Comox Valley Arts

Layering Colours for Luminosity: A Watercolour Class with Alora Griffin
2025-03-26 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Lion’s Den, 1729 rear, Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M1, Canada
Date: Sunday, April 13, 1 to 5 pm
Location: The Lion’s Den, Comox
Level: Intermediate
Cost: $100 per person
Students will learn how to layer transparent watercolour paints to achieve a luminous effect on paper, much like layers of stained glass. The instructor will illustrate the technique which the students will try out in the first half of the class. In the second half of the class, students will create a painting of a simple landscape or seascape by layering colours. Students can work from their own photo or print although prints will be provided.
About the Instructor
Alora is a skilled watercolourist who has recently returned to Vancouver Island to retire. She was previously a practicing architect in Toronto, Prince Rupert and on Salt Spring Island and prior to this taught high school art in New Zealand and Vancouver. She was recently accepted as an exhibiting member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

What to bring

PAINTS: We will be using a limited palette of transparent colours. (If you wish to substitute other primary colours they have to be transparent, not opaque.)

Aureolin Yellow
Rose Madder Genuine or Permanent Rose
Cobalt Blue
Viridian

PAPER: We will be painting on 2 blocks of 140 lb. watercolour paper, which have 3 or 4 sides glued. Sizes may vary depending upon the manufacturer.

1 block – 7” x 9.5” ( 18 x 24cm )
1 block – 9.5” x 12.5” ( 24 x 32cm )

BRUSHES: Brushes can be natural fibres ( the most expensive ) synthetic ( the least expensive ), or a blend:

1 Pointed #8 or #10
1 Round #12 or #14
1 Flat 1/2” or 3/4”.

Small roll of paper towels and a soft graphite pencil

NOTE: Palettes for mixing paint and containers for rinsing brushes will be supplied.
Where to purchase

PJ’s Art Supply, 1365 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)
Monk Office, #3-2760 Cliffe Ave (Pearl members receive a discount)
Benjamin Moore House of Color, 249 5th St (Pearl members receive a discount)
Valley Art Supply, Comox Mall, lower level

Introduction to Chalk Pastels with Sandra Lamb
2025-03-22 13:30 - 2025-03-23 16:00 | The Genoa Room, Sail Buildings, Marina Park, Comox, BC, Canada
Dates: March 22 & 23, 1:30 – 4:00 PMLocation: The Genoa Room, Sail Buildings, Marina Park, ComoxLevel: Beginner
Cost: $125 per person

Discover the expressive possibilities of chalk pastels in this two-part beginner-friendly class. Learn about mark-making, surface techniques, pastel types, and layering while exploring the unique qualities of this versatile medium. Instead of completing a single artwork, participants will create small studies on different surfaces to build confidence and technique.

About the Instructor
Sandra Lamb has been teaching art in the Comox Valley for over 20 years, offering instruction in a wide range of mediums, including watercolors, chalk pastels, oils, acrylics, pen & ink, portraiture, landscape, figurative work, cartooning, book illustration, and drawing. After a short hiatus, she is excited to reconnect with familiar students and welcome new ones.

What to Bring

11″ x 14″ (or larger) watercolor paper (student grade is fine)
Basic soft chalk pastel set (10-15 colors)
Three primary colors in watercolors or acrylics (only if you already have them)
Medium-sized watercolor brush
Cheap brush for applying gesso
Water container, rags, apron
Table easel (if you have one)
Optional: Old shower curtain or plastic sheet, pastel paper, pastel crayons, or Nupastels
Sandra will provide additional materials.

Plenty of parking is available at Marina Park.
For more information and registration visit our website at www.pearlellisgallery.ca/art-classes

