Every year, communities across Canada come together in a nationwide celebration of arts and culture.
Burnaby is once again taking part in Culture Days festivities, with this year’s events running Friday, Sept. 29 to Sunday, Oct. 1. Arts lovers can find an eclectic array of offerings – from demonstrations in glassblowing and tintype photography to painting with pets.
Among the events this year:
Coast Salish Weaving Demonstration: Kwantlen Elder Richard Fillardeau will be on hand at Deer Lake Gallery, 6584 Deer Lake Ave. starting at noon on Saturday, Sept. 30. Space is limited. Register ahead at www.eventbrite.com or call 604-298-7322 for info.
Migrations - Birds and People: Artist-curator Taslim Samji has brought together an exhibition at Shadbolt Centre’s gallery spaces addressing immigration. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., people of all ages are invited to turn out at the Shadbolt Centre atrium to add their own legacy to a map outlining the migration of birds and people.
Tintype photography demonstration: Phillip Chin, dressed in period costume, will be on hand at the Shadbolt Centre atrium and plaza to demonstrate the historical art of tintype photography, which captures an image directly onto a metal plate with a large-format camera. His demonstrations will run from 10 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Ceramic woodfire kiln: The Shadbolt Centre’s summer artist in residence, Sharon Reay, will display her sculptural figures and functional pottery as it is taken out of the kiln. She’ll be on site from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Shadbolt’s kiln on Saturday.
Poetry reading: Jonina Kirton, who graduated from Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio in 2007, will be on hand for a poetry reading in the studio theatre at the Shadbolt Centre from 1 to 4 p.m. Her second collection of poetry, An Honest Woman, was released in April this year.
Glassblowing demonstrations: Burnaby artisan Julian Duerksen will open the doors of his Burnaby glassblowing studio on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Visitors can see demos, learn about the process, see his hot glass furnace and check out his finished products. Duerksen’s studio is at 103-2799 Gilmore Ave.
WALK – Pet Paw Painting: North Burnaby Neighbourhood House is hosting this event on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. From 1 to 2 p.m., there’ll be an interactive painting session outside – pets can add their paws to the canvas, and people can add words. Inside, visitors can check out a photo exhibition by Carolyn Sullivan from 1 to 4 p.m., and, from 3 to 3:30 p.m., there will be an artist talk about pet photography. Neighbourhood House is at 4908 Hastings St.
Culture Days at the Carousel: Though Burnaby Village Museum is closed for the season, you can turn out at the Carousel Pavilion between noon and 4 p.m. for Culture Days fun, including games, carousel rides and Sylvia the Balloon Lady. You can also make your own carousel thaumatrope, an optical toy.
Artist talk and demo: Artist Lori Sokoluk will be at Deer Lake Gallery on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. to talk about her work in the exhibition Port Town. She’ll talk about how she transfers images from her photographs to turn them into textured works of art. Free, but sign up at www.eventbrite.com.For a full roundup of Culture Days activities or more details on any of the above, see bc.culturedays.ca and search by city.
See also stories on dance events at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and on Living Room Art in the Heights.
