For Immediate Release:

You are invited to the first art night by galleryjoao on Thursday October 4th 2007 at the Beaumont Studios in Vancouver, BC. 316 West 5th Avenue @ Alberta. 7pm

galleryjoao is profiling Marc Tyson Ewert.

Marc Tyson Ewert, Artist

Ewert uses a modern sense of design influenced by his Heltsuk First Nations heritage. He draws from elements of traditional First Nations art and culture as well as his Bulgarian heritage, combining these with pop culture references and social, historical, and political themes. Ewert's cross-cultural approach and melding of the customary and the contemporary, the old and the new, including the use of symbols in propaganda, result in works which often challenge pre-conceived societal notions. Among Ewert's future work, he will explore functional furniture art.

Ewert attended the Arts and Merchandising and Fine Arts programs at Langara College in the '90's to develop the creative skills that he began in high school. He has previously shown his work locally at the Yaletown Brewing Pub, 2006; Studio 88 Gallery, 2005; the Stanley Theatre Gallery Auction and the Andre Emile Gallery, 2002; as well as the Millennium Art Gallery, Fraser River Art Gallery, and Marion Scott Gallery. He has also shown his work internationally at the South Hampton Gallery in New York City.

galleryjoão

galleryjoão’s mission is to promote and facilitate the careers of multi-disciplined emerging and mid-career artists whose work is somehow rooted in the figurative while exploring cultures – whether they be ethnic, gendered, political; the culture of language or the culture of landscapes. Above all else, galleryjoão will be a dynamic space. A space to promote dialogue – between artist and audience, artist and society, me and you. www.galleryjoao.com info@galleryjoao.com

Rouge - really?

SOOOOO....apparently I was at Vancouver's premier event of the year (last years invite is the image as I could find no suitable pics available on the net and as we know, no pics of myself at the event will be posted) - the place to see and be seen....be treated like a VIP and experience a very unique event experience - "better than in years before" - the 6th annual Rouge party at Robson Square- an event that gets out the film industry glitterati and wanna-be's strutting their stuff for the Malcolm Perry's of this world.

The Straight published this blurb about the event on Thursday:

Industry types paint the town rouge
Movie Notes By Craig Takeuchi
Publish Date: July 19, 2007
A who's who of the local film industry will transform the Robson Square skating rink into a major networking event. The fifth annual installment of Rouge will feature a bevy of hosts, including actors Babz Chula, Jay Brazeau, Joely Collins, Suleka Mathew, and Gabrielle Miller; creative director Helen duToit and Canadian Images programmer Terry McEvoy from the Vancouver International Film Festival; Whistler Film Festival director Shauna Hardy Mishaw; Brightlight Pictures producers Stephen Hegyes and Shawn Williamson; BC Film Commissioner Susan Croome; Insight Film Studios CEO Kirk Shaw; Leo Awards president Walter Daroshin; media personality Terry David Mulligan; Urban Rush hosts Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbes; and numerous other producers, directors, writers, and industry figures.

I wonder where the press get their attendee lists? Not that I was really looking, but I did not see over half of the people mentioned above....I know for a fact Babz was at her soon to be daughter-in-laws/my good friends engagement party in Montreal...although Gabrielle did look fetching in her gold mini dress and Joely looked equally fab in her new bob and engagement ring...my "date" who was there to network, see and be seen, introduced us.

Now don't get me wrong, I was a teeny bit excited to see Will from Will and Grace, but really - does a Eric McCormack sighting make up for the fact that the dj was worse than a MuchMusic highschool dance party circa 1988, (Please lord, tell me there was some mix up or last minute replacement because no self-respecting Celebrities dj -as advertised-would have spun out the schlock we had to hear before the final hour when a tired but danceable top 40 line-up finally hit the airwaves) the balloon arches reminded my friend of a 1980s wedding he attended and the canapes looked as tired as the bar staff? They were generally overwhelmed and unable to deal with the meandering undulating line-up of desperate party-goers hungry for something to make their surroundings look better - myself included. And those teeny-tiny plastic wine cups? Seriously???? come on...this is the creme de la creme of the Vancouver film scene right? and we can't rent glassware??? or at least have nice throw-away cups? There may be people here from elsewhere - LA....or gasp! - Toronto! and this is what we got to give? That....and a really lame slide show of Rouge years past flashing before us on giant screens in the corners...the couches looked old...and the bathrooms - I suppose those could not be helped due to venue...but more could have been done...Although I love, love, loved the hoola-hoop girl - she was working it - shout out!!!!

Gotta say for $10 less, the All-White Party I attended in June had better food, better music, a better venue and better glassware!!! http://www.jetsetcrew.com/ and they didn't start out as real career-minded party planners...some of those organizers were there - wonder what they thought?

Thing is, I have heard nothing but great things about the event planners Richards and Chan - http://www.richardsandchan.com/ who certainly look they they put on good parties, are respected in their field and I am all about the fellow sistahs as entrepreneurs....so I blame the rain....something must have short circuited the party...lines were crossed, colour combos were replaced...dj's were temporarily 'auditorally' challenged....and noone was told that they should not show up to the party as they would otherwise show up to set --- i.e. in runners, dirty t-shirt and jeans - really - would it kill you to dress up once - it is night time-huh?

Thank god for being there with a group of people I enjoy most heartilly as that can make any situation fun...even the one that begins with "So?....what are you doing now?"...at times a painful and soul-searching question for the used to be full-time, now very part-time actor....but I had an A-list comeback...."Actually, soon I'm opening my own gallery - hope to see you there!" (insert giant Hollywood smile here ;-)

The Summer Party

What smells of summer more than tennis and polo?

