Afro Van Connect has announced the Black Spaces Symposium Virtual happening July 23 to July 26, 2020. This Symposium will consist of various panel discussions, art exhibitions and music performances all centred and designed to showcase the black experience.
This Symposium is established to create opportunities for youth of African Descent to access equipment, education, training, networks and opportunities, empowering them to creatively and economically flourish; building on their unique gifts and perspective from their heritage and diaspora cultural experiences.
Black Spaces
Afro Van Connect has put together this FAQ:
What is Black Space? A Black Space is an intentionally curated and designed space for people of African Descent and their allies to collaborate, commune and create practical solutions to end racism and systemic inequalities.
Why are they important? Black Spaces give people of African Descent the space and agency to reimagine who they are, who they want to be and what impact they want to have within their local communities and the world.
Why the Black Spaces Symposium? The Black Spaces Symposium is about being and belonging. Within British Columbia there are no cultural hubs, community infrastructure, or neighbourhoods that directly serve the specific needs of people of African Descent. The intention of the Black Spaces symposium is to create the awareness of the necessity of black spaces, highlight the various resources within our community, and develop practical solutions to alleviate our inequities.
How can you support black spaces? The lack of safe spaces for people of African Descent to authentically express themselves, their issues and experiences need to be addressed before we can begin to build a strong thriving community. Solving this problem requires all people who see the necessity for change and diversity in our city to come together and actively take part.
Volunteer, Sponsor, Invest
The Symposium is currently seeking volunteers, sponsors and investors who are interested in assisting in ensuring that people of African Descent have the visibility, resources, and the space they need to succeed. Contact [email protected] if you would like to support the Symposium.
As with most other celebrations this year, Father’s Day will look a little bit different without big barbecues, special events or a game of catch with the Vancouver Canadians. However, small businesses are helping you celebrate with this selection of local Father’s Day gift boxes.
Local Father’s Day Gift Boxes
BBQ gift basket from Well Seasoned
Well Seasoned Gift Baskets
Angie Quaale’s Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store offers seasonal gift baskets for Dad with themes like Grill Masters, Cocktails & Mixology, Snack Time, Cocktails, Breakfast in Bed, and Some Like It Hot. Order online and select your budget of $50 to $100.
Meat Bouquet
The family-operated and community-focused Hofstede’s Country Barn in Chilliwack is making Meat Bouquets for Father’s Day. Local meats and cheeses artfully arranged to emulate a tongue-in-cheek floral arrangement. Order online for a safer and healthier shopping experience or call (604) 824-1192.
Build Your Own Sundae
For dads with a sweet tooth, this fun offering is from Glenburn Soda Fountain in Burnaby. Order online and pick up a take-home kit to build your own sundaes, including ice cream, toppings and house made sauces.
Ledgeview Golf & Country Club sunscreen and lip balm
Sleeve of golf balls from Tradex
Two tickets to the 2021 Vancouver Golf Show at Tradex
add-on option: two midweek passes to Ledgeview Golf & Country Club ($86 plus tax)
The gift bags feature products from several local businesses and can be purchased online, with curbside pick-up service on Thursday, June 18th from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Friday, June 19th from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Due to COVID-19 protocol, pick-up will be organized with social distancing measures in place. Items must be ordered by Thursday, June 18th at 5:00pm.
Whistler in a Basket
The team at Whistler’s Blackcomb Liquor Store have a passion for liquor and for locals. They will handpick a gift basket packed with dad’s favs from your last trip to Whistler including; beers from Coast Mountain Brewing and Whistler Brewing Company, a bottle of Montis Distilling gin, a cone of handmade Whistler Chocohappy treats, a bar of the decorative Arts Meets Chocolate featuring a Whistler artist, Nonna Pia’s Balsamic Glaze and Eve’s Crackers. They work with local producers as well as Edible Canada to bring unique and yummy treats to the mountains. For deliver within the Whistler area or pick-up.
On June 21, celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis during National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Art by Syilx artist Janine Lott available at the Kelowna Visitor Centre
Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous Tourism BC (“ITBC”) is encouraging communities across British Columbia to get creative with this year’s celebrations. Due to ongoing travel restrictions and limitations on social gatherings due to COVID-19, ITBC is celebrating online throughout this month and a signature experience on June 21, 2020.
Kiixin Tour guide Wisqii leading our group through the rainforest
National Indigenous History Month was first instituted in June 2009, as a way to educate, connect and promote reconciliation in Canada. National Indigenous Peoples Day was declared in 1996, with the date of June 21 chosen to coincide with the summer solstice and the start of berry-picking and fishing season.
Get the Indigenous Tourism BC app
Both holidays invite Canadian residents not only to celebrate Indigenous culture, but also to reflect on the rich history of Indigenous peoples in BC.
For the past seven years, ITBC has hosted the Indigenous Cultural Festival in Victoria to honour BC’s 200-plus First Nations with a weekend dedicated to lively performances, engaging tours and traditional artisan goods. This year’s event has been cancelled to respect requirements for physical distancing; instead, ITBC has compiled a series of actions outlining how the public can safely pay homage to Indigenous peoples throughout the month. These include:
Honour physical distancing requirements in Indigenous communities. Follow local travel recommendations to protect Indigenous elders, children, resources and lands.
Add Indigenous tourism experiences in BC to your travel plans.Download the Indigenous Tourism BC app to find local tourism operators. Include Indigenous tourism in your travel plans.
Support Indigenous digital economies. Resourceful entrepreneurs are now serving patrons through online orders, delivery service and virtual events. Shop online for Indigenous fashion, food, wine and art to show your support for Indigenous lands, cultures and businesses.
Join a virtual gathering. Summer events might be cancelled, but virtual gatherings are going strong! Online conference and streaming tools make it easy to attend virtual powwows and drum sessions, and new means of connection are emerging daily. Follow ITBC’s social media channels to stay in-the-know about upcoming virtual celebrations.
Explore educational tools. Set aside time to learn about the historic keepers of our land – one suggestion is First Voices, which offers interactive language learning tools. You can also enhance your child’s homeschooling with resources that explore Indigenous perspectives on contemporary curriculum content.
Browse Indigenous culture. Whether literature, film, music or artwork, Indigenous culture is rich with stories told by local artists. Browse online collections hosted by museums in BC, check #IndigenousReads for recommendations of captivating books, and search free collections of Indigenous film.
Whether buying arts and crafts, visiting tourism businesses that are open and accepting guests, or following ITBC on social media to enjoy celebratory content throughout June, there are plenty of ways you can dive into the enthralling history, culture and storytelling of BC’s diverse First Nations.
Tune into this event in Vancouver: The Carnegie Community Centre Celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day, live online from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Join for an ancestral land acknowledgement with Elder Carleen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, live stream performances – including Carnegie’s own lexwst’í:lem Drum Group, a virtual tour of the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, a virtual smudge & storytelling with Carnegie Elder in Residence Les Nelson and Museum of Anthropology Indigenous artist talks and more.
The Vancouver Art Gallery reopening is set for June 15, 2020 after closing due to COVID-19. The Gallery aims to provide a welcoming and safe environment so that all visitors can enjoy exhibitions with ease.
Vancouver Art Gallery Totes
Vancouver Art Gallery Reopening
To salute our frontline workers, the Gallery will be offering two mornings or free, early access admission during the first week of reopening. The first week of reopening will look like this:
Monday, June 15, 2020 10:00am to 5:00pm – special reopening day for members, artists and donors.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 10:00am to 12:00pm– special hours and free entry for frontline workers and their families; 12:00pm to 5:00pm open to the public; 5:00pm to 8:00pm by donation
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 10:00am to 5:00pm – open to the public
Thursday, June 18, 2020 10:00am to 5:00pm – open to the public
Friday, June 19, 2020 10:00am to 12:00pm – special hours and free entry for frontline workers and their families; 12:00pm to 8:00pm open to the public (new Friday hours)
A full outline of safety measures and protocols can be found online here.
