In Focus | Kyle Poirier of Pear Tree House Productions

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Kyle L. Poirier

What do you always find yourself saying?
No worries.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
I think at the moment I would say Mark Kermode. It would be a blast to discuss and critique films and the cinema experience with the good doctor for a day. Not to mention it would be another opportunity to get back to the U.K. which is always a good thing.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Well, I recently won the award for Graphic Arts at the eighth annual Okanagan Arts Awards in March. It was a surprise and I am very proud of that award. Still on a bit of a high so not really thinking about any others at the moment.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
I would spend a day with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I would love to get glimpse of his world and what made him tick, his creative process, his brilliance. I can’t play that well myself, but I appreciate music and that would be the ultimate musical experience.

Who inspires you?
Lately, my son, Oliver, inspires me when it comes to books. He’s seven and is a reading machine. He’s consuming Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis books like there’s no tomorrow while I still have a pile of 15 unread books of my own collecting dust on my night stand. He inspires me to get cracking and read more often.

What are three things on your bucket list?
Illustrate a bestselling children’s book or graphic novel. Take a year-long family vacation to England, France and Germany. Take a coast-to-coast road trip across Canada with the family.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
For Sale. I simply have no use for a yacht.

What are you passionate about?
Art and design. I really enjoy painting, and would like to figure out a way to do it more often. However, design takes up most of my time, yet I am really fortunate to be working directly within the arts community for various clients and especially designing for the Kelowna Art Gallery. I get to meet so many artists and get somewhat intimate with their work through the publications I design for them, which goes back out into the community. More art in the community is a good thing.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
I think one day I could pinpoint would be the day I was invited to be a graphic designer-in-residence at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. It’s a favourite because it had a huge impact on my life, a cross road that started the chain-reaction of events which have lead me to where I am today both personally and professionally.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
As a parent, I have to say my two wonderful children, Oliver and Amélie.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
I would have to say Lake Tai Restaurant, on Kirschner. It’s one of the few places where the whole family can find something on the menu they enjoy, and the food is delicious. Favorite dish: Delicious Assorted, enough said.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Riding bicycles along the Mission Park Greenway on a Sunday morning, with a pit stop for coffee and breakfast. It was something my wife and I have done for years, but it’s becoming even more interesting now that the kids are growing up and riding alongside of us.

What is the name of your business/organization?
My business is art and design and I consistently wear two hats. By day, I am the graphic designer for the Kelowna Art Gallery. However, I also do freelance graphic design and painting, under the name Pear Tree House Productions, a small business I share with my wife, Lori-Anne.

What does your business/organization do?
Pear Tree House Productions offers a mix of writing, photography, graphic design and fine art services to clients. We also produce our own work, primarily in the form of original acrylic paintings sold online and self published books. I handle the graphics and fine art/painting side of things.

Where can people find you or your business online?
They can catch a glimpse of me and some of my work at www.thepeartree.ca/kyle

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
You just connect with me on Linkedin... sorry, little ‘wittertainment’ humour there. http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/kyle-poirier/78/a13/840

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
They can connect directly with me at https://www.facebook.com/KylePoirierArtist

What is your Twitter account?
@kylepeartree

What is your mission?
To continue to enjoy doing what we do, through various creative outlets.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
Create a bestseller or award winning publication of some sort, both written and illustrated by my wife and I.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
To be an independent publisher of more books, both electronic and hardcopy, both our own work and possibly work by others. We have several projects in the works to try and reach that goal.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
My wife would say Leonard and Virginia Wolfe. That works for me.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Inspiration, creativity, and exploration.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
As it’s just the two of us, I would like to give a big ¨What ho!¨ to my wife.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
As a freelancer I’ve found a niche for helping other non-profit / charitable organizations with graphic design. I’ve worked for a variety of arts organizations in Kelowna and each one has an extremely important part to play in the community. Whether it’s a publication or simple brochure, I try to help them communicate their message and look their best on the budget and resources available. Recently, I was also fortunate to have worked for the Cultural Services department of the City of Kelowna, designing the banners for Kelowna’s Cultural District, adding to the beautification of our city while providing geographical designation of Kelowna’s arts centres.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Any venture capitalist would suffice as I know I could learn something from them. I primarily work non-profit so any investment tips are welcome. Perhaps they may even invest in our book ideas. Otherwise, I would be content enough if they simply commissioned me to create an original painting for them.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Remove all those bloody billboards.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The growing arts community and it’s amazingly talented people.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Clive Titmuss and Susan Adams of Early Music Studio.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!