Granted I am not enamoured of either pastime, but I'm willing to see who is and pay $50 to do so...especailly if there's a free drink and plenty of food included, not to mention entertainment - and I'm not talking about the music roster...but the parade of skin and bronzer that will no doubt accompany this event. Not as cool as spying Hollywood stars at the Vanity Fair party as I did earlier this year...but just as cheesy.

If there's something I admire its original party planning in the City of Vancouver - http://www.blogger.com/www.jetsetcrew.com where you usually have to be in the know or be part of some niche group in order to experience any real cool event in the City. While Toronto basks in the glory of hosting the largest arts festival in North America this summer, www.luminato.com/ and already boasts a litany of multi-day festivals that block major streets and bring out the mulit-cultural masses, Vancouver tries to decide whether or not it should hold the Fireworks Festival again. All the while making sure noone should dare compliment the experience with a bottle of white - things might get out of hand. I remember marvelling at the mixture of precision and laissez-faire attitude that Toronto's summer festivals were run by - major streets for blocks on end closed to traffic for days...with nary a complaint - enjoyment for the whole family! And here we're applauding the addition of one more day to the Car-Free Festival on Commercial Drive! :-O Wooohooo! http://www.blogger.com/www.thedrive.ca/eventdrivefest.shtm

How the hell are we going to hold the Olympics? While New Yokers encourage the picnic-going public to bring their best bottle of pinot to the park http://www.blogger.com/www.bryantpark.org - Vancouverites are strip searched at the skytrain station before heading down to our internationally-enviable beachfront. In case you have not noticed - I like a nice beverage - and yes, my event doesn't really compare to a festival in a park...but it all relates back to summer...the freedom to enjoy your socializing outdoors - and what accompanies that better than a festive spritzer?

So, yes it is technically behind a gated archway on a manicured lawn at Gabriola Mansion on Davie Street but I am excited for my private party being held on public - or in this case a semi-public venue where you can sip cocktails to your hearts content...no one is going to 'throw one down' and if they do I'd love to see the tennis rackets swinging out against the cricket mallets!

The All-American evening out

Dinner and a movie.
Dinner at a restaurant that looks like a club frequented by teenagers who are not able to get into clubs...
Large megaplexes with no character and overpriced beyond oblivion (does that make sense?...i.e. really overpriced!!) popcorn and other snacks... Both will be packed, both are doing extremely well...mmmm...go figure. I like hole in the wall kind of places, the latest foodie joints and eclectic entertainment...but if you're gonna cheese it up - you may as well go the whole way!

Both will likely host me+friends this evening in full prowl mode - teenagers need not apply.

Happy Valentines Day!

Here they are - my Valentines crushes - boys and a girl...ah Diego has always had a certain something for me too...but I would take either one, or both - together...ahhhemmm...apparently Valentines day is making me randy...and I just re-saw Dirty Dancing Havana Nights on the W network the other day (the first time was in a department store in Lisbon, yes a department store with a multi-plex). Actually - go out and see a dance movie today --- isn't that the ultimate way to celebrate Valentines? I love dance movies - Dirty Dancing (all time fav), Strictly Ballroom - played that soundtrack over and over! The recent Step Up was priceless - even that recent one with Antonio Banderas was good - why? Cause they make you feel good...and it always ends in a dance off for love! Except for maybe Saturday Night Fever - don't go see that one today...

And Eva Green - the dress, the body, the wild hair...and the talent...what I envy most is the talent...and the sex scenes with Daniel Craig...

Not buying anything for anyone - except my girlfriend - but it's her birthday - we're all going to Crave on Main Street - first time, I will report back..http://www.craveonmain.ca. I did just get some 'Dora the explorer' stickers from a co-worker...will decorate my agenda with them as I did in high school - or maybe I will hand one out to each of the ladies this evening.

A very close and long-term friend has lost her father recently 'You always think you have enough time' we don't - go out and tell those you love that you love them...

xoxo

thanx again to lainey's site for the photo sources

Going to the VAG tonight www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Pay by donation evening is now Tuesdays and not Thursdays. Not pleased to see that their Fuse events have gone up from $10 to $15 dollars. Hasn't Kathleen secured enough funding?

Going to see 2 photography exhibits that I have been waiting to check out - Fred Herzog - the prolific Vancouver photographer who saw the 'colour' of the everyday and everyman (personal interest and project research) and...Acting the Part: Photography as Theatre., 'one of the first exhibitions to explore the transformation and wide variety of staged photographs from the 19th century to the present. It includes nearly seventy photographic treasures.'

...should be good, couple those with a good ol' B.C. Binning retrospective (one of the first BC artists I ever researched at my stint at the VAG in '97) and it should be an evening of inspriration...also can't wait to the the Kyohei Sakaguchi photos that available for sale:

The work of Kyohei Sakaguchi, recently featured in NEXT: Kyohei Sakaguchi, examines the significance of non-traditional and informal architecture. In the past few years, he has documented an elaborate sub-culture of architecture that includes diverse types of temporary and semi-permanent houses built in public spaces by homeless persons utilizing scavenged materials.His photo-based book titled Zero Yen Houses, published in 2004 by Little More, Tokyo, is the first in Sakaguchi’s planned series of books documenting informal architecture. Describing the house featured in this Artist Edition, Sakaguchi wrote, “Although this one [house] resembles a Japanese restaurant, it is not open for business. A man lives alone in this house. The green plant and discarded public telephone help to further the atmosphere.”

I have been thinking of starting my art collection...

Mmmmm....art, an RRSP or another vacation this year?