Relax with some laid-back fun at Slow Sundays in the Creek, all summer long.
Beginning June 26 and strolling into September, Slow Sundays features a variety of merry activities for everyone’s enjoyment and delight. Starting mid-morning, you’ll find qigong, sketching, board games, kids’ art, spinning, knitting, storytelling, poetry and other amusements. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Heart Market will happen in the “slowcalo” park behind Roberts Creek library, followed by local musicians in concert from 2:30 to 4 p.m. First band up is Dark Mountain Tribe on June 26. July 3 features Bigger Bits of String, and July 10, The Champagne Cowboys. Visit the library and check out a summer book. At 4:30 p.m. bring something for a potluck picnic in the park. Slow Sundays is presented by the Roberts Creek Community Association, with support from the SCRD, local businesses, and the volunteers. For more information or to get involved, contact Graham Walker at 604-886-2417 and see the Slow Sundays in the Creek Facebook group page.
Children’s Fest
The 14th annual Children’s Festival this Saturday, June 25, will be a truly magical experience that combines music, art, theatre, and games. There will be activities and entertainment for all age groups including pony rides, face painting, a bouncy castle and much more. Entry cost is by donation. Buying a Duck Pluck raffle ticket gives you a chance to win some great prizes. They will be for sale at the Festival, or you can buy them from the Sunshine Coast Credit Union (one of the sponsors) and from www.share-there.com. All funds raised from the event will be used to support Community Services Early Childhood Development programs (www.sccss.ca). The fun starts at 10:30 a.m. and goes to 3 p.m. in Dougall Park in Gibsons.
Landing Show
The month of June in the Landing Gallery features the group show Texture with a selection of different mediums in the gallery. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at this small, vibrant gallery at 436 Marine Dr. in Gibsons.
Fibreworks
The works of Jill Sullivan – No Words Necessary – continue to draw emotional responses from viewers, writes Yvonne Stowell of Fibreworks Gallery in Madeira Park. Sullivan’s first weekend of artist-in-residence demonstration drew an interested audience. The next and last one is June 23 to 25, noon to 4 p.m. See www.fibreworksgallery.com for a listing of other events and workshops throughout the summer, or phone 604-883-2380.
Summer Choir
Sechelt Summerchoir began on June 23 at St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Sechelt. Choir starts at 7 p.m. This year David Millard has chosen Messe de Minuit by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, plus other pieces. The fee is the same as last year: $50 for the summer. The performance will be held the week of August 25 at St. Hilda’s Church. Email Sara Douglas at [email protected] for more information.
Equilibrium in the Creek
Last year Norwegian vocalist Sissel Vera Pettersen wowed the audience when she appeared at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek. This year she is bringing her band Equilibrium, with Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug and Belgian clarinetist/sax Joachim Badenhorst, straight from their appearance at the Vancouver Jazz Fest. Joining in the fray will be locals Viviane Houle on voice and Barry Taylor on drums. Expect an evening of creative jazz and chamber music, mixed in with some folk music and ambient voicescapes. The show will be at the Gumboot Café on Wednesday, June 29 at 8 p.m. with a $10 donation at the door. The show is presented by Lot Five Sound and the Sunshine Coast Jazz and Entertainment Society.
Harbour Gallery
Come and see the new artwork and stained glass of the membership at the Harbour Gallery located at 12953 Gonzales Rd. in Madeira Park (by the School of Music). It will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from July 1 to Aug. 31. Call June at 604-883-2807 or Pat at 604-883-0212.
Award-winning poetry
Joe Denham’s third poetry collection, Regeneration Machine (Nightwood Editions), has won the 2016 Canadian Authors Association (CAA) award for poetry. The prize is presented to the Canadian author of the best work of poetry published in the preceding year. Regeneration Machine is a 100-stanza, 9,000-word letter-in-verse to Denham’s friend’s ghost – a requiem, elegy, lament – an attempt to make sense of the nonsensically violent way that a non-violent, caring, intelligent young man chose to end his life (see review in Coast Reporter, Nov. 13, 2015.) Denham is also the author of two other poetry collections, Flux (2003) and Windstorm (2009), and the novel, The Year of Broken Glass (2011). He lives with his wife and two children in Halfmoon Bay.
Gibsons’ publisher Nightwood Editions, operated by Silas White, made a strong showing on the CAA winners’ list this year with another finalist, Raoul Fernandes, for Transmitter and Receiver (Nightwood Editions). Another poet, Kayla Czaga, won the CAA emerging writer award for authors under 30. Her debut book, For Your Safety Please Hold On, was published by Nightwood in 2015.
Bag of Books
Once again, on July 1, Canada Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., everyone is invited to Gibsons Public Art Gallery’s Bag of Books Sale on the sidewalk in front of the Gallery at 431 Marine Dr. in Gibsons. For $10, you will receive a specially designed tote bag, which you can fill with a good selection of pre-owned books. The artwork on this year’s bag is by Roberts Creek artist Bruce Edwards, entitled The Three Bears. The tote bags are made possible by a generous sponsorship from Sunshine Coast Credit Union. At the sale itself, SCCU members receive a $2 discount on presentation of their member card.
Goldmoss Satellite
Join some expat Coast artists for the opening reception of Goldmoss Gallery Satellite’s newest show: Out of the Woods. Goldmoss founders Lee and Bon Roberts of Roberts Creek have set up a satellite gallery at 1338 Franklin St. in Vancouver. The venue doubles as the Callister Brewing Company, so you can enjoy a cold one with art. The themed group show opens on Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. with Jay Senetchko, Tanmaya Bingham, Caroline Weaver, Lee Roberts, Ben Tour, Derek Hunter, Bon Roberts, Mira Hunter. All are welcome to stop by.
Rogue Fest fundraiser
The Rogue Fest is having a fundraiser and you don’t have to go any farther than your laptop. Check out their online auction for some great deals. Funds raised support Rogue Fest, the music and arts festival in Shirley Macey Park Aug. 26 to 28. The auction runs until July 15, so click on www.32auctions.com/roguefest today.
Noon deadline
Send your notice of arts events by Tuesday at noon for Friday’s newspaper to [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692. Please include a contact person’s phone number or email in your notice.
