BIMPE VII is open for entry and calling for submissions.

Artists can enter online or by filling out a paper entry form attached to
this email.
Artists with inquires can write us at info@newleafeditions.com

The dates are: February 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, & 18
2PM Matinees on February 12 & 18

Here are some of our Special Deals
Matinees are 2-For-1 $69
Valentine’s Day, General Seating $69 or Table Seating $129 or $149
Date Night Feb 16th, 2-For-$99 Or table seating 2-For-$149 and 2-For-$189

More ticket information at www.vinylvaudeville.com or call our box office at 604-817-1315

General Seating does not include dinner. General Seating Tickets doors at 7PM Show at 8PM.
Dinner starts at 6:30PM Doors at 6PM. Box office opens at 6PM and tickets must be picked up before 7:30PM.

Winston Churchill concisely described the two-way relationship between

human beings and architecture. Three Vancouver artists are sharing one

gallery space to put forward their individual interpretations of this dynamic.

Relational Spaces is the title of an exhibition taking place from January 11

to February 5 at the Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island.

Exploring the myriad expressive effects achievable from various

printmaking methods are artists Vahid Dastpak, Carolyn Mount, and Paul

Ohannesian.

Vahid Dastpak found that his fascination with pen and ink drawing led him

to etching which he calls “the ultimate medium to tell stories using lines and

lines only.” He adds, “The ability to indefinitely rework, retouch and

transform an etched printing plate is found in few other artistic media.” His

prints suggest lives lived “behind the scenes” of the spaces he depicts.

The viewer will be enticed into exploring the mysterious environs of his

imagined places, each with its own mood and atmosphere.

Carolyn Mount uses a complex and labour-intensive printmaking process

called reductive relief. A relief print is like a rubber stamp: the flat top

surface of the plate that is left after portions are carved away is rolled with

ink and transfers it to the paper. The “reductive” aspect comes out of

making a plate that can successively print more than one colour.

Choosing to work at large scale, Carolyn carves her images into the

surface of linoleum plates a little at a time. After finishing the first elements

of the future image, she inks the plate with one colour and pulls from six to

ten prints. She then cleans the plate and carves (“reduces”) more of the

plate away. Using a second colour, she carefully aligns the “first state”

prints with the plate and prints the new colour over the first. This reduce/

print/reduce/print process goes on through successive colours (“states”)

until as many as eighteen separate colours have been laid down. There is

no going back; by the end of the process, the plate has effectively been

destroyed and no further multi-coloured prints can be made from it. The

result is images full of shimmering rich colour that fascinate the eye.

Carolyn is attracted to buildings that exist “in between”: industrial/

residential, developed/discarded, functional/abandoned, all suggestive of

the history and relationships contained in the cityscape. She finds

Vancouver to be richly endowed with such buildings and places, and her

specialized technique lends itself very well to portraying the many layers of

meaning to be found there.

Paul Ohannesian was an architect who was originally attracted to his

profession by his love of drawing. Now retired from his first career, he

makes etchings of subjects as diverse as cathedrals and railway

roundhouses. Like his two colleagues, he finds the endless expressive

potential of printmaking well suited to architectural subjects. The role of

memory and shared human experiences informs his detailed etchings and

aquatints, which suggest the way in which buildings, which were carefully

shaped by their designers, go on over long periods of time to shape the

lives of the people who live and work, learn and worship in them.

Relational Spaces takes place from January 11 to February 5, 2012 at

Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island at 1640 Johnston Street in

the Netloft Building. Dundarave is Western Canada’s oldest print

workshop and in 2011 celebrated its 40th anniversary.

For more information on Dundarave Print Workshop visit

www.dundaraveprintworkshop.ca or call 604.689.1650.

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 3 from 5-8 pm

New work by Andrea Taylor

“Moving Muybridge”

waterless lithographs and etchings

Eleven fine art prints in the show are painterly lithographs Andrea has recently made based on the 1880’s stop motion human locomotion photos of Eadweard Muybridge Ascending Incline. In this particular series Muybridge uses himself as a subject. The other ten pieces in the show are new etchings of artists Andrea admires and include a fine portrait of Muybridge.  As a figurative artist whose work has focused on the body and on the skeleton, her images reflect her focus on the impermanence of the material world. “I seek to explore human mortality and create a dialogue around our almost universal denial of our own materiality. All my work is focused on the strength/fragility dichotomy that is an integral part of the human condition. I look at all human constructs and how quickly (time being relative) they are taken back by nature. The feats of human kind have been incredible. Yet our lives can be taken away by the smallest things. I use the body to discuss fragility, mortality and the absurdity of our notions of time.
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Andrea Taylor is a prolific painter and printmaker, and publisher of her own letterpress books. She focuses on painting and printmaking, working out of her studio in Vancouver’s 1000 Parker building, as well as the Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island. She recently exhibited at Elliott Louis Gallery in the Emerging Artist Show 2011 and exhibited, in September, her first solo show of paintings at Grey Door Gallery in Vancouver.  Her work has been exhibited in a number of international juried shows and is in private collections in Canada, USA, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Australia, UK, Greece, and France. Andrea’s letterpress books are in the special collections of many academic and public libraries, including UBC and SFU.

For more information on the Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery

visit www.dundaraveprintworkshop.comGallery

hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

For more information on Andrea Taylor please visit www.andreataylor.ca

For media inquiries please contact Andrea Taylor at 604-910-7249 Email: andrea-taylor@telus.net

Intersecting Terrain is an exhibition that explores human imposition upon the environment. Both artists employ traditional landscape techniques with juxtaposition to establish the dialogue of their imagery. Techniques include traditional copper etching, digital printing, screening on canvas to layered digital decals on plexiglass.

Daemon Baldwin explores human structure introduced upon the landscape from the patterning of Neolithic stone monuments to the faux environment of a common park.

Daylen Luchsinger’s imagery draws upon natural and constructed landscapes, exploring the similarities and differences between these spaces and where they overlap.

We checked this one out on opening night- Congratulations Daemon and Daylen for packing the house! This exhibit is definitely worth a visit, don’t miss it! For more info, go to http://granvilleislandworks.com/profiles/34

Lesley Anderson, Kenojuak Ashevak, Robert Bateman, Eric H Bergman,  Bertram Charles Binning, Bruno Bobak, Arabella Campbell, Douglas Coupland, Christos Dikeakos, Jamie Evrard, Gathie Falk, Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald, Rodney Graham, Fred Herzog, Thaddeus Holownia, Edward John Hughes, Donald Jarvis, Ann Kipling, Lyse Lemieux, Attila Richard Lukacs, Ken Lum, Guido Molinari, Michael Morris, William Ogilvie, Ross Penhall, Richard Prince, Bill Reid, Jack Shadbolt, Gordon Smith, Takao Tanabe, Vincent Trasov, Michael Wakefield, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace and Irene Whittome.

