Judith M. Atkinson is a Professional Artist with an extensive exhibition record and studio practice. She is an Honours graduate of Emily Carr University of Art & Design, and studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts, Capilano College and with ECUAD in Florence, Italy. She is a Fine Art Instructor with Langara College, The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Evergreen Cultural Centre and has worked in all Lower Mainland School Districts, and as an Artist in Residence with the Vancouver School Board. Judith will be leading an Art Tour to Tuscany with Continuing Studies for Langara College in September of 2013. Judith works in a variety of media, oil, acrylic, collage and mixed media and has created sculptures with non-traditional materials. She created a suite of large scale paintings for Robson Square Conference Centre on display for 12 years and large multi- media installations suchas Sacred Ground Skin & Bones and Radiant Pressed Memories and solo exhibitions such as, Presence, Continuum and Waterways.  As an Artist in Residence with the Vancouver Parks Board, Judith worked in collaboration with Stanley Park Supervisor, Eric Meagher on the Stanley Park mural design for the Park Compactor. She was commissioned by the City of Port Moody to design and execute a Mobile Art Horticultural Truck working with the City and the Gardeners. Also, she completed a large 4 panel Banner Project for the City of Burnaby to showcase the Horticultural Department Eco-Sculptures.  Again with Vancouver Parks Board as an Artist in Residence worked with the Marpole-Oakridge Committee Association and Vancouver Parks Board and primarily with the children in the community created the Mural at the Centre. Judith was the Artist in Residence with various school districts and with Artstarts and Ecole Sperling School in Burnaby and worked with staff, students and parents on the theme Celebration of Life.And with students at Armstrong Elementary in Burnaby,...

Text and photos by Laara Ynea* A First Nations friend from Alert Bay informed me about a canoe gathering in False Creek on Tuesday, Sept. 17. He said that’s what the First Nations people used to do. He said sometimes the dugout canoes can get as large as 8’ across and can hold 100 people. It sounded very interesting. I went to the internet and found that the event was a part of the week long National Reconciliation Week Vancouver recognizing survivors of the residential schools. I decided to combine it with my morning run. While I was getting ready to go, I could hear the children from the neighbouring school screaming and cheering for the paddlers in the canoes. Camera across my chest and only stopped to capture the spirit of the event. I’ve never seen a canoe gathering and was excited to see the various dugout canoes painted in different colors and designs. The paddlers sang and were in colourful attires and regalia. The familiar dragon boats were at the end of the water parade with drummers beating at rhythmic intervals. The east end of False Creek was where the gathering took place with a traditional ceremony. Speakers one by one took the microphone, some came as far as Australia, New Zealand, and Guatemala! There were chiefs from various bands, survivors, and their descendants who provided us with a glimpse of what they sojourned in the residential schools. A lady spoke about 4 generations of her family who were subjected to various abuses in the residential schools. The residential schools were conducted by various churches and funded by our federal government. Speakers choked with emotions that have been suppressed for their life time and finally an opportunity to release and share with...

Life in Asheville, North Carolina For over 15 years, Joanne Chan worked as a professional photographer in New York City. Her clients included The New York Times, Random House Publishings, JCrew and Harry Winston Inc. She has photographed CEO of Louis Vuitton, the mayor of NY Rudy Guiliani, film director John Waters. Her work has also been published in numerous countries. Then after the birth of her child Lulu, she decided to switch her life 180.She moved to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Along with her happy go lucky attitude, she is determined to live outside the box and live off the land a little more than she did in NY.Only in the short time of 2 years in North Carolina, Joanne has acquired the skills of butchering a road kill rabbit, dress a chicken, play the violin, learn to identify edible wild plants and even turn chicken feathers into hair accessories. Joanne knows that her change in life direction is not for everyone.  She is grateful that she has the mental support from her family to make the drastic transition. Joanne recently visited Vancouver and loved the Vancouver’s mellow yet enthusiastic vibe about the people she met. Who knows Vancouver might be her regular destination for her family!   ~~~~~~~~~~~ Hair fascinator made from collected feathers and prom dress One of a kind handmade doll Handbags made of repurposed fabric In front of local super market, selling arts and crafts. Paintings of her daughter inspired by nature in Asheville Black ear mushroom and mountain mint, collected in the forest. To see her photography, please visit: Jchanphoto.com To support Joanne through her arts and...