Bob Log III
2025-03-15 19:00 - 22:00 | Comox Valley Curling Centre, 4835 Headquarters Road, Courtenay, BC, V9J1P2, Canada
Bob Log III is a one man band slide guitar blues punk party. A perverse product of the Arizona desert, Bob Log III has been diligently travelling the globe since 1996, showcasing his incomparable talents and developing a devoted following along the way. A whirlwind of dexterous limbs and digits, this super star sonic showman has to be seen to be believed.
Clad in his cannonball man, extra tight jumpsuit and signature motorcycle helmet with telephone/microphone attached, Bob Log III unfailingly sweats up a river while kicking on a kick drum, stomping his homemade foot cymbal and playing slide on an old arch top guitar. Bob Log on being a one man band: “Yeah, who needs a rhythm section? They say drummers are crazy, guitar players are idiots and singers are assholes. And I gotta be all of ‘em.” His endless pursuit for musical mayhem and a downright party has seen his unique talents utilized for children’s birthday parties, obscure beer barns, mammoth music festivals and everything in between.
Bob Log explains: “It’s pretty simple: I take a guitar and turn it into a party. There’s a lot of ways to do that, and I’ve figured out most of ‘em! Having fun with my guitar is the ultimate goal in every song. Then I add some drums to it. With my drumming it’s electronic beats, but not a whole song programmed, so it can change at any time. Then I also play real drums on top of that. I’m trying to sound like two drummers, and one of my drummers is good and the one of my drummers is terrible and they absolutely hate each other! And I finger-pick on top of that and sing into a telephone in my helmet attached to my head. The basic idea is I’m doing this fun thing with my guitar and making it as fun as possible until people spill their drinks and someone loses a shoe. If there’s one shoe on the ground, and it’s totally wet because of the puddles of spilled drinks, then I‘ve done my job right.”
Yet, beyond the crazy show and mesmerizing visuals, lies the true reason for Bob Log’s international cult status and superhero adoration. It is quite simply the guitar playing – finger picked lightning, sliding up and down, stopping when it wants to, then starting again when it feels like it, all in a way that makes people move uncontrollably, smile and reel.
https://www.boblog111.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Log_III
https://www.facebook.com/boblog111/
https://boblogiii.bandcamp.com/track/consuela-did-it
Opening the show will be Caveman & The Banshee, a kozmik atomic punk duo from Nanaimo BC Canada guaranteed to melt your brain.
https://cavemanandthebanshee.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cavemanandthebanshee/

Bag Making With Lorraine
2025-03-05 18:30 - 20:30 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
Mar 5 – Mar 19
Join Lorraine for this great bag-making class!
You will use the Traverse Bag by Noodlehead Patterns, with a small modification to make it even more beginner-friendly.
Choose from two sizes!
This class is a great way to keep practicing those straight lines, sewing zippers, and making accurate measurements and cuts. You’ll learn how to use bag patterns, rotary cutters, and hardware.
For your convenience, we have included all the hardware, straps, zippers (with a few colours to choose from) and interfacing, so all you need to buy is your fabric. Use a lovely canvas or even a linen!
The only prerequisite: Basic knowledge of the sewing machine (Foundations, Get to Know your sewing machine class or Fundamentals are a great start.). If you are still beginner, Lorraine can help set up your machine, but there isn’t time to explain how to thread the machine, in order to keep the class focused on bag making!

Awakening: Spring Members Show
2025-03-04 10:00 - 2025-03-29 16:00 | Pearl Ellis Gallery, 1729 Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M2, Canada
As the days grow longer and nature stirs to life, the Pearl Ellis Gallery invites you to experience Awakening: Spring Members Show. Running from March 4 to March 29, this dynamic exhibition features work from 49 talented local artists, capturing the essence of renewal and transformation in a variety of styles and mediums.
Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, March 8, from 1-3 PM, where you can meet the artists, enjoy refreshments, and immerse yourself in the creative energy of the season.
From seasoned professionals to emerging talents, Awakening showcases a diverse collection of original paintings, photography, sculpture, and more. At The Pearl, all pieces are available for purchase, along with an excellent selection of art cards by local artists – perfect for gift-giving or adding a touch of inspiration to your home.
As a volunteer-run, non-profit gallery, the Pearl Ellis Gallery is dedicated to supporting and celebrating the arts in our community. Located in downtown Comox at 1729 Comox Avenue, the gallery offers free admission and is wheelchair accessible.
For more information, visit www.pearlellisgallery.ca or call 250-339-2822 during gallery hours. Interested in becoming a member? Join for just $30 per year and be part of this vibrant artistic community.
Celebrate the season of renewal with Awakening – a show that promises to inspire!

Artful : The Poets
2025-03-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Feature Poet Cynthia Woodman starts off the evening with her reading, followed by our Open Mic hosted by Diana Kolpak. Sign up at the door for your 5min spot! For more info about Cynthia visit the events page on our website.

