The Big TENT !

There will be a lot of entertainment this weekend, August 21, 22 & 23 - presented by the Gabriola Theater Festival, with productions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There are 8 productions offered in a variety of locations on the Island. Single show tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door, except for the Itchy Fish production of “A midsummer night in Oz” which will only cost you $5 at the door. To find out show times and places to get your tickets visit : www.gabriolatheatrefestival.ca .

There are a lot of other events as well, Zigster the trickster will perform some magic in the Village between 10-1 on Saturday, and you can stroll down Lochinvar between 10-4 on Saturday,the street will be closed to traffic for 50 local artists that will have booths set up to share their creativity.

Gabriola's First Theatre Festival - August 21 - 23rd, 2009

What a weekend it's going to be... 7 main stage productions, the launching of a young peoples theatre company & so much, much more! With so much local talent on display, you'll want to get your tickets early so as not to be disappointed - ticket information as well as information on the festival and the 7 main stage shows can be found by visiting: www.gabriolatheatrefestival.ca .

Alongside the productions to be found on the main stage, the weekend will be jam packed with additional activites in the Village area including;

Razberry's Jazz Cafe - in between theatre shows look for the open stage between Rasberry's & Artworks where you'll find a variety of local musicians and entertainers.

The Gabriola Lions - legendary pancake breakfast will be served on Saturday the 22nd between 9:00 - 11:00 am.

Street Art - come by and be enthralled and inspired by the work of more than 50 local island artisans who will be displaying their work.

Gabriola Home & Garden Tour 2009

Well hopefully everyone is enjoying watching their gardens grow and flourish with all the beautiful weather, even if you don't have a garden there's a unique opportunity to view some gardens that are rarely open to the public.

Gabriola's 11th annual Home & Garden Tour will be held this year on the 28th June 2009, there will be 9 private homes/gardens that will be open and two local nurseries, so you can go & shop after viewing all the inspiration of others.

Tickets are $20.00 and all proceeds go to People for a Healthy Community, right here on Gabriola and is their largest fundraiser of the year. It helps to support local programs such as our Emergency Food Depot, Violence Prevention porgrams, the Christmas Bureau, Social Soupls, Gardening Projects, and so much more.

The hand selected locations are carefully choosen to represent a variety of west-coast gardening &/or unique island homes, this year there are 5 new locations that have never been on the tour before, including culinary gardens, and everything from new to well established gardens. This fundraiser tries to showcase and give a glimpse of island life.

Make sure to get your tickets early for this popular event... Tickets are available at Artworks, Wheelbarrel Nursery & WildRose Garden Center her on the island. In Nanaimo at Dig This, Falconer Books & Carpe Diem, or you can hold tickets with a Visa or Mastercard by contacing Diana Mumford at #250-247-9092 or by email at: dmumford@shaw.ca .

(Also for the third year in a row, there will be the auction of a Sheila Norgate painting, which she so kindly donated for the use of our posters)! So bid big...

Visit the online website at: http://www.gabriolatour.islandbrowser.com

Artists in the Village

Saturdays is a busy place in the Village, as people come out to the Farmers Market on Gabriola, and then proceed to the Village to finish up shopping, have a cup of coffee with friends, or perhaps pick up a fishing rod – for the afternoon. Well in the summer, there’s another reason to stop by the Village. The Gabriola Art’s council is featuring a different two artists each Saturday through until 5th September. It’s a great opportunity to come and meet some of the islands local artists who will display their art under the tents.

The Gabriola Arts council will also be selling art, by some very talented islanders, on magnets, ready to grace any metal surface in your home, and a great island keepsake. This year, there is a choice of 5 different magnets from artists such as; Dianna Bonder, Rick Cranston, Tammy Hudgeon, Rohana Laing & Sheila Norgate. If your not able to make it there on Saturday, they are also available at Gabriola Artworks. Cost is $5 each or the full set for $20 (receipt for charitable donation available). The funds will enable the Arts Council to continue to support artists and bring art to the Gabriola community.

The Empty Bowl Project

This weekend, as a fundraiser for Gabriola's Emergency Food Depot, People or a Healthy community are once again holding their annual fundraiser, and your chance to, make a bowl for hunger.

On Saturday, May 30th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Sunstone Pottery studio's open it's doors, to all those interested in creating a bowl for Hunger. June 2nd is National Hunger Awareness Day and PHC welcomes your awareness and action to alleviate hunger on the island. Potter extoridnaire, Graham Sheehan and colleagues will be there to guide your talents in creating a bowl. A small fee of $5 is required to participate. Love your bowl??? During the week of June 18th - 24th the bowls will be displayed at Artworks, where you can bid on your own bowl or your favorite bowl. Note: Wear clothes suitable to play in the clay…have fun!!! You can register at PHC or on May 30th when you arrive at Sunstone. All ages welcomed!