For Kesseke dance is like a medicine.   He started dancing at seven years old and at eleven he went to the Ivory Coast National Ballet and was there for several years dancing locally and touring around Africa and Europe. He also danced for Yelemba d’Abidjan and Ballet Djolem d’Abidjan, la Companie de Wouafou d’Abidjan.In 2001 he moved to Vancouver and currently dances for his own group WEST meets WEST, a multicultural drum and dance group playing the traditional Ivory Coast rhythms from West Africa. Kesseke teaches West African drums and dance in various studios around Vancouver.   To learn more about Kesseke, please visit www.kissofafrica.ca Photos by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Kesseke is also a clothing designer and tailor! An Interview with Kesseke By Max Potter Although perhaps not particularly well known outside of sub-Saharan Africa, West African dance is a cherished tradition carried on by its performers as well as having carved a niche with some unlikely new disciples. Whether it’s for voyeurism, entertainment or simply a cardio workout, several curious citizens flock to studios to be taught by veterans of the art like Kesseke Yeo. Originally from the Ivory Coast, Kesseke began dancing at age five and was noticed by his seventh year. By the age of fifteen he was recruited by the Ivory Coast ballet and began touring worldwide, performing throughout Africa and Europe, from Yamoussoukro to Paris and everything in-between. The dances that I was able to witness were raw and heavily rhythm based. Nothing short of a gymnast, Kesseke incorporates various athletic feats such as spontaneous backflips to break up the heavy beats and singing as his voice and bare feet act as instruments of their own. The dances are laced with a mythology that comes through even for those oblivious to the meaning of the various chants uttered between...

Written by Hazel Choy – Resident Gardener   Relax under a shady sumac tree on our handmade bench – 5 June 13 Lady Bug @work in a patch of wild strawberries – 5 June 13 Roberta talking to locals admiring the summer flowers – 5 June 13 Water Garden expert Roberta Skye enjoying her creation – 5 June 13 Who knows what was originally on the site where the Kerrisdale Community Garden now sits, but some speculate it could have been a creek bed. A diverse and dedicated group of community members came together in 2011, under the leadership of Kerrisdale resident, Monica Tang, to transform the site at Angus Drive and West 60th Avenue into what is now the Kerrisdale Community Garden.We gathered at our first work party in March 2011, a mixture of children, young adults, adults and seniors, to dig up weeds, move rocks and build raised garden beds.  Wheelbarrows full of soil provided by the city were dumped into plots and debris was sifted out. With pure excitement and joy, children dug up and collected worms. By the end of a long day, we had built the foundation for what would become our community garden. Through sheer determination and hard work, by the end of our first season, we had constructed the plots, fence, pathways and a shed to house our tools.One challenge in our first year was the poor soil conditions, so to amend the soil, we planted buckwheat and other nitrogen fixing plants.  Over the past 3 years, we have had a passionate group who designed the communal spaces to include a harmonious arrangement of plants, a water garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs, squash and flowers.  We had previously used black city composters, with little success due...

In the merry month of May…… Photo: Noriko Nasu-Tidball @ Frisch Farms @ Frisch Farms @ Frisch Farms @ Cypress Community Garden @ Cypress Community Garden @ Cypress Community Garden @ Cypress Community Garden @ Cypress Community Garden @ Cypress Community...

An Interview with Renee Mynott“People first, building community first.” – Renee MynottBy Joyce Tam   In this prosperous urban city, do you ever have a thought of how your desirable home would be? Do you ever want your own personal space? Do you want to live with a group of people that share the same ideas as you do? Would you like to put your thoughts into actions and make this desirable home come true? Cohousing could possibly be one of the ways to help you achieve this dream. A desirable dream home of yours could be where you tell them how you want it to be, and they will do it for you. Cohousing is definitely an authentic project where residents will share the processes of planning, managing and owning their own desirable private homes, which is partly supported by a “community hall”.  This concept began in Denmark, then came to North American cities such as Vancouver in British Columbia. Renee Mynott is a community facilitator in the cohousing community, with a specific focus on seniors cohousing. She is currently working in senior cohousing in Langley that was the first place accepting cohousing in B.C.  Renee comes from a family of eleven siblings and everyone lived closely together. She knows the benefits and the love from growing within a community. She understands how important it is to live with a community, to build up closer bonds with others, to listen to each other and solve problems together. “I always have lots of people to talk to about things, or if I need help on something, we always have resources to share. I feel so blessed and I want everyone to have that experience,” Renee said. Coincidentally, Renee’s grandmother is also from Langley and...

