Every development that comes along in regard to Castlegar's Sculpture Walk program seems to be brimming with positivity, and the news of the recent selection of Joy Barrett as Executive Director is no exception.
It has only been since November that the Nelson resident even found out the position was becoming available. She wasted no time in submitting her application, and was successful.Barrett's December 1 hiring coincided nicely with the program finding a well-situated home base – spacious premises located at 276 Columbia Avenue in Castlegar.It's all part of an exciting trend that began with the creation of Sculpture Walk initiative in the first place – an enriching and rewarding effort in a creative vein, attracting artists and art lovers to our city.
We are collective beneficiaries both culturally and economically. Joy Barrett comes to her job well-qualified and well-recommended. The B.C. native has long been keenly interested in the arts and will handle her new duties in conjunction with her part time job as Nelson's cultural development officer."It's pretty exciting to be a part of a project that has already had so much success," she said during an early December photo op.
Barrett had previously worked in related fields for about 15 years."I started out working for the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts as a publicist," said Barrett on January 4. "From there I moved on to the Banff Centre for the Arts where I worked as a producer for new media and film and television arts."
Following four years in Banff Joy seized an exciting opportunity to work in London, England, working for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the English equivalent of the Oscars."I was kind of running their interactive entertainment awards," she related.With family living in Nelson Joy eventually made her way back to B.C.
Married to a film maker and the mother of three-year-old twins, she's happily ensconced in a secure and rewarding situation. She looks forward to the challenges which lay ahead with the vibrant and diverse arts community in the region.
"I grew up in B.C. so it's nice to be home and close to everybody."I feel really honoured to be part of Sculpture Walk... they've come so far and established a huge presence in the provincial and national arts scene. They're really putting Castlegar on the map."
Barrett took the opportunity to compliment the man responsible for much of Sculpture Walk's growth and success.
"Pat (Field) is an amazing person," she said. "He's done so much work. Without him this never would have happened."Field, on hand for the December photo, spoke about the new address. "Pinnacle Projects has very kindly let us use this space as an opportunity to have a presence downtown for Sculpture Walk," explained the hardworking catalyst Pat Field, "so people will know to come down here if they have any questions or want to support us in any way."