This Monday, March 4, we team up once again with the Carnegie Community Centre to present a very special Drag Bingo, hosted by Continental Breakfast and Jas Minh! Monday night bingo is a much-loved highlight of the Carnegie Centre’s many activities and we’re thrilled to bring the Queer Joy for this event.
Presented in partnership with Queer Arts Festival + SUM gallery
As our community navigates a world of unprecedented environmental and political upheaval – all transpiring against the backdrop of a lingering pandemic –Transmedia Fibres-rooted artist and Indigo Griot Valérie d. Walker has responded by transforming SUM gallery into a sanctuary of Queer Joy: a place where “Queer reality is infused with self love and the power of environmental transformation.” Walker, whose work is shaped and informed by her African Diasporic, Scottish, Japanese, and Indigenous Hawaiian heritage, has envisioned A Generosity of Abundance as an immersive exploration of the restorative power of Water. Finding inspiration in the metaphysical transformations caused by traversing a Labyrinth, Walker’s large-scale indigo-dyed fibre pieces invite the viewer to explore and flow along an uninterrupted sensorial path towards meditative and therapeutic relief, much like water’s uncanny ability to seek out a path of least resistance; while fibre-art sculpture/installations create interior “indigo refuges”.
In keeping with the spirit of Queer, joyous transformation, on March 16 the exhibition expands to include the work of Vancouver artist Jack Page, whose practice encompasses illustration, altered book art, papermaking, printmaking, photography, musical performance art, and Dis/Ability, Mad/Neurodiverse and 2SLGBTQIA+ community-based projects. His multimedia triptych, Flowers for MeToo, speaks to how all genders experience gender violence, especially trans and nonbinary people, using gold leaf to mark the healing body as divine and flowers as a form of healing and transforming trauma. Like Walker, who is well known for her enviro-conscious dye work, Page’s material art practice focuses on minimizing waste by incorporating used, natural, and foraged materials, and upcycling waste products, such as paper and medical waste.
Running from February 22 to April 5, A Generosity of Abundance spans two key events in the QTBIPOC calendar: Black History Month (February) and International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31). To this end, the exhibition is punctuated by an opening reception on Thursday, February 22, from 6 – 8pm and a musical performance piece by Jack Page and guitarist Theo Blue on Saturday, March 16 at 2pm.
Join us at SUM gallery on Saturday, March 9 at 2pm for Black Every Day of the Year: a special discussion panel featuring A Generosity of Abundance artists Valérie d. Walker, Addena Sumter-Freitag, and April Sumter-Freitag. As seventh- and eighth-generation Black Canadians, Addena and April Sumter-Freitag hold a special place in Canadian Queer Black art and history; with Walker, they will imagine, joyously laugh, celebrate Historical Black Strathcona, and create Afro-Futuristic visions that extend well beyond Black History Month. The afternoon includes a special screening of April Sumter-Freitag’s short film, Out, Black + Proud in BC, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Join us at SUM gallery on March 16 for a special musical performance by Jack Page and Theo Blue, marking the expansion of our exhibition, A Generosity of Abundance.
As we transition from Black History Month to International Transgender Day of Visibility, our duo exhibition featuring the work of Valérie d. Walker and Jack Page expands to include Page’s beautiful triptych, Flowers for MeToo. We celebrate the arrival of Jack’s work with an in-gallery performance of the song Flowers for MeToo, composed and performed by Jack, with his musical collaborator Theo Blue.
Be among the first to experience the final manifestation of our exhibition and hear this intensely personal performance by Page and Blue.
Join us at the Bird House on February 9th, 10pm-2am, for a special King Sized to celebrate SKIM’s 30th Birthday. This show will feature the biggest cast yet, with a majority of Black performers in honour of Black History Month. King Sized will be hosted by @mx.bukuru and @velvetryderdrag; with performers @levi.thrust, @kingkundo_ , guest DJ @softieshan and the birthday King himself, @skimisking. And as it’s an extra special birthday celebration there will be two token Drag Queens….who can they be?
We are excited to be partnering with SKIM once again and wish him a very happy birthday! LONG LIVE KING SIZED! @longlivekingsized
Get tickets today!
Multimedia artist Preston Buffalo joins us at SUM gallery for a four-week artist residency (Jan 9 – Feb 2). During this time Buffalo will develop a number of projects in advance of his solo exhibition in April, including site-specific AR, analogue photography, 3D photography, and projections.