This exhibition is guest curated by Ian Thom, Senior Curator, Vancouver Art Gallery.

680 17th Street
West Vancouver, BC  V7V 3T2
604.925.7295

Last week the brand new Edible Canada at the Market officially opened its doors to the public. The 3,500 square foot culinary centre in the heart of Granville Island is home to a vibrant bistro and artisan food retail store. The space is dedicated to promoting the best of BC and Canada, reflected in the locally based menus, wine list and retail products. Market-fresh seasonal cuisine determines the menus and fresh sheet – with Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Dodd searching the aisles of next door’s Granville Island Public Market for daily inspiration. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and while the ingredients are of the highest possible quality, prices are kept reasonable and the dishes accessible. Signature opening menu items include Duck Fat French Fries with Bacon Aioli, Birch Syrup & Kasu Sablefish, and Gluten Free Fish & Chips.  The beverage program is entirely Canadian – from Vancouver’s SIP Soda, to boutique BC wines, to craft beer from Quebec, and single malt whiskey from Nova Scotia. Edible at the Market is also the only Vancouver site for highly regarded Nichol Vineyard wines on tap – Pinot Gris and Nine Mile are delivered in kegs and tapped to pour through the bar’s draught lines.

The bistro seats 170, including an expansive patio perfectly sited for prime people watching. For those on the go there’s a take out window with a menu of quick and tasty handheld bites, as well as a barista-staffed full-service Salt Spring Coffee bar. Inside is a glassed-in private demonstration dining room, the new site of Edible Canada’s popular Guest Chef Market Dinner Series, and also available for private dinners and events. Every facet of the space was designed with sustainability in mind – from the recycled fir table tops, to the beach-scavenged cedar hostess stands (carved by Granville Island carver Clarence Mills). Both the main open kitchen and the demo kitchen are stocked with state of the art equipment, and a Vivreau water filtration system eliminates the need for bottled still or carbonated water.  The sustainable measures extend to the exterior as well, with two electric vehicle plug-in parking stalls, and the patio lined with planter boxes of herbs and vegetables.

President and founder Eric Pateman has orchestrated and overseen the operation every single step of the way. Pateman has grown his company from a tiny one-man culinary concierge service into one of the leading ambassadors of Canadian cuisine. Beginning simply as Edible Vancouver in the spring of 2005, Eric widened his scope beyond city limits with a culinary artisan retail store in the Public Market and expansion to Edible British Columbia. In 2010, only 5 short years after the company was founded, EBC took another big leap and became Edible Canada. Eric’s vision to introduce the public to the very best Canadian culinary artisans was realized.

The new Edible Canada at the Market solidifies the company’s standing as Canada’s preeminent culinary tourism and locavore retail company. In addition to the bistro and retail & online artisan food store, Edible Canada offers daily chef guided Granville Island Market Tours, demonstration guest chef Market Dinners, Gourmet Kayaking Weekends, and the popular Amuse Bouche newsletter and blog. The launch of their brand new photo-rich website, www.ediblecanada.com, coincided with the opening of the new space. In addition to housing the tour booking engine and blog, there are more than 100 full colour recipes from both Edible Canada’s culinary team and the dozens of BC’s top guest chefs who’ve joined Market Dinners over the years.

According to Pateman, “all of the different facets of the company intertwine and work together very well – from the bistro and the retail store sharing the same space, to the guest chefs utilizing products off our shelves in their recipes, to the chef guided market tours, showing guests where the ocean wise fish is coming from that they can order for lunch in our bistro – it’s all very cohesive and fluid. Everything we do reflects our tagline – Sightseeing for your taste buds. This space is a testament to the hard working producers and farmers within our province, and now with this scope and scale we can bring in products from other provinces and territories as well. Vancouver is a world class culinary destination, and with 12 million people passing through Granville Island annually, let’s show them how incredible Canadian food and wine is.”

At a Glance

Edible Canada at the Market – a vibrant bistro in the heart of Granville Island and at the forefront of Canadian cuisine.

Sustainable Initiatives Include

·      Supporting local producers and farmers on the menu & in the retail store

·      Recycled fir table tops & reusable chalkboard wall treatment

·      Nichol Vineyard Wines on tap

·      Vivreau water filtration and bottling system

·      Two electric vehicle plug-in parking stalls

·      Planter boxes of herbs and vegetables lining the patio

·      Organic & fair trade Salt Spring Coffee program

Edible Canada at the Market Management Team
*bios available on website

Eric Pateman, President & Founder

Jennifer Dodd, Chef de Cuisine

Diane Butt, General Manager

Tom Lee, Sous Chef

Kimi Grass, Operations & Retail Manager

Treve Ring, Director of Liquid Assets

Kath Reuben, Sales & Marketing Manager

Erin Quinn, Operations Assistant

Tracy Proke, Assistant Retail Manager

Tony Peneff, Floor Manager

Donita Dyer, Culinary Tour Manager

Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC is 40 years old this year and we are inviting you to celebrate this anniversary with us. This milestone in our history will be celebrated through a juried exhibition of past and present members’ work this coming May and June of 2011 in our gallery. There will be 40 works from more than 30 printmakers. As well there will be a print from each of the two founding members of Dundarave Print Workshop: the late BC Binning and Wayne Eastcott. Both artists have led the way in establishing Printmaking as in institution in this province and have made tremendous contributions to the development of many art establishments such as the UBC Department of Fine Arts in BC Binning’s case and the Printmaking Department at Capilano University in Wayne Eastcott’s case.

This exhibition will illustrate many of the printmaking techniques that are practiced in printmaking today both traditional and contemporary forms such as mezzotint, intaglio, relief, monotype and digital. The show was juried by Wayne Eastcott. He looked to represent a wide range of media, a wide range of approaches and a wide range of printmakers. The show will be hung salon style in our intimate gallery showing some prints made in the 1970’s next to some prints made in 2010 all at Dundarave Print Workshop. We are proud of our history and excited to share our story with those who come and visit the show.

Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery is a non-profit society that was incorporated in 1971 as a cooperative artists’ studio and gallery dedicated to contemporary fine art printmaking. It is Western Canada’s old- est print studio and its members (past and present) have devoted time and energy to make it the mature and professional workshop and gallery that it is today.

Why has Dundarave managed to survive and continue to flourish? This true cooperative with its 30 active members supports itself through print sales, printmaking courses, and studio rental income which all in all has helped us to avoid depending on competitive grants. Through all of this Dundarave has come to take a singular place in Vancouver’s vibrant printmaking scene. The studio enables a community of artists to share ideas, techniques, aesthetics and an opportunity to build long term friendships.

For more information on the Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery visit www.dundaraveprintworkshop.ca.

For media inquiries please contact Andrea Taylor at 604.910.7249 andrea-taylor@telus.net

Gallery hours: 7 days a week 11 am – 5 pm

Name of contributing artist:  Vahid Dastpak

This is an exhibition of etchings by Vahid Dastpak. Vahid is a Vancouver-based artist and printmaker and has shown his work both locally and internationally. His enigmatic and symbolic presentations of familiar and yet strange places and narratives attempt to disturb and challenge the conventional and the mainstream and offer alternative, fabricated versions in painstaking detail. Limited edition prints. The medium is etching.

Dates of show: April 27 to May 22 2011

Opening Saturday, May 7, 2-4pm

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 11-5pm

Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery
1640 Johnston St
Granville Island

604-689-1650
www.dundaraveprintworkshop.ca

When:  March 28 – April 30^th

What: Art exhibition

A Corporeal Affair is collaboration between Sabina Sutherland and Mikolaj Smolinski. Their work features themes of transformation, animism, and intellect. Comments on the Art Practice itself through the exploration of varied print media.

Nick Smolinski artist statement:
“My work investigates the tenuous relationships between images, their content and the resulting narratives that are inferred when viewed in proximity.”
“Ultimately, themes of transformation, animism, and material/immaterial matter align themselves as commentary on the Art Practice itself.”

Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery

1640 Johnston St

Granville Island

604-689-1650
www.dundaraveprintworkshop.ca

Gallery Hours: Wednesday 11-5pm

jpeg: Sabina Sutherland
Etching
“I Think I’m Obsessed”

Canadian Award winning Jeweller Michael Dean is celebrating the 5^th Anniversary of Michael Dean Jewellery on Granville Island!  Michael Dean continues to do what he does best, hand-made jewellery using gold, platinum and silver, which feature diamonds, gemstones and pearls. Michael Dean wants people to appreciate the small details of his work and as well as the intrinsic beauty by being able to view the actual creation of his designs in the Gallery.

Custom designed wedding and engagement rings are a specialty.  Michael Dean is a “go to” handmade jewellery source for many local residents and tourists alike.  The Gallery boasts repeat clientele and a high referral rate as each piece is created with precision and care.  Michael Dean’s passion for design and devotion to each unique piece always guarantees a satisfied new or returning customer.

Michael and Carole are looking forward to welcoming old and new patrons to the redesigned Gallery. The Gallery has expanded to showcase 10 Canadian Jewellery Designers.  This already unique space has large glass windows, vaulted ceilings and French doors as well as new glass showcases, hardwood floors and lighting to accommodate the new Canadian Artists’ designs. The Gallery has created an environment that is approachable to both new and experienced jewellery lovers!

Also, check out Michael’s new website to view his portfolio and one of a kind designs along with some of the local and Canadian artists featured in the Gallery like Carole Baldock, Grace Lee, John Blair and Veronica Stewart.

Friday, February 25, 2011 – 10:00am

Ends

Sunday, February 27, 2011 – 6:00pm

Starting February 25, Granville Island will be showcasing a new exhibition entitled: Trees, Totems and Transformation.  This exhibition is featuring the work of i.e. creative artists Cheryl Hamilton and Michael Vandermeer and Haida carver Clarence Mills. These inspiring artists both articulate a beautiful mixture of combining art and nature.

i.e. creative have created Mirare, a 20-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture modeled after the standing trunk of a wind-topped Hemlock: an artwork borne of their interest in nature’s ongoing organic transformations: of matter into energy; of life into life. You can find i.e. creative at the corner of Railspur Alley and Old Bridge Road.

Clarence Mills’ work is a Haida Bear and Eagle totem carved out of an eight hundred -year-old red cedar that fell during the Stanley Park windstorm of 2006. Haida art & culture is a beautiful and important part of BC’s cultural wealth. Check the link to find out more about the Haida nation and history.

You can find this exhibition at Ocean Artworks Plaza located between the Creekhouse and Ocean Concrete. Let us know what you think!

This fun project launched on February 11th with up to 200 ceramic dispersed across Granville Island, and in the true nature of finder’s keepers, it is up to you— what you will do with your heart? Give it to someone you love or be the keeper and keep it for yourself. with your hearts! Will you keep it? Give it to someone you love?

Check out Jasna’s studio on Railspur Alley in the Northeast part of the Island to check out some of her other work. Railspur is the place to go to see artisans working in their open studios.

Stay tuned for more news about this past Saturday’s Insider’s Tour of Granville Island, coming soon….!

The small boy with the round and serious faced squinted up at his grandfather while gripping his hand as they entered. They both made their way over to the huge bin of small wood hulls and carefully held each one up and scrutinized it carefully before putting it back, repeating this vital selection process many times until they both found the perfect shape. They received their dowels for the masts, studiously chose just the right small wood pieces from the heap on the floor, and made their way to a table which was piled with a variety of tools and bottles of glue.

The first job, to drill the hole for the mast, required coordination and patience and it was the scene of several hull mishaps by children (and parents), who lacked either of those important attributes. Fortunately, great gobs of glue could repair almost any disaster. However, this boy painstakingly turned the large drill as his grandfather invisibly steadied it.

The sailing ship slowly took shape over the next couple of hours, grandfather and grandson working almost wordlessly with small irregular wood shapes to construct the cabin and deck, boom and boomvang, sails, shrouds, and sheets,  all in miniature perfection . Orderly chaos and a happy cacophony swirled about them as families, day cares, and summer camps of children and adult helpers came and went while they laboured on, an oasis of calm and concentration. They were like bookends of life, the boy curious, a learning sponge; the grandfather a vault of experience and wisdom to share.

