Pieces from the Wayfinder Sunflower Project on display at Vertigo Gallery where the Concert of Hope, Resilience and Joy will be held. (Liam Verster/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

Wayfinder Sunflower Project

First in a series of Sunflower events to support Ukraine, promote peace goes Friday

Apr 1, 2022 | 1:04 PM

A concert to serve as a fundraiser to support Ukraine, promote peace, and showcase local performers goes tonight, April 1, in Vernon.

The Wayfinder Sunflower Project, in collaboration with Big Apple Productions and the North Okanagan Artists Alternative, is hosting the ‘Let the Sun Shine In’ — A Concert of Hope, Resilience and Joy at Gallery Vertigo.

Michelle Loughery, a mural artist in Vernon and founder of the Wayfinder Sunflower Project, told Vernon Matters the decision to put on the concert stemmed from the Sunflower Project, which is helping teach local seniors digital skills and encouraging them to create art.

“Then the world crisis happened with Ukraine and all the very high-end artists we were working with, including Melina Schein, thought ‘Let’s do a concert to kind of bring some light in,'” said Loughery.

“What we’re actually doing is bringing people together, and Melina is going to put on a concert, which is fantastic. Judy Rose is involved. It’s just to say let’s rise up for our peace and light in some kind of artistic intention.”

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Along with Schein, a renowned opera singer and Rose, a local musician, the concert will feature soloists from the Valley Vocal Art’s Company. The show will be curated by local visual artist Angelika Jaeger.

The event will also feature a small ceremony honouring peace and the symbol of the sunflower.

“The sunflower represents a symbol of peace, resilience and a common humanity place on this earth,” said Loughery.

“In the call to come together, the voices and power of art can shine a light to create a seed of hope. That one seed can create a bounty of life for all and honor the past resilience of our foreparents as we cultivate a more peaceful future for people, place and peace.”

Along with promoting peace, the concert will act as a fundraiser to support Ukraine.

Loughery told Vernon Matters that a portion of ticket sales will go towards a fund to support the war-ravaged country, and there will also be an online, ongoing fundraiser.

Tickets have already sold out for the concert, but area residents can look forward to more events in support of Ukraine in the near future.

“What we’re going to start doing is do these art events, almost like pop-up events. So with all the great talent we have in the Okanagan, what we’re saying is there’s a whole side of the arts that can be ‘art in action,'” said Loughery, adding that these events will also be part of the ongoing fundraising efforts.

“In partnership with Gallery Vertigo, Sunflower Project has a lot more shows that are coming. There’s one about immigrant skirts, there’s another very important show coming in the summer, a show by Kerri Parnell which is based on Ukrainian heritage. So it’s kind of an ongoing thing that we’re going to be doing for the next six months.”

Loughery said the money raised through these events will likely be directed to the local Ukrainian Canadian community spokesperson Andrea Malysh and the resources she has established to support Ukrainians during the Russian invasion.

Loughery added the show is important to her as she is a descendant of Ukrainian Internees, and she wants to pay tribute to the people who lost their human rights during that period of time.

She also said she hopes that people embrace the sunflower symbol and use it as an inspiration to do good to others and help out their community in whatever way they can.