In June 2023 we featured Preston’s stunning AR work, Cosmic Connections: Queer Indigenous Astronomy (A View From Above and Below), at QAF’s Queers In Space, in partnership with Little Chamber Music. Following this, Buffalo participated in Mmaandaawaabi (see a wondrous sight) at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, an exhibition that showcased Indigenous artists whose digital practice reflects upon and engages with Indigenous worldviews and epistemologies through new media and AR technology.
To cap off Preston’s residency, we’re pleased to announce an Open House on February 3 and an Introduction to Augmented Reality Workshop on February 10. Read on for more details!
Preston Buffalo, a Two-Spirited Cree artist originally from Treaty 6 Territory, currently resides in the unceded Coast Salish Territories of British Columbia. His interdisciplinary practice involves the exploration of personal Indigenous iconography and symbolism, utilizing photography, alternative photo processes, and digital illustration. Motivated by the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, Preston’s work touches upon themes such as mental health, cultural and linguistic loss due to displacement, the impact of the residential school system, and the process of assimilation. His overall objective is to create visual expressions that encourage new perspectives on Indigenous art, emphasizing its significance in contemporary society and its contribution to an ongoing dialogue.
Join us at SUM gallery on Saturday, February 3rd, from 2pm-4pm, as we celebrate Preston Buffalo’s residency with an Artist-in-Residence Open House. This will be a unique opportunity to meet Preston, experience his most recent work with 3D photography and Augmented Reality, and get an exclusive look at some of the work that will inform his solo exhibition at SUM gallery in April, Go Home Yuppie Scum.
Augmented Reality stands as the contemporary evolution of stereoscopic and 3D photography, seamlessly merging the digital and physical realms… AR transcends the visual depth limitations of its predecessors, creating immersive, interactive, and contextually rich experiences. This transformative technology not only enhances our perception of reality but reshapes the way we interact with and interpret the world around us. – Preston Buffalo
Saturday, Feb 3
2 – 4pm
Location: SUM gallery (4th floor, 268 Keefer St.)
This event is free to attend and does not require registration.
We are pleased to offer an Augmented Reality Workshop led by SUM gallery artist-in-residence, Preston Buffalo, on Saturday, February 10th, from 12pm-4pm. Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content, often via a phone camera.
For this four-hour introductory workshop, you will only need your smartphone and your imagination as Preston explains how to create a dynamic AR experience, whether it’s showcasing digital artwork in a virtual gallery, providing information about a real-world object, or telling a short story through a sequence of interactive elements.
Enrolment is limited to eight participants to ensure individual attention. The session will include an overview of AR and an introduction to Adobe Aero; a hands-on session that includes adding basic AR elements, importing images, and creating projects; an opportunity to present final projects; and a concluding Q&A.
Saturday, Feb 10
Noon – 4pm (breaks included)
Location: SUM gallery (4th floor, 268 Keefer St.)
Workshop Participation Fee: $11.98
Queer Arts Festival + SUM gallery & Carnegie Community Centre present
QUEERING THE AIR
with Bruno Hubert, piano & James Meger, bass
Thu, Jan 18 | 7pm @ Carnegie Community Centre (Theatre)
401 Main St., Vancouver
Free admission
Join us at the Carnegie Centre for a special performance by jazz virtuosos Bruno Hubert, piano, and bassist James Meger! Lauded for his “swinging, sparkling” artistry, Bruno Hubert has been a quintessential fixture of the Vancouver jazz scene for over twenty years, having collaborated with musical luminaries Denzal Sinclaire and Norah Jones, among many others. James Meger is one of the country’s most respected bassists, working primarily in the fields of jazz, free improvisation and rock music, in addition to fronting his own band, The James Meger Trio. This is sure to be an evening at the Carnegie Community Centre you won’t want to miss!
Bruno Hubert is one of Canada’s most lyrical and expressive Jazz pianists, with a deep sense of swing, lush harmonies, and beguiling melodic lines. His conception, while highly original and utterly genuine, is evocative of, at once, Erroll Garner, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and other luminaries of jazz. While he is careful to stress that he is not a composer, he nevertheless presents a cornucopia of medley-like arrangements of jazz standards, soul, rock and pop influenced pieces, often in a lively night club environment.
Mr. Hubert has been quietly underpinning the Vancouver jazz scene for over twenty years now and while he has a number of recordings under his own name, he is also a key associate of other top jazz musicians such as Juno Award winner Brad Turner (Trumpet), Juno nominated vocalists Jaclyn Guillou and Denzal Sinclaire, Seamus Blake and others. Earlier in his career he collaborated with such musical luminaries as Gino Vannelli, and Nora Jones.
