The Cowichan Valley Arts Council has a couple of notable events coming up in November.
In honour of Remembrance Day, CPAC will be offering two online sessions on how arts has been used in the past to celebrate war victories.
“More recently, many artists have been concerned with denouncing war and embracing peace, so the second session will look at how modern memorials reflect that by acknowledging the human toll rather than glorifying battle,” says a press release for the sessions.
The sessions will be hosted by Rob MacLean, a former history teacher. In the first session he will “lead discussion on the art history of war and look at contemporary ways to commemorate conflict.” Organizers say there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and to take a close look at famous paintings with war as the subject. It is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 8 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The second session will look at the evolution of war memorials, from ancient Rome to Vimy to Vietnam. It is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 7 p.m to 8:30 p.m.
Both sessions are free. People can sign up at the CVAC website (https://cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca/event) to get the link.
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If you’re fascinated by printmaking, or just like to view some amazing art pieces, the Printmakers Only Group is holding its annual art show at the Portals Annex in the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan starting Oct. 30.
The title of this year’s show is Please be Seated, according to a press release about the event.
“The word print might suggest mechanically mass-produced commercial products, however, in our case print refers to the original creation, of an artist who has chosen printmaking tools for expression to create an original, hands-on, work of art,” explains the release. “An original print is created by the artist who makes the original plate or cuts the woodblock or scribes the copper plate or any other material. Many different forms of printmaking techniques are explored by our members. They include etching, drypoint, woodcut, monoprint, linocut, collagraph and more. Each technique has its own distinctive style, imposed by the tools, materials and printing methods. Once the plate is created and inked the method of simply wiping the plate can completely change the nature of a print.”
The show runs until Nov. 13, and each day a member artists will be attendance to answer any questions from the public. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
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The Cowichan branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library is hosting an online talk on Tuesday, Nov. 2, about wildlife discovered in the Fairy Creek watershed.
“Discoveries made in the past six months of rare and at-risk species of plants and wildlife in the Fairy Creek watershed have astonished a group of scientists,” says a press release for the event, which runs from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
The presentation will include a slideshow and discussion about rare and endangered plants and wildlife recently discovered by biologists in the watershed.
“Learn how these scientists identified 322 species, 14 of which are at-risk, using the popular iNaturalist app and how an insignificant-looking lichen contributes to the health of our planet,” says the release.
For the Zoom link, email cowichan@virl.bc.ca. For more information, check out https://virl.bc.ca/event/ecological-discoveries-at-fairy-creek/
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The Van Isle Poetry Collective is seeking submissions of poetry for the third issue of their digital and print publication.
The submission deadline for the Winter 2022 issue is Nov. 15.
Find submission guidelines at https://www.vanislepoetrycollective.com/submission-guidelines-1