Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: Oct. 19, 2017
Encounter
It may be grey outside this weekend, but under the cover of concrete, brick, wood, aquarium glass and big top tents, the city shines bright. Shed those damp layers to watch emotionally-driven contemporary dance, dazzling circus, art, and music. Or, let your mind light up the room with creativity at the Vancouver Writers’ Festival.
Friday October 20
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Vancouver Writers’ Festival
Where: Various Locations
What: The festival features over 100 authors from Canada and around the world. Legendary author Margaret Atwood will discuss the role of the writer in depicting and challenging the status quo in turbulent times with Scottish author and editor Andrew O’Hagan, and authors such as Ann Cleeves, Nicole Krauss, Witi Ihimaera, Akhil Sharma, Leanne Beatsamosake Simpson, and Barbara Gowdy will be attending with readings, signings and more.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
Encounter
Cirque du Soleil: Kurios
Where: Under the tents, Downtown Vancouver
What: Step into the curio cabinet of an ambitious inventor who defies the laws of time, space and dimension in order to reinvent everything around him. Suddenly, the visible becomes invisible, perspectives are transformed, and the world is literally turned upside down.
Runs until: Sunday December 31, 2017
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Toast to the Coast
Where: Vancouver Aquarium
What: Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre’s annual fundraising gala is where you’re encouraged to explore the immersive under and above water galleries while getting to know some of the province’s top chefs and wineries.
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Plastic Orchid Factory’s Animal Triste
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: In the great march of the world, humans are nothing more than sad little animals. But animals that console themselves in beauty and in desire for immortality. Animal Triste is carried by a national cast of inexhaustible performers. These four dancers grapple with inner turmoil and with setbacks and vagaries of living together. They are terrestrial beings, wild animals, angels and demons. Side by side, these domesticated primates rush towards something: their ruin, most likely.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017
Encounter
Encounter
Where: The Cultch
What: Some of the best physical theatre out of India, Encounter is a story about an Indigenous woman, Dopdi, and her communities’ struggle to uphold the Indigenous life and her defiance against injustice.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
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The Lonesome West
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Brothers Coleman and Valene can’t seem to co-exist without sudden outbreaks of violence over the pettiest concerns. When their doubt-ridden parish priest attempts to bring reconciliation, their confessions quickly turn from earnest offerings into weapons in a hilarious and dark race to the bottom.
Runs until: Saturday November 11, 2017
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Hey Ocean
Where: The Biltmore
What: Adorable pop that’s especially big with the bronies.
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King Charles III
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: His time has finally come. The queen is dead and Charles ascends the throne, at last. But is he ready for the monarchy or anarchy? When a single decision jeopardizes the trust of the prime minister and the people, revolt against the crown isn’t far behind—and Kate and William are always one step away, vying for their shot. This inventive story of a king under pressure is a clever imagining of a future not yet written.
Runs until: Sunday November 19, 2017
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The Boom Booms
Where: The Vogue
What: Local Vancouver funk.
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Gallop and Go
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: For the kids – get ready to move to that barnyard beat with Clip Clop the horse. Featuring a bouncy bunch of original and symphonic sing-a-long tunes. Accompanied by an orchestral trio and folk instruments.
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Broken Social Scene (show 1 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Canadian indie rock, occasionally with band members that number in the double-digits.
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan
Where: The Cultch
What: A testament to the humanity and lives of sex workers; a mother’s plea for her daughter’s life and her honour; a story of the struggles of an unlikely family. See Mumbai’s red light district — the eunuch, priest, pimp, mother and daughter who call it home — come to life through the versatile and award-winning performance of Dipti Mehta.
Runs until: Saturday November 4, 2017
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Angela Cheng plays Ravel
Where: Chan Centre
What: Celebrated Canadian pianist Angela Cheng makes her welcome return to the VSO, performing Ravel’s G Major Piano Concerto, a work heavily influenced by the driving rhythms of the Paris jazz scene of the 1920s.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017
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Happy Place
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Happy Place takes us into the experiences of seven women in an in-patient care facility, living together in the most extraordinary circumstances. Though each woman must navigate her own survival in a world that challenges that possibility, they are also the ones who teach one another how to live in a way no therapist ever could.