Alison Bremner – a Tlingit artist     Alison Bremner (K’úwux) is a Tlingit artist born and raised in Southeast Alaska. Bremner is an Owl of the Raven moiety of the K’ineix Kwaan from Yakutat. In 2009, Bremner participated in a Coming of Age Ceremony; the first of it’s kind in over 100 years in Yakutat. It was then that Bremner began to dedicate her life to the Tlingit culture. After witnessing the beautiful regalia at Celebration 2010 in Juneau, Bremner’s passion for Tlingit art was awoken. “Traditional art is not simply art – it is an internal compass, a connection to who we are as people and where we come from.” Bremner creates regalia such as button blankets, octopus bags and hand-drums. Bremner also paints and weaves. Bremner believes that focusing on the positive side of the culture will help it move forward. “There is a misconception that all First-Nations people are stoic and somber. While there has been much despair in our history, there has also been much to celebrate. I seek to shed light on our native sense of humor. There is nothing quite like one of your aunties jokes”. Humor, with an underlying theme of perseverance. In her spare time, Bremner dances with the Mt. St. Elias Dancers of Yakutat and the Git-Hoan Dancers of Seattle. She also enjoys sci-fi movies and a good cup of coffee. Owl Button Blanket Wolves Button Blanket Green Eyed...

In the spirit of the Chinese New Year Celebrations by Synn Kune Loh* a poet and visual artist CELEBRATION Predisposed response to beauty Spring rain calls me to life random thoughts deeply transparent a sigh of forgiveness unfolds the beauty EARTH CALLING What fulfills an inner longing   Mountain storm had let up Winter retreated earth preserved A double rainbow framed the road From behind temple doors, golden faced buddhas take a peek at the world. *Born in China, Synn Kune grew up in Hong Kong. He completed a BA in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport in the USA before his graduate study in Cultural Psychology at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontaria. An accomplished painter, he studied experimental art at the Ontario College of Art in Tronto. In addition, Synn Kune holds a Master degree in Therapeutic Counseling from the International College of Spiritual and Psychic Science in Montreal, Quebec. Synn Kune found his inspiration through the abstraction of forms and ideas. What makes his paintings unique is the metaphysical content, which explores the relaity of the ideal. The artist steps outside of representation to create a visual language using dots, lines, circles, triangles, squares, color and form. The result is a vision of ecstatic wonder and astonishment. “These paintings are about nothing. Therefore they are about everything.” ~ Synn Kune...

Synn Kune Loh a poet and visual artist Born in China, Synn Kune grew up in Hong Kong. He completed a BA in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport in the USA before his graduate study in Cultural Psychology at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontaria. An accomplished painter, he studied experimental art at the Ontario College of Art in Tronto. In addition, Synn Kune holds a Master degree in Therapeutic Counseling from the International College of Spiritual and Psychic Science in Montreal, Quebec. Synn Kune found his inspiration through the abstraction of forms and ideas. What makes his paintings unique is the metaphysical content, which explores the relaity of the ideal. The artist steps outside of representation to create a visual language using dots, lines, circles, triangles, squares, color and form. The result is a vision of ecstatic wonder and astonishment. “These paintings are about nothing. Therefore they are about everything.”  Synn Kune The Reality of The Ideal  Paintings are all acrylic on canvas.   The sky is never empty, 2012   The Tipping point, 2012   Fascination, 2012   Assumption, 2012   Entering the Memory Field, 2012   In the not too distant future, 2012   How to watch the sky, 2012   Pushing the boundary, 2012   One Day You May Find This Useful, 2012   Day of Departure, 2012   The earth is always full, 2012   These paintings are accompanied by his own ‘haiku’ poems.  Collections of his verse continue in popularity, with a book available today; ” A Journey to Camatkara”, Alpha Glyph Publication,...

