LEARNING

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Digging for Dirt

THE EARTH BENEATH OUR FEET
» Thursday 5 Febuary 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan HOME. Join us as Xeriscape gardener Gwen Steele and research scientist Gerry Neilsen explore what lies beneath the surface of the Okanagan valley.

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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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Experts Reveal the Okanagan's Dirty Secrets

The Okanagan is known as having one of the most fragile eco-systems in the province, but residents and developers alike sometimes aren't aware how much that eco-system affects not only what we build, but how we build it.

This past fall, commuters travelling Highway 97 took the brunt of Mother Nature's power when construction crews spotted a growing fissure on the mountain side. One false move, and the rock could all come tumbling down.

So what lies beneath the surface of this beautiful valley, and what do we need to do be aware of in order to maintain it?

On Thursday, February 5th at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Digging for Dirt: The Earth Beneath Our Feet at which Xeriscape gardener Gwen Steele and research scientist Gerry Neilsen explore what lies beneath the surface of the Okanagan valley.

Gwen Steele is a local expert in xeriscaping - the style of dry land gardening suitable for our region. But she's also an advocate of a new concept in the Pacific Northwest that encourages developers to work with buyers before the house goes in so that the original land can be preserved.

"In the last few years I've had clients tell me stories of how they purchased a pristine piece of property only to find it damaged from construction. Then they're coming to me asking how to fix it. There is another way."

Steele has been studying, teaching and practicing the principles of xeriscape gardening for nearly 20 years. This has lead to the discovery of a multitude of native and non-native plants that thrive in our climate with very little water. In addition, she has become aware of how variable the soils can be in this area and what a large role soils play in the selection of appropriate plants and the success of a garden. In recollecting her childhood memories of gardening in Kelowna, Gwen just realized she learned about soil amendments before she learned to read!

Gerry Neilsen has been a research scientist in soil fertility and plant nutrition for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland since 1978. He says the range of soil qualities changes substantially from the southern part of the region to the north. This has an enormous impact on how we irrigate our landscape, to what we can expect to grow.

Neilsen obtained his PhD in soils from McGill University. Throughout his career he has worked collaboratively with international scientists, industry groups and students. Gerry recalls his adventure with dirt began when he was working as a biological control agent, weeding and hilling potatoes for his grandparents. He also spent excessive energy trying to put a black disc between 2 metal posts past another agile ape wearing protective equipment. It was enough to convince him his future lay in soils research. This past summer, he spoke to an international gathering of scientists at the University of Algarve in Portugal.

Digging for Dirt: The Earth Beneath Our Feet is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 76th 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, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, 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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30 Jan 2009