They were finally finished, and the boy cradled the tiny schooner in his arms as they made their way to the pond for the launch. The pond was covered in small craft, some listing badly, some escaped from their string moorings then captured by reeds at the pond’s edge. The boy held the string as the grandfather nudged the craft into the water, and she sailed straight and true like a small Bluenose as their simultaneous spreading smiles celebrated her maiden voyage.

This week’s third place winner is Anne Taylor, who gets a Granville Island gift bag courtesy of ZenHouse Media with tickets to Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre. Second goes to Alison Ma who wins a shopping experience at Edie Hats. This week’s winner of the grand prize Insider’s Tour of Granville Island goes to Susan Declerk for her great story about the first signs of spring, something that everyone in Vancouver can related to as we wait for the sun to come!

ZenHouse Media would like to thank everyone for their awesome story submissions! Honourable mention goes to Andrea Paterson, Carolyn Fung, Amanda Farough, Ana Crisan, Maureen Caskie, Heather Escaravage and Anastasia Koutalianos. The Granville Island Storytelling Contest is on for one more week, so get your story in now for a chance to win great prizes!

The sun peeked from behind the grey, threatening to disappear altogether as the rain clouds swelled. I hadn’t learned my lesson of, “”Bring an umbrella before leaving the house.”" The rain ripped a hole and the crowds ran for cover. Most ran for the Public Market. I ran for the closest cafe, which was the Agro Cafe. Drenched, I shook my short hair and ran a hand through it to keep it from dripping in my eyes. I’d never been inside. The smell of coffee and steamed milk permeated every surface. I ordered a tea latte and sat down near the window.

The rain beat down mercilessly, creating rivers and canals in the streets and walkways. It glittered off leaves and umbrellas and windows. As I sipped my tea, I knew that I’d found home. I could stop worrying. It was right here. Right now.”

But you wake up one day, actually it was last Sunday, and you squint at something quite rare- a shaft of sunlight piercing through your venetian blinds. You emerge, like a hesitant vole from a very long, dark tunnel, blinking at the light. Your hibernation is over and you follow your feet as they trod the familiar paths along the water and under the bridge, dodging traffic and people and dogs, everything suddenly jostling like molecules in motion on its way to Granville Island. Even the seagulls bid a raucous welcome, and little kids tug towards their very own places they remembered from the days before the winter dark descended. Into the market first, the impossibly perfect pyramid fruit piles, the mingled aromas of a United Nations of gustatory offerings, and booths selling soaps and ceramics and everything in between.

You are delightfully jammed and flow with the crowd carried along outside to the square where the guitar player plucks some mellow tunes and a giant trimaran floats by under the next bridge. People sit and talk, but mostly angle to that timid late winter sun, soaking in those first rays, breathing in that first promise that spring really will return again. You are part of the bustle and your dark mood falls away, as strangers smile in that gathering place. Even knowing no-one, and speaking no words, you feel part of something that pulses with life and you, too, smile sharing that moment with those around you, feeling that that anything and everything is possible.

At least once a week, I venture down to the market for “groceries” which ends up including a beef Mexican wrap, a mint mocha and photo-worthy produce. I linger in Paper-Ya, fingers grazing the leather notebooks, and continue on through Circle Craft, while mentally repeating “you do not need any more scarves”.

I heart Granville Island because it is full of possibilities. The possibility of needing a very specific type of bead for a vintage cocktail dress, the possibility of losing your lunch to greedy oversized seagulls who stalk young children around the seaside, and the possibility of forgoing cooking dinner and instead splurging on gourmet soup and homemade Shepherd’s Pie instead.

The Market is the cure for the common ailment of commuting. It is the cherry on my sundae, or rather, my Thursday.

You peer in the window of the boat builder’s shop. A shaft of sunlight bounces onto a wooden boat just inside and the dark-veined wood seems to glow with a radiant warmth your fingers are drawn to touch. As you walk through the door, you see tall, straight, roughly-hewn boards stacked against one wall, while small crafts on trestles or slung from the rafters, beckon with their smooth, continuous curves and symmetry. You marvel how the one is transformed into the other and learn it is done, not by a computer-aided design program, but solely with the human eye in tandem with hands, using tools and methods that have come down from a long and respected lineage of woodworkers past. You are aware of the sweet pungent smells of freshly-cut wood, the pure sounds of a violin concerto wafting through the air, but it is the sense of touch that pulls you further into the shop as your fingertips caress the impossibly glassy bow of a classic skiff. You feel very present, but also connected to the past, to a simpler era where much around you was made by hand.  The boat-builder has glanced up at your entrance, smiled, then has returned, completely absorbed in his work, his arms fused with the worn plane he grips, a fluid arc of motion, sending shavings spiralling to the floor. There is a Zen-like quality in this organic process that compels you to stillness.

You observe in this boat builder a union of passion and precision, and understand with absolute clarity what the heart of Granville Island is: it is the artists and artisans in their shops, each crafting unique, beautiful, and useful things from all manner of materials. In a world of mass-produced, of factories in far-flung places, it is on the island you have the privilege of sharing in a process where the creative imagination is given shape in refined skills nurtured by experience and knowledge that preserve the best of the past while embracing the newest techniques of today. The artists and artisans which are the heart and life blood of Granville Island inspire us and affirm by their chosen work the best that we can be.
“

For the next 9 weeks of living in Vancouver, I went to Granville Island at least two times a week.  Once during the week with a community group I was working with, and another time over the weekend to just browse, pick up some fruits and veg, stare at the endless array of pastries/chocolates/fresh pastas/meats/arts and crafts/jams and honeys etc

A  year after my time in Vancouver, I returned as part of a reunion of 4 of my closest girlfriends that I grew up with.  We hadn’t been in one place at the same time for nearly 4 years due to school/work/life adventures, and we decided our reunion spot would be Granville Island.  I will always remember that moment, I soaked it in with every thread of my body – the warm hugs of friends who know and love you, the awesome pastry in my hand, and the background music of the performers.  We ended up picking up groceries for dinner and made a lovely meal to celebrate my belated birthday.  I have a photo of our reunion on my desktop and it brings a smile every time.  “

A fellow resident eventually took notice of my isolation and fear and decided to take me on an adventure. She wanted to show me the best of Vancouver and so my first taste of the city was Granville Island with its bustling market and amazing hats, the smell of fresh pies, and animated buskers. I was completely taken with it and spent a truly enjoyable day perusing the shops and falling in love with the market and Vancouver in general.

