Grant helps people discover and shop at Summerland Arts Council gallery and gift shop

Did you know that the Summerland Arts Council does a lot more than put on events and shows? Thanks to a Community Foundation grant for new signage and a point-of-sale system, many more people will discover their other offerings: a gift shop and gallery area which boasts local artists paintings, pottery, jewelry, and much much more.

These improvements may seem small, but signs and a new sales system have made a big impact for the organization.  Because the arts council  recently relocated to the bottom floor of the Ryga Arts building, it became harder for the public to discover their shop.

“We need people to know where we are and if by chance they are walking by, check out the gift shop and perhaps inquire about programs we are offering,” said Sonja Waller, administrator for the arts council. “The gift shop is a big part of our business which helps supports the operations of the arts council.”

“Our gift shop is volunteer run and having an easy-to-use new point-of-sale system has been a lifesaver for not only our volunteers but for inventory and tracking,” she adds.  Before this new sales system, the organization was having to manually input the information and track the inventory themselves. “There was a lot of room for error.”

The improvements were made with a $1,900 Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen grant through their 2022 Grants program. “This grant is a good example of the varying needs of organizations,” said Sarah Trudeau of the Community Foundation. “In addition to program and project grants we provide operational, capital and equipment funding in order to meet the needs of organizations who are doing important work in the community.”