It's true, there's no finer feeling than winning an award — preferably multiple awards. The Whistler Arts Council, as an entity, is not eligible to win too many awards so they'll partake in the second finest feeling: giving awards.
And this year, as in past years, WAC will be recognizing artistic achievement by graduating high school students in the visual, literary, performing and media arts through the Student Art Award.
Students graduating from elementary and secondary schools in Whistler, Pemberton and Mt. Currie are eligible. Awards will be given out in categories including visual arts, literature, dance, theatre and music.
Each high school student is eligible to win a $500 bursary while elementary students are eligible for a $100 bursary.
Students applying for the Student Art Award are asked to submit a portfolio of three to four recent works that were completed outside of school projects, along with a letter from a teacher indicating that the pieces were completed outside of the curriculum. Students applying in the visual arts and literary categories must give a short presentation of their work for the judges. Students applying for the remaining categories will be asked to audition.
Application deadline for the awards is Friday, May 4. Awards will be presented during the graduating ceremony at each school in June.
It is now time to get Wild in Whistler
No, we're not talking about Tuesday nights at Maxx Fish here. We're talking about the latest exhibit at Millennium Place's Scotia Creek Gallery, Wild in Whistler.
The exhibit showcases local artists and photographers depicting images of Whistler's landscape and its wildlife. Exciting, right?
The Whistler Arts Council worked closely with the Get Bear Smart Society to create awareness of Whistler's landscape and, especially, about the black bear population.
The work of 10 artists has been selected, which include paintings, pottery, stone carvings and photographs.
The exhibit is on now until April 10. A complimentary reception will be held on Thursday, April 5, at Millennium Place, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
If pictures of bears and mountains don't interest you, we hear Maxx Fish gets mighty wild on Tuesday nights.
LIVE at Squamish lineup coming
Brand.LIVE, the company behind LIVE at Squamish, is throwing an LAS launch party at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on Wednesday, April 4, where they'll announce this year's festival lineup. So, you know, stay tuned for that.
The festival, which is sponsored by Virgin Mobile, is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 24 to Sunday, Aug. 26.
If the other Virgin-sponsored Canadian festival — the wicked-awesome Osheaga Festival in Montreal, featuring headliners The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg and Justice, among, oh! so many others — is any indication, this could be a mighty fine long weekend coming up.
Or it could just be a really good long weekend, like it was last year. It's never good to get one's hopes up, although mine already are.
Here's hoping for The Black Keys. And the Snoop Dogg. And Justice. And...
Please Remember the Artist meeting
Please remember it and please attend it. Please?
In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's your friendly reminder: Next Tuesday, WAC is holding the first ever artists meeting at the GLC. It starts at 8 p.m. and it's all about you, the artists.
As we mentioned last week, the meeting is being facilitated by local badass Chili Thom. The evening will focus on bringing Whistler's artistic community together to brainstorm on ideas on how it can evolve and innovate.
This will be an informal meeting, starting with a brief introduction of the WAC for the uninitiated, testimonials from local artists and followed by a discussion on how the arts council can expand its programming.
But at its core, the meeting is a way for WAC to gauge local support for the arts, to see what the artist community looks like, as well as for anyone who's interested to start meeting each other. Because Whistler can't have a lively arts scene without some regular collaboration taking place. The meeting is open to all.
