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Canada CODE: the remix

VANOC is taking its digital art project to the next step, launching a special application that will allow Canadians to go online and make a multimedia statement about their country.

VANOC is taking its digital art project to the next step, launching a special application that will allow Canadians to go online and make a multimedia statement about their country.

As part of the Cultural Olympiad programming, VANOC launched Canada CODE earlier this spring as an online forum to collect images and text from across the country and create an online portrait of Canada as a whole. Since then, contributors from B.C. to Newfoundland have uploaded their own images and words to the Canada CODE website. Now, organizers are allowing people to go back to the website and use others' content to create their own stories.

To add some music into the mix, people can also access material from the National Film Board's sound library. Dubbed Canada CODE Remixes, the best of these projects will be shown to the world, displayed online and on screens at Celebration Sites and venues throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"Canada CODE has broken new ground in the digital realm by giving Canadians an opportunity to creatively share with each other and the world," Burke Taylor, vice president of culture and celebrations for VANOC, said in a recent press release. "Our new remix application takes that potential to a whole new interactive level that's designed to be as simple and inclusive as possible."

To check out or contribute to Canada CODE, visit www.vancouver2010.com/code .

Exploring another ArtWalk option

Whistler Arts Council is going all-out with this year's ArtWalk offerings. So far this summer, as part of their annual ArtWalk event, they've hosted one opening reception at the beginning of July, plus a special Function Junction event mid-month. Now, they're readying for yet another opening party, on Friday, July 31.

The Marketplace reception held earlier this month saw an impressive turnout of hundreds of people strolling through the village for drinks, appetizers, entertainment and, of course, artwork. The second round of venues will be featured during the second opening reception, with 15 locations from the Village Common to Village Square on board to participate.

The Release, Brother Twang, and Flatback Trio are providing the musical offerings for the evening, while Cary and Paolo Lopes' body painted creations will join the stroll alongside live graffiti painting by Liks and fire spinning by Phoebe Phoenix. Whistler Brewing Company and Barefoot Bubbly are providing beverages.

HotSpot venues include Mark Richards Gallery, Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery, Sea to Sky Premier Properties and The Blake Jorgenson Gallery. Afterwards, the FireRock Lounge at the Westin will host a special after party, with DJ Foxy Moron spinning til midnight. The stroll starts at Amos & Andes at 6:30 p.m. and continues along Village Stroll through the Square and up to Skiers Plaza and the Upper Village.

Raising a cub in Whistler

Black bear mothers don't have it easy here in Whistler; they have to deal with dangerous dads and find food, all while dealing with those pesky humans. Local bear expert Michael Allen will explore the challenges that all mother bears, like our beloved Jeannie, face each and every year here in Whistler.

Allen is leading a special workshop on Saturday, Aug. 1 as part of the Whistler Museum's Speaker Series. Entitled, Momma Black Bears: Living on the Edge, Allen's workshop will offer an inside glimpse of mother and cub lifestyle on a giant outdoor screen at Rebagliati Park, starting at 9 p.m. Best of all, this presentation is free, so one and all can come out and learn about bear survival in Whistler. Bring some warm clothes, a blanket or chair to sit on, and some bug spray.

Naked clay

A long-time Whistler resident and talented artist is on-deck to lead an upcoming workshop for the annual Art Workshops on the Lake series, which is hosted at Alta Lake Station House by the Whistler Arts Council.

Penny Martyn studied Architecture and Art History at the University of Vienna, but these days, the 12-year Whistler resident can be found filling orders for her custom-made pet pottery, murals and dinnerware at her studio in Emerald. But on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9, Martyn will lead a two-day workshop on naked clay, teaching participants the ins and outs of creating ceramics sans glaze. In the process, they will learn about clay, clay bodies, additives and sculpting basics, plus techniques and tools of the trade.

The workshop will be small, with just nine participants, so anyone interested in signing up should register online at www.whistlerartscouncil.com.

Summer of Funny deadline extended

Pique Newsmagazine's Summer of Funny writing contest is well underway and great submissions are already coming in. However, given the late announcement of the contest, we've decided to move the deadline date back a month to give people more time to prepare. The new deadline is Friday, Aug. 28, with the winning submissions running in our Labour Day issue.

Pique is accepting humorous short stories, scripts, long format jokes and poems, and will be giving $400 in prize money to the top submissions. Pique's editorial staff will determine the winners, with a maximum prize of $250 for an outstanding submission.