Spoken Word: An Oral Excursion From Page to Performance
2025-03-02 13:00 - 17:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
A workshop led by poet and performer Steven J. Thompson.
Email to reserve your spot: stevenjthompsonpoet@gmail.com
Steven J. Thompson is a writer, spoken word artist and poet. He has written
articles for Monday Magazine and 11th Transmission, and participated in the
2007 CBC Poetry Face-off. Steven’s poetry has appeared in print, in publications
such as Oratoriallis and MuseMedusa.

As a three-time member of the Victoria National Poetry Slam team, Steven has
performed at festivals and events across Canada including The Pacific Festival
of the Book, Vancouver’s Word on the Street Festival, The Canadian Festival of
Spoken Word and The Calgary International Spoken Word Festival. He is a
graduate of the Banff Spoken Word Program where he studied with Sheri-D
Wilson and Juno Award winner Lillian Allen.

Steven is co-founder of the long-running, award-winning Tongues of Fire spoken
word/poetry series in Victoria. As executive director of the Victoria Poetry Project
Society he worked as a liaison with arts organizations across Canada. In 2009
Steven was the festival director of the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.

Guest Artist: Charlie Farrero at the Potter’s Place Gallery
2025-03-01 00:00 - 2025-03-31 23:59 | Potters Place Gallery, 180B 5th Street, Courtenay, British Columbia, V9N 1J4, Canada
CERAMIC WALL SCULPTURES
We are very excited to welcome Charlie as our guest artist for the month of March. He has long been involved in the Canadian Arts Community and his work has been exhibited across Canada. His work can be found in several public collections including the Saskatchewan Arts Board, MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina) and New Canadian Ceramics Museum in China.

'Scapes
2025-02-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
…land, sea, garden, urban, rural…
4 Comox Valley artists bring the world to the gallery!
Alora Griffin, Channing Holland, Trisha Milne and Roger Vermeulen interpret their visions of the environment with water and colour. Both framed and unframed works will be for sale.​
Join us for the Artist Reception Saturday, Feb 22nd, 7-9pm

Exhibit: Broken Promises
2025-02-21 10:00 - 2025-08-16 16:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
The Courtenay and District Museum is pleased to present the travelling exhibition Broken Promises from the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
Grounded in research from Landscapes of Injustice – a 7 year multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, community engaged project, this exhibit explores the dispossession of Japanese Canadians in the 1940s. It illuminates the loss of home and the struggle for justice of one racially marginalized community. The story unfolds by following seven narrators that include Eikichi Kagetsu of Fanny Bay and Hiroshi Okuda from Cumberland. Learn about life for Japanese Canadians in Canada before war, the administration of their lives during and after war ends, and how legacies of dispossession continue to this day.
Thank you to the Landscapes of Injustice Partner Institutions and the Government of Canada.
School classes are welcome to visit this exhibit. Please arrange a time by contacting the museum at 250-334-0686 ext 2, or by emailing us. Provide the grade level and number of people in the group. The visit is included with your general admission fee. The Landscapes of Injustice website affiliated with the exhibit offers interactive resources and lessons for both elementary and secondary students.

'Scapes
2025-02-19 12:00 - 2025-03-15 17:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
…land, sea, garden, urban, rural…
Four Comox Valley artists bring the world to the gallery.
Alora Griffin, Channing Holland, Trisha Milne and Roger Vermeulen interpret their visions of the environment with water and colour. Both framed and unframed works will be for sale.
Join us for the Artist Reception Saturday, Feb 22nd, 7-9pm
Gallery Hours Weds – Sat 12-5pm

Comox Valley Songwriters Circle
2025-02-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Each month singer/songwriters gather to share their tunes at Artful : The Gallery. The range of abilities, experience and genres welcomes musicians who appreciate the challenge (and the deadline!) of creating a new song each month.
The circle provides a place to be inspired, seek feedback and to be
able to hear what other creatives are working on. Most musicians bring along their
guitars or ukuleles, although some sing a capella or use the in-house piano for accompaniment.
Host Ashley Sykes’s love of connecting with other artists provides motivation to write
and perform in the supportive group. The circle does not provide instruction; it provides an opportunity to perform your song, and to be impacted by others doing the same.
Attendance is by donation ($10 or pwyc). The group welcomes newcomers, and the
only criteria is that the songs performed are original.

