Artistic Endeavours

Lynn Valley Centre is getting creative this month with the grand opening of Monika’s Art Boutique-Studio & Gallery. The new studio and retail space offer families options for art lessons and creative after-school care.

Dream come true

Building on her previous experience as a teacher and the success of her Lonsdale location, Monika Blichar, just days ago opened the doors to the latest branch of Monika’s Art BoutiqueStudio & Gallery  From its roots that began 15 years ago in Pemberton Heights the new space in Lynn Valley has Blichar excited for new opportunities grounded in her mission to foster creativity and peace of mind.

Monika Blichar

“The real goal is helping parents make sure that they’re supported and their needs are met to have somewhere safe for their kids,” said Blichar. “We’re always trying to push the boundaries so that it’s not just coming to make art in a daycare. It’s trying to teach them skills and give kids something that they can build on in the future.”

She hopes that by offering programs that engage and excite children it helps them stay connected to their creative roots.

“There’s so many factors that can get them derailed but at least if they have some interest in something creative, whether it’s that they keep drawing at home or they start doing their own comic books or they get into video game development or story writing. As they get older at least they have something that they’ve developed so they don’t go off and start doing things that aren’t productive or maybe dangerous as they get into their teenagers. We’ve had kids coming in that have just been so engaged in the art, that they come back and work here.”

The new space, which began offering programming in the first week of May, has allowed Blichar to expand her afterschool care from six schools to thirteen. The new Lynn Valley location will be offering care to Lynn Valley, Upper Lynn, Ross Road, Eastview and Boundary elementaries, plus another outside of Lynn Valley. 

“We’ve been looking for about two years for the space because we have a huge waitlist. There are so many families that just don’t have after-school care – it’s a huge need on the North Shore,” she said. “We explore all kinds of different artistic pursuits for kids, not just painting and drawing, but really teaching them the well-roundedness of living a creative, resourceful and abundant life that comes from learning how to do lots of different things. Some of the things that we do include traditional artistic forms, like painting, watercolour, acrylic, oil pastels, and charcoal but also other more practical arts like how to make your own soap.” 

Passion with purpose

The Lynn Valley studio and gallery will also feature opportunities for local makers to sell their wares. Blichar is enthusiastic about supporting artists and fostering entrepreneurship. 

“One of my passions is really helping business owners,” she said. “Part of the boutique that we have here as well in the new location is local arts and goods. We work with mostly all BC artists but I do import some stuff from Poland as well because that’s where my family’s from. We have candles and soaps and bath bombs and Mother’s Day gifts and small art pieces, jewelry, bookmarks, tea infusers…”

It’s an idea that allows Blichar to encourage older kids to think beyond the art process to have a purpose for creation as well. 

“We try to teach the kids at the same time too:  you can sell your stuff as well and learn what entrepreneurship is through making artwork. Art is not just something that you make and then throw it in the recycling after. We try to make meaningful projects and really connect them to life and skills. 

“Some of the kids we’ve had have gotten really good at what they love and realized they can put it up for sale. They get all excited about their own money.” 

MAB has other practical purposes. With adult programs, pro-day camps, birthday parties and even movie night options, said Blichar. She expects more than 500 kids to come through their summer camps this year. 

Where to find MAB

The original MAB location is on Lonsdale at West Kings Road. The new Lynn Valley studio and gallery is on the second floor of Lynn Valley Centre in the former Curves space. It can be accessed via the east entrance near Conifer St. 

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

More than 10 years after their last performances at Argyle’s Buchanan Theatre, local actors Sam Fraser and Garth Phillips are taking to the stage again in a new production showcasing the diversity and community of theatre. 

The joy of theatre

Two local actors are hitting the stage this month in a new production called Sigma Acapella. They are part of a thriving local theatre scene that spans from Deep Cove to Hendry Hall to Granville Island and beyond. 

Garth Phillips

“If you want to participate in local theatre there is a place for you,” said Phillips. “If you go to Hendry Hall or to Deep Cove and talk with the productions going on there they will be thrilled to have you. You can volunteer your time, and use the opportunity to connect with other theatre people.”