Sunstone Pottery – 520 Argyle Lane, Gabriola

Gabriola B&B Association Hosts Open House

Gabriola is a destination for many tourists whether it be to enjoy the kayaking around the gulf islands sea shore, scuba diving, a wonderful golf course, walking trails, our summer time markets, the island winery, & a visit to some of the many artisans that make Gabriola there home…

If you would like to stay overnight on Gabriola Island and explore the island in greater depth, there are many Bed and Breakfast establishments located either on the waterfront or near the ocean.

You are invited this Sunday, 3 May 2009 - to tour the 12 bed and breakfasts that comprise the Gabriola Bed and Breakfast Association from noon to 3:00. Maps and brochures available at Art Works and Beaches Convenience Store. The B&B associations website can also be found online at: http://www.gabriola-accommodation.com/accommodation.com/ , where there is photos, write ups and links to the B&B's personal webpages.

*Be sure to stop by Jupiter Ranch on the tour, who are also featuring an art sale of works by two very talented ladies on the island, Sylvie Milman & Tammy Hudgeon.

Roots Show

Be prepared to be dazzled as you enter the ROOTS show, hosted at Artworks in the Village, there are still three days left to treat your eyes to this community art event.

This years theme really challenged the artists... We were very impressed with the creativity that was invoked by this show and the ages and diversity of the participants.

If you have a chance to go, have a look at Melinda Wilde's painting as it tells a very interesting story about family in a beautiful way. Another piece that I found intriguing is Donna Zakreski's quilt, she has a very artistic approach to quilting. Of course, I need to mention the family members who also have their pieces in the show, Randi's "14 carrots" incorporates her love of quilting into an amazing fiber art piece, and Bianca, my 6 year old niece for her brilliant painting entitled Hungry, after her neighborhood rabbit - who gave grief to her garden! (Congratulations B. on the sale of your very first piece- with her family roots I'm sure it's the first of many more to come...)

There is also a silent auction which has numerous items; from the beautiful driftwood coffee table, to tempting jewellery, island services & so much more, it's a great place to stock up on gifts for friends and family, while supporting the Gabriola Arts Council.

We’re so proud!

“The Kerplunks” are a fantastic 4 piece band that have been recognized for their amazing talent and ability to engage kids getting them singing along and joining in on all the action…

This Gabriola based band has been nominated for children’s album of the year, the Juno awards will take place this weekend (March 29) in Vancouver. Gabriola will be on pins and needles awaiting the results.

Clearly the Kerplunks are already winners in our hearts and we hope they win the hearts & ears of the rest of Canada as well.

Coast Realty (Gabriola Village) Ltd. is delighted to have the Kerplunks playing at our annual Free Community Easter Egg Hunt at noon on Sat, April 11th, where there set to get the kids moving before the great hunt!

This Community has "Roots"

The Gabriola Arts Council has come up with another theme for this years Community Art Show. This year they have chosen "Roots" and I can see that the community is gearing up for the fun filled event. Those wanting to participate this year will need to fill out a registration form (available by email from gabriolaartscoucil@shaw.ca) and have their art piece ready for Monday, April 21 by 4pm.

You'll see a range of artistic interpretations of the theme, mediums, sizes, and ages of the artists. It's pretty fulfilling for anyone to have an art piece hanging up in a Gallery and this is your chance. In the past, I have participated in the heart, star & off-the-beach shows. I've always come away from the shows amazed by the diverse art pieces that are created on the Island.

The"Roots" community art show opens with a reception at Artworks on 23 April 2009 at 7:00 - 9:00 pm, and the show runs through until 3 May.

Something out of this WORLD

Something out of this world, is happening this weekend (feb 19/20/21)at Jupiter Ranch (http://www.jupiterranch.com/) on Gabriola Island. While this island is renowned for the number of artists it attracts, Sylvie Milman, the owner of the Jupiter Ranch B&B, is keeping the arts community on its toes.


Bringing in new inspiration and opening her beautiful studio as a classroom, she has a guest artist Dominik Modlinski here to teach beginner and intermediate painters who wish to expand their knowledge of acrylic painting techniques while enhancing their perception and creative visualization. Dominik will introduce colour exercises based on three primary colours and white to introduce students to colour mixing and achieving unlimited colour harmonies. Randi is signed up to attend, and we're hoping to see some colorful canvases at the end of the weekend. Sumbitted by Tina Lynch.