  Graduated from Emily Carr University 2012 as an industrial designer. He is passionate about observing people’s daily needs and problems, whether psychologically or physically. Through the process of design thinking and hands on model making, he explores and cultivates creative solutions, which balanced between form and function, and also poetic solutions that enrich people life experience in an elegant and riveting way. His works encompasses medical product design, consumer electronic product design and furniture design. His graduation project, “funup”, a rehabilitation electronic product concept, explores the possibility of altering people’s unpleasant experience of the rehabilitation process into a more fun and engaging experience by utilizing state of art technologies. Currently, he is working on a series of hand made whirl threaded lampshades, which come in different shapes and colours that represent different stories and emotions of the maker. By immersing himself in the process of making, the repetitive motion not only focuses his mind, but also brought up memories and emotion of the maker. Through this work and design he wishes to share his experience and stories with people in a seamless but also direct, open but also intimate way. whirl lamp whirl lamp Bloom Lamp Bloom Lamp More About Adrian….GO...

‘To Do What One Loves’: An Interview with Paul Tavai-Latta   ‘To Do What One Loves’: An Interview with Paul Tavai-Latta Interviewed and written by Trina Moran On a drizzly (typical) Vancouver day, Paul Latta dons a red Hawaiian print shirt and sunglasses as he zips around the Lower Mainland to one of his many busy dance studios, one of them being based here at the Kerrisdale Community Centre. Hailing from Rarotonga on the Cook Islands, Paul is dedicated to teaching, performing, and managing Polynesian dance through his dance school, Paul Latta Dance Studios, and his dance company, Paul Latta Show Productions. From his productions and performances Paul Latta is well-known for his authentic dance performances in traditional authentic Polynesian costumes and for being an international Polynesian dance champion. Upon moving to Canada when he was six years old, Paul mentions that as a child Polynesian culture, which included dance is all that he knew and struggled that during his childhood in Canada there was nowhere for him to pursue this particular passion. However, Paul discovered tap dancing and instantly became fascinated by the sounds and synchronized rhythms of it which he related to the intense drumming of Tahitian dance. During his studies in tap dance & stage performance Paul learned the business side of the dance world. In this included a vast knowledge of: staging, bookings, lights, theatre, commerce, television, media, and all other commercial aspects. As well, Paul quickly learned some of the negative aspects of show business such PR aspects, awards vs. jealousy, and financial aspects. Paul describes this experience as ‘[learning] at a young age how to deal with the good with the bad.’ As a young adult Paul studied at the Brigham University, Polynesian Cultural Centre in Hawaii and received his Master...

Steve Stanczyk Interview by Barb Mikulec Steve Stanczyk is the artist chosen to work with the Kerrisdale community to make a mural for the entrance to the KCC centre. Steve has always been interested in art, from elementary school through high school. He started making paintings as a teenager and has kept it up until today. He attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. He also received a diploma in Digital Art and Design from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC and before studying at TRU, he studied Fine Arts and Art History at The University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC. Steve taught painting in the Saturday Program at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York along with teaching photoshop and digital art with Gateways Learning Centre in Abbotsford and art history and painting at Abbotsford’s Reach Gallery Museum. His art practice consists of working in a diverse range of themes and mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, digital design, video, installation art and other mixed media. Steve’s portfolio includes both experimental and abstract work along with more traditional paintings such as landscapes and portraits, and also works that have been commissioned. His exhibition history includes exhibited my art in three shows at The Cooper Union, including exhibiting and selling one of his silkscreen prints in a fundraising exhibition at the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, with other New York artists, including students, teachers and alumni such as Hans Haacke. Steve has also exhibited art in several shows in Vancouver, including the Pendulum Gallery on West Georgia St and at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, BC. Along with completing painting, graphic design and photography commissions, Steve has also painted several large–scale public murals on both canvas and on walls for different businesses, organizations and communities. An amazing thing...

  About Artist Noriko is Japanese born, and moved to Canada in 1990.  She took up photography in 2009, beginning with an SLR camera.  Noriko has studied under and worked with different photographers including noted local photographer, Yukiko Onley.  She has worked taking photographs for a series of events.  Noriko currently lives in Vancouver with her husband and daughter. My Photography  I have used digital cameras in my photography.  Modern digital cameras are very easy to use for taking technically good photographs.  However, as my interest and understanding of photography has grown, I have begun to appreciate how photographs can capture the feelings and thoughts of a photo’s subjects.  I find that a camera can create images that are very interesting, and the viewer can have a deeper understanding of the subject.   Daily life, Chinatown Vancouver, 2011* *This photograph appeared on the National Geographic website as an editors choice as one of the top photographs submitted to them that day.     Rememberance day, vancouver, 2011     Vancouver fashion week, 2011     From street, Harajyuku, Tokyo, 2011       Untitled, Vancouver, 2011     Untitled, 2011     Joy, Vancouver, 2011   Flow, Wakayama, 2011   In the dust, Wakayama, Japan, 2011   Harvest time, Wakayama, 2011   Musician, Vancouver, 2011   Noh performance, Vancouver, 2012   Noh mask, 2012   Untitled, Vancouver, 2011 Untitled, Vancouver, 2011   Hot afternoon, Maui,...

