.
Closing the festival on Sunday, July 23 is the Jazz Alternative Worship Experience (AWE) providing a musical twist to the Sunday church experience. It’s hosted at the United Churches of Langley by Reverend Sophia Ducey.
The Circle of Voices Gospel Group will be performing with vocals by BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Star Meritus Inductee, Candus Churchill, alongside other renowned artists such as Leora Cashe, Joseph Chappel and Will Sanders with Jaye Krebs on the piano.
For the art portion of the festival, there will be an outdoor painting challenge, free workshops, rock painting, kid zone art activities, an art market, and art in the garden by the Fort Langley Artists Group throughout the weekend.
There will also be an exhibit by Walnut Grove artist Lizete Dureault, whose work focuses on acrylics and mixed media, oils, and watercolours.
She was introduced to drawing by her grandmother at a young age and grew up spending hours drawing in her kitchen together. Now, Dureault works in a career she says fulfills her need to paint and accomplishes her dreams.
“Art completes me, and every painting has a piece of me,” she said.
Her inspiration comes from different things she has seen or experienced in life. She is also inspired by the early 20th Century Cubism movement.
“My mission is to achieve unique stylized works, bold, imaginative statements of things I perceive and to capture the west coast lifestyle,” Dureault explained.
“My interpretation of Cubism is sometimes a loose impression, but it comes naturally without thinking about how I choose to do it.”
Dureault will have her submission “Cool Blues” on display, which was inspired by guitar instruments and sound experiences produced by her family members, friends, and performers she has met.
Her work will be on display during opening night on Thursday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Chief Sepass Theatre.
Walnut Grove artist Lizete Dureault created the artwork that serves as the backdrop for all of this year’s promotional material for the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival. (Special to Langley Advance Times)
Walnut Grove artist Lizete Dureault created the artwork that serves as the backdrop for all of this year’s promotional material for the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival. (Special to Langley Advance Times)
Karen Zukas, co-founder and executive director of the festival, said it’s exciting to see the final details come together and exceed expectations each summer.
“The success of the festival is a credit to the hard work of everyone behind the scenes who work tirelessly around the clock to make sure everything’s in place for a fantastic weekend of music, art, and culture,” she said.
More details on the festival can be found at fortlangleyjazzfest.com. Tickets for certain venues can be bought online.