Starting off on a sad note, one of the mainstays in arts and entertainment in the Cowichan Valley over the last 12 years, Kirsten Schrader, is leaving her post as manager of the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s Arts and Culture Division and the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.
Schrader took the post in 2010, and was awarded Presenter of the Year in 2018 by the BC Touring Council for her efforts in turning CPAC into an award-winning theatre venue.
“I am so proud of the accomplishments we have made as a team over the past 13 years,” said Schrader. “Thank you to the Cowichan Community Centre Commission for trusting my vision in building CPAC into a venue worthy of national attention. We learned during the COVID-19 closure that our theatre is a cultural hub and plays a critical role in bringing communities together in shared, meaningful experiences. It is a special place and worth investing in.”
Several projects started by Schrader will be completed by summer of 2023, including replacing the original 1978 theatre seats, renovating the washrooms to make the wheelchair accessible, and moving the theatre concession.
“My hope is that the CVRD continues to support and recognize the value of the arts in our everyday lives,” said Schrader. “I look forward to getting involved in the community once we move back here. Thank you to the talented staff at CPAC and the passionate and resourceful arts community for your collaboration over the years.”
Taking over for Schrader will be Patrick LeBlanc, the current theatre facilitator, while a permanent replacement is sought.
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Music teacher Joy Ann Bannerman had some congratulatory mail to share.
She received two letters from the national examining board of the Conservatory Canada about flute student Joanna Hibberd.
The Duncan student received the Conservatory Canada Medal for Excellence for the Grade 4 flute classical exam, the highest mark in B.C. for that subject and grade.
She also won the Jack and Louise Speake scholarship of $500 for furthering her music education.
“We are both excited and delighted!” said Bannerman. “I have had previous winners before with both the Royal Conservatory in Toronto and the Canada Conservatory, which is based in London, Ont., back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Due to the pandemic the awards ceremony in Vancouver will not happen this fall and she will receive her two awards by mail in the coming months.”
Hibberd started playing the flute as an adult with lessons in the spring of 2018.
“It’s never too late to enjoy learning a musical instrument,” she said. “I am proof.”
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The Maple Bay Painters are holding their signature fall show at the Cowichan Valley Arts Council gallery on Oct. 13 to Nov. 10.
Started in 1967, the Maple Bay Painters is one of the oldest art groups in the region, boasting more than 40 artists working in a variety of media.
A number of small works will be for sale as part of a fundraiser for the group’s annual bursaries for local high school graduates who are planning to further study visual arts.
“For buyers, it is a chance to pick up a piece at a great price by a well-known artist,” said a press release for the event.
There will be an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 14 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., featuring music by cellist Trisha Danielle.
For more, check out the Maple Bay Painters website: https://maplebaypainters.ca/events
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The Cowichan Artisans fall studio tour is coming up this weekend.
On Oct. 15 and 16, 13 artisans will open their studios from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Studios range from Ladysmith to Shawnigan Lake, on this self-guided tour.
For a map, go to https://www.cowichanartisans.com/events
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The Cowichan Valley Naturalists are focused on dragonflies.
A webinar on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. is called “Dragonflies Can Change Your Life”, with the tagline “They dance in the sky with the dinosaurs!”
Cameron Eckert will be the guest speaker for this illustrated introduction to dragonflies and damselflies and the places they live.
Eckert is an ecologist from Whitehorse who explores, studies and documents the rich biodiversity and ecosystems of the Yukon and B.C.
Email cvns@naturecowichan.net for the Zoom link.
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The Cowichan Public Art Gallery is hosting a public information meeting on Friday, Oct. 21 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It will take place at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan in the library.
The meeting will talk about the group’s first official art exhibition space, downstairs in the Green Door building, which is planned to become part of the new public gallery. The Green Door space is scheduled to open early in 2023.
It will also discuss the difference between a public gallery and the private galleries already thriving in the Cowichan Valley, and all the latest about the gallery plans.
For more information, email info@cowichangallery.ca
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If you’re looking for a laugh, you can check out the Big Beast Stand-up Comedy tour in Lake Cowichan on Oct. 22.
The show is coming to the Riverside Inn, and will star John Beuhler, who has been on JFL, Corner Gas, the Comedy Network, and 800lbs Gorilla Records; and Duane Goad, who has been on Comedy Central, NBC, Las Vegas Comedy Festival and The Improv.
“The pandemic is over and the professional comedians have been roused from their hangovers,” Beuhler said in a press release.
“The subsequent recession has closed many stand-up comedy venues, and in an attempt to rebuild a thriving and hilarious infrastructure, Beuhler has founded Big Beast Comedy to deliver the best stand-up comedy in the world to those who appreciate it the most.”
The show starts at 8 p.m.
Get tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-beast-stand-up-comedy-the-riverside-inn-lake-cowichan-tickets-421704819467