Last Look at This Year's East Van Culture Crawl

Revisiting Degan's suggestion of the top five picks to go see at the Culture Crawl, I thought I'd write about my top five picks after visiting the crawl. Unlike other years, I didn't get to visit the crawl until Sunday, the last day, and it was a different experience. I got to see which painters sold out and which didn't, who was exhausted and who wasn't, and what artisans' seconds still look spectacular after others had gotten first choice. Initially I had thought it was a disadvantage to go on the last day but I think I got a good sense of how the weekend had gone for the artists, while still getting an eyeful of art.

Four hours and four studios (William Street Studios, Parker Street Studios, Megatroid, the ARC and Bob Abby Design) plus a quick stop for a tasty bowl of borsht at Uprisings Bakery was all I could fit in on a Sunday. While I couldn't see everything, here are my top five picks from this year's Culture Crawl:

1.Laura McKibbon, at the Megatroid Building. Laura's ceramics are the ultimate in hipster table chic. Yyou'd probably recognize them if you've lived in Vancouver for a while. She makes candy-coloured plates, bowls, and kidney shaped dishes stamped with funky images. If you ever wanted a bowl decorated with a super eight camera, a diagram of a hand using chopsticks or a goldfish; Laura McKibbons is the person to talk to.

2. Bettina Harvey, of the William Street Studios, does mixed media work that makes your mouth water. Gentle illustrations of lungs and bones mixed with a subtle collage and found objects. Her color palette was of light greens and blues and beiges; which made the decoupage look modern.

3. Jeina Morosoff, the William Street Studios, had my favorite studio. Jeina works with the forms of the ocean; producing small sculptures that resemble anemonies and gooey ducks. She had a bowl of rocks that had all been carved to look like sealife; clear glass paperweights filled with organic materials like coloured lentils; and rocks carved and etched with pictures and thread. Many of her pieces were made of glass with a rust-like patina. Looking into the centre of her sculptures produced a kaleidoscope effect; small bits of light transmit through the patterns on the sculptures surfaces and reflect in open tunnels of glass. Simple shapes but spectacular execution.

4. Leah Decter of The Parker Street Studios. Leah works in a variety of mediums including cast metals, blown glass, stitching on vellum papers and felting. Her pendulums of glass and wool were intriguing as was her pile of lead-cast wishbones. She showed us some photographs of an exhibit she'd had done earlier in the year which consisted of cast statues of molars and dental plates. I found Leah's work smart, funny and engaging.

5. in Elements Design at the ARC had wood furniture. These pieces were not only beautiful but also well-crafted. My favorite pieces included a coffee table with a built in vase, and a pillar of light that ran from floor to ceiling made up of sections of bamboo.

The Culture Crawl gave me enough eye candy to last until next November, and I still could have covered so much more ground. It ended the way all good arts festival should-leaving me satisfied, inspired and looking forward to next year.