(Image Credit: CFJC Today / Curtis Goodrum)

By Curtis Goodrum

Art Exposed

Art Exposed fundraiser returns to Old Courthouse Gallery

Mar 10, 2026 | 5:23 PM

KAMLOOPS – For over 10 years, artists from across the Thompson Nicola region have been participating in the Kamloops Art Council’s (KAC) Art Exposed exhibit. The exhibit brings in hundreds of paintings from more than 100 artists. 

The event is one of the biggest fundraisers for the art council for the entire year and helps many artists get a platform they wouldn’t otherwise have.

“I wanted them to be able to flow harmoniously without sticking to a theme too much. Every time you come into a room, there are so many different things to look at that aren’t just one thing. You’ll have landscapes, you’ll have water colours, acrylic paint, sculptures, portraits, all that kind of stuff, all in one space,” said gallery coordinator Paula Ducharme. 

Dieddo, an artist who graduated from Thompson Rivers University’s Fine Arts program, uses painting as a way to explore emotions.

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“What inspired me to paint this one specifically, I like to think that painting is something very cathartic. Whenever I just feel like in pain, or a negative emotion that I want to process, I do it through painting,” said Dieddo. 

This local artist spent a summer on the Gulf Islands and got inspired by her surroundings.

“I spent some time living on one of the southern Gulf Islands. I really loved the ocean, and it became part of my daily routine. I wanted to create a piece that kind of illustrated my comfort and connection to the ocean. That’s how this was created,” said Sofia Sirianni, an artist at Art Exposed. 

The artwork allows the KAC to put on events throughout the year and provide more opportunities to artists.

“Different workshops and stuff, all those kinds of things are possible, because we can have the funds to do these kinds of things, which normally we wouldn’t be able to do,” said Ducharme. 

The Art Exposed event runs until March 14.