@ www theotherpress.ca Arts Summer in the city of Vancouver: May edition By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor hile the storm clouds remain persistent, they’ve failed to slow the summer season down. May has come and gone, so let’s keep the ball rolling on taking some much needed rest and relaxation in Vancouver this June! Bard on the Beach (May 31-September 22) (www. bardonthebeach.org) It’s time again for some merry olde entertainment from Vancouver’s favourite Shakespeare festival, Bard on the Beach. This year’s season features performances of The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, King John, and a number of special events lined up throughout the summer. As the shows are performed seven days a week, ticket prices fluctuate based on the time and day of the performance and whether you’re qualified as “youth” (ages 6-25). Get a taste of some culture and be sure to check out one of these wonderful performances—take your time, they’re here all summer long! Music Waste (June 7-10) (www. musicwaste20)12.sched.org) Ah, Music Waste, one of the more unique annual events in Vancouver. For one long weekend, local bands, comedians, and artists will be displaying their works throughout the city for our viewing pleasure. Music Waste offers these local talents opportunities to showcase themselves (largely non-profit) in a way that offers to give back to the community through great music, tons of laughs, and even some food for thought. The schedule is packed with shows and events (some sneaking into the early hours of the morn), so be sure to check it out (link above)—I guarantee there will be something for everyone. - VY rr SF DAC REEESTIV Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival (June 15-17) (www. dragonboatbc.ca/ home) Free to the public, the yearly Dragon Boat Festival offers three days of viewing intense, waterside sporting events. Teams compete by racing across False Creek, where the surrounding areas will also feature activities such as music, shopping, and a beer garden! Enjoy the opening ceremony on June 15, or wait until the weekend and jump straight into the action from there. Car Free Vancouver Day (June 17) (www.carfreevancouver.org) What better way to support a greener Vancouver than having fun with your friends and neighbours this June? Car Free Vancouver Day is entering its seventh year in attempting to build a healthier community (from Commercial Drive to Main Street to Kitsilano) by encouraging participants to get around whichever way they feel like—bicycle, roller blades, hand stands, any way but by car! Block parties will be held in Kitsilano throughout the whole weekend in support of the event, so be sure to check it out and, most importantly, enjoy yourselves! Vancouver International Jazz Festival (June 22-July 1) (www. coastaljazz.ca) The Vancouver International Jazz Festival returns with a fantastic lineup of jazz artists heading in from all over. This year’s festival features amazing musicians ranging from 10-time Grammy award winner George Benson (June 23) to Canadian turntablist Kid Koala (who will be bringing his album/ graphic novel Space Cadet to animated life at his June 27 show) to the young, lively, and lovely Janelle Monde (June 29). In what are sure to be a number of wildly entertaining performances, this year’s Vancouver International Jazz Festival is sure to be one hell of a good time. Peace and tranquility ‘Life is Beautiful’ is now on display at the Amelia Douglas Gallery Life Is Beautiful Paintings by Tianxing Li and Yuen Yip May 31-July 6 Opening reception: Thursday, May 31, 4:30-7:30pm iy By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor ust in time for the summer, the Amelia Douglas Gallery proudly brings us the works of rtist couple Tianxing Li and Yuen Yip in their brand new exhibit, Life is Beautiful. From landscapes to portraits to samples of nature, Li and Yip’s individual pieces come together to create one of the most whatever troubles may be stirring, somewhere there is a field of poppies blooming or a golden meadow swaying—somewhere there is a calming peace. At the opening reception on May 31, I was able to get some insight from the artists themselves. “Always be happy,” Li tells us, as, to paraphrase, optimism is often the only thing that can move “Much of Life is Beautiful, as Li coined, is simply about finding the beauty in life.’ visually soothing exhibits to be placed on display. While the couple’s styles differ—Li’s are clear on instant and Yip’s are best seen from afar—the subjects of their work eloquently fit together, with the two even collaborating critically on some of each other’s pieces, creating an even deeper connection. Sights from the sweet face of a puppy to breathtaking scenery have been transformed into oil and watercolour masterpieces courtesy of these two artists, and it is their bright outlook on life that shines through most of all in this exhibit. As soon as one enters the gallery, they will find themselves surrounded by colour and nature. All that is missing from the scene is a gentle street-side tune and a café in the centre. This is the kind of exhibit one must take in a piece at a time—experienced, rather than viewed. There is hope lined in the artwork that us forward when we feel life is at a standstill. Much of Life is Beautiful, as Li coined, is simply about finding the beauty in life. Yip delved in further by adding her own experiences to the meaning behind Life is Beautiful: “T had just graduated high school, and I really wanted to be an artist, but at that time I didn’t have the chance to [get further education]. But I kept doing my paintings, and learning from some of my friends.” Despite the fact that Yip could not continue her studies, she followed her dreams—to shoot herself down would, like any of us, have only kept her from expressing her amazing talents. “Enjoy life, enjoy work, that’s me and my husband’s [perspective].” This uplifting exhibit will be in the Amelia Douglas Gallery at the New Westminster campus from now until July 6.