Westwind Gallery in Gibsons presents a show of the latest work from artist Ian MacLeod. All are invited to a reception for the artist on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. with a preview showing on-line today (Friday). The exhibition runs until June 6. Check out www.westwindgallery.net for more.
25th anniversary
This season is A Cappella Strait's 25th year of singing beautiful music on the Sunshine Coast. The choir began as the Centennial Singers. To celebrate the occasion, all former ACS singers, friends and supporters are invited to a party at the Seaside Centre on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, although donations to cover the rental of the building would be gratefully received. There will be a no-host bar, and light refreshments will be served, courtesy of the choir. Please RSVP to [email protected] or call Janet at 604-885-1994 or Christabel at 604-885-9553 for details.
Wild night
Angie McCauley will perform an evening of original music with David Groom at the Wild Bistro in Gibsons on Saturday. Doors open at 7, show time at 8 p.m. Admission is by donation. For more information, call 604-886-1917.
Festival tickets
Tickets for all events at the Festival of the Written Arts, Aug. 13 to 16, go on sale starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27. Phone 604-885-9631 for your best choice of 23 Canadian authors. Read about them at www.writersfestival.ca.
Spoken word
The monthly Artesia Coffeehouse, usually a musical event, will be an evening for writers entitled Dare to Be Heard, on Friday, May 29. Enjoy an evening with local poets and story tellers who will share their voices at the Arts Centre in Sechelt. Richard Austin, Sheila Weaver, Terri Bosner and Terry Barker are familiar names, along with others new to the Artesia stage including Pat Carswell, June Guerin, Caitlin Hicks, Joanne Bennison and Joan Disney. Shelley Harrison Rae will host the evening, sponsored by Coast Cultural Alliance. Doors open at 7, show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at the door. Look for treats by Trish.
Visiting choir
While at the Powell River Vocal Summit recently, Nikki Weber's heart was stolen by a musical group of elementary school kids. She immediately decided to bring them to the Coast. The Grief Point Junior Jazz ensemble features singers in grades 6 and 7 who rehearse before school hours with director Richard Olfert. They will perform with CounterPoint, an instrumental jazz combo, also made up of kids from Grief Point Elementary School ranging from grades 1 to 7 and who play piano, drums, saxes and flugelhorn. They're not only cute, they're very good musicians, Weber says.
The show is on Saturday, May 30, at Pender Harbour School of Music in Madeira Park at 2 p.m. Tickets for $10 adults and $6 children are at Gaia's Fair Trade, Harbour Insurance and the Seaside Centre.
Two concerts
A benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity with the Pender Harbour Choir is Friday, May 29, 7:30 p.m at the Sechelt Seniors Centre. Tickets are $12 (including refreshments), children under 12 no charge, available at Hallmark Cards (Gibsons), La Cabana (Sechelt), Habitat ReStore (Wilson Creek) and at the door. The concert includes a live auction of a painting by Ian MacLeod and raffle of gift baskets.
The Pender Harbour Choir will also perform Melo-dies for May, their spring concert, on Sunday, May 31, 2:30 p.m., at the Performance Centre (Music School) in Madeira Park. Tickets (priced as above) are at Harbour Insurance (Madeira Park) and at the door. Concert includes a raffle draw of a print by local artist Judy Osiowy.
Music direction for both concerts is by Joy McLeod featuring the SASSPenders with accompaniment by Paula Seward. Visit www.penderharbourchoir.com for more details.
Vermeulen work
In June 2008 Marleen Vermeulen had an exhibition of work in the Pendulum Gallery at the HSBC Building in Vancouver. As a result of the prominent exhibit, the Kurbatoff Gallery, located at 2427 Granville St., now represents her as an artist. Her first exhibit of New Work facilitated by the Kurbatoff Gallery, opens on May 27 and runs until June 11. All are invited to the opening reception on Sunday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. See www.marleenart.com for more details.
Send notice of arts events to [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692 by Tuesday at 6 p.m. for Friday's paper.
