Welcome Madeline Adams to the KAC Board!
A recent addition to the Board of Directors, Madeline Adams brings a fresh perspective and a bevy of talents to the table. After a move up from Vancouver a few years ago, Madeline was seeking out the creatives of Kamloops when she came upon the Kamloops Arts Council. Despite joining the Board in only spring of this year, Madeline has already become the chair of the outreach committee, which is also a new addition to the KAC that focuses on membership, programming and volunteers. “We are a fairly new committee, so we are getting our footing and trying to figure out our bigger picture objectives and projects,” Madeline notes. “But it’s cool to be on the ground floor and to kind of build it up how we think is best.”
Being a part of the Board has opened Madeline’s eyes to the complications of securing arts funding, mentioning that it is “not as easy as snapping your fingers and wanting to put on a brand new festival or program – you really need to plan, strategize, and collaborate with the community to bring things into fruition.” That said, she is still eager to discover ways to bring exciting new programming to the KAC, as well as add fresh twists to the existing events. “I can see how the KAC would benefit the community,” Madeline states, “but also see a lot of ways it could be improved or branch out.” As a professional graphic designer and photographer, she possesses the keen eye of a creative professional that makes progress towards these goals possible.
Outside of her graphic design and photography work, Madeline dabbles in many other art forms in her free time including pottery, sewing, quilting, cooking, drawing, making zines and comics, painting, and collage. Recently, she has been interested in how creativity and art can mix with interior design, leading her to focus on creating pieces that she not only loves but also can use in daily life. “I love the creative process and to challenge myself,” Madeline says, noting that she spends a lot of time studying other artists both online on platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, as well as offline through art galleries and books. “What makes these pieces beautiful? What are the details that make this piece special? Why did they use this medium? What is their process? I try to bring those details and craft in my own work,” Madeline explains about her creative process.
When considering a favourite artist, Madeline, as many of our Board members have expressed, says that it is a tough question to answer, before deciding on Sonny Assu, a BC-based known for an art style referred to as “Indigenous futurism.” Madeline is inspired by Sonny’s ability to balance the playful and visually interesting elements of his art with the more somber messaging of the realities of being an Indigenous person in Canada. This communication of Sonny’s experiences is an element of art Madeline believes to be an important part of creating. “…I think humans have a deep desire to communicate and express,” she answers when asked why art is important. “For the creators, I think it’s important for them to be able to express and create and have their individual voice captured. For viewers, it’s important to think of the world in a different way. So I think art is important for individuality, expression, [and] connection.”
When looking to the future for KAC, Madeline comments, “The world feels like our oyster” and is motivated to keep the KAC moving onwards and upwards.
Check out the KAC Board Members here!