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SCOUT LIST: 10 Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now & Next Week

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by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

ART |  The Winsor Gallery has an interesting show going on this month. They’ve invited eighteen artists to each invite an artist to show alongside them, making for a total of 36 artists. The show is called Concurrently and, as Winsor explains, the “result is an a micro-simulation that explores the intricacy of relationships between artists and their artwork – and allows each artist to contextualize their own work in a very direct sense through their biggest influences or closest friends.” It’s a pretty rad concept, and fascinating to not only see what artists like Ron Moppett, Dana Claxton have produced or chosen for the show, but also to see who they’ve asked to show with them and what the pairing says about the artists themselves.
Thurs, April 3 | 6-8pm | Winsor Gallery (258 East 1st Avenue) | DETAILS

FILM | The Pacific Cinematheque is running a comprehensive David Cronenberg retrospective this month. From early experimental features like Crimes of the Future and Stereo to well known blockbusters like Crash, the selection of 13 full length films and four shorts was curated by the Toronto Film Festival and will be presented over the next few weeks on the big screen at Pacific Cinematheque. Dark, smart and tense, Cronenberg films are consistently provocative. Spreading a retrospective out over a few weeks is probably better for everyone – you can catch films in this series at various times and dates over the next four weeks. Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises? That’s some fine stuff right there, and well worth putting some time aside for.
April 3 – May 2| Various times | Pacific Cinematheque (1131 Howe St) | DETAILS

OPENING | Hot Art Wet City Gallery celebrates its one year anniversary this month and gallery owner Chris Bentzen has organised a group show to mark the occasion. Voices From Another Room showcases the works of five local artists, all of whom work in paper. As Bentzen explains: “This exhibition showcases paper as an artistic medium unto itself, and demonstrates its versatility beyond the role of a mere surface for other materials. Rachael Ashe, Alison Woodward, Joseph Wu, Connie Sabo and Sarah Gee Miller produce strikingly different styles of work but approach working intimately with paper through similar methods.” Drop into the Main Street gallery to see different ways in which paper can be cut, folded, twisted and manipulated – the end results will impress you. This exhibition runs until April 25th.
Thurs, April 3 | 7pm | Hot Art Wet City  (2206 Main St) | DETAILS

WRITE | It’s tax time, so pretty much the worst, most stressful, and potentially punitive time of the year to use Canada Post. But it doesn’t have to be scary! Spread some good vibes by writing a few friendly letters to friends. Just think of how great would it be to open the mailbox to find a beautiful, hand-written postcard or letter instead of one of those impersonal gimme gimme brown jobs that Revenue Canada churns out like it’s Christmas on Opposite Day. This week, The Regional Assembly of Text hosts it’s 100th Letter Writing Club. Keen letter writers have been gathering on Thursday evenings at the tiny Main Street shop for eight years now in order to pen or type old school letters, postcards and cards to send to friends, family member, and pen pals. The turnout for the 100th edition of the event is expected to be bigger than the cozy storefront can accommodate so co-owners Rebecca & Brandy have rented the Ukrainian Hall for some extra elbow room. They’re now hoping to encourage 100 people to come out to write 100 letters. There’s no cost and, as always, everyone is welcome. Paper and supplies will be provided. There will be some typewriters available but bring your own if you have one. For more information please call 604-877-2247
Thurs, April 3 | 7pm | Ukrainian Hall (154 East 10th @ Main) | Free | DETAILS

BAKING | Petit Four Pastries is temporarily setting up shop in the space beside the Les amis du Fromage (E Hastings location) and we thought you should know about it. “Petit Four Pastries is a fun-filled collaboration between four bakers who come from three different cities and backgrounds: Minnie – a native of Hong Kong – was focused on make-up artistry. Alyssa – originally from Moose Jaw – worked throughout Europe in childcare. And while they didn’t know each other while in New York, both Carol and Ada had corporate positions in the finance and advertising industries, respectively.” Expect decorative cookies, cakes and cupcakes as well as all manner of loaves, muffins, scones and croissant.
Sat April 5 | noon – 5pm | Les amis du Fromage (843 East Hastings) | DETAILS

BLOSSOMS | How awesome is it to have a city full of cherry blossoms right now? Get excited about it with the likeminded at the Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen this weekend. Cruising the Sakura Days Japan Fair is like being teleported to Japan, or as close as most of us are going to get (by Saturday, anyway). The gardens are packed full of cherry blossom gazers, live entertainment, arts and crafts tables and martial arts performers as well as tea ceremony stations, haiku readings, flower arranging stations, origami making booths and lots of traditional and anime-inspired costumes.
April 5 & 6 | 10am-5pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak) | $12 | DETAILS

STUDIO SALE | Alex Henderson of Henderson Dry Goods and Zoe Garred Fleet Objects are two local artists/designers who create beautiful handcrafted works. Henderson Dry Goods is a line of simple wood-based jewellery, coasters, clocks, mirrors and more, while Fleet Objects is an equally simple line of ceramics (table ware and jewellery) with clean lines and subtle colour accents. Although working in different materials, the two lines share a similar aesthetic and it makes sense that they should share a studio space. This weekend, said studio will be opening its doors to sell seconds and one of a kind pieces that were never put into production. Hit this sale to pick up everything from jewelry, ornaments, and mirrors to wood trays, lamps, bags and tableware.
April 5-6 | 11am-5pm | 1888 Main St | DETAILS

AFFORDABLE ART | Make your way to The Remington Gallery Thursday night for The Postcard Show, a 45 person exhibition in which each of the participating artists has created a postcard sized work of art to be entered in to a silent auction (bids start at $10).  Curator Paulina De La Paz wanted to showcase original art that could be high quality and interesting yet remain accessible in price and postcard format was an ideal solution: small but meaningful, affordable and transportable. Buying art can be easy.  While artists worked to the common theme of ‘transformation’ expect to see great diversity in style – everything from painting and drawing to textiles and collage.
Sat, April 5 | 7pm | Remington Gallery (108 E Hastings) | DETAILS

BUY LOCAL | Hustle over to Heritage Hall this Sunday for the annual Nifty For Fifty sale, wherein everything from clothes and shoes to jewellery and otherwise awesome accessories are on sale for $50 or less. Everything on site will be vintage or made by local designers such as Adhesif Clothing, Allison Wonderland, Floating Gold Iceberg, Flight Path Designs, Toodlebunny … the list goes on and on and it’s all cool and Vancouver-made. See you there!
Sunday, April 6 | 11am–8pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main) | $1 | DETAILS

LAUGH | Taz VanRassel, Ryan Beil, Emmett Hall, Aaron Read, and Caitlin Howden are the five funny Vancouverites who make up The Sunday Service. They’ve been performing every Sunday for the past seven years and have built a significant following of people who like themselves a good laugh. Their following is so significant, in fact, that The Service has decided to relocate their gig from a West Broadway dining lounge to the newly refurbished (and, don’t worry, thoroughly disinfected) Fox Cabaret so that the congregation can continue to grow without being too crowded (one needs adequate elbow room for a proper belly laugh). The Fox hosts The Service for the first time this Sunday evening.
Sunday, April 6 | Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm | The Fox Cabaret (2321 Main St) | $7 | DETAILS

Check the Globe & Mail every Thursday for our Special Weekend Edition of the Scout List

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.

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