Art Beat: Celebrating Pride and honouring Indigenous history

Despite heavy rain showers, the Sunshine Coast Pride March on June 5 demonstrated exuberant support for the LGBTQ2+ community. More than 200 marchers (including rainbow-garbed pets) made their way from the Davis Bay Pier to Mission Point Park, led by drag performer The Unstoppable Conni Smudge. A festival organized by the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society ran throughout the afternoon. Pride Month events continue all month long; listings are available at sunshinecoastpride.com. 

June is also National Indigenous History Month. School District 46 has assembled a list of online resources to support celebrations of Indigenous heritage and exploration of First Nations, Métis and Inuit history. Check it out online at sd46.bc.ca/celebrating-indigenous-peoples. 

Meanwhile, the Gibsons Public Art Gallery is featuring an exhibition of work by shíshálh artist Shain Jackson. And anytime is a good time to visit the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives (sunshinecoastmuseum.ca) and Tems Swiya Museum (shishalh.com)—both institutions chronicle important facets of Skwxwú7mesh and shíshálh history. 

We happy few, we band of brothers 

A couple of great bands are traveling to the Sunshine Coast this weekend: Vancouver’s Graham Brown Band will perform at the Roberts Creek Legion on Friday, June 10, followed by We Found a Lovebird (with The Vallees) onstage the next night, Saturday, June 11. 

Vancouver-based Brown and his band mates are keeping their remarkably consistent winning streak intact with their latest album Spirit And Soul. The album of 11 original tracks was cut by the roots ensemble — led by Brown on the guitar — during a single-day recording session days before the pandemic lockdown of March 2020. 

With a sound described as “delectably dreamy” and “sparkling,” We Found a Lovebird excels at trance-like chiming pop. They’ve been releasing music since 2009 with highlights including a Polaris Music Prize nomination. “Carry” is the fifth single from their forthcoming full-length album With Friends Like These. 

Full event listings for the Roberts Creek Legion—one of the most active concert venues on the Sunshine Coast—are at robertscreeklegion.com. 

Food for the spirit 

On Sunday, June 12, the acapella choral ensemble Coast Vespersong will lead a concert of prayer and contemplation, featuring music by Dering, Tallis, Stanford, and Wood. 

The tradition of choral evensong began nearly 500 years ago in England and has been practiced there daily ever since. Many find it to be a perfect transition from daytime to evening: rest for the body, meditation for the mind, and nourishment for the soul. 

David Poon, the group’s musical director, emphasized, “Belief in God (Christian or otherwise) is not required—invite your friends and come enjoy sacred music that speaks of peace and healing for our war-torn world.” 

The concert takes place at 5 p.m. on June 12 at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Madeira Park. 

A committed spokes-person 

The Gibsons and District Public Library and Transportation Choices Sunshine Coast (TraC) will host the launch of a new guide to cycling the Sunshine Coast.  

On June 29, author Colleen MacDonald will present the third book in her Let’s Go Biking series: Let’s Go Biking Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands & Sunshine Coast. 

The book invites riders to discover over a hundred easy, interesting and adventurous on- and off-road routes, from flat scenic trails to quiet country roads. There will be a door prize for a free copy of the book.  

TraC members will also be on hand to answer your questions about local cycling infrastructure and cycle touring in general. 

Space is limited, so attendees are encouraged to contact the library to register. The event (which begins at 6:30 p.m.) will also be accessible via Zoom from the library’s website. Learn more at gibsons.bc.libraries.coop.

Within these hallowed halls 

The Sechelt Hospital Foundation has welcomed Leif Freed and Margot Hallman to the June rotating gallery at Sechelt Hospital. Both artists contributed to the Foundation’s Art of Healing fundraising event. 

Located between the lab and physiotherapy offices, select works of art are available each month for sale to the general public or hospital staff. 

The works include The Spanish Bull by Leif Freed, a mixed media original piece. Further down the hall, visitors will find several exhibits by Margot Hallman.  

All funds from the Art of Healing event contributed to the purchase of a new X-ray for Sechelt Hospital’s Medical Imaging Department.