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Local Legends Throw-down: Let the war commence

Garfinkel's launches a new night of live painting for prizes
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Kris Kupskay The Whistler graffiti artist is one of eight in a new live art competition called Local Legends Art Battle. File Photo

Eight Whistler artists will be locked in battle for the right to be Whistler's King or Queen of Canvas.

The Local Legends Throw-down takes place at Garfinkel's on Tuesday, March 25. Entry is $5.

"It's going to be new for Whistler, which is really exciting," says organizer Kevani Macdonald. "We hope it's going to be the source for a series. It will be a fun night of live creation!"

The competing artists are Andy Fenwick, Baz Carolan, Kris Kupskay, Leilani the Artist, Ralph Suter, Stan Matwychuck, Taka Sudo and Tori Hillier.

"Art battles are becoming a growing phenomenon, the same way DJ battles are," Macdonald says. "We will draw names to split the eight artists into two rounds of four. The first four will compete, they will have their 30 minutes to create on their canvas. The audience will vote for a winner of that round. We'll have the next round and, again, the audience will vote for a winner.

"Then the two winners will go head-to-head for a 30-minute final on the same night, so people will get to see three sets of live art being made."

The winner will receive $500, plus a gift certificate to Garfinkel's equal to all door sales on the night.

Macdonald has produced State of the Art at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, and has seen a positive response by people watching the art being created in front of them.

She hopes it will turn into a regular event, depending on the response of the artists and the audience.

"People really react to the live art there, we have live art every afternoon during State of the Art and it's just really great to see something being created. It helps you to really appreciate the talent that has gone into those works of art when they can see it come into being," she says.

Novelist Wagamese at Totem Hall

Award-winning Ojibway novelist Richard Wagamese is giving a reading at Totem Hall on the Stawamus Reserve near Squamish on Thursday, April 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

His latest novel is Indian Horse, published in 2012.

The evening is free and will include dinner, but those interested in attending are asked to RSVP Anne MacDougall at amacdougall@sd48.bc.ca or call 604-892-5228.

The event is sponsored by School District 48, in partnership with Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, Dream Makers Literacy Coalition and Sea to Sky Community Services.

Whistler Readers trip to see Margaret MacMillan

The Whistler Readers group is hitting the road, organizing buses to Vancouver to see a reading of award-winning historical writer and professor, Margaret MacMillan.

MacMillan is touring for her latest book, The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914. She speaks at Vancouver Public Library at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28.

She is the winner of the Samual Johnson Prize, the Governor General's Award and the Canadian Nonfiction Award. She is currently teaching at St. Anthony's College in Oxford, England.

Cost to get into the reading is free, those wanting to join the trip to Vancouver are asked to pay for the cost of bus fare. There will be pick-ups at Meadow Park Sports Centre and The Squamish Adventure Centre. The buses depart at 4 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the Whistler Reads ticket portal: 208.106.134.38/public/shop/wr-items.cfm.

Emily Carr youth summer satellite course details announced

Young students can take part in a new two-week course in Whistler that explores the resort through art and design.

Youth between the ages of 15 and 18 can take part in the Emily Carr University Art + Design Satellite Program which runs from July 7 to 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The course costs $1,500 for domestic students and $1,700 for international students and includes lunch and supplies.

The course is modelled on Emily Carr's Vancouver Summer Institute and is especially suited to teens with an interest in community planning, architecture, mapping, drawing, and design. Students will be engaged in collaborative community research.

An agreement to develop a summer satellite studio was signed between the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the university in December.

For more information, visit www.whistler.ca.

Writers can kick start their work with new courses

Members of Whistler's writers group, The Vicious Circle, are offering two spring courses for writers at the Whistler Public Library.

Novelist Sara Leach's four-week course, Writing for Children, will have participants working through steps in creating a children's book manuscript, with them being able to submit either a full picture book manuscript or several pages of a longer manuscript for feedback by the end of the course. The course takes place April 6, 13, 27 and May 4, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It costs $120.

Writer Rebecca Wood Barrett is teaching Writing in the Spark House, an eight-week series of two-hour writing workshops to encourage creativity and teach writing techniques. Participants can bring previously written material or new work. The classes run from May 11 to June 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Vicious Circle is also holding a free meeting for those interested in forming a new writers group to meet and support each other, possibly leading to a critiquing group. Organizer Stella Harvey said three or four such groups already exist in Whistler but increased interest led to the meeting.

All levels of writing experience are welcome to the meeting, at the Whistler Public Library on March 30, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

SLCC seeks First Nations tattoos

The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre is seeking submissions for an exhibition on traditional and contemporary markings, including the art and design of tattoos.

The SLCC wants First Nations communities and residents in the Sea to Sky region to showcase how unique markings and identity contribute to Coastal and Interior Salish Traditions.

The cultural centre wants photos of the tattoo, which will become part of the community reflection wall. Instagram-style images are preferred. The deadline for submissions is March 23.

The exhibition, called Our Markings, opens on Thursday, April 24. The exhibition will celebrate the opening of the SLCC Indigenous Knowledges Library.

Submissions can be made on the SLCC Facebook page or www.slcc.ca.

Whistler ArtWalk deadline April 1

Applications for ArtWalk 2014 are now being taken by the Whistler Arts Council, with a deadline of April 1.

ArtWalk is a two-month exhibit that takes shoppers and visitors through temporary galleries located throughout Whistler, representing artists from around the Sea to Sky corridor.

All artistic mediums welcome and have in the past included photography, pottery, jewelry, painting, graffiti and textiles.

Moodie new Fairmont artist in residence

Whistler painter Doria Moodie is the latest artist in residence sponsored by the Mountain Galleries Whistler and the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

She will be working in the lobby of the Fairmont from March 24 to 31. There will be a reception on March 28 in the gallery.

Moodie is the second artist to be in residence at the hotel, following Dominik Modlinski in January.

Bizarre Bazaar call for artists

Are you ready for Christmas yet? Bizarre Bazaar, Whistler's annual Yuletide market by regional craftspeople and artisan food makers, intends to be.

The 2013 market saw over 6,000 shoppers in two days, the most ever.

The market is accepting applications for the 2014 market, which takes place on Nov. 29 and 30 at the Whistler Conference Centre.

The early bird deadline is Friday, July 18, while the final deadline is Friday, Sept. 12. Booth fees are $185 for early bird and $210 after July 18.

For applications and more information, visit www.artswhistler.com.

Pemberton book launch

The Pemberton Valley Mountain Bike Trail Guide is being launched on March 27 at the Pemberton Valley Lodge.

The book, by local writer Peter Oprsal, is being sold at a discounted rate of $20 at the event, with $5 from every sale going to the Pemberton Valley Trails Association. The event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The guide has info on 80-plus trails in the Pemberton Valley region for all levels.