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Slow Sundays opens with a bash

Art Beat
alice
The White Queen (Karys Boschmann) spars with the Queen of Hearts (Scarlett McLash) over the fate of Alice (Kaliyana Denham-Rohlicek) in Waldorf Ballet’s production of Alice in Wonderland.

Slow Sundays in the Creek starts up again on June 24 with a season opener, Graham Walker’s Birthday Bash (age undisclosed). All are invited and especially his musical friends who are encouraged to play a tune or two to honour one of the Coast’s most prominent musical forces. Plus, there’s cake. Stop by the gazebo behind the Roberts Creek Library on Sunday, June 24 from noon to 4 p.m. or until the music stops. See www.facebook.com/groups/SlowSundaysintheCreek/ 

Mad Cow 

Dust off those cowboy boots and come join The Mad Cow Band for a night of great live country music on Saturday, June 23 at the Gibsons Legion starting at 7 p.m. Members $5; guests $10. See y’all there! 

This Weekend 

• The Pride dance on June 23 is at Roberts Creek Community Hall from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets are $20 or on a sliding scale. The next day, Sunday, June 24, LGBTQ2 and allies are welcome to join the Pride parade starting at noon at Davis Bay pier, and following the parade, Sunday in the Park with Pride from noon to 4 p.m. It’s free, old-fashioned fun for all ages. See sunshinecoastpride.com for details. 

• Saturday, June 23 is the Children’s Festival and Duck Pluck featuring a guest performance by JUNO winner Norman Foote. The fun goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is by donation in Dougall Park, Gibsons. 

Toasties Celebrate 

Coastmasters Toast-masters Club is celebrating their first year of success with a Keep Calm and Marath On event on Thursday, June 28. They invite the public to a showcase of the club’s speakers and encourage guests to help celebrate as they prepare for another successful Toastmasters year. Get ready to be entertained, educated and enthused. Also there might be a few incentives on offer for guests, along with refreshments. Stop by on June 28 from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. at the Gibsons Chamber of Commerce office in Sunnycrest Mall. For information call chairperson Debra Taylor at 604-307-9417 or membership chair Loretta Macklam at 604-886-9569. 

McBride at the Legion 

Rocking musician Ken McBride is performing at the Roberts Creek Legion on Friday, June 29. He will be playing songs from his album Tone as well as some new material and classic covers. Show starts at 8 p.m. See www.kenmcbridemusic.com for more. 

Alice Dances 

Alice danced through Wonderland in the story production by the Waldorf Ballet on June 13 and 14 that featured 75 young students from the school. The kids performed well – from the little ladybugs in the first act to the advanced ballerinas who showed great promise. It was good to see boys involved in dance, playing big roles as the Mad Hatter, Dormouse and March Hare. The role of Alice was performed by Kaliyana Denham-Rohlicek while Natalie Martin danced the White Rabbit. Karys Boschmann looked regal as the White Queen, while a slinky caterpillar, performed by Scarlett McLash, turned into the Queen of Hearts in the second act. In all, a good production that augurs well for this ballet school. Waldorf Ballet is planning Summer Dance Programs at their new building, 5590 Wharf Ave, Sechelt, July 16 to 20 and Aug. 27 to 31 plus a Sept. 1 Showcase. See www.waldorfballet.com for more. 

Dance Camps 

Danceworks Academy in Gibsons has planned some dance camps this summer. They are offering themed dance programs for fun, acro and aerial silks camps, boys’ camps, parents and tots, teen camps, full day camps and more in many dance disciplines, including musical theatre and hip hop. Spaces are filling up quickly. Register at www.danceworksacademy.ca 

Chamber Music 

Tickets for the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival went on sale last week. Festivities begin on Friday, Aug. 17 with a free concert of youthful energy and continue with ticketed events from the Lafayette String Quartet: David Gillham, violin; Yariv Aloni, viola; Brian Yoon, cello; Jenny Jonquil, clarinet; and Alexander Tselyakov, piano. Expect a wide array of repertoire, everything from Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart to Gershwin, Shaw and Piazzolla. Tickets can be purchased using PayPal through the Chamber Music website at penderharbourmusic.ca or by calling Kathy at 604-989-3995 for credit card and e-transfer purchases. 

Summer Books 

Summer readers can set themselves up with a wide selection of reading material at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery annual Canada Day book sale. On July 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., tables full of used books will be set up at the Gallery on 431 Marine Drive in Gibsons. In exchange for a suggested $10 donation, summer readers are offered a bag to fill full of books. Thanks to the generous gift of reusable bags from IGA Marketplace Gibsons/Wilson Creek, 100 per cent of proceeds from this sale will go towards funding the community art gallery. Readers will also have the chance to check out A Beckoning, a collaborative art installation at the Gallery (until July 8). 

Downsizing your book collection? You are invited to drop off donations of gently used books during regular Gallery hours until June 30. For further information contact Michael Aze at 604-886-0531. 

Lam Grant 

Animation artist Choom Lam was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts for the development of an independent animated film this summer at her home studio in Gibsons. The Explore and Create grant is in support of Canadian artists investigating creative processes and taking risks that lead to the development of unique works of art. The grant supports professional artists committed to the creation of innovative, vibrant and diverse art. As a young artist growing up in Singapore, Lam gravitated towards animation as an ideal medium capable of conveying insights that are deceptively simple, yet profound. She graduated from the Vancouver Film School and went on to work as a professional animator at some of Vancouver’s largest commercial studios. In 2014 she created her own home animation studio in Gibsons where she currently lives and works collaboratively with her husband and technology consultant, Oliver Sterczyk. 

Message Me 

Please send notice of your arts and entertainment events to my email: jandegrass@dccnet.com 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.