MINSTREL CAFE and BAR
4638 Lakeshore Road
Ph 764-2301

presents
MAJOR MAMBO

Wednesday June 18th 8:30pm Dance lesson, 9pm Band
for a night of Salsa Dance, Latin cuisine and fun under a Full Moon

includes Salsa Dance lesson with NICO

$10 cover

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15 May 2008

Good Green! DESIGNING PRACTICAL & FASHIONABLE HOMES » Thursday 15 May 2008 | 4:30 pm » Hanna's Lounge, 1392 Water Street An informal afternoon hour showcasing the people and ideas featured in Okanagan Home. Join us as interior designer Vicki Gerrits, builder Eric Gerrits and writer Dona Sturmanis discuss the joys and benefits of green building and design. » This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost. » Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE Sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna Embracing Green Building Is Easy, Experts Say Finally Kermit is wrong. It really is easy being green. That's what the owners of one of the premier Okanagan home building companies, and the leading home trend expert, are saying about meeting the growing demands of an increasingly well-informed Okanagan public. "This is the beginning of a huge push. You can't open a newspaper or magazine now that doesn't have articles on green. And we have to do this. If we don't, we're in serious trouble," says Vicki Gerrits. Gerrits is an interior designer, and along with her builder husband Eric, the two have been operating Homescape which has garnered national awards for its green-building commitment. The two will be speaking at the Okanagan Institute Express series of public presentations, along with Dona Sturmanis of Okanagan Home magazine, at Hanna's Lounge Thursday, May 15 at 4:30 pm, on the topic Good Green! Designing Practical & Fashionable Homes. Four years ago a select few clients asked the Gerrits for green-friendly options. That sent the Summerland couple on a research quest, and ultimately to a commitment to build green. Vicki Gerrits now looks for 100% recyclable carpet, rather than "recycled" carpet, which means the carpet can be disposed of safely. She examines the small print on the grout tubs, and watches for warnings of anything that might emit "off-gas" - a nightmare for anyone suffering from allergies. "What you want to do is make sure everything in the house is healthy - not just energy-efficient, but healthy," she says. Dona Sturmanis, as a writer and in her role as senior editor of Okanagan Home, has seen the growing interest among members of the local home building community. She's also seen the increasing number of homes that incorporate green principles. Some people question whether the growing acceptance of green principles has become a marketing ploy, but both the Gerrits and Sturmanis believe these alternatives are here to stay - and they're going to eventually become the standard, and the Okanagan could become the leading edge. "Even a year ago, people in the Okanagan really weren't thinking green like they are today," Sturmanis says. She believes the tipping point occurred with the widespread popularity of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, and the growing number of designers, builders, suppliers and retailers responding to the increased public awareness. Sturmanis submits that it's time to examine what "green" really means. "Some people are arguing that renovating your home isn't really green because it takes so much oil to move the old material out of the house and the new materials in. We need to think about these things." This session of the Express series of presentations will provide practical insights into how green principles can be integrated into any building or renovation project, and result in homes that are as fashionable as they are practical. Good Green! Designing Practical & Fashionable Homes is a free event, and takes place at Hanna's Lounge. This marks the 41st event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway last July. Since that time, the series has played host to many local luminaries, including artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, architect Jim Meiklejohn, and others from a variety of creative fields. Express is sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and supports the work of Project Literacy Kelowna. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE Okanagan Insitute at Hanna's Lounge 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 Home and Okanagan Home. Expresss is a cultural tonic that refreshes the mind. Join us at Hanna's Lounge after work on Thursdays for a free hour of stimulation that will get your synapses tingling with new ideas and fresh images. Designed for inquiring minds looking for, among other things, the wild blue yonder.

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09 May 2008

Saturday, May 10 at 6 PM at Laurel Building in downtown Kelowna, the winners of the Okanagan Short Story Contest will be announced.  Judge John Gould will give a reading and present the prizes to the three winners.

