“There goes the train.”
It was a phrase that Christy Frisken’s father repeated each time the night train passed through the countryside near her home growing up: “There goes the train! One day we’ll be on it.”
“Part lament, part prayer, part wish: this phrase as new meaning as my father – elderly and recovering from a stroke – has less and less to say to his family,” Frisken writes.
Now Frisken, an artist, is hosting a show of that name at the Plaskett Gallery at Massey Theatre. Each drawing in the exhibition – which features chalk pastel and charcoal work – is related to the nightly mantra from her childhood.
You can check out the art until March 31. The gallery is open 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or by appointment. See www.masseytheatre.com.
URBAN GARDENS
A new exhibition at the Amelia Douglas Gallery is celebrating the art of gardening in the city.
Greenlinks 2016: Celebrating the Urban Garden is underway at the gallery at Douglas College until April 16.
The show features nature photography by Wendy Schmidt, featuring local insects, birds and mammals, and semi-abstract paintings by Lauren Morris that explore the beauty of flowers.
Visitors can also check out exhibitions by the Douglas College Institute of Urban Ecology’s UNIBUG program, showing the efforts of local citizen scientists who work to attract beneficial insects to their gardens.
The Amelia Douglas Gallery is on the fourth floor north at Douglas College’s campus at 700 Royal Ave. It’s open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Sunday). Admission is always free. Call 604-527-5723 for more information.
CHOIR CALL
Want to share your love of singing somewhere other than the shower or the car?
The Anvil Community Choir is open for registrations for the spring term. The choir, led by Shane Raman, gives people of all skill levels a chance to get together and learn ensemble singing skills.
The spring session runs Sundays, April 10 to June 19, and the choir rehearses in Studio 413 at the Anvil Centre. Call 604-527-4640 for details.
ALL IN FOR THE ARTS
A recent fundraiser for the Arts Council of New Westminster was a royal success.
The Royal Flush: Let’s Go All In For the Arts! Fundraiser was held on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Match Eatery and Public House at the Starlight Casino, with featured work by local artists and performers Tetsuomi Anzai, Wes Koopmans, Danielle Bobier and Pierre Kaufman.
The night raised $3,250, money that will be used to help the arts council’s outreach and education programs, including ArtsToGo and LitFest New West.
Check out www.artscouncilnewwest.org for more on everything the arts council is up to.
ATOM EGOYAN FILM IN MOVIE SERIES
The latest film by acclaimed Canadian director Atom Egoyan is up next in the Last Mondays at the Movies series.
The Arts Council of New Westminster’s film series continues Monday, March 28 at the Massey Theatre with a screening of Egoyan’s Remember.
The film stars Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer as a 90-year-old struggling with memory loss, a former Auschwitz prisoner whose quiet days in a retirement home are shaken up by the arrival of a package from a close friend (Martin Landau) – and a plan to seek justice from the sadistic prison camp guard who was responsible for the death of both their families.
It screens at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $10 general admission, or $8 for seniors and students. You can pay (cash only) at the door. See www.artscouncilnewwest.org for more details.
OPEN MIKE NIGHTS SET
Love to sing or play an instrument? Here’s another chance to share that love in public.
People of all ages and abilities are invited to take part in the ongoing series of Queensborough open mike nights, running monthly on Friday evenings at the Queensborough Community Centre.
The open mike nights include different jam circles, with microphones and some instruments available for those who’d like to try something new. Chords and lyric pages are also on hand for those who want to play some covers, and a coffee bistro area is set up with refreshments and snacks.
It’s on Fridays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and all the fun is free. The next night is coming up April 15, with sessions to follow May 27 and June 17. Call 604-525-7388 for more details.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
