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creative spaces | byAiPrke EXPOSES THE GUERRILLA SCULPTURE SHOW PUBLIC T( VAST ARRAY OF NORTH SHORE TALEN M o s t p e o p l e v i e w s c u l p t u r e in t h e p r i s t i n e surroundings of a gallery under artificial light, o r p e r h a p s in t h e f i n e l y m a n i c u r e d courtyard of an office t o w e r in t h e m i d d l e of a busy d o w n t o w n . But n o t all s c u l p t o r s b e l i e v e their work s h o u l d be seen that w a y . Just such a g r o u p d e s c e n d e d o n a green space at 139 East 1st Street in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r o n t h e C a n a d a Day l o n g w e e k e n d t o d i s p l a y t h e i r work a m o n g t h e trees, a n d e d u c a t e t h e p u b l i c o n the variety a n d m a g i c of sculpture. From clay to glass, stone, copper a n d w o o d , artists from the Famous O p e n D o o r Studio Society turned the park-like setting into a n o u t d o o r gallery a n d studio, w i t h a variety of d e m o n s t r a t i o n s of their chosen m e d i u m , f r o m life d r a w i n g t o clay m a s k - m a k i n g t o stone carving. A m o n g those s h o w i n g their w o r k w e r e D o u g Pahl, N a z G o n z o , Elizabeth Harris-Nichols, Charles Fawcett, Mark George, E.M. Egyeda B r a s s a r d , R o b e r t Keillor, C a m e r o n and Bill A d a m a n g i d i s . S o m e s p o n s o r s h i p funds w e r e provided by Opus, w h i c h is o p e n ing a n e w outlet s o o n o n the North Shore. " T h e g r e a t e s t t h i n g w a s t h a t o n e lady a n d her k i d s c a m e i n t o t h e park just after it o p e n e d at 10 a m a n d just s t a r t e d d r a w i n g . W e already a c c o m p l i s h e d o u r m i s s i o n a n d it w a s n ' t even 11 o'clock. I think w e ' v e started s o m e t h i n g b i g , " says Keillor, a g l a s s artist w h o , a m o n g o t h e r projects, is p r o d u c i n g a series of h u g e glass d r a g o n f l i e s for t h e n e w Lynn C a n y o n Ecology Centre. " W e w a n t e d a p l a c e t o m e e t rather t h a n h a v e t h e g r o u p g a t h e r at o n e a n o t h e r ' s h o u s e s , " explains Harris-Nichols. " W h e n I first c a m e to North Vancouver I couldn't find a place to work. That's still t h e case f o r a lot of artists. W o r k i n g at h o m e is okay, b u t it's really messy. A n d for those o f us w h o have kids a n d families, it gets pretty t o u g h . The issue of studio space o n the Fawcett a n d Harris-Nichols w e r e a m o n g t h e originators of t h e event, w h i c h they h o p e t o m a k e at least a n a n n u a l e v e n t . F a w c e t t is even m o r e ambitious. " F o r t h e last 17 years I have been trying to get an international stone s y m p o s i u m o n t h e North Shore, so this is a start," says Fawcett. "This is really exciti n g , a n d I d o n ' t s e e w h y w e c o u l d n ' t d o it four times a year, here, in Burnaby, wherever people want i t . " September | October "This has been terrific," a d d s Keillor. "It helps make the public a w a r e of w h a t kinds of talented artists there are out here, a n d helps t h e m learn a bit about t h e process. There's a lot of us hiding out there w h o p e o p l e s e l d o m s e e . " Harris-Nichols notes that the idea of an open air s h o w a n d demonstrations appealed to all the artists, w h o believe artist-run e x h i b i t i o n s d o more justice to their w o r k . "The spontaneity has been really fun, a n d w e ' r e already t a l k i n g about next year." North Shore needs t o be addressed, because it gets really c o m p l i c a t e d . You have t o have permits a n d licenses, insurance a n d all that, o n t o p of m a k i n g art a n d raising a f a m i l y . " The F a m o u s O p e n D o o r S t u d i o S o c i e t y w a s f o r m e d several years a g o as a w a y f o r artists to n e t w o r k , a n d e x p a n d their skills by l e a r n i n g f r o m e a c h other. It has e x p a n d e d f r o m there, a n d t h e y a r e n o w d o i n g a v a r i e t y o f t h i n g s , i n c l u d i n g h e l p i n g e m e r g i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l s t r y i n g to m a k e a living at their art.