Unsculpted
2025-02-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
This afternoon workshop will connect you with the joy of creating for the sake of exploration, humour, and collaboration. Primarily utilizing modelling and assemblage, we will cultivate a sense of possibility, adventure and imagination.
Creating with unexpected materials can lower our inhibitions, giving us the playful experience of creating with curiosity and openness to the unexpected…just for the pleasure of it!
Unsculpted is not about learning to sculpt with skilled technical expertise; it will expand your creativity though, just not in the ways you might expect!
The activities in Unsculpted are intended to guide you back to your creative heart. The act of (art) creation can get so twisted up in our judgments of what constitutes ‘good’ that we completely lose touch with the joy of creating for the sake of exploration and playfulness.
​This one-session workshop runs from 1 to 4pm with a mid-way break. Feel free to bring drinks and snacks. The $105 workshop fee includes GST and all materials supplied. Email kristinacampbellart@gmail.com to register.

Clive Powsey : Discontemporary Printmaking
2025-02-08 10:00 - 16:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Like many artists I see images and iconography primarily existing in a continuum that goes back to the dawn of human culture and is sustained by recurring archetypes. The term “contemporary art” attempts to locate pictures here and now in time and space taxonomically, but this feels unnatural for those who take stock of the visual art record in the way visual artists do. Artists might be more inclined to categorize by iconography, medium, or style, for example. I see my completed images as ‘discontemporary,’ immediately uploaded from the fleeting present to an unspeakably vast, oceanic and noisy continuum of art imagery. Each image is dispatched in the hope that someone, somewhere, at some time will discern its signal amongst the noise. Hopefully this one-day-only pop-up exhibition of selected intaglio printmaking will appear briefly in time and space at 10am on the morning of February 8th at Artful Gallery and provide something to delight or offend any visitors before disappearing at 4pm.

Intro To Quilting- A Simple Sampler
2025-02-04 18:00 - 20:00 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
Feb 4 – Mar 11
Feeling intimidated about quilting? It can feel scary, but a calm and compassionate teacher with a plan will help you work through the step to succeed! Enter Lorraine! Please read the complete description before registration!
This multi-week class is a great primer, encompassing the basic skills you need for almost any future quilt.
Prerequisite: Students should have some experience on a sewing machine (within the last year or so), some comfort with straight line sewing.
You’ll learn about fabrics, colours, print and how many different ways you can make something look great!
You’ll gain confidence with measuring and cutting with the rotary cutter and learn chain-piecing and pressing.
You’ll learn the tips and tricks to make 4-squares look great, how to make log cabins and the essential- half square triangles!
The pattern we’ve created for this class is somewhat modular- if you want to play with the design, you may. However, if you know yourself to be indecisive or perfectionist, we invite you to make it as designed to take that pressure off you, and to spend your energy learning, not thinking!
Next, you’ll construct your whole quilt top, quilt and bind it.
Some people (like Nicole) love piecing quilts but don’t enjoy the actual quilting part- so you’ll have the option to have it long-arm quilted by Lorraine (for a fee), and then you’ll bind it!
The thing about quilts- they are infinite. One design can be made so personally and so uniquely time and again!
Batting and thread is included in the cost of the class, but fabric is not. We know many people have their own fabric they want to use, and using the collected stash is a great way to get started!
You can use as few as two fabrics for a very graphic look, or 50 for a scrappy look.

Through Lines
2025-02-04 10:00 - 2025-03-01 16:00 | Pearl Ellis Gallery, 1729 Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M2, Canada
Through Lines showcases the landscape in all its forms through the rich and tactile art of printmaking. Featuring original, hand-pulled prints by thirteen members of the Comox Valley Printmakers Association, the exhibition highlights diverse techniques, including collagraph, drypoint, linocut, monotype, and more. From natural vistas to abstract interpretations, these works explore the personal, social, and political dimensions of place. Framed, mounted, and matted pieces will be on display, with select works available for purchase.
Opening Reception: Saturday, Feb 8, 1 to 3PM
Also enjoy free printmaking demonstrations on three consecutive Saturdays during the exhibition, where you can watch artists at work and learn about their techniques.
• Saturday, February 15th (1–3 PM): Maggie Norman will demonstrate collagraph printing using a small press or foot-powered methods.
• Saturday, February 22nd (1–3 PM): Susan Gillespie and David Ballantyne will lead a lino carving and printing demonstration.
• Saturday, March 1st (1–3 PM): Terri Stelfox will showcase watercolour monoprinting using a 3D-printed press.

