TIS THE SEASON | Film, Theatre and Crafts

The Arts Club Theatre Company’s It’s a Wonderful Life, runs until Jan. 2 but check it out this week and beat the holiday rush. Based on the classic Christmas film, this story promises to be a real tear-jerker.

The European Union Film Festival is in full swing. The festival runs until Dec. 9, 2010. Enjoy the chance to be transported to Europe for the day.

And speaking of all things European, make sure to check out the Vancouver Christmas Market. This year a traditional German Christmas Market comes to Vancouver for the first time. Lots of food and merchadise to browse, from wooden carvings to nutcrackers. If this doesn’t get you into the Christmas spirit, nothing else will. And make sure to order the hot spiced wine… your welcome.

‘Tis the season for craft fairs. From Dec. 9 – 12, The One of a Kind Show will be on at the New Vancouver Convention Centre. Focusing on homegrown talent, the craft show brings innovative artists, craftspeople, and designers together sharing their unique creations. Check out the vast selection and on-site perks for “a personal shopping experience like no other.”

If that doesn’t settle your search for handmade gifts, shop online at Poppytalk Handmade’s Holiday Market, curated by the Canadian design blog, Poppytalk.

LARRY. | Loves Compass[ION]

In support of the Covenant House in Vancouver, ION Magazine & larry. have teamed up, putting together a night marked by local talents, music, art, gifts and donations. Join them on December 5, 2010, at Guilt & Co (Water St. at Carrall St. in Gastown), and help support this great cause.

“Covenant House offers aid for youth aged 13-24 who are living on the streets of our own city. Each day young people come to them damaged from abuses of the past, desperately needing love and guidance. In a time of giving, most people think of children and families, but youth of this particular demographic often get overlooked.

Last year ION raised enough donated new clothes and funds to provide full outfits to 53 males and 24 females that were staying at the Covenant House Rights of Passage and the At Risk program. This year, we hope to surpass those numbers and outfit even more kids with new, warm clothes.”

For more info, click here.

MOA | Man Ray, African Art and the Modernist Lens

Man Ray, African Art, and the Modernist Lens: a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the pivotal role of photography in changing the perception of African objects from artifacts to fine art.

The exhibition started in October at the Museum of Anthropology and will be on view until January 23, 2011.

Featured are more than 50 photographs by Man Ray from the 1920s and 1930s alongside approximately 50 photographs by his international avant-garde contemporaries such as Charles Sheeler, Walker Evans, Alfred Stieglitz, and André Kertész. For the first time, a number of these photographs are presented alongside the original African objects they feature.

From www.moa.ubc.ca

SHOE SIDE STORY | Kevin House

Kevin House’s artwork has appeared in publications such as The Globe and Mail, Elle magazine and the Discovery channel. This Thursday, Nov 25, don’t miss the chance to see his new works in person at the opening night of Shoe Side Story. The show, at the 156 gallery (156 West Hastings St. – at Cambie St.), will be running until Dec 1, 2010.

TONIGHT | Bruce Turnbull’s Solo Exhibition Stumble.Fall.Eaten

Tonight, Stumble.Fall.Eaten will open at the Elissa Cristall Gallery. Bruce Turnbull solo exhibition will run from November 18 until December 11, 2010.

Apres L’Hockey, encaustic on found object, 11″ x 57″, 2010

“A construction manager by day, Turnbull uses discarded materials from building sites to create his art. He works with beeswax and oil paints that are fused to the surface with heat. With a whimsical approach to his work, Turnbull’s subjects range from hockey players and skiers to angels and bumblebees.”

DAY OF THE DEAD | Last Chance

The Ferry Building Gallery in West Vancouver (1414 Argyle Av.) has treated the Vancouver community to a unique show this month by showcasing Jose Antonio Madrazo’s nichos at the Celebrations of the Day of the Dead exhibit. This weekend is the last chance to check out the exhibit, as the show is on until November 14. The gallery is open from 11am-5pm from Tuesday to Sunday.

From the traditional Mexican music, to the brightly coloured decorations, once inside you will be instantly transported to Mexico and trust us, you won’t want to leave. The red dots are abundant but if you’re lucky, you might just be able to join private collectors, such as Gary Shandling, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr and Steve Martin and get to take a little piece of Mexico home with you. Enjoy the collection this weekend and stay tuned for an interview with the artist on Monday.

VANCOUVER | Film Festivals

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival may have come to a close this weekend, but lucky for us film buffs, today marks the beginning of two more film festivals in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Serbian FilmFest runs from Nov. 9-12, 2010, while the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival is showing films from Nov. 9-18, 2010.

For those who still can’t get enough, the Vancouver DSLR Film Festival will be running this weekend, Nov. 13 & 14, at the Pacific Cinematheque, and the Amnesty International Film Festival will run next week from Nov. 18-21, 2010.

Another noteworthy festival this month is, Cinesonika, an international film and video festival celebrating the soundtrack. This first annual festival will run from Nov. 12-14 at the Westminster Savings Credit Union Theatre, Simon Fraser University Surrey Theatre.

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL | Three Days, Three Hundred and Seventy Two Artists

November 2010 brings the 14th Eastside Culture Crawl to Vancouver’s Eastside, opening up studios and spaces for 3 days, involving 372 artists and creatives, for free to the public! Browse through the map, the buildings and the artists on their site to plan your version of the Crawl (see more details below).

The Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual 3-day November event that involves artists who live in Vancouver’s Eastside in an area bounded by Main St., 1st Ave., Victoria Drive, and the Waterfront. Painters, jewelers, sculptors, furniture makers, musicians, weavers, potters, writers, printmakers, photographers, glassblowers; from emerging artists to those of international fame.

Friday 26 November | 5pm – 10pm
Saturday 27 + Sunday 28 November | 11am – 6pm
www.eastsideculturecrawl.com