Lumière is an annual art event that's been going on since 2016, although this is the first year I…read morehad heard of it. It consists of several interactive light up art installations, as well as various performances, and it's all absolutely free! This year Lumière runs from November 1 to 3, from 5pm to 10pm at four different locations -- šxnq Xwtl'e7én Square behind the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Jim Deva Plaza on Davie Street, Morton Park at English Bay, and Lot 19 on Hornby Street (near the Salvador Dali Space Venus sculpture). There is also a free shuttle to take people between the locations which depart approximately every 15 minutes. I went with Nancy H. last night, and had a great (and inexpensive!) time. We took advantage of the free shuttle, which were trolleys from the Vancouver Trolley Company, and it took us just under two hours to make the rounds. We started off at the art gallery, where we saw the following installations: -Steely T: a large light-up, flame spewing turtle that people could enter or climb up top -Daisy: a large solar powered tricycle (unfortunately we didn't see it in action) -Alternity: a branching sculpture that lit up in different patterns when people interacted with it (it was one of my favourite pieces, probably because it reminded me of an organic molecule) -Sandscapes: sand, which people could sculpt, with different colored lights shining on to it in different patterns, evoking images of alien lands -Segmentium: a large orb with a diameter of 7 feet and 24 segments that lit up -Orchidelirium: giant orchids In additions to the above art pieces, at šxnq Xwtl'e7én Square, there was also a small exhibit, Neon at the Post, about neon signs in Vancouver. I immediately recognize the large, neon R from the Ridge movie theater. The next stop was at Jim Deva Plaza where we saw: -Tetra Velo: a large pyramid that people could walk through -Chromatic Shadows: a screen on which people's shadows were projected -Visitor: a blob-shaped structure that lit up in different colors and patterns, depending on how people interacted and controlled it -Woven: large, inflatable, illuminated arches that people could pass through on to their way to the beer garden (which also provided free water) Our third stop was English Bay. When we arrived, there was a fire show happening, although it was difficult to see, with the large crowd. The exhibits were: -Brood: an interesting metal spider, whose body served as a heat lamp -Stanley: a Great Blue Heron made up of 10,320 lights -Davie: a 24 foot tall grizzly bear -Luna: an orca made of over 6000 lights -Eugenia: a tree with lights that change color (my favourite exhibit at Lumière). It's not an exhibit of just any tree, but the oak tree that was atop of the Eugenia Place condo on Beach Avenue, that was installed in 1987 and died in 2017. *Note: Stanley, Luna, and Eugenia will remain on display until February 2020. The fourth, and last stop, was at Lot 19. There, we saw: -Telefunkin' Shadow Stage: another exhibit that involves displaying people's silhouettes on a screen -The Beating Heart: a nine-foot-high fiberglass human heart sculpture that was originally displayed at Burning Man. It beats to the rhythm of a person who places their hand on a sensor. (Note: the sensor is clearly not designed for people who don't have large man hands!) -Key to My Heart: two giant antique keys and a lock that also has a sensor to detect people's heartbeat. -Lux Memoriae: cool, geometric lanterns -Chrysafly: a large butterfly, although it was still being assembled when we were there. It was a fun night, and if you have a chance to check it out today or tomorrow, go! Lumière will be on my calendar next year. [Yelp collections: Public Art; Cheap Thrills; Being a tourist in my own city]

