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Provincial arts appointments

The B.C. Arts Council (BCAC) now has a few new members among the ranks, including the new project manager for the Aboriginal Art at Venue program for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Connie Watts.

The B.C. Arts Council (BCAC) now has a few new members among the ranks, including the new project manager for the Aboriginal Art at Venue program for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Connie Watts.

The council, which consists of 15 members appointed by the lieutenant governor in council, represents the artistic communities of the province. In addition to Watts, the new appointees are Christos Dikeakos, Stanley W. Hamilton, Ron Smith, and Michael Tindall. Don Shukma was reappointed as chair for another one-year term.

“Our mission is to support the arts and cultural community to achieve its creative, social and economic potential,” Shukma said in a recent press release. “I am confident that these new members will rise to the challenge.”

The BCAC was established in 1996 and, to date, has distributed over $158 million in funding to assist artists and art organizations throughout the province.

 

Literary lovers

 

Reader, writer or both — it doesn’t matter. All lovers of the written word are sure to find something to interest them within the programming of the seventh annual Whistler Readers & Writers Festival, held Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 13.

The weekend gets off to a lively start at the Whistler Public Library on Friday night with an opening night debate about the power of words, followed by a keynote address by publisher and author, Mel Hurtig.

Saturday offers up a myriad of workshops and seminars designed to inspire wordsmiths from all genres and of all levels of experience.

Events range in price. To download the full schedule of events, visit www.theviciouscircle.ca/retreat/index.php or contact Stella Harvey at stella25@telus.net .

 

Speaking of the written word…

 

Our beloved local book club, Whistler Reads, is hosting its fall party, and the theme is everything Agent 007 to commemorate their literary pick for the summer, Sebastian Fauks’s Devil May Care , and the worldwide centenary celebration of Ian Fleming’s birth.

If you’re a Whistler Reads member, feel free to come enjoy a few martinis — shaken, not stirred, of course — at the costume party on Saturday, Sept. 13. Black tie apparel if you don’t come in costume.

Tickets to the event are $125, and can be purchased online at www.bookbuffet.com, with proceeds going towards future Whistler Reads events.

 

Big screen under the stars

 

LUNA’s weekly Wednesday night film series at Lost Lake Park may be over, but you still have one last chance to enjoy a cinematic treat in the great outdoors this summer.

Organizers are holding a final film event this summer, a drive-in double feature at Blackcomb Base II, showcasing two classic ‘80s hits, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You don’t need to have a car, either. It costs $20 per car, but there will also be spots for pedestrians going for $8 a pop.

Each person will also receive a raffle ticket, and during a short intermission between films a draw for prizes from Dakine, Armchair Books, Ziptrek Ecotours and Dups Burritos will be held.

So before you pack up those pencils and notebooks, grab a blanket and bug spray, and head to the hills at sundown on Friday, Sept. 5 for some entertainment under the stars.

 

More films for fall

 

While the LunaFliks features may be over for the year, more cinematic masterpieces are just around the corner, with the launch of Whistler’s monthly film screening series, Reel Alternatives, on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

The 2008-09 series features exclusive films that are making their Whistler debuts, and often include a Q&A period with directors. This year, the series kicks off with Before The Rains, by Santosh Sivan, which tells the story of an idealistic young Indian man who is torn between ambition and loyalty.

The screenings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at Village 8 Cinemas, and this year, new subscription packages that guarantee a ticket to every screening, plus bonus tickets, will be available for $60 to $135.

For more information on this year’s series, visit www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.

 

Out of town

 

One of Whistler’s talented artists, Daniel Poisson, left town a few weeks ago to embark on a new project in Panama. To check out the progress he’s made to date, check out his blog: http://codeofcreation.blogspot.com .

 

Meeting of the minds

 

The Whistler Arts Council’s second artists’ meeting, which was scheduled to take place early last week at the Alta Lake Station House, was postponed until later this fall. Watch the WAC website and this space for the date of the next meeting.