(From Left), Taylor Lecky (staff writer), Keiko Honda (Editor-in-Chief), Linda Poole (Executive Director of Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival) Special thanks to Noriko (photography) and Visual Space (film location)     Dear Readers, We are already in the second month of 2015.  In Japan, February 3 marks the yearly Setsubun celebration (literally means “division of seasons”), implying the day before the first day of spring (surprisingly, despite the chills!). Traditionally people in Japan throw roasted soybeans inside and outside their houses to drive away evil spirits and misfortune, chanting “Out with the Demon! In with Fortune!“. Why not take another moment to reflect beyond the New Year’s Resolution? What we can do today to improve, energize, thrive, grow and love more? I think the deepest reflection is actually an ongoing process. I first met Linda Poole in the planning committee meeting of Vancouver – Yokohama Golden Jubilee (1965-2015), for which I am very excited to share some of what’s been happening with all of you as time goes by. Meeting Linda was like the cherry blooming front finally come around! Her passion is so contagious that I am running a sakura fever, and so will you! This year for the first time, Kerrisdale Community Centre’s Centennial Park will be hosting the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival on April 26th. Please mark your calendar and be sure to attend!! In addition, in this issue, our “one-of-a-kind creators” feature will inspire you with some great wood work artist, Russ Gray, a youth leader, Maya Reisz, and a fashion designer and beyond, Terry Sasaki – a new addition to our Best Of list!  Last not but least, our AGM is just around the corner! Please mark your calendar for February 18th,7:30pm.   Happy February and Happy Valentine’s Day!   Keiko Honda Editor-in-Chief Chair, Community Engagement Kerrisdale Community Centre Society          ...

By Taylor Lecky Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to VISUAL SPACE (film location)  Kobayashi Issa once wrote, “there is no stranger under the cherry tree.” Before my interview with Linda I knew I appreciated the sentiment behind the saying but I didn’t fully understand it. In honesty, when I was first asked to write an article on the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, I had no idea what to expect. Apologetically, I stereotypically made an assumption that an individual of Japanese descent would walk in the Visual Space Dunbar gallery that rainy Vancouver Tuesday afternoon. However, I was extremely naive. Linda Poole, with all her golden haired glory, glided into the room as an elegant cherry blossom-like individual herself. Wearing a fuchsia pink skirt with matching leather shoes, a cherry blossom pendant and bracelet, you could not deny that she exuded passion for Vancouver’s sweetheart of tree’s.   “Is pink your favourite colour?” I asked while wearing my daily uniform of head-to-toe black. “No, I enjoy many colours. However, CBC did once interview me on T.V in which they started the session by filming these exact pink shoes. I don’t wear them much anymore,” Linda laughs. “But I do think pink looks good on everyone.” Linda’s demeanor is energetic and passionate while at the same time extremely calming.   Having lived abroad with the Canadian Foreign Service with her husband, a Canadian Ambassador, Linda says at the beginning she asked herself, ‘what does an ambassador really do? Let alone what does an ambassadors wife do?   “It was a fantastic experience and a privilege. I didn’t want to leave. Everyday I would see the Canadian flag flying above our official residence and I would just choke me up. You’re so far from home but your...

By Emily Cheung Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to KIKORI (film location) When wood work artist Russ Gray moved to Vancouver with his wife 18 years ago, he developed a fondness for Vancouver’s unique climate, referring to the rain as “liquid sunshine.” It is this sanguine disposition which has been the vehicle behind his unconventional career path to date. Having grown up in Ontario, it was Russ’ high school art teacher who became the inspiration behind his passion for art. He was motivated by perspective drawing and the eclectic persona of his teacher. Meanwhile, his interest in Japanese culture stemmed from practicing martial arts, specifically Judo and Kendo, ever since he was a young boy. After high school, Russ spent some time in the military. He sang with the Canadian Armed forces as a lead singer. Russ recalls the days when he sang rock and swing, and often travelled across different countries including Germany, Israel, and bases across Canada. Afterwards, Russ travelled to Japan and it was there that he cultivated his skills in Japanese wood work. He began his training in Japan in the 1980s and deepened his woodworking expertise through experimentation and applying Japanese concepts into his own work. Russ adds, “Mistakes are part of the growing process.” Russ specializes in screens, lamps, paper shoji (paper sliding doors), panels, and other custom interior goods. Reflecting upon the paths he has taken in life, Russ muses, “Where you go determines where you will end up”. He believes that reinvention is achieved through circumstances. As for the origins of Kikori, a Japanese antiques and furnishings shop run by Russ, it started when his current business partner, Carol Yamamoto, came looking in his furniture workshop in Langley. The two later found out Carol’s husband, Robert...

  By Maya Reisz Photo Courtesy of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House     YEA? The Youth Evening of Arts was mini arts festival planned and presented by Westside Youth, ages 10-25, as part of the grand re-opening celebration for The Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Over the course of 6 months, 52 youth were involved as committee members, performing artists and general volunteers, making it a unique for-youth-by-youth experience. At the event itself, 40 youth volunteered, 18 performed, 11 learned to speed paint and 8 participated in the live speed painting competition. 72 pieces of artwork were displayed in the youth designed gallery, not including the geometric art installation representing 150 individual pieces from Westside community members.                 Dear Reader,   I took a big chance last May. With no experience in program planning, I created the Youth Evening of Arts for Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Why? In the aftermath, I can rationalize it as:   I was inspired by Kit’s houses’ history of community led programming. I wanted to do work that felt meaningful. I thought it would be fun to work with a bunch of young artists. Someone needed to do it. Why not?    Truly, at the time I accepted the offer, I just had a strong gut feeling, one that tickled my imagination and catalyzed my heartbeat. I felt the possibility and wanted to see it happen. Mary Bennet, the celebration planner, gave me complete creative control and a shoulder to lean on. So, I dedicated six months of my life to a possibility, witnessing frustrating moments in juxtaposition with creative successes and a host of tiny miracles. Now, I carry with me a sublime feeling of nurturing a notion I held on my own into a vibrant success shared by many....

By Lauren MacFarland Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to Terry Sasaki Gallery (film location) Bursting with light and colour, Terry Sasaki’s gallery and clothing store are a unique blend of different cultures and versatile creativity, art of different mediums all telling the story of the man behind these beautiful works. For more than twenty years, Terry has been travelling the world, bringing his experiences to his work, and fusing the styles of East and West, the perfect mix for the Vancouver art scene, where so many different cultures collide. Relocating in the Lower Mainland presented new challenges and inspirations, allowing Terry to avail himself of new techniques and textures, always learning and evolving as an artist, constantly creating art that has inspired people the world over. Paintings are the main focus of Terry’s gallery in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Downtown Vancouver, his art instantly eye-catching and evoking his Japanese background, mixed with Western influence. “I get my energy from a lot of different places,” he explains, “and when my energy is good, then my art reflects that. If I ever feel tired of a painting, I move on, I try new things, because the most important thing about my art is that it reflects who I am and makes me happy.” In addition to his own pieces, the gallery also holds work from other local artists, as Terry recognizes the importance of giving back to the art community and giving other artists a chance to have their work seen. Interpersonal relationships hold a great amount of importance to him, and he counts friends from all over the world, including other many other diversely skilled artists. “When you take from different cultures, you have to give back to it as well,” he explains, and...

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