Articles by Sherry Bezanson

Ladysmith Arts Council brands itself with new logo

The Ladysmith Arts Council's new logo was created by local artist Trisha Oldfield.
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By Sherry Bezanson - Ladysmith Chronicle
Published: January 17, 2012 10:00 AM
Updated: January 17, 2012 10:16 AM

No, not cows, and not even cowboys, and get that image of chaps out of your mind! But the effect is similar. What I’m talking about is a recognizable symbol that is a shortcut to identifying a store, a company or, in this case, the Ladysmith Arts Council.

A “brand” is not just a label, a logo or a signature — instead, it is one of the most powerful marketing tools a business or organization can have.

This year, the Ladysmith Arts Council has been fortunate to have a new logo created by local artist Trisha Oldfield.

Oldfield, an Arts Council member, has forged a successful commercial and professional artist career for more than 12 years. Her images are playful, lively and engaging. You stop and look twice at Trisha Oldfield’s work.

A few swishes here and there, a zap of colour, and voila, we have a branding. The effort is much more involved than this simple description, and yet the finished product evokes a sense of startling simplicity, which in fact is the key to being recognizable. That’s what true artists do — they make visual an image that looks easy and natural.

The Arts Council’s new logo will be seen on newsletters, the website, letterhead and all promotional materials.

Oldfield has provided logo design and graphic design services in the past for clients such as Salt Spring Coffee, Thermoproof Windows and Urban Legends Salon Spa in Chemainus, Fernwood Coffee in Victoria, Heritage Business Park and Lighthouse Mortgages in Ladysmith … to name just a few. Currently, Oldfield is one of the studio artists at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery, and she is focusing on fine art and commercial illustration.

“The arts council is more than five years old in this location, and it was time we had an identifiable image that associates us with the Waterfront Gallery,” indicates Arts Council president Kathy Holmes. “And part of the branding is our identify; the logo is contemporary, looking strong in both colour and black and white. Once people start recognizing it, it lends legitimacy and authenticity to the Arts Council of Ladysmith and District. It’s important to be easily recognized, as people are visual, and this logo will allow people to see it and recognize projects that we are involved in. In addition, it will be that much easier to find the gallery having the logo on highway and directional signs.”

Holmes says Oldfield was asked to design a logo that didn’t involve the sea, an arbutus or seagulls. She explains that those images are over-used on the Island and don’t provide enough information.

Three simple letters: L A C. Holmes feels that the artist nailed it on the head.

“We are more than delighted!” she says. “Trisha understood the logo needed to identify the council with the members and that the council represents some of the best artists on the Island.”

The logo launch is exciting as it markets the Arts Council in a fresh, simple, modern way.

“We want the public to come here for art, just like a customer will go to their favorite branded store for purchases.”
Published in the Ladysmith Chronicle

“Chair-itable” Art

Most chairs encountered throughout the day define themselves fairly simply – a place at the family table, a comfortable spot with a great view of the sea, a seat in front of the computer station. This year that is all about to change.
The Ladysmith Arts Council is excited to announce a fun and creative fundraising event – the Chair Auction. The Arts Council has been collecting old chairs for several months, chairs that need a second chance. The revival starts on January 14, 2012, when artists can pick up a chair and using their inspiration and skill, transform them into works of art. The transformation, which could include paint, decoupage, collage, mosaic tiles, paper mache, fabrics, multi-media, and other embellishments could last days or months, and come July 1, 2012 these prized chairs will be auctioned off to the highest bidders at the Transfer Beach Amphitheatre.
Most of the donated chairs were on their way to the scrap yard, salvaged from the recycle depot, or simply wasting their charms in someone’s basement. Some of them needed a little stabilizing and local craftsmen donated the carpentry work. The fundraising project will breathe new life into something once deemed worthless, and upcycle it into art and a functional eye-catching piece of furniture. A conversation piece can emerge that will ignite others to express their creativity in unique ways. Plus you can sit on it!
If you have artist leaning or yearnings, perhaps it’s time to up your creative mastery by signing up to take part in the chair creations. Kathy Holmes, President of the Ladysmith Arts Council has been the moving force behind the project.
“We want to engage people from our community to bring out their playful and creative sides”, says Kathy Holmes. You can give by giving your artistic talent and time, or by purchasing the finished product at the auction in July.
Ensure that you block off July 1 in your daybook and calendar and take in the auction. The Arts Council hopes to attract a variety of local buyers and also off-island travelers who hear of the function. Please extend invitations to others who have a desire to enliven their home and the local arts world, and also to those interested in increasing their own delight in owning an art chair.
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Our Author

Sherry Bezanson

If I were to appease the goddesses of service and completely give up my day job as a social entrepreneur, I would love to make my living doing mixed media, collage and fabric arts. That would put a smile on my face. Combining west coast imagery, such as the sea, boats, and visages of marine life enthuses me and inform’s my art. I get lost in this form of creative work and hours can go by as I interface with words, fabric, pictures, photos – all creating a new story in a non-linear way. Up-cycling with fabric is also a transformative experience for me…imagining new ways to recreate old fashion items. I began this work in 1990 and it has evolved with my own experiences and time away from the desktop. A lot of my creative juices are also squeezed out in the form of words – I write poetry, do creative journaling, write professional and creative articles, and technical manuals.
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