Date: January 13-17th, 2009 at 8:00pm
Matinee: Saturday, January 17th at 2:00pm
Venue: Mary Irwin Theatre, RCA
Price: $40 per adult / $10 per student

Written and directed by Julia Mackey, Jake's Gift is a multi-award winning comedy-drama that tells the story of a cantankerous WWII veteran who reluctantly returns to Normandy, France, for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day.

A draft of Jake's Gift was first developed following a trip made by Julia to Normandy in 2004. During her eight-day journey, Julia interviewed dozens of Canadian, British and American veterans who had returned to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of D-Day.

The stories they shared with Julia and her own life- long interest in World War II and remembrance inspired the development of the play. In 2006, the first draft of Jake's Gift received a workshop performance at the Sunset Theatre's Exploration Series in Wells, B.C.

Further play development continued and Julia began performing the piece in early 2007. After a successful run at the UNO Festival of Solo Performance and the Toronto Fringe Festival, Jake's Gift was awarded Best New Play, Best Solo Show, Best Drama and Best Female Performer at the Victoria Fringe Festival in September of 2007.

Since then Julia has been invited to perform Jake's Gift in the BC Interior, the Gulf Islands, the Centaur Theatre's Wildside Festival in Montreal, and at the Idiom Theatre in Washington State.

Join us for this fantastic performance coming to the Mary Irwin Theatre through January 13-17th. To learn more about Jake's Gift and the exciting 2008/2009 Sunshine Theatre Season please visit www.SunshineTheatre.org.

About Sunshine Theatre Company

Sunshine Theatre Company started in 1977 as Kelowna's professional summer theatre company. The company offers a winter subscription series which consists of presentations of touring shows from across Canada. Sunshine is dedicated to the promotion of all forms of theatre in Kelowna.

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11 Jan 2009

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Meiklejohn: Heritage & Vision

THE LIFE AND WORK OF A REMARKABLE
OKANAGAN ARCHITECTURAL FAMILY
» Thursday 8 January 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan HOME. Join brothers Jim and Cal Meiklejohn as they take us on a visual tour of their celebrated architectural designs that dot the landscape, and explore the notion of a distinct Okanagan vernacular.

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» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE

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Showcasing Decades of Architectural Work

One of the truths about establishing an architectural vernacular, is that it doesn't happen overnight. A true vernacular takes generations to evolve, and there are now signs that the Okanagan is coming into its own. For the last 60 years, the Meiklejohn family has been making its mark on the landscape here - from the south in Osoyoos to as far north as Sicamous and Revelstoke.

What started out as largely as a business designed to artfully address the need for institutional buildings at the dawn of the first Okanagan boom of the 1950s, has evolved into a second generation of architects designing buildings and homes that reflect the distinctive Okanagan environment, and the highest traditions of the architectural practice.

The outstanding Cannery Lofts, the Cardington Apartments, the MODE, and the soon-to-be built Caban development in Kelowna all bear the signature Meiklejohn style, as do the Penticton Trade & Convention Centre and the stunning tourism bureau in Osoyoos.

On Thursday, January 8 at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café hosts Meiklejohn: Heritage & Vison with brothers Jim and Cal Meiklejohn as they take us on a visual tour of their designs that dot the Okanagan landscape.

What you'll see is an evolution of Okanagan form and function. You'll learn about what architects do - how their art comes from working with the conditions presented to them - from the budget to the local topography. You'll get to see early renderings, and how those images evolved into their final form.

As the Okanagan increasingly becomes a beacon for newcomers, it is our architecture that will define who we are to future generations. The Meiklejohns will demonstrate that beauty doesn't have to come at a high price, and that we ignore architecture at our own civic peril.

Cal Meiklejohn obtained his bachelor of architecture from UBC, following a Bachelor of environmental studies at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Jim Meiklejohn obtained his bachelor of architecture from Washington State University. The two took over their parents' practice in Penticton in 1992 and have since established offices in Kelowna as well. Today, Meiklejohn Architects is one of the top architectural firms in the region with more than $200-million in projects, from Surrey to Prince George, currently undergoing design.

Meiklejohn: Heritage & Vison is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 72nd event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Since that time, the series has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE

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Where Enquiring Minds Gather. Okanagan Institute at the Bohemian Café A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home. Express is sponsored in part by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Publishing, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna.

The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that has gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.

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02 Jan 2009

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02 Jan 2009

The Vernon Public Art Gallery will ring in the New Year with an opening reception January 8th, 2009.  The four new exhibitions include:
Refuse Culture: Archaeology of Consumption by Ian Johnston, which focuses on addressing the issues of global culture and its challenges, specifically the degradation of the environment and the detritus left behind from consumer culture.

Remnant by Kyle Miller is a sculptural installation featuring video and audio components. The artist Kyle Miller created this environment, a sort of antechamber, to encourage the viewers to enter and become a part of a presentation that is constantly in flux.  

Recent Work by Cory is a body of recent paintings reflecting a fascination with expressionistic paint delivery while maintaining figurative and space rendering with minimal distortion of forms.  

In Print - In Druck by Angelika Jaeger is a result of research that focused on printmaking techniques and processes, text elements, and the use of various materials. The underlying objective of this research was to discover a way to contrast simplicity and elaboration - both materially and conceptually.

For more information please contact the Vernon Public Art Gallery at 250.545.3173 or check the website http://www.galleries.bc.ca/vernon/

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27 Dec 2008

AFRO-CUBAN DRUMMING I *
Tues 7-8 pm, January 13th-March 17th 2009
10 week course
Location: Kelowna Drum Studio
Conga drums provided, No experience required
Course will include basic Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythms and some popular Latin rhythms. Course may be repeated until Level II skills are acquired.
Cost: $125 or Drop-in $15/class

AFRO-CUBAN DRUMMING II *
Tues 8-9 pm, January 13th-March 17th 2009
10 week course
Location: Kelowna Drum Studio
Conga drums provided
Competency with basic Afro-Cuban drum skills required (Son Clave, Rumba Clave, 6 Bell, Marcha etc.)
Course will include more advanced Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythms and some popular Latin rhythms.
Cost: $125 or Drop-in $15/class

DRUMMING FOR HEALTH
Wed. 7-8pm, January 14th-March 18th 2009
10 week course
Location: Kelowna Drum Studio
Drums provided, No experience required
This course will explore basic drum skills using Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, West African and Brazilian percussion.
We will explore the health benefits of drumming as well as the use of drumming and song to strengthened personal and professional relationships and promote group cohesiveness and interaction.
Cost: $125 or Drop-in $15/class

*Register and pay before January 6th to save $25

MIDDLE EASTERN DRUM WORKSHOP
Saturday January 31, 2009 10:30am-3:00pm with lunch break
Location: Kelowna Drum Studio
Workshops are for drummers/dancers of all level who would like to gain some experience and knowledge of the Doumbek and Riq. This course will focus on the rhythms and techniques used in creating the beautiful sounds on these unique instruments. Learn to unlock the mystery of these ancient rhythmic patterns that have intrigued generations since antiquity. Topics include Rhythms, Nomenclature, Finger Exercises, Combinations, Improvisations, Fills, Positioning, Basic Notation and Dance accompaniment.
Cost: $50 Pre-registration required Payment can be made by Interact email, snail mail or drop-off.

-Private or Couple lessons also available.
-All fees are non-refundable except for medical reasons.

For information on any course call Trevor at (250)763-3951 or see
www.trevorsalloum.com

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27 Dec 2008