Q: What is your name?
A: Wanda Lock
Q: What are your pronouns?
A: She/Her/Hers
Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now?
A: I’m a farm girl from Oyama (now Lake Country) , growing up on an apple orchard…I'm still in Lake Country (now down in Okanagan Centre).
Q: What did you take at OC/OUC? What years did you attend? What campus did you attend?
A: I was in the Two Year Diploma Fine Arts Program on the K.L.O. Campus in Kelowna from 1987 to 1989 taking painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking and art history.
Q: What is your current position?
A: I have a full time studio practice and a part time position as gallery curation at the Lake Country Art Gallery.
Q: Why did you choose your program at OC? How does it relate to what you’re doing now?
A: When I was a grade 12 student (17 years old), 1987, at George Elliot Secondary School, the OC Fine Arts Department invited students to spend the day on campus to tour the facilities. That day I saw the painting studios filled with student’s works in progress, the printmaking studio with large presses and litho stones, a photography darkroom, a big ceramic studio with kilns, wheels and an outdoor space shared with the sculpture studio. To say that I was in awe would be an understatement. Meeting Murray Johnson, Mike Young and Bryan Ryley left a big impressions, they were both kind and edgy, making it clear that the fine arts were their number one passion. This is where I wanted to be.
Q: When did you know you had found your discipline?
A: I had always secretly wanted to be an artist but never really felt confident to ‘say it out loud’ until one afternoon in my second year at OC. At that time OC only offered a Two Year Diploma and if you wanted to continue your education you had to transfer/apply to another institution. That day in the hallway outside the faculty offices, Mary McCulloch asked me what my plans were after OC, and I answered, I think I want to continue my studies…?. Her response was, Well, of course you are continuing your studies, you must, I’m just curious where. That quick exchange cemented my plans to continue.
Q: What was one of your most meaningful memories during your time at OC?
A: There are so many, and I’m smiling as I type this…
- Rock music blasting from the Printmaking Studios late in the evening
- Weekend Raku and Sawdust firings outside of the Ceramic Studios with Denys James, Frank Poll and Mike Young
- Late night debates with fellow students about painting, art, movies, music in the large open studios
- Morning coffee and muffins from the Cafeteria
- OC Pub Nights
- Painting critiques with Jim Tanner
- My first life model male nude drawing class…this was a big one!!!!
- Art History classes in the auditorium with Carolyn McHardy and Mary McCulloch
- Evening sculpture classes using the spot welder with Richard Suarez (I loved Richard however I got a D in his class, eeeek!)
- Trip to Calgary with all of the second year students and faculty.
- Drawing classes with Jim Kalnin
- The Printmaking studio, what a great place!
- Eating Cheezies from the vending machine during Ceramic Sculpture class, an interesting taste combination of sticky cheese fingers and clay
- I really enjoyed my English Class with Dr. Jim Bringham (sp?), I think about his lectures to this day… (unfortunately I didn’t complete the class as I was worried about Student Loans)
- The strong friendship between all the Fine Arts Faculty and the support they gave to all the students
Q: What do you think has been the biggest turning point for your career success?
A: Coming back to the Okanagan in the fall of 1992 after graduating from Emily Carr College of Art and Design. The support from OC Faculty was still strong and so very valuable and continues to this day. Combing the word ‘success’ with ‘art career’ is a bit hard for me but I will say that all that I have done over the years has its foundation at OC.
And of course I’m still in touch with many of my peers, Glenn Clark, Lee Claremont, Charles Scholl, Amber Powell, Lois Huey-Heck, Julie Elliot, Tim Elliott, Len Nickel, Rosanne Bennett to name but a few.
Q: Are there any awards, achievements or activities that you would like to highlight?
A: I currently have a piece of work up in the Kelowna airport, until June 2023. My work at the Lake Country Art Gallery continues and I continue to work daily in my studio. I have work in the public collection at the Kelowna Art Gallery and the Vernon Art Gallery.
Q: What advice would you pass on to current/future students?
A: I’m not sure what advice I have, but I do know that Okanagan College has some amazing programs, the Animation Program, Audio Engineer and Music Production are two I have heard fabulous things about.
And maybe, education is what you make it, do your homework, make sure you are in the correct program and that faculty are there to help you succeed…use all the resources.
Q: Where are you the happiest?
A: At home, in the studio with my family around…but not asking me what’s for dinner, when am I going grocery shopping, how much longer will I be, etc…
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: Hmm, time flies by, there is no time like the present.
Find Wanda online here and on Instagram at Wanda Lock.