Runs until: Sunday October 29, 2017
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Griz
Where: PNE Forum
What: A future-funk electro dance party.
Saturday October 21
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Union LGBTQ+ Wedding Show
Where: Heritage Hall
What: Western Canada’s 1st LGBT+ wedding show, showcasing LGBTQ2+ positive wedding professionals in an inclusive and fabulous environment.
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Spoo-Ook-Tacular Halloween Weekend
Where: Britannia Mine Museum
What: Underground scary stories, a strange science show, witch’s house, creepy critters and more for Halloween-loving kids.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
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Boobyball
Where: The Imperial
What: A fundraiser for breast cancer that’s throwing it back to the days when hair was big, Jane Fonda was boss, and Walkmans were totally rad. Get ready to hit the dance floor with memorable beats played by Z953, retro-nail touch-ups.
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BC Lions vs. Edmonton Eskimos
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: Here is some football for you to watch. Some great yelling opportunity within.
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David Foster Foundation 30th Anniversary Miracle Concert
Where: Rogers Arena
What: An evening surrounded by celebrities, entertainers, business and community leaders, hosted by 16-time Grammy Award winner David Foster.
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Harry Manx and the Yaletown Strings
Where: The Vogue
What: Local blues music.
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Hot One Inch Action Button Art Show
Where: Arts Factory
What: Tiny art of fifty different artists is reproduced on one inch buttons. These limited edition buttons are displayed on the gallery wall and the audience is offered the opportunity to buy randomly selected buttons in mixed bags of five for $5. Didn’t get the button you want? Trade with the people around you!
Marquis Hill Blacktet
Where: Frankie’s Jazz Club
What: For the past five years, 29-year-old Marquis Hill has been invigorating the Chicago jazz scene with his sleek approach to modern jazz trumpet. JazzTimes praised his playing by stating, “His articulation calls to mind Clifford Brown, while his bravura phrasing suggests an equal immersion in Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.”
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Anna Baignoche
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Becoming is an ambitious project and 7 years in the making. The recording plays to multiple themes and genres close to the artist; an amalgam of acoustic and electronic music, dirt and wires, paint over a photograph, love over hate, pure joy and deep sorrow. Baignoche and her band will be performing songs from Becoming live for the first time, in our intimate 200 seat theatre.
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Broken Social Scene (show 2 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Canadian indie rock, occasionally with band members that number in the double-digits.
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Zola Jesus
Where: Venue
What: Kinda dark gothy, electro-classical sometimes industrial.
Artist Talk: Tracy Williams
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Traditional technologist and artist, Sesemiya/Tracy Williams will discuss how she is seeking to relearn ancient technology through a combination of Elder’s teachings, an understanding of local lands and resources, and a willingness to experiment.
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East Side Flea
Where: The Ellis Building
What: 50+ local vendors, makers, vintage sellers, oddity finders. Play pinball and pool. All this, with a bar!
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
Sunday October 22
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Mushroom Show
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: All about mushrooms – presented by the Vancouver Mycological Society.
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Black Angels
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Neo-psychadelic garage sounds.
Ongoing
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Turandot: Puccini’s Final Masterpiece
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Containing some of the greatest operatic music ever written, Turandot blends epic chorus sections with unforgettable intimate moments, and is the culmination of Puccini’s career. This three-act opera with libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni is one of the most grand opera offerings and is full of thrilling choruses, booming orchestrations, and a decadent and masterfully colourful depiction of ancient China.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017
Encounter
Plastic Orchid Factory’s Animal Triste
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: In the great march of the world, humans are nothing more than sad little animals. But animals that console themselves in beauty and in desire for immortality. Animal Triste is carried by a national cast of inexhaustible performers. These four dancers grapple with inner turmoil and with setbacks and vagaries of living together. They are terrestrial beings, wild animals, angels and demons. Side by side, these domesticated primates rush towards something: their ruin, most likely.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017
Encounter
Angela Cheng plays Ravel
Where: Chan Centre
What: Celebrated Canadian pianist Angela Cheng makes her welcome return to the VSO, performing Ravel’s G Major Piano Concerto, a work heavily influenced by the driving rhythms of the Paris jazz scene of the 1920s.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017
Oktoberfest at the Vancouver Alpen Club
Where: 4875 Victoria Drive
What: The Deutsches Haus boasts German favorites from Spätzle to Schnitzel and the best selection of German beers and wines in Vancouver.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (weekends)
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West End Farmers Market
Where: 1100 Comox St
What: Located in the heart of Vancouver’s busy West End, this laid-back Saturday market looks onto beautiful Nelson Park and adjacent community gardens. Each week, shop for the best in local, seasonal produce, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, ethically raised meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, wild crafted product, and handmade craft. Hot food & coffee on-site as well.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)
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Trout Lake Farmers Market
Where: Trout Lake
What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season.
Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)
Encounter
Vancouver Writers’ Festival
Where: Various Locations
What: The festival features over 100 authors from Canada and around the world. Legendary author Margaret Atwood will discuss the role of the writer in depicting and challenging the status quo in turbulent times with Scottish author and editor Andrew O’Hagan, and authors such as Ann Cleeves, Nicole Krauss, Witi Ihimaera, Akhil Sharma, Leanne Beatsamosake Simpson, and Barbara Gowdy will be attending with readings, signings and more.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
Encounter
Encounter
Where: The Cultch
What: Some of the best physical theatre out of India, Encounter is a story about an Indigenous woman, Dopdi, and her communities’ struggle to uphold the Indigenous life and her defiance against injustice.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
Encounter
Kitsilano Farmers Market
Where: Kitsilano Community Centre parking lot
What: A great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and beautiful, handmade craft. Kids and parents alike can enjoy entertainment by market musicians, a nearby playground and splash park, and coffee and food truck offerings each week.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017 (Sundays)
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East Side Flea
Where: The Ellis Building
What: 50+ local vendors, makers, vintage sellers, oddity finders. Play pinball and pool. All this, with a bar!
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
Encounter
Spoo-Ook-Tacular Halloween Weekend
Where: Britannia Mine Museum
What: Underground scary stories, a strange science show, witch’s house, creepy critters and more for Halloween-loving kids.
Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017
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Contemporary Iranian Cinema Series
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Acclaimed and accomplished new films from Iran are in the spotlight in this new monthly showcase.
Runs until:Thursday October 25, 2017
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Jim Park: Unknown Terrain
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: The Northern landscape forms an important part of Jim Park’s practice. Park sees paint as a language; the memory of lived experience merges with the pictorial possibilities on the canvas.
Runs until: Saturday October 28, 2017
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Vagabond Players presents Little Shop of Horrors
Where: The Bernie Legge Theatre (New Westminster, BC)
What: Meek and mild flower shop assistant Seymour Krelborn has stumbled across a peculiar new plant species, which he names after his stunning but vulnerable crush Audrey. The plant, Audrey Two, has plans that are far greater than Seymour can imagine as it grows into a bad-tempered, foul-mouthed carnivore who offers fame, fortune, the girl he loves, and an escape from skid row in exchange for feeding its growing appetite for blood.
Runs until: Sunday October 29, 2017
Encounter
Happy Place
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Happy Place takes us into the experiences of seven women in an in-patient care facility, living together in the most extraordinary circumstances. Though each woman must navigate her own survival in a world that challenges that possibility, they are also the ones who teach one another how to live in a way no therapist ever could.
Runs until: Sunday October 29, 2017
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Fright Nights
Where: Playland
What: Misty, dark, dreary, and full of spooks and scares may not sound like everyone’s ideal night out, but to those of us who love Halloween, nothing could be better! Playland turns into an animated haunted carnival, including seven haunted houses and fifteen of its best rides; what better way to scream away all of your fears?