What: BC Festival of Artist-Run Culture Where: 421 Cawston Avenue When: February 6 at 7pm: Opening Reception February 7 from noon – 4pm: Chatter conversation February 7 from 9pm – 3am: Music and Media Arts Festival Chatter and Whirr is a winter festival celebrating artist-run culture in BC. An initiative of the Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres (PAARC), this unique festival connects events in Kelowna, Victoria and Vancouver scheduled throughout the month of February. Chatter and Whirr highlights the best of alternative culture through exhibition openings, festive cultural happenings and province-wide discussions, setting the tone for artist-run culture in BC. The festival kicks off in Kelowna with Chatter & Whirr Unleashed, a music and media arts festival and the first in a series of licensed events hosted by the Alternator, Kelowna's only artist-run centre. On Saturday February 7 from 9pm-3am the RCA Atrium will be transformed into a nightclub experience with interactive media-based visual art (audio, video, 3D, lights, performance) and local musical guest Djs. Local DJ's create a lounge-friendly backdrop of groovy Electronic music perfect for mingling and dancing. Lola's multi-faceted Drum & Bass opens the evening, JGirl & Manousos journey through the laid-back grooves of Downtempo, World-beat rhythms, & groovy Deep House, while JPod (The Beat Chef) offers up Funk, Breakbeat, positive Hip Hop, & party rockin bangers giving this show just the right eclectic mix of style and a perfect flow. Cost is a $5 recommended donation at the door. The festival also showcases new media exhibitions featuring Plains Cree-Métis artist Jude Norris, and presenting two artists originally from Kelowna, Brian Gotro and Christian Nicolay. Norris’ Diary of a Nomad combines three projection screens to contrast digital landscapes, which both celebrate and offer a critique of western landscape traditions from an Indigenous perspective. Gotro draws his audience into the White Room, with a five-channel video and electric guitar while Nicolay’s Atlantis challenges America’s quest for freedom, using tv static to broadcast from turbulent waters. These three alternative exhibitions will be on display until 2am during the music and media arts festival. Those interested in hearing the artists talk about their work while enjoying a relaxed evening of socializing are welcome to attend a free opening reception at the Alternator on Friday February 6 at 7pm. The exhibitions will remain on display until March 20. Throughout the month of February, members of artist-run organizations from across BC will be meeting to discuss the vision of artist-run culture that has powered events like Chatter and Whirr throughout Canada for over thirty years. The Alternator is pleased to host a gathering in Kelowna from noon to 4pm on Saturday February 7. Participants from Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops and Vernon extend a warm invitation to anyone who wants to attend and is interested in finding out more about artist-run culture and the role it plays in our communities. For information, to volunteer or for up to date programming information visit us online at www.alternatorgallery.com, e-mail info@alternatorgallery.com or call the Alternator at (250) 868-2298.

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17 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

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

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Printed Ephemera

INSIDE MARK RUCKER'S WORLD OF TREASURES & PLEASURES
» Thursday 4 December 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Mark Rucker speaks about the joys of collecting, of turning a hobby into a vocation, and shows some samples from his astonishing collection of printed materials..

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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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A Collector Offers a Glimpse Into His World

Without the aid of original records and authentic documents, our history would be nothing more than a conjectures and amusing fables.

Sentiment, a perceived need to refer to these materials in the future, or admiration for their physical appearance impels us to preserve items of personal or professional interest. The theatergoer or sports fan who saves programs, the mother who treasures her children's school certificates and report cards, the businessman who retains examples of his firm's advertising brochures, the librarian who maintains a vertical file of menus, trade cards, bills and flyers, all are collectors of printed ephemera.

Generations of collectors have sought ephemera, either for its intrinsic value or for the challenge of the quest. Dealing in printed ephemera has become a specialized activity of the antiquarian book trade, and these materials are inextricably entwined with political, economic, religious, military, and social history. Increasingly, editors and authors are using ephemera to illustrate books on various topics.

On Thursday, December 4th at 5pm, the Okanagan Institute Express series hosts Printed Ephemera: Inside Mark Rucker's World of Treasures & Pleasures in which Mark offers up a tour and insight into his astonishing collection of printed material which covers dozens of subject areas, spanning the years of 1840 to 1940.



From baseball cards to postcards, Rucker's collection is the stuff legends are made of. Over the years, Rucker's keen eye has attracted the attention of collectors, and publications ranging from the New York Times to children's books, and Ken Burns' Emmy Award winning 1994 documentary Baseball.

An author of numerous books himself, including The Beer and Whisky League: The Illustrated History of the American Association, and Detroit Aces: The First 75 Years, Rucker received the Tony Salin Memorial Award in 2007 from the Baseball Reliquary for his contribution to preserving the history of the game.

But his first love is always the image itself. "Seeing the image in person is always the most fun," says the Peachland resident, who has been operating his publishing and picture agency Transcendental Graphics since 1986.

Rucker uses his artistic skills as both painter and sculptor to seek out the beauty in the images he collects. It's this above all, that makes his collection so noteworthy.

He started out focusing strictly on baseball imagery, but by the mid-1990s, his need for more visual stimulus urged him to expand the agency to include historical images of all kinds, particularly in the genres of photography and lithography.