I’m happy to announce it has been a lasting love affair. I eventually met my husband here and have settled in this beautiful city for good where I can head off to Granville Island for craft supplies, books, and hand-made items whenever the fancy strikes me. And particularly when it comes to the amazing paper shop, the fancy strikes often!
“

This week’s submissions were great! Thanks everyone who contributed. The contest is going on until Feb. 10^th with winners chosen every week, so get your story in soon! This week’s prizes include the grand prize Insider’s Tour of Granville Island, a shopping experience at Edie Hats and a gift bag with tickets to the Vancouver TheatreSports League!

Grand prize winner Barry Weaver: a sense of pride and place. Check out Barry’s story about Granville Island in the beginning.

Second prize winner Emily Rose: Love on Granville Island Ah, true love! Extra kudos to Emily for writing so poetically!

Third prize winner Jenny Ng: High school adventure I didn’t do anything this cool in high school, did you??

Special mention goes to Mattieu Baril and Morgan Embury for adding to the romance, imagination and mystery of the Island!

… Stories of Granville Island history, true love and really fun high school projects. This week’s decisions were tough! Looking forward to collecting more great stories and giving away more amazing prizes from Island businesses! Visit us at www.granvilleislandworks.com/contest, or see ya ‘round the Island.

“

The countless walks along the seawall, the endless hours of listening to pipe and guitar music, trying to decide what to eat for lunch, all make up some of our fondest memories.

Now our grand children are making memories of there own.  On the bus just recently they heard the bus driver say “”Granville Island”".  They looked at each other and together said out loud “”Grandma Island”" we have to get off the bus now.  “

“

This week’s third place winner is Ocean Tang, who gets a shopping trip to Edie Hats in the Net Loft! Check his story — submission #3 on our blog!

This week’s second place winner gets a pair of earrings from Michael Dean Jewellery, valued at $150. Second place goes to Briane Sheppard all the way from Kamloops. Check out her story — submission #6 on our blog.

This week’s winner of the grand prize Insider’s Tour of Granville Island goes to Amanda Sellers for her multi-media video, photo and written submission, “Thanksgiving on Granville Island”. See submission #8 on the blog to check out her story. Remember, 3 weeks to go, so get your story in now for a chance to win great prizes including the incredible Insider’s Tour of Granville Island!

The Zolas

...rockin' out

Interesting people, interesting art. Good stuff, this...

Check out the Vancouver Is Awesome installation about Vancouver’s neighbourhoods. They asked the question: What’s one of the most AWESOME things about the Vancouver neighborhood that you live in?

Vancouver Is Awesome Neighbourhood Installation

ZenHouse Media loves being so close to the beach!

What do you love?

The gala took media one step further with digital and video content lining the walls of Club Five Sixty, where the event took place. We’re talkin’ walls, photo booths and yes even the bathrooms had video content running next to the mirrors. PuSh is clearly a happenin’ festival that is staying true to its mandate to “engage and enrich audiences with adventurous contemporary works in a spirit of innovation and dialogue.”

Shireen and Myriam agree that that is an awesome mandate

We can’t wait to see some of the acts this year with artists from home as well as from Australia, Argentina, France and beyond, from video installations to free dance performances in the street and post-performance talkbacks at Performance Works on Granville Island.

Congratulations to everyone at PuSh from ZenHouse Media, we love what you’re up to. As executive director Norman Armour says, “the arts have always been, and always will be, right here at the centre of civic life. One only needs to look, listen, read.” With the Olympics gone and a significant birthday upon us, Vancouver is craving this stuff and now is the time to remind ourselves what it is at the centre of civic life that makes a city tick. Go get ‘em, PuSh!

DJ's keep people dancing til late!

For more info about the PuSh festival, the performance lineup and to buy tickets, visit http://pushfestival.ca/

The market square throughout time has always been the pulsing heart of the city, the gathering place for fun, laughter and celebration. It is the hub of trading, where farmers, artisans, musicians, actors and vendors share their creations; a place of peace and of cultural abundance, where neighbours and travelers greet each other and share their stories.

Whether in Covent Garden near Trafalgar Square in central London, the Champs-Élysées of Paris or Times Square of New York, every community in every generation shares the desire for this organic experience: the vibrancy of human interaction and cultural celebration that reverberates when people gather in one central locality. This begs the question, in Vancouver, where is the gathering place in our city?

Last year, in the light of the Olympic Games, Vancouver re-discovered itself as a place of excitement, of celebration, vitality and beauty, a cross-cultural epicenter where people from all over the world could gather and celebrate together. With thousands of visitors arriving in our city, Vancouver rose up to host the largest cultural celebration it has ever known. As a result, the city has taken on a new ambassadorial role, representing to the world all that is best and fun in Canada, particularly as the gateway to the East and all the Pacific Rim countries. Now, where can you go, in the light of Vancouver’s Olympic success, to find that spirit and continue to enjoy the vibrancy of fun and celebration that so typified the Olympic experience?

“You’re gorgeous, baby, you’re sophisticated, you live well… Vancouver is Manhattan with mountains. It’s a liquid city, a tomorrow city, equal parts India, China, England, France and the Pacific Northwest. It’s the cool North American sibling.”
– The New York Times, Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Over thirty years ago, a group of Vancouver visionaries planted the seed for a vibrant and thriving cultural centre nestled in the heart of the city. In consultation with the local population and with the support of the Trudeau administration, the concept of Granville Island was set in motion. It was a deliberate answer to a call to have a “gathering place” designed by the people, for the people, aligned to its original First Nations history and subtly attuned to the spirit that lies at the heart of any city.

With a lot of hard work and a considerable amount of federal funding in the 1970s, all that vision, energy, passion and commitment paid off. Granville Island as we know it today started out as a seed of an idea, but rapidly grew into a world-renowned urban renewal and community rejuvenation project.

“Like the public spaces of Europe, this non-grid, open zone neighbourhood taps on a very old place in us, a marketplace of surprises, places to get lost and uncover unique pathways, places for stimulation of all the senses, and pockets of calm.”
— by Tamara Litke, Story Submission 2010

Your experience of Granville Island as a “gathering place” can show that the fun and vital aspect of the Olympic experience is still possible here in Vancouver for visitors and locals alike. Through the Granville Island Storytelling Contest, we want to hear your personal account of the long-standing love affair that Vancouverites have had with the Island in establishing and maintaining it as a gathering place, a people’s place, the Market Square.

Alice would be right at home on Granville Island!”

