Every seat was full and last-minute attendees were turned away at the final Artesia Coffee House of the season, on April 7 at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre.
The evening included a reading by author Heather Conn, blues and folk music from the Wildflowers, and acapella music from the Balkans courtesy of the Sokole ensemble. The jazz duo of Karen Graves (sax, flute, vocals) and Budge Schachte rounded out the night.
The Artesia Coffee House tradition will resume in 2024.
A familiar and supportive presence at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre is moving on to her next adventure. Congratulations to curatorial assistant Scarlett MacPherson, who is enrolling in graduate studies at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus.
Not coincidentally, the Arts Council is seeking a curatorial and program assistant to join their team. Details appear on their website at sunshinecoastartscouncil.com.
Garage Sale opens its doors
The good-as-new David King comedy Garage Sale opened at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons this week, with a pay-as-you-can preview on Thursday. Ticketed shows run Friday and Saturday evenings from April 14 to April 29, with 2 p.m. matinees on April 16, 23 and 29.
Tickets can be purchased online via driftwoodplayers.ca or with cash at Gibsons Florist, MELOmania Music in Roberts Creek and Strait Music in Sechelt.
The April 22 performance and revenue will be dedicated to the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society in recognition of their services to the unhoused and others with social challenges in our community.
Well-placed pride
From June 1 to 29, the Gibsons Public Art Gallery will host In This Together: Sunshine Coast Pride Exhibition curated by Anna Nobile.
All 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, emerging artists, makers, and creatives located on the Sunshine Coast, including the upper Coast and qathet, are encouraged to submit their artwork. There are no restrictions on mediums or sizes, entry is free, and all ages are welcome.
Artists may submit up to two recent original creations. Artwork may be listed for sale at the discretion of the artist, and the gallery will not collect a commission.
More information, submission guidelines and entry forms can be found online at gpag.ca.
Film buffs have a ball
Sir Mark Rylance will bring the Sunshine Coast Film Society’s spring season to a close with his appearance in Phantom of the Open.
The movie (rated 18+) screens at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse on Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m., and in Sechelt at the Raven’s Cry Theatre on Thursday, April 20 at 2 p.m.
It tells the true tale of the irrepressibly optimistic Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator from Vickers Shipyard in Northern England. Despite never having played a round of golf in his life, and abetted by his equally adorable accomplice and wife (Sally Hawkins), he managed to gain entry to the 1976 British Open Golf Championship. And he didn’t stop there.
The box office opens half an hour before screenings at both theatres. Membership is required to attend SCFS screenings. Memberships and tickets can be purchased with cash at the door at both theatres and online in advance at www.scfs.ca.
Circle the writers
There are still a few spaces remaining in the new Sechelt Writers’ Circle that will meet every other Thursday, starting Thursday, May 4, from 1 to 3 p.m. Contact Jane Richardson at [email protected] to enlist.
Jane, who also leads a Writers’ Circle in West Vancouver, likes to spend the first hour writing acrostic poems, followed by timed speed writing exercises and a short lesson. Registration is limited to eight scribes.