A few weeks ago, the finalists for the 2008 Okanagan Short Story Contest were announced. Of 159 entries, the following 10 writers made it to the final stage of the judging process:  

    Susan Buis of Kamloops
    Jan Crerar of Salmon Arm
    Brian d‚Eon of Nelson
    Karen Hofmann of Kamloops
    Ashley Little of Kelowna
    Dawn Kennedy of Vernon
    Patrick Roscoe of Keremeos
    Sharon Taylor of Williams Lake
    Lorna Tureski of Armstrong
    Shelley Wood of Kelowna

First-prize winner will receive $500, second $200 and third $100. Winners and finalists will also receive chapbooks of the winning stories.   Chapbooks will be for sale at the reading.

John Gould is the author of two collections of very short stories, Kilter, which was shortlisted for the 2003 Giller Prize
and won the Mary Scorer Award (for the best book by a Manitoba publisher), and The Kingdom of Heaven. His fiction has also appeared in chapbooks, and in periodicals across the country. He publishes occasional freelance nonfiction. John studied at the innovative Integrated Studies program at the University of Waterloo, where he holds a Bachelor degree. He has worked as an environmental researcher, a tree planter and a house framer. More recently he has turned to teaching fiction, and to coordinating arts programs. He co-created and ran the otherwords program at the BC Festival of the Arts, and is now the Executive Director of the Victoria School of Writing. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Malahat Review and teaches at the University of Victoria.

The awards night and public reading announcing the three winners is being held during Kelowna‚s Life and Arts Festival.

Contest sponsors are UBC Okanagan, Okanagan College, CBC Radio One, and the Central Okanagan Foundation. For more information, contact Nancy Holmes at UBC Okanagan, 250-807-9369, or visit http://www.okstorycontest.org.

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09 May 2008

Sunshine Theatre Society is pleased to announce the launch of the new 2008/2009 Sunshine Theatre Season. This year, Sunshine Theatre will be presenting 5 amazing touring performances that you won't want to miss. Details regarding the new season were recently announced by Executive Director, Tracie Ward and Acting Artistic Director, Margaret Gobie.

"We are thrilled to be presenting a brand new season of professional live theatre here at the Rotary Centre for the Arts" said Tracie Ward. "I am so pleased to see that Sunshine Theatre has regained a strong financial footing over the last year and am delighted with the quality of presentations being offered throughout the 2008/2009 season."

Again this year, Sunshine Theatre is offering the Early Bird Subscription package and $10 student tickets. Until June 30th, adult season subscribers can see all 5 performances in the 2008/2009 season for only $120. Following June 30th, regular season subscriptions increase to $140. Students with valid ID can attend any performance for only $10 or can also purchase a subscription package for $40 anytime throughout the season.

When asked about the upcoming season, Acting Artistic Director, Margaret Gobie stated, "I'm very excited about the upcoming season. We've put together a series of performances that include some of the finest performing artists from across Canada - a season of love, memory and laughter. From dazzling dance to Newfoundland comedy to a home grown WW II Veteran's tale. Mix in a little Italian Canadian comedy and it is sure to be an entertaining, thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable season."

Sunshine Theatre subscriptions are being offered on a season of plays that feature some of the most exciting contemporary theatre available. The series of performances scheduled for the 2008/2009 Sunshine Theatre Season include:

MOTUS O DANCE COMPANY
Physical inventiveness, grace and raw energy are all trademarks of Motus O. Since their formation in 1990, Motus O has created eight full-length productions portraying human experiences through humour, pathos and love for both family and adult audiences.