Lumière is an annual event of various art installations held in early November each year. Last…read morenight (Nov. 1) was opening night, and I went with Jasmine (a fellow Yelpie!), and we had a terrific time. It seems this event gets bigger and better with each passing year, and because there's been more advance promoting and advertising for this "light festival", and because the weather last night was stellar (clear and warm, considering it's November), there were fairly large crowds in attendance. And you definitely cannot beat the price. It's free! This year Lumière was held in four separate locations: two in the West End (Morton Square, at Davie and Denman, and Jim Deva Plaza, at Davie and Bute), and two downtown (the Van Art Gallery square on Georgia, and Lot 19 at the northern end of Hornby at Coal Harbor). There were free shuttles driving us attendees to each of the various sites. The buses left every 10-15 minutes, and the "tour guides" on the bus briefly described the highlighted works at the next location. There were 5-10 light-art installations at each site, and most were interactive in some way. Some, you could climb on. Some projected your image on screens in various ways. Some detected your pulse when you placed your hand on sensors and they flashed lights in various configurations. All were very photogenic and led most attendees to take selfies, and pictures of their kids or partners or dogs among the illuminated, colored backdrops. (Note: this is a very family-friendly event). As my kids would comment: this was an Instagram-friendly photoshoot-friendly kind of event. Some locales had performers who worked with lights and/or fire in some way. The fire performers at Davie and Denman had such a large audience circling them, it was hard for me to see the action (but I was glad that there was such a great turn-out for the event, so I happily checked out the other illuminated works at this site). There were neon-lit walkers on stilts at Jim Deva Plaza, too. At the Butte and Davie site, there was a makeshift tent set up for folks 19+, with a beer garden inside, bistro tables and chairs and a dj playing disco music, with disco lights and a floor for dancing! Cool! Seriously, it's hard to believe that this type of expansive exhibition, encompassing four separate sites in the city, is totally free of charge. I really recommend checking it out.

Peaceable Kingdom is a public work of art by Tom Dean located at King Edward Village, just outside…read moreof the Kensignton branch of the public library. Peaceable Kingdom consists of several bronze statues of various animals, and they can be quite strange, such as a snake wrapped around a sow, or a goat lying on the back of a leopard. While odd, I think the statues are pretty neat, and if you're in the area, definitely take a few minutes out of your day to take a look. For more information: http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/public-art-brochure-peaceable-kingdom.PDF [Yelp collections: Public Art]

On the southeast False Creek seawall, just east of the Cambie Bridge, is the strangest, coolest art…read moreinstallation around. (It's actually visible from the Cambie Bridge if you are walking across it. It's practically right below the bridge, just off a bit to the side, if you're looking toward the Science Center, close to the VPD parking lot site). In truth, I had passed this structure many times before really noticing it, as it's comprised of large neon letters that spell out "SHOULD I BE WORRIED?" atop of a wooden support beam, and these wooden planks blend in with the craggy site at the shoreline here below the bridge (and of course the neon letters aren't illuminated during the daytime hours). So it's easy to miss during the day. Then, one day, I noticed the sentence atop the beams and now I am fixated on this piece whenever I pass it, when I walk on the seawall in this area between Athlete's Village and Spyglass Place, or when I cross the Cambie Bridge on foot. I keep on wondering, SHOULD I be worried? Should I? And, if so, about WHAT, exactly? There are so many possible stressors to worry about. Should I worry about them all? Prioritize them? Just deal with a few? Or perhaps not worry at all? To me, this work is both whimsical and provocative and it really makes me wonder what exactly should I be worrying about. It's simultaneously humorous and serious. It both blends in to its environment (by way of the rough, unfinished wooden support structure) and it also stands out (by way of the neon letters). In so many ways, it embodies dichotomies and contrasts. One can appreciate it at face value or one can ruminate on its possible deeper meanings. This piece was installed here fairly recently, in 2017, and the artist, Justin Langlois, is a professor and associate dean at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He was/is concerned with many of Vancouver's social and economic issues, and his art reflects that. Should we be worried? Check out this art piece, and you tell me! *NOTE: FYI I did not take the awesome photo of this art installation; rather, it is a stock photo, found online on multiple sites (including the City of Vancouver's official site, under its public art tab, and also online in every article about this art piece). So don't think I'm such a great photographer! My photos are usually blurred, or of my hands obscuring the lens...

