This fall, Surrey Art Gallery launches the solo exhibitionq̓ʷɑti̓cɑ: k̓ʷam̓k̓ʷəm̓ tə šxʷhəliʔ / Phyllis Atkins: Divine Connectionfrom September 18 to December 11, 2021. q̓ʷɑti̓cɑ / Phyllis Atkins makes paintings and sculptures that draw from both Coast Salish tradition and her own personal journey to connect with the world around her. In her first solo exhibition at the Gallery, she presents three new life-and spirit-affirming artworks.
q̓ʷɑti̓cɑ / Phyllis Atkins next to her public artwork A Bear’s Feast (sƛ̓ənəqs kʷə speʔəθ) in civic collection of City of Maple Ridge. Photo by Oliver Rathonyi-Reusz.
Drop-in launch on September 18, 2021 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Surrey Art Gallery. Formal remarks begin at 7:30pm.
Where: Surrey Art Gallery (13750 88 Ave, Surrey)
Admission: Free
The exhibition foregrounds the importance of circular form and symbolism: while each work alludes to icons such as the moon or weaving technologies, the repeating circular shapes also evoke a handheld drum and its critical importance to Coast Salish culture and revitalization.
“I am on my true life path, honouring my gifts from the Creator and sharing them with others,” says Atkins. “Divine Connection is a reflection of my life, my healing journey.”
The focal point of the exhibition is ƛ̓a tə qələms tə c̓ic̓əɬ səy̓em̓ / The Creator’s Eye, a multimedia sculpture that combines a circular painted panel elevated two metres off the ground with long strands of woven cedar tumbling from its bottom edge. This artwork is partly based on a Coast Salish spindle whorl design. A spindle whorl is a traditional tool, using a disc and shaft, for spinning wool. The eye in the middle of Atkins’s artwork is enclosed between two faces.
Join Megaphone Magazine on September 22nd for the annual Megaphone Breakfast Fundraiser! This will be a hybrid in-person and online event that will look slightly different to previous breakfasts but will still bring you the same heart-warming, inspirational and meaningful connection to vendors that make the event so special.
Megaphone Breakfast Fundraiser
When: Wednesday, September 22, 2021 from 7:30am to 9:00am Where: In-person at 312 Main St, Vancouver & online Tickets: Book online or in-person ticket here ($38-$81)
Funds raised will help Megaphone’s Vendor Program come back strong after a challenging pandemic year.
Prior to the program, guests will have a chance to visit with Megaphone vendors and peers at various stations, where they’ll help you navigate the app, flip through the Megaphone magazine and Hope in Shadows archives, and be the first to hear about a special project Megaphone peers are releasing soon.
After catching up, guests will sit down to hear the keynote address from climate justice advocate, Kai Nagata, and celebrate the announcement of Megaphone’s Vendor of the Year 2021. Be inspired as we take another step together in changing the story on poverty!
The in-person tickets for this event are limited to 50 in order to maintain the health and safety of vendors and guests. If in-person tickets have sold-out or you’d prefer to tune into the program livestream, they’ve tried to make this a special experience for you too.
Online guests can choose to bring their own breakfast or opt for receiving a $15 JJ Bean gift card to purchase a coffee and breakfast from whichever location they prefer before jumping online from the home office at 7:45am to be part of the Megaphone Breakfast program.
About Megaphone
Published every month, Megaphone is a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver by homeless and low-income vendors. Megaphone also runs writing workshops in the Downtown Eastside and downtown Vancouver for marginalized writers. Shop online now or find a vendor near you.
Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a proud contributor to the magazine, since April 2021, writing the Heartbeats column that shines a spotlight on non-profit organizations in the community and the amazing people behind them.
Top Left: Grace(2016),Also called Moma yeh estsu yeh Giyets’ edih – Honouring our Mothers and Grandmothers. Lynx paws, recycled Indonesian prayer scarves, 24K beads, brocade upholstery fabric, twill edging. Photograph courtesy of the artist. Bottom Left: Sho Sho Esquiro(2016).Photograph by Matika Wilbur. Right: They Stole the Children from the Land Notre Dame, Paris, France(2019).
Sho Sho Esquiro: Doctrine of Discovery
When: September 22, 2021–June 5, 2022
Open Wednesdays to Sunday 11:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Hornby St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Book online in advance or upon arrival for $6-$13.
Free admission from 2:00pm to 5:00pm every first Friday of the month thanks to the Downtown Vancouver BIA. Free for current SFU students. Free for Indigenous Peoples and Gallery Members.
The solo exhibition by award-winning designer, artist, and activist Sho Sho Esquiro showcases meticulously crafted couture gowns, raw textiles, paintings and photographs to celebrate the beauty, strength and resilience of First Nations communities in the face of historical and ongoing trauma.
Curated by Miranda Belarde-Lewis, Sho Sho Esquiro: Doctrine of Discovery inspires conversations around genocidal colonial practices, confronts the theft and murder of Indigenous women and children, and honours activists on the front lines.
Light Up Chinatown is new two-day event featuring a variety of family-friendly activities along East Pender and neighbouring streets happening this September. Presented by the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and the Chinatown Business Improvement Association, enjoy everything from live entertainment, exclusive food collaborations, to glittering displays of lights and lanterns.
Light Up Chinatown
When: September 11-12, 2021 Where: East Pender & neighbouring streets Admission: Free
“Our goal for Light Up Chinatown is to encourage people to reconnect with Vancouver’s Chinatown, especially leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival,” says Carol Lee, co-founder and chair of Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. “The lanterns and lights are beautiful beacons, highlighting the vibrant, cultural history this special neighbourhood continues to hold and represent.”
The two-day event kick-offs on Saturday, September 11, 2021 with an opening ceremony at the main stage on Columbia Street at Keefer at 11:00am. From there, attendees can join in on a variety of live festivities, including a performance by Goh Ballet, live music, magic show by Rod Chow, and food tastings while exploring shops around Chinatown for unique, specialty offerings.
Ken Tsui of Here There creative studio has brought together a line-up of culinary collaborations, bridging cultures together, including:
Vancouver Chinatown Foundation has also updated its Taste of Chinatown passport, a self-guided walking food tour where Light Up Chinatown visitors can sample must-try items from eateries. Passport maps will be handed out near the main stage on both days. Completed passports can be submitted to enter-to-win daily prizes from a variety of Chinatown businesses and restaurants.
There will also be an Instagram contest for those who share images throughout the two days, using the #LightUpChinatown hashtag and tagging @chinatownfoundation. The grand prize winner will win a Chinatown restaurant gift package.
I am using a rainy image on this post to bring on some downpour energy! From theatrical experiences and musical performances, to online programming and soccer action at BC Place, there are plenty of things to do in Vancouver this weekend, including the return of the PNE:
