My name is Mischelle Pierce and I have lived in the Nicola Valley for 57 years with a four year absence while I pursued other adventures. I am a proud daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and a big community supporter. I have always felt this is enough.
My mom was a very creative person and encouraged us to create, explore, and use our imaginations.This was during a time when we played and explored till dark settled and that’s when my love for organizing, creating games, and putting on plays and talent shows was born.
The Nicola Valley at that time was quite isolated without the Coquihalla Highways and we were an active community with summer playgrounds, sailing schools, a small ski hill, a theatre, a drive-in movie, and a vibrant downtown. I was happy to be involved in all the recreation programs and loved being an active part of organizing the various activities.
I joined the Nicola Valley Arts Council 35 years ago when my three boys were young and I needed to have a creative outlet. The boys grew and their love of sports soon took up all our time, there was not much energy left for personal creativity although raising a family requires us to be very creative and resourceful.
I became involved with the Arts Council again about 10 years ago while it was in the Old Courthouse, and was happy to once again explore creative opportunities and loved being around the energy of other creatives. It has been fun to see the growth of the Arts in Merritt and the many people who have chosen to make Merritt their home have helped that growth.
Having so many of our young people come back to the Valley to raise their families and contribute to the community has been exciting and rewarding to see. As president of the NVCAC I am proud to work with a keen, artistic, and passionate group of people who happily give back to our community to make it a vibrant place to live. The Arts are a vital part in connecting and building communities, and I encourage everyone to explore their creativity and get involved.