Login / RegisterB.C. Culture Days celebration to unite artists and public
British Columbians can get an up-close look at the creative process during a widespread celebration of arts and culture planned at the end of September.
Artists of all stripes are preparing to showcase their work during the third-annual Culture Days, which takes place in communities across the country.
In B.C., hundreds of free events are scheduled from September 28 to 30 to highlight the talents of those working in a range of disciplines and fields.
The events include everything from hands-on activities and demonstrations to workshops and performances.
Lucille Pacey, a B.C. Culture Days spokesperson and president of Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, said the celebration offers something for everyone.
“From street art to high art, pop culture to traditional culture, Culture Days is an opportunity for people to engage in and interact with art and artists in a very different way,” Pacey said at an official launch event at The Cultch in East Vancouver today (September 19).
In Vancouver, more than 80 events are planned including a conversation on art collecting, a workshop on Chinese art and culture, and a bead-making demonstration, among others.
Events are also taking place across Metro Vancouver, in the Fraser Valley, on Vancouver Island, and elsewhere in the province.
Classical pianist Sarah Hagen will perform in Coquitlam on September 30 as part of B.C. Culture Days.
Hagen, who lives in East Vancouver, said the celebration puts a national focus on arts and culture.
“Because the events are free, people are more likely to take in things they might otherwise not want to spring for,” Hagen told the Straight. “And then hopefully we hook people and they realize that they like something new.”
Launched in 2010, Culture Days is a volunteer-driven, nationwide celebration overseen by a national steering committee as well as provincial and territorial volunteer task forces.