James Meger is an active Vancouver bassist and composer working primarily in the fields of jazz, free improvisation and rock music. He has worked with many local and international players such as Wayne Horvitz, Lori Freedman, Ig Henneman and Kris Davis and plays in many ensembles such as Ron Samworth’s Dogs Do Dream, Peggy Lee’s Echo Painting, Sick Boss, The Alicia Hansen band, The Bruno Hubert Trio, Ten Thousand Wolves, The Now Orchestra, Cow Trance and many more.
Queer Arts Festival + SUM gallery & Carnegie Community Centre present
QUEERING THE AIR
with Sarah Jo Kirsch, soprano & Indra Egan, piano
Thu, Nov 23 | 7pm @ Carnegie Community Centre (Theatre)
401 Main St., Vancouver
Free admission
As the sun’s path shortens, SJ and Indra offer songs to bridge the end of summer to winter and to reflect on our relationship to our landscape and all the life therein.
Featuring works for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten, Aaron Copland, Jocelyn Morlock, Tobias Picker, Leslie Uyeda, and more!
An accomplished interpreter of western art music, Sarah Jo Kirsch (they/she) has performed across Canada, in Europe and West Asia as a soloist and collaborator. They have been hailed as “…one of the finest contemporary dramatic vocalists in Canada today,” (Calgary Herald) “…with the ability to get under the skin of everything she sings,” (Winnipeg Free Press).
Beyond opera and oratorio, Sarah curates and produces sociopolitically relevant art song experiences of works from the last three centuries. An avid and capable interpreter of new music, they have premiered more than 30 new works for voice by Canadian composers.
Praised for her expressivity and “impressive command of the keyboard” (Prince George Citizen), Vancouver-based pianist and vocal coach Indra Egan is thrilled to be a Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist with Vancouver Opera for their 2023/24 season. Indra holds a M. Mus. in Collaborative Piano from the University of Toronto, where she studied with Steven Philcox and won the Gwendolyn Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying. Originally from Northern BC, Indra received her B. Mus. in Piano Performance at the University of Manitoba as a student of David Moroz and Laura Loewen, followed by post-bacc studies in jazz piano with Will Bonness. She has performed in masterclasses with Elly Ameling, Jean Barr, Margo Garrett, Susan Graham, Liz Upchurch, and others. Additional mentors include Tracy Dahl, Rosemary Thomson, Nathalie Paulin, Kathryn Tremills, and Wendy Nielsen.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2023
THE ROUNDHOUSE | 181 ROUNDHOUSE MEWS (Pacific & Davie) | Google map
Doors at 7:00PM | Concert starts at 7:30PM
featuring:
Music on Main All-Star Band
Karen Gerbrecht, co-music director, violin;
Vern Griffiths, co-music director, percussion;
Aram Bajakian, guitar; Paolo Bortolussi, flute; Julia Chien, percussion; Dailin Hsieh, zheng; Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, piano; Zubin Kanga, piano; Cindy Kao, violin; Saina Khaledi, santour; Colin MacDonald, saxophone; Lisa Cay Miller, piano; Julia Ulehla, vocals
Vancouver Youth Choir
Carrie Tennant, artistic director
TICKETS
Sliding scale / Pay-What-You-Will | $19-$72
“What I am trying to achieve is to be what I am to the fullest. Black to the fullest, a musician to the fullest, a homosexual to the fullest.”
JULIUS EASTMAN
There’s a Julius Eastman renaissance happening and you’re invited.
Writing music in New York City’s burgeoning downtown scene in the 1970s and ‘80s, Julius Eastman was a young, black, gay man who criss-crossed musical worlds and provocatively “swerved from critical acclaim to gate-crashing controversy.” (NPR)
Eastman’s music mixes the evergreen politics of his time with bold grooves and enthralling melodies that sound equally fresh. Think Minimalism (like the music of Philip Glass and Steve Reich) combined with joyful improvisation and moments of surprising stillness.
Don’t miss it when the Music on Main All-Star Band and the Vancouver Youth Choir breathe life into “music that commands attention: wild, grand, delirious, demonic.” (The New Yorker)
Presented by Music on Main and SUM gallery / the Queer Arts Festival.
The Vancouver Youth Choir at the Modulus Festival is generously sponsored by David Cousins.
Oct 26, 2023 | 7 – 9pm
SUM gallery (#425 – 268 Keefer St.)
Admission: PWYC with a suggested donation of $20
Come shake your groove fang with the Queer Arts fam! QAF + SUM gallery is hosting a Halloween fundraiser party Thursday, Oct 26, complete with drinks, music, dancing and even a costume contest. Come dressed in your spooky, campy & Queer attire (if you please) and you might just walk away with the title of Best-Dressed!
