Local potters have crafted bowls for your lunch when you participate in Empty Bowls, a benefit for the Sunshine Coast Food Bank, this Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Roberts Creek Hall. Buy a bowl for $20, enjoy some delicious soup, and take your bowl home.
Another busy weekend for book launches: Elizabeth Blakely at the Arts Centre, Sechelt, today (Friday) 7 p.m. with The Goddess Lives and Deanna Proach at Rockwood in Sechelt on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. with Day of Revenge.
Mushroom fest
The Coast Mushroom Festival takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pender Harbour community hall with ID tables, presentations, cooking demonstrations and vendors. Admission is $3. At 7 p.m. Daniel Winkler, renowned mycologist and environmental consultant speaks on flavorful, fancy and foul fungi - from far-flung places around the world. Admission is $15. On Sunday, you can foray with Winkler. To register, call 604-741-9866 or email [email protected].
Glass artist
The Gibsons Public Art Gallery will host an artist's reception for glass artist Wayne Harjula this Saturday at 2 p.m. as he opens his latest show. Harjula will also attend a Meet the Artist event at GPAG on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, in the Harbour View Room, GPAG will present Gifts of the Sea showing work by Grace Sigurdson. This exhibition opened Oct 14.
Randeesh
Local musicians Ran-deesh and the Lions perform this Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion in Sechelt. There is no cover charge.
Yuk Yuks
Yuk Yuks Live Stand Up comedy returns to the Gibsons Cinema this Saturday at 8 p.m. featuring the talents of comedians Sean Lecomber and Monique Hurteau. Tickets are $22.50 and can be purchased at Hallmark Cards, Coast Copy Centre or at the door.
Micmacs
The SC Film Society presents a French film, Micmacs, on Monday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse. Jean-Pierre Jeunet delivers the follow-up to his much-loved Amélie, with quirky humour, imaginative story and colourful characters all delivered in Jeunet's vivid visual style. Sponsor Blackfish Pub (the other sponsor is Zocalo) is offering a 15 per cent discount on dinner for film-goers that evening. Non-members can purchase a ticket or membership at the pub.
Première
In what will be only the third screening worldwide (the first at Cannes and the second at visionary artist Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in New York), Black Cat Cinema is pleased to host the Canadian première screening of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, documenting researcher Rick Strassman's seminal (and government-sanctioned) research of the DMT molecule.
The documentary shows on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Creek Hall. Admission is $8.
Poet reads
Don McKay, an author of 11 books of poetry, most recently Strike / Slip, will present a reading at Wheatberries in Gibsons on Monday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. presented by the Gibsons Live Poets Society. McKay has won two Governor General's Awards for poetry and has been short-listed twice for the Griffin Poetry Prize, most recently for Camber Selected Poems, which was a Globe and Mail Notable Book of the Year. For more, visit www.gibsonspoets.ca.
Documentary
As part of its Social Justice Documentary Film Series, St. Hilda's Anglican Church presents Topahdewin: The Gladys Cook Story, an international award-winning documentary about the residential school survival story of this remarkable Aboriginal woman, who went on to receive highest Canadian honours for her healing work in prisons and Aboriginal communities. A discussion will follow of the ongoing work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The film screens Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation.
Awards
There are three excellent awards given out through the Sunshine Coast Arts Council each year: the Gillian Lowndes Award, the Anne and Philip Klein Visual Arts Award and the Louise Baril Memorial Music Award. The organizers would really like to breathe new life into this annual program and honour those artists who have made contributions to the community. They will accept nominations from the public up to Oct. 31. For nomination forms and criteria, see www.scartscouncil.com or phone 604-885-5412.
Dinner and art
In conjunction with the Sunshine Coast Arts Crawl (Oct. 23 to 24), Chasters Restaurant at Bonniebrook in Gibsons is hosting a dinner to preview local artist Nadina Tandy's work on Friday, Oct. 22. The show includes more than 40 pieces from her various collections to enjoy or purchase before the general viewing on Saturday and Sunday. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a reception and a three-course dinner at 7. For more details call 604-886-2887 or email [email protected].
Blues Bash
The second annual Halloween Blues Bash is set for Saturday night, Oct. 30, at the Pender Harbour Community Hall.
There will be $500 in prizes for best costume and music by Steve Kozak and the West Coast All-Stars. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members for the Blues Society fundraiser, available at the Garden Bay Pub, the Village Vintner, WindSong Gallery and Gaia's Fair Trade.
For more information, call 604-865-0640 or see penderharbourbluesfestival.com.
Let me know about your arts event, but keep it brief, via 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.
