[ad_1]
Nanaimo’s art, culture and heritage are being celebrated along with the individuals who helped to support it, with this year’s Culture Awards.
The 2026 Culture Awards recipients include Leon Potter, receiving Excellence in Culture for his work in theatre; Luis Porretta, receiving Honour in Culture for his work growing Nanaimo’s jazz scene; and Brian McFadden, receiving Honour in Heritage, for his work preserving and promoting Nanaimo’s military heritage.
Leon Potter, who works as a Vancouver Island University theatre professor, said he was “flattered and overwhelmed” to be receiving the award.
“I was that odd kid in high school [that] when the show didn’t work out for the school that I was in, I would audition for other high schools and take a bus across town,” Potter said. “Then I went to UVIC, did a degree in theatre … Basically I’ve been doing this, and really not much else, for pretty much my entire life.”
As a theatre professor, Potter said he considers himself “one of the luckiest human beings on the planet” for being able to do what he loves and make a living out of it, reflecting on a time he was backstage helping to build a five-headed dragon for one of the university’s productions, “and I go, ‘There’s a lot of people who don’t get to do this kind of thing.’”
Outside of his career, Potter works with Theatre BC, adjudicates during film festivals and leads workshops.
“The arts, as far as I’m concerned, are one of the truest expressions of what it means to be human. We all have a creative outlet, whether it’s doing it or appreciating it. That storytelling is one of the key elements that go back to our deepest routes from thousands and thousands of years ago.”
Luis Porretta, who is receiving Excellence in Culture, began organizing jazz shows after moving to Nanaimo about 23 years ago. About a decade ago he started Quadwrangle Music Productions, which specializes in the production, promotion and recording of Canadian jazz music.
“There wasn’t a tremendous amount of interest in jazz music, to be honest, in those days and not many venues were hosting jazz shows then,” Porretta said. “We gradually built it up and I’m pleased to say there are probably three or four, even five, venues now that are regularly hosting jazz shows because we do have, on Vancouver Island, some of North America’s best jazz musicians.”
While he plays jazz guitar, Porretta said it’s a rare occasion for him to perform these days, instead, sticking to hosting, promoting and producing jazz albums. Jazz, he believes, is “the most sophisticated form of music” and “speaks to the soul far more than most music does.”
“I’ve been very privileged to see many young players grow up and become top grade players in Canada and I’m glad to have played a part, as much as I can, in helping them out.”
While he thinks highly of the genre, Porretta warned it isn’t one that musicians will go in to make money, because it is a niche genre and even the most sold jazz album, Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue (1959), sold less in its entire run than Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) in one day.
“Jazz music is the music of the soul and it requires people to be able to sit and listen and learn a language,” he said. “The language of jazz music is not a simplistic one and it is one that has to be learned and understood.”
Brian McFadden, who currently serves as president of the Vancouver Island Military Museum, will be receiving the Honour in Heritage award. While he is the recipient himself, McFadden told the Bulletin that he would like to accept it on behalf of the “tremendous amount of volunteers” at the museum who made it what it is today.
“It is a real honour to be recognized by the city as one of the main attractions in the City of Nanaimo,” McFadden said. “I’m proud to be able to represent them.”
McFadden joined the museum, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, as a volunteer in 1998, devoting one day a week to the cause. Before long, it turned to a couple days a week and then vice-president.
While serving as vice-president in 2010, he helped orchestrate the move from Rutherford Mall, now known as Nanaimo North Town Centre, to the Nanaimo Centennial Museum building where it remains today. In 2025, McFadden stepped into the role of president.
“Our slogan is, ‘come see, come learn, come experience history’ and that is exactly what we would like to do. Canada has a very proud heritage and military history and we want to make sure people understand just how big our contribution was to world peace.”
McFadden said one of the exciting things about the city is that a large number of culture and heritage features are within just one city block, such as the Vancouver Island Military Museum, Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimo Museum, Nanaimo Art Gallery and The Port Theatre.
“People who visit the city are able to go to the Nanaimo Museum, the art gallery, the military museum, it’s just very convenient for visitors and we’re getting more and more visitors every year.”
Recipients will be presented with their awards during a free community celebration at the Port Theatre on April 14. Tickets are avilable online at www.porttheatre.com/events/city-of-nanaimo-2026-culture-awards-2026.
[ad_2]
Source link
