Association of Stringed Instrument Builders, BC - Vancouver Guitar Festival 2018

[Meredith Coloma]

Vancouver International Guitar Festival

Launching the Association of Stringed Instrument Builders of B.C.

Stringed instrument builders in British Columbia are invited to get in on the ground floor of a collaborative venture to be launched at the 2018 Vancouver International Guitar Festival (VIGF) this August.

With the generous support of Creative BC, VIGF will launch the Association of Stringed Instrument Builders of British Columbia (ASIB-BC) on Friday, August 10, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Vancouver’s Creekside Community Recreation Centre in the former Olympic Village. The festival will open its doors to the public August 10 and 11 at the same venue.

Registration is required to attend the Aug.10 launch event. Builders at all levels are welcome, master to novice. Sign up here to register, and when you do you’ll receive free admission to the two-day festival including free concert tickets and (on an availability basis) master classes.

“A collaborative effort among luthiers in B.C. is long overdue,” says Meredith Coloma, prominent Vancouver luthier and co-producer of VIGF. “The industry has experienced enormous growth in the last decades, but we’re all still working in relative isolation. We lack a unified voice to promote ourselves, set standards, provide educational opportunities for new talent and to advocate for public policy on issues that affect our industry.”

The same needs exist for luthiers working in all parts of Canada, says Coloma, and organizers anticipate that the launch of ASIB-BC will be followed by the opening of ASIB chapters across the country.

“It’s a great time for builders to step forward,” says co-producer Shaw Saltzberg. “Our agenda is wide open to input from B.C. luthiers. The goal is to gather as many as possible on August 10, to hammer out the association’s mandate and scope of activity and appoint an executive committee. It’s a real opportunity to be part of the launch – to have your voice heard, to be a pioneer in something that will be of such great benefit to your peers and to the guitar-buying public.”

Among the goals envisioned for the new association:
Creation of media/marketing content
Fundraising to assist members to attend industry events
Semi-annual seminars on building technique and craft, social media, new markets
Professional development, including certification programs and ethical guidelines
Implementation of trade discounts
Advocacy on public issues including protected woods trade regulations

Registrants to the launch event will receive confirmation and more details by email, and will be invited to submit their input to the agenda.

REGISTER for ASIB-BC HERE

For more information about the 2018 Vancouver International Guitar Festival, visit...

www.vancouverguitarfestival.com