Culture Days at the Caetani Centre
Join us for Culture Days at the Caetani Centre
Culture Days takes place September 22rd through October 15th, 2023 for three amazing weeks of colour, creativity, and community. The Caetani Centre is offering self-guided tours and a special literary event as part of the festivities.
Please join us for these free or by-donation events!
Caetani Self-Guided Tours
The Caetani Centre is offering self-guided tours during Culture Days for visitors to learn about the Caetani family story and to see more than 1,000 artifacts and artwork from Sveva's Recapitulation series.
Admission at the door is free however, donations will be appreciated to help us continue our programs and the restoration of this important cultural and historic site.
The Good Companions: Literary Event
Join us in the Caetani Centre Gallery, as you hear the fascinating story about artist Sveva Caetani and her noble Italian family, who immigrated to Vernon BC in the 1920s; told through poetry, historical fiction, short story, and even song.
This event will feature readings/performances by poet Virginia Dansereau, Steven Lattey (author of Behind the Fence), Devon Muhlert (author of Cadence of Colour), and Laisha Rosnau (author of Little Fortress).
This is a pay-what-you-may event, with proceeds going to our not-for-profit heritage and cultural facility. Books will be available for purchase and a cash bar will be on site.
Meet the Authors
Laisha Rosnau is a museum professional and an award-winning author of four books of poetry and two novels. Her second novel, Little Fortress, is a fictional retelling of the Caetani story told entirely from the point of view of the family secretary, Miss Juul. Little Fortress is optioned for film by Serial Comma Productions. Rosnau devotes her time to the preservation and celebration of arts, culture and the environment of the North Okanagan. She and her family are resident caretakers Bishop Wild Bird Sanctuary in Coldstream.
Steve Lattey
"Still,
living and loving,
writing and reading and dreaming,
laughing and crying,
dancing and stumbling and falling,
here,
in the Okanagan,
in this unique and blessed land
that I am inextricably and irrevocably bound to."
Devon Muhlert has always delighted in crossing artistic disciplines.
A photo-journalist, columnist, songwriter and private music teacher, she makes collages, paints, and creates drama-logs of historic characters like Catherine Schubert, which she performs at O'Keefe Ranch. She is also Vernon editor for the Okanagan Historical Society and enjoys sharing history and artsy stuff with four grandchildren.
Virginia Dansereau hails from Saskatchewan, but has resided in Vernon for over 40 years. During this time, she obtained her B.A. and B.Ed., took numerous Creative writing classes and workshops, managed Kalamalka Press at Okanagan College and published 4 books: Undertow, Smoke and Ash, I Know That Woman and The Caetani Cosmos.
Much of her work was either written or polished while renting the Miss Yuul studio at the famed Caetani House. Her book, Undertow (2008) was completed there as was her new manual of poems, titled The Caetani Cosmos (2023).
Many of the poems in I Know That Woman (2023) were written or begun while gazing at the garden from the windows of the Salone studio which she and Destanne Norris later rented. The studio has now been converted into the Caetani museum.
The Caetani Centre will also be participating in:
Sundog Festival of Arts and Culture Howl of a Night on September 22 from 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m
Kick-off Party on September 23 from 12:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m
Both of these events will be held at Polson Park in Vernon, BC. Members of the public can enjoy live music, while shopping their way through the artisan market, where they can purchase unique handcrafted local items. The Caetani Centre will have a booth set-up with items that are exclusive to the organization; including prints of Sveva Caetani’s remarkable Recapitulation painting series.
Learn More about Sundog FestivalLearn More About Culture Days Events