Sea, Sand and Stone
A pottery and painting show and sale, Sea, Sand and Stone runs until Aug. 26 at Semiahmoo Arts’ Turnbull Gallery at the South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre, 14601 20 Ave.
Featured is new work by the Semiahmoo Potters and by artists represented by Semiahmoo Arts.
The gallery is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.
Blue Frog
More summer evenings with both local and internationally noted musicians are on the way at White Rock’s intimate concert venue, Blue Frog Studios.
Upcoming shows include the Afro-Cuban style music of multiple Juno Award-winning flautist, saxophone player and pianist Jane Bunnett and her current ensemble Maqueque (Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.).
This group of five young Cuban women – each an instrumentalist and composer in her own right – perfectly compliments Bunnett’s ongoing exploration of the universality of music while highlighting the rhythms and culture of Cuba.
The venue is at 1328 Johnston Rd.; tickets are at 604-542-3055, or visit www.bluefrogstudios.ca
Club 240
The Crescent Legion’s Club 240 (2643 128 St.) continues to provide the venue for successful Friday night dances organized by the Semiahmoo Music Consortium.
Music is provided this week (Aug. 25, doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.) by Usual Suspects, one of Vancouver’s most popular dance and party bands.
The seasoned band – Jeff Shoub (lead guitar), Joe Markovitch (bass, vocals), Alex Jackson (sax, vocals), Larry Bloom (keys) and drumming duo Gary Feldman and Ray Ayotte – brings versatility, passion and professionalism to a playlist including everything from classic rock and R & B to jazz, Latin and even klezmer.
Tickets are $20, available at the door, at the legion box office from 3-9 p.m., or online at www.brownpapertickets.ca
Sea Of Stories
There’s still a chance to see Peninsula Productions’ Sea Of Stories – a historical musical tribute to White Rock coinciding with Canada 150 celebrations – which closes its run this Saturday (Aug. 26) at Coast Capital Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.
Produced in partnership with the City of White Rock, with funding from Heritage Canada, Sea Of Stories combines an original book by Shawn Macdonald and songs by musical director Dominik Heins, helmed by Peninsula Productions’ artistic director Wendy Bollard.
A fictional framing narrative – Anita and her 14-year-old son Jeffrey have moved to White Rock to help Anita’s mother transition into a retirement home – provides the hook for real-life characters and events in White Rock history, including the 1912 to 1957 period of town-building, but also exploring the area’s Indigenous culture and the people of the Semiahmoo First Nation (artist Roxanne Charles was a consultant during development of the script).
Cast members include Sam Bob, Matthew Budd, Jessie Chan, Nancy Ebert, Paige Gibbs, Miranda Gilbert, Anthony Goncharov, Cory Haas, Theo James, Kirsten Kwong, Tegan Verheul, Cathy Wilmot and Andrew Wood. Choreography is by Keri Minty; set, lighting and projection design by Alan Brodie and costumes by Ines Ortner.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday.
Tickets are available from 604-536-7535 or www.peninsulaproductions.org
Moon Festival
Among entertainment lined up for this weekend’s Moon Festival on White Rock’s waterfront (Aug. 26 and 27) are versatile Vancouver dance band and party entertainers March Hare (Saturday, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m) and powerhouse nine-piece band Big City Soul (Sunday, 1-4 p.m.)
The festival, sponsored by the City of White Rock and co-presented by the Canadian Community Service Association, the Vancouver-White Rock Chinese Arts Centre and the World Unity Society of Canada, will present multiple highlights including Beauty Cheongsam (QiPao) dancing on the lantern-festooned pier, fireworks with music Saturday night and musical and family activities Sunday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Other performers in the multicultural festival, promoting unity, world peace and love, include classical soprano Cristina Zhang, classical tenor Denis Mayer Jr., Vancouver pop singer Tong Wu, local pianist-vocalist Ben Dunnill, Chinese -Canadian performer Binbin Huang and veteran Chinese performer Zhao Jun Ting.
Canada 150 shows
The City of White Rock, Semiahmoo Arts and Canada 150 are co-presenting two exhibits this summer highlighting both established and emerging artists, curated by Melanie Watts.
The second exhibit, Our Future, runs until Sept. 16 at the Pop-Uptown Gallery, 1459 B Johnston Rd.
It features new artwork by Debbie Westergaard Tuepah with Roxanne Charles, plus work by Christine Leviczky-Riek, Diane Roy, Tom Douglas, Bev Ellis, Robert Wakefield, Mallory Donen, Molly Gray, Uryel Cho, Tony Wilson, Chrystal Johnston, Linda Bickerton-Ross, Brandy McLean, Rachel Kirkpatrick, YoungHwa Cha Hach, Lesley Tannen, Jevon Greco and Frazer Cole.
Subtitled Sagas, Narratives – and Selfies, the exhibits began with the Our Past exhibition, which is still running at White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russell Ave.
Among special events planned for the Pop-Uptown show are a talk and discussion on “art as life” by writer/artist Cole today (Aug. 23) 6-8 p.m.
Guest artist Diana Robles will share her collection of hand-made garments (Sept. 2-3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) while other events are a showcase of new work by textile artists Gloria Villamil (Sept. 9-10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); and a ‘plant pounding’ workshop with Bobbie Hammersley (Sept. 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m., $10, pre-registration required at 604-536-8333)
Closing reception Sept. 16, 7 to 9 p.m. will include live music, storytelling and light refreshments. The new exhibit is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