Not one to define himself by national borders, his love of the beautiful and the obscure has helped him unearth images from Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, England and Australia. Today Rucker's collection includes images of the Old West, aboriginal people, carnivals and circus, theatre, the comical and ridiculous, transportation, social history, labour, women, advertising, and the fantastic. A tiny fraction of images from his collection appears on his website www.theruckerarchive.com.

Printed Ephemera: Inside Mark Rucker's World of Treasures & Pleasures is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 69th 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, 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.

0 Comments

28 Nov 2008

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Freelancing in the Media

TRUE STORIES OF TRIUMPH & TRIBULATION
» Thursday 6 November 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Leanne Allen, Karin Wilson and Robert MacDonald explore the role of freelancers in the constantly-changing modern broadcasting and publishing landscape.

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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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Creative Insiders Compare Survival Strategies

There's a scene at the beginning of the movie The Incredibles where Elastigirl suggests to her future husband that he should be more "flexible". If ever there was a metaphor for surviving in the Okanagan media landscape, flexible would certainly cover it.

This week, the Okanagan Institute's Express series reaches into the media world with a look at how local media players have flexed their creative thinking muscles to keep themselves vibrant players in an industry that sometimes appears to be all locked up.

The Okanagan Institute Express series continues its creative explorations, presenting Freelancing in the Media: True Stories of Triumph and Tribulation. The event takes place Thursday, November 6 at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café. Featured at the event are three high-profile self-employed media people who have watched their work morph and change in reaction to a media world continually hungry for something new.

Leanne Allen is the former publisher and editor of Off-Centre Magazine, the only urban, independent magazine in the Southern Interior targeting the 20-45 demographic. A brazen risk-taker, Allen launched the magazine with a whopping four-pages that quickly grew to become the region's answer to the Georgia Strait tackling local issues with an edge. Along the way, Allen expanded her media vision with a foray into creating live television under the banner Off-Centre Omnimedia. Since the sale of her magazine last fall, has been working on a pilot project Citizen Jane for CBC Radio along with her sister. A creative entrepreneur, Leanne blames her Bachelor's degree in English on Margaret Atwood.

Karin Wilson has worked in the Okanagan media since she arrived in Penticton in 2002. She started out as a news reporter and columnist for the local daily news covering courts, crime and aboriginal affairs. After the birth of her daughter, she migrated into new media and broadcasting, working for Bridges.com in Kelowna and then for CBC Radio. Most recently she added magazine writing to her repertoire working for Okanagan Arts, Okanagan Home, and Okanagan Life, along with freelancing for the Vancouver Sun, all while balancing her role as Associate Director of the Okanagan Institute and organizing and hosting the weekly Thursday Express series.

Robert MacDonald is another media sojourner who has taken the path from graphic design, advertising and marketing into magazine and book publishing. MacDonald was the Director of the Publishing Workshops at the University of Toronto and the Banff Centre for fifteen years, and a founder of the Canadian Periodical Publishers Association and the Graphic Arts in the Public Service Foundation. He has been involved in the launch and repositioning of numerous magazines, and several book publishing companies. He is the publisher, editor and designer of Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home magazines, and consults with media and technology companies, universities and associations in Canada and the US.

Freelancing in the Media: True Stories of Triumph and Tribulation is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 65th 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, broadcaster Mari0n 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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03 Nov 2008

In conjunction with the exhibition Boundaries, the Kelowna Art Gallery is pleased to partner with the UBC Okanagan Facility of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) on the Conversations on Contemporary Art lecture series and FCCS Showcase series. All events will be held at the Kelowna Art Gallery and are free to the public. Please call the gallery to reserve your spot! 250-762-2226.

Conversations on Contemporary Art
November 3 ñ December 1, 7:00 ñ 9:00 pm
Join us for this five-part lecture series on contemporary art ñ learn about the significance of contemporary art and its connection to culture and history!
These lively and illustrated lectures will feature a new topic each week. Distinguished experts and artists from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Department of Creative Studies, will lead the discussions.

