Member of the Month – Kamloops Arts Council
Full Name: Daniela Cinel O’Fee (she/her)
Mediums: Music, piano, sound walk, sculpture, intermedia
How long have you been doing your art: 52 years
What got you originally interested in the art you do: Listening, hearing and experiencing art around me.
What is something you have learned about yourself through your art: That creative activity is where I find my true authentic self and that I can be accepted into an arts community if I show up this way.
What do you enjoy the most about your art: That I need to be totally focused in order to do it and it suspends reality while still reflecting it.
What is your favourite joke/quote: “To be in the present as a listener is a revolutionary act” Hildegard Westerkamp
What is something most people don’t know about you: That I have suffered from debilitating performance anxiety.
If you could teach everyone one art medium or method, what would it be, and why: The art of listening to yourself, to others and to the environment so that we can learn ways to resonate within it.
What do you think makes art important: Art is a powerful teacher and offers connection within realms that may otherwise be broken.
Why are you a member of the Kamloops Arts Council: Like many artists, my work is mostly solitary. KAC offers me belonging.
What are you looking forward to the most in this upcoming year (A special show or project you’re working on): I am excited about my debut as a silent film pianist this month performing my first-ever film score for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari at the Paramount Theatre for Kamloops Film Society.