Keep your eye out for the January 13th issue of the Georgia Straight, 40,000 copies of which feature a Granville Island Works article insert that asks the question, where is the cultural heart and gathering place of Vancouver? A poignant question nearly a year after Vancouver hosted the World at the biggest party thrown in its history. If you feel that Granville Island might be that place, send us a story to prove it!

Here’s a sneak preview of a rough process sketch drawn by Creative Director, Alyssa Burtt from ZenHouse Media, the design and interactive marketing company behind the marketing and creation of the Granville Island Works project. The sketch was drawn for the Granville Island Works storytelling contest illustration and will appear in full colour on the Georgia Straight insert and storytelling contest poster! See the full illustration coming soon and find out about its relevance in the Georgia Straight and the next blog post…

Looking forward to some fantastic stories!!!

This second video in what we hope will become a long series, features some of Vancouver’s best musicians performing Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright” around the city, including a couple of locations on Granville Island! See if you can pick ‘em out!

It was great to be part of such an exciting event that included an awesome silent auction, treats and drinks for all guests. It feels good to be reminded of all the musical talent that we have here in our very own city and to watch music unfold against the backdrop of beautiful Vancouver. Best of all, to see the power of music bringing hope and light, not only to those who struggle with disabilities, but also to the rest of us who left that evening feelin’ more than alright!

Congratulations from ZenHouse Media to The Shore, VAMS, and everyone else involved in this great project.

Katherine Dempster, intrepid Aussie traveler and new Granville Island lover came back to town after months of traveling to collect her prize from this summer’s Storytelling Contest!

We took a lovely jaunt to Maiwa Handprints where the beautiful Lauree showed us all the incredible duvet covers that Katherine could choose from. Cabinets full of naturally vegetable dyed organic cotton wonders overwhelmed the senses!

Remember, you can send us a story any time and we will keep it on file for the next round of amazing Granville Island prizes!

The Sixth Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition or BIMPE VI for short, is moving to its new location for the month of October. Dundarave is opening its doors on Wednesday the 6th and is displaying the prize winners, honourable mentions and a portion of the show.

The Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition (BIMPE) presents original prints made by three hundred artists from around the world, and is an opportunity for artists from all over the world to demonstrate the vitality of printmaking.  The display of these original prints, created with techniques ranging from etching, woodcut, silk-screen, linocut, to digital, provides Vancouverites the rare opportunity to view a collection so international in scope.

The show moves next to the SNAP Gallery (Society of Northern Alberta Printmakers) in Edmonton for the month of November.

BIMPE is the result of the combined effort of New Leaf Editions, Dundarave Print Workshop and the Society for Contemporary Works on Paper.

Event: Sixth Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition (BIMPE VI)

Dates: Oct 6th – 31st, 2010

Venue: Dundarave Print Workshop, 1640 Johnston St, Granville Island, Vancouver

Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Information: www.bimpe.com

The title of the show suggests colour and paint since it is a common artist/colorist term to consider hot and cold, or cool colours and warm colours, to aid in describing colour.

Colour makers see the world from a colour and paint technology perspective and there are some great colour considerations/reflections to be thought about while taking in this show, along with of course all the normal art/culture/curatorial considerations as well.

There are many examples here of the importance of light in seeing colour and art.

The coloured broom handles (Glassford), (colour worn partially off), have been arranged to allow light to pass and reflect on (and beyond) one another, demonstrating perfectly the effect of reflected coloured light as it mingles amongst the spectrum—thus making it a very moment by moment piece. The viewer can observe the light angles and changes in ambient light as they are mixing and shifting.

The blue painting (Glassford) using anodizing metal as a colour field, shows how texture and curves cause the light to bounce around and actually change the perceived colour of the painting in different areas, despite it being uniformly “coloured” per se. This happens because the curves and grooves create angles, which mix the reflecting light back onto itself. In a way this amplifies the colour, distributing different amounts into different areas.

The pink (bluish red) cube (Torres) and the Panel reflecting rainbow prismatic colours from different angles (Torres) are an amazing show of how technology in paint can make interesting colour phenomena. The prisms are literally integrated into the paint film and microscopically diffract the light inside the paint film to produce this coloured effect. Industry has had some trouble finding much use of this technology but we can see the beauty of these two pieces. It is great to see artists use pigment like this, allowing the viewers of art the delight of unusual colour phenomena to consider and contemplate.

HOT TO COLD / COLD TO HOT is on display in the Charles H. Scott Gallery until October 24^th, 2010.

Doug Simpson on his way to work on Granville Island

Following is an excerpt from the BC Achievement Foundation website about Doug’s amazing kayaks. Check out this link for more info: www. bcachievement.com/creative/distinction/recipients.php?year=2010.

“While in university, Simpson spent his summers prospecting for mining companies and it was in the bush where he found the inspiration for Feathercraft Folding Kayaks. His passion for kayaking and nature and his idea of a having a boat he could carry on his back, led him to design a strong, lightweight aluminum framed kayak that folds into a backpack.

The Feathercraft brand has become respected around the world for their high quality workmanship, materials, and innovative designs and is sold all over North America, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific.

Most days, Simpson paddles to his shop at Granville Island in Vancouver on a Feathercraft kayak where all their products are made. www.feathercraft.com”

Beautiful, varied, inspired printmaking from around the world, wine and cheese, speeches, a raffle, ladies in extravagant hats and men in kilts- what more could you hope for at an art opening? A few of us from ZenHouse Media attended the opening for the 6^th annual BIMPE at the Federation Gallery on Saturday. It was a great success and an impressive show featuring a juried selection of 300 miniature prints selected from over 10,000 entries from all corners of the world. Peter Braune and Lesley Anderson from New Leaf Editions organized the whole show… and what an incredible job they did. ZenHouse Media helped sponsor the event by designing the catalogue, posters and postcards, as well as selling raffle tickets at the opening. We had a blast!

From traditional techniques of etching to contemporary digital processes, this exhibition is an exciting competition of inspiring printmakers from around the world. BIMPE is held every two years in Vancouver, British Columbia and receives tons of submissions and juries each print before showcasing it into the collection of only 300 pieces.  If you’re in Vancouver, be sure to check out the exhibition at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island.

This year there are 3 venues:

September 7^th – 26^th, 2010 at Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island

Month of October at Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island

Month of November at SNAP in Edmonton, Alberta.

For more information, visit the BIMPE website.

I have my favorite place to pick, but it’s only a hand full  at a time.  Then if they’re not sweet enough, I can spit them out and move on.

Blackberry Cordial

Lucy Stewart, Joe’s mom, who started Blackberry Books, grew up with blackberries everywhere.  This old family recipe is also known as “Colleen’s Love Potion” which is another story Joe can tell you about.

3 cups blackberries

3 cups sugar

375 cl. vodka

Combine all ingredients in a glass container.  It has to be glass, nothing else will do.  Covered, let stand in a cool dark place.  For the first month, mix it up every few days.  Then less often until the Holiday season.  Strain through cheese cloth before bottling it.  Great for gifts.

Wow, the sockeye is so good, plentiful and well priced right now.  I’m reminded how lovely this fish is to look at, being the slimmest, most streamlined of salmon.  And then there’s the uniquely beautiful deep red colour  of its flesh.  I haven’t enjoyed being around a fish this much in a long time.

The reason we still enjoy fresh frozen salmon all year is because of the flash freezing technique.  This causes the water inside the fish to freeze in a very short period of time.  This is done on an industrial level in huge freezers with very quick freezing time on packing boats at the time of harvest.

So, you get the sockeye, you cook some, then you decide to freeze the rest.  Here’s the old school version of how to freeze salmon.

Place the cleaned piece of salmon in a washed out wax milk carton.  Cover with cold water.  Seal top with staples or paper clips and place in a freezer standing up. This method isn’t for long term freezing, but this year it’s worth trying.

But it’s peach season now, especially white peaches.  In the past, the only white peaches you heard about was from someone from California.  One heard about Babcock peaches from the Central Valley, near Fresno.  Their short season, their aromatic floral sweetness.  Eating good white peaches was a rare  experience.  Asian communities  treasured them before we did.  ”You can’t beat them,”  I once over heard someone say.  In Vancouver now, white peaches from California are available from May to September.  Okanagon white peaches are just starting now, mid-August.  Here’s where we expect to pay for quality.  They cost more than other peaches.  And they deserve some respect as they bruise so easily.  They are low in acidity, have a perfume sweetness and intense flavour.  They really are hard to beat.

2T(30m) unsalted butter

2T(30m) sugar

6 fresh apricots, but in half and pitted

Cream-anything from plain unsweetened  yogurt to to full fat ice cream

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, sprinkle in sugar: cook until sugar melts- about 3-5 minutes.  Turn over and cook on the other side for 1-2 more minutes.  Transfer to a plate, skin side up, to cool slightly.  Slip off the skins and discard.  The skins add more tartness if you like that, leave some on.  Store in the refrigerator.  Serve with cream of your choice.  Great on Oatmeal

T(30m) sugar

Thanks to everyone who participated, it has been so much fun reading the stories and giving away great prizes!

Berries, sweet and tart

12 strawberries

1/2 cup (125) maple syrup

small basket bluberries

3T(45ml) balsamic vinegar

Mix syrup and vinegar in bowl.  Add fruit.  Add fruit.  Divide among small serving bowls and garnish with mint sprigs.  Add diced mango for extra color ‘and taste.

Frozen Cherries

This is something I just heard about this year.  Great for the end of cherry season, when the fruit is rich and juicy and most of us have moved on to raspberries and bluberries.

Wash cherries, leaving stems on.  Set on a baking sheet covered with paper towels.  Make sure cherries are throughly dried.  Put the pan into the freezer.  When frozen, but into ridged containers and store in freezer.  When thawed, be prepared for the cherrie juice.  Perfect for topping a special dessert in the middle of winter.

1/2 cup (125ml) maple syrup

Every summer I go to my grandma’s house during the week. She lives about a 2 minute drive away from Granville island and I live in North Vancouver. My grandma and I, while getting groceries the summer I was about 6, decided we felt like getting a donut at Lee’s Donuts and happened to see the basket full of bags of donuts for $3. I begged and begged and promised I would pay her back, make dinner etc. etc. and eventually she said yes, so we bought them and every year since we have bought a bag. They get put in the freezer and we eat about two and then my grandma says, “They’re ANCIENT, Claire! I’m going to throw them out, I don’t care what you say.” and following is a, “No no no PLEASE I promise I will eat them I PROMISE!”  from me. And so she reluctantly puts them back in the freezer. They get all shmushed up in the bag, they fall apart and stick together with the half-melted icing and around October we clean out the freezer and find the bag, on the bottom shelf, at the very back,  freezerburned.  We laugh, and the next summer, we go to Lee’s Donuts…

-Thin cuts of meat will seldom have that moist, tender inside and crisp, browned outside.  Try buying ticker cuts and dividing them before serving.

-Let the meat sit at room temperature for a least 1 hour before grilling.

-Don’t turn meat over repeatedly.

-The Sharp Eye Factor: The French use the term, ” a point”, to describe the cooking stage at which meat begins to “sweat”.  When tiny pink droplets form on the surface of the meat, it means that area is becoming medium rare.  When the whole surface of the meat is covered with moisture, the entire piece is medium rare.  As the surface begins to dry, the meat rapidly becomes well done. A room temperature 1 1/4″ (3cm) thick steak will be “a point”  after about 4 minutes on one side and 4-5 minutes on the second side.  It’s a good idea to use a timer when you are learning this technique.

It occurs to me that I have had four offices within earshot of this sound. I’ve sold ice cream back when there was a smoking area to watch the moonrise.  I’ve sold countless handmade mugs, written fine craft standards and recently, signed cheques as the GICS Treasurer.  No wonder my daughter loves this place so much.  When I was pregnant my trainer warned me about the repeated phrase „Get off the slide!“ from May through October.  It never fazed me.

The water turns off.  Slowly the families and blankets fold into transport mode and disseminate into the warm summer night.  We’re invited to a birthday party in building 91. One of the guests remarks that she’s been coming here for years but didn’t know about the ‘picnic pavillion’, now in full swing with food to serve 100.  I used to take reservations for this space when I worked at Isadora’s (now Cats).  I’m reminded of a younger me during my shift breaks running back and forth through this waterpark to Emily Carr Institute to turn up the kilns!

CMHC?  We are fortunate that this island was created.  In a liberal blip of insight, we have a pocket of federal land on a sandbar in an ocean harbour town.  It’s a large miracle that it was born in the early 80’s when the pop culture at the time wasn’t exactly embracing the creative, biodiversity, cobblestone or food markets.  Thank God a developer never got their hands on this and made it mall-like, slick and profitable.  I’ve come to the conclusion that its not what good governance does, its what they don’t do that allow this island to flourish.  The people own this place:  its kept real and it taps into an ancient part of us.

