The combined Sunshine Coast Youth Orchestra and the West Vancouver Youth Band String Ensemble won gold standing recently in their competitive performance when participating in the Whistler Music Festival. Members of the audience raved about their performance. Festival faculty complimented them on exceptional ensemble and tuning and lauded them for their collective musical intelligence, and their clinicians were able to work on high-level, fine-tuning concepts that are normally reserved for professional groups.
Many of the students also participated in the Coast's Festival of the Performing Arts and have shown their talent when appearing with other musical groups.
Gigi show
Prolific artist Gigi Hoeller will fill the Seaside Centre in Sechelt with her work this coming weekend, May 19 and 20. She'll be showing macroflorals, landscapes, totem paintings, prints and originals. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Harbour Gallery
The Harbour Gallery will exhibit artwork of the membership on May 19 to coincide with Pender May Day activities. One wall will display the mosaics that some of the artists worked on this spring. Also available are the gallery's famous Food Bank cards. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., located across from the School of Music.
Arts yard sale
This Saturday the Arts Building is hosting what Gibsons loves the most - a spring yard sale - from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come down, browse, have a cup of tea and learn about other arts programs. The Arts Building is at 464 South Fletcher. See: www.artsbuilding.org.
Westwind show
Westwind Gallery in Gibsons will hold an opening reception for artist Laura Madera on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Currently working in Gibsons, Madera is a recent graduate of the University of Guelph's MFA program. In Recent Paintings, Madera explores everyday scenes of life on the Coast. Her practice explores the visual perception of light and colour in relation to watercolour painting. The exhibition is on view until June 2. Everyone is welcome. The gallery is upstairs at 292 Gower Point Rd., Gibsons.
Choir concert
The Pender Harbour Choir excelled at this year's Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts in Sechelt. They received rich praise for their performance in the community choirs division and were nominated to advance to the provincial level of competition at the Performing Arts BC Association of Regional Festivals.
Their next performance will be at their spring concert that takes place on Sunday, May 20, at 2 p.m. at the School of Music.
The theme of this year's concert is Fascinatin' Rhythm and they'll be throwing around a lot of different rhythms to delight the audience. Tickets are $15, children (12 and under) $5, available at Bluewaters Books, Laedeli in Gibsons, the Sechelt Visitors Centre, and at the door.
8x8 Gallery
Visit the 8x8 Gallery at the Arts Building to see Miyuki Shinkai's Sakura Cherry Blossom, a glorious new show featuring blown glass and paintings - bursting with her interpretation of the spring season.
Pop in during an event or on Friday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m. Shinkai is also showing at the New-Small & Sterling Glass Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver, as the featured artist for Asian Heritage month of May. The work is showcased with Japanese flavoured glass and mixed media wall pieces by Shinkai, including 20 pieces of her latest work.
GPAG
From May 17 to June 11 at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery, photographer Elaine Hunter focuses on B.C. The Other Dimension with her sixth sense to draw viewers ever more deeply into the super-natural province she now calls home. The show is sponsored by the Sunnycrest Mall merchants. For more, see www.gibsonspublicartgallery.ca.
Coffeehouse
Dare to enjoy being heard at the final Artesia Coffeehouse of the season presented by Coast Cultural Alliance on Friday, May 25, at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt, corner of Trail and Medusa.
The evening promises an eclectic showcase of spoken word, where experienced and eloquent professionals share the limelight with inexperienced yet passionate writers, young and old. If you would like to perform five minutes of poetry or prose, call Deanne by May 20 at 604-885-6117 for timing and format.
Come early and enjoy the artwork in the Doris Crowston Gallery, delectable treats by Trish and the slideshow of performance artists. Tickets are $10 at the door. Doors at 7; show at 8 p.m. For more, email [email protected].
Coon and Giltrow
On May 26 at 7:30 p.m. the National Jazz Awards Guitarist of the Year, Bill Coon, will be performing with Coast guitarist Steve Giltrow. Tickets are $20 and seating is limited. In order to reserve your seat, prepayment is necessary. The concert takes place at 1123 Point Rd. in Hopkins Landing. BYOB and snack, if you wish. Contact [email protected] or www.stevegiltrow.ca for ticket info, or phone 604-886-7551.
Tuesday deadline
Send notice of your arts events to [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692 by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for Friday's newspaper. Let me know who, what, where, when, why and ticket info briefly. Because of the volume of submissions, Art Beat covers events one day to one week ahead only.
