Winter Farmers Market

If you’re missing your farmers market fix, grab your biggest shopping bags and take in the Winter Farmers Market every other Saturday through April (the next is December 6) at the WISE Hall (1882 Adanac Street).

You’ll find crisp apples, veggies, lamb, organic coffee, cheese, and more. Also mark your calendar for the Holiday Market on December 13 and 14 at Heritage Hall (3102 Main Street).

Vendor information: www.eatlocal.org/markets.html

Vancouver East Cultural Centre’s completion experiences delays

Theatre audiences will get their first peek at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre’s new Vancity Culture Lab studio theatre when Blackbird Theatre brings its production of Pinter’s Briefs to the venue December 3 to 6. But the official unveiling of the renovated venue is still months away.

Crews are putting the finishing touches this week on the three-storey addition to the site, which houses the new studio theatre, washrooms, and administrative offices. But work on the original theatre, to be renamed the historic theatre, continues.

The 99-year-old venue has been under renovation since August 2007, and executive director Heather Redfern admitted the completion date of the project has been slipping.

“I’m not going to give a completion date because it seems to be a moving target,” she said. “It seems like every time they tell us it’s going to be ready for this time, something happens and they say no, it’s going to be a month later. I’m not even going to guess. We are crossing our fingers and hoping that we’ll be able to do our shows in May in there, but we just don’t know.”

A number of shows scheduled to run in the historic theatre in the new year have been moved. Ronnie Burkett’s Billy Twinkle, Requiem for a Golden Boy and the French Theatre of the National Arts Centre collaboration with Théâtre de la Vieille 17 and Théâtre de Sable Maïta will be at the Waterfront Theatre in January and February; Montréal Danse will perform at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in March; and the Theatre Conspiracy/Rumble Productions coproduction Blackbird will now have an extra-long run in the much smaller Vancity Culture Lab in March.

“We are all over town,” said Redfern, who insisted the Cultch’s finances are secure, despite the added cost of hall rentals.

“We do have a contingency for the project and so this is part of that,” she said. “Our operating budget is horrible because we have no revenue from rental or anything, but we knew that was going to happen and we were able to plan for that.”

Source: Straight

Campagnolo opens Friday

The much-awaited Italian restaurant Campagnolo—owned by Fuel Restaurant’s Robert Belcham, Tom Doughty, and Tim Pittman—is scheduled to open at 1020 Main Street on Friday, November 28.

There’s a wine bar at the back, and the menu focuses on simple pizzas, pastas, and house-made salumi, influenced by the Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy.

For hours, call 604-484-6018.

Source: Straight

Fundraiser: 3rd Annual AIDS Benedict Brunch this weekend!

Vancouver’s 3rd Annual AIDS Benedict brunch weekend is happening this weekend, November 29th and 30th.

"YouthCO AIDS Society and Camp Moomba, two non-profit organizations that support and empower children and youth impacted by HIV and AIDS, have teamed up for Vancouver’s 3rd Annual AIDS Benedict brunch weekend. Collectively sponsored by local restaurants, this “eggsellent” event blends scrumptious eggs benedict with public education to help raise awareness about children and youth in BC impacted by HIV and AIDS.

Donations from participating restaurants will give children and youth impacted by HIV and AIDS access to year-long programs and supports that they might not otherwise have access to. Participation in the two-day eggs-travaganza is eggstremely simple: fill your belly with eggs benedict or other promotional items at one (or more!) of the participating establishments on November 29th and November 30th."

Participating restaurants in the area include the following:

• Alibi Room 157 Alexander Street www.alibi.ca
• Chopper’s 3298 East 1st Avenue no website
• Main Cafe 4210 Main Street www.themainonmain.com
• Seb’s Market cafe 592 East Broadway www.hotstuffcatering.com
• Slickity Jim’s 2513 Main Street www.findmycraving.com/icrave/slickity
• WaaZuBee 1622 Commercial Drive www.waazubee.com/main.php
• The Whip 209 East 6th Avenue www.thewhiprestaurant.com

For the full restaurant list (thanks Raul), please visit Rauls' blog @ Hummingbird604.com

Farewell to the Monica Lee Band... for now!

The Monica Lee Band performs its last show at the Libra Room on tonight.

Lee and her band have been a Thursday-night fixture of the Libra Room for three years but she is taking the next six months off to have a baby, which is due in January. By May, Lee and band will tour Western Canada.

