From July 31 to Aug. 9 and particularly on the two weekends, the Harmony Arts Festival takes over West Vancouver. This festival attracted over 130,000 people last year and is held on the waterfront. Sunshine Coast artist Brian Romer will be part of a special curated exhibition, 25 Years, 25 Artists, featuring the works of 25 artists celebrating the festival’s 25th anniversary. The concept of the exhibition is inspired by the surrealist game exquisite corpse or cadaver exquis where a collection of images (or words) are collectively assembled in sequence. Each artist has created using the theme, medium and style of his/her choice and with guided marks that connect their work to other work on either side. The collaborative piece wraps around the inside of the Ferry Building Gallery. Along with this exhibition, Romer will also be doing an oceanside demo on the porch of the Silk Purse Gallery in Ambleside, next to John Lawson Park at 16th and Argyle, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 9. See www.harmonyarts.ca for more.
More harmony
Coast artist Ann Wilsie writes that Harmony Arts is a fabulous festival with gourmet food, free concerts, wine and beer gardens, and of course, art. She will be part of the Art Avenue and will be in Tent #2 on both weekends, Friday to Monday.
Closing the Harmony Arts Festival will be another local performing artist. Nearly Neil (Bobby Bruce) and the Solitary Band give a show on closing night, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in John Lawson Park, West Vancouver. And the best part – it’s free.
Gambier Fair
On Saturday, Aug. 1 visitors are invited to the Gambier Summer Family Fair. There’s lots to do there with crafts, a pie contest, kids’ games and races, face painting, live and silent auction, cupcake walk and 50/50. It runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Gambier Community Hall. See www.gambierisland.org for the Stormaway ferry schedule.
Music and sandcastles
Come on out for a free event in support of Lupus awareness. Jim Taylor plays and sings at Mission Park near the Sandcastle Competition at Davis Bay from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, after the sandcastles are judged. Walk over from the beach and hear some fun music.
Bees by Kubicek
On Saturday, Aug. 1, stop by the Gibsons Public Art Gallery for a free event, a talk on Bees of the Invisible by artist Ramon Kubicek from 2 to 3 p.m. Phone 604-886-0531 for more.
Fantasma
Janet Panic is importing a five-piece Latin reggae funk band from Monterrey, Mexico, Super Mistico Fantasma, and they will appear at the Roberts Creek Legion #219 (604-886-9813) this Friday night at 9 p.m. and again at the Sechelt Library Square summer music series on Aug. 1, then at the Gibsons Legion on Aug. 8. They have a brand new CD out and really get the whole crowd dancing and partying. Panic met them in southern Mexico this past winter and started playing gigs with them. They packed the rooms and people couldn’t stay in their seats even in 35-degree heat.
Garden concert
Anna Lumiere announces their annual Garden Concert on Saturday, Aug. 1 starting at 7 p.m. at 1222 Carole Place, Gibsons. This year they will feature the Extraordinaires (the Ord Family Band) and a duo from Vancouver on guitar, flute and vocals. Bring foldable chairs or blankets to sit on. A contribution to finger foods is welcome but not required, and if you want a beverage, you can bring one too. They are requesting a $10 to 15 donation, though no one will be turned away. A share will go towards creating a performance space in the downstairs of the house with a garden deck for future events. It also happens to be Swiss national day, so think Swiss chocolate or something red and white.
Crissinger
Former Sunshine Coast resident Mark Crissinger is releasing his fifth solo CD, Blues Expression, on Sunday, Aug. 2 at Persephone Brewery in Gibsons from 2 to 5 p.m. His original 12-song “new blues” album is getting nationwide airplay and has been receiving great reviews. Now living on Vancouver Island, he continues to tour throughout Canada and will be playing solo acoustic roots and blues.
Flamenco
A troupe of impassioned flamenco dancers, Fin de Fiesta, is coming to the Heritage Playhouse, Gibsons on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Dancer Lia Grainger was once a collegiate level basketball player in Vancouver, and then an award-winning journalist, but she threw it all away to become a professional flamenco dancer. No sooner had Dennis Duffin graduated with a PhD in Astrophysics from McMaster University, he left to pursue his love of flamenco and went to live in Seville to study guitar.
The two artists behind Fin de Fiesta Flamenco have devoted themselves entirely to their true passion, spending as much time in Spain as they do in Canada. On this first B.C. tour, Grainger and Duffin (who is also a member of Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated band Ventanas) will be joined by Los Angeles-based singer Daniel Azcarate. Performing with them will be B.C. flamenco dance sensation Michelle Harding, who has been wowing audiences for years as a member of the Vancouver dance company Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre. Another well-respected Vancouver dancer, choreographer and teacher, Maria Avila, will also join them for several dates. Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door and are available online at www.findefiestaflamenco.com
Keep me posted
Send your notice of arts events by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for Friday’s newspaper to [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692. Art Beat covers events one day to one week ahead.