FCCS Showcase Series
Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Engage the Filmmaker
Gary Burns Presents and Discusses Radiant City
Tuesday, November 25, 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Radiant City, produced by Burns Film Ltd in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada, is Burnís first feature-length documentary, which he co-directs with journalist and first-time filmmaker Jim Brown. The subject ñ the issue of urban sprawl ñ is explored through the experience of one family negotiating the complexities of contemporary North American suburbia. Radiant City interestingly mixes documentary and dramatic techniques in its exploration of an issue being debated in many Canadian communities, including Kelowna.

Literary Reading
Wednesday, December 3, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Join us for an evening of readings with Professors of Creative Writing at UBC Okanagan. Michael V. Smith, Nancy Holmes, and Sharon Thesen will read from recent work and work in progress.

Blue Pencil Cafe
Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13
10:30 am ñ 4:30 pm
Writers ages 16 and over are invited to submit pieces of their work for a for a one-on-one conference session with UBC Okanagan Creative Writing professors Michael V. Smith, Nancy Holmes, and Sharon Thesen.

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29 Oct 2008

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Let's Dance

BALLET TAKES CENTRE STAGE
» Thursday 30 October 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as David LeHay of Ballet Kelowna and Lori Larson of the Canadian School of Ballet discuss how the Okanagan has become a centre of dance culture in Canada.

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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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Local Ballet Achieves National Prominence

One of the biggest cultural stories of the last five years has been the transformation of the Okanagan into a national dance powerhouse. The story dates back decades to the late 1950s when the founders of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Canadian School of Ballet retired to the Okanagan. Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally brought the school with them to their new home and continued their devotion to nurturing generations of young dancers.

But it was in the current decade that a remarkable pirouette took place when the school found a new partner in David LaHay and Ballet Kelowna was born. In short order, the performance company jumped from its original touring schedule of seven performances in six communities, to 50 performances before more than 13,000 people in more than 30 communities throughout B.C. and Alberta.

Now it seems the larger dance community is taking note, and pundits predict this confluence of events is about to put the region on the nation's map for cultural excellence.

The Okanagan Institute Express series continues its The Past is Prologue cultural history explorations with host Karen Close presenting Let's Dance: Ballet Takes Centre Stage. The event takes place Thursday, October 30 at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café. Speakers at the event are Ballet Kelowna founder and artistic director David LaHay and Lori Larson, the current director of the Canadian School of Ballet.

David LaHay founded Ballet Kelowna in 2002 following a long and successful career as a performer, teacher, ballet master and director. He was the principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (Montreal) and was guest artist with The Royal Swedish Ballet (Stockholm), The Alberta Ballet (Calgary) and The Cuban International Dance Festival (Havana).

Lori Larson first met the founders of CSB while studying dance herself at the Banff Centre of the Arts. By 1986 she, along with Mel Brown, assumed the torch and made a commitment to uphold the founders' legacy. "Dance, music and theatre enriches all our lives," says Larson, who was instrumental in the development of Ballet Kelowna. Larson is also the founding member of the Okanagan Summer Dance Intensive which celebrated a successful inaugural dance training programme with 70 students and 10 professionals from across Canada in residence at UBCO.

Let's Dance: Ballet Takes Centre Stage is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 64th 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, broadcaster Mari0n 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.

0 Comments

24 Oct 2008

Saturday, October 25th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Laurel Packinghouse
What would an Apple Fair be without apples? Fortunately, we won't find out the answer to that question because Saturday, October 25th, there will be over two dozen local apple varieties to tempt your taste buds. Old favourites such as Spartan, McIntosh, and Royal Gala will be on the table, as well as apples you may not know such as Hokuto, Delblush,  and Belle de Boskoop. And yes, there will be Winter Bananas!

