November 26 Crawl has come and gone, a wonderful, intense time. Thank you, everyone who visited my studio, you are the highlight of my year. This past weekend, two fairs back to back, and a lot of packing and unpacking it is! My deep respects to those crafters who travel the circuit every weekend, they have it worked out to a fine art, and can set up and take down with amazing efficiency.
other news: Two years ago my studio building was bought by a developer who wants to change it into yet another condominium. The thirty or so artists who rent studio space in the building (as has been the case for thirty years) have organized and we are fighting to preserve our building as a much needed cultural venue; a place for artists to work and enrich the social fabric of Vancouver. We are hoping, as a collective , to buy back the building from the developer, and have received overwhelming support from the community, both by individuals and larger organizations such as Vancouver City Credit Union. A petition is being circulated which we will submit to city council next February 14, along with a business plan, in the hopes that they will delay or stop construction and consider our proposal.
This issue is part of a larger problem, as affordable studio space is rapidly being depleted in the wake of unbridled development, which should be of great concern to many urban communities. Cities are more than their architecture, and more than hubs of transportation and commerce. They are the expression of our cultures, they feed our souls as well as our bodies, and there needs to be space for local culture that does not fit neatly into the mass media, for it is these small, quirky expressions of individuality which effect change and define our unique communities.
more to follow......
Dec 8 If you are a resident of Vancouver and would like to support our efforts, here is the petition to sign:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save901mainstudios/
and the blog...
http://901mainstudios.blogspot.com/
A website is being created, and I will post the link shortly.
Dec 9. Tis the season. As i was cruising up Commercial Drive (for all you non vancouverites, our home grown alternative neighbourhood street), i saw Santa in the Portuguese club, relaxing after a hard day's work, beer in hand. No-one seemed to be surprised. You see everyone on the Drive..
Dec 23 hola. happy solstice/christmas/hannukah/return of the sun. although i am still in the northern hemishere, i am several thousand kilometres distant from my usual haunts. hello from the ciudad de mexico, districto federal. this is a familiar place to me, with its population, almost that of canada, compressed into an area only slightly larger than that of greater vancouver. all of the best, and the worst of urban life can be found here, and it is a miracle that this metropolis functions as well as it does. the southern sun, even when seen through a pall of smog, is warm and welcoming, as are the people who live here. i will post images of this trip, when i return. happy new year to you all.