Community and Thank You

work by Sarah Ronald and Vicki Allesia

A huge thank you to everyone who made Girl's Night Out such a success, and congratulations to Tri Cities restaurateur and keen supporter of the arts locally, Fred Soofi of Pasta Polo for winning the Blackberry gift basket. Thank you for your support :)

... and thank you to the Blackberry Artists who generously donated their work for the basket and raised awareness for our creative community.

Viva Port Moody!

Port Moody is one hundred years old this year, and to celebrate the centennial all sorts of municipal goodies are on the go!

Here in the gift shop, we're giving a hand to a very worthy local institution, the Port Moody Heritage Society, by helping sell their amazing book. 

Tracks in Time chronicles the development of our town during its first 100 years, using text, archive photographs and first-hand accounts. This book is a great addition to your shelves, for historians and PoMo dwellers alike.

Snap up your copy at the gift shop today!

You are cordially invited ... gallery opening Thursday April 25th

The gift shop will be open during the event.

PMAC members get 10% discount on all purchases (except Tracks in Time book sales).

Frogs are jumpin' ...

amphibian by Pauline Doyle; background artwork by Vicki Allesia

(steps up to the microphone and let's rip)

Summertime!

And the living is easy.

Frogs are jumping, and the cotton is high ....

(with huge apologies to George Gershwin, and even more apologies for startling our dear readers who may only just be entering Spring-mode)

Wordful Wednesday: Longer Hours

carvings by Tom Reid

... and I'm not just talking about daylight, welcome though it is on these beautiful evenings.

The gift shop is now open seven days a week.

Yes, that's Monday to Sunday from 12 noon to 4pm.

More convenience for all your shopping and gifting-of-unique-art-treasures needs.

Happy to oblige :)

Blackberry Artist's Society in the community: Girls Night Out

lots of goodies for a lucky raffle winner

The Blackberry Artist's Society prides itself on being engaged with the local community in general, and supporting the arts in particular.

Our artists have been busy once more, generously donating work to stuff a raffle basket till it's bursting at the seams (see above) for the upcoming Girls Night Out fundraiser for the Port Moody Arts Centre Society.
Although tickets for the April 19th event are sold out, raffle tickets can still be winners as attendance is not required during the draw.
You might get your hands on prize baskets from local merchants, or even some unique pieces from our Blackberry Artists.
Now - wouldn't that be awesome?

Tickets ($10 each, or 3 for $25) are available from Port Moody Arts Centre or Scotiabank's Port Moody branch at 2501 St. John's Street.

Spring is springing ....

cheerful robin by Del Holbrook

[This post comes with the usual warning about posts being pre-scheduled with no regard for the weather.]

Spring is springing (editor's note: somewhere in the world, but not necessarily here) and the birds and bees are getting busy doing what birds and bees do at this time of year.

detail from paper cut art by Yolanda Cheung

The bugs however, are getting nervous.

This little chap is getting his eyeglass prescription upgraded so he can avoid the cheerful chap in the top photo.

Poor bugs.

City Hall Display - April 2013

This month we have a bootiful display of our members' work in the display case just upstairs from the main municipal reception desk (head up the stairs to pay your fines or renew a dog licence and you'll catch an eyeful of our cheeky treasures).

Even though this is a group exhibit, there is a theme running through it. We have beautiful Canadian icons like the polar bear and our maple leaf emblem.

Local references abound in the inukshuk and a thoughtful landscape.

There's even a hint (on this rainy day as I type, most welcome) of local summer days at the beach to come, where we can shed our layers (some or all, your choice) and worship the sun.
Ah summer! Can't wait to put the winter behind at last.

April's Featured Artist: George Blackstock

This month's artist featured in the gallery is George Blackstock, whose whimsical cottonwood bark carvings have become a firm favourite for blog photos.

George only started carving full-time three years ago, and since then has been responsible for creating unique miniature dwellings for Tri Cities fairy folks ... OK, I have no proof for this, but I can dream.

Using the gnarled and knobbly texture of the tree bark as a reference, George carves multi-storey imaginary abodes, complete with delicate and intricate features such as open doorways and flights of stairs. From individual roof tiles to delicate window framing, each tiny feature is carefully worked into its surroundings.

Once complete, the surprisingly lightweight sculpture is ready to hang on your wall.

Please do visit the gift shop before the display changes at the end of the month.

Spring is indeed springing!

photo credit: Sarah Ronald

Spring is indeed springing, even here in the gift shop.

In fact, come on down before we’re so overgrown that the door won’t open.

The weather, as you know, has been so damp yet sunny recently that our cosy gift shop has taken on the appearance of a greenhouse. Paper artist Joan Marr’s handmade paper cards have seized the moment, and the seedcases she uses to add texture are sprouting luxuriantly.

Although we've seen paper with seeds offered as grow-your-own cards, this is the first time we've witnessed our own stock taking root from their envelopes to our shelves.

Spring is definitely sprung, especially today April 1st ;)

detail from handmade paper by Joan Marr