Arts Symposium Finds a Brand New Home Peggy Stortz On February 5th, the annual Arts Symposium and Marketplace found a new h o m e at the John Braithwaite Community Centre, the gem of Lower Lonsdale. It's a perfect fit. A f t e r e i ^ h r years at the L u c a s C e n t r e , the o r g a n i z i n g c o m m i t t e e at the A r t s & C u l t u r e C o m m i s s i o n o f N o r t h V a n c o u v e r d e c i d e d it w a s t i m e f o r c h a n g e . T h e s p a r k l i n g n e w c e n t r e o n W e s t 1st Street c a m e t o m i n d i m m e d i a t e l y . T h e beautifully designed facility offers a variety of studios a n d m e e t i n g r o o m s t o a c c o m m o d a t e the d a y ' s a c t i v i t i e s . Its a c c e s s i b i l i t y t o t r a n s i t is a l s o a h u g e p l u s . " W e ' r e very f o r t u n a t e t o create this c r e a t i v e p a r t n e r s h i p w ith the J o h n B r a i t h w a i t e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e , " says J o y C o w i e , S p e c i a l Projects a n d E v e n t s C o o r d i n a t o r f o r the Commission. " T h e c e n t r e is a b s o l u t e l y f a n t a s t i c - e a s i l y accessed, s p a r k l i n g n e w , a n d w i t h a m y r i a d o f r o o m s t o c h o o s e f r o m . " She a l s o notes h o w h o s t i n g the S y m p o s i u m i n c r e a s e d the centre's p u b l i c p r o f i l e as p a r t i c i p a n t s c a m e f r o m i l l a r o u n d the L o w e r M a i n l a n d , the F r a s e r V a l l e y , the S u n s h i n e C o a s t a n d G a m b i e r K l a n d . A f t e r the e v e n t , C o w i e , her face b e a m i n g , is h a p p y w i t h the m o v e . " W e ' v e h a d a l o t o f p o s i t i v e f e e d b a c k a b o u t this l o c a t i o n , the q u a l i t y o f the w o r k s h o p s a n d the m a r k e t p l a c e . " F r o m her p e r c h at the r e g i s t r a t i o n t a b l e . C u l t u r a l Services A s s i s t a n t , S i o b h a n B a r k e r c o u l d see the a f f e c t the l o c a t i o n h a d o n the p a r t i c i p a n t s as s o o n as they a r r i v e d . " T h i s year's v e n u e h e l p e d t o e n e r g i z e the e v e n t , " she s a y s . T h e r e w a s d e f i n i t e l ) a new v i b r a n t energ] in the air. T h e d a y b e g a n w i t h a w e l c o m i n g speech by N o r t h V a n c o u v e r D i s t r i c t Mayor R i c h a r d W a l t o n . H e o b s e r v e d that " t h e arts is a p l a c e w h e r e p e o p l e m a k e l o n g - l a s t i n g c o n n e c t i o n s . " H e then i n t r o d u c e d k e y n o t e speaker. A l m a L e e , w h o , a m o n g o t h e r a c h i e v e m e n t s , is the f o u n d e r the V a n c o u v e r W r i t e r s ' F e s t i v a l . R e c e n t l y r e t i r e d , she d i r e c t e d that successful festival f o r eighteen years. She s p o k e w i t h a gentle w i s d o m o f her c o m m i t m e n t to her a r t i s t i c p a t h a n d c i t e d V i s i o n , P a s s i o n a n d E n e r g y as t h r e e m a i n i n g r e d i e n t s e s s e n t i a l t o the a r t s . O n e o f the m a n y p a r t i c i p a n t s w a s N o r t h V a n c o u v e r A r t s a n d C u l t u r e C o m m i s s i o n e r E l i s e R o b e r t s . H e r feelings a b o u t her n e w p o s i t i o n a n d the S y m p o s i u m a l i g n e d p e r f e c t l y w i t h the w o r d s o f b o t h M a y o r W a l t o n a n d A l m a L e e . "1 feel inspired and connected. M y v i s i o n a n d p a s s i o n f o r the arts has a f o r u m . It's events l i k e this t h a t a l l o w o n e t o e x p e r i e n c e first h a n d w h a t the arts c o m m u n i t y is a l l a b o u t . " Besides t w e l v e e x c e l l e n t w o r k s h o p s , the S y m p o s i u m i n c l u d e d a n i n f o r m a t i v e t o u r o f the p u b l i c art i n J a c k L o u c k s C o u r t , d i r e c t l y across the street f r o m the c e n t r e . T h e e v e r - p o p u l a r A r t s T r a d e F a i r f e a t u r e d the w o r k s o f several artists as w e l l as services f o r artists. T o u r de Feast C a t e r i n g & C a f e i n L y n n Valley provided a delicious lunch. L o r i P h i l l i p s , I n t e r i m D i r e c t o r at the C o m m i s s i o n , w a s d e l i g h t e d w i t h the event's s u c c e s s . " W e ' r e t h r i l l e d to use the J o h n B r a i t h w a i t e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e , " she s a y s . " W e w e r e o v e r w h e l m e d by the t o the t r a d e f a i r . " A t 4 : 0 0 , the J o h n B r a i t h w a i t e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e w a s still a - b u z z . A b r i g h t n e w fire w a s i g n i t ed that w i l l guide participants o n t h e i r c r e a t i v e j o u r n e y s . N e x t year's S y m p o s i u m , N u m b e r 10, p r o m i s e s t o be e v e n b i g g e r a n d better. response L