Local Arts

The crowds milled about, the appetizers circulated, Suzka Maresova played her violin, and the Eleven Equal Artists welcomed more than 500 people to their four-hour opening reception at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt Aug. 16.

Make them laugh, make them cry. These are the elements of a successful presentation, especially during the 31st annual Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt last weekend.

What is big band music, you might ask, especially if you were born well after the era of the famous bands like Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller.

The Coastal Chaos Tour is bringing the best in youth fiddle talent to a series of concerts, and you can catch them on the Coast this Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Gibsons Heritage Playhouse.

Dr. Alan Swan (1928 to 2011) was one of the Sunshine Coast's memorable doctors. His career on the Coast began in 1954, when St. Mary's Hospital was located in Pender Harbour, and Swan, at the age of 26, was only two years older than the hospital.

Ellen Besso's book, An Indian Sojourn, is two parts good travel writing - the kind where the reader walks beside the author experiencing every nuance - and one part something deeper, an account of a spiritual awakening.

Kim La Fave was interviewed July 28 on CBC's radio show North by Northwest about his illustrations in the children's book Amos's Sweater, one of the children's books being sent to the royal baby, Prince George, from the Prime Minister's Office.

The poster says it all: Beth is Back! Beth Buono (Currie), a talented, young soprano from the Coast, dazzled in a magnetic performance at the Raven's Cry Theatre in Sechelt in May. Next Sunday, Aug. 18, at 2:30 p.m.

The Sunshine Coast Arts Council presents Carte Blanche, a juried multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring works by Coast artists from Langdale to Lund.

Figures in action stalk the walls of the Gibsons Public Art Gallery (GPAG), and portraits stare down at the viewer during the current exhibition that opened last weekend. Tim McLaughlin's almost life size photographs dominate the smaller room.