Cole Porter Revue: Linda & Cole – A Love Story
Saturday, September 11 7:30pm, and Sunday, September 12 2pm

Dickens & Co. is proud to present an original musical revue, featuring the love, life and music of Cole Porter. We follow Cole’s life, which takes him through his reminiscences about the fabulous era of the 30′s and 40′s, and his spectacular world of music. The talented cast of 15 actors and singers, beautifully costumed in the 30′s era, will sing and dance with orchestral music, 17 of Cole’s most well known and beloved songs.

Amanda Tosoff Band
Thursday, September 23 8pm (Garry Oaks Winery Tasting 7pm)

Amanda Tosoff is one of your favourite jazz pianists, and we bring her band (Evan Arnzten on saxes, Sean Cronin on bass, and Morgan Childs on drums) back to ArtSpring just in time for the release of her third CD. Since her last visit, Amanda’s quartet won the General Motors Prix de Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival in the summer of 2009, and her reputation as a superb musician is becoming recognised across the country.

Red Bastard
Saturday, September 25, 8pm

Coming to Saltspring for one show only; in this critically-acclaimed Bouffon show, Red Bastard unleashes a pomous theatrical master class. His mission: to charm, disarm, shock and seduce. His target: pop culture, politics and you!
***ADULTS ONLY***

Fritjof Capra: Centre for Child Honouring Speaker Series
Sunday, September 26 2pm

The Centre for Child Honouring presents world renowned physicist and systems theorist, Fritjof Capra, speaking on the work of Leonardo da Vinci, genius of the Renaissance. Capra’s talk, ‘Learning from Leonardo: A Synthesis of Science, Art and Eco Design’, offers a novel interpretation of Leonardo’s work from a 21st century scientific perspective. We learn why Leonardo da Vinci’s science cannot be understood without his art, nor his art without the science.

Anton Kuerti & the Jacques Thibaud Trio
Tuesday, September 28 8pm

Honoured in 2008 with a Governor-General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, pianist Anton Kuerti remains one of Canada’s most admired and sought after performers. His appearance as guest pianist with the Jacques Thibaud Trio continues a long association with the ensemble founded in Berlin in 1994, which has won acclaim throughout Europe and North America, for its exuberant virtuosity. The concert includes a Beethoven string trio, a Mozart piano quartet, and the rarely heard Piano Quartet by Her-mann Goetz, deemed by critic Laurence Vittes “one of the masterpieces of the literature.”

In the Gallery

Photosynthesis
Wednesday, August 18 to Tuesday, September 7. 10am to 5pm daily

This year’s exhibit features 25 Saltspring photographers; 19 members, plus a sponsored student, a selection from the Driftwood’s ‘Day in the Life’ project, and four invited guests. The mood and flavour of the show is always a mystery until opening night when the artists get to view the best of the best in their colleagues’ work. The results are an eclectic collection of themes, passions and narrative with varied techniques and styles. For more inforation see: Salt Spring Photographers

Nicola Wheston: Self Portrait of a Painter
Thursday, September 9 to Friday, September 17. 10am to 5pm daily

This show is a collection of self portraits, or more accurately, they are paintings in which Nicola used herself as the model – “as it never really mattered to me if they did not look exactly like me.” They are an account of her journey as a painter and her striving to learn more about paint. “My hope is that others will enjoy the work, and see and gain a better understanding of what it is to be a painter for over 40 years.” Opening reception: Wednesday, 8 September 6 – 8pm

Marlene Charko Smith: A Retrospective of Art Works
Sunday, September 19 to Sunday, September 26: 10am to 5pm daily
Multipurpose and Guild GalleriesThis show features 37 years of Marlene’s art and includes her early ceramics, later paper castings and recent painting using a variety of mediums on both textured steel and on linen. There is no official opening, but an ‘Everyday Opening’ with beverages and treats. Please come and have a farewell chat with Marlene before she moves to another island in Ontario.

A Voice of Our Own
Thursday, September 23 to Saturday, September 25: 10am to 5pm (Saturday 10 to 4)
Bateman Gallery

‘A Voice of Our Own’ is the theme of the ninth Art show featuring paintings by Val Konig and her students. Both beginner and advanced students will exhibit works in watercolours, acrylics and oils. The artists will host an opening reception on Friday, 24 September at 3 to 4:30pm. All are cordially invited.

In the Lobby

Photographs and collages by Megan Manning.

Tickets for the new season of the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts go on sale on Friday, September 10. (This date is prescribed for us by the Met). Ticket prices will remain unchanged at $21.95 adult, $18.95 senior and $12.95 youth, with reserved seating.

Normally the operas start at 10:00am, but there is some variation, so please check your tickets at the time you buy them. We will again be offering good refreshments and light lunches during the intermissions.

From the beginning, the Treasure Fair has been multi-purposed. The primary objective of the Fair was, and remains, to raise money for ArtSpring’s operating expenses, but it also builds ArtSpring’s community profile, widens the circle of volunteers, and provides non-monetary opportunities for community members to make donations to Artspring.