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Stanley Park Ghost Train
Where: Stanley Park
What: Each year, the Stanley Park Ghost Train takes riders of all ages on a journey through a mystical Halloween world. This year, the theme came from outer space with only one goal: alien invasion! Be prepared to be abducted to an unearthly world and journey into the restricted zones to witness the landing.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Lost Souls of Gastown Halloween
Where: Gastown
What: As much a roaming theatre experience as it is a walking tour, this vivid account of Vancouver’s most dark, gothic early history is tied to this fictional tale of a tragic life. Follow the story of George Turle, a man who witnessed first-hand the terror of smallpox and ran from the Great Fire as it licked the skin from his back, and who became entangled in one of Vancouver’s most notorious murders; the brutal killing of John Bray.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Haunted Halloween Trolley Tour
Where: Starts downtown
What: Guests board a frightful trolley bus and travel through the city listening to storytellers spin tales of murder, treachery and intrigue. Chilling stops (seriously, bring your warm jackets) at Mountain View Cemetery and Vancouver’s original city morgue (where more than 15,000 autopsies were performed) bring these stories to life, guaranteeing a delightfully vivid experience.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Halloween at FlyOver Canada
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Broomelda the Witch will once again work her magic to transform FlyOver Canada into the Haunted Witches Academy. Aspiring witches and wizards are welcomed into a spine-tingling pre-show before taking off on a spellbinding journey across Canada.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
Vancouver Mystery Nights
Where: Vancouver
What: Thirteen years ago Jimmy Capello was found dead in his downtown Vancouver apartment — strangled, poisoned, and stabbed. Now the Terminal City Police Department has re-opened the cold case and it’s up to you to solve it. Teams will compete against each other while completing challenges on the streets of downtown Vancouver and Gastown.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Potter’s House of Horrors
Where: 12530 72 Ave (Surrey, BC)
What: Gather your moteliest crew and drop into one of the area’s biggest and best-rated haunted houses, celebrating 15 years of screams! Attractions include two haunted houses (plus a “Li’l Haunters” attraction geared to kids 12 & under), a coffin ride, a haunted paintball shootout, and a photo booth. Partial proceeds go to Critter Care Wildlife Society.
Runs until: Tuesday October 31, 2017
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Improv Wars: The Laugh Jedi
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: Vancouver TheatreSports takes you to a universe that exists outside of normal time and space – where unlikely characters co-exist. Hosted by a mysterious hooded figure, the players and the audience search for an individual of unique abilities – one with the power to cloud people’s minds, to slip into any role, to make intuitive connections at lightning speed – The Laugh Jedi.
Runs until: Thursday November 2, 2017
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Circle Craft Christmas Market Preview Exhibit
Where: Net Loft building on Granville Island
What: Circle Craft Gallery’s Fall exhibit will give Circle Craft Christmas Market lovers a sneak peek. Exhibitors in the Preview exhibition are: East Van Jam, G Ceramic & Co, Ludviks Designs, Lulu Fiedler, Market Canvas Leather, Misheo, Rosewell Woodworking, Susie Benes, and Yifat Jovani.
Runs until: Thursday November 2, 2017
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan
Where: The Cultch
What: A testament to the humanity and lives of sex workers; a mother’s plea for her daughter’s life and her honour; a story of the struggles of an unlikely family. See Mumbai’s red light district — the eunuch, priest, pimp, mother and daughter who call it home — come to life through the versatile and award-winning performance of Dipti Mehta.
Runs until: Saturday November 4, 2017
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Thanks For Giving
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: While Nan bastes the turkey and prepares the stuffing, her husband hides a freshly hunted bear in the garage and her troublesome daughter is raiding her purse again. To top it all off, her grandchildren have chosen this Thanksgiving to disclose some unexpected personal truths to the family.
Runs until: Saturday November 4, 2017
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The Lonesome West
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Brothers Coleman and Valene can’t seem to co-exist without sudden outbreaks of violence over the pettiest concerns. When their doubt-ridden parish priest attempts to bring reconciliation, their confessions quickly turn from earnest offerings into weapons in a hilarious and dark race to the bottom.
Runs until: Saturday November 11, 2017
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Diwali in BC
Where: Various locations
What: In it’s first year, Diwali in BC will explore the artistic theme of Shakti – feminine power – through theatre, dance, film, and culturally specific workshops. The programming will feature works primarily created by women, including Academy Award-nominated Canadian director Deepa Mehta, Dora Award-winning playwright Pamela Mala Sinha, Dr. Aparna Sindhoor along with her pioneering South Asian Contemporary Dance Theatre company Navarasa Dance Theater, rising South Asian award-winning actress Dipti Mehta, and classical dance theatre artist Arno Kamolika.
