Following an 18-month closure for cutting-edge seismic upgrades to its Great Hall, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC will be reopening in June.
The museum has also undergone a revitalization and reinterpretation of displays of Northwest Coast Indigenous carvings, poles, weavings and other works from the past and present.
Museum of Anthropology – Great Hall Reconstruction – Feb 2023. Photo by Michael Elkan
Museum of Anthropology Reopening
On the evening of June 13, 2024, starting at 5:00pm, visitors will be welcomed to a revitalized museum with updated interpretations and new displays, including an 8.7-metre canoe, carved by Stz’uminus artist Qap’u’luq—John Marston.
Friday, June 14th coincides with the 100th anniversary of architect Arthur Erickson’s birth, and MOA is celebrating with half-priced admission and special programming to mark the occasion. On Saturday, June 15th and Sunday, June 16th, visitors will enjoy half-priced admission, as well as dance and musical performances, hands-on workshops, staff tours and family-friendly activities.
About the upgrades
Recognized as the first museum in Canada retrofitted with base isolation technology, MOA’s seismic upgrades are designed to protect the collections in the event of a major earthquake. Twenty-five base isolators have been installed under each of the Great Hall’s concrete columns to absorb the impact of seismic activity, separating the Great Hall from the ground and from the adjoining museum structure. Additionally, upgrades to the lighting, skylights, roofing, window coverings, carpeting and fire protection will further protect the collection.
MOA’s Great Hall was first identified by UBC as a high priority for seismic upgrades in 2017, as part of the university’s ongoing seismic planning. It was determined that a complete rebuild was the best approach to upgrading the resiliency of the space without compromising its architectural heritage. Budgeted at $40 million, the project was funded by the provincial government, Canadian Heritage and UBC. Construction began in 2021, and in January 2023, the Museum was temporarily closed to accelerate the completion of the project.
Nick Milkovich Architects Inc. was selected as the architectural firm for the Great Hall’s renewal. As principal architect, Milkovich offered the project unique experience, having made the Museum’s original building models as an apprentice to Arthur Erickson in the 1970s. Milkovich’s intimate knowledge of the design ensured the iconic structure was rebuilt in Erickson’s original vision.
The Museum will also reopen with two exhibitions, both showcasing Indigenous perspectives of historical periods, too often told and represented through a colonial lens. In the Audain Gallery, MOA presents To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965, co-curated by Karen Duffek, MOA Curator, Contemporary Visual Arts + Pacific Northwest, and Dr. Marcia Crosby (Ts’mysen/Haida), art historian and scholar. An immersive, multimedia exhibition, To Be Seen, to be heard explores how, during the period of potlatch prohibition and other forms of erasure in Canada, First Nations people in British Columbia represented themselves as Indigenous in urban public spaces. Looking back through rich archival material reveals the diverse ways that First Nations worked to be seen and heard striving to have their rights recognized—rights to their lands, their laws and their future.
Video still from in Pursuit of Venus [infected] by Lisa Reihana. Courtesy of the artist and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki // 1921 Museum & Archives of North Vancouver [4834] Squamish Reserve Indian Band, 1921. Photographer unrecorded. Photo courtesy of MONOVA: Museum & Archives of North Vancouver.
In the O’Brian Gallery, MOA presents Māori artist Lisa Reihana’s inPursuit of Venus [infected], a 32-minute-long, panoramic video projection designed to create an immersive cinematic experience. A digitally animated interpretation of the French Neoclassical scenic wallpaper Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique—which portrays harmonious encounters between Europeans and Polynesians amidst a Tahitian landscape—in Pursuit of Venus [infected] depicts a decidedly darker narrative to expose the oppressive and often violent exchanges absent from the utopian colonial portrayal, challenging historical and contemporary stereotypes. This work seeks to disrupt notions of beauty, authenticity, history and myth.
The reopening weekend’s activities will kick off a year of special programming to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Museum to the public in the UBC Main Library, under the direction of Harry and Audrey Hawthorn in 1949.
Carousel Theatre for Young People (CTYP) presents the premiere of Vancouver playwright Dave Deveau’s The Papa Penguin Play May 15 to June 2, 2024 at Granville Island’s Waterfront Theatre – and you can enter to win tickets!
Carousel Theatre for Young People Presents The Papa Penguin Play
Inspired by the true story of two male penguins who were gifted an egg at New York’s Central Park Zoo – as well as Deveau’s own parenting experience – the playful and imaginative work follows a pair of penguin fathers and their zoo keeper friend as they navigate the delightful chaos of throwing a first birthday party.