Artful : The Poets
2025-02-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Join us for the February 3rd start to the 2025 Artful : The Poets Series. Comox Valley’s Carol Neufeld is our feature poet. Sign up at the door for the open mic (5 mins per poet) following Neufeld’s presentation, hosted by Big Dada Ed Varney. 7-9pm $10 or pwyc.

Slow Stich Series
2025-01-16 10:00 - 13:00 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
Jan 16 – Jan 30
If you find yourself seeking a chance to slow down, to deepen your relationship with your garments and with your self, this 3-4 week series is an opportunity to do just that.
Join costume maker and artist Lori Kenney for a deep breath and many small stitches.
The practical side of this course is one of basic sewing skills many of us are missing, taking care of our clothes to make our wardrobe last longer.
The artistic side of this course will help you add character and understand traditional textile art practices from around the world, connecting you to the way humans have worked with fibres through history.
The meditative elements of this series will help you slow down, connect to your breathing and the rhythm of stitching.
Take inspiration from global textile traditions such as Kantha
techniques, mending and darning, and Japanese Boro, which focuses on re-purposing old textiles, re-piecing fabrics and building texture with stitch. Bring awareness to the calming repetition of hand stitch rhythms and discover the simple pleasure of making.
There will be time in this class for connection with each other, and portions of silence and breath.
The goal is to leave this series with a set of skills and abilities you can carry with you to calm your heart in times of need.
Please bring some worn and loved garments, as well as any scraps you would like to incorporate.
We will include materials to use, and have additional supplies available for purchase to bring home.

Inspirational Mandala Art Play
2025-01-11 13:00 - 16:00 | Silver Bowerbird Gallery, Back door 479 4th St., Courtenay, british columbia, V9N1G9, Canada
Join Margaret for a relaxed workshop creating your own inspirational mandala to help raise your energy to a new level.
Uncover your inspiration, wishes and vision for 2025 – and beyond – in this meditative mandala class. Enjoy the art of zen-dooodles and watercolour, a simple art technique that produces amazing imagery with your story embedded withn it. No art experience needed and all materials provided.
The venue is in the studio at Silver Bowerbird Gallery, home to local west coast artists’ rotating exhibitions. Enter from the back lane of 479 4th St. Downtown Courtenay. Some parking available beside the studio and on Fitzgerald Ave..

Adult/Teen Intro To Crochet
2025-01-10 18:30 - 20:30 | #4-420 Fitzgerald Ave., Courtenay, BC, Canada
Jan 10 – Jan 24
Ready to get crocheting? You will love this three-class session! This class is for Teens (14+) and Adults!
Starting with some simple stitch trials,you will gain experience and confidence in crochet, and then make this adorable cat plushy!
Learn to work in rows, circles and make a granny square!
All materials are included, with a range of colours to choose from.
You will be able to bring the project home to work on between classes, and keep your new crochet hook and yarn!

Lenses & Layers
2025-01-07 10:00 - 2025-02-01 16:00 | Pearl Ellis Gallery, 1729 Comox Ave, Comox, BC, V9M 3M2, Canada
The Pearl Ellis Gallery is excited to begin 2025 with Lenses & Layers: Exploring Photography and Digital Art, an exhibition showcasing the innovative possibilities within digital and photographic mediums. Running from January 7 to February 1, 2025, the exhibition features a diverse range of works by talented artists who are redefining the boundaries of creativity and technology. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 11, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, and the public is warmly invited to attend.
The exhibition explores how artists use technology to create captivating visual experiences. From imaginative digital creations and conceptual photography to works that merge digital and traditional techniques, the collection celebrates the vibrant intersection of art and innovation. Visitors will also encounter textile and mixed media pieces that challenge conventional artistic practices.
Lenses & Layers offers a unique opportunity to experience art that pushes boundaries and reimagines what is possible through digital and photographic mediums. Admission is always free, and all are welcome to visit the gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm at 1729 Comox Ave. For more information, visit www.pearlellisgallery.com

CVGBs New Year's Dance Party w/ Drama Queen, Devours, & Avro
2024-12-31 20:00 - 2025-01-01 01:30 | Comox Valley Curling Centre, 4835 Headquarters Road, Courtenay, BC, V9J1P2, Canada
Local music and art cooperative CVGBs is proudly presenting it’s first ever New Year’s event, an inclusive dance party featuring three diverse live acts & DJs. Co-headlining will be two acts that have caused multiple long line-ups to see them play at Cumberland’s Woodstove Festival: Vancouver’s Devours, and Salt Spring Island’s Drama Queen. Opening the show will be a solo set from Denman Island’s Avro.

