by Grady Mitchell | Kingsgate Mall will always be a shopping centrepiece in Mount Pleasant, but for the month of June it’s pulling double duty as a creative hub, too. For her residency with the Western Front artist’s centre, Casey Wei has launched Kingsgate Mall Happenings, a month-long schedule of events in the mall including concerts, public forums, curated conversations, comedy, poetry readings, dance, karaoke, and even tarot readings.

Rather than disappear into dusty archives during her residency and conduct research, Casey chose to make a more public-facing and dynamic project. Although a mall seems an unlikely place to stage art, the response from Kingsgate management was enthusiastic from the get-go.

Casey and her crew have set up a small lounge in the centre of the mall comprised of some broken-in leather couches, a column of three TV monitors, and a rack of zines and schedules. This is a sort of command centre from which she’ll orchestrate and host the month’s events. Casey is still open to adding acts. You can get in touch with her via [email protected].

To check out the event schedule and learn more about Happenings, check out the website.

EVERYTHING SEEN IN VANCOUVER