For Lee, tonight's show celebrates the fact that the Monica Lee Band has been the longest consecutively running act at the popular Commercial Drive venue, and enjoys the distinction of being one of the only regular gigs in the city that plays original music almost exclusively.

Source: Vancouver Province

Rally this Friday at Havana's

I may already have sent you a notice about this... A friend of a friend though sent me this link to a documentary on the Westboro Church and their message of hate on Youtube. Please watch it. It will give you a very clear idea just what sort of hateful verbal assault is waiting for the theatre goers...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7735501683185935638

On the surface, they seem so wacky and outrageous that they can't be dangerous... The truth is that these people have influence and express the unspoken opinions of a significant swath of America's and even Canada's Evangelical Christian society.

When I first sent out this message I mostly addressed it to friends and contacts in the LGBT community, but i now think it is important to send this out to all our friends and allies...

I am not sure just type of response is best... They are here to get attention and obviously they have already been successful in that. Part of me is thinking that a huge crowd of silent, non-reactive people is the best counter demonstration that we could possibly give back... That if we descend to their level, that we won't accomplish much... My dream would be that we could get such a large crowd out around the theatre that we would be able to keep the Westboro wackos and their anti-gay rants far enough away from the theatre that the people going to see the Laramie Project would be able to see the play in peace. We are not going to change the Westboro people's minds. Their mindset goes beyond fossilization... but if we accomplished that one thing they would have failed to disrupt the play and stopped its important message.

The neat thing is that the show is going on in the heart of Commercial Drive, perhaps Vancouver's most progressive, politically aware and gay supportive neighbourhood... I am confident that we can get a good crowd out there... I am just hoping that our response is articulate and focussed as well as massive and unequivocal.

James Johnstone
703 Hawks Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6A 3J2
CANADA 604-254-4666
www.homehistoryresearch.com

Original message below.

Subject: westboro baptist church rally

Hey everybody
You may have heard that an anti-gay group from Kansas is coming to Vancouver next week to protest the performance of "The Laramie Project" at Havana Theatre (Commercial Drive). I am attending an anti-hate rally that is planned to start on Friday, November 28th at 5pm at Havana's... We have to stand up to these lunatics who show up inappropriately at funerals and other events, carrying signs that read "God Hates Fags". It would be awesome if we all showed up to support our gay and lesbian friends and family. Thanks!

I'm attaching a link to a CBC news article about this :
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/11/19/bc-westboro-church-protest-vancouver-laramie-project.html?ref=rss

I am passing this on - please do likewise!

James Johnstone
703 Hawks Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6A 3J2
CANADA 604-254-4666
www.homehistoryresearch.com

Eco-Friendly Never Looked So Good

Second Edition Eco-Bag In Stores!

Commercial Drive's old street banners get second life as reusable shopping bags!

Almost every year the Commercial Drive Business Society prints 256 32" x 60" nylon street banners which help create a festive, colourful atmosphere for this unique shopping neighbourhood. Eventually each edition of these unique designs must be retired, so rather than sending them to the landfill they've come up with a very green idea — transform them into reusable nylon shopping bags!

By converting our first 3 year's worth of banners (768 banners) into reusable nylon shopping bags rather than using new fabric, we have:

• avoided the equivalent of 10,588 pounds or 5.3 tons of CO2 emissions
• freed up 814 trees to capture and store CO2 from other sources for a full year
• avoided sending 192 kg (422.4 lb) of nylon to the landfill
• saved 38,184,960 BTUs of energy – enough to provide electricity to an average Vancouver home for over 15 months.

"This green initiative even goes one step further", explains Ian McSorley, marketing chair for Commercial Drive. "ALL proceeds from the sale of these shopping bags will be donated to the development of new green spaces in the neighbourhood."

Bei Linda Tang, owner of, Dream Designs says, "We are pleased to contribute to this fabulous community initiative by designing and manufacturing these shopping bags on a cost recovery basis. Each of them is a unique embodiment of the Commercial Drive history that we are proud to be part of."

