I hope everyone has been having a great summer so far. The weather has been hot and sunny, perfect to go out and explore the bountiful nature the province has to offer. While there was a summer drop, where COVID seemed to recede into the background for a while, the fourth wave of the global pandemic is here in Canada. So stay safe and keep healthy and enjoy the rest of the summer!
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Jan Wade: Soul Power
Now until March 13, 2022
For over thirty years, Canadian artist Jan Wade has been creating mixed-media paintings, textiles and sculptural objects, drawing upon her lived experience as an African Canadian person and her mixed cultural heritage. Jan Wade: Soul Power brings together the artist’s diverse body of work alongside new pieces made specifically for the exhibition. Personal experience and sustained research inform Wade’s unique practice, which she conceptualizes as an ongoing journey – one that is philosophical, cultural, intellectual and embodied – as she explores the places and practices of her ancestors alongside contemporary political concerns and social issues. Visit the Art Gallery’s website for more details.
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Chilliwack Sunflower Festival
July 26–Sept. 6
www.chilliwacksunflowerfest.com
Take a stroll along numerous one-way and extra wide pathways on 15 acres of a 60-acre farm, brimming with floral beauty. This year at the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival, they have planted 42 gorgeous varieties of Sunflowers, including a stunning Sunrich Orange Sunflowers, Giant Sunflowers and three picturesque display gardens. For the third year, they will share a field of over 50 varieties of Dahlias, and, for the second year, eight varieties of Gladiolas for patron’s enjoyment. For ticket admission and more information, check out the festival’s website.
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Shipyards Live
July 30–Sept. 18
Shipyards Live has been working diligently with local health officials to bring live entertainment back to The Shipyards, one of the most stunning event settings on the North Shore in British Columbia. Shipyards Live will feature live music on The Stage at Shipbuilders Square, the Patio pop-up beverage garden, food trucks, artisan vendors and a splash park for kids of all ages every Friday and Saturday this summer! On hand will be a diverse mix of artists and entertainment that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Shipyards Live brings a fun environment for the whole family to enjoy every weekend this summer at The Shipyards, in the heart of Lonsdale Quay.
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Sixth Annual Monsoon Arts Festival
Aug. 1–31
The Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts is a multidisciplinary arts festival presented by the South Asian Arts Society. For the second straight year, the festival is once again being presented entirely online, with the Digital Edition of the festival running until Aug. 31. Check out an entire month of music and dance performances, panel discussions, a marketplace of visual art, dance classes, development workshops and more. Help nurture the creative power within our community by attending events, learning more about artists’ processes and experiencing creative practices, investing and supporting the next generation of aspiring local artists.
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The Magic Hour
Aug. 3–22
The Magic Hour is an immersive, walk-through theatrical experience; a light-charged story of finding beauty in small moments and possibility within domestic isolation. Created and conceived by award-winning theatre director Kim Collier with playwright Kendra Fanconi, the individual experience invites you to embark on a solo room-by-room exploration of familiar, yet-transformed spaces at Presentation House Theatre. The destination of this curious and magical journey is a reflection on an unprecedented year – and a step forward into a brave new world. The Magic Hour explores the routes of the imagination; the physical world meets the digital world, blending art, design, music and text in a multi-layer mixed-media feast for the senses. For tickets and more information, check out the theatre’s website.
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Wade Comer – Time Passages
Aug. 4–29
Time Passages by Vancouver-based visual artist Wade Comer is a continuing series of long-exposure photos. Using the technique of long-exposure photography from within, or upon moving vehicles, the exhibit relinquishes control of some of the aspects of photography, allowing chance to have an effect upon the outcome. Leaving the shutter open – often for up to sixteen minutes – turns the camera into a paintbrush, capturing blocks of time within a single photograph. The images created are beyond the anticipation of the artist’s pre–visualization, and beyond explanation in their finality. Equivalent to the superimposition of a hundred parallax views within a single photograph, the images are both reductive and additive, removing detail while adding texture.
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Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story
Aug. 5–29
Trapped. 4,000 feet underground. With no food, little air, and even less hope of survival. Remarkably and against all odds, the indomitable spirit and song of coal miner Maurice Ruddick served as a lifeline for his fellow miners over nine unimaginable days. This theatrical production being held on the Granville Island Stage is the inspiring true story of the African-Canadian “singing miner” that emerged from the 1958 Springhill, Nova Scotia, mining disaster. Journey with this award-winning one-person show that recalls the tense historic events and celebrates hope, courage and community. Visit the Arts Club website for tickets and more information.
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18th Annual Richmond Maritime Festival Re-imagined
Aug. 21–22
www.richmondmaritimefestival.ca
Though it will be much smaller than past in-person editions, the Richmond Maritime Festival Re-imagined will bring to life once more the nautical history of Steveston and the Britannia Shipyards. Complementing this year’s program, a new interactive online map will allow visitors to virtually explore the seafaring history of the national historic site and some of this year’s performances. Britannia Shipyards is open to the public daily and some limited Richmond Maritime Festival programming (such as food trucks and roving performers) will be available on the site’s Landside. Admission is free and a limited number will be available for walk-ups.
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CREATE! Arts Festival
Aug. 21–22
CREATE! Arts Festival is a new community initiative of the Eastside Arts Society, bringing together local artists and the community to explore, learn and CREATE! art together through a series of affordable and accessible art workshops, and a public-participation art installation. Attendees of all ages will learn how to CREATE! art such as block printing, felt making, glass blowing, ceramics and painting from Eastside artists in a safe and comfortable outdoor space this summer. Check out the festival’s website for details and more information.
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Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Aug. 26–Sept. 5
The 19th edition of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF) will take place from Aug. 26 – Sept. 5 as a hybrid festival with events both online and in-person. As one of the largest and longest running Latin American film festivals in North America, we will be presenting more than 60 films from 18 countries in 21 languages (always with English subtitles), with 52% of the films directed by women and non-binary directors. Most of the films will be available for viewing online throughout the festival dates with two feature film screenings each evening at The Cinematheque in Downtown Vancouver. Visit the festival’s website for a complete list of films