This fundraising event is Pay-What-You-Choose with a suggested donation of $20. We are a registered non-profit organization that relies on the generous support of donors and funders to continue to program our queer arts events. Join us for a ghoulishly good time, while supporting your favourite queer arts org with an amount you feel is appropriate!
Plus: Entry comes with one free drink ticket!
Sept 10 & Sept 17, 2023
*PLEASE NOTE that this workshop series is now SOLD OUT.
The Vocal Queeries workshop series is open to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, identities, and orientations who want to explore the expansive spectrum of vocal expression and the unique beauty of their own voices in a safe and inclusive space for exploration and growth.
Whether you’re a vocalist, actor, performance artist, public speaker, or just someone eager to get to know their voice, this series offers a wholistic and intersectional journey into grounded vocalization through collaborative discussion and practice.
IN 4 INTERACTIVE SESSIONS
1. VOCAL QUEERS
Dive into queer sonic philosophy and practice through the work of Pauline Oliveros, Gabriel Dharmoo, Meredith Monk, and more!
2. FUNDAMENTALS OF PHONATION
Explore the miraculous mechanics of vocal production and gain a deeper understanding of how the body functions as an instrument.
3. FULL SPECTRUM RESONANCE
Learn to harness breath momentum, open and balance resonators, and align articulators to ring with ease and flexibility.
4. PRACTICE & PROCESS
Develop a wholistically conscious practice to help build an authentic and reciprocal relationship with your voice and your self.
+ CODA
Each 75-minute session is followed by a 15-minute collaborative reflection and intention-setting.
SESSION SCHEDULE:
Sun, Sept 10:
session 1: 1:00 – 2:30pm
Sun, Sept 17:
session 3: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
session 4: 3:00 – 4:30 pm
We recommend you register to attend all four sessions as these workshops are designed as a four-part series, however, you may also register for a single session. All sessions must be registered for individually.
SUGGESTED DONATION:
$200 if you plan to register for the FULL SERIES (use the Pay-What-You-Wish admission option to enter $50 per session)
or
$60 per session
Embracing the Pay-What-You-Wish admission option allows you to pay what you can afford. We encourage those who can contribute more than the suggested rate to do so. It enables aspiring singers more challenged by the cost of living to engage in this transformative experience. Your contribution can make a difference in someone else’s journey and help keep these workshops genuinely inclusive.
Sarah Jo Kirsch is a vocalist steeped in Western European song traditions. They have premiered dozens of new works by Canadian composers, they create their own sound-and text-based electroacoustic works, and they share knowledge about wholistic vocalization and the evolution of organized sound. sarahjokirsch.com
Mythology offers us valuable life lessons by illuminating our own human behaviour. In Vancouver-based artist Rojina Farrokhnejad’s solo exhibition entitled Gods and Monsters, Farrokhnejad uses mythological figures like Gods, centaurs, mediators, angels, and demons to explore transcendent and timeless human conditions, familial relationships and emotions, like love and lust, envy and rage, rejection and loss, violence and death.
Myth demands to be transplanted into the present, reinterpreted according to present-day ideas or anxieties. Myths should be thought of as constantly-moving turnstiles. To retell is to metamorphose. Meaning is never fixed, but ever fluid — as likely to be arrested as the reflection in water that entranced Narcissus.
A painter, sculptor, and filmmaker, Farrokhnejad’s multidisciplinary exhibit uses figurative art to explore themes of queer sensuality, religiosity, and isolation. Gods and Monsters employs elements of animation, acrylic and oil paintings, and clay and ceramic sculpture to blur the line between the representational and abstract; the grotesque and divine; mythological symbolism and religious devotion. In Gods and Monsters, Farrokhnejad takes on the role of mediator to initiate a non-verbal dialogue where audiences are able to interrogate their own stance: Are we all simply Gods and Monsters, one or the other, or neither?
ABOUT Rojina Farrokhnejad
Rojina Farrokhnejad (RJ) lives in Vancouver, BC. Originally from Iran, she came to the city in the early 2000s and quickly connected with the LGBT community and found like-minded people, now proudly calling Vancouver home. RJ is renowned for her evocative images of memories & metamorphosis, expressions of solitude, and moments of importance that connect with the audience’s experiences. She uses myth to explore the darker side of human nature and as allegory to encrypt hidden meanings. A painter, sculptor and filmmaker, she works using multiple mediums and techniques like oil, acrylic and clay in layers through a variety of motion, colours, tones and textures, to help provide a sense of narrative. Her most recent works push the boundaries of representation, integrating abstraction within imaginative figurative compositions. Her works have been exhibited at grunt gallery, Gallery Gachet, and the Cultch.
