by Gillian Crowley –
October is chock-full of arts events on the Peninsula. With so much choice, it’s worth making the time!
“It’s all about Colour”
Last chance to catch the Deep Cove Weavers and Spinners Guild’s display in Sidney. Enjoy their colourful works and learn about their different weaving and spinning techniques. You can even try your hand at weaving on a special loom. Sidney Museum – open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission by donation. Show ends October 14.
ArtSea Presents Artisans
Local artisans make it easy to choose unique, hand crafted gifts and objets d’art for yourself and others at this annual event which shows off the Island’s creative talent. Come early and often to get the best selection as new items are added weekly. ArtSea Gallery in Tulista Park, Sidney. October 6 to December 22, 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Closed Mondays. Free entry and parking.
Sidney Fine Art Show
This is THE art show to see this fall. This three-day event has grown steadily since 2003, bringing in nearly 4,000 visitors last year to view the art. Close to 400 items are selected from more than 1,000 pieces submitted and adjudicated. Visitors will enjoy a selection of painting, sculpture, fibre arts, photography and more, guaranteed to intrigue and stimulate discussion. Presented by the ArtSea Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula and supported by more than 200 volunteers. Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney. October 12 to 14. Starts at 10 a.m. each day with variable end times. See www.marywinspear.ca for details.
ArtSea Fall Studio Tour
Discover new artists and visit your favourites from previous years. Some of the Sidney Art Show artists also participate in this Saanich Peninsula self-guided tour of close to 30 artists who have opened their studios to the public. It’s a chance to explore the back roads of the Saanich Peninsula and find out more about the artists’ techniques and inspirations in a casual setting. A few of the participants will group their work at ArtSea Gallery, McTavish Academy of Fine Art and Russell Nursery. Self-guiding brochures and maps are available at many locations in Sidney and Victoria. Or see www.artsea.ca for a downloadable map. October 20 and 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
James Keelaghan and Jez Lowe
After meeting on an Australian acoustic music tour, Keelaghan and Lowe have established a musical relationship lasting more than twenty years. James Keelaghan, Alberta born, is well established in Canada and beyond as a talented writer and performer who has captured Canadian history in song. Jez Lowe, from County Durham in North East England, is widely acknowledged as a national treasure on the U.K. folk circuit and beyond. Together their voices, stories and instrumentals draw the audience into their magical music. Presented by the Deep Cove Folk Music Society. Mary Winspear Centre, October 18, 7:30 p.m.
An Evening with Campbell & Wright
Partake in an exciting evening of readings and discussion that range from 16th century Peru to 21st century Syria. West Coast authors Deborah Campbell and Ronald Wright will discuss their latest books as part of the Sidney LitFest’s fall readings series. Campell’s latest book, A Disappearance in Damascus, won the 2016 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize as well as the Hubert Evans BC Book Prize. Wright is the author of 10 books of history, fiction, and essays. His latest work is The Gold Eaters, a novel set during the Spanish invasion of Peru. Ticket sales go to support the April 12 to 14, 2019 literary festival. Tickets at Tanner’s Books or online. More at www.sidneyliteraryfestival.ca. October 26, 7 p.m. at SHOAL Centre 10030 Resthaven Drive, Sidney.
Emily Carr String Quartet
Sidney welcomes this superb quartet which, over the past decade, has established itself as one of B.C.’s finest music ensembles. The October performance, titled “Music in a Time of War,” is the first of two concerts, the second in February, to commemorate the end of the two World Wars. The first concert features music written during the years 1914 to 1918 by Suk, Bartok and Elgar. Discover the emotion and brilliance of their performances. Tickets at McPherson Box Office, Ivy’s Bookstore or at the door.
October 27 at 7:30 p.m. St. Elizabeth Church, 10030 Third Street, Sidney.
The Mousetrap
Back by popular demand, the Peninsula Players will stage Agatha Christie’s famous murder mystery, the longest-running play in West End London. Set in a guesthouse during a snowstorm, a group of stranded visitors fears there’s a murderer among them. Will the policeman who arrives on skis unravel the mystery and catch the perpetrator? Fun to watch the plot unwind, even if you know the ending. (Don’t reveal it!) October 25 to 28, starts 7:30 p.m. each evening and two matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney.
Leif Arneson
You may have heard 16-year-old Leif singing his own folk style songs at the Surly Mermaid last year. Now this enterprising Central Saanich teen has produced two of his own CDs in his home studio: From Here to Sidney and Elevations. He’s hoping sales of his CDs will help finance future education on the technology side of music production. See https://fromheretosidney.bandcamp.com/music.