Fraser agrees that local theatre is typically an open and welcoming environment. 

“I am someone who doesn’t get out much. I am on the autism spectrum and there is something so wonderfully freeing about going to a theatre environment where there is no judgment. Bias falls away and I can use the written script to express something, be different or try something new.”

Both actors use the word collaborative when describing the productions they are typically a part of. 

“I am a bit of a storyteller,” said Fraser, who has also published a number of written works. “Theatre is wonderfully collaborative – I love working with people to create a sort of escape for others.”

Sam Fraser

Phillips views it as an essential part of community.  

“Theatre is bringing pieces of life together and putting them together in a new and interesting pattern, bringing them together with other people. Theatre by definition is a community thing: a community makes it, a community comes and watches it and it’s those stories from the community. I think community is the heart of theatre.”

Both Fraser and Phillips are only part-time actors, having recently completed graduate studies and pursuing training and education in animation/gaming, respectively. Like most of their theatre colleagues, they are fitting in this production amongst life’s busyness – continuing a passion that started at Argyle. 

“Garth and I actually met at Argyle. We would be in the same productions,” said Fraser.  “I had to dip in and out of theatre while I was off getting various degrees but I would do it when I could.”

The current Rushed Production musical was a reminder for Phillips too that theatre is a passion he wants to prioritize. 

“I hadn’t done a production in the longest time and going forward, I know I want to do more,” he said. “I love this. I love that as we are making this, the cast is also making each other laugh. I love the process.”

Typically Phillips would have been behind the scenes and Fraser on stage but for Sigma Acapella they are both taking on stage roles.

A musical with heart

The two local actors will take to the stage on March 18 for the original musical Sigma Acapella  by Annahis Basmadjian. 

“Basically, there is a frat house on the edge of a university campus that is on the verge of being torn down to make way for some very fancy, expensive student housing. The unofficial leader learns of a loophole in the university bylaws that says any society of the arts or humanities is going to be saved, so they have to convince the administration that instead of a rundown frat house, they are a musical theatre group. They team up with an on-the-edge-of-university fringe musical theatre group – the Nobodies,” said Fraser.

The Nobodies are marginalized people for various reasons: disability, gender, sexuality, mental illness, he said. The two groups decide to stage their own musical. 

“Think of any 90’s movie where they are trying to save the rec centre from being torn down by the evil mayor – this is a version of that,” all wrapped up in a warm, witty musical, said Fraser. 

“It’s heartfelt and silly,” said Phillips. “I think it will particularly resonate with anyone who feels they are outside of regular society. There are a lot of themes people can relate to.”

It’s the script that spoke to Fraser and his lived experience of having autism.

“I think folks who have felt at casting calls – or elsewhere in life – who feel overlooked because of societal barriers will connect with this production.” 

The 20-person cast has been working for over two and half months to get to the stage. It’s been a tight timeline. 

“It’s frantic at this stage but it’s all coming together and we are surprised by what we are accomplishing each rehearsal,” said Phillips. “It all falls into place, everyone is putting their all in.”

Sigma Acapella is written and produced by Annahis Basmadjian and composed by Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza. Fraser says Badmadijan has a way of capturing and voicing marginalized characters with empathy and authenticity. 

“She is always very conscious of those differences and she is trying to push forward marginalized groups. She is honest and respectful,” said Fraser.

The cast and crew are excited about the performances.

“This has been a lovely time,” said Phillips. “It’s a great group of people coming together.”

Sigma Acapella can be seen at the Jack and Darlene Poole Theatre, Arts Umbrella, (1400 Johnston Street, Granville Island) | Opening: March 18, 2024, with dates March 18-March 29, 2024 | March 18-20 @ 7:00 PM, March 22-24 @ 7:00 PM, March 26-March 29 @7:00PM, doors opening at 6:30 pm. Tickets are available now for $30.

