Jarimba will be featured at a music and dance party that comes to the Roberts Creek Hall on Saturday, Oct. 23. Kunda African Culture Music and Dance, a family-owned business near Pender Harbour, is organizing it and hope that it will promote local artists, musicians, dancers and their students. It is also partly a fundraiser to support people in need in Guinea, West Africa. One of the organizers, Koca, is a griot (traditional story-teller, historian, musician, praise-singer and keeper of tradition, a role inherited through lineage), of the Mandingo tribe from Western Africa, and he will be doing an opening set - a cultural journey with several of his traditional instruments. The main gig is a full-sound dance with the Vancouver-based band Jarimba, who play funky, jazzy, Afro Latin world-beat music. Doors are at 8 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available in advance only at Gaia's Fair Trade (Gibsons), WindSong Gallery (Sechelt) and Bluewaters Books (Madeira Park). This is an adult dance party; sorry, no minors.
Gin Game
Kudos to actors Colleen Elson and Mac Dodge for their brilliant performances in The Gin Game, playing at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and again the following Thursday to Saturday. This drama is dark, although not without humour, and is completely engrossing. Tickets for $15 are at Gaia's Fair Trade, Hallmark Cards and Sechelt Visitors Centre.
La Fave Show
Westwind Gallery opens a new show with the latest work from Coast artist Kim La Fave this Saturday, Oct. 23. Organizer Morley Baker is excited by this new work of frothy, light line or brush strokes, definitely a new take for the renowned artist and illustrator. All are invited to the opening reception this Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the gallery upstairs at 292 Gower Point Rd. The show runs until Nov. 6. Phone 886-9213 for more.
Glass Harvest
Molten Spirit Glass Studio warmly invites you to its fifth Harvest Open House on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be glass blowing demonstrations as well as the chance to design your own custom glass pumpkin. Look for a fresh harvest of newly created pumpkins in the Glass Pumpkin Patch. Molten Spirit Glass is the realized dream of glassblower Chris Motloch, where he creates exquisite and wildly spirited original glass art. It's at 885 Byng Rd. in Roberts Creek.
Authors
Drop by Bluewaters Books in Madeira Park this Saturday and Sunday to chat with two authors. Meet P.J. Reece, author of Roxy, a teenage family secrets mystery based in Corfu, from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Meet Elizabeth Blakeley with her sixth book, The Goddess Lives: Poetry, Prose and Prayers in Her Honour, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Arts Club
Cedar Grove Arts Club (CGAC) is a volunteer and artist-run, not-for-profit, after school program. The project collaborated with the school principal who understood the critical link between literacy and arts and supported the idea to extend learning by using after school time and facilities. The club hopes to provide a venue to nurture children's natural creative development and to establish long-term relationships that link children, artists, arts organizations, schools and community organizations. Programs start on Oct 26. Details and registration are at:http://issuu.com/cedargroveartsclub/docs/ask_fall_2010.
Book Launch
On Wednesday, Oct. 27, artist Kim LaFave and fisherman, furniture maker and new author Gary Kent will launch a richly-illustrated, authentic account of life aboard a fish boat. Fishing with Gubby (Harbour Publishing) is intended for children, but its tales of adventure in commercial salmon fishing make it a great read for adults. Fishing with Gubby launches at the Arts Centre in Sechelt at 7 p.m., and all are invited.
Howl
Come in costume to the annual Halloween Howl concert presented by the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra Association at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29, at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall in Sechelt. Conductor Arturo Toscanini (Edette Gagne) will make his annual visit from the beyond to lead the Coast Symphony in Halloween classics. The Youth Symphony has a great arrangement of music titled Fright Night and the SunCoast Concert Band will join the fun. There are prizes for costumes and treats for all. Tickets are $15 adults, $5 children, and are available at Coast Copy in Sechelt, Hallmark Cards in Gibsons or at the door.
Coffeehouse
The monthly Artesia Coffeehouse presented by Coast Cultural Alliance is on Friday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Trail and Medusa, in Sechelt. This month features the young and the not so young - starting the evening with Paul Pinsonnault and his sons Leo and Angelo on classical guitar followed by members of Canada World Youth with some high-energy surprises. The second half will present Stephanie Slingerland and her dad Wayne on keyboards. To close the evening for the not so young and still filled with energy, on keyboard and vocal is Miss Berni G with Gary McGuire on guitar, Ian McLatchie on slide guitar and Boyd Norman on bass. Doors open at 7 with treats by Trish and a slideshow. Tickets are $10 at the door and may be reserved by email at [email protected].
Zombie Walk
If you've never seen a zombie walk, you just haven't lived. You can get zombie lessons for free at 2 p.m. at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre on Sunday, Oct. 24, then shuffle off at 3 p.m. along with the other undead. Join in the first ever Gibsons Zombie 5 km Run on the same day. Get some exercise and have seriously silly fun. Pre-registration is required (for the run only) by going online at SCRD Recreation programs.
Halloween
Plenty of Halloween events are coming up: a benefit dance for Happy Cat Haven at the Gibsons Legion on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 9 p.m. with the classic rock music of The Ranters. Lucy and her ghouls are at Leo's in Gibsons for a Halloween Hoedown, also on Saturday. There's a Halloween Blues Bash in Madeira Park, and an All Hallows costume ball and dance at Roberts Creek Hall. At the Art Farm near Langdale, families might enjoy a Halloween Pumpkin Spiral Walk on Saturday and Sunday evening. For details go to www.deercrossingtheartfarm.org. See more next Friday.
Let me know about your arts event, but keep it brief. Email [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692 before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The column covers events one day to one week ahead only.
