A goodbye to Tom Robinson The end of a B.C. legend By Matthew Visser hile flipping from page to page in the Sunday’s Province | came across “And so, a strong voice is silenced,” it was a story on the life of Tom Robinson. If you haven’t heard the name Tom Robinson, have no idea of who he was or what he contributed to our national culture, one only has to look to modern televised on-camera news, and thank him. Robinson was the first on-camera anchor for CBC News back in 1953. Robinson’s life can be summed up in one word: exceptional. Within his resume alone, which would impress nearly anyone, readers would find that he’s won a number of noteworthy awards: his name was inscribed in Vancouver’s Civic Book of Merit in 1993, he was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Award in 2002, designed the medals for Vancouver’s 75 Anniversary Committee and was declared “The Guy With the Voice” for being the emcee for when the city turned the sod for the Vanier Park Museum back in 1967. While the list goes on and on, regardless of these achievements, it’s safe to say that Robinson has had an immense impact on how Vancouver was shaped into becoming one of the world’s best and most beautiful cities to visit and live in. Even in his downtime, Robinson was a guy who was never one to be caught standing still, or without his cup full of wine or malt whisky; the former of which he loved so much “he had an affair with it,” said his daughter Sal. Making up to ten gallons of wine at a time, he came to be part of the Vancouver Amateur Winemakers Assoc. and eventually founded the B.C. Amateur Wine Growers Assoc. But local winemakers (and wine drinkers) are only an example taken from a list of many who have a lot to be thankful for in the contributions of Robinson. on July 3, 1919 and died December 27,2010. He will be remembered as not only a “Guy With a Voice” but as a man who had the capacity to make the city of Vancouver an exceptional place, through the hard work of an exceptional individual. Thomas J. Robinson was born Bid Thomas J. Robinson Brush with greatness An interview with artist Glenda Leznoff By Angela Espinoza, Arts Reviewer etween consistently being asked B for feedback and watching us text, we often forget our professors probably have better things to do. Many are in musical ensembles, most seem to write a book or two at some point, but in the case of Glenda Leznoff, some are artists. Glenda, who teaches creative writing here at Douglas College, currently has her work on display in the Amelia Douglas Gallery. Taking time out of her schedule to talk to The Other Press, Glenda discussed her works, the creative process, and life in general. Angela Espinoza: Has painting always been a strong passion of yours? Glenda Leznoff: Absolutely, I’ve been painting since I was really little; I just gravitate towards it. I painted intensely around high school and went to Banff School of Fine Arts. I left it a little bit when I shifted my focus towards writing, but I’ve come back to it later in life. AE: How long does the average piece take you to complete? GL: There is no average. Some pieces come as a gift and they’re very fast; “Storm of Sea” was at the end of the day. I just whipped paint around and things emerged; it was done really quickly. Other pieces take a really long time, days of work, and I keep returning to them. Sometimes I get to the stage where I hate what I’m doing and I paint completely over it with something else, and sometimes I'll return to a piece much later. AE: Do you feel more of a surge painting a series like “Winter Quartet” or individual pieces? GL: Every once in a while I feel like I’m on a role and I want to continue with it. Sometimes there’s an idea that you want to try out in different ways, or you have a little obsession. Other times I just walk into the studio and I want to leave what I was doing far behind and start playing again. AE: With these obsessions, do you ever find yourself having consistent themes in your work? GL: Yes, like the “Flight” series; I was really going on that one for quite a while, Then sometimes you do things in a series that don’t work because you’re sort of forcing it and then it’s just time to quit. AE: Do you have any upcoming projects that you’re working on? GL: Yes, I’m part of a group called ‘Artists in our Midst’ (AIOM), and we have a small group show coming up. Last year we had an opening at The Roundhouse [Community Arts and Recreation Centre], and we’re doing that again this year. It’s in Vancouver, usually the last week of April, and people have the opportunity to visit the studios or homes of the artists. In the meantime, though, the Scotiabank in Point Gray is sponsoring a mini-preview of AIOM on February 10. AE: When do you find the time for all this? GL: I don’t know; I have no social life I think [laughs]. Teaching, writing, and painting take up most of my life. It’s [fun], although writing and painting are both pretty solitary occupations. Teaching certainly isn’t—although marking is [laughs]. It’s a good thing I have family and friends to keep me in balance. AE: Which of the three do you prefer: teaching, writing, or painting? GL: They’re all very different; I really think I need the balance. Writing is both work and, you know, what I do. I’d really like to have more time for painting, but the job comes first. Painting is a bit more intuitive; when I walk into a studio I haven’t necessarily planned what I’m going to do, so I really appreciate the spontaneity. With writing, you’re bringing in editing and a very critical element, as well as creativity. As for teaching, I’ve taught for a long time and I still enjoy meeting people coming through the classrooms, seeing what ideas happen and how classes come together, so it’s all good. The exhibit, Winter Remix, also featuring works by Suzanne Starr, runs until February 18.