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

If you are walking by Argyle Secondary you might see a metal owl perched on the roof of a nearby home. At the same time, you might hear the screech of a metal grinder or the roar of an acetylene torch but maybe not because those could be drowned out by the sounds of rock music pumping out of Mark Mentiply’s metalwork studio.

From fishing to movies to art

Swimming throughout the North Shore are a number of art installations featuring the work of Lynn Valley’s Mark Mentiply – check one out in the park at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art. He has become quite well known for his metal salmon swimming through stone creek beds. It’s a concept honouring one of Mentiply’s passions and history.

“I started my work life as a commercial fisherman,” he said. “What a way to see the world, I thought.” 

While his respect for salmon continues, it wasn’t long before Mentiply was looking for other options. 

“The movie industry was starting to explode and I wanted to get into special effects,” he said. 

He started spending time in some special effects workshops.

“The guys suggested I get my welding ticket,” said Mentiply. “I liked the idea. I went back to school and would come to the shop they would let me pactise on the scraps.”

Stepping away from his work table, Mentiply found a rough tea light holder on a cluttered countertop. It was one of the first pieces of art he ever created.

“The art came from practising my welding skills. It helped me hone my skills to get my welding ticket. I started making these really cool things – that impressed the guys.“

He demonstrates the candleholder showing how it is designed to cast shadows in the flickering light – an impactful concept. Mentiply fell in love with using heat to shape metal into art.

Whimsy

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

This March local painter Marisa Mary Myrah will be revealing the forgotten spaces of one of Lynn Valley’s most contentious pieces of land.  

From greenspace to gallery

Living in a rainforest is a constant source of inspiration for local landscape artist Marisa Mary Myrah. Day to day she walks the streets of Lynn Valley bombarded by visual opportunities. For years the idea of documenting the disappearing suburban wildlands has been percolating. The results will be on display in an upcoming show at VisualSpace Gallery in Vancouver from March 2 – 18th. 

“It has been on my mind since before the pandemic,” said Myrah. “I would go away to be inspired but there is a rainforest right behind me. My work is more microscopic – looking into something. Paying attention to something that is overlooked. There is always something interesting to see no matter where you look.”

Myrah is particularly captivated by the lands between the streets of Laura Lynn and Wellington Drive – the land at one time earmarked for Donovan Park. In the early days of Lynn Valley, it was part of a larger piece estate housing stables and tourist cabins. 

“When they dismantled the cabins there were foundations and things left,” she said. “So, it’s still frozen in time and it’s been left to grow. There is something interesting about letting nature take over.”  

The land was bequeathed to the District of North Vancouver for a park but the estate fought that decision returning it to the family. The 1.14-hectare lot was then proposed to build 13 homes which council rejected and a reduction to nine homes was discussed followed by the land being sold to a developer. It is currently zoned for one single-family home and has been left for nature to rewild the area.

“[The original owners] domesticated the area – there are old remnants of domesticated plants amongst the native plants. There are signs that something was there like a giant forsythia next to some old stairs. When they build they are pretty much going to clearcut it.”

The looming spectre of development lent a feeling of urgency to create the series “On the Edge of Where I Live.”  Despite the pandemic’s increased demands on working parents, Myrah felt what little time she had should be used to explore her ideas. 

“It was like this idea was fermenting, then ‘Of course!’ No one can go anywhere and this is beside me. It’s interesting how things play out. I am appreciating it in a different way. There is so much subject matter here. It’s fascinating when you stop and is all overgrown – like my painting Grand Embankment. There is a mass of berries covering a ridge and the bears come through and feast.”

On her doorstep

Myrah’s relationship with Lynn Valley is deep. It’s her chosen place to live, work and play. Her days are spent traversing the hills – up to 15 km a day – as a postal worker – time she uses to explore all the changes facing Lynn Valley from shifting seasons and weather to development. In her downtime, she is riding both her road and mountain bikes up and down local mountains. 

“There is a rainforest right behind me that I am lucky to have. There is great subject matter that I can draw from right at my backdoor,” she said. “I am a representational artist. I make a quick sketch [at the original location] and as I start blocking in, the painting takes over as I work from memory and intuition. 