Bags retail for $9.95 from these Commercial Drive retailers:

• A Small World Shop and Gallery, 2120 Commercial Drive, T: 604.215.0279
• Banshee Clothing, 1566 Commercial Drive, T: 604.254.7240
• Barefoot Contessa, 1928 Commercial Drive, T: 604.255.9035
• Dream Designs, 956 Commercial Drive, T: 604.254.5012
• Drive Organics, 1047 Commercial Drive, T: 604.678.9665
• Kali, 1000 Commercial Drive, T: 604.215.4568
• Lucky Rooster, 1706 Charles Street, T: 604.251.9119
• Mintage, 1714 Commercial Drive, T: 604.871.0022
• Network Apparel, 1832 Commercial Drive, T: 604.683.8011
• Riot, 1395, Commercial Drive, T: 604.254.5073
• Spakwus Organic Eco Spa, #102-1638 E. Broadway, T: 604.879.8367
• Spank on the Drive, 1027 Commercial Drive, T: 604.255.1131
• Ten Thousand Villages, 1204 Commercial Drive, T: 604.323.9233
• Unityoga Teahouse, 1672 E. 10th Avenue, T: 604.708.8369
• Womyns'Ware, 896 Commercial Drive, T: 604.254.2543
  

Source: thedrive.ca

4 Low Rent Artist Studios Up For Grabs by Nov. 21

In 1996, the City of Vancouver created its first live/work Studio Award. This studio, provided free of rent, recognized distinguished artists like Teresa Marshall, Steven Shearer, Myfanwy MacLeod and Kevin Schmidt and enabled them to explore their creative practice.

In 1999, a second studio was added (made available at below market rents) and this year, two additional studios have been made available.

These four studios will be leased to Vancouver-based, low-income professional artists for a 3 year term beginning February 1, 2009.

The city will accept applications until Nov. 21.

"It's a small but important gesture," said Jacquie Gijssen, senior cultural planner with the city. "We can actually help with the tool kit that we have without people arguing about how much money it costs or doesn't cost."

The city has secured live/work spaces for artists through community amenity contributions that developers make when the city allows them increased building density or relaxed zoning. It owns two of the spaces and leases the other two for $1 a year. They're all in artist live/work buildings with two near Cambie, one near Main and the largest on East Pender near Knight Street. The Artist Studio Award Program was initiated by the city in 1996, and the Contemporary Art Gallery picks the jurors and coordinates the selections.

Professional artists in any discipline can apply for the award. The winners will be announced mid-December and can move in Feb. 1.

The jury of local arts and culture professionals seeks artists who are serious professionals, not hobbyists, Gijssen said. Although most, if not all, of those selected in the past have been emerging artists, senior artists can also apply.

Applicants must show financial need. Three of the four spaces are studios and one is a one bedroom. To qualify to win a studio, artists much prove they earn $29,000 or less per year, and to win the one bedroom, they must earn $32,500 or less.

The first place winner is awarded a free studio apartment for three years and the other recipients will pay $375 a month.

Sculpture artist, Rhonda Weppler, paid $325 a month for her 450-square-foot studio at Cambie and West Eighth Avenue for the past three years. The artist live/work building also includes a workshop. Previously, she rented small studios on the East Side.

"A lot of studios in Vancouver are in bad areas because it's cheap rent," Weppler said. "It was nice to be in a place that you could walk downtown and I wasn't scared to be alone at night or walking home at night."

When her tenancy expires and the end of this year, Weppler expects to move to an artist's space in Railtown Studios or in The ARC on Powell Street at the foot of Commercial Drive.

"Even though it's in a bad area it's around $1,000 a month for rent," she said.

Myfanwy MacLeod, who won a space in 2002, recently won a juried international competition held by the city to create the first Olympic and Paralympic legacy art commission for the main plaza in the Olympic Village in Southeast False Creek.

More info at the Office of Cultural Affairs Awards

Vancouver Courier

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL 2008

This is a once a year opportunity to meet many diversely talented artists and view their creations in the studios where they work. Be part of this exciting event, which brings people from all over the Lower Mainland, and share in the imaginations that enrich our neighbourhood and lives. get more details...

	painters			potters
	illustrators			writers
	jewellers			printmakers
	furniture makers			photographers
	musicians			glassblowers
	weavers			sculptors

From emerging artists to those of international fame... these are just a sampling of the exciting talents featured during this unique chance to meet local artists in their studios. details...

Purchase something that strikes your fancy, commission something to be uniquely yours, or just browse through the studios and meet the artists, learning about their specific works of art, materials and tools, approaches and techniques. details...

