A sow’s ear becomes the Silk Purse AFTER YEARS of lobby- ing councils for a communi- ty arts centre, West Van- couver art-lovers are finally getting their way. By Evelyn Jacob News Reporter The Silk Purse — once a dilap- idated sea-side cottage that doubied as a honeymoon get- away —- opens to the public Fri- day. Opening ceremonies at the 1570 Argyle Ave. location begin at 5 p.m., with entertainment, food and door prizes offered free to the public. The Silk Purse will be the per- manent new home of the West Vancouver Community Arts Council and a centre for a host of artist lectures, workshops and music recitals. Although this ‘‘arts centre’ is only a modest two-room house (the upper offices are being oc- cupied by the arts council), pro- grammer Colleen Reed is excited about the quality of programs be- ing offered. They range from workshops in basic self-portrait drawing to tax information lec- tures for working artists. ‘We didn’t want to duplicate what the rec centres are offering. Susan Acki (who is in charge of programming for the Silk Purse art gallery) has pulled in top ar- tists in the field to do really inten- sive, top-notch workshops,”’ Reed. Some of those workshops will include a two-day course in 3-D clay animation with artist Bill Maytone, an art in landscaping workshop and designing for film with writer/director Karen Firus. Lectures for working artists range from the ins and outs of portfolio presentation to what ar- tists should know about taxation in Canada. In the Kay Meek Lounge, a variety of professionals will Danceworks opens new location NORTH SHORE choreographer Clare Cunningham celebrates the opening of her new dance and fitness centre tomorrow. Danceworks, which combines the eastern arts of yoga, tai-chi and meditation with western dance and fitness, has been operating on the North Shore for 10 years but it hasn’t had a public access stu- dio for over a year. Cunningham says participants have been rehearsing privately at Pres- entation House and at Queen Mary School. Its new location is now open at 201-1410 Marine Drive. Classes will include: stretch, ur- ban yoga, aerobics, ballet, modern dance, jazz and funk at beginner through to professional levels. Osiris Films, a non-profit com- pany also run by Cunningham, is also open in the same location. Cunningham says her dance com- pany has been moving away from live dance towards the production of dance on film. For anyone who’s interested in Dauceworks’ program, phone 984-3130. says’ 44 Susan Aoki has pulled in top artists in the field to do really intensive, top-notch workshops. 99 - Programmer Colleen Reed deliver lectures on topics such as architectural design for natives, architectural heritage, Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Theatre, B.C. writing and post-modern horror movies and pop culture. There will be a music recital on the last Thursday of each month, modelled after the successful Music in the Morning series. Although there are no records of when the Sitk Purse was built, most estimates put it around 1925. The original owner was a wonian by the name of Annie Mc- Cullough, about whom little is known. In 1969 John Rowland, a West Vancouver resident, bought the house from former Vancouver mayor Tom Campbell, fixed it up, = RE NEWS photo Mike Wakeficld THE SILK PURSE will be the permanent new home of the West Vancouver Community Arts Council and a centre for a host of artist lectures, workshops arid music recitals. and began renting it out as a hide-away for newlyweds. Rowland’s son Jay declared that father John was trying to “make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” and the name Silk Purse stuck. The Rowland family moved into the Silk Purse, but eventually sold it to the municipality of West Vancouver in 1978, (Several years later council voted to turn it into an arts facility and the house next door into a production house for Theatre West Vancouver, formerly West Vancouver Little Theatre). Starting next week, the Silk FALCON TRAVELS THE TRAVEL PROFESSICNALS PRESENT: SPRING AIRISEA CRUISES RENO DISNEYLAND may 8-15/May 13-49 LAS VEGAS May 17-23 May 13-19 from from from LAUGHLIN AND LAS VEGAS May 5-12 LAUGHLIN May 8-15 from from SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES say 5-12 PHOENIX May 5-12 SAN FRANCISCO AND ALASKA CRUISE may 16-24 from Purse art studio will be available to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays from {0 a.ra. to 2 p.m. on a $5 drop-in basis. “*There’s a real need for studio space in West Vancouver so it made sense to open it up,’ said Reed. . Registration for workshops will be held at the West Vancouver Recreation Centre. For more in- formation about any course in the art studio, phone Susan Aoki at 925-3605. Warm Your W Windows With Wood unheard of : offer ie Order the Renaissance Collecti.n today. May 4-15/ ACAPU LCO May 13-23 from ALL OUR AIR/SEA CRUISES INCLUDE: All aw transportation from Vancouver ¢ All ground transportation « Accommodation as selected by tour and hotel taxes * Cruise to Vancouver including all meals and entertainment. Ail prices shown are per person in Canadian dollars based on double occupancy in an inside stateroom. Air and port taxes. GST and insurance is additional @ Holland America Line FALCON TRAVELS |v, Pemberton Plaza - (inside VanCity) 1280 Marine Dr., North Vancouver 986-5321. REGENCY SSQBCRUISES Oifer ends Feb. 29/92 (Hurry, may never be heard of again!) SHADE BETTER! Specializing in Blinds and Draperies for over 7 years 4877 Marine Drive, Nan. 934-44 04 #4-38918 Progress Way, Squamish $92-5857 | Whistier 932-6617 |