On Thursday, the Young Associates of the Vancouver Art Gallery will be throwing their annual Rendezvous on the Rooftop at the gallery’s Studio 4East and its stunning terrace that overlooks Robson Square.
This year’s “Midnight in Paris” theme celebrates the Matisse exhibition that recently opened and will include an art talk, intimate and informal tours of the exhibition, French music, 1920s-themed cocktails, and lots of opportunity to network with other young art enthusiasts.
Learn about the lasting influences of artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir while sampling sizzling appetizers and signature cocktails in the Parisian-inspired salon.
Also, you never know who in the art world you’ll see at one of these events. (I went to an YA event a few months ago–a transcendent and luminous talk by David Allison on how to start an art collection–and shared an elevator ride with Douglas Coupland).
To get on the roof, join the Young Associates program by enrolling online or in person at the gallery’s membership desk. The $200 membership fee (with a $80 tax receipt!) covers your gallery admission for the year and includes invitations to special events put on just for Young Associates (ages 19 to 45) such as the popular behind-the-scenes tour, gallery walks and artist talks, guest passes, and discounts at the gallery Shop.
The Associates are a diverse group of art enthusiasts who want to deepen their engagement with the visual arts through art-related social, educational, service and fundraising initiatives.
Rendezvous on the Rooftop takes place July 5, 2012 from 6:30pm to 10:00pm and members will receive two free drinks. Non-members are also welcome to attend and tickets are available for $30, which can go toward a membership following the event. Just call (604) 662-4711 for more information.
If you are unable to join just yet, or just want to get your feet wet in the whole art-connoisseur life, check out FUSE the following night — when the gallery transforms into one big party for art, music and live performance in the city.
British Columbia’s coastal rainforests are a sight to behold and up in Whistler, you can take a tour through — and over — the tress to discover more about this sensitive eco-system. ZipTrek EcoTours, the world-famous zipline company, offers TreeTrek tours which guide you up and around their Blackcomb Mountain courses, but keep your feet on the ground (or at least keep something under your feet).
On a recent trip to Whistler with a group, we participated in an abridged tour with Operations Manager, Brent Macdonald. Before we even hopped on the Ziptrek shuttle bus over to Blackcomb from Whistler Village, Brent talked extensively about the company’s eco-consciousness and how they hope their practices — or at least their awareness — can rub off on their guests. “We get them in a beautiful, natural environment and hopefully that makes them more susceptible to the idea of sustainability.”
Climbing up past the Whistler Sliding Centre, the Ziptrek shuttle carries TreeTrek and Ziptrek passengers. TreeTrek-ers follow a series of elevated boardwalks and suspension bridges between platforms that surround hearty Douglas Firs while information signs and guides provide an education on the sensitive environment. 200 feet up, this adventure is open year-round and is family-friendly — but be warned, it may create to a strong desire to escalate to ziplining.
From offering water from a tap on the tour (served in paper cups) to using untreated wood in all their boardwalks, ZipTrek is “off the grid”. They use micro hydro power, solar panel (you can see panels down on some of the zipline support cables) and wind power to create all the energy that their tours use. Brent said they they could also take out the nails, pack up and leave everything — letting all of their boards fall to the forest floor — and the Western Red Cedar planks would return to nature.
Rain or shine, the tour provides cover under the soft needled canopy, and the fresh scent of the rushing Fitzsimmons Creek below combined with the mulch of the forest floor will remind you why you live in this super, natural province.
TreeTrek tickets are $39 for adults, $29 for youth, children and seniors. You can also purchase a Peak 2 Peak combo pack and take the record-breaking gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb before or after your adventure.
Tonight marks the opening night of Ninja Pirates Theatre Society’s production of SubUrbia by Eric Bogosian, directed by Anthony Shim.
The play follows the nighttime activities of a group of aimless 20-somethings still living suburban hometown and their reunion with a former-geeky-high-school classmate, who is now a successful musician. It’s semi-autobiographical take on Bogosian’s own youth, growing up in Woburn, Massachusetts.
When Shim was first given the play, he had a lot of resistance towards the work, mainly because it resonated so acutely with his adolescence, spent in Coquitlam.
“It made me so uncomfortable because it was so true and so honest that I didn’t even like the play.” But finally, Shim relented. “This isn’t a play I wanted to do. It’s a play I had to do.”
Deciding to go with this close-to-home theme and run with it, Shim took it to the next level casting friends he grew up with (who also so happen to be accomplished actors) in the play. Shim has known actor James Pizzinato since the 10th grade and he grew up down the street from actor Adrian Petriw and Assistant Director Victor Ayala in Coquitlam.
The result? “There is a real truth to the relationships between the actors that lets this show be real. We were able to go the extra distance because there is that extra understanding and trust.”
Adding to the intimacy between the cast is the intimate space. Shim is wanted the set to be small and wanted to break traditional theatre rules around blocking.
“The audience should feel like you’re sitting on a sitting around with these teenagers, shooting the sh*t.”
SubUrbia runs July 3-8 and July 10-14, 2012 at 8:00pm at the Blake Snyder Theatre, 112 East 3rd Ave (near Quebec St) in Vancouver. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online in advance or by calling (604) 633-1124.
Celebrating the launch of her first album in seven years, Fiona Apple is now on tour and will be making a stop in Vancouver on July 24th. The Grammy Award-wining singer/songwriter
Photo courtesy of Live Nation
In 1999 she held the record for longest album title name with When the Pawn… which contained over 400 characters and although the record has since been broken, her new album’s title is also a poem:
The Idler Wheel is wiser
than the Driver of the Screw
and Whipping Cords will serve you more
than Ropes will ever do.
Two singles from The Idler Wheel so far include “Every Single Night” and “Anything We Want”. Tickets for Fiona Apple at the Orpheum are currently on sale through Live Nation online and by phone (1-855-985-5000) for $39.50, $55, and $75. The show is all ages and there is reserved seating.
Live Nation has offered up 3 pairs of tickets to the show as well as 3 copies of The Idler Wheel for a couple of Miss604 readers. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw 3 winners (who will each receive a pair of tickets and a copy of Fiona Apple’s new CD) on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 10:00am.
Update The winners are Bev, @AmandaGAdams, and Eileen!
The Vancouver Heritage Foundation just launched a photo contest where you can submit your pictures of heritage buildings around the city for your chance to win a grand prize staycation at a bed & breakfast.
Peppered throughout the city, between glass towers modern storefronts, you’ll find structures that have stood the test of time in Vancouver. From prominent favourites like the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or the Marine Building to the cluster of heritage homes in Mole Hill, City Hall, or the Staples store that used to be Dominon Motors.
Snap a photo, using any equipment that you like, and submit it to the Vancouver Heritage Foudation’s Facebook page before July 21, 2012.
Grand prize: The winner will be awarded a one night stay at The Manor Guest House at 13th & Yukon. The prize will be redeemable until September 30, 2012.
Staff-voted prize: The Vancouver Heritage Foundation staff will also choose their favourite picture. This winner will receive 4 tickets to VHF Tours: 2 tickets to the Vancouver Specials Tour, and 2 to the Laneway House Tour.
Bonus votes can be gathered by sending out a tweet to promote your entry. The tweet must include your name, @VanHeritage and #VHFPhotoContest to receive 5 extra votes. The contest will be open until July 28, 2012 to allow for a week of voting once all submissions have been received.
