Form and function in every day life.| Photo courtesy of Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
I hope everyone is enjoying their April so far. With the flowers and trees in bloom, the weather getting warmer and the long Easter weekend, there is much to see and do outside in Vancouver. But of course, there are plenty of indoor events to keep you busy: theatre plays, music festivals and orchestras, art exhibitions and more!
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The Out Vigil
April 4–8
Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam
www.evergreenculturalcentre.ca
Nominated for five 2016 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards including Outstanding Performance for Lead Actor and Lead Actress, The Out Vigil will be playing at the Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam until April 8. Mere hours before the opening of the perilous king crab fishing season, Danny, a young Newfoundlander arrives in Alaska, desperate for a job. A local fisherman, Cal, grudgingly agrees to help him out, but past and present collide when Lizzie, a feisty young woman, shows up from Danny’s home town. The Out Vigil takes on a bold new form of magic realism that allows for a harmonious marriage of elements – fact and folklore, music and magic, the modern and the mythical. For tickets and further information, please visit their website.
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Vancouver World Music Festival
April 6–8
Various venues in Vancouver
The World Music Festival returns to Vancouver for the third time, featuring world beats and melodies from world-class artists, both local and from around the world. The festival hopes to bring people together to honour cultural diversity and celebrate the things that unite instead of divide. Guilt & Co., Rickshaw Theatre and the Vancouver Academy of Music will be some of the venues hosting musicians such as H’sao, Locarno and Farnaz Ohadi. For a full schedule of performances and locations, please visit their website.
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Plein Air Exhibition
April 6–23
Vandusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival presents the Plein Air Exhibition in April, featuring 11 B.C. en plein air painters who will be working in their studios and on location throughout the Lower Mainland to paint the cherry blossoms. The festival’s Facebook Live feed will allow spectators to find out where they’re painting. Watch them on location and see the results at Vandusen. Furthermore, there will be a paint out, picnic and artist reception on April 20 at Vandusen. Please visit the VCBF website for more information.
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Spring Salon at The Arts Factory
April 7–8
281 Industrial Avenue, Vancouver
www.facebook.com/events/
The Arts Factory Artists Collective will be hosting some of the city’s brightest talents at their first annual Spring Salon on April 7–8 at their factory at Main St. and Industrial Ave. The Spring Salon is a show and sale featuring a selection of Factory Artists that live and work in Vancouver. Highlighting the diversity of works and makers within one studio building, the two-day salon will host a Friday evening reception and casual Saturday afternoon meet-and-greet. There will be food, drinks and music, as well as the opportunity to socialize with the Factory artists and community members. For further information, please visit their Facebook page.
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Blues and Bites Gala Fundraiser
April 8, 6:30–10:30 p.m.
Semiahmoo Secondary School, Surrey
The Autism Support Network will be hosting the Blues and Bites Gala Fundraiser on April 8 to raise funding in support of B.C. families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. There will be silent auctions, mystery balloon prizes, culinary tasting stations, wine pairings and musical entertainment; all proceeds raised will go towards providing services, education and support to families affected by the disorder. For tickets and further information, please visit their website.
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Max Raabe & Palast Orchester
April 9, 7 p.m.
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, University of British Columbia
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts will host the Vancouver premiere of Germany’s iconic vocalist Max Raabe and his 12-piece Palast Orchester. Evoking a bygone age, Raabe and his band will treat audiences to a romantic evening with their inimitable renditions of celebrated classics including masterpieces from Irving Berlin and Cole Porter as well as German standards from Kurt Weil and other composers of the Weimar Republic. To add a modern edge, the program is often interspersed with a few stylized renditions of pop hits by artists from Prince to Tom Jones, along with original songs written by Raabe himself. For tickets and further information, please visit the Chan Centre website.
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Looking into the Frame
April 9–29
Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver
www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
This April, the Vancouver Chinese Garden will present the photographic works of aspiring young artist Charlie Dixon, whose photography calls into question the role of form and function in everyday life. Framing ordinary objects from unusual angles and vantage points, he reveals the surprising small details of familiar structures. He further explores the transformative effects of humans in different environments. The opening reception will be on April 9, from 2 to 4 p.m.; Dixon will be in attendance. For further information, please check the website.
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Seasons Festival
April 12–16
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver and other locations
Seasons Festival focuses on the emergence of Vancouver on the global stage as an innovative hub of music, new media art and technology. The festival seeks to celebrate the community of people around the arts and highlight the interconnectivity of these creative industries. Over the course of five days, Seasons presents the city of Vancouver with concerts, club shows, label showcases, demos, panels, lectures, and interactive visuals and art installations, culminating in a fully immersive, two-day main event at the Pacific Coliseum. Please check out their website for tickets, a full schedule and list of artists.
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Sacred Trees, Sacred People of the Pacific Northwest
April 15, 2–3:30 p.m.
Vancouver Public Library, Carnegie Branch
www.vpl.bibliocommons.com/
The Vancouver Public Library will be hosting B.C. author Sharon McCann as she reads from her 2016 book Sacred Trees, Sacred People of the Pacific Northwest at the Carnegie Branch on April 15. Her book is an exploration of our relationship with nature embodied by trees within the Pacific Northwest. Each chapter resurrects the story of a real tree held sacred by communities throughout the region and asks the question, “What is the nature of relationship with this tree, and what is the result?” For further information, check out the VPL website.
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6 Degrees Vancouver: Are You Home?
April 24, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
Public Square has partnered with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship for 6 Degrees Vancouver: Are You Home? For refugees, immigrants, Indigenous peoples and settlers, notions of home are complex. Who is “home” in Canada and who is not? How do we reconcile home with place of origin? 6 Degrees Vancouver explores the roles, responsibilities and the potential of Canada in 2017 to see whether we have our own house in order. Please join The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul in conversation. Tickets are $50. For further information, please check the website.
