A brilliant exhibition of collage by Filipino-Canadian artist Jay Cabalu is in full swing at The Kube gallery in Gibsons. The show’s title, Bunso, is derived from a Tagalog term of endearment for the “youngest child” in a family. The show opened with a public reception on Aug. 2.
After Cabalu’s family moved to Canada in 1991, he discovered magazines and comic books — and their artistic potential when reformed through hand-cut collage. The Kwantlen University-educated artist has exhibited his work internationally over the last decade.
The seven works on display at The Kube explore the harrowing consequences of youth-obsessed culture when constrained by outdated patriarchal systems. Cabalu repurposes pop culture icons like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, vintage Canadian stamps, Remembrance Day poppies, and cubic zirconia jewellery.
“Capitalism and consumer culture sells us a fantasy of what we need in order to be happy, successful, or beautiful,” said Cabalu. “It keeps us tethered to the system. Part of what I strive to do in my art is to take the literal things that are used to keep us tethered to the system and to reveal it and re-contextualize it in a different way to show what is being done, insidiously.”
Jay Cabalu’s Bunso continues at The Kube until Sept. 3.
Stevenson woos and wows
Buddy Holly tribute artist Zachary Stevenson, originally from Parksville, captivated enthusiastic fans on Aug. 9 with a high-energy, heartfelt concert at the Rockwood Pavilion in Sechelt. Backed by the Vancouver-based band Interstellar Riders, Stevenson serenaded a local fan with Ritchie Valens’s 1958 hit Donna, and elicited the aid of another spectator to deliver spoken-word lyrics in Summertime Blues (also released in 1958).
Art Beat correspondent Bob Evermon, a Gibsons resident, writes: “Seeing Zachary as Buddy was very special. Buddy Holly died in an airplane crash in Iowa [in February 1959].
“I was 20 miles away at the time, living in Rockwell City, Iowa. I was a high school disc jockey; I took music for my disc jockey show from American Bandstand. The next day after the plane went down, I put on a painful day of Buddy Holly music in the high school gym. Nobody could dance that day. I will never forget that day that Buddy Holly and his friends died.”
Rainforest Circus a top-sacred gathering
A cast of more than 20 artists (including aerialists flying from tree trunks) from Aug. 8 to 11 presented its ninth Rainforest Circus in the last 14 years. Gathering in Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, crowds averaged 100 spectators per show. At each performance, attendees followed curious characters through interactive exhibits and activities. The event was a partnership between Deer Crossing the Art Farm and Talaysay Tours.
The circus’s intelligence-themed storyline culminated in a grand finale set in an open-air amphitheatre. Narrator xets’emits’a (Candace Campo) revealed that sacred knowledge endowed to living creatures has been hidden in the last place human beings might think to look: the recesses of their hearts.
Hackett goes Rogue
The 36th annual Hackett Park Artisan Fair takes over the downtown Sechelt park this weekend on Aug. 17 and 18 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day). Over its history, more than 5,000 visitors have browsed the stalls of local artisans who are selected by a jury. The jury considers craftsmanship, originality, and uniqueness when determining which vendors will make the cut.
Entrances to the Fair are located at the corner of Trail Avenue and Medusa Street — as well as Trail Avenue and Dolphin Street in Sechelt. Admission is by donation for adults and seniors, and free for children under twelve.
Vendor stalls are organized by specific disciplines. A reliably-entertaining highlight of the fair is the live demonstrations by the Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild (booths 58 and 59).
A map and details are online at sunshinecoastartscouncil.com.
On each of Saturday and Sunday, the Hackett Park outdoor amphitheatre will also feature live music coordinated by Rogue Fest. Lesley Japa Morgan leads yoga each day at 10 a.m. Ten distinctive musical groups will perform, including the horn-driven fusion jazz ensemble Control Group, and self-described “eclectic rockers” Old Yeller.
Musical fusion all weekend long
The free summer music series on the Gibsons waterfront continues this weekend with classical guitar phenom Josh Searles performing at the gazebo on Friday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.
On Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the Midds present a program of all-original rock and roll. That evening at 6:30, the infectiously-funky Caravan Paradiso band takes the stage with its unique fusion of world music styles. Riding high in the caravan are Graham Ord (soprano and flute), Heather Anderson (trombone and trumpet), Bernie Arai (drums) and Anna Lumiere (keys and vocals).
Although the Slow Sundays in the Creek lineup was not yet available at press time, fans of the weekly outdoor concerts behind the Roberts Creek Community Library can find information by browsing to facebook.com/groups/SlowSundaysintheCreek. Sunday’s free performances start at noon; singalong fun by the Beachcombers Ukulele Group Singers always leads the program.