Drama Queen, is the lush, nostalgic, bejewelled synth-pop band that your pelvis never knew it needed. Reminiscent of Heroes-era Bowie and Kate Bush, their music will confuse, delight and alight your feelings and your senses. Give in to the emotional pop-star paradise soundtrack that is Drama Queen. Drama Queen is a synth-wave band, and the latest invocation from Knick Tomlinson formerly of “Superfeather.” The group consists of Knick on Synthesizer, Pierre Vincent Forgues on Synthesizers, Harley Dunn on bass guitar and Ben Frey on Drums. Effortlessly channeling the essence of the past while crafting a sound distinctly their own, Drama Queen weaves a tapestry of neon melodies and pulsating rhythms. They transcend the ordinary and envelope listeners in a vibrant sonic journey reminiscent of an electrifying ’80s dreamscape dancehall.https://www.instagram.com/drama.queen.band/

Devours (they/them) is the DIY electropunk project of Vancouver-based musician Jeff Cancade. Across four acclaimed underground albums, including the recent Polaris Prize-longlisted Homecoming Queen, Devours has written confessional and confrontational electronic music about masculinity, body image, gay politics, and inner-city queer existence. They have toured Canada and the US, received coverage from Vice, CBC, Exclaim, and the Globe and Mail, and have performed at festivals such as SXSW, Treefort Music Fest, Up Here Festival, Purple City, Vancouver Jazz Fest, and more. Their anticipated fifth record will be released in March 2025.https://www.facebook.com/devoursvancouverhttps://www.instagram.com/devours.ufo/https://linktr.ee/devourshttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1naaQv78Dwzc6iwCNRUWTb…

Denman Island’s is an electronic pop group from Denman Island. Influenced by synthpop, classic new wave / cold wave, minimal techno, and with a pinch of post punk. Their New Year’s eve set will be a solo set of new material from leader Adam Percy.https://www.facebook.com/thisisavrohttps://avromusic.com/https://www.instagram.com/avromusichttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1H85Rkd1aCTHK0vFdZYBBS…

The CVGBs New Year’s Dance Party will take place at the Comox Valley Curling Centre’s recently renovated Rotary Banquet room, a growing cultural and community space.
DJs to be announced!
Produced with support from Comox Valley Pridehttps://www.facebook.com/comoxvalleypride2016

Comox Valley Songwriters Circle
2024-12-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
The circles are a place for both new and experienced songwriters to come share new songs they are working on, or to dust off some old ones that may need some practice.
We take turns going around the circle sharing one song at a time, and each artist can decide if they want others to jam or singalong to their tune.

Just in Time Choirs Fall 2024 Concert "River"
2024-12-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Northgate Church, 1640 Burgess Road, Cpurtenay, BC, V9N 5W8, Canada
Join the Just in Time Choirs for their Fall Concert, “River”, at a new location: Northgate Church, Burgess Road, Courtenay on Saturday December 7th 2024. Matinee – 3:00 pm, evening performance – 7:30 pm.
In keeping with the “River” theme, songs have been chosen for their reference to rivers, but also because they reflect how our journey through life is like a river meandering, sometimes rushing, discovering what’s around the next bend.
These choirs are known for their versatility and their performances cover a wide spectrum of musical styles from jazz, ballads, folk, swing, soul, and contemporary pop to classic rock. You’ll hear “Take me to the River”, classic rock by Al Green, jazz standards like “Moon River”, the folk classic, “Shenandoah”, Tina Turner’s iconic version of “Proud Mary” and contemporary pop like James Bay’s “Hold Back the River”, just to name a few of the great river themed songs on the setlist.
The concert finale brings all three choirs together to perform a few pieces, including Carly Simon’s anthemic “Let the River Run”.
All songs have been chosen by Just in Time’s founder and choral conductor, Wendy Nixon Stothert. “I love how the river can be a metaphor for so many life experiences like change and renewal, comfort and solace, and so much more, for cultures all around the globe.” says Nixon Stothert. “Living on the Puntledge River, I get to witness all the seasonal stages of the river and the role it plays in nurturing our environment. This setlist is like a love letter to the river, an ode of appreciation.”
Approaching their 20th year, the Just in Time Choirs organization comprises three ensembles: Unplugged (everyone welcome), and the smaller auditioned groups, the Jems (treble) and Vocal Minority (mixed). These renowned local contemporary choirs will be joined by talented musical collaborators: Sean Mooney on piano, Britt Bowman on bass, Beau Stocker on drums, Arlo Fleenor on guitar. The infectious joy that all three choirs project in their presentations is uplifting and entertaining and has the audience tapping their feet and singing along.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children 12 & under. There is also a live stream option for $25 per household, and we are again offering a limited number of Community Supported Tickets at $15 for those under financial constraint. Tickets and full details available online at justintime.tickit.ca or the Just in Time web site www.justinetimechoirs.ca. Tickets may be purchased at the door, subject to availability, but patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early as performances regularly sell out.
The choirs look forward to sharing the joy of singing with you and welcoming you to the show!

