Sad news for music lovers in Burnaby: The Clef Society is officially winding down its operations.
The society is holding its final recital on Sunday, Nov. 16, starting at 2 p.m. at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
The recital will feature students from the Broadway and Markham music studio of North Vancouver, with a wind-up party to follow.
The society, which has been working to promote and support young musicians since 1949, went public in September with its need for more volunteers to keep the group running.
The group issued a plea for new helpers, noting the existing board members have been serving for many years and new blood was needed to keep things running.
Unfortunately, however, only two new members turned out to help - not enough to keep the group going.
Alicia Brady Deaust, who was one of the two, wrote in an email to the NOW that she originally showed up at the AGM on the off-chance that not enough people turned out.
"I can't help wondering if only two more people had come to the aid of this society, it would still have the resources to continue on - providing a public venue for young classical musicians to hone their performance skills," she wrote.
"If ... public volunteerism is on the decline, then societies and associations that drive community initiatives and engagement are at risk. What do our communities stand to lose if one by one cultural societies like the Clef continue to dissolve?"
The Clef Society has run a monthly recital series, as well as hosting an annual concerto competition for top young classical performers.
Those who want to support the society can turn out for its final recital next Sunday.
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Two Burnaby actors are onstage in a production billed as a night of "urban tales of love and conflict."
Douglas College students are presenting Subsequent Conversations, a night of one-act plays, running until Nov. 7 in the studio theatre at Douglas College, 700 Royal Ave.
The night features five works written by award-winning American playwright Neil LaBute: Bench Seat, Land of the Dead, A Guy Walks Into a Bar, Merge and The Shape of Things.
Each story is self-contained, but they all examine relationships and conflicts between men and women living in urban North America.
"We are excited to present this unique collection of Neil LaBute's one-act plays," said director Cheryl Swan in a press release. "I carefully selected works from his repertoire that I hope will challenge our theatre students and engage our audience. With this production you can expect complex characters, a darkly comedic sensibility and definitely some surprises."
The cast includes Burnaby residents Morgan Lianne Oehlschlager and Levi Williams, along with Thomas Halkes, Jessica Kabesh, David Sitar, Ben Groberman, Kaleigh Skye Almond McDonald, Elise Wilson, Jackson Boudreau, Mikayla Hart and Sarah Mendoza.
Tickets are $8 to $12, available through ticketsnw.ca or 604-521-5050.
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The Burnaby Arts Council is celebrating diversity in its next exhibition.
The new exhibition Discovery: a slice of diversity runs Nov. 8 to 29 at the arts council's Deer Lake Gallery.
An opening reception is set for Saturday, Nov. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m.
The exhibition, curated by Taslim Samji, includes the work of six professional and emerging female Ismaili Muslim artists who migrated to Canada from their birthplace of East Africa, with cultural roots from India and surrounding countries.
"Even within such a defined group of artists, the forms of expression and concepts explored in the pieces widely vary," a press release notes.
The work on exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, installations, mixed media and literary works.
"The closer we look within a visible minority group, such as the Muslim community, the more diversity we find there is to celebrate," the release says.
The Deer Lake Gallery is at 6584 Deer Lake Ave. It's open Tuesdays to Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. See www.burnabyartscouncil.org.
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Art lovers, you'll want to note this date in your calendars.
The Burnaby Art Gallery is holding a major art sale and fundraiser at the Gallery on Saturday, Nov. 22, along with a couple of lead-up events.
The Saturday afternoon art sale runs from noon to 5 p.m., featuring original artist works from the art gallery's rental and sales program, plus works from the Malaspina Printmakers and the Joyce Williams Gallery.
Charles van Sandwyk will be on hand for a book signing and book sale.
Also included are seven silent auction items, door prizes and more.
On Thursday and Friday, Nov. 20 and 21, you can check out a pre-sale event: from 7 to 9 each night, you can stop in to check out works from the Burnaby Art Gallery art rental program, which will be for sale for 15 per cent off.
On Friday, Nov. 21, artists Susan Gransby, Joseph Therrien, Barbara Zeigler, Charles van Sandwyk and art historian Hilary Letwin will be on hand for a panel discussion about collecting works on paper. That runs from 7 to 9 p.m.
Check out all the details - including the silent auction items - at www.burnabyartgallery.ca.
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If you're a longtime reader of the Burnaby NOW, then you've undoubtedly seen his name many times.
For years, the paper has been following the many accomplishments of Frankie Cena as a rising young performer and debater.
Now Frankie's back in the headlines again - he's just been selected as the web presenter for the Miss World 2014 pageant.
Frankie himself won the Mr. World Canada title in 2012 and went on to finish in the top 10 at the Mr. World competition, earning the Mr. World Talent title.
Last year, he co-hosted the Miss World pageant in England alongside Megan Young.
This year, he's jetting off to London on Nov. 19 and will be working on the pageant up until Dec. 14. He'll be responsible for conducting interviews, delivering behind-the-scenes footage, writing for the Miss World website and presenting a live daily video.
Follow his adventures at www.missworld.com or www.youtube.com/officialmissworld.
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A Burnaby-raised sculptor is being featured in the 18th annual Eastside Culture Crawl.
Stefanie Dueck, who has been creating metalwork pieces for the past 10 years, is part of the popular artistic event that runs from Nov. 20 to 23 at locations around East Vancouver.
Dueck's work can be seen at her East Van studio at 298 Alexander St.
A press release notes that her work was influenced by American sculptor Lee Bontecou, who is renowned for her welded steel frame sculptures created in the late 1950s and early '60s.
Her pieces earned her a 2013 B.C. Creative Achievement Award, and she was a finalist in two categories of the 2013 Niche Awards - awards sponsored by Niche Magazine to recognize excellent in Canadian and American fine craft work.
She's one of the 375 artists who will be showcasing their works in more than 70 different locations - including painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, glass blowers, furniture designers and more.
"The Crawl is a singular experience that removes the barriers between artist and public - allowing creators to showcase their work, answer questions and share their unique art-making process," said executive director Esther Rausenberg in a press release. "This open invitation into artists' studios represents a remarkable opportunity for individuals to enhance their understanding of the visual arts and deepen their appreciation for the incredible abundance of talent within our city."
See www.culturecrawl.ca for all the details and to access an interactive map to plan your tour.
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Do you know an artist who deserves to be in the spotlight?
You may have seen our ongoing series of artist profiles, Fill in the Blanks - in which various interesting folks from the arts and entertainment community fill out a brief questionnaire to let us know about themselves.
We're always looking for suggestions of interesting people to profile. If you'd like to be included, or you know someone who should, drop me a line - email me at [email protected].
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