Download a printable map here

FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
November 21st	November 22nd	November 23rd
5:00pm - 10:00pm	11:00am - 6:00pm	11:00am - 6:00pm

It's Western Canada's largest studio exhibition and sale, and it's absolutely free-- don't miss it!

www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

Vancouver Archives Fundraising Event; Celebrate BC's first 150 Years

Come out and support this very important fund raising event for the Friends of the City of Vancouver Archives. This is a five hour history symposium on BC's first 150 years by three renowned BC historians and includes a catered lunch.

Cost is $50, and a $25 receipt may be issued for tax purposes.

Three speakers are scheduled to attend:

Sylvia Van Kirk will talk about 1858
Terry Eastwood will talk about 1908, and
Robert A. J. Macdonald will talk about 1958

Catering is by Sherilee Dee Catering Ltd., and that means Yummy!

For more information contact James Johnstone - househistorian@yahoo.ca

American anti-gay, hate-mongers plan to cross border to protest Laramie Project play at Havana Theater

The Laramie Project, a play by Fighting Chance Productions, is being threatened with protests and picketing from an extreme baptist church in Topeka, Kansas. The Laramie Project is a play about the brutal attack and murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay American university student, who was left for dead tied to a fence outside Laramie ten years ago.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the production company who will be presenting the play at the Havana Theater, has already contacted the federal government asking for help in preventing this cross border protest by the anti-gay, hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church. Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Tim Fanning said steps would be taken by the police should the group be allowed into the country and that the Canada Border Services Agency was looking into the issue. The planned protest is scheduled for Friday, November 28 from 7 PM - 8 PM.

Fighting Chance Production's The Laramie Project runs November 26 to December 6, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Saturday afternoon at 2 PM.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for students and seniors with 2-for-1 shows on Tuesdays. The Laramie Project will show at the Havana Theatre at 1212 Commercial Drive.

This production will feature original material from the Tectonic Theatre Project blog and all-new music created by the cast.

The Laramie Project is directed by Ryan Mooney and Stage Managed by Tamara Harvey. Featuring Matthew Clarke, Christopher Cook, Ira Cooper, Sherry Lynn Friesen, Anna Hassard, Matthew MacCaull, Jeff McMahan, Jean Nicolai, Alicia Olive, Keri Smith, Spencer Snashall, and Nadia Von Hahn.


Laramie Project info.

First Canadian exhibition of Kai Althoff's work at the Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery will present the first Canadian exhibition of German artist Kai Althoff from November 8, 2008 until February 15, 2009.

Althoff is a multimedia artist, however he has received most of his recognition from his work as a painter. Approximately 30 paintings and drawings from the early 1990s to the present and works drawn from noted exhibitions/installations will complete the Gallery’s presentation. This selection of work underscores Althoff’s fluid stylistic approach and masterful way of presenting life’s complex yet fundamental extremes with exquisite intimacy and insight. In its entirety, the exhibition abandons the straightforward survey in favor of a more complex juxtaposition of components, whose subtle connections will be revealed throughout the visitor’s personal experience of the space.

Kai Althoff was born in 1966 in Cologne, Germany and continues to reside there. Althoff travels extensively for his individual and collaborative endeavors, exhibiting his work both nationally and internationally. His artistic output encompasses a vast spectrum of media, including works on paper, painting, photography, music, videos, text, performances and installations. He co-founded the German band Workshop, whose joint efforts figured largely in Althoff’s early artistic practice, and whose namesake—a place that advocates for the creative production of both the individual and the group—continues to play a recurring theme in his work.

Vancouver Art Gallery: Kai Althoff exhibition page

Advanced Voting Polls Now Open

Vancouver Votes November 15

Vote in advance November 5, 8, 10 and 12

Vote in advance from 8 am to 8 pm on November 5, 8, 10 and 12 at:

• City Hall
• Dunbar Community Centre
• Sunset Community Centre
• Trout Lake Community Centre
• Westend Community Centre

Visit the Elections website for more information: candidate profiles, voting details and borrowing questions for the 2009 - 2011 Capital Plan.

For more info on the civic election and the capital plan:

civic election

12th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Nov 6 - 9

Today is your last day to get Early Bird VIP passes for the 12th Annual Vancouver Asian American Film Festival!

Opening night starts Thursday, November 6th and the festival closes on Sunday, November 9th.  Closing festivities include a Wrap Party and and Encore Presentations of West 32nd and Permute.

Click here for Program.

Click here to buy your VAFF VIP Pass

More information