ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

New West Cultural Crawl returns this weekend

NaveenaVijayan

nvijayan@newwestrecord.ca

It’s that time of the year when the entire city turns into a giant art gallery — artists open their homes for people to take a sneak peek of their creations, co-working spaces shapeshift into walk-in art studios, and breweries morph into places where customers chug a beer while staring into large canvases.

NewWest’s 19th annual Cultural Crawl, organized by the Arts Council of NewWest, is set to take place Oct. 15 and 16.The event will dot the city’s map with 25 spots that art enthusiasts can waltz in and out of as they please, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

NewWest residents will get a chance to enjoy artworks by both emerging and professional artists, not just in pin-drop-silent galleries but also in a lively coffee shop, or, as it turns out, a church.

Here are five spots — that are not a gallery or a studio — to check out at this Cultural Crawl:

THE ART DEPARTMENTAT ANOTHER BEER CO.

Browsing through art in the quiet halls of a gallery can sometimes be intimidating. But looking at art with a beer mug in hand and a group of friends to clink it with seems more like a social outing, doesn’t it? And who knows — swilling down a glass of lager might even give some a new perspective on those seemingly random brush strokes.

Head to the newly built Art Department at Another Beer Co., a new entrant in the Cultural Crawl list, to look at artworks curated by the brewery which, by the way, has its creative labels designed by local artists.

Where: Unit 10, 30 CapilanoWay

THE OFF-ISH

The co-working space in Sapperton will pivot from being a place where people tap away on their laptops or huddle for serious meetings, to a free walk-in gallery space for two days — thanks to the 2022 Cultural Crawl.The Off-ish will feature a solo exhibition by NewWestbased artist Danielle Bobier.

Take time to browse through works themed around abstracted landscapes and atmospheric optics — curated by former Arts Council executive director Stephen O’Shea.

Where: 102-129 East Columbia St.

SERIOUS COFFEE AQUA PLAZA 88

Kick-start the Cultural Crawl with a breakfast of a lumberjack wrap and ice mocha, while sitting back and looking at dreamy paintings of crows, ravens, hummingbirds and NewWest’s Pattullo Bridge. Artist Janet Kvammen’s works will feature on the walls of the cafe that’s located in New West’s downtown — a walkable distance from the other Cultural Crawl venues such as the Anvil Centre and River Market.

Where: 102-900 Carnarvon St.

STEEL & OAK BREWERY

You might be frequenting this local craft brewery for its German pilsner, or for a late evening hang with running enthusiasts, but here’s another reason why you should drop by the neighbourhood watering hole on the weekend — to check out artist Melissa Burgher’s oil paintings.

The artist, who describes herself as a “visual, spiritual and physical explorer of nature and humanity, ” is inspired by Canadian landmarks and animals to make art — as mentioned on her website. Grab a veggie PartyPocket from the brewery and let the artworks make you ponder nature’s resilience and the impact of your consumption.

Where: 1319Third Ave.

HOLY EUCHARIST CATHEDRAL

At this Cultural Crawl, walk into the Holy Eucharist Cathedral (the cathedral of the New Westminster Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church), to look at the stained glass windows, murals and paintings within the building. Three Ukrainian iconographers were flown into B.C. in 2018 to work on the images and patterns (that use artificial gold leaf and mimic Ukrainian embroidery) that you see in the cathedral today.

Where: 501 Fourth Ave.

CHECK IT OUT

Find the list of all 25 venues at newwestculuturalcrawl.com.You can also sign up as a volunteer for the event by sending an email to mail programs@acnw.ca or calling 604-525-3244.

FORTHELOVEOFART: Artist Janet Kvammen greets visitors during last year’s New West Cultural Crawl. Kvammen has her art on display at Serious Coffee for this year’s Crawl, happening this weekend. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER/RECORD FILES

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Glenbrook open house marks Fire Prevention Week in city

TheresaMcManus

tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

Laser beams and Sparky the Fire Dog will be part of the fun when NewWestminster Fire and Rescue Services opens its doors to the community for Fire PreventionWeek.

In celebration of Fire PreventionWeek, which runs from Oct. 9 to 15, NewWestminster Fire and Rescue Services is holding an open house at the Glenbrook fire hall on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s the first time NewWestminster Fire and Rescue Services has held its open house since 2019.

“It’s a really nice free community event, ” said Christie Bruce, fire protection officer. “Who doesn’t like seeing a fire truck? All the fire trucks will be out in front and kids can go in them.There’ll be tools to look at and different things. It’s going to be a bit more interactive this year.We’re trying try a couple different things. ”

Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at the some of the services provided by the fire department, and other city departments will have booths and vehicles at the event. Folks will be able to get information about fire and community safety, check out some equipment displays, visit with Sparky the Fire Dog, enjoy a (by donation) barbecue put on by the New Westminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society and watch demonstrations.

“We have our live auto extrication demonstration once again, ” Bruce said. “And we will also be offering fire extinguisher simulator demonstrations. Those will be done about every hour or so. It’s a digital simulator so there’s no live fire, and people can actually practise it. It’s environmentally friendly. It works with like laser beams. It’s a really cool piece of equipment that we were able to borrow from the Burnaby Fire Department. ”

This year’s open house also includes a temporary tattoo station and a chance to help create a mural for the fire hall. G&F Financial will be providing popcorn and Starbucks at Royal Square is donating hot chocolate.