What better way to spend a rainy fall day or evening than by enjoying an artistic outing?
Check out these upcoming highlights from the city’s arts scene:
FIONA TANG: BARE
The new solo show, Bare, features work by Fiona Tang. It runs at the Gallery at Queen’s Park from Nov. 3 to 28. The exhibition explores the artist’s struggles with depression and anxiety over the past year. Tang is usually known for her large-scale drawings of fierce and powerful animals. For this show, however, she has taken a new approach: each drawing seems empty and bare, until viewers receive the key – a black-light flashlight – to unlock what’s hidden within.
Much as mental health struggles can be concealed under an apparently healthy surface, so are the fighting animals buried in the depths of the drawings in this new exhibition.
The gallery is in Centennial Lodge, Queen’s Park, and it’s open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
CAPTURE LIGHT
The Anvil Centre Community Art Gallery is featuring a new exhibition of photography work reflecting a range of creative expression – from macro to micro, analog to digital, landscape to street photography, still frames to documentary works. It features works by Sarah Polson, Valeriya Zhmak, Janene White, Janet Kvammen, Kathy Harms, Milada Dzevitskaya and Julia Schoennagel.
The exhibition runs from Nov. 5 to Jan. 3, with an exhibition opening on Thursday, Nov. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The gallery is on the third floor at 777 Columbia St.
EIGHTH & EIGHT OPEN HOUSE
If you’ve been wondering what’s happening in the Massey Theatre complex, now that the old New Westminster Secondary School is vacant and set for demolition – well, now’s your chance to find out.
In a nutshell, the complex – including the theatre, Plaskett Gallery and surrounding classrooms and rehearsal spaces – is being reimagined as a stand-alone arts facility, Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces. On Saturday, Nov. 6, you’re invited to drop in between 1 and 5:30 p.m. for an open house. You can chat to the centre’s leadership team, get to know more about some arts groups in the community, and enjoy an array of demonstrations, performances and activities from artists, creators and community members.
You can find a full schedule of events online – or just drop in at 735 Eighth Ave. to check it all out for yourself.
HOUSE OF COMEDY
Well, you’re not likely to run into any performers quite as high-profile as the legendary John Cleese – who, yes, has been in New Westminster for no less than six shows at the downtown comedy club. But the Columbia Street venue has a busy calendar of comics to suit all tastes. Coming up soon: Erik Griffin, Nov. 4 through 7; Lisa Baker; Nov. 9; Asif Ali, Nov. 11 through 14; and Mark Normand, Nov. 18 through 20.
Find information and tickets online.
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
Live music is back! If you need any more excuse than that to get out for a night on the town, well, how’s this: An internationally known singer-songwriter is bringing her tour to New Westminster, and you can get an up-close and personal seat for the occasion. The Montreal-based folk artist is a member of the legendary musical family that includes her father, Loudon Wainwright III; mother, Kate McGarrigle; and brother, Rufus Wainwright. For this tour, she’s introducing her newest album, Love Will Be Reborn.
Grab tickets while you can; she’s onstage at the Massey Theatre on Tuesday, Nov. 16 for a 7:30 p.m. show.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
