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Bartosh sees artfulness in science

Arts News: Early bird rates for Art on the Lake, indigenous culture trail opens at Sea to Sky Gondola
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Public art Glenda Bartosh (left) combines art and science. photo submitted

Pique food columnist Glenda Bartosh is combining art and science in a decidedly non-culinary way.

Bartosh, who has just completed a fine arts degree at Emily Carr University in Vancouver and who founded the Whistler Arts Council in 1982, is exhibiting The Gloriously Cosmic Periodic Table [x3] at this year's grad show at the university, located on Granville Island in Vancouver.

The show runs from May 6 to 21. The preview night is Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m.

"I did this first through a course I took called Quantum Entanglements... we were having physicists from TRIUMF (Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics) come to our course and give us lectures on particle physics and then we based our art on what we heard," Bartosh says.

"I started this concept at the end of 2012, when Stephen Harper was in power, and federal scientists could not freely speak to the media or the public. Scientists were muzzled and they still are today." This developed for Bartosh into new ideas of expressing what quantum physics is — starting with her element "Unknownium."

"The Gloriously Cosmic Periodic Table is based on this... I looked for facts that interested me and I would create a beautiful watercolour paper card and would handwrite some facts about quantum physics, and make up a name depending on the fact."

The piece explores quantum physics and Bartosh turned it into a public-interaction project by giving away the cards to the public, discussing the information and illustration, and photographing the participants.

"It's important because it gets art and science out of institutions and galleries and into real life," Bartosh says.

"It's a 21st-century model of what an artist can be — straddling disciplines and communities — which you have to do to enact change. And it's just a really fun way to think and talk about quantum physics." 

For more information, visit www.glendabartosh.ca.

Early bird rates for Art on the Lake

Save up to $100 for registering early for classes in this summer's Art on the Lake program, including painting, textiles, cedar weaving and henna making.

Classes take place at the Alta Lake Station House. For more information, visit www.artswhistler.com/art-on-the-lake.

New First nations-inspired trail to open at Sea to Sky Gondola

Talking Trees, a new First Nations interpretive tour, is opening to visitors at the Sea to Sky Gondola on May 13.

Guides from the Squamish Nation and other Coast Salish communities will accompany visitors through the alpine area near the drop off of the gondolas, sharing stories of the natural and historical importance of the area.

The Sea to Sky Gondola is also celebrating its third birthday on May 13 with cake and music.

For more information, visit www.seatoskygondola.com.

Correction:

In an Arts Brief in last week's issue of Pique (Sea to Sky Singers plan Canada 150 concerts), we omitted the participation of Whistler Singers alongside the Sea to Sky Singers in their new show Routes. There are three performances: at the Britannia Mining Museum on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m., Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Whistler on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m., and at St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Squamish on Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m.

Pique regrets the error.