What, no reviews yet for this super cool gallery? Weird!…read more My friends and I visited this gallery today to check out the Gordon Smith exhibit. It was WONDERFUL. There is ample free parking on the street, but be advised, there are also free parking spots for gallery visitors at the rear of the gallery. (We were unaware of this, but good to know, for the next time we visit). The gallery is on the corner of Commercial Street and Stainsbury Ave. (There must be bakeries in the area as the air has the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked croissants. It was amazing! But I digress....). The space is very open and filled with natural light, primarily from the enormous garage door "window" at the front. If one is mobility challenged, you will not have any issues here, as the whole gallery is on one level, there are no stairs, and the space is open concept. The Gordon Smith exhibit worked quite well in this space, as the artist's works were all substantial in scale, and the white walls here easily accommodated the large canvases. We signed up to be advised of future art shows here. What a great local gallery!

The Rio Theatre, located on Broadway at Commercial Drive (which is extremely transit convenient),…read moreis a fixture of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood. I don't know the entire history of the theatre, but apparently it was built in 1938. The Rio is known for screening cult classic movies and live shows, and in 2012, it fought the outdated BC Liquor board so that movie theatres could serve alcohol -- a big win! In the past, I have gone to a handful of shows (mostly movies showing at the Vancouver International Film Festival), but I didn't go often for two reasons: many of the movies I was interested in started way too late for me (such as at 9:30pm or 11pm), and years ago, I had a really negative experience. I don't recall when the incident happened -- perhaps it was after they had acquired a liquor licence -- but you had to be 19+ to go (that's the legal drinking age here), and while I was much older than 19, apparently I looked young, so I used to get so much shit for my appearance. Shortly before the event, my ID had expired and I was waiting for a new one to come in the mail. In the meantime, I was using my passport as ID. The person at the door was extremely rude and aggressive and made a big deal of specifically asking ME for ID -- from his tone, I think he didn't expect me to be of age. I pulled out my wallet from my purse to grab my ID, then remembered that I didn't have it as it was being renewed, so put it back into my purse and reached for my passport. As I was reaching for my passport, the rude and aggressive employee sneered, "Oh, you forgot your ID, I see, huh?" Yes, even thought this was nearly 15 years ago, I still remember this incident, and it always upset me. The guy was so fucking rude. Also, they used to insist on stamping your hand, and I hate having the inside of my wrist stamped because the ink rubs off on the side of my shirt, so prefer to have the top of my hand stamped. This guy was also rude about this. Anyway, due to events not working with my schedule and my encounter with the rude employee, I had little interest in going to the Rio unless it was for the film festival. However, recently, there have been several events I have been interested in: a screening of The Shawshank Redemption with a Q&A with Gil Bellows in July; a screening of The Room presented by Greg Sestero in August; a screening of Clue in October; a screening of the original Carrie presented by Mike Flanagan in October; and a film festival movie in October. And each time I had a great experience -- no more rude and aggressive employees! The most recent event I went to was John Waters live on December 3. My husband is a huge John Waters fan, so I bought tickets for his show. However, I had only bought the regular tickets, and my husband then told me he would have liked the VIP tickets (better seats, a signed poster, a post-show Q&A). On the Rio website, they clearly state that all sales are final and that tickets cannot be returned or exchanged. So what did I do? Emailed them asking if I could exchange the regular tickets for the more expensive VIP tickets, despite their policy. Their answer was an enthusiastic "absolutely!" and it was easy to exchange the tickets. Amazing customer service! I am a fan of the Rio and I look forward to seeing more shows and events! [Yelp collections: Theaters]

One of my favourite classic theatres for classics and oddball films! They do shows too but I mostly…read morehere for the movies! Theatre is old but very maintained. Definitely a visit if you are looking for a good classic movie to watch!

