Poetry lovers, it’s that time of year again.
The Royal City Literary Arts Society is returning with its Poetry in the Park series, running Wednesday evenings throughout July and August in the bandshell at Queen’s Park.
Drop by the bandshell anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays to hear from featured poets or take part in open mike sessions.
The opening night will be July 6, featuring Jordan Abel, Joanne Arnott and Ray Hsu.
On July 13, you can hear from Candice James and Geoff Nilson, while July 20 will feature Elizabeth Bachinsky and Erin Kirsh.
The last Wednesday of the month, July 27, will feature Cecily Nicholson, Manolis, and Kevin Spenst.
For a full list of the poets, check out www.rclas.com – or just turn out to the park to enjoy spoken word in a beautiful setting.
ART IN THE PARK
Art is all about self-expression – and what better way to get in on the fun than to create your own family portrait?
Artists from the Artists in the Boro group will be on hand in Ryall Park on Tuesday, July 12 to lead a Community Art in the Park event.
The event, dubbed Making Funny Faces, is free for all ages and will give people a chance to make their own version of a wacky family portrait, create an impression of a friend or relative, or even make a self-portrait. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and kids and adults are all welcome.
“The aim is to have a good time and indulge in some creativity together in a lovely outdoor setting on a summer evening,” said artist Karen Justice in an email.
Making Funny Faces is the first of two Community Art in the Park events – the next one will take place Tuesday, Aug. 9 (stay tuned for details about that project).
The sessions are being funded by a Neighbourhood Small Grant from the Vancouver Foundation.
ART WAVES CAMPS
Are there any small arty people in your house?
The Arts Council of New Westminster is still accepting registrations for its Art Waves summer camps.
The week-long camps run five mornings a week from 10 a.m. to noon, and they all cost $90.
Kids can learn new drawing, painting, mixed-media and printmaking techniques, with offerings for both five- to eight-year-olds (July 4 to 8, and Aug. 1 to 5) and nine- to 12-year-olds (July 18 to 22, and Aug. 15 to 19).
See www.artscouncilnewwest.org/artwaves for all the details or to sign up.
PHOTOS OF THE FRASER
Do you love photography? The Fraser River Discovery Centre is looking for photos for its annual photo exhibition *click* photos of the fraser, which will open Sept. 22. This year’s theme is “time,” and photographers of all ages – both amateur and professional – are invited to submit images for consideration.
“Photographers are encouraged to be creative with their interpretation of the ‘time’ theme,” says exhibit coordinator Kathleen Bertrand in a press release. “Think of seasons, times of day, historical time periods, play time, family time. We want photographers to have fun with this.”
You have until Aug. 15 to submit entries, so be sure to take the camera down to the river and get shooting!
Check out www.tinyurl.com/FraserClickInfo for all the details.
POETS WANTED
The Royal City Literary Arts Society is looking for top poets.
The society is now accepting submissions for its third annual Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. It’s open to books (not chapbooks) of at least 50 pages in length, written in English by a single author and originally published in the calendar year 2015 in Canada.
First prize is $500, second prize is $250 and third prize is $100. For information and full submission details, see www.rclas.com.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