Through all these years that I have been living in Canada my work has evolved in different ways. Somtimes it resembles memories that identify me with my past, sometimes with ideas that come at random or words that fall out from a poem that has moved me, sometimes they are personal like my mother’s death. And how about nature as an inspiration: it always touches me, but more than emulating it, I embrace it. I have always believed that art is like life: to live life, one has to learn to live; when we cease to learn we begine to die.”   ~ Davide Merino    Volim te (“I love you”), oil on paper     Crosswords, oil on paper     Dream with Colors, oil on paper       About the artist: Originally from Mexico  , Davide merino works and lives  in Vancouver for the last 25 years , after  studying  architecture in Mexico city (UNAM) he study and graduated in fine arts  at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design  Vancouver BC. Read more…… For...

Photographed by Rosanna Goncalves...

“Old Modern” In January of this year 2012, Gerry was show-cased in the initial launching of the E-Gallery section of the Kerrisdale Playbook Web-site displaying some of his completed etching artwork pieces.  Hopefully the E-Gallery did attract more than a few viewers and created some interest in etching artworks other than the more known artworks like, pencil / colored pastel sketches and colored oil / acrylic paintings.  Subsequent to Gerry’s January show-case on the E-Gallery, Our Kerrisdale Playbook Web-site has discovered that Gerry had another interesting past-time childhood passion with building model airplanes and exotic cars.  Gerry having an artistic creative side for the arts is also blessed with a very creative technical side, where building hobby model planes and cars was something he loved doing during his early teens.  Gerry has agreed to show-case in the E-Gallery two hobby models he has completed as an adult quite sometime ago.  The first hobby model kit is a 5-channel radio-controlled,  gas-motored, 6.5 lb. helicopter with a main rotor-blade of 36″ diameter span, which Gerry purchased in (1987)  and took over 2 two years to build.  The second hobby model kit is a 1:8 scale, Spider Touring Gran Sport (1932) Alfa Romeo Car (made up of over 2500-plus total connecting nuts, bolts, wires, car parts in different materials of special high resistance plastics, brass, stainless steel, iron, copper, rubber and leather).  Gerry purchase the hobby model car kit in (1975) at a hobby shop at Cambie & 41st Avenue and took over 1-1/2 years to build.  Both the completed helicopter and car show-cased on the E-Gallery are very complex, but interestingly, in particular the Alfa Romeo Car kit was designed in Italy and mass-produced into hobbist model kits at least 50 ++ years ago by hand...

“My Wishes and Dreams” by Grade One French Immersion Students (Teacher Madame K) at Kerrisdale Elementary Our children are born natural artists!  All pictures are amazing, different and reflect our children’s vision of the world and future. Education is about helping children who are capable of self-reflection and self-expression! Bravo! Our teachers and children! ‘Whatever you can dream, begin to do it. Boldness has the power and magic in it.’ Goethe...

Gerry is a third generation Chinese Canadian born in Victoria, B.C. and a long-time resident in the Kerrisdale area. He had a wonderful career for over 40-plus years in the field of Architecture. Gerry is retired and now with more leisure time to do other things, he accidently a year ago rekindled his childhood passion for the arts. On Christmas morning of 2010, doing their traditional family “Christmas Stocking Stuffer” event he received a set of etching tools and a few small etching blocks in his stocking from Santa (from his daughter, Tara, who knew her father’s artistic talent). Shortly after the New Year, Gerry picked up the etching tools and the polymer faced etching blocks and started to scratch out some images. Since picking up the etching tools, Gerry has created some larger artwork etchings which are show-cased in the E-Gallery. Gerry plans to continue etching new artworks to satisfying his artistic endeavors. Photographs by Erik...