Check back closer to the beginning of December for a complete guide to holiday shopping at museums in Metro Vancouver.
And now… here are your best bets for the week:
- There will be a lecture on Tuesday, November 20th at 7pm at the Museum of Anthropology for the “Asian Illuminations Scholars Series: Imagining the Sacred in Asian Art.” Dr. Youngsook Pak, a visiting Professor in History of Art and East Asian Studies at Yale University, will be giving a talk titled “Leading to Paradise: Buddhist Paintings of the Koryo Dynasty.” Dr. Pak is recognized as an authority on Korean art, and holds an appointment in the Department of Art & Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
- The Museum of Anthropology’s annual Windows on the World holiday sale begins Tuesday, November 20th. Some of the items featured at the sale include “fair trade cozy woollens and recycled silks from women’s co-operatives in India and Nepal; pashminas and scarves in a rainbow of colours; home decor and table accents for the holidays and everyday; soaps and lotions for body and bath; fun and affordable jewellery and accessories; stocking-stuffers and tree ornaments; and of course, a huge selection of Northwest Coast First Nations art and hand-crafted objects.” Museum members, and UBC staff, faculty and students receive a 20% discount on all purchases on Tuesday, November 20th to celebrate the opening of the sale. The sale runs to December 24th.
- Lauryn Oates, Vice-President of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, will be speaking as part of the “Behind the Wire Speaker Series” at the West Vancouver Museum & Archives on Wednesday, November 21st from 7:00-8:30pm. Lauryn will be speaking about how the ongoing war in Afghanistan has affected the lives of Afghan women. Lauryn is a professional human rights advocate and international development practitioner, with expertise in gender and women’s human rights. From 2002-2006, she managed the CIDA-funded Women’s Rights in Afghanistan Fund and other projects supporting women’s movements and peace-building in the Middle East and Central Asia at the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development.
- There will be another talk in the HistorySpeaks Lecture Series at the Surrey Museum on Thursday, November 22nd from 7:00-8:30pm. Thursday’s lecture is titled “Jacquard Looms: The First Computer.” The promotional material for this event states: “The Jacquard loom was the forerunner of our modern computer, [and was] invented in the early 19th century for patterned silk weaving. Hear the fascinating history attached to this complex piece of equipment. Enjoy a rare opportunity to see our unique loom from the 1950s in action, [then] jump to the present and see slides and samples of what a modern computerized Jaquard loom can do.” Pre-registration is required for this lecture. Please contact the museum directly for more information or to register.
- The Jewish Museum & Archives of BC (JMABC) is hosting a special talk titled “Life During Wartime” on Thursday, November 22nd at 7:30pm at the Norman Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. Greg Robinson, the JMABC’s Education Coordinator, will be speaking about the wartime experiences of his father, Arthur Robinson, a Canadian Jew who fought with the King’s Own Calgary Regiment during World War II. Greg recalls how his father’s own tales of the war were “sugar-coated tales of hi-jinks and colourful characters,” and how Arthur Robinson died in 1985 without ever being able to speak of the darker aspects of the war. Greg will be speaking about the history he has pieced together about his father’s experiences from “access to the Canadian military’s personal and regimental records, interviews with former comrades and family members, and research into the pre-and post-war stories surrounding Arthur Robinson’s activities.” Greg’s talk will also address the BC Jewish community’s response to the war: “As the war in Europe loomed, what were Jews in BC thinking and talking about? How did they mobilize in response to the onset of war? How did they react when the fighting ended, and news began to circulate for the first time about what had been discovered in the [concentration] camps?” Tickets for Greg’s talk are $15 and can be purchased in advance at the JMABC.
- The Vancouver Art Gallery’s Out for Lunch Concert Series continues with a performance on Friday, November 23rd at 12:10pm (in the Gallery Annex 3rd Floor). Friday’s concert, “Cohen/Buckley: Hallelujah; Rodrigo, Bach,” is free with museum admission, and will feature Harold Micay on guitar and Gene Ramsbottom on clarinet. Arrive early as space is limited. Please click on the link above for the concert series if you wish to find out about upcoming concerts.
