The Week in Review: April 22
SUN TV GOES BEFORE THE CRTC
Conservative news channel Sun TV, informally referred to as ‘Fox News North,’ went before the CRTC in a series of hearings this week. The struggling network was there to make a case for mandatory carriage of their programming in basic cable packages.
The channel drew the collective ire of the artistic community after an antagonistic, ambush interview with Margie Gillis in 2011:
BALLET KELOWNA TO PROCEED WITH SEASON
Ballet Kelowna announced they will move ahead with a season for 2013/14, despite previously planning to shut down operations due to financial pressure. New board president, Deborah Ward, said that the good news comes as a result of support from the community, dancers, staff and donors. We look forward to hearing news of the season performances as they are announced.
Closer to home, Ballet BC made the papers by opening the balcony of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for Giselle, which is already receiving rave reviews. This is the first time since 2008 that the dance company extended their audience seating.
VAG LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Vancouver Art Gallery took a major step toward a new facility this week. The City of Vancouver has conditionally agreed to allow the gallery to build a new facility at 688 Cambie Street, but only if millions of dollars can be raised by April 30, 2015.
Some funding will come from provincial and federal governments; the rest of the estimated $300 million will necessarily come from generous private sector donors. Despite this daunting task, the VAG are delighted with the announcement, having campaigned for more than a decade for a purpose-built gallery for Vancouverites.
MOA OPENS SAFAR/VOYAGE
This past weekend, the Museum of Anthropology at UBC launched Safar/Voyage: Contemporary Works of Arab, Iranian and Turkish Artists, the first exhibition of its kind in Canada. Internationally renowned for its considerable collection of First Nations art, the new exhibition is a compelling reminder of the institution’s mandate to be a a living place of world arts and culture.
The 8,000 square ft. display features 16 artists and has already received critical acclaim from media throughout Vancouver and Canada.
It has been LMPR’s great pleasure and honour to provide the marketing and publicity surrounding the exhibition.
LEGENDARY COUNTRY SINGER GEORGE JONES PASSES AWAY
This week ended with the sad news that ‘hard-living’ country singer George Jones died on Friday, at 81-years old. Known for his heartbreaking songs, such as He Stopped Loving Her Today (featured below), Jones’ career spanned five decades, each of which included a No.1 hit for the singer. As The Globe and Mail documents, he was idolized not only by other country starts but music legends such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Costello, and Pete Townshend.
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