Exhibitions
The Gallery reopens with an exciting exhibition line-up. Shuvinai Ashoona – Mapping Worlds and lineages and land bases have been extended to August. New exhibitions that were slated to open in March will now open on June 15th: The Tin Man Was a Dreamer: Allegories, Poetics and Performances of Power and NEXT: Matilda Aslizadeh – Moly and Kassandra. The much-awaited exhibition Modern in the Making: Post-War Craft and Design in British Columbia, which was scheduled for a May opening, will now open on July 18th.
Extended:
Rapture, Rhythm and the Tree of Life: Emily Carr and Her Female Contemporaries. On view through December 13, 2020.
Shuvinai Ashoona – Mapping Worlds. On view through August 30, 2020.
lineages and land bases. On view through August 30, 2020.
NEW: The Tin Man Was a Dreamer: Allegories, Poetics and Performances of Power. June 15, 2020, to November 1, 2020
NEXT: Matilda Aslizadeh – Moly and Kassandra. June 15, 2020, to November 1, 2020.
In order to avoid large group gatherings, all public tours, onsite school and adult programs and special events have been postponed until further notice. This includes all social events, FUSE and exhibition openings. Art Connects and Art At Home online programs will continue to be offered weekly.
The Museum of Vancouver and Vancouver Maritime Museum are reopening on June 11th with new protocols and procedures in place that allow the public to safely enjoy the galleries and exhibitions on view.
Vancouver Maritime Museum Reopening
Location: 1905 Ogden Ave, Vanier Park, Kitsilano, Vancouver
Tickets: Purchase online in advance here. Tickets will be sold in 15 minute intervals to avoid congestion. The volume of people in the museum will be limited to 50 people at any given time. This includes staff and visitors.
Lessons from the Arctic: How Roald Amundsen Won the Race to the South Pole (a free outdoor exhibition). VMM partnered with the Norwegian Embassy to bring back a popular exhibition. As a gift to the community, the VMM has displayed the exhibition in the windows of the St. Roch shelter so the public can safely enjoy it while remaining outdoors.
Climb Aboard the St. Roch: Explore one of the world’s great Arctic explorers and a National Historic Site of Canada. The St. Roch was the first vessel to traverse the Northwest Passage from west to east (1940-1942), the first to complete the passage in one season (1944) and the first to circumnavigate North America.
And just for the reopening, VMM will feature the exhibition By The Shore: Maritime BC in Paintings, featuring works by Emily Carr, E.J. Hughes and more. There will also be a Virtual Birthday Celebration for the VMM on June 11th.
Museum of Vancouver Reopening
Location: 1100 Chestnut Street, Vanier Park, Kitsilano, Vancouver
Acts of Resistance: On view until July 2020, showcasing the artwork of seven indigenous artist activists from the Pacific Northwest, whose designs flew from the Iron Workers Memorial bridge on July 3, 2018 to protest the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline project.
Haida Now: On view until December 2020, MOV in partnership with Haida Gwaii Museum, presents a visual feast of innovation and tradition with, Haida Now. Guest curated by Haida Curator Kwiaahwah Jones in collaboration with Viviane Gosselin, Co-curator and Director of Collections & Exhibitions at MOV, this exhibition features an unparalleled collection of Haida art, boasting more than 450 works.
c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city: Known to archaeologists variously as the Eburne Midden, Great Fraser Midden, and Marpole Midden, recently made headlines when ancient burials were uncovered through urban development and the Musqueam strove to protect them. This collaborative project aims to generate public discussions about heritage and Indigenous history, and to raise awareness of the significance of c̓əsnaʔəmfor the Musqueam people and for the City of Vancouver.
