Archive for February, 2010

I’m very happy to pass this amazing news on:

From Dan Mangan’s website: “I am incredibly proud to announce that I am performing with dear friend Shane Koyczan on NBC’s “Today Show” with Matt Lauer, airing 8am (PST/EST) on Friday, February 26th!”

You’ll remember the name Shane Koyczan from the beautiful performance of We Are More from the opening ceremonies! Click here to read more about that!

To celebrate, Dan has made available two downloads of his songs – Road Regrets and Tragic Turn of Events/Move Pen Move (w/Shane Koyczan).

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Photo by Nick Walter

Both an Edmontonian and Vancouverite, the multi-talented and positive-natured Nathan Matthews was taken from us on February 13th at far too young an age. A skateboarder, photographer, graphic designer, son, brother, fiancee and friend to many, Nathan truly was, and still is, a Giant Human. A celebration of his life and photography will take place at Antisocial (2337 Main St.) tomorrow at 8pm. Beverages will be served, and the photographs will be sold by silent auction throughout the evening and the following week with all proceeds going towards Nathan’s family. Click here to view his memorial Facebook page.

This is how they do it just East of Fraser street. I love the amount of effort put into this!

PAINT! Wet and dry.

Fiona Ackerman and Zoe Pawlak have paired up for an exhibition of colourful painting at the On the Rise Gallery, 2231 Granville St.

Also, in the spirit of fun, they spent some chilly afternoons in front of the gallery live painting a new piece together in what they’re calling the “best afternoons at a gallery ever spent”, and not something you see everyday on south Granville!

The exhibition runs daily until February 28th and you can find out more at fionaackerman.com or zoepawlak.com.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Yesterday I shared some B.C. Binning art goodness with you, today I’m happy to report that this massive Brian Jungen piece is currently at the Vancouver Art Gallery which is serving as the B.C. Pavilion… and it’s free to get in until the end of the Games!

Our friends at Raincoast Books have given us some Vancouver-themed books to give away! “The Winter Olympics” published by Mountaineers Books is a 250 page comprehensive look inside at “the legends, the lore and the Games, Lonely Planet’s Vancouver Encounter is a pocket-sized 176 page guide to the city complete with a map and City Walks: Vancouver is like a deck of playing cards with “50 adventures on foot”!

We’ve got one of each of these in the permanent V.I.A. book collection (slowly building it up with awesomeness!) and you can have a chance at winning all three simply by posting a comment below. Comment on what your favourite book about Vancouver is and be entered in the draw!

Since his teenage years, Paul Wong has used video as mirror and probe, both to discover his own identity and to interact with the world at large. Based in Vancouver, he is a self-invented video pioneer and award-winning artist, curator, and organizer of events, and public interventions since the mid- 1970s. His work is varied and eclectic, ranging from conceptual performances to complex narratives. He is known particularly for his tough engagement with issues of race, sex, and death.

Winner of the Bell Canada Award in Video Art 1992, the first recipient of the Transforming Art Award from the Asian Heritage Foundation  2002 and the inaugural NFB/CHUM Trailblazer Expressions Award 2003. In 2005 the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.  He was the Canadian Spotlight Artist at the 2008 Reel Asian International Film Festival in Toronto. His ‘Perfect Day’ was awarded Best Canadian Film or Video.

He is the founding director of several artists groups including the Video In/VIVO (Satellite Video Exchange Society 1973) and On Main (On The Cutting Edge Production Society) www.onedge.tv.

The Proof

1. Two major influences David Bowie and William S Burroughs t-shirt on sale at Main Street’s Car Free Day – June 2009. Been to numerous Bowie concerts and have met and video recorded Uncle Bill twice.

2. In Loving Memory of cousin, Helen Wong Dec 28, 1937 – Jun 11, 2009

3. First day of Summer 2009 – Self portrait, Squamish, BC

4.#116 & #135 - Canadian Rockies International Rodeo – June 2009. Project for Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB. ’2 Hot to Handle’ opening October 25, 2009.

5. Liam at Wreck Beach Aug 2009

6. Preparing for Dana Claxton’s exhibition ‘The Barbarians’ for SWARM opening Sept. 10, 2009 at On Main Gallery. Curated by  Paul Wong.

7. Natasha Neale in studio, Mobile Media Correspondent for my Olympic Project www.5.paulwongprojects.com

8. On location in Salton Sea , Southern California July 2009.

The Questions

1. What do you do and where?
I am a visual and media artist based in Vancouver.

2. What neighborhood do you live in?
Main Street

3. What are you working on?
5 will be five interdisciplinary art installations happening on five Saturdays during the opening/closing of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games February 12 to March 13, 2010. 5 is an opportunity to creatively explore 5 sites, a context to take the public on extraordinary journeys in real, invented and imagined places in Vancouver.
Commissioned by The City of Vancouver, Public Art Program, as part of Mapping and Marking Artist-Initiated Projects for Vancouver 2010.

4. Where can we find your work/websites?
www.paulwongprojects.com

5. Also which websites would you like mentioned?

www.5.paulwongprojects.com

Has anybody ever seen the dog who lives in this house outside of an apartment building near The Foundation off Main street? Dingus? What’s the deal here?