Sechelt is the place to be this weekend with one festival, one art show and one huge craft fair taking place simultaneously. Festival of the Written Arts takes over Rockwood Centre from Friday night through Sunday, Aug. 19. See www.share-there.com/writersfestival for tickets.
• The Sunshine Coast Arts Council holds its annual Arts and Crafts Fair in Hackett Park, walking distance from the Festival, on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a small admission fee at the gate.
• Power of Paint opens Friday night, Aug. 17, at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt. Stop by to see the work of the Eleven Equal Artists or watch the art demos on Saturday and Sunday.
• In Pender Harbour, the Chamber Music Festival opens Friday, Aug. 17, with a concert at 7 p.m. of music from Beethoven and Brahms and continues with concerts on Saturday at 1:30 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Music School in Madeira Park. See penderharbourmusic.ca for ticket information.
• Also this weekend, in Gibsons, direct from Spain: Fin de Fiesta Flamenco dance and music ensemble will travel to the Heritage Playhouse on Saturday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. to present Salvaje. Tickets are at www.findefiestaflamenco.com or at Laedeli in Gibsons.
Foolery Follow Up
He fooled them. On Aug. 13, Gibsons resident Damien James was a guest on Penn and Teller: Fool Us, a TV show in which magicians perform a unique trick before an audience and the magician/comedian duo of Penn and Teller try to solve it. (See “Coast performer meets Penn and Teller” in Coast Reporter, Aug. 10.) James used magic and two ventriloquist’s dummies to represent an aging Penn and Teller as he performed his trick. Penn Jillette said he was “flattered” by the impersonation and admitted James had fooled them. See an episode from the show on You Tube: Penn and Teller Fool Us Damien James.
Text in Art
Ampersand is a new exhibition at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery featuring Allyson Clay, Sorel Cohen, Anne Ramsden and Anna Marie Repstock. The opening reception is on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2 to 4 p.m. The reception includes an artists’ panel, “and, and, and” from 3 to 4 p.m. The artists write: “This exhibition explores the visual appearance of text in art as exemplified in the work of four artists. We bring these particular works together as a conversation and as a set of possibilities … we hope to demonstrate how these works express very different relationships to literature and writing on the part of each artist. Each artist uses text in ways that consciously expand, contradict, or fool with words as they normally appear on a page. By using the word form of ampersand as our exhibition title, we mean to draw attention to the rather stodgy yet melodic written word behind the usually elegant symbol we take for granted.”
Ampersand was planned to coincide with this year’s Festival of the Written Arts. The gallery is open in August daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. After Labour Day it will be open Thursdays to Mondays, 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Admission is free. All are welcome. Phone Michael Aze at 604-886-0531 for information.
New Show
Botanical Reflections, a show at FibreWorks Studio and Gallery, holds its opening reception on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. The Fibre Art Network (FAN) is a co-operative of self-defined artists and this will be a FAN exhibition of mixed media fibre art. Each piece is a personal interpretation of a botanical theme based on each artist’s vision. FibreWorks is at 12877 Sunshine Coast Highway, Madeira Park, in the yurts. Call: 604-883-2380 or see www.fibreworksgallery.com for more.
Slow Sundays
Loose Endings Ukulele Enthusiasts start things off at noon at Slow Sundays in the Creek on Aug. 19. From 1:15 to 2 p.m. hear Kaishan, a talented young singer, and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. it’s the Lumiere / Ord family on keyboard, wind, sax, trumpet and fiddle. See: www.facebook.com/groups/SlowSundaysintheCreek and consider making a financial contribution to this ongoing happy Sunday event.
Summer Music
The Sechelt Summer Music series continues on Saturday, Aug. 18 at the Sechelt Library lawn stage. Hear Michael Friedman and Kaeli and the Tyger at noon and 1 p.m.
Go Rogue
The Rogue Arts Festival of music, performance and visual arts opens on Friday, Aug. 24 and runs to Sunday in the Clarke Farm field near Wilson Creek. What you get for your ticket price is kick-ass, non-stop music of all genres on the main stage, interesting DIY and rural living focused workshops, local crafts vendors, interactive installations, curated Rogue Art Gallery, demos and workshops by professional artists, human foosball, food and libations. You can see the schedule of events at www.roguefest.ca. Based on the Sunshine Coast, the festival is produced by the not-for-profit Coast Rogue Arts Society.
Hawaiian Luau
Nikki Weber invites you to a Hawaiian Luau on Saturday, Aug. 25 at the Sechelt Legion. Featured artists are Paul Tavai-Latta and Chihoru who will put on a Polynesian show, and the ukulele group Ukulele Madness will perform. A full dinner (choice of salmon or chicken) is included for $45 with tickets at Strait Music in Sechelt or by calling Nikki at 604-740-0933. Tickets are sold in advance only. The fun starts at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m.
Message Me
Please send notice of your arts and entertainment events to arts@coastreporter.net or phone 604-741-9360. Items go into the Art Beat column one day to one week ahead only, depending on space. Deadline is Tuesday noon for Friday’s paper.
