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An arty party

ArtWalk 2010 is officially up and running already, but art enthusiasts should start warming up for the main event - the opening reception - which takes place Friday, July 9.

ArtWalk 2010 is officially up and running already, but art enthusiasts should start warming up for the main event - the opening reception - which takes place Friday, July 9.

The free walking tour showcases a range of local and regional artists and artisans whose work is on display in cafes, retail stores, commercial galleries, hotels and restaurants throughout the summer months. The premise is pretty simple: pick up an ArtWalk brochure, and meander throughout the village, checking out the wares along the way.

The opening party kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday night, as ArtWalkers make their way from Marketplace to Skiers Plaza, taking in the visual arts and tunes provided by Dr. Dave, Brother Twang and Stone Soup Marimba. Whistler Brewing Company and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly will provide the drinks at HotSpot venues. Finally, anyone who still hasn't gotten their fill of artistic offerings from the three-hour opening reception can make their way to the official after party, which will be hosted at the FireRock Lounge.

 

Summer of Funny, Part II

The countdown is on for anyone out there who thinks they can tickle people's funny bones with the written word: they've got just a few short weeks to craft a comedic piece for the second annual Summer of Funny humour-writing contest sponsored by Pique Newsmagazine .

The inaugural competition in '09 yielded so many quality submissions that Pique staffers simply couldn't agree on a clear winner. So the powers that be decided to divide the $400 prize purse among the eight entries that stood out from the pack.

And since none of the writers complained, Pique has decided to give the contest another whirl this year. The rules are the same - all written submissions will be accepted, from anywhere in Canada, and can be in the form of stories (up to 2,000 words), poems, plays/scripts, or long-format jokes. We'd even accept cartoons.

The prize money will be the same, as will the review by Pique writers and staff. If there is a clear winner this year they may receive a larger share of the purse at our discretion, otherwise we may decide to simply run a wide selection of pieces this year and divvy up the prize money equally. Humour is subjective after all, and we'd like to give our readers a chance to decide.

Send all entries to andrew@piquenewsmagazine.com before Monday, Aug. 23 for inclusion in our Labour Day long weekend issue. Please include a brief biography and mailing address.

 

Celebrating climbing culture

Squamish is a beloved haunt of rock climbers from around the world, and in one week's time the community will play host to its internationally-renowned annual climbing event, the Squamish Mountain Festival.

Each night features climbing and mountain adventure films from around the globe, with some of the sport's biggest names - Canadian alpinist, Barry Blanchard, Yosemite big-wall pioneer Royal Robbins and crack-climbing comedian, Cedar Wright - on-hand to speak and present films at the event. It all takes place from Wednesday, July 14 to Sunday, July 18.

On Thursday, July 15, The Steep Shot Photo Contest profiles six of the best shooters in the biz as they showcase a slideshow of their best climbing or climbing-related photography. The entries are judged and the top three presentations are awarded cash prizes.

Tickets to the festival are available in Squamish at Climb On, Valhalla Pure, the Squamish Adventure Centre and on-line at www.squamishmountainfestival.com .

Second annual summer shoot-off

Leave your six-shooter at home, the Saint Deep Summer Photo Challenge calls for a different kind of shooting skill: the photographic kind.

Kokanee Crankworx is bringing back their photo comp, which debuted at the 2009 festival. This year's shoot-off is shaping up to be even better than last year's. The list of confirmed photographers includes defending champion Mattias Fredriksson, Paul Morrison, Sterling Lorence and Jordan Manley. A fifth pro photographer will be invited and a wildcard entry, which will be selected through a competition on www. pinkbike.com , will come together to battle it out for top honours (and a $3,000 cash prize) on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

"After Team Scanada's great success in the Saint Deep Summer Photo Challenge last year we are psyched to come back," winner Mattias Fredriksson said. "We have kept parts of the team from last year and have signed up a few new, amazing riders as well. It's gonna be super maximum fun. I'm warming up for Deep Summer with my Scandinavian Photo Challenge taking place in my hometown of Åre, Sweden next week. This event will be a great way to try out some new stuff before coming to Whistler."

Photographers will work against the clock to create a slideshow from images shot over just three days in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park and Whistler's cross-country trails. Then, each show will be presented to a live audience at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The winner will receive $3,000, second place wins $2,000, third place walks away with $1,000 and the best photo of the evening will win the shooter an additional $1,000.

"Last year's event was incredible and with heavyweights like Paul Morrison, Sterling Lorence and Jordan Manley taking on the current champion Mattias Fredriksson, you know it is going to be on," Michelle Leroux, Deep Summer Event Manager, said in a release. "We are stoked Saint and associate sponsors Evok and Sombrio have come on board. I can't wait to see what these shooters come up with this year."

Tickets to the slideshow are $17 at Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations. (Hint: the inaugural event sold out last year, so you might want to get yours in advance.)

 

New series profiles Whistler characters

Move over Peak Seasons, there's a new TV show on its way.

Several well-known Whistlerites (including historian Florence Petersen, 2010 Winter Olympic Games gold medalist Ashleigh McIvor and Mayor Ken Melamed) will be profiled as part of the five-part, independently produced Whistler Biography series, which started airing daily at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6 on Shaw Television.

"Having lived in Whistler for nearly two years, I decided that there were some long-term locals who worked in the area that would make interesting subjects on a television show," producer Shannon Morris said in a release. "Hopefully viewers will find something informative about Whistler or the person's career in the series."

 

Marketing art

Any artists interested in learning how to effectively exhibit, market and sell their art may want to look into the Art Is Your Business workshop being held on Cortes Island this fall.

Ruth Payne, curator of the Ferry Building Gallery and Visual Arts Coordinator for West Vancouver's Office of Cultural Affairs, is again hosting a four-day workshop highlighting the essentials of art marketing. The workshops starts on Sunday, Sept. 19 and runs until Wednesday, Sept. 22. Tuition is $445, plus an additional $25 for materials. For more information, visit www.hollyhock.ca.

 

For the record...

Whistler Reads' next event, a discussion with author Matthew Hooton, is still taking place at the Whistler Pulbic Library on Saturday, July 10, but they've decided to start the event a bit earlier, at 5 p.m. Then, they'll be moving to Il Caminetto afterwards. Please RSVP to paulas@bookbuffet.com if you're planning on coming to the latter part of the evening.