*Featured image: Jörgen Dance’s production of Sleeping Beauty, showing this month at The Massey Theatre. Photo by Kat Rizza
February has arrived, and with it, 28 stacked days of culture and creativity! Whatever the forecast may bring, the art community always gives you inspiring reasons to brave the chilly weather. This month offers some absolute gems of events and exhibitions, from social outings to workshops that will cultivate your craft. In Whistler, you can catch an exciting series of monologues written by a renowned local playwright. Then in Burnaby, you’re invited to a new exhibition inspired by the advertising and pop culture of the 20th century. There’s plenty of variety across all mediums that will surely keep you on your toes until spring rolls around!
Manuel Axel Strain: xʷəlməxʷ child – Vancouver’s North Shore
February 1 – May 11
In xʷəlməxʷ child, artist Manuel Axel Strain draws on Musqueam, Secwépemc, and Syilx ways of knowing, and the discipline of Western psychology. Compositing theories of mind from across their different cultures, Strain imagines the perspective of a child who contemplates the world from beyond these existing frameworks. Through figurative paintings, transformed into pictographs and set against photographic murals, Strain’s work proposes a way of seeing that suspends judgement and challenges divisions such as past and future, old and new, self and other.
The Chair Series – Whistler
February 1
16 monologues. 8 actors. 1 writer.
The Point Artist-Run Centre welcomes back the renowned performance series! Written and directed by Vancouver playwright John McGie, The Chair Series is theatre at its most fundamental level. There are no large props, costumes or elaborate sets. The only prop is a chair for each actor and some sound to augment the story. The actors rely solely on their craft and the script that McGie has written specifically for each player. The pieces stand on their own, but also flow into one another to create an overall arc to the show.
February 15
Part cocktail reception, part artist showcase, this is a night of creativity and conversation! Peruse the work of artists Jane & Jonah Waterous and then chat with them about their processes. Held in the beautiful Four Seasons Resort, this event offers a fantastic way to be social and feel inspired.
Kim Kennedy Austin: Booster Club – Burnaby
February 7- April 20
This solo exhibition by Kim Kennedy Austin centers upon the artist’s interests in 20th century advertising, media, and popular culture in myth and meaning making. Drawing on a range of movies and books through this body of work, she explores topics such as conformity, consumer capitalism, risk, and blind faith.
Jack Bush: Flaunting the Rules – Vancouver
February 1 – April 12
A leading figure of the Colour Field movement, Jack Bush helped establish Toronto as a significant centre for abstract art in the 60s and 70s while achieving remarkable success in the international arena. Flaunting the Rules showcases a selection of thirteen iconic and monumental works from prominent collections that trace the evolution of Bush’s unique style and technique through his most significant period, 1961 to 1976. The exhibition marks the first major solo showcase of Bush’s work in British Columbia in nearly half a century!
Carol Kong: Life is Still – Vancouver
February 7 – 15
Life is Still is a solo exhibition that invites viewers to pause and look at the overlooked. In this collection of still life paintings, Carol Kong transforms ordinary objects into visual poetry. Each piece captures a quiet beauty, directing our attention to the delicate dance of light and shadow and the subtle colours that bring things to life. These works are not merely representations of objects, but explorations of simply being.
Flight – Vancouver
February 8 – 16
Taking place in the unlikely setting of an airport departure lounge, Jonathan Dove’s modern masterpiece soars with comedy and compassion! From “the Mozart of the 21st century” comes a work of stunning emotional breadth. Though it draws inspiration from the heart-wrenching true story of an Iranian refugee bureaucratically marooned in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years, Flight pulls off an improbable feat: it’s a wildly-engaging, melodically-accessible comedy, a triumph of pathos, and an absolute must-see!
Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty – New Westminster
Feb 8
Sleeping Beauty is one of the world‘s most famous classical ballets and holds a place in the repertoire of virtually every major company. After more than 25 successful years, Ballet Jörgen created their own unique classical ballet rendition with its World Premiere Tour during the 2015-2016 season. The new ballet tells the enchanting story of Aurora and her prince complete with its inherently magical qualities and dazzling choreography.
February 6 + 20
Calling all artists: learn how to write effective grant applications in this two-part workshop.Led by Walter Quan, former longtime visual arts grants officer at the BC Arts Council, this two-part grant writing workshop for artists will offer guidance and tips for creating competitive grant applications. Part I will be informational, leading to the preparation of a practice grant application. In Part II, participants will gather to “jury” the submissions and provide gentle critique to share how others may judge an application within a competitive process.
February 21 – 22
Hosted by the Langley Arts Council and supported by six professional artists from diverse backgrounds, this is a free, two-day workshop for emerging creative voices. Throughout this immersive experience, participants can attend workshops and talks led by local artists who have exhibited and worked globally. Adittionally, participants can take part in a life drawing class and register for one-on-one mentorship with an experienced art professional. This is a unique opportunity to gain personalized advice, deepen your artistic skills, and receive guidance on your creative journey.
Artist: Grace Chen