Three renowned Canadian performers will celebrate 15 years of collaboration with a return to the Heritage Playhouse on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Barney Bentall (synonymous with his band The Legendary Hearts), Tom Taylor (a longtime member of the Vancouver cult band She Stole My Beer) and Juno award winner Shari Ulrich first played together in November 2007 at a songwriting concert on Bowen Island. Their collaboration continued thanks to their deep-seated enjoyment of their fellow artists and their audiences.
One year later, the group returned to Cates Hill Chapel and recorded Live at Cates Hill, an eclectic mix of the characters, voices and songwriting talents of the three unique artists.
With juggling respective projects it took until the summer of 2015 to embark on recording a second album. With Ulrich’s daughter Julia Graff and partner James Perrella handling the engineering, they set up camp in Bentall’s house with his two golden retrievers providing inspiration. According to the artists, the teamwork seemed effortless and produced the 2016 album Tightrope Walk (released by Canadian label Borealis Records).
The BTU trio still manages a couple of tours a year and relishes the collaboration and camaraderie.
Tickets for the concert by Bentall, Taylor and Ulrich are available in advance ($30) at the One Flower One Leaf gallery in Lower Gibsons, or online at BTU-Heritage.eventbrite.com. Tickets sold at the door will be priced at $35.
One Knight every month
Singer-songwriter Deanna Knight, one of the Sunshine Coast’s preeminent arts mavens and an acclaimed gypsy-jazz chanteuse, is releasing tracks from her forthcoming album in anticipation of a launch concert on May 24 at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons. (To be followed by another appearance on May 26 at the Rogue Folk Club in Vancouver.)
The first track, Blessed to Witness, is available to download for free at Knight’s newly-resigned website: deannaknight.ca. Another track will drop on the 22nd of each month until Earth Day.
For an upcoming music video release, Knight collaborated with local photographer Mark Benson of Ignite Productions. Benson’s cinematography, shot on location at Cliff Gilker Park, provides soaring (literally) accompaniment to Knight’s heartfelt lyrics.
Gallery seeks artists of all stripes
The Gibsons Public Art Gallery has issued a call for proposals to exhibit in 2025. Artists can apply for the Main Gallery, Eve Smart Gallery, or both.
The gallery is seeking submissions from emerging and established artists working in all mediums and styles. Successful applicants will not be limited to Sunshine Coast residents.
The proposal submission deadline is March 31.
If artists have participated in a solo or group exhibition at the gallery in the last five years (excepting the Present Tense Member’s Exhibition, SHOUT OUT Art Exhibition, or the Sunshine Coast Pride Exhibition), they are encouraged to contact the gallery to confirm eligibility before applying.
The gpag.ca website includes relevant policies, guidelines, and submission instructions.
Freedom to go undercover
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Canada’s Freedom To Read Week, the Gibsons and District Public Library is inviting members of the public to come read aloud (for up to five minutes) from a favourite book that has been banned or challenged in libraries or schools.
The Freedom to Read Open Mic takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Registration for in-person or online participation is requested via the library’s website at gibsonslibrary.ca.
Participants can also exercise the freedom simply to listen.
The library offers a wealth of Freedom to Read resources including lists of publications that have been banned or challenged in Canada, at the border, or in history (including Harry Potter, The Handmaid’s Tale, Shakespeare, and the Bible).
Postscript prompted by pirate popularity
The upcoming musical by Coast Music Theatre, The Pirates of Penzance in Davis Bay, has sold the entirety of its ticket supply for in-person performances (March 1 to 10). However, director Sara Douglas has announced that two performances will be broadcast live via the Internet on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10. Online passes can be purchased from the production’s website: coastmusictheatre.weebly.com.
