You might have heard the saying, “Beware the Ides of March,” somewhere before. This ominous expression comes from William’s Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, where a fortune teller warns the Roman consul that something bad will happen in the middle of the month of March, which the Romans called the Ides of the month. Well, just because something bad happened to Julius Caesar on March 15 (FYI he was murdered in the Roman Senate), doesn’t mean something bad will happen to you! Go out there and enjoy the many cultural events happening on the Ides of March!
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Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa
Feb. 22–April 21
grunt gallery, Vancouver
The grunt gallery will host a solo exhibition by Guatemalan-Canadian artist Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa. Working in drawing, performance, sculpture and video, Ramírez-Figueroa explores the entanglement of history and form through the lens of his own displacement during and following Guatemala’s Civil War of 1960–96. Borrowing from the languages of folklore, science fiction and theatre, he reframes historical events and protagonists. The exhibit Requiem for Mirrors and Tigers marks the artist’s first solo presentation in Vancouver since he left the city to pursue an international art education and career.
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Vancouver International Women in Film Festival
March 6–11
Vancity Theatre, Vancouver
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Vancity Theatre will be hosting the International Women in Film Festival for the 13th time from March 6 to 11. In each of these extraordinary films from around the globe, women have filled at least three of the key creative roles, be it writer, director, producer, cinematographer, lead performer, editor or composer. Films range from abstract cinema and biting satire to inspirational tales of courage and historical drama. Check out the festival website for a full lineup.
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Special Author Talk: Jan Wong
March 9, 2 p.m.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver
Jan Wong knows food is better when shared, so when she set out to write a book about home cooking in France, Italy and China, she asked her 22-year-old son, Sam, to join her. On their journey, Jan and Sam lived and cooked with locals, seeing first-hand how globalization is changing food, families and cultures. Along the way, mother and son explored their sometimes-fraught relationship, uniting – and occasionally clashing – over their mutual love of cooking. A memoir about family, an exploration of the globalization of food cultures, and a meditation on the complicated relationships between mothers and sons, Apron Strings is complex, unpredictable, and unexpectedly hilarious. Wong will be presenting her book at the Classical Chinese Garden on March 9. For more information, please check out the garden’s website.
Mexican-American singer Lila Downs.| Mexican-American singer Lila Downs..
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Lila Downs
March 10, 8 p.m.
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC, University Endowment Lands
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts will welcome back Mexican-American vocalist Lila Downs, who will share her eclectic and vibrant blend of boleros, jazz, rock, blues and more on March 10 at 8 p.m. With proud Indigenous roots and a powerful social conscience, Downs last year released her tenth studio album, Salon Lágrimas y Deseo. This collection of works honouring iconic Latin American women won the 2017 Latin Grammy for ‘Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album’. Chan Centre audiences will be among the first to hear these empowering and uplifting anthems live. For tickets and more information, please visit the website.
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North Shore Art Crawl
March 10–11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Various locations on the North Shore between Lions Bay and Deep Cove
Come visit the North Shore where they will be holding a free weekend event for all to explore artists’ studios, galleries and more from Lions Bay to Deep Cove. The Crawl celebrates the cultural vitality and creative energy of local artists, featuring them in approachable and accessible art venues that encourage the community to connect and celebrate expression and diversity. Observe artists working with acrylics, oil, watercolour, potteries, ceramics and more! Please visit the arts council website for a complete list of artists.
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Tenth Annual Norouz Festival
March 11, 11 a.m–5 p.m.
Capilano Mall, North Vancouver
www.canadianiranianfoundation.
Celebrated since the time of the Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties, Norouz is the Persian New Year marking the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian calendar year. In honour of this occasion, the Canadian-Iranian Foundation will proudly present the tenth annual Norouz Festival on March 11 at the Capilano Mall in North Vancouver. The event will feature live performances and DJ Music, local and international folk dances and free kids activities, including arts and crafts, face painting and Cinemazoo. This is free event for everyone from young to young at heart.
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CelticFest
March 15–17
Various venues in Vancouver
Celebrate the Ides of March with the Irish at CelticFest. Although the festival won’t be having a Saint Patrick’s Day parade this year, there will be several performances happening, including an Irish Seisiun, a Celtic Fest Ceilidh and the Welsh Men’s choir. There will also be Irish themed parties at the Blarney stone both for whole family and for adults-only! For more information, please visit the CelticFest Vancouver website.
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I Lost My Husband
March 15–24
Gateway Theatre, Richmond
The Gateway Theatre in Richmond will be producing an English-language production of French Canadian Catherine Léger’s comedy I Lost My Husband, a wickedly funny play about an aging party girl and her dreams of independence. Evelyn loses her husband in a bar bet. The thing is, she’s not entirely sure she wants him back. A smart, feisty, subversive comedy about the important things in life: love, freedom, karaoke … and never letting frozen yogurt stand in the way of your dreams. Check out the theatre’s website for tickets and showtimes.
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Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
March 15–31
Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC, University Endowment Lands
This March, the Frederic Wood Theatre will be the venue for an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a timeless parable of morality, a scorching indictment of intolerance and a central work in the canon of American drama. In a tight-knit Puritan town, a group of girls are discovered dancing in the woods and then immediately fall ill, causing panic to percolate. Buried secrets are brought to light, and scapegoating leads to treachery and betrayal. Performances will be on Wednesday – Saturday with a preview on March 14, an Opening Night Reception on March 15 and Post-Show Talkback on March 21.
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Culture at the Centre
March 18–Oct. 8
Museum of Anthropology at UBC, University Endowment Lands
The Museum of Anthropology will present their first-ever collaboration between six First Nations communities with the illuminating new exhibition Culture at the Centre, on display from March 18 to October 8. Coordinated by curators Jill Baird and Pam Brown, the collective effort between the Musqueam, Squamish, Lil’wat, Heiltsuk, Nisga’a, and Haida nations offers insight into the significant and innovative work taking place in five Indigenous-run cultural centres and museums in B.C. to support their language, culture and history. Covering a wide geographic expanse, from what is now Vancouver to the Nass River Valley, this is the first time the participating communities will come together to curate an exhibition and showcase their diverse cultures in one space.
