The 2016 Banner Project and the Young Artist Award submissions have been on display at the Doris Crowston Gallery in the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre (Trail and Medusa, Sechelt). Saturday, Dec. 19 marks the end of the exhibit and the award ceremonies. At 12:30 p.m. Dec. 19, Mayor Bruce Milne along with Banner project sponsor, Neil Clayton from Claytons Heritage Market will be handing out awards for the 20 selects for the 2016 Banner Project. The theme was The Sunshine Coast – The Way It Was. Entries were received from Gibsons Elementary School, Kinnikinnick Elementary, Langdale Elementary, L’Ecole du Pacifique, Madeira Park Elementary, Nest nature school, Roberts Creek Elementary and West Sechelt Elementary.
At 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19, the Young Artist Awards for 2015 will be awarded. A jury of professional artists assessed the works of 33 young artists ranging in age from five to 17 years who submitted in total over 100 works. Awards have been made possible by the kind support of Sechelt Rotary, Gibsons School of the Arts, and Opus Framing and Art Supplies. All are invited. Check out both events on www.sunshinecoastartscouncil.com
This weekend
This Friday, Dec. 18, Uncle Wiggly’s Tribute to the Blues Songs of Christmas takes the stage at the Heritage Playhouse, Gibsons, at 7:30 p.m. See www.heritageplayhouse.com for more.
The Nutcracker, a spectacular production, opens at the Raven’s Cry Theatre, Sechelt on Dec. 19. See www.coastingalongtheatre.org for ticket information.
Harbour Gallery
Dec. 19 is the last day of the Harbour Gallery annual Christmas sale. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 12953 Gonzales Rd., Madeira Park. Come and bid on the silent auction collage, Bearly, painted by 11 artist members of the gallery. Count the hidden bears and win a small prize. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Ada Priest Memorial Bursary which is given to a Pender Harbour Secondary School art student. Call June at 604-883-2807 or Nefri at 604-885-4366 for more.
Tales of Christmas
Christmas Tales features song and stories from the first Christmas with storyteller Justyn Rees and singer/songwriter Russ Rosen at Gibsons Heritage Playhouse on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. For ticket information, call 604-886-2611 or find them at Laedeli in Sunnycrest Mall.
Ukes play
The Ukulele group is a fun learning experience for folks of all musical persuasions who practise weekly at the Arts Building in Gibsons. They are playing at Sunnycrest Mall on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. Stop by and have a listen.
Em’s Soulful Christmas
Enjoy a Soulful Christmas with Emily Chambers this Sunday afternoon. Come hear the R&B/soul songstress from Vancouver perform holiday classics with an eight-piece funk band. When her mom and dad moved to Gibsons over two years ago, it felt like home to Chambers, too. She has been singing since she could talk, and began taking vocal lessons with the talented jazz singer Joani Taylor when she was eight. After studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, she busked in Europe for four months. Her first album, Feet on the Ground, came out in 2010 and she went on to form a soul/pop/funk band called Champagne Republic.
“I have been blessed to meet so many amazingly talented musicians in Vancouver this year,” she writes, “and I have brought eight of them together to put on this bangin’ Christmas show for my parents’ new home town!” Chambers will be at Gibsons Heritage Playhouse on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets for $25 are at www.aSoulfulChristmasWithEm.eventbrite.com or at the door.
Phoenix Choir
Suncoast Phoenix Choir will be performing their annual Christmas concert this weekend with many choral pieces, fun sing-alongs, and even a reading of the Grinch story. The full concert is in Sechelt at St. Hilda’s Church on Saturday, Dec. 19 and in Gibsons at Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday, Dec. 20, both at 7 p.m.
The delightful seasonal repertoire is under the baton of musical director Sara Douglas and piano collaborator Paula Seward. Refreshments are provided. Both concerts are by donation. For a shorter version and to see the Christmas lights display at the Botanical Gardens, Mason Road, they will be singing there on Monday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. There is a charge of $5 per adult (children free).
Blissmas
Last week the Sunshine Coast kids’ band Circuit Bored, featuring students from the Sound Studio, were invited to record at Nimbus School of Recording & Media in Vancouver. This unique school is an elite, hands-on training facility offering a range of programs such as audio engineering, music and video production, and all areas of the music and media business. There, they recorded a new original Christmas anthem entitled Blissmas, which is available for free download at www.thesoundspace.net. Circuit Bored are Baeden Shendebray, Sarah Jane Lynch, Matea MacKenzie, Joy Alilin, Kate Lynch, Tiana Hoile, and instructor Steve Wright.
Holiday deadline
Do you have an arts event you must get into Art Beat for Dec. 25? Run to those keyboards and send it right away to [email protected] because the Christmas newspaper deadline has been moved up to Saturday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.