Like the public spaces of europe, this non-grid, open zone neighbourhood taps on a very old place in us, a marketplace of suprises, places to get lost and uncover, unique pathways, places for stimulation of all the senses, and pockets of calm.

Then, I am surprised.  Amazed that after logging so many hours here, I still discover a new pleasurable thrill.  Someone has hung a silver pinyata on the waterpark structure.  The evening sun makes it sparkle and the streamers blow gently in the wind.  Personal engagement in public spaces.  Very free, very real, very beautiful.  Two young adults tour an antique turquoise bicycle built for two and do a lap on the undulating surface of the waterpark around the pinyata. This is it.  There is no script. But a ton of performance and reward.  Even the full moon rises to participate.

Last stop, I’m parked by Forge and Form.  At first my reflection in the glass windows seems normal, then I realize there’s a human on the other side, late at night.  An intruder?  No, the new scooter is there.  The reflection comes out, we exchange loot – my 5 year old’s pirate party coin for the goldsmith and in return gets the real thing – a loonie for the toy fund.  We are rich beyond belief.

And this? This was just last evening.  And I could write a plethora of stories all with the same underpining. Granville Island is a treasure trove of experiences.  The web of people make it real, despite the Mr. Rogers neighbourhood feel of the little maintenance trolleys!  I am always welcomed, always rewarded, and often happy to spend my time and money supporting the merchants and institutions that make the island tick.

Every summer I go to my grandma’s house during the week. She lives about a 2 minute drive away from Granville island and I live in North Vancouver. My grandma and I, while getting groceries the summer I was about 6, decided we felt like getting a donut at Lee’s Donuts and happened to see the basket full of bags of donuts for $3. I begged and begged and promised I would pay her back, make dinner etc. etc. and eventually she said yes, so we bought them and every year since we have bought a bag. They get put in the freezer and we eat about two and then my grandma says, “They’re ANCIENT, Claire! I’m going to throw them out, I don’t care what you say.” and following is a, “No no no PLEASE I promise I will eat them I PROMISE!” from me. And so she reluctantly puts them back in the freezer. They get all shmushed up in the bag, they fall apart and stick together with the half-melted icing and around October we clean out the freezer and find the bag, on the bottom shelf, at the very back, freezerburned. We laugh, and the next summer, we go to Lee’s Donuts…

In 1979, my first job was working at one of the restaurants on the island. Back then, Granville Island had no market and the roads were pretty much all gravel as there wasn’t much traffic. That year the market opened, traffic control became an issue and towards that goal, the saga of the great speed bump started. First there was the normal speed bump perched at the very entrance to the island under where the illuminated “Granville Island” sign now sits. Well, nobody slowed. It was gravel and uneven pavement anyway so it was hardly out of place. Only crazed teenagers in 60′s beaters sped in and around the island at that time anyway and only late at night. So much for a regular speed bump. Then they drew yellow lines on it. Again, nobody slowed for the same reason or really noticed it due to the dust. Time to up the ante and they then added a stop sign. Stopping didn’t seem necessary to any reasonable person at that location. There was no intersection, no turning, no traffic and no enforcement. Finally, whoever was having it had had enough. It was time to pull out the big guns. If nobody was going to obey the rules they could all be launched from a Dukes of Hazzard-esque ramp into the lounge of the Keg even at slow speeds. They built the great speed bump. I remember marvelling at it with my co-workers as cars would embark and disembark this thing like some ferry to levitation. None of us had ever seen anything like it. The great speed bump stayed for many years. I don’t remember when it disappeared. I used to love watching the shocked look on drivers faces as they climbed over it for the first time like some unexpected carnival ride.

People are in holiday moods, locals and tourists alike, both in laid-back exploration mode.

Personal favourite: sipping latte in front of the market watching life on water, birds and boats in motion.

Artisans of farms, kitchens, silk, wood, wool and clay are art and soul of the Island and they are in studios “in person.” No products from anonymous manufacturers in a mall.

Last time I was experiencing Granville Island I learned about silkworms and bought cocoons for my grandchildren. My friend and I watched an artist painting a silk scarf in freeform design.

At New-Small and Sterling Glass Studio and Gallery, we had a chance to be artists too. To participate. To see and do! On a 29 degree July day, we were not quite warm enough, so we went to the furnaces where David New-Small dressed us up in safety gear and guided us to create molten glass into a one-of-a-kind flower. An opportunity of a lifetime to birth unique beauty.

And, we enjoyed another GI day when we went to pick up our cooled pieces!

David New-Small, master of glass!

Come to.... a call to Granville Island

Ballet dancer and Choreographer Monika has been a resident of Granville Island since 2003. She arrived in Canada from Homburg with her ten heavy duty German sewing machines, who she refers to as her ‘partners’. When asked why she dragged these over in a 40ft container her response was simply, ‘because that quality does not exist anymore’.

Monika at work in her studio with one of her imported machines

For Monika, good quality cannot be compromised. Written in her native German on the wall of her studio are the words ‘The memory of good quality lasts longer than the appreciation of a cheap prize’.

Monika’s love for fashion design began when she first received a sewing machine at the age of nine. For her, this was a tool that allowed her to express her own style, a style which changes and grows throughout her life. She likes organic shapes and is heavily influenced by theatre and Art Nouveau.

Leather can be a very constricting textile to work with and having a strong background in dance means movement is very important to Monika. Despite the often difficult character of leather she manages to create pieces that flow and move with the wearer, creating a second skin which highlights movements instead on constricting them.

For more information on her custom made leather pieces contact:

Tel: (604)–313–7724
www.sadrynadesign.com

*** Week 3 Storytelling Contest Submission No. 23 from Granville Island Works on Vimeo.

*** Week 3 Storytelling Contest Submission No. 22 from Granville Island Works on Vimeo.

Honourable mention goes to Grace Sekhan and her dad (submission #16) for their cute story about choosing one’s turban colour more carefully based on repeated crow attacks and to Anthony Albania (Submission #13) for his deep appreciation of some of the incredible artistic talent based on Granville Island.

Winners will be contacted within the next 24 hours. Stay tuned for more great submissions. Two weeks left to win amazing, one of a kind prizes from Granville Island, don’t be shy! Send us your stories right away!