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Arts Briefs

M.A.D.E. with love in Pemberton

With Whistler's annual arts party officially wrapped up, the Pemberton Arts Council (PAC) is getting ready to pull out the big guns for their third annual house party at the Community Centre on Saturday, Nov. 27.

The evening is a true artistic showcase, featuring live music from Papa Josh's Funk 'n' Groove show, Soul Song Extended, Suzanne Wilson and DJ Lon alongside a selection of visual arts.

"M.A.D.E. is an informal event that celebrates Pemberton in all its funky artistic glory by bringing artists and citizens together so they can experience all the talent Pemberton calls its own," PAC president David Moldofsky said in a recent release.

New this year, the event kicks off at 4 p.m. for the family crowd, featuring Little Bear Performances, children's art and face painting. Then, at 6 p.m, the kids trundle off to bed so the adults can take over the space at 8 p.m., enjoying artisan-crafted Schramm Vodka martinis, wine and beer. Entry is by donation and bar proceeds go towards PAC events and initiatives. Attendees are encouraged to dig into their tickle trunks to come up with wild and weird costumes for the evening.

Last year, 46 artists exhibited their work at the event, which attracted almost 400 attendees. PAC is hoping to exceed those numbers this year. For more information on M.A.D.E., visit www.pembertonartscouncil.com.

 

Gold medalist tackles 'bucket list'

 

Jon Montgomery may seem pretty fearless to most - skeleton isn't a sport for wimps, after all - but there are apparently a few extreme sports the athlete hadn't ticked off his to-do list, yet.

So, Discovery Canada took Montgomery and a few friends - his fiancée and teammate Darla Deschamps, coach Kelly Forbes and skeleton teammate Sarah Reid - on the "Best. Trip. Ever," travelling around B.C. to tackle six new sports in six days.

They head to the salt lake of Nitinat to kite surf, then to Tofino for a night surfing experience. After climbing out of the water, they attempt to climb a 70-metre-tall old growth cedar before tackling the iconic Grouse Grind at Grouse Mountain. Last but not least, the crew heads to the Sea to Sky region to slack-line a 300-metre chasm on the Squamish Chief and then up to Whistler to tackle the Whistler Bike Park and a heli-bike excursion up to Rainbow Mountain. Two sets of cameras follow the crew along the way. More cameras are body-mounted, helmet-mounted, board-mounted, bike-mounted and even high-wire-mounted to ensure that viewers have access to the full spectrum of fears, frustrations and triumphs the team faces on each and every challenge.

The one-hour special premieres on Discovery Channel on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m.

 

Cultural centre reopens

 

The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre will be reopening its doors on Thursday, Nov. 25th after being closed for the last two weeks for renovations.

The feature exhibit for the winter season is The Squamish Community: Our People and Places, a stunning collection of archival photography, organized by the Squamish Nation Education Department and guided by Squamish elders in collaboration with the North Vancouver Museum and Archives.  This project is the first collaboration between Squamish Nation elders and the North Vancouver Museums and Archives and is proudly hosted as part of a travelling exhibition at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Accenting the images is a collection of Squamish carvings, textiles and other art works. The exhibition will run until Mar. 31.

Guests to the Cultural Centre will find a variety of new tours and hands-on activities in the Great Hall, focusing on the traditions, arts and culture of the Squamish and Lil'wat people. Guests will be able to participate in carving, drumming and cedar weaving as well as meet ambassadors from both nations and learn their stories.

A family friendly reading and play area has been added to the Indigenous Café, located in the lower level by the Istken Hall. The café has free Wi-Fi and parents and guests are encouraged to use the children's books and toys within the space.

The winter hours for the centre will be Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with admission by donation on Tuesdays.

 

'World's Most Dangerous Show' lands at Merlin's

 

Billed as the "World's Most Dangerous Show," Enigma and his beautiful bride, Serena Rose the Electric Girl, roll into Whistler for two nights of human marvels. Think neon-swallowing, glass- and fire-eating, chainsaw daredevilry, spikes being hammered into heads, and much, much more.

The Showdevils have travelled the seven seas to find the odd, unusual and wonderful to add to their act, drawing inspiration from P.T. Barnum, Rob Zombie, Gwar and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, their show is sure to impress.

These performers have appeared as a group and individually on the largest rock festival tours in the US, Europe and Australia and on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The X-files, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and many more. They'll be at Merlin's on Monday, Nov. 29 and Tuesday, Nov. 30 with evening shows starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance at Merlin's or $10 at the door.