"Variations in Love" - Through a series of cogitative, succinctly energetic and profoundly short works, this performance explores the elusive emotion of love.
October 28th - November 1st, 2008 / 8:00pm

"East of the Sun, West of the Moon" - Through weaving movement and spoken word, this mythological story explores the timeless themes of love, human error and redemption.
Matinee: November 1st, 2008 / 2:00pm

JAKE'S GIFT
Juno Productions / Written & Performed by Julia Mackey
This award winning comedy-drama tells the story of a WWII veteran who reluctantly returns to Normandy, France for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. While there, Jake meets a precocious 10-year-old local girl named Isabelle, whose inquisitive nature and charm challenges the old veteran to confront some long ignored ghosts. At its heart, Jake's Gift is about the healing power of friendship and the legacy of remembrance.
January 13th - 17th, 2009 / 8:00pm; Matinee: January 17th, 2009 / 2:00pm

THE BEST ITALIAN VARIETY SHOW EVER!
BellaLuna Productions
BellaLuna, BC's only Italian-Canadian Theatre Company takes a fresh and energetic approach to Italian culture in this larger-than-life comic variety show. Get ready for some splashy entertainment in this brash evening featuring comedians, game shows, masked characters, sexy dancers, opera divas and hosts bigger than their own egos. BellaLuna's distinctive humourous voice provides an alternative cultural perspective to de-mystify the more elaborate Italian traditions.
February 11th - 14th, 2009; Matinee: February 14th, 2009 / 2:00pm

MESA
Arts Club Theatre Company
Paul is asked to drive his wife's 93-year-old Grandpa "Bud" all the way from Calgary to his retirement trailer in Mesa, Arizona. Paul hopes to find strange, roadside diners and sleep out under the stars. Bud wants Denny's and Motel 6. Paul and Bud spend five days together navigating the predictable turnoffs on the Interstate while discovering their need for each other, sharing their lives and experiences, their hopes and dreams.
March 18th - 21st, 2009 / 8:00pm

ANDY JONES: AN EVENING WITH UNCLE VAL
Andy Jones is the hilariously sarcastic Uncle Val. An indignant, 70 year old retired fisherman, displaced from his outport home, Uncle Val is now trapped in the 'big city' of St. John's. Homesick, Val struggles to figure out what life has left to offer him. There are births, deaths, and even romances as Val struggles to find his place in 'city' life.
March 31st - April 4th, 2009 / 8:00pm

Complete details of the exciting 2008/2009 Sunshine Theatre Season can be found in the new Sunshine Theatre Season Brochure (available at the Rotary Centre for the Arts), by calling the RCA at 717.5304, or by visiting www.SunshineTheatre.org.

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08 May 2008

The Campus-Community Radio Okanagan Society (CIRO) will be hosting '7 Blocks of Busking' Saturday July 5th, 2008 in the Kelowna Cultural District. This 'open mike' styled event is seeking musical and performance artists, volunteers and common folk to come out and have some fun.

7 Blocks of Busking has been organized by CIRO to promote the amazing talent in the Okanagan. CIRO was formed by a group of UBC-O students and community members to start a community radio station in Kelowna.

“The concept of the event is open mike night on a grand scale,” states Cameron Baughen, CIRO organizer. “The Okanagan has hundreds of amazing musical and artistic performers. We want to take over downtown Kelowna and let people see this talent for themselves.” The event will be totally free for the public. Artists will be encouraged to busk for funds which they can keep for themselves or donate to CIRO. CIRO is raising funds for the necessary equipment and reports needed to start a not-for-profit community radio station.

CIRO is looking for artists to pre-register before the event. The nature of the event is busking so there will be ample room for acoustic artists, drumming circles and performance art. At least one stage will have power so electronic artists and bands are encouraged to sign up as well.

“This is the first year of the event and we are seeking artists to get involved in helping shape it's direction,” explains Baughen. “Anyone interested in performing or helping out should get a hold of us.”

The event is modeled on similar free festivals held in Vancouver, Toronto and Seattle. The event will be fun and family friendly. No alcohol will be served.

To sign up as an artist, ask questions or volunteer e-mail ciroradio@shaw.ca. Info will also be posted on the CIRO Facebook and Myspace pages. To find out more information on CIRO and community radio visit www.ciro.ca.

This festival was made possible through support of the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan and the City of Kelowna Cultural Services Office. Insurance for the event will be donated by Capri Insurance.

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08 May 2008