I’m Jano Howarth, art gallery curator for the Nicola Valley Community Arts Council. I have put together 66 art shows at our Arts Centre since I retired and took on this position in 2017.
The B.C. Southern Interior has been my home for most of my life, from the Okanagan Valley, to Salmon Arm where my family had a book and gift shop, The Shuswap Talisman. And then to the beautiful Nicola Valley for the last 44 years.
I moved to Merritt as a young mom, and raised a family of three kids here. When the children were young we participated in everything in town: concerts, extracurricular classes, clubs and camps. I was in on setting up the Tumbleweed Participation Playschool, and promoted the beginning of French immersion in the community. It felt like a great place to bring up kids, with lots to do!
As a B.C. teacher, I worked for over 30 years at the Coldwater Band School, where I immersed in the First Nations culture. Along with teaching the general curriculum, I participated in arts events with Merritt and First Nations communities in the valley. On our field trips, I liked to include stops at art galleries in the towns we visited, including the Vancouver Art Gallery.
When I retired, I once again became very involved in the community, focusing on the arts and culture in the Nicola Valley, finding ways to support local talent. Besides my work putting on art shows for the arts centre gallery every five to six weeks, I participate in several exciting initiatives, like the city arts downtown beautification. This summer, our artists completed several murals and community art projects for locals and visitors to enjoy!
I enjoy working with artists of all ages and skill levels. I believe in finding and displaying the creativity we have in our own community in different areas, from fly tying to shoe collections, upcycling to weaving, wood carving to metal work, as well as celebrating our talented art on the wall and mural artists.
I love being in on live music events, like our past open mics and coffee houses, and promoting the talents we have in projects like the biographical promo videos, spotlighting local musicians and artists, on our YouTube channel, Nicola Valley Arts.
It is exciting to be a part of the NVCAC and the hardworking people who are dedicated to this organization. We have a lively community of artists, musicians, and a developing interest in the performing and digital arts. I appreciate the interest in the arts in our valley and hope I can continue my work to recognize and encourage creativity in all of us.
See you at our arts centre, up the breezeway from the Kekuli Café on Voght Street!