Please tell me it isn't really September already.
Well, the bright side of it being (almost) fall is that I'm back on the arts and entertainment beat after a sojourn in the editor's office followed by my own vacation.
Now I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone out there who has interesting arty things happening this season.
Be sure to stay in touch - if you're an artist of any kind, or if you're with a group that has interesting events in the city, then drop me a line. You can always find me by email, [email protected], or on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
And in the meantime, here are a few items from the file that accumulated while I was away over August.
Happy September!
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What do we really see when we see art? In what ways are we influenced by our memory, subconscious, personal bias and social-cultural conditioning?
Those are some of the questions being explored in a new exhibition at the Arts Council of New Westminster gallery in Queen's Park.
Lam Wong's 21 Elements: Relation, Perception and Meaning is on at the gallery until Sept. 27. An opening reception is set for this Sunday, Sept. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.
21 Elements is an exhibition of oil paintings done over the past eight years that serve "as a self-referential exploration of what constitutes a person's reality, with an aim to delve deeper into the meaning and process of creating art," according to a press release.
Wong was born in Xiamen, China in 1968 and grew up in Hong Kong in the 1980s. He moved to Canada at the age of 19 and studied design, art history and painting in both Alberta and B.C., and he has been living and working in Vancouver since 1998.
"There is so much in this world that I don't understand and have little or no control over: time, space, memory, perception, reality, phenomenon, relationships, meaning, lust, art, human consciousness ... there is so much," Wong says in the press release. "The subject of my art is the process I take to understand these exigencies of life. I am trying to understand how we all perceive and construct our realities."
Intrigued? Drop by the gallery in Centennial Lodge. You can also see more about Wong at his website.
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Do you have a young dancer in the house?
The Royal City Youth Ballet Company is holding auditions this weekend for male and female dancers of all levels, aged seven and up. Open company auditions are set for Saturday, Sept. 6, with juniors at 10 a.m., intermediates at 11 a.m., and senior dancers at noon. Successful dancers will qualify for company Nutcracker auditions at 1:30 p.m.
Open auditions for the Nutcracker production are then being held on Sunday, with registration at 10:30 a.m. and auditions at 11 a.m.
All auditions are taking place at 511 Columbia St. For all the details, call 604-521-7290 or email [email protected].
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Hey, movie fans, don't miss out on your chance to enjoy Last Mondays at the Movies for an extremely special price.
Early-bird passes to the 2014/15 season are available until Sept. 15 for only $60.
Reservations can be made by calling the Arts Council of New West at 604-525-3244 or by emailing info@artscouncil
newwest.org. You can pick up the pass at the first movie screening of the season - Our Man in Tehran, set for Sept. 29.
The Last Mondays at the Movies series brings award-winning Canadian, foreign and independent films to the screen at Massey Theatre on the last Monday of each month. Other titles announced so far are The Grand Seduction on Oct. 27 and The Railway Man on Nov. 24.
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Words, words, words.
Poetic Justice is up and running for the fall season, and it's continuing with its Sunday afternoon reading sessions in the backroom at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St.
Each session runs from 3 to 5 p.m., with readings by two featured poets plus an open mike session.
This Sunday, Sept. 7, is hosted by Franci Louann and features Tanguy 'Titang' Exumé and Kagan Goh.
The Sunday, Sept. 14 session is hosted by Lilija Valis and features Franci Louann and Carol Shillibeer, while the Sunday, Sept. 21 session is hosted by Deborah L. Kelly and features Jane Eaton Hamilton and Candice James.
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Want to get involved with the Royal City Literary Arts Society? Curious what it's all about?
The group is holding a membership drive on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The special event is being held at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St., and will feature readings by Margaret Thompson, Carol Sokoloff and Richard Olafson. It's hosted by Candice James and will also include an open mike session.
New members will be able to join for only $10 at the event.
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Listen to some great music, enjoy some food and support a couple of good causes.
St. Mary the Virgin Church in Sapperton is hosting a concert and tea on Saturday, Sept. 20, featuring the Hazeltones.
The Hazeltones are a gospel-folk band that encourages audience sing-alongs.
Tea - including sweets and fruit - will be served from 1 to 2 p.m., with the concert from 2 to 4 p.m.
Tickets are $15.
Proceeds from the concert will support the church and the Seniors Services Society.
You can reserve tickets by calling Fay at 604-936-3354, leave a message at the church office at 604-521-2314 or email Judy at [email protected].
St. Mary's is at 121 East Columbia St. Parking is in the rear, and accessible parking is on the side, off Debeck Street.
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Here's an early heads-up and "save-the-date" notice for local choral fans.
The fabulous Chor Leoni will be performing right here in New West for Remembrance Day.
The men's choir is bringing its special concert, A Great Service, to Queens Avenue United Church on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Christopher Gaze (of Bard on the Beach fame) will be joining the choir as a guest reader, reading prose by Robert Service. The stories will be offered along with musical selections by Gustav Holst, Paul Mealor, Rupert Lang and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Stay tuned for more details as the date approaches - or check out www.chorleoni.org for further information.
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Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