Presented by CTYP, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, and Zee Zee Theatre, the visually-spectacular show pulls out all the stops to celebrate with puppetry, drag performances, and music for a joyful hour of theatre for young audiences.
In The Papa Penguin Play, penguins Peaches and Izzy are the Zoo’s main attraction: two male penguins who put on daily shows to visitors’ delight. Their dream to have a family of their own comes true, thanks to help from their friendly Zoo Keeper, when they are gifted an egg, which through their diligent care yields their baby chick, Hedgie. The play welcomes children ages 3-8 and their families to put on their party hats and step inside the colourful and family-affirming celebration that is Hedgie’s first birthday.
Directed by Deveau’s husband, co-parent, and Artistic and Executive Director of Zee Zee Theatre, Cameron Mackenzie, the play stars Jeffrey Follis, Kosta Lemermeyer, Rae Takei, and Katie Voravong. The creative team also includes: Set Designer Kimira Reddy;Sound Designer MJ Coomber; Lighting Designer Victoria Bell; Props Designer Monica Emme; Puppet Designer & Director Stephanie Elgersma;and Movement Coach Nicole Rose Bond.
The Papa Penguin Play will feature special events throughout its run including a mandatory masked performance on May 18 and a VocalEye described performance on May 25.
This month the Vancouver Canadians are hosting two homestands, a Mother’s Day Brunch event at the Nat, promotional giveaways, and more!
Vancouver Canadians Mother’s Day Brunch
The Mother’s Day NUTRL Zone package is $63/ticket and includes a special two-hour all-you-can-eat buffet and tickets to the game. There are only 200 seats in the NUTRL Zone so act quick!
Gates open at noon in advance of a 1:05pm First Pitch. Fans are encouraged to get to the ballpark early to enjoy a White Spot Family Fun Sunday with travel mugs for the first 500 moms through the gates (the first 50 fans who purchase the Mother’s Day NUTRL Zone package are guaranteed a mug).
May is here and so are all the flowers – and all the events! This weekend Miss604 is proud to sponsor BC Youth Week events, Burnaby Blooms at Deer Lake Park (free), and the start of Summer at Burnaby Village Museum (free). Find these activities and many more things to do around Metro Vancouver listed below:
Kids Up Front is hosting an unforgettable community event at BC Place on June 2nd, and everyone is invited! More Than a Movie will include a screening of Trolls Band Together on the big screen, on-field activities, carnival games, and some fun with Whitecaps FC, the BC Lions, and Vancouver Bandits.
More Than A Movie at BC Place hosted by Kids Up Front Vancouver
More Than A Movie with Kids Up Front at BC Place
Date: Saturday, June 2, 2024 (doors at 11:00am, movie starts at 1:30pm)
Location: BC Place (777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver)
Tickets: Available online for $15 individual or $50 for a family of 4
There is also the option to donate a purchased ticket to Kids Up Front by transferring your purchased tickets to vancouver(at)kidsupfront.com and include your name, email, and address in your email.
Attendees will have access to an exclusive tour of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, and School of Rock Vancouver‘s junior and senior bands will perform and bring along an “Instrument Petting Zoo” for kids.
There will be on-field activities like mini-golf, face painting, carnival games, and kicking soccer balls with the Vancouver Whitecaps, throwing footballs with the BC Lions, shooting baskets with the Vancouver Bandits, and photos with their team mascots.
Each ticket to More Than A Movie includes admission, access to all on-field activities, a hot dog, popcorn, and a drink. Finally, end the afternoon with the screening of Trolls Band Together on the world’s second largest LED Screen.
When you purchase your ticket, you’ll be entered to win a 2 night stay at The Coast Hotel and a round of golf for 4 people at Big Sky Golf and Country Club in Pemberton. Additionally, door prizes and a 50/50 will be available to win at the event.
For each ticket purchased, Kids Up Front will donate a ticket to one of over 100 child-serving non-profits serving people in the community facing barriers such as poverty, recent immigration, marginalized peoples, those with physical of mental health issues, and more.
About Kids Up Front
Kids Up Front Vancouver is founded on the idea that ALL kids deserve the chance to be inspired, regardless of circumstances. Every kids should have access to enriching experiences like art, culture, and sporting events. Kids Up Front Vancouver provides experiences to children and youth in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley working with over 100 child-serving community agencies to distribute tickets, classes, passes, and experiences to those facing systemic barriers.
