Coquitlam arts and artisans
If you love visual arts, performing arts or producing art yourself, the Artisan Fair in Coquitlam should be your destination on Canada Day
Every summer the City of Coquitlam puts on a wonderful Canada Day celebration on the shores of Lafarge Lake, complete with music, visual art, performing arts, fabulous food and fireworks. It is expected that up to 30,000 people will attend the site this year.
The Artisan Fair component of the day is overseen by the Evergreen Cultural Centre (ECC), and organizers are now accepting applications from B.C. artists or artisans who would like to showcase their work to a huge audience. The deadline for applications is May 3.
Summer 2013 events at Evergreen
The ECC also offers two popular summer presentations, Music on the Grill and Opera on the Lake. Music on the Grill is an evening that begins with dinner and progresses to musical entertainment, and Opera on the Lake offers opera and dessert.
This year, Music on the Grill will present Diane Lines on July 6, in a performance called Jump, a celebration of swing, boogie and jump blues. On July 20, the Shari Ulrich Trio will perform. In late August, the Dragon Diva Operatic Society will present Candide, written by Leonard Bernstein, at Opera on the Lake.
The ECC offers summer camps for children; these include the popular Kids on Stage camp, which combines visual and performing arts. In the ECC gallery from July 20 to August 31, the work of Michael Abraham will be exhibited. Ongoing exhibits of art may be enjoyed in the gallery year round.
Art for fun and education at Place des Arts
For a token fee of $5, you might consider attending a Salon Speaker Series presentation at Place des Arts (PdA) in Coquitlam. On April 18, Vancouver author Carmen Aguirre will be the featured speaker. Her book, Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter, won CBC Radio’s Canada Reads 2012 competition. On May 30, Dale Barltrop, concertmaster for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, will be the guest speaker. Also this spring, on April 13, PdA will present a faculty concert tribute to the music of the Rat Pack era; tickets are just $15.
Encouraging involvement in the arts from an early age, Place des Arts offers art camps for children and youth all summer long.