I was recently in the market for a good puzzle glue, of all things, and it had to be REALLY good,…read moreas the puzzle in question was very special and pricey (limited edition, and a gift from a dear friend). I am familiar with DeSerres stores as they are a national, high-end arts supply store, and when I used to be a student in design school, we'd often get specialized items here in Montreal, years ago. I went online and saw that they carry not one but TWO good puzzle glues, so off I went, to find this store. I found the place easily, on Grandview, close to the Italian Community Center where I got my COVID booster a while back. And right off the bat, I was impressed that there was a dedicated parking lot for their clients. Free parking? Yes, please! Upon entering the store, a young woman who was manning the cash greeted me, and I asked her where the puzzle glue was. She knew exactly where and told me which aisle. As I walked to the area, I was struck by all the canvases, acrylic paints and brushes. What a great selection, and all of excellent brands. (Not the kind at generic craft stores). I also was struck by all the artsy "toys" - the kinds I've not seen elsewhere. Know a kid who's creative? This truly would be the place to get him or her gifts. I didn't go upstairs, but it was clear there was a second floor. I was amazed at all the puzzles they had. I didn't remember DeSerres having puzzles and toys, only art supplies. And the puzzles they had were excellent quality ones, like Ravensburger, and all depicted scenes and artworks that I've never seen on puzzles before. I don't think you'd have to worry about missing pieces or ill-fitting pieces if you got any of these puzzles. I couldn't find the puzzle glue, but the employee who greeted me came to check on my progress in finding what I came here for, and when I told her there were no glues in the aisle, she said they just got a shipment of stuff "in the back" and she'd go check. So nice! Unfortunately, when she returned she said that no glues were in that shipment and the next shipment isn't for another week or two. Darn it. I had assumed if an item was on their website, it'd be in stock in the store. Next time I'll know to call first to check. The employee suggested I try maybe Michael's or another craft store (I forget the name), and I thanked her for her help. She really tried to help me out and I appreciated it. The prices at this store are not cheap, but we're not dealing with cheap merchandise. Just call first if you're looking for a specialized item.

I am reviewing this based on my experience as a disabled person and also the parent of a child who…read moreuses a wheelchair. This place COULD be accessible but it isn't. The door opens directly on to the sidewalk, but there is no handicapped door opener. They keep sale items upstairs. There is an elevator but a key is needed and it takes you to a staff only area. It's clear that the primary purpose of the elevator is staff moving items and not accessibility for people who can not use stairs. We felt like complete afterthoughts trying to shop here.

As a resident of East Van who can see this sign after a quick stroll down the street to a break in…read morethe trees, as an atheist, and as not-a-gang-member, I like it. I'm tired of the haters, and people who can't see past what the iconography represents to them specifically and who assume the same translates to everyone who sees it. Art is subjective, you can take the history and breath new life and ideas into an old symbol. It's both powerful and playful. I love it and I love my neighborhood.

Mark me down as a fan of the East Van sign. I think the only way it could better would be if it was…read morea flaming East Van sign - now that would be a sight to behold! It reminds me of some kind of Bat Signal - I'm thinking that some Drive-ster superhero may leap from the shadows at any moment, to confront his Evil Yuppie nemesis and force him back into the bowels of Yaletown from whence he came.

Continuing on my mission to review local art installations and sculptures, I realized today that…read morethis massive red metal ring on Pacific Blvd. by Cambie St. needs to be addressed! It's so prominently displayed (on the wide grassy median, on Pacific Blvd) and passed by daily by thousands of drivers, yet rarely is it given a second look. It seems to blend in with the construction of the area, as this part of Yaletown is undergoing a lot of building development right now and there are many cranes and construction sites in the immediate area and this large metal ring appears so industrial in this context, it barely stands out. Yet I have often wondered, what the heck is this thing? It's positioned on its side and it stands about three stories tall. There are spotlights at the base so it's illuminated at night. It piqued my interest, every time I passed it by. Is it a construction item? It appears to have some gears on one side. What is or was its purpose? Or is it an art piece designed to look like an industrial component of sorts? I needed to know! So I recently stopped by to read the inscription plate at its base. And I learned so much about this huge ring and the history of the Cambie Bridge! There have actually been three Cambie Bridges in total and this ring was a part of the second Cambie Bridge that opened in 1911. The ring is actually a gear that was located mid-span and it allowed the truss to rotate or spin open, to allow larger boats through (there was a large working sawmill nearby and other industries that relied on maritime traffic here). I took a photo of the inscription plate, so you can see the illustration of the bridge and the rotating truss, as well as read the brief history of the Bridge. As with the bricks still embedded on the sidewalks of Yaletown and the stark metal railings that abound in the area, I love how this City retains pieces of its past, to remind us all of the rich history here.