14 14 Thursday, Thursday,December December27, 27,2012 2012
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» YEAR IN REVIEW
The year in arts 1 Master carver leaves his mark
Xwalacktun didn’t predict he would become a great carver when he first took classes at 12 years old, but years later he is a master of Coast Salish art. Born Rick Harry, he was given his indigenous name by his father, Pekultn, who was a hereditary chief from the Seymour Creekarea. This summer, he put on a live demonstration at the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver. Using razor-sharp tools, he carefully carved a talking stick he would give away at a wedding in August. The talking stick will be passed between the married couple to give each a chance to express his and her feelings. Also this year, Xwalacktun carved an intricate door for the newly built Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art on Lonsdale Avenue.
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Gordon Smith Gallery opens
Supported by some of B.C.’s most forwardthinking artists, the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art opened this October. Pieces in the gallery on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver are used to teach children about design and art history. Calling itself “the first gallery in the country dedicated to young audiences,” the Gordon Smith Gallery has work by Maritime painter David Blackwood, photos by Ontario landscape artist Edward Burtynsky and a sculpture by the North Shore’s own Douglas Coupland. “We’re different from the Vancouver Art Gallery who just try to stay on the cutting edge,” program facilitator Daylen Luchsinger told The Outlook. “We do that too while trying to cater to the K-12 age group.”
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Healing through art
It took expressionist artist Leef Evans hours to prepare to chat with The Outlook about his exhibit at the Seymour Art Gallery in North Vancouver. He has depression, a debilitating mental illness that makes just about everything in life more difficult, including painting. Quitting university and eventually living homeless in the Downtown Eastside, Evans, whose real name is Eric Howler, found escape in art. He began taking painting classes through Coast Mental Health seven years ago, a decision he says saved his life.
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New Design Gallery
Bringing back fond memories from the past, the West Vancouver Museum put on a show this summer highlighting paintings and sculptures once displayed at the New Design Gallery. Launched in 1955, the gallery on the 1400block of Marine Drive was one of the first in Canada to showcase modern art, which was just emerging on the arts scene in B.C. At the time, contemporary art was anything but popular among “stuffy” Vancouverites who preferred traditional landscapes over abstract deigns. The New Design Gallery helped launch the careers of new North Shore artists, including Bill Koochin (pictured) who still lives in West Van. As modern art became more popular, the revolutionary gallery moved downtown to West Pender Street, where it merged with the newly formed Arts Club.
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Anonymous Art Show
At the eighth annual Anonymous Art Show each painter’s name was kept topsecret until after his or her piece was sold. “The show puts everyone on the same platform and encourages both emerging and established artists,” said Jo Dunlop, exhibitions coordinator for the North Vancouver Community Arts Council. Artists were free to paint what they wanted, as long as the work was created on an unframed 8”x8” canvas. Their name was written on the back, only to be revealed after the painting was purchased, with half the money going to the artist and the other half to the arts council.
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West Coast Modern home tour
The owners of Montiverdi Estates, an enclave high on the western edge of West Vancouver, consider themselves the keepers of the largest living museum of work by late renowned architect, Arthur Erickson. continued, PAGE 15
Wishing you & yours Happy Holidays and all the best in 2013!
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Thanks to the generous support of Cute Paws, Waggin’ Tails K-9 Playschool and Music Just for you, some of our featured pets have been adopted and will enjoy a very Merry Christmas in their new homes. There are many more animals waiting for a new home. Find your new furry friend at the West Vancouver BCSPCA. Call 604.922.4622.
“I don’t know where I’d be today if it wasn’t for art,” he told The Outlook. Evans hasn’t suffered a major attack of depression since he started painting, although he takes life one day at a time.
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