The list of Treasure Fair committee members is illuminating – a Mini-Who’s Who of Salt Spring Island!  The event has been chaired by worthies such as:

2001            Ron Aird (for ArtSpring) & Anne Millerd (for Tuned Air) – a joint venture
2002            Jackie Shrive – now we’re on our own!
2003            Barbara McCaffery & Darlene Steele
2004            Wendy Rosier
2005            Judy Norget & Jane Winter
2006            Phyllis Holmqvist
2007            Judy Nurse
2008            Wendy Herbert & Fran McIninch
2009            Paul Neale
2010            Susan Eide & Wendy Herbert

And this list doesn’t even scratch the surface of the hundreds of others who have laboured on the various committees year after year – acquisitions, display, public relations, volunteers, data collection, & those who have overseen the production of the live and silent auctions.  How amazing is it that each year, over 100 members of the community collaborate to put together an event that is at once, entertaining and a financial boost to the local arts centre?

Treasure Fair tales?  There are dozens, but here are a few that are memorable…

2001 It all started when Bo Curtis had a brainstorm – if Tuned Air purchased the materials would Rob Denny build a beautiful, handcrafted canoe to be auctioned at the first Treasure Fair?  Yes, he would, and it was done.  On the evening of the Live Auction, bidding was fierce, but eventually Bob Harris was pronounced the winner, and Hugh Bulmer, the auctioneer moved on to the next item.  But wait… Bob H. interrupted proceedings to remark that his wife had just mentioned that there was no room at their house for a canoe, and could he please donate the canoe again, immediately?  Of course! The canoe was presented for bidding a second time, and this time Nancy Wigen was the happy winner.  One canoe; two successful bidders and double the profit (which was divided between Tuned Air & ArtSpring.)

In most cases this would have been the end of the story, but this is Salt Spring, so the saga continued.  Nancy in turn, donated the canoe to the Salmon Enhancement Society for their fall fundraising raffle.  When the tickets were drawn, Carol Nutton of Tsawwassen was the lucky winner of the canoe, and she promptly donated it back to the Salmon Enhancement Society for further fundraising!  This time, Bob Weeden came up the lucky winner, and the canoe had a new home … though not for long.

2002 Apparently there wasn’t enough room at the Weeden home for the canoe either, so Bob & Judy donated it back to ArtSpring the following year.   This time Dr. Don Shea won the bid, making it the fifth time the same item changed hands for charitable purposes within the space of one calendar year.   Generous folks, these islanders.

2007 When you entered the Silent Auction room, your eyes were drawn immediately to the beautiful red Japanese ceremonial kimono hanging on the far wall.  Bidding on the item was fairly active in the early going, but eventually, it was down to two bidders. They didn’t know each other, and both were persistent in their efforts to outbid the other.  Very near the closing bell, one of the bidders, George Sipos, was taken aside by the mother of the other bidder and quietly told that her daughter was desperately hoping to be the successful bidder since she wanted it for her upcoming wedding in Japan!  George gracefully stepped aside, and the kimono went to a wedding the next year.

2008 How excited we were to be offered a 1978 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible as the centerpiece of the Live Auction!  The gasp from the gathered bidders was audible as it was rolled onto the stage – making the effort to get it there worth all the behind-scenes effort!

Work on the 2010 edition of the Treasure Fair is well under way.  Most committees are fully staffed; however, if you’d like to contribute in some way, please contact either of the Chairs; Wendy Herbert (537-8755) or Susan Eide (537-4297).  And please keep the Treasure Fair in mind as you sort through your closets, garages, attics, wherever… Nighean Anderson (931-0931) or April Wright (537-9035), co-chairs of the acquisitions committee would love to hear from you if you have items suitable for either the live auction or silent auction, or even for the Cash ‘n Carry room.

We also have our twitter feed here.

Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010
Time: 5:00pm
Place: ArtSpring Multi-purpose gallery

You are invited to attend the IACS Annual General Meeting which has been re-scheduled to Jan 17 from its earlier announced date of Nov 22. In addition to the customary business of receiving the audited financial statements for 2008-09, electing new Board members, etc, the AGM will be asked to consider a proposed revision of the IACS Mission Statement. The current Mission Statement and the proposed revision are shown below.

Current Mission Statement:
The purposes of the Society are:
a) To support all other organizations on Salt Spring Island having as their purpose the advancement of the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts.

b) To promote, build, operate and maintain, and to acquire the necessary property and proprietary rights for, a theatre, gallery, display space and workshop space for the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts.

c) To develop and execute public education to support the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts through a theatre, gallery, display space and workshop space.

Proposed Revision:
The purposes of the Society are:
a) To support the advancement of the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts on Salt Spring Island.

b) To operate and maintain, develop and promote ArtSpring as a facility comprised of a theatre, gallery, display space and workshop space for those engaged in the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts as well as for other groups and individuals engaged in activities of community benefit.

c) To develop and execute public education to support the performing, visual and creative arts and crafts.

d) To bring high quality BC, Canadian, and international performing artists to Salt Spring audiences by presenting music, dance, theatre and other professional performances.

The Metropolitan Opera line-up is also online and can be found here.

See you at the shows!

Scholorships will be awarded once a year, in late February. Applications should be forwarded to the ArtSpring Executive Director no later than February 15 of each year. As many scholorships, up to a maximum of $300 each, will be awarded each year as funds allow.

Click here to find out more details.