Latest news with #BeaumontStudios
CBC
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
How one artist sees music as shapes and colour through synesthesia
Ciele Beau is a multi-disciplinary visual artist and musician. Ciele derives influence from her synesthesia. When she listens to music she feels and sees colours and shapes. Her newest exhibition is hosted at Beaumont Studios in Vancouver. CBC's Dannielle Piper met her at the studio to learn more about the artistic practice.
The Province
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Vancouver hubs create vibrant arts and cultural community — but can they survive?
The challenges facing the arts at the moment mean artist-run spaces are all having to revisit their plans Beaumont Studios — at 316 West 5th Ave., in Vancouver — has embarked on a multi-year relocation fundraising initiative. Photo by Francis Georgian / PNG Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Beaumont Studios, China Cloud, 8East and the Red Gate Arts Society are a few of Vancouver's busiest artist-run studios. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Key hubs to the region's arts and cultural sector, these vital mixed-use spaces are in trouble. The government of B.C. reports that the arts, culture and heritage sector generated $6.7 billion to total GDP in 2022. Creative B.C.'s 2023 CIERA annual impact figures were $5.6 billion. That billion-plus dollar drop is not the direction the sector wants to go in. The message is that these are tough times to create art. The City of Vancouver has programs in place to aid artists including presenting grants and permit help, but there is a strong argument that more needs to be done to support vital mixed-use areas. Arts groups throughout the province advocate for the reinstatement of the B.C. Fairs, Festivals and Events Fund (BCFFE) launched in 2021 in response to mitigate COVID-19 measures. This would benefit specific events, but it was never designed for artist-run spaces, many of which shuttered in recent years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jude Kusnierz has run the Beaumont Studios at 316 W. 5th Ave. in Vancouver since 2000. The 20th anniversary of the space launched with Art Incognito, a multi-year fundraising campaign to secure a new home for the multimedia gallery and performance venue. Kusnierz's artistic career began making custom, hand-painted martini glasses. As the business grew and expanded, so did the need for more space. 'My previous spot burned down and I needed a new one, as did others in the community,' said Kusnierz. 'I started designing a concept around an open plan where you could come and see studios, shop, take in a theatre show, etc. Essentially, it was creating a community-oriented gathering zone.' The space ran into issues with permits for issues ranging from artist designations to parking requirements. Kusnierz admits mistakes were made in the learn-as-you-go experience. Some sympathetic people on the board of variance, as well as a petition campaign, saved the project. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Now 20 years later, everything has changed with new neighbourhood designations,' she said. 'That means paying property taxes today on tomorrow's zoning plans. Art and cultural spaces need to find steady homes and not have constant affordability and displacement challenges.' The property tax issue is echoed by Red Gate Arts Society programming director and indie musician Katayoon Yousefbigloo. What began as an artist collective became a non-profit society in 2012 out of a need to have a more public presence. Following a string of evictions due to rezoning, the group took up residence at its Main Street location in 2018. The band Slaylor Swiftdeath performing live at Red Gate Arts Society on Oct. 28, 2023. Photo: Albert Cao 'Red Gate's mission is to provide low-barrier, affordable space for experimental art practices, particularly for communities that don't feel welcome in institutional or mainstream performance spaces,' said Yousefbigloo. 'We've always included a large performance and visual arts area along with music rehearsal studios. We host performances and exhibits in the evening and community workshops and outreach programs in the daytime.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Like Beaumont Studios, Red Gate was involved in the consultation process with the City of Vancouver to try to establish clearer rules and language around mixed-use facilities. Under the present policies, the space can host three events a month with over 60 people. 'That's not sustainable with the rent we pay and my suggestion has been to come up with a new business licence allowing more nights a month,' said the artist. 'The combination of archaic zoning and putting what artist-run spaces do into that context and how property taxes are assessed means we pay as much tax as we do rent. There has to be a solution in there as art spaces can't cover the costs that for-profits do.' This situation is hardly a new one. The NOW Society has been active since 1977 presenting improvised music performances by local, national and international artists. The organization has seen the urban landscape through 50 years of change with the one constant being lack of a designated space. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since 2018, the NOW Society and the 8East collective have used a hybrid model to run 8East at 8 W. Pender St. Lisa Cay Miller is a Vancouver-based improvising pianist and teacher. Photo by Coastal Jazz / PNG Pianist Lisa Cay Miller is artistic director of the Now Society and has been involved in improvised music for decades. She says 8East is an essential centre for the city's jazz and avant-garde scenes. The space additionally hosts community events ranging from Chinese seniors workshops to Indigenous activities to reflect its Chinatown address. 'NOW has always been musician-led and run and now we have an artist-run, non-profit space,' she said. 'In my travels around the world to other cities, there were venues devoted to improvised music and I wanted that for Vancouver. The hybrid model keeps the society projects going that can work in this city.' A combination of donations and city funding helps 8East keep the doors open. Miller notes that things are working, but the challenges of reduced funding and rising rents always loom. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A few blocks away, multi-tasking performing artist Colin Cowan has run the China Cloud Studios on Main Street since 2015. Colin Cowan, right, and unidentified muse of Colin Cowan & The Elastic Stars. [PNG Merlin Archive] PNG In the same way that Beaumont Studios has embarked on a multi-year relocation fