An Evening of Wine and Culture at a Local Arts Centre

Last Thursday, I had the chance to visit Place des Arts in Coquitlam, to attend their adults-only open house Ignite…an affair with art! I am not about to turn down a child-free evening out – especially if they’re offering me culture and a free glass of wine – so I fed my kids dinner, left them with their dad and put on my party shoes. I was headed off for an evening of fun at a great local arts centre!

Full-Featured Arts Centre

Place des Arts is a full-featured arts centre. They offer a wide range of classes and workshops for all ages, from music and play for babies to musical theatre for kids to pottery and weaving for adults. They also have exhibition space and a gift shop; they run day camps on Pro-D days, over Spring Break and during the summer holiday for school-aged kids; and they host a variety of events and functions throughout the year. The Ignite event offered attendees a chance to hear artists speak, tour the arts centre, hear music, sample food, drink wine and see just what Place des Arts has to offer.

Studio Sessions

During Ignite several studios were open to explore, while artists worked, chatted and answered questions. In the Wheel-Throwing and Handbuilding Studio Cam Stewart provided pottery demos. In the Fibre Arts Studio I saw Irene Weisner spinning and I chatted with Catherine Dumaine while she did some weaving. In the Fine Arts Studio Stan Hunc did some pen and ink drawing, and in the Multipurpose Studio I watched Sue Cowan and Joy Kirkwood paint. It was a lot of fun to see these talented instructors create art right before my eyes, and I enjoyed having a chance to ask questions and get to know them a little better.

Mingling over Wine and Culture

After I was done touring I headed back to the main atrium of the arts centre, where patrons mingled, drank wine, ate, enjoyed the art on exhibit and listened to talented musicians perform. It felt very grown-up and sophisticated to immerse myself in arts and culture – and it was a definite departure from my usual routine of wiping up after small children.

I happen to live in Coquitlam, so Place des Arts is very conveniently-located for me. But even if you’re not nearby, it’s definitely worth the trip to visit the arts centre. The space is beautiful, the instructors are friendly and knowledgeable, and their fees are very affordable. Several of the classes they offer are one-of-a-kind in Metro Vancouver. Their mission is to “inspire the artist in everyone”, and that is just what they do, whether you’re 18 months old or the mother of an 18-month-old. Take the trip out to the suburbs and treat yourself to some culture!

Here are some upcoming events to get you started:

Family Day at PdA: A Canada Culture Days Event
Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 1:30–3:30pm
Place des Arts is proud to offer Family Day at PdA for free as part of Canada Culture Days, a national grassroots arts and culture event that is being celebrated in every province and territory in Canada. Gather up the family and celebrate! Participate in three all-ages, drop-in-style workshops: Primary School for Potatoes; Give Leaves the Brush; Bag that Animal. Don’t be intimidated by art — get engaged in it! Call 604-664-1636 to reserve a spot.

Day of the Arts
Friday, October 21, 2011 from 8:45am-3:45pm
Monster Mash is the theme for this Pro-D day camp at Place des Arts. Registration is now open for six blocks of visual, literary and performing arts classes for kids from kindergarten to grade five. Call 604-664-1636 to register.

Place des Arts

www.placedesarts.ca | Twitter | Facebook
1120 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam