The Whistler Arts Council as announced its spring courses for children and adults, and there is something for everyone.
Fine art mixed media courses are offered with instructor Allee Wells for children aged four to six, seven to nine and 10 to 12 years old. The kids will explore colour, line, shape and a variety of mediums using tempura paint, watercolour and more. The course runs Feb. 1 to March 8.
There is a DJ class for beginner youth, aged 13 to 18, taught by Anthony Traynor from Feb. 6 to March 13. Participants learn mixing, beat matching, beat creation and sound sculpting.
There will also be a five-day Spring Break camp combining art and theatre for children aged five to 14, taught by Layna Mawson and LB Productions. This runs from March 17 to 21.
Adult classes for this period include life-drawing drop-ins, adult DJ classes for beginners, introduction to drawing and beyond playing with paint.
Registration for the spring classes has already begun online at artswhistler.com or in person at Millennium Place.
A ski race with a literary twist
Three of Whistler's literary stakeholders are getting bookish about their slope-side fun, establishing the first Whistler Literary Ski Race and FUNraiser Social event.
Stella Harvery of Whistler Writers and Paula Shackleton of Whistler Reads have planned a GMC ski race on Blackcomb Mountain starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, to be followed by a social at the fireside lounge of the Whistler Public Library at 6 p.m.
The funds raised will go towards year-round authors' events in Whistler, Shackleton said. More details will be released about the plans in the future, she added.
The fee is $55 per racer, which lands each person on the GMC racecourse against the partner of their choice. The ticket includes entry to the evening social (lift ticket not included). Non-racers are welcome to watch or skip the day event and go to the social, which is $35 per person.
Prize categories include fastest team, fastest individual time, closest individual and team matched time between skiers' first and second heats and Best Odd Couple costume, in honour of Valentine's Day.
The deadline for the submission of competitors' names is Friday, Feb. 5. For tickets and more details visit: www.bookbuffet.com or Armchair Books.
New arts funding for First Nations youth
First Nations youth in B.C. who wish to follow a career in the arts can apply for a new pilot program funded by the B.C. government, through the Creative Youth Initiatives Program.
The First Peoples' Cultural Council is implementing the pilot, called Aboriginal Youth Engaged in the Arts. Grants of up to $15,000 will support projects in any artistic discipline, including visual, music, performing, dance, media and literary.
The projects can include interactions with artists visiting through short-term residencies in remote and reserve communities, engage youth in the arts through workshops with local artists and bringing in visiting artists to work with local artists in order to engage youth.
The deadline for applications is March 17, 2014. For more information: www.fpcc.ca.
Arizona Project seeks video clips by those impacted by suicide
Singer Brian Byrne of the band I Mother Earth has put out a cross-Canada call for five to 10-second video clips to be part of The Arizona Project music video.
Byrne is donating his song Arizona (I Miss You Most) to the Collateral Damage Project, which creates dialogue on the issue of suicide to break the stigma by sharing stories and images of those who have lost loved ones and friends. The aim, says Byrne in a release, "is to save lives."
The video will feature real Canadians who have been touched by the pain of suicide. To take part, visit www.imissyoumost.com.
Adventure filmmaker's CBC Q interview now online
Squamish adventure filmmaker Bryan Smith's interview with Jian Gomeshi on Q is now available online.
Smith was interviewed in December for the popular CBC talkradio show. He has filmed for National Geographic, Discovery, Disney, Red Bull, Arc'teryx and more. His first documentary was 49 Megawatts, about run-of-river power projects in British Columbia.
Smith talks about live as a wilderness and adventure filmmaker.
The full interview can be seen at: www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/12/02/bryan-smith-adventure-filmmaker/
