A New Westminster poet has been honoured for her work paying tribute to poet and visionary Rabindranath Tagore.
The Vancouver Tagore Society, World Poetry and the City of Richmond presented a tribute to the Bengali poet for the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Tagore, for those who don't already know (and I must confess, I did not) was a poet, essayist, short story writer and novelist who became the first nonEuropean to earn a Nobel Prize - in literature, in 1913, "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West." (That quote, by the way, is directly from the Nobel Prize website.)
New West's own Renée Sarojini Saklikar was selected by judges to read her poem, And You, Rabindranath, at the Tagore celebration on Sept. 10.
The event, held at the Richmond Cultural Centre, included poetry, lectures, music and dance.
POETS GATHER
While we're on the poetry front, don't forget that World Poetry New Westminster is returning for a new season of its Night Out events.
They're held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6: 30 p.m. at the New Westminster Public Library.
The evenings feature a variety of poets, plus an open mike session, and they all include a free raffle and refreshments.
Everyone is welcome. For more details, call 604-526-4729 or see www. worldpoetry.ca.
RINGING THE BELLS
Interested in being part of a handbell choir?
A youth handbell choir and an adult handbell choir at Queens Avenue United Church are looking for new members.
Basic music reading ability is required.
If you're interested, call 604-597-3894.
FILM SERIES SET
Do you have your Last Mondays at the Movies tickets yet?
The arts council's film series offers award-winning Canadian, foreign and independent films on the last Monday of every month (except July, August and December).
Screenings start at 7: 30 p.m. at the Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Ave.
Single tickets are $9, or you can buy tickets for all nine movies for $70 - or, if you buy by that abovementioned early-bird deadline, it's only $60.
Call 604-525-3244 or pop in to the arts council gallery at Centennial Lodge, Queen's Park, to get yours.
CALLING CRAFTERS
The Arts Council of New Westminster is looking for artists and crafters.
Artists working in both two-and three-dimensional media are being sought for exhibits in the Queen's Park gallery and the arts council's satellite galleries.
Call 604-525-3244 to get the details, or send an email to [email protected], with Exhibitions in the subject line.
Meantime, crafters are also wanted to take part in the Enchanted Christmas Forest at Starlight Casino (which houses a satellite gallery for the arts council).
The sale will run Nov. 17 to Dec. 18, Thursdays to Sundays from 4 to 9 p.m., and 45 spots will be available.
Table rental fees are $50 a day for one night, $40 a day for a week, or $30 a day for five weeks.
Call 604-761-3612 or email [email protected] to take part.
ARTISANS WANTED
Artists and artisans, take note.
Place des Arts is looking for artists and artisans to display their wares at its Christmas Boutique. (Yes, I just said "Christmas." Please don't kill me.)
Place des Arts - located in Maillardville - is looking for artisans who create fine-art quality felted items, wooden boxes, glass ornaments, silver work, pottery, leather products, handmade soap or other quality handcrafted items.
Items don't necessarily need to be Christmasthemed; they can also be gifts with year-round appeal.
Artists set the prices for their work, and Place des Arts keeps 30 per cent of the retail price.
To be considered for the boutique, artists must submit five work samples to be juried, along with a $10 application fee.
The deadline for registration is Sunday, Oct. 16, with drop-off of works to be juried on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.
Check out all the details at www.placedesarts.ca.
BACK ON DUTY
Ask anyone who saw me dancing around the office on the morning of Aug. 26 (assuming we can call the uncoordinated, ungraceful jumping-twirling-arm-waving thing I do dancing), and you'll soon learn that I am indeed back at my own desk.
After filling in for vacationing editor Pat Tracy for the summer, I have returned to my regularly scheduled programming and am now back on the arts beat - so capably watched over by the lovely Christina Myers for the summer.
Please feel free to contact me with all your arts and entertainment news and tips - email me at jmaclellan@royalcityrecord. com, find me on Twitter @juliemaclellan, or come befriend me on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ JulieLMacLellan.
Visit Julie's blog, In the Spotlight, at www.royalcity record.com.