The BC Orchard Industry Museum proudly presents its annual Apple Fair at the historic Laurel Packinghouse, celebrating the 20th year of this family-favourite event. Come for the freshly picked apples and stay for a day filled with activities. Bring the family and keep the beat alongside the Brightside Cloggers, folk singer Mat Duffus, and harmonies from Okanagan Voice Works.

For those looking to get hands on, there will be apple carving all day long and a bean bag toss from 11am-2pm. Don't miss the opportunity to paint and decorate you own birdhouse, courtesy of the Kelowna Women's Shelter. There will also be free face painting and prizes for the colouring contest.

There will be an assortment of locally made sweets and treats, such as homemade apple 'n spice ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery, caramel and candy apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, homemade apple pie by the slice, and hot apple cider.

Browse the wares of local artisans and vendors and make a bid in the silent auction. There will be a door prize given away at the end of the day.
The BC Orchard Industry Museum would like to thank the growers and packinghouses who support the Apple Fair every year. Thank you to the BC Fruit Market on Clement Ave (Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative), Westbank Harvest in Westbank, and Okanagan Plant Improvement Corporation (PICO) in Summerland. 

Admission is $2 per person and $5 for a family or group of four.
For more information please call (250) 763-0433 or visit www.KelownaMuseums.ca.

0 Comments

24 Oct 2008

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Aboriginality

A CELEBRATION OF NATIVE HEALING ARTS
» Thursday 23 October 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Rebecca Cameron, Carol Derrickson, Patricia Morven, Roxanne Lindley and Gayle Liman share personal experiences of aboriginal healing traditions throughout the Americas.

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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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Native Healing Arts the Focus of Special Event

Health care may not have been top on the political agenda this federal campaign, but for thousands of people in the Okanagan it is the most important issue they face on a daily basis. Whether we are coping with a diagnosis of cancer or heart disease, or dealing with mental illness or elder care, our physical wellbeing has a direct impact on our day-to-day experience.

While traditional Western medicine has focused on fixing our health, aboriginal tradition has focused on healing, which often takes a more holistic view of the person by examining not only the physical body, but the mental and spiritual body as well.

The Okanagan Institute Express series has invited a powerful group of experts in the field of aboriginal healing to share their personal experiences of healing - and how it has affected their lives and others. The event touches on not only Okanagan practices, but aboriginal healing traditions throughout the Americas. Aboriginality: A Celebration of Native Healing Arts takes place October 23, at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café.

Rebecca Cameron is a teacher and new mother. She'll discuss her personal experience with aboriginal healer Tis Mal Crow, an internationally known herbalist and Native American Root Doctor of Cherokee and Hitchiti decent, and author of the book Native Plants, Native Healing.

Carol Derrickson is a member of the Westbank First Nation, who has worked as an administrator in social development for the last 15 years, with a particular focus on Pine Acres, the band-owned 63-bed elder's residence which offers intermediate care. A mother and grandmother, Derrickson speaks to the importance of caring for the whole person as we age.

Patricia Morven, of Nisga'a and Thompson decent, teaches life skills for the ROADS Program through Westbank First Nation. An expert in designing programs that use art as a form of healing, Morven will talk about how the arts has helped people overcome addiction.

Roxanne Lindley is a carrier of cultural and traditional medicines. A member of the Westbank First Nations, she will talk about the aboriginal world view with regard to plants and medicine.

Gayle Liman is the research curator for the Westbank First Nation. She will discuss a holistic approach to healing involving mind, body and spirit and her personal healing journey that took her from Mexico to Guatemala and beyond, where she learned about plants and medicines from numerous Aboriginal healers.

Aboriginality is an ongoing series underway as part of the Okanagan Institute's Express Series, which aims to bring diverse groups of people together in the interest of improving our understanding of culture and the arts, and celebrate the breadth of talent expressed in the Okanagan.

Aboriginality: A Celebration of Native Healing Arts is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 63rd 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, broadcaster Mari0n 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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17 Oct 2008