The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents AKOS, the monumental works of spray can art by Haida artist Corey Bulpitt, on now until September 14th.

AKOS is Corey Bulpitt’s graffiti tag and his Haida name, Taakeet Gaaya, translates to “Gifted Carver”. Both names reveal two art forms that have successfully come together through this exhibition.

“Going home to Haida Gwaii, learning about my Haida culture, I realized the parallels. I learned to carve monumental art, dance, sing, create regalia and feast items. I realized what I was missing – the connections we share with each other as a community that make us excel as humans.”
Corey Bulpitt

For over 20 years, Bulpitt has been developing his skills as an artist – beginning as a graffiti artist in the 90s. At the age of 15, he immersed himself in DJing, MCing, breaking and graffiti, key elements of Hip Hop culture. At age 20, he returned to Haida Gwaii for a four-year apprenticeship under Haida master carver Christian White. His mentorship included the study of Haida social structure, clan structure, oral history, 2-D art and 3-D carving, ancestral music and dance.

Graffiti and Haida design share many of the same artistic values: continuous flow that expands and compresses, balance in design, colour, positive and negative, and narrative which is reflective of society and social status. The art is explicitly connected to music. In both Hip Hop and Haida cultures, the expressions are all inter-connected. You cannot have one without the other.

Kwiaahwah Jones, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Director of Content writes: “It is a special feature for an artist to first learn the rules and then break them in the proper way. Bulpitt’s contemporary expression blows new life into Haida art. He has created new expression in a medium that draws people in, across cultures and language barriers. AKOS provides the viewer a portal into Haida culture that allows the contemporary to meet the past and the future.”

I first toured the Bill Reid Gallery in 2010 with Reid’s widow, Dr. Martine Reid, two years after it officially opened in 2008. Dr. Reid told me that Bill was “breaking boundaries always” and he hated to repeat himself. I think this exhibition is a perfect fit for the gallery, not only representing the breaking of boundaries but the fusion of cultures, spanning generations, and opening the door for inspiration and expression.

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is located at 639 Hornby in Vancouver, just off Georgia. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Admission fees apply. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is upon us and aside from the all encompassing Latin America House, which will show every match, there is an assortment of cafes, restaurants and pubs in Vancouver that will also be airing the live soccer excitement. Thanks to CBC Vancouver, you can click and pick you favourite viewing area on this handy map:

Click here for full interactive map

Where to Watch FIFA World Cup in Vancouver

The map also shows the supporter locations for various countries, including:

Miss604 is a proud sponsor of Latin America House at the Edgewater Casino, presented by Latincouver. Latin America House will show all FIFA World Cup games at Edgewater Casino on 3 huge theatre-sized screens. Those 19+ can enjoy a state of the art sound system, capacity for 420 soccer fans, prizes daily, drink specials for every match, and more.

The Best Airport in North America (for the 5th year) is once again hosting free weekly entertainment and activities as Take Off Fridays return to YVR. Every Friday from July 4th to August 29th, YVR will come alive with fun-filled activities, free entertainment, delicious food samples and deals for travellers and locals alike.

Take Off Fridays at YVR 2014

Running Fridays from 9:00am to 3:00pm, YVR Take Off Fridays features live entertainment by local performers and beats courtesy of the Lower Mainland’s hottest DJs. For the little ones, caricaturists and balloonists will be onsite, complemented by face painting and photos ops with the beloved YVR mascots. Lunch and shopping specials also await visitors. Join the fun at the Domestic, International & US Terminals, Departures Level 3.

Back for a second consecutive year is the popular YVR Take Off Fridays Paper Airplane Competition, scheduled for Friday, July 11th at 11:00am. Participants of all ages are invited to vie for the chance to scoop up huge prizes, as they square off to create an airplane that will soar past their competitors. Paper airplane expert Ralph Heldt will coach participants on the aerodynamics of paper airplanes and which folding methods will yield the farthest flights.

The free Public Observation Area will be open and it has interactive displays year-round with history and behind-the-scenes looks at Canada’s second busiest airport. Look out at the airfield through telescopes and learn more about Sea Island.

