Culture Crawl Wrap-Up

Well, the Eastside Culture Crawl went off without a hitch this weekend and I discovered lots of new favorites, as well as revisted some old ones, which is of course the point of the whole thing. Some highlights:

Discovering Valerie Arntzen and in fact everyone in the Paneficio building. Her mixed media pieces focus on religious and warfare iconography, often juxtaposed, and deliver a powerful message in a beautiful container. Another new find is Scott Plumbe who's new work captures the photorealism of Strathcona and Chinatown. I love the way he's portrayed the life in these neighbourhoods.

A few more after the jump.

Eric Ishii's paintings are colourful and evocative, Cybele Ironside does misty, barely-visible-through-the-rain landscapes and ceramic artist Jasna Sokolovic creates whimsical wall pieces, jewellery and vases that would make perfect gifts for someone you cared about enough to overcome the urge to keep it for yourself.

I didn't buy anything this time around, but I am seriously coveting Arleigh Wood's "Roost 2". I can't seem to find a photo of it anywhere online, so you will have to be content with an image from her blue series, above, which I think is equally delicate and gritty and which I love at least as much, but for different reasons. Speaking of beautiful things I can't have right now, when I can someday afford my own place, I want the dining room to be done completely in Silvia Dotto's red collection. With the crows.