“I love riding alone in the forest – I stop and take so many photographs,” said Myrah. “Maybe that will be another series to paint based on where I like to ride. I love riding through other forests. I love Squamish and the Sunshine Coast.”

With the upcoming series debut, Myrah says it feels like her painting is coming full circle while still evolving and growing like the forests currently capturing her interest. 

“When I was younger I loved still life. There is so much symbolism, there is always a narrative and they can be quite moody,” she said. “This show is also so moody. While I have always done landscapes, this is a new branch of work.”

Myrah’s work can be found on her website (the new series coming soon) and her show “On The Edge of Where I Live” runs from March 2-18 with an opening reception at VisualSpace Gallery on March. 4. 

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

There is a fanciful garden blooming upstairs at the Lynn Valley Branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library. Fabric artist Kirsten Chursinoff’s exhibit Garden Escape is now on until Dec. 6, 2022.

From craft to art

The fabric and thread creations are a colourful burst of energy in the display space. At first glance, they appear to be traditional works of drawing or painting but a closer look reveals the intricate stitches and layers of textiles. 

“It is like painting with thread and fabric,” she said. “People think of fabric as being for useful things, like tablecloths, bed coverings, clothing. Seeing textiles on the wall in the same sort of format as paintings can put them in that ‘art’ category more than the ‘craft’ – which are more useful artifacts. It’s a very tactile hands-on material but it’s displayed in a more artful way.”

The intricate pieces combine a variety of techniques. 

“I use quilting techniques but the pieces are smaller than a quilt. There is a lot of detailed embroidery. Some of it is done using a sewing machine but a lot is done by hand, pulling the thread through the cloth. The machine work goes a lot faster, it’s great for piecing together the background. And the handwork is much slower and I can be more intentional with the flowers or leaf shapes adding details.”

 Being a working mom with a creative space filled with both stacks of fabric and bins of Lego, the option to work fast or slow has been an important part of creating her pieces. 

“I think they work well together. I am also a mother of two children so life can get busy. It’s nice to be able to go back and forth between techniques according to what is happening in my life.” 

Garden Escape

This month’s exhibit was very much influenced by what was happening in Chursinoff’s life. 

“Most of the pieces in this exhibit were completed during the pandemic, I was searching for beauty in a time of uncertainty and staying close to home,” she said. “I have always been drawn to flowers and nature. I have been drawn to botanical gardens. I only have a small balcony garden myself, so I am jealous of larger spaces to grow flowers – it’s an endless resource of inspiration. There are so many possibilities.”

As an artist, Chursinoff enjoys the challenge of capturing movement in a ‘slow’ art form.

“There is tension between using a technique that takes a long time and capturing a moment in nature. I am trying to capture something, more of a feeling,” she said. “There is a lot of movement in flowers in leaves, as the wind goes by or a bird flits past. It’s trying to capture those moments of motion or whimsy working in a technique that takes a long time to do. 

“There are real and imagined flowers and I want to capture the spontaneity of a garden or a flower growing out of place or weeds growing at the side of the road. Those moments of beauty you sort of stumble upon when you aren’t expecting it – like when you are walking kids to school or when mushrooms pop up in the fall. It’s those moments of surprise out in nature.” 

She hopes the use of thread and fabric in unexpected ways delights observers. 

“I like the moments of surprise when they see it is not actually paint or traditional ‘art’ materials. They see it’s fabric and come a little closer to see how it’s made and figure out what is going on in there. They look at the techniques and how it’s made. The ‘That wasn’t what I expected it to be!’ and they lean in to figure out and try to solve a mystery.” 

Adding how she is pleased to be at the NVDPL this month. 

“I enjoy exhibiting at libraries because in a way it is more accessible,” said Chursinoff. “Not everyone would go to an art gallery but there is a broader representation of the community that would go to the library. Sometimes they just stumble on it and get to have that art gallery experience in a place they feel comfortable.” 

Garden Escape is on at the Lynn Valley branch of the NVDPL until Dec. 6. 

Images courtesy of Kirsten Chursinoff.

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.