Runs until: Thursday November 16, 2017
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King Charles III
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: His time has finally come. The queen is dead and Charles ascends the throne, at last. But is he ready for the monarchy or anarchy? When a single decision jeopardizes the trust of the prime minister and the people, revolt against the crown isn’t far behind—and Kate and William are always one step away, vying for their shot. This inventive story of a king under pressure is a clever imagining of a future not yet written.
Runs until: Sunday November 19, 2017
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Intangible
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Contemporary Coast Salish art is embedded within a traditional cultural framework that includes community, ceremonial life, territory, history and innovation. Six artists challenge our expectations and illustrate Coast Salish art as a thriving art tradition – a dynamic one that demonstrates both continuity with the past and exploration of new ideas and technologies.
Runs until: Sunday December 10, 2017
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Bill Reid Creative Journeys
Where: The Bill Reid Gallery
What: Celebrating the many creative journeys of acclaimed master goldsmith and sculptor Bill Reid (1920–1998), this exhibition provides a comprehensive introduction to his life and work.
Runs until: Sunday December 10, 2017
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Cirque du Soleil: Kurios
Where: Under the tents, Downtown Vancouver
What: Step into the curio cabinet of an ambitious inventor who defies the laws of time, space and dimension in order to reinvent everything around him. Suddenly, the visible becomes invisible, perspectives are transformed, and the world is literally turned upside down.
Runs until: Sunday December 31, 2017
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Entangled: Two Views on Contemporary Canadian Painting
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: An insight into two distinctly different modes of painting that have come to dominate contemporary painting in this country. The origins of both can be effectively traced back to the 1970s, to a moment when the continued existence of painting was hotly debated.
Runs until: January 1, 2018
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Amazonia: The Rights of Nature
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin.
Runs until: January 28, 2018
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Tin and Gold: A 10 Year Anniversary Show
Where: The Fall
What: Celebrate 10 years of alternative music, tattoo artistry, and multimedia events. The art show includes artists Megan Majewski, Jenn Brisson, Alison Woodward and more.
Runs until: February 1, 2018
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City on the Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: A photo-based exhibition exploring how protest demonstrations have shaped Vancouver’s identity from the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers’ photo collection. These photographs are exceptional historical records of intense and transformative moments in the lives of Vancouverites.
Runs until: February 18, 2017
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Tasting History: The Traveling Tales of Tea
Where: Roedde House Museum
What: Tea is one of the most consumed liquids in the world, second only to water. But the beverage that brings much pleasure and calm to our 21st century senses is steeped in a turbulent history of politics and society. The exhibit will also feature stories from Vancouver’s modern-day tea community.
Runs until: March 2018
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Emily Carr: Into the Forest
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Far from feeling that the forests of the West Coast were a difficult subject matter, Carr exulted in the symphonies of greens and browns found in the natural world. With oil on paper as her primary medium, Carr was free to work outdoors in close proximity to the landscape. She went into the forest to paint and saw nature in ways unlike her fellow British Columbians, who perceived it as either untamed wilderness or a plentiful source of lumber.
Runs until: March 4, 2018
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The Lost Fleet Exhibit
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people.
Runs until: March 25, 2018
Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist
Where: North Vancouver Museum
What: An exhibition exploring the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George (1899- 1981) and his influence as an Indigenous rights advocate and his career as an actor. The exhibition was developed in close collaboration with the George family.
Runs until: April 2018
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In a Different Light
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: More than 110 historical Indigenous artworks and marks the return of many important works to British Columbia. These objects are amazing artistic achievements. Yet they also transcend the idea of ‘art’ or ‘artifact’. Through the voices of contemporary First Nations artists and community members, this exhibition reflects on the roles historical artworks have today. Featuring immersive storytelling and innovative design, it explores what we can learn from these works and how they relate to Indigenous peoples’ relationships to their lands.
Runs until: Spring 2019
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular