Mycelia Luna is a cross-genre, multimedia evening with three diverse musical styles and an art show for all ages at the Roberts Creek Hall on Saturday, March 31. Yaima (at 10:30 p.m.) is a Cascadian “elemental and alchemical electronic music duo” based in Seattle. Journey through sonic soundscapes, traversing sensually stimulating and heart centered compositions with Yaima (Mas Higasa and Pepper Proud). Visuals by Roberts Creek artist Simon Haiduk.
With lush ambient bridges between melodic swells and surges of distortion, Heofon’s music (at 9 p.m.) will take you on a journey. Creekers Simon Haiduk, Chris Niebergall and Tim Niebergall have been sharing their passion for music for eight years. Recently they connected with singer Jessica Haeckel to bring it to another level. Bridge (on at midnight) has lit up dance floors on the Coast and beyond for years. A hot selection of original future dancehall will be served up till early morn.
The art gallery will feature Autumn Skye, Simon Haiduk, Tyler Gentry, Mary Pines, Dean Schutz, Ben Tour, Mardi Ahmed, Cody Chancellor, Blake Drezet. Also exhibiting is Phresha and Mugwort Designs. Additional visuals by Mieke Jay and sound by Patrick Tasci. Tickets for $20/advance and $25 at the door are online at Share-There.com or at MELOmania in Roberts Creek. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Playback Dance
Playback, the classic rockers, hit the Roberts Creek Legion on Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Members $6; guests $12.
Met Opera
Phelim McDermott returns to the Metropolitan Opera staging Mozart’s comedy Così fan tutte, led by David Robertson in a new production. It screens at the Raven’s Cry Theatre, on Saturday, March 31 at 10 a.m. Set in the 1950s on Coney Island, the opera is a co-production with the English National Opera. Run-time is four hours; bring your own lunch.
Fibreworks
Fibreworks Gallery in Madeira Park presents A Fine Line: Fibre Art Voices, a textile art and mixed media show featuring a collection of works that explore our connections with our environment, our friends and ourselves. The opening reception to meet the artists is on Saturday, March 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. Find out more at fibreworksgallery.com or phone 604-883-2380.
Pacman Music
Coming to the Gibsons Legion on Saturday, March 31, a 1980s acoustic night of humour and classic ‘80s tunes. Mr. and Mrs. Pacman like to hang out with their space invader and centipede friends in old arcades. Mrs. Pacman (Stephanie Pedraza) from Vancouver is an accomplished performer who plays and sings everything from her original music and Latin groove as well as power pop. Mr. Pacman (Vic Vaga) has been based in Las Vegas for many years, involved in several musical projects. Their shows get everyone singing along and back to the good old days when video games cost only a quarter.
Brickhouse
On Saturday, March 31 the band Brickhouse will have everyone dancing at the Pender Harbour Community Hall, starting at 8 p.m. The fundraiser for the 15th annual Pender Harbour Blues Festival costs $30. Phone Marilyn MacLeod at 604-741-1186 to see if last minute tickets are available.
Ken and Anna
Ken Dunn performs on Wednesday, April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek. He will perform his original instrumental music for acoustic guitar at the opening of Anna Green’s new art show, The Soul of the Coast, at this intimate venue.
Public Event
Monique Gray Smith will be on the Sunshine Coast on April 5 and 6 to visit schools and conduct a workshop for teachers. Smith is an award-winning author, storyteller, community-builder and consultant of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry. She is renowned for her work on reconciliation and resilience. Recent work includes Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation, a book for youth that explores what Indigenous people have suffered as a result of the ongoing impact of residential schools and shows how each of us has a role in reconciliation. Her board book, My Heart Fills With Happiness, won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize in 2017. You Hold Me Up is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our youngest citizens.
The community is invited to a public event on Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m. at Chatelech Secondary School where Smith will share her work and have an onstage conversation with Catherine Leach, executive director of the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society. Admission is by donation and is made possible through the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, School District No. 46, the Sunshine Coast Literacy Coalition and the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society. For more information, contact Jane Davidson at 604-885-9631 or jane@writersfestival.ca.
Dancing Brush
Renowned international artist Mardi Ahmed will be the art conductor for The Dancing Brush, a live painting and music class on Tuesday evenings starting April 10 through May 1 at the Roberts Creek Hall from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. All levels are welcome. For more, email Mardi@mardi.ca
Poetry Contest
Do you love writing poetry? Then it’s time to enter the Sechelt Library’s annual poetry contest. The theme this year is A Happy Moment in Time. Describe a happy moment from your past, or present one you would like to create for the future. Entry forms are on the library website or at the library. Read the guidelines before entering. The deadline is April 11.
Five Stories
The Federation of BC Writers and The Writers’ Union of Canada presents Witness, five writers reading their stories at the Sechelt Library on Thursday, April 5 from 7 to 9 p.m.
• Betty Baxter is new to writing creative non-fiction, though she is a public figure through her career in sport and more recently as a school trustee and facilitator for local organizations. She is working on a selection of short stories and has published a personal essay, “Playing It Forward: 50 Years of Women and Sport in Canada” (Second Story Press 2014). “My Father’s Hands” is a short reflection on memory and unexpected expressions of love.
• Kim Fenton lives in Roberts Creek. She has been an emerging writer since she was 12 and writes creative non-fiction stories. She currently divides her time between writing, the Editing Certificate Program at SFU, her online store and her whole life.
• Gord Halloran is an international public artist and has created enormous sculptures (Paintings Below Zero) at the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games. He penned a theatrical play, Showing Size and is now working on a collection of short stories inspired by that original work, called Niagara Falls.
• Donald Ross discovered his passion for writing a decade ago when composing “travel journal excerpts” for friends. He is now writing memoirs, including an account of a day of skiing with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His short story “Long Grass and a Mountain View” opens with a human skull landing at his feet.
• Janet Hodgkinson has always loved words – they are her constant companions during her life, first as an avid reader, then an actor, a bookseller and writer. Reading aloud has always been a particular joy. Admission is free. Call 604-885-3260 to RSVP.
Message Me
My new phone number is 604-741-9360. You can send notice of your arts and entertainment events to my email: jandegrass@dccnet.com. Items go into the Art Beat column one day to one week ahead only, depending on space.
