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Arts Briefs

Whistler's Olympic spirit to be rekindled

 

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games have long passed, but the provincial government doesn't want us to lose our Olympic spirit, just yet. So, they've earmarked $50,000 in funding for an arts and music festival dubbed Whistler2010-Live! to help mark the one-year anniversary of the Games in February.

"The 2010 Olympics weren't just a lot of fun, but the beginning of a significant legacy for Whistler," West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre said in a recent release. "Whistler2010-Live! will help us mark the first anniversary in style."

The $30,000 is in addition to $20,000 in already-announced funding, which brings the total to $50,000.

The provincial government has budgeted $3 million for 2011 Spirit Festivals across the province. West Vancouver received a $30,000 "top up" as Whistler did last week, for a total of $50,000 each. Surrey and Richmond both received $50,000 from the start.

Doti Niedermayer, executive director of the Whistler Arts Council, said they weren't expecting the additional funding but were pleased, because the original $20,000, which was based on population alone, probably wouldn't have been enough to program a festival.

"A town in the north of British Columbia which was three times the size of Whistler would end up getting much more, and yet we were the ones that had this incredible event during the Games and all these festivals leading up," she explained. "So I was concerned about what we would do with that money given that it was the first anniversary of us hosting the Games, and there is some expectation in the community and with our programmers and our artists and our community about how we would celebrate that anniversary."

To help leverage additional funds for the festival, before the new funding was announced, Niedermayer and Whistler partners went out to "knock on a few doors" to try and find another partner for the festival.

"Fortuitously, CTV has come on-board. So they are celebrating the first anniversary and they are going to be in Whistler at that time of year, so now we are suddenly working together and we will have a celebration that's much larger than what we would have been able to put on."

Whistler's two-week celebration, which runs from Feb. 12 to 28, will feature live music on an outdoor stage in Whistler Village, snow sculpting on Whistler Mountain, film screenings, and literary and visual arts at Millennium Place.

"We've always felt that our Celebration 2010 festival that we started in 2003 would go beyond the Games," Niedermayer said.

While the event is partially intended to revive the community's Olympic spirit and celebrate the anniversary of the Games, Niedermayer points out that it's really about showcasing local arts and culture at a busy time of year in Whistler.

"The Whistler Live! programming was so successful for our local artists and for the community and for Whistler as a whole, and it was such a successful partnership that I couldn't see why we would let the first anniversary - or any year - go by without acknowledging what had happened and trying to rekindle some of that spirit."

Now, WAC programmers are trying to figure out what aspects of local arts and culture they want to showcase to the community and visitors.

"We will take some of the most successful components of what we did in Whistler Live! and what we did before Whistler Live!, when we used to have Celebration 2010, and reprogram those."

There will be opportunities for local artists to get involved with the celebrations. Check artswhistler.com regularly for posted calls for entries. Also, stay tuned for the Whistler2010-Live! programming schedule in the new year.

 

Evolution: the Winter Party

There are plenty of parties in store for the 2010-11 season, but if you want to kick things off properly, head to the GLC Saturday, Dec. 18 and get down for a good cause with the Evolution crew.

They're hosting a party with Humans, an up-and-coming electro, indie soul group from Vancouver, performing alongside local DJ Rob Baanks, JJ and Whistler's very own air guitar champion, Cole Manson. As well, there's a killer little art show and silent auction. The entire evening is in support of a friend and Whistler resident, Justin Johnson, an 18-year-old who crashed in the bike park last summer and is now paraplegic.

"Justin is one of the most positive young people I have ever met and his strength is truly inspiring in this challenging time," organizer Lauren Ritz said in an e-mail.

The Evolution crew want to help him buy an R1 four-cross bike (which sells for almost $11,000, according to their website) so he can get back up and riding for the summer season. They are hosting a series of parties to help raise money for the purchase.

The party kicks off at 9 p.m. and tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. For more info on the party, check out their Facebook page by searching "The EVOLUTION Winter Party."

 

New high-flying artwork for the village

Look up, wayyy up! The Resort Municipality of Whistler has just installed a series of brand-new banners designed by Anna-Maria Lawrie, the same artist who designed the community's 2006 Family Fun banner series.

Lawrie's designs were again selected through a juried competition. The jury said they were a favourite based on their "colour and fun reflection of Whistler." The series, dubbed Whistler Winter Animals, will be on display throughout the winter.

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic banners, which have been taken down, have been selling fast and might make a great Christmas gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list. A limited number remain and are available for viewing and purchase on eBay.com (just search Whistler banners). A catalogue of all non-Games banners is available online at whistler.ca under the "Visitors" tab. All proceeds generated through the banner sale program are reinvested into Whistler's public art initiatives. The next call for artists for the banner program will be announced in the new year and posted on whistler.ca .

 

Tales from the backcountry... Part VI

Calling all powder hounds: WAC wants you! The Arts Council is on the hunt for Sea to Sky- and B.C.-based photographers to throw down during their epic annual sports action photography competition, Out of Bounds: Tales from the Backcountry.

This is the sixth year for the contest and exhibition, which showcases emerging and professional backcountry sport photographers while promoting mountain culture and B.C. based athletes. Photographers are invited to submit their images of skiing and snowboarding in the B.C. backcountry by Friday, Jan. 7.

Entries will be judged by a panel of industry professionals, athletes and photographers based on artistic merit, composition, technical skill and adherence to focus on the theme, Out of Bounds: Tales from the Backcountry (so, no photos taken from chairlifts, please). Selected photographers will receive an honorarium to assist in printing costs. Ultimately, a People's Choice Award and Best of Show will be presented, along with trips into Whistler's scenic backcountry courtesy of Coast Range Heliskiing. Images that have been digitally manipulated or developed into artwork will be eligible for entry in the competition, but they will be judged in a separate category and are not eligible for the heli-skiing prize.

The Out of Bounds opening reception will take place on Friday, Feb. 4 at Millennium Place. The free exhibit will remain on display in the gallery throughout February. For more information and application details, visit artswhistler.com.