Gabriola Island Studio Tour

The Gabriola Island Studio Tour is a yearly event held over three days on the Thanksgiving Weekend. In 2008 the tour had 60 artists working with various mediums open their homes & studios from 10-4 for the three consecutive days. You'll find a chest full of treasure and talent inside the doors of these homes with a wide range of media including : chalk, fibre arts, metalwork, mixed media, painting, photography, pottery, and glasswork. For a glimpse of the temptations you may see on the tour visit http://www.gabriolaartscouncil.org/.

If you've recently moved to the Island or would like the chance to put your home on the tour, you have just a few days left to pick up your form from Artworks and hand it in as the deadline for the 2009 tour is on January 21st. It's been 5 years since I've had my home on the tour and I really enjoyed the experience, at that time I had about 500 people come through during the three day event and enjoyed meeting the guests (& having a few sales too!). I am just in the process of filling out my studio tour application and would love to invite you to come to my home during the 2009 tour. Hope to see you on Thanksgiving!

Submitted by: Tina LYNCH

A Valentine's Day weekend writing workshop with Linda Solomon on Gabriola Island

Linda Solomon and Kathryn Molloy invite you. Relax into a structured, encouraging atmosphere, enjoying the guidance of an experienced mentor, while writing about love in any of its infinitely varied forms. There will be plenty of chocolate and amazing stories.

The workshop will take place at Kathryn's home, a short walk from the ocean. There are six spaces available at Kathryn's for out of town guests to stay for two nights free. These are available on a first come first serve basis. There are also a number of lovely bed and breakfast options near Kathryn's home for those who would like more privacy.

When: Begins Friday February 13 at 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Saturday February 14, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday February 15, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Cost: $125.00 per person
Experience Required to Attend: Life

Other Requirements: You must be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to enjoy the experience of writing, listening to the stories of others, and reading out loud.
What to bring: A pen, a notebook, or your laptop computer. A sense of humour. Memory. Tears. Laughter. Willingness. A dash of bravery. Your truth. Your heart.

To reserve your space, please send your nonrefundable deposit of $60.00 to Linda Solomon by February 1.

Linda's mailing address:
1501-2628 Ash Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z4L2

BIO - LINDA SOLOMO

Linda Solomon is editor-in-chief of The Vancouver Observer. She also writes for The Tyee. Linda has written for publications such as The International Herald Tribune and the LA Times. She has won awards for public service and investigative reporting from United Press International and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She has received a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism and two of her newspaper series led to US senate hearings and legislative change. She was nominated for a CBC award last year in the short story category and her story on a Vancouver psychotherapist who was refused entry to the US was the inspiration for a Colbert report and was nominated by The Tyee for a Jack Webster journalism award in 2007. Linda's short stories have been published widely in North American literary magazines and she has a work of literary nonfiction coming out this spring in Geist.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Linda has lived and worked in Paris and Manhattan, where she was a web pioneer, co-founding and writing for one of the first web soap operas, thecouch.com, a serialized comedy about six New Yorkers in group therapy. The New York Daily News called thecouch.com "The New Yorker meets Rent in cyberspace." She taught journalism and creative writing at the Women's Institute for Continuing Education in Montparnasse in Paris and was a workshop leader at the Emerson College Writer's Retreat in Holland. Linda has produced stories for WBAI public radio in New York and written for magazines such as Yoga Journal, New Age Journal, Orion and The Utne Reader. She was the co-author of Hollyhock Cooks: Recipes For the Body, Mind and Soil, a BC bestseller.

Following 9/11, Linda immigrated to Cortes Island, where she lived for five years. In 2006, she moved to Vancouver with her two young sons and founded the Vancouver Observer.
Gifted at bringing forth the literary talents of others, Linda offers writing workshops through Hollyhock Workshop and Retreat Centre in Vancouver and on Cortes Island. Linda also offers hands-on editing and mentoring to new writers on a private basis. Through the Vancouver Observer, she works with interns from local universities to help launch their journalism careers.

Linda has an MFA from Vermont College and a BA in American Culture from Northwestern University. She studied French at the Sorbonne.

Linda Solomon
linda@thevancouverobserver.com

Mark your Calender!

It's that time of year again, when our friend & well known Gabriola artist, Sheila Norgate will be opening her studio for her annual sale.

Make sure you mark it on your calender, it's an event that you won't want to miss....

2531 Tyee Drive, Gabriola Island

Saturday 13 December 2008

11- 5

For those over in Vancouver, Sheila also has an exhibition currently open at the Atelier Gallery...

SHEILA NORGATE
Mixed Bag: New Work
December 4 – 24, 2008
Opening reception: Thursday,
December 4, 6-8 p.m.
(Artist in attendance)

The Atelier Gallery is pleased to present a small solo exhibition featuring new work by Sheila Norgate. This latest series of text-based paintings sees her menagerie of birds and dogs continue to be a central theme. Working primarily in acrylics, each canvas delivers a narrative stamped with Norgate’s signature wit.

“Over the years there have been what you would call recurring motifs appearing in my work. Hearts and birds have pretty much been there all along, but the dogs are a more recent addition. I’d love to be able to attribute this to some more exotic phenomena, but truth be told, it is a simple case of art imitating life. We adopted a small Maltese-poodle cross in 2001 and life has never been the same.”

Sheila Norgate is a long time resident of Gabriola Island and a prominent member of its vibrant arts community. Despite roots firmly planted on an isolated and idyllic Gulf Island, Norgate exhibits in numerous galleries across North America and attracts a large and enthusiastic audience. Mixed Bag: New Work, will be on display from December 4 – 24, 2008.

Image information:
Sheila Norgate, The Heart is a Fervent Songbird, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36 inches, 2008

ATELIER GALLERY
2421 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3G5
604-732-3021
info@ateliergallery.ca
www.ateliergallery.ca

December 1st - Countdown to the Holidays...

Living on Gabriola, known as the Island of the Arts there is never any shortage of great local gift giving ideas... With the holiday season approaching so quickly, here are a few more of our favorites...

Music CD’s – the Kerplunks http://www.thekerplunks.com/
Kerplunks: If you have kids on your list then the kerplunks CD is a great gift… The Kerplunks play fun and educational kids' music focusing on all the different musical instruments. Toot your horn and strum that bass, The Kerplunks really get you groovin'. The Kerplunks were recently Canadian Folk Music “Children’s Album of the Year”. You can visit their website online to hear a sampling of the cheerful and upbeat music of Dinah D and Tina Jones.


Jewellery @ Artworks
On display & sale currently at Artworks you’ll find a spectacular jewellery shoe featuring some of the islands most popular artists including; Paprika, Moonshine Studio, Yuma Designs, Kate Woods, Lindsey Godfrey & Maureen O’Connor. The stunning creations are sure to light up the face of your loved ones on Christmas morning!


Merrell Shoes @ Colleen’s located at: 580 North Road
Since the island is so full of places to explore a good pair of walking shoes are always appreciated… “MERRELL is dedicated to the outdoor journey of discovery -the search for self-knowledge, meaning, friendship, and fulfillment that links the world's people who enjoy the outdoors. Whether born on the mountain or raised in the city, enjoyment of the outdoor is independent of age, income, occupation or culture.” On the island where we love our time outdoors this may be the perfect gift of comfort & Colleen’s has lots of styles to choose from, in addition to her family fashions & home furnishings…


A Gift of Relaxation Registered Massage Therapist: 250-247-7667
How about an hour or a half hour massage from one of our islands registered massage therapist, Tammy Birch. Melt away your stress. Feel the tension just slip away as you experience a blissfully luxurious session…


Gabriola Elementary School Craft Fair December 6 @ Gabriola Elementary
This is an exciting opportunity featuring a variety of island artists so you can do your shopping all in one place! In addition to the craft fair the famous cookie walk is a great way to support school activities, while avoiding the Christmas baking – but be early the cookies disappear quickly & the doors open at 10:00 am. There is also the very popular silent auction table with all sorts of some of the best the island has to offer, and because the money is going to such a worthy cause, you can feel good about your Christmas shopping!

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Gabriola Players presents "Rumpelstiltskin"

The Gabriola Players are set to present “Rumpelstiltskin” at the Gabriola Community Hall. Last year, they did an amazing performance of Cinderella that entertained a very pleased audience, at the end of the performance the Fairy God Mother in true style handed over her wand to a very delighted child, proving that dreams do come true!

Tickets are at Artworks and are $12 for adults, $5 for youths and children 5 and under are free with a food donation that will go to the People for a Healthy Community. Evening performances on Thursday Nov 27 & Sat Nov 29 at 7pm, Matinee will be on Sat Nov 29 & Sun Nov 30 at 1:30.

Gabriola Novelty Map

I was so excited to receive an email that Gabriola’s Novelty Map, created in the 1980’s by island artisan Edd Ulushak, is back by popular demand.

When the opportunity came along for local businesses to mark their place on this artisans map rendition, amidst the Gabriola scenery – we just knew we had to take the opportunity to get involved. The Chamber of Commerce teamed up with Ed to get local businesses involved. These are sure to be a collectors item, we still have an original in the office, and often get queries from both locals & tourists alike where they can get their copy of the map. There will be a limited quantity available, and they are likely to sell out quickly!

Whether you are a business wanting to participate & be a part of island history in this unique way, or if you are looking at getting your copy of the map check it out online at: http://noveltymap.org/ .