Snow joke
We’re having one of those winter spells that can cause planned events to be cancelled with little or no notice. So, all schedules here must be taken with a grain of salt (or with your preferred, environmentally friendly snow-melting product).
An evening of stand-up comedy
Toby Hargrave hosts special guest comedian Kyle Bottom and headliner Dave Nystrom at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons on Saturday Feb. 16. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. Bottom is “a nerd in a slacker’s body,” who “captivates audiences with his unique voice, engaging personal stories and hilarious commentary.” Top-billed Nystrom is a writer for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes and has worked with the likes of Robin Williams, Bob Saget and Patton Oswalt. Tickets are $25 at Laedeli Gifts and Cards, Strait Music and share-there.com
Happy Birthday, Bob
Reggae surrounded by snow? You bet. Roberts Creek Legion is hosting a Bob Marley Birthday Bash on Saturday Feb. 16, with the local seven-piece reggae/soul band Hoolicans, while DJ Nils makes his return to the Creek. Music starts at 9 p.m. Members $10, guests $15.
Gallery events
The opening reception for the Gibsons Art Gallery’s newest shows, ?What Matters!, and House of Mirrors, is on Saturday Feb. 16. The exhibitions feature interesting work in some rare techniques by artists Catherine Tableau, Aurelia Bizouard, Chantal Cardinal, and Katarina Meglic. The reception runs from 2 to 4 p.m. The shows are on until March 10.
On Sunday, Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m. in the Doris Crowston Gallery at the Sechelt Arts Centre, there’s a meet-the-artist session with Yeonmi Kim, whose unique exhibition Sewstainability is currently showing. The artist uses recycled materials from places where she has lived, “sewn into satellite images, memory boxes and a variety of innovative artworks.”
Daniel Heath Justice
The Sunshine Coast Arts Council’s spring reading series starts the year with a presentation by Daniel Heath Justice, Cherokee Nation citizen and Professor of First Nations and Indigenous Studies at UBC. His most recent book, Why Indigenous Literatures Matter, looks at the devastating effects of settler colonialism on native communities and how many Indigenous writers are contributing to a restoration. Justice has also written an Indigenous fantasy trilogy and a book on badgers. He will be reading and talking about his work on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arts Centre at Trail and Medusa in Sechelt. Admission is by donation.
Mining the scars
At the Arts Centre in Sechelt on Sunday Feb. 17, the Art and the Documentary series resumes with Shut Up and Say Something, about spoken-word poet Shane Koyczan. “This film provides a powerful and intimate look at how a master wordsmith mines the scars of his past for truth, acceptance, and the most important poem of his life,” a release says. Coffee and treats provided. Doors at 10 a.m.; screening at 10:30 a.m. Admission is a $10 suggested donation.
Film Society screenings
The Sunshine Coast Film Society is screening two films that speak to street-level realities, in locales worlds apart. Unarmed Verses tells a story through the eyes of 12-year-old Francine Valentine, who lives in northeast Toronto’s downtrodden Villaways neighbourhood. Francine has a talent for writing, and “her style and candid commentary speak to a deep humanity that flows within the community,” a release says. A winner of two Best Canadian Documentary awards, the film will be shown at Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt on Saturday Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. and at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons, Monday March 4, at 7:30 p.m. Society members $5, non-members $9.
The Insult “reveals the disturbing, unforgiving, face of Middle East wrongs and resentments after an aging Palestinian refugee and a hot-tempered Christian exchange harsh words over a leaky pipe. As the courtroom confrontations and media frenzies grow, both ‘heroes’ become, in effect, minor players in a larger national drama.” Nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, it’s in Arabic with English subtitles. Showing at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18 at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons. Society members $5, non-members $9.
Looking ahead
They’re rolling out the resident grand piano for the monthly Artesia Coffee House on Friday, Feb. 22 at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt. Keyboardist Anna Lumiere sits in for the first set, accompanying vocalist Deanna Knight, who will sing some of her own tunes. Then, playwright, songwriter and musician David King will perform with Peter Hill on guitar. After the break, some spoken-word art from Sherryl Latimer, followed by Ken Dalgleish on piano with singer Wanda Nowicki. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $10 at the door.
Submissions open for GPAG 2020
Are you an artist with a body of work to exhibit? Or do you have a vision for a compelling community group installation, and have the time and skills required to put it together and turn the idea into reality? Here’s an opportunity to share your creativity and take part in a creative submission. All creative people are invited to help Gibsons Public Art Gallery (GPAG) plan for a future exhibition year.
If you are or know of a local artist whose work you think should be featured in an exhibit at GPAG, consider an exhibition submission. See www.gpag.ca/submissions or contact Michael Aze at 604-886-0531 for details.
Submissions
If you have an event you’d like considered for Art Beat, please let us know by 11 a.m. Tuesday at arts@coastreporter.net. Space is limited.