David Braid - Composer. Improviser. Pianist.
2024-12-07 14:00 - 16:30 | York Place Musical Salon, Courtenay, BC, Canada
Acclaimed Canadian composer, improviser and jazz pianist David Braid is visiting Vancouver Island in December 2024 following his tour in Denmark, Poland and the UK. It is our good fortune that he can join us in the Salon to perform selections from his own compositions for solo piano, as heard on some of his Juno award-winning recordings.

Combining harmonic intricacies fundamental to European classical music and the spontaneity of American jazz, Braid’s original music engages audiences with melodic lyricism and rhythmic pulses that do not conform neatly to any one musical genre. For lovers of jazz and the piano, and for folks who like to be adventurous in their musical taste, do not miss this performance!

Gumboots in the Straits Author Reading
2024-12-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
Join Jeff Hartbower and friends reading from their contributions to the BC Bestseller “Gumboots in the Straits”. Joe Ziner will be the bandleader for some fiddle music to round out the session. Artful is currently hosting “Capt. Jeff “, a 25 year retrospective of the work of folk artist and sculptor Jeff Hartbower.

Film Screening - Singing Back the Buffalo
2024-12-03 19:00 - 21:00 | North Island College, 2300 Ryan Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 8N6
Singing Back the Buffalo (99 min) 2024
Filmmaker: Tasha Hubbard
Driven to the point of extinction in the 19th century, the buffalo is proving more resilient than once feared. Tasha Hubbard’s rhapsodic documentary weaves personal reflection, animated tales, interviews with land stewards, observational reportage and gorgeous nature footage. Ultimately, we can see that the long-awaited return of this totem to the North American plains is closely related to the strength of the Indigenous peoples, whose cooperation and coordination has been indispensable in a remarkable ecological revival.
Admission by Donation
FMI: Janet 250 650 1885

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xshtMcU6fZE

Live Lecture: A New Look at the Dinosaurs of British Columbia
2024-12-03 19:00 - 20:00 | the Courtenay and District Museum, 207 4th St, Courtenay, BC, COURTENAY, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Time and Date: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, December 3rd (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Speaker: Dr. Victoria Arbour
Dinosaur fossils are rare in British Columbia compared to places like Alberta or Montana, but new research by the Royal BC Museum’s palaeontology team is uncovering the stories of BC’s dinosaurs from all corners of the province and through over 40 million years of geologic time.
Royal BC Museum Curator of Palaeontology Dr. Victoria Arbour will share updates on the new discoveries the team has made over the past few years. Victoria is an expert on the armoured dinosaurs called ankylosaurs and is excited to be able to work in British Columbia and further our understanding of the dinosaurs of BC.
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public. Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.

Artful : The Poets features Kim June Johnson
2024-12-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Artful the Gallery, 526 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2C7
KIM JUNE JOHNSON is an award-winning singer-songwriter and poet living on the unceded territory of the Komoks First Nations. Her fifth recording project, “Songs For a Quiet Day” is a collection of small poem-songs praising quiet things, and will be released in the spring. Her poems and short essays have appeared in Room, Prairie Fire, TNQ, Best Canadian Poetry, FOLKLIFE and elsewhere. She hosts an online writing community called “Cozy Sunday Write-Ins” and lives in a draughty house beside a creek with her teen daughter and an assortment of animals.
www.kimjunejohnson.com
Sign up at the door for the open mic (5 minute spots) to follow Kim June Johnson hosted by Dan Kirk
