Author Archives: Geri Mayer-Judson

A Seat at the Table offers insight into struggles of Chinese Canadian immigrant, both then and now

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The Museum of Vancouver captures and exhibits parts of our city’s storied history that we’re not always cognizant of as we go for fancy drinks in Yaletown, or attend post-punk shows in East Van, or politely deal with offers of psychedelic drugs from naked strangers on Wreck Beach.

Exhibits showing now include Neon Vancouver – Ugly Vancouver, showcasing just some of the 19,000 neon signs that used to light up our city, post-war; Boarder X, featuring contemporary artists from various Indigenous nations, concerning themes of contested spaces, hybrid identities, and more.

But the one I’ll be focusing on in this article is A Seat at the Table, Chinese Immigration and British Columbia.

As stated in the Instagram post above, this exhibit features stories of Chinese Canadians in British Columbia, with all the historical and contemporary struggles that come with.  It also features the strength in community that comes from these unique struggles and circumstances.

A Seat at the Table examines these things through the lens of food and restaurant culture.

One instance of storytelling through food in this exhibit is the Mother’s Cupboard portion, by Paul Wong.

And that’s not all – the MOV has also made the exhibition catalogue available to order online.  This multilingual catalogue provides curatorial essays, and provides even further context to the items contained in the exhibit.

This exhibit truly is a gift to the outsider – I know I’m certainly going to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the communities that truly make Vancouver what it is today.  And it’s an important thing to come face-to-face the ugly reality that racism against Chinese Canadians isn’t only something that happened fifty-plus years ago.

I usually end these articles with something cute, or maybe a little pun, but that would be a disservice to the importance of this exhibit.  So, I leave you with this: Go check out A Seat at the Table before it’s gone.

For never was a story of more woe than this of Euridice ed her Orfeo*

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As a sports and culture writer who knows next to nothing about sports, and who is a complete philistine, I have had a big handful of struggles producing articles that I was sure would fit the brief.

This one, however, I’m absolutely sure I’ve got the right idea.

Dearest reader, allow me to tell you all about the Vancouver Opera’s presentation of Orfeo ed Euridice, taking place Sunday, December 5 at 2 o’clock.

Orfeo ed Euridice is a story that came to my attention in a pedestrian sort of way – through a video game.  Sparing you the nerdy details, the video game is called Hades and centers around Greek mythological figures.

Orpheus and Eurydice are two of those figures.  You find out, via the game’s procedural storytelling, all about the tragedy of Orpheus’ tendency to look over his shoulder.  Orpheus is painted as this Robert Smith figure (hair included, mind you), mewling about his lost love.

The titular Orfeo of Sunday’s performance, I imagine, will be at least 10% less goth.

Director/choreographer Idan Cohen has blended movement and music into this classic Gluck work, promising operagoers unique, groundbreaking visuals, accompanied by the sounds of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by maestro Leslie Dala.

An interesting tidbit about Orfeo: classically, this part was written for either an alto or soprano castrato  (because the opera was written in the 18th century, of course, but yikes) or a countertenor.

This rendition, though, has cast a mezzo-soprano lady by the name of Mireille Lebel!  I’m a huge fan of gender-agnostic casting, so this performance is sure to be super cool, indeed!

Tickets are super limited but, at time of writing, not yet sold out.  You can try to snag yourself some here – absolutely nothin’ wrong with a little bit of balcony seating with such a visually and aurally delightful performance!

*just kidding, it actually has a happy ending.

Science World features the biggest group photos you’ve ever seen

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Did you know that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada?

Me neither, until immediately prior to writing the previous sentence!

In celebration of that 45th anniversary, Science World is putting on a unique art exhibition.  It’s a bit of a bird’s-eye view of our home planet… if the bird in question was in low Earth orbit.

I’m gonna tell you about Copernicus: Where Art Meets Science.

https://twitter.com/scienceworldca/status/1459329169398116353?s=20

The images in this exhibition have all been captured during the Copernicus Programme, made officially operational in 2014.  Aptly named after – who else? – the Renaissance mathematician and astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, this Earth observation program has come up with plenty of fascinating visual data captured from on high.

https://twitter.com/CopernicusEU/status/1467061627728142339?s=20

The exhibit showcases twenty-four photos taken by various Sentinel satellites over the years, over many different European and Canadian locations.  One such location is the  Manicouagan Reservoir in Québec, created by the impact of a meteor from the Triassic period, five kilometers across.  Even Googling unrelated pictures of it was incredibly interesting – and no, I’m not making that up.  It’s actually cool.  Try it.

The overarching goal of the Copernicus Programme is to “improve the quality of life worldwide”, according to their website.  This YouTube video has more:

I found it curious, as I was reading about this space program, that Canada was not officially a data-sharing or budgetary partner for the Copernicus Programme, but I suppose that’s in the works.

All of this to say: you should absolutely head over to Science World and check this exhibit out before it’s gone in the new year.  Seeing pictures of Earth from space sounds blasé, but when you’re faced with so many of these images at once, it’s truly quite something.

Plus, even if you see the Manicouagan Reservoir every day, even if it’s literally your backyard, you are categorically too teeny-tiny to take in its full majesty.  So you may as well go have a peek at the cool space pictures.

 

Little anonymous masterpieces up for grabs in North Van

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This little piece is going to start with a qualifier: I know I’m going to be talking about an art sale in an article geared toward BCIT students.  Seems fancy-schmansy.  Seems like I need to read the room, as they say.  But hear me out, okay?

This one’s a little different than, say, auctioning a partially-shredded Banksy piece for several million dollars.

The Anonymous Art Show at the CityScape Community Art Space is going on right now until December 18, and I’m gonna tell you why it’s cool.

https://twitter.com/northvanarts/status/1464718185291264004?s=20

The whole idea behind this art show-slash-fundraiser is anonymity.  You won’t know which artist is behind a given piece until the piece has sold for $100.  Then, the artwork will be removed from the wall, and the artist’s name will be revealed.

So, you’re supposed to make a move on the piece (or pieces) that speak to you, regardless of who made them.

Something to feel good about, as well, is that the artist and North Van Arts split the profits, 50/50.  Some more good news is that, at the time of writing, this fundraiser has reached over 100% of its $46,000 goal!  And there are still plenty of gorgeous works of art left up for grabs.

An outstanding sort of digital surrealist, Doug Heal, has some works on display in this exhibition.  My favourite work of his for this exhibition – This is Bananas – has been sold, but I spotted at least one other gem of his that’s still available for purchase.

I know that kind of blows the anonymity, but there are hundreds of other mysterious pieces for you to choose from!  The media range from digital art to acrylic paints to photo prints, to pretty much anything you could reasonably decorate an 8×8 canvas with.

See?  It’s actually cool, and not as stuffy as you’d think!  I’m an absolute philistine in a lot of ways and I’m even stoked to zip up to North Van some afternoon to check out these little, anonymous masterpieces.

Canucks hope for some more W’s in six game homestand

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This season has been… let’s call it… challenging for the Canucks.

One doesn’t need to get into the details, but suffice to say: Eight.  Fourteen.  Two.

Maybe November didn’t go so well.  And maybe it’s a little curious that there has been no leadership change in the light of the catastrophe.

But let’s focus on the positive: two big W’s this week on the road!

Our boys eked out a 2-1 victory against the Canadiens at Centre Bell on Monday, and truly trounced the Senators 6-2 on Wednesday.

But as they bring the momentum back for a six game homestand, the question is: can they keep it up?  The answer so far seems to be: hopefully.

https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1466861000108298240?s=20

First up are the Penguins (10-8-5) tonight at Rogers Arena.  The last time the Pens and the Canucks faced off, the 4-1 outcome in favour of Pittsburgh was a little gory, but assistant coach Travis Green isn’t focusing on the negative.  “Let’s not worry about needing to get on a roll,” he said, “let’s worry about playing well the next game.”

There was a little bit of buzz on Canucks Twitter Friday, with Travis Hamonic apparently having been both called up from Abbotsford and put right back over the course of one business day.

While there’s plenty of loud speculation in the Canucks’ Twitter-verse as to why, a reasonable take might be that the team doesn’t want to change the lineup that worked for them on the road.

Following the Pittsburgh matchup, the LA Kings (9-9-4) come up North for their first game against the Canucks this season.

I can empathize to some extent with each and every fan of this dynamic team, because I grew up a Calgary Flames fan.  In the years following the playoff unpleasantness of aught four, that particular designation became incredibly embarrassing.

But the pain goes away, dear reader, as every team finds its way and gets its ducks in a row.

Its Canucks in a row, perhaps?

Calling all art- and art-therapy curious individuals!

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It brings me no pleasure to admit this as a creative person: I am… decidedly not great at visual art.  It’s something I always wished I could do, but I always put effort into other stuff.  It’s why I’m writing this article right now instead of painting something fancy to sell to a hifalutin curator of a billionaire’s private art collection.

But, I digress.

As someone who cannot do visual media art very well, even I feel beguiled by the prospect of guided meditation meets beginner-friendly art exercise.

On December 13, Lotus Counselling Art Therapy is putting on a by-donation workshop all about Celebrating Identity & the Wonderfulness of Becoming.

If you’re sixteen years of age and above, you can head over to the Mt. Pleasant Community Centre on 1 Kingsway in downtown Vancouver and – for a suggested donation of $10 – participate in guided visualizations and art directives.

It’s billed as an afternoon of art-making and, again, no prior art experience is required (phenomenal news for the author).  Themes explored in these guided visualization art sessions include self-acceptance, celebrating cultural identity & uniqueness and, of course, the wonderfulness of becoming.

Art therapy is something I jibe with tremendously now.  I learned a little about it in a Clinical Psychology course and I remember thinking it was almost too hippy-dippy to be talking about in a psychology lecture.

Art Therapy, Hand, Hands, Handprint

(stux / Pixabay)

But I think that putting some pen, or paintbrush, or pastel, or whatever to paper to explore your feelings categorically can’t hurt.

More about this afternoon of art-making can be found here.

Spend 4-5:30 working on yourself through the medium of art with other groovy individuals, and then you’re in the prime neighbourhood to seek out some tasty treats or a cheeky adult beverage at a cool venue.  There is truly no downside to this event, save for maybe getting a little washable pastel on your pants.

 

The Vancouver Christmas Market has visions of glühwein dancing in my head

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Alright, alright.  I know.  I can’t just write about the weird and creepy festive and cultural phenomena going down this month.

Dearest reader, this instalment in what appears to be a series on holiday markets happily features the Vancouver Christmas Market.

https://twitter.com/VanChristmas/status/1465421486945026052?s=20

This holiday market is a truly time-honoured German tradition.  According to the Vancouver Christmas Market website, a very long time ago, German towns would host Christkindlmarkts where local folks would sell wares, eat food, and be together, all in the name of the winter holiday.

And it seems like the spirit of the Christkindlmarkts has managed to carry itself right to the Jack Poole Plaza downtown.  The market opened, officially, on the 13 of November but now that December is peeking its festive head around the corner, it’s really holiday market time.

If I could sum up the Vancouver Christmas Market experience in one photo, it might look something like…

There’s beautiful light displays.  There are Transylvanian chimney cakes (okay, full disclosure in the interest of honest journalism: I have never tried a chimney cake but just look how good that looks!).

The Vancouver Christmas Market has all kinds of vendors – from more traditional German vendors of classic beer steins and schweinshaxe, to hot chocolate bombs, to a place you can find the perfect ugly Christmas sweater.  Genuinely, they have a little bit of everything.

Beyond the stuff to eat and buy, there are also plenty of activities.  There is a ‘Love Lock’ installation, where you and a partner (or anyone else beloved!) can either bring or buy a lock and fasten them together in the installation.  There’s a lovers’ lane, which is a beautiful tunnel of Christmas lights that will be – let’s be real – very Instagram worthy.

Last, but not least: up, up, waaaay up, on the second floor of the ‘Christmas Pyramid’, there will be entertainers delighting guests with holiday tunes.

I’d much rather get a little tipsy on some glühwein and intake this whole whimsical experience than be miserable, sweating in my parka, seconds away from physically fighting another shopper in some indoor mall, wouldn’t you?

This market has all the curios and oddities for the weirdo on your shopping list

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Would you self-identify as a creep?  No?  Good.  Me, neither.

How about a weirdo, though?  If you’re one of those – God knows I am – then I’ve got tremendous news for you: the Weirdos Holiday Market is back this year, baby!

As you can certainly surmise from the Instagram post above, this isn’t your grandma’s holiday market.  It’s probably also not your mom’s holiday market, either.

On December 4-5 and December 11-12, you and any (other) weirdos in your life can head down to 1739 Venables Street in downtown Vancouver to discover local vendors, the likes of which you just won’t find at your grandma’s holiday market.

For just one example: Burnaby’s very own Punk Rock Pastries.

And that’s just scratching the surface.

Whether you’re perusing for yourself, or for the unconventional individuals on your shopping list, the lineup of 30-plus local vendors at the Weirdos Holiday Market is bound to have something.

Planters in the shape of cute baby heads?  Yup.  Beautiful, tiny sculptures made from salvaged animal bones?  Natch.  What about a handcrafted mug, with a cartoon butt on it?  Of course.

Since its 2017 inception, the Weirdos Holiday Market has been attracting all kinds of unconventional folks, buying and selling wares in the name of the festive season.  In 2019, it attracted over five thousand guests in a single weekend.

And in 2020, the market adjusted to the situation and held a month-long pop-up in an actual storefront.

But now, it’s back to its weirdo roots at Venables Hall.

A word to the weird (and, of course, the wise): you will need a face covering and a proof of vaccination to attend the market, so be sure to have those with you.

More information on the market is available here.

Who knows?  Maybe you’ll have a meet-cute with a fellow weirdo, locking eyes, brushing hands as you reach for the same baby-limb ornament.

 

It’s the most horrifying time of the year: Krampusnacht comes to East Van

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It’s that time of year again.  Most wonderful?  Hotly disputed (at least, I’m disputing it).  Inescapable?  Pretty much.  Whether you like it or not, we have kids jinglebelling and everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer!”

However.

One Winter holiday event has piqued even this Grinch’s curiosity: Krampusnacht at the Freespace Centre.

That’s right.  We’re celebrating the pagan, cloven-hoofed demon who either beats naughty children with branches, or eats naughty children, or drags them straight to Hell.  Depends who you ask.

Masks, Hay, Drummers, Perchten, Krampus, Austria, Tyrol

(jodi_marx / Pixabay)

On Friday, December 10, the Freespace Soundsystem is hosting the first-ever East Van Krampus Night.  Don ye now your most terrifying Krampus or Saint Nicholas costume and march in a very scary and simultaneously festive parade!

At six o’clock in the evening, the Christmas art market opens for perusal, and then at 6:30 all Krampuses and Saint Nicholas-es will get ready to parade around East Van for an hour, landing back at the Freespace Centre for drinks, tunes, and decorating the Yule Tree.

The outdoor courtyard of the Freespace Centre has a cover in case of inclement weather, and heaters to keep the chill away.  Entrance is by donation with a suggestion of $5, but there will be no discrimination if you’re short on funds.

May be an image of outdoors

Freespace Soundsystem Courtyard

(Freespace Soundsystem / Facebook)

Vancouver’s Freespace Soundsystem is an electronic music ‘soundsystem’ – that is, a non-profit organization whose goal is to break down barriers between subscenes and music centres so that people of all kinds can come together and enjoy an event together.

Their hub is the Freespace Centre at 748 E Hastings, and they host all kinds of events at the space.  Improv classes, movie nights, art markets, and even philosophical discussions.

More information on this unique event can be found here.

If you ask me, I’d much rather put on a half-goat, Hell-creature costume than an ugly Christmas sweater.

ACTORS, Bootblacks, Devours, The Gathering: not an awkward sentence, but a profoundly cool lineup

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I’m looking down the barrel of an apocalyptic cliché and I know there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

In these challenging times, small indications that the world is reverting to a new kind of normal are comforting.

One such small indication is multi-band live shows at live venues popping up once again, like this one at the Rickshaw Theatre going down next weekend.

https://twitter.com/ACTORStheband/status/1459683587490418688?s=20

ACTORS are taking the stage at the Rickshaw on November 27, their first show since the COVID-19 pandemic made live performance impossible.  ACTORS are from Vancouver, and their sound takes me right back to pre-pandemic goth night at my favourite bar back home.

This post-punk, new-wave, goth-pop quartet released their latest album Acts of Worship last month, and it is everything you need in a post-punk LP.  It’s a modern, non-gimmicky love letter to goth pop.  I saw the sound characterized on their website as “neon-lit black leather”, and that’s exactly what it is.

And the opening acts for ACTORS are just as unique.

We have Bootblacks from Brooklyn, bringing their new-wave influenced sound.  The stuff I heard evokes pushing the door of an underground club open.  You might have needed a password, or to know a guy who knows a guy.

Also joining ACTORS is Artoffact labelmate Devours.  Devours is a Vancouver-based, pseudo-goth electronic project, with derisive lyrics laid over dynamic synth.

The final act joining this post-punk ensemble cast is The Gathering.  This group has an interesting story.  Formed in 1985 right here in Vancouver, they took their inspiration from the likes of The Cure before disbanding in 1988.  But, seeing the success of the post-punk and new-wave movement gripping the scene a few years ago, The Gathering reformed and will release a new album in January!

Doubtlessly, this will be an incredible show with lots of tunes to make you dance.  So don that black leather and make it glow in the neon lights, why don’t you?

You can grab your tickets to that one, plus access tonnes of other information about all the bands performing here.

I’m happy to report that I nearly made it through an entire week of writing articles without making direct reference to ‘these challenging times’.

Nearly.