Film bio wins in Chicago

Lively City column by Dan Hilborn
Published Oct. 15, 2005


Burnaby documentary producer Medhi Ali of Fountain Productions has been honoured with a gold plaque from the 41st annual Chicago International Film Festival's Intercom competition for his documentary on local artist Toni Onley.

Landscape Revealed: The Art of Toni Onley was chosen as the best film in the Arts and Culture category at a gala awards ceremony on Oct. 9.

"I am very honoured," said Ali, who was a close personal friend of Onley, who died in a plane accident on the Fraser River on Leap Year Day 2004.

The film includes footage of Onley's notorious 1983 protest against Revenue Canada taxation laws for artists, which saw him begin to set fire to almost a million dollars' worth of his art at Wreck Beach. Onley was also an environmental activist and was among the first conservationists to campaign to save the old-growth forests of the Stein and Carmanah valleys.

Onley received the Order of Canada in 1990.

This is not the first time Ali has won a prestigious American award. Two years ago, his documentary Access Challenge won a Silver Hugo Award from the Chicago International Film Festival and received the TASH Image Award for advocating equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Landscape Revealed: The Art of Toni Onley was originally commissioned for the Bravo! Canada television network and will be rebroadcast on the Burnaby-based Knowledge Network, cable channel 5, at 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 and 10 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2.

VAGABONDS ON STAGE

A trio of actors from Burnaby will be on stage when the Vagabond Players present the hilarious Alan Ayckbourn comedy, How the Other Half Loves at New Westminster's Bernie Legge Theatre from Nov. 2 to 26.

Aaron Junior Turner, Lori Dulmage and Dwayne Campbell are among the three warring couples who battle their way through two dinner engagements while trying to cover up their infidelities, unfortunate blunders and utter confusion.

Campbell plays the dutiful Frank Foster, whose wife, played by Dulmage, has an eye for her philandering neighbour, played by Turner. As with most Ayckbourn plays, How the Other Half LOves offers many laughs, but also something to contemplate.

Directed by Chelsea McPeake and produced by Des Renard, the play also stars Ruth Brown, Shawn Sorenson, and Rebecca Walters.

How the Other Half Loves run four nights at week at 8 p.m. from Nov. 2 to 26. Tickets are $10 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or $12 weekends, with a two-for-one preview on Nov. 2 and 3. The Bernie Legge Theatre is in New Westminster's Queen's Park, and reservations can be made by calling 604 521-0412.

ELWOOD BOOK SIGNING

Elizabeth Elwood will host a reception and book signing for her newly released collection of short murder stories, To Catch An Actress, on opening night of the Vagabond Players' new season.

The reception will be held at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Bernie Legge Theatre.

To Catch An Actress features the story that was turned into the Vagabond Player's 2000 production of Casting for Murder, and features many hidden references to characters from Burnaby's artistic and political communities.

The book is published by iuniverse.com and can ordered from Black Bond Books, Chapters and the usual online book stores.

After the book launch, stick around the catch the Vagabond Player's opening night production of How the Other Half Loves (see above).

MASKED BALL COMING

Get into the Halloween spirit with the Visual Arts Masquerade coming to the Shadbolt Centre next weekend.

The masquerade ball on opening night offers a unique twist on the Burnaby Artist Guild's annual fall show and sale, and will feature local artist Roxsane Tiernan giving a demonstration on how to make your own mask.

Chris Tyrell, editor of the Opus newsletter and an instructor at both Emily Carr and Capilano College, will give a short talk on the visual arts in Burnaby during the opening night festivities.

The featured artist is Shirley Hargreaves, who will be on hand throughout the event, and easy listening music will be provided by Meld.

The public is invited to come and see the art demonstrations, or choose from a wide collection of works ranging from fridge magnets to greeting cards and large paintings.

The show and sale has free admission and runs all weekend, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23.

SHADBOLT ON THE BLOCK

Anyone with a few extra thousands of dollars lying around might want to take in the Arts Umbrella Splash fundraiser this weekend, when Jack Shadbolt's original 1991 work Daybreak Window will go on the auction block.

Originally commissioned for that year's Arts Umbrella auction, the work had been in a private collection for the past 14 years, before it was donated back to help continue raising money for the visual and performing arts institute for young people.

The painting, which represents a departure in both style and subject for Burnaby's most famous artist, is currently estimated to be worth about $25,000.

"Jack Shadbolt's contribution to the arts reached beyond his outstanding artwork; his phenomenal contribution to arts education drove him to mentor many young artists and led to his significant support of Arts Umbrella," said AU executive director Lucille Pacey. "It seems so fitting that this piece should come back to our organization."

Jack and Doris Shadbolt lived most of their adult lives on Capital Hill and two abstract murals that adorned the walls inside their Burnaby home were taken into the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection in 2003.

Tickets to the black tie Splash 2005 Luminescence Art Auction and gala evening are $175 apiece, and can be obtained from the Arts Umbrella website, or by calling 604-681-5268, ext. 225.

PORTRAIT ON DISPLAY

A portrait of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the father of India's constitution and a champion of human rights, is now on display in the council committee room at Burnaby city hall.

Surrey-based artist Shital Anmol created the painting, which was originally placed in the committee room last April during the Indian festival of Basaki.

Ambedkar, who died in 1956, was a member of the Dalit caste - the untouchables - who worked with Mahatma Ghandi and Jawaharlal Nehru to bring home rule to the former British colony.

"Considering Dr. Ambekar's background with the struggle for equality, justice and social awareness, we felt this was a very appropriate place for the portrait to be hung," said Coun. Sav Dhaliwal. "When council deliberates their decisions, they will also strive to provide balance."

Dhaliwal said the recent 'viewing' ceremony was timed to coincide with a visit from local members of the Chetna Association of Canada.

POETRY WINNERS

Susan McCaslin of Langley was the first prize winner in the Burnaby Writers' Society 2005 poetry competition, with her work Faith is the Evidence.

Kerry Liggett of Vancouver took second place with The Ladle, Barbara Wild of Vancouver earned third place with Raccoons in the City, while last year's winner Irene Livingston earned an honourable mention for Drink Me.

Burnaby residents on the finalists list included Kersti Cull who submitted About the Pear and Death of a Baby Crow, and Gale Marie Furgure Dowle with her poem Blue.

The Burnaby Writers' Society contest has been running since 1967 and this year's judge was Hannah J. Main-van der Kamp, the poetry editor of B.C. Bookworld.

FRASER RIVER FIDDLERS

Get ready for a real treat when the the famed Fraser River Fiddlers come to the Shadbolt Centre next weekend for a special concert presented by the Burnaby Clef Society.

This lively troupe of young violinists - their average age is 13 years - from the Lorraine Grescoe Studio have been delighting audiences for many years with their toe-tapping traditional tunes, trick fiddling stunts and sweet ballads.

Soloist Kenny Wong, 15, has recently returned from touring with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, where he played first violin. Kenny has served as concert master for the Delta Youth Orchestra and has won the Richmond Music School's most outstanding orchestral instrumentalist award and scholarship for the past three years in a row.

Kenny was also first violinist in Quartet D'Amis, which played pre-concert shows at the Orpheum Theatre last year during the Unique Lives and Experience Series.

This delightful afternoon of music is presented by the Burnaby Clef Society in the Shadbolt Centre at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23. tickets are $5 children, and $10 adults.