Chester Johnson Park at YVR

Enjoy a special YVR Take Off Fridays parking rate of $5 for up to four hours in YVR’s Parkade. You can also take the Canada Line in, making for a fun-filled day of transportation-themed education and entertainment with the family.

Canada is gearing up to host FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer in 2015 and leading up to the tournament our Canada Women’s National Team will engage in several international matches on home soil this season. The next game is Canada vs Germany in Vancouver on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at BC Place.

Tickets are currently on sale starting at $20 (plus applicable fees). A two-match pack, featuring both the Germany and Japan matches is also available starting at $36 (plus applicable fees). In a continued effort to offer the soccer community affordable access to these matches, special group rates and discounted family packs will also be offered.

“To ensure Canada’s Women’s National Team offers consistent, world-class performances, Canada Soccer believes that it must play against quality opponents more often, and play at home on a regular basis,” said Victor Montagliani, President of Canada Soccer. “Vancouver has demonstrated its enthusiasm towards the beautiful game and we are thrilled to bring some of the fiercest opponents international women’s soccer can offer so that our Women’s National Team can experience the support of their home fans again on the road to Canada 2015.”

If you wish to sit specifically in the supporters’ section (249 at BC Place) you can make that selection at time of ticket purchase online. In addition, purchasers of tickets for the Canada’s Women’s National Team matches in Vancouver will be offered a special opportunity to opt-in to a Priority Access list to purchase venue packs for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ matches at BC Place when the packs go on sale.

Canada Women’s National Team vs Germany in Vancouver: Win Tickets

Thanks to Canada Soccer, I have a 4-pack of tickets to the match against Germany on June 18th plus 4 t-shirts to give away to one lucky Miss604 reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment naming a Canada Women’s National Team player on the current roster (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, June 13, 2014. Follow Canada Women’s National Team soccer updates on Facebook and Twitter with tag #CANWNT.

The team will also play Japan on Saturday, October 25th at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton and Tuesday, October 28th back at BC Place in Vancouver. All Canada WNT home matches this year will be broadcast live nationally on Sportsnet.

Update The winner is @TheLadyandRose on Twitter!

One of the things I love about Las Vegas is the wide variety of things to do there, aside from the casino floor (which can also definitely be fun). This series will share my recent trip with Travel Nevada, covering some of the fun activities that you can do in Nevada, all within a few hours (or less) from the Las Vegas Strip.

Thrillseekers head to Las Vegas for lots of reasons. Just 30 minutes from the strip in Las Vegas is Bootleg Canyon, home of the Flightlinez zip line course, high above the desert floor. This was the next destination on our trip with Travel Nevada.

Photo credit: John Biehler

Once we arrived at Flightlinez, the first thing we did was get a safety briefing from our guides. Unlike previous ziplines I’ve ridden before, the Bootleg Canyon run uses bigger harnesses you wear that allow riders to go as fast as 60 miles an hour over their 8,000 feet of ziplines. You also have a hand brake that you have to use depending on the winds and the run you’re on.

Photo credit: John Biehler

After getting geared up and a short bus ride to the top, we hiked the final bit to get to the first platform.

Photo credit: John Biehler

Photo credit: John Biehler

Photo credit: John Biehler

The first time you’re hooked in is always a little daunting but once you go, you want to keep going. We had four runs to ride and each one was a little different in how we rode them depending on their length and the crosswinds in the canyon.

Photo credit: John Biehler

After a fun morning on the ziplines, we headed to the Las Vegas Strip and into Circus Circus to check out their new indoor roller coaster, the El Loco. This is one of a handful of roller coasters on the strip (Stratosphere, New York New York) but El Loco is the latest addition to the world’s largest indoor theme park, Adventuredome.

Photo credit: John Biehler

With special permission, I was able to capture the 72 second run with a GoPro attached directly to the ride:

It’s a different kind of thrill, indoors and away from the heat of the desert sun, but it will definitely keep you smiling. We actually rode it a few times. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.

More photos of the Bootleg Canyon zipline can be found on my Flickr. Stay tuned for the next instalment in the series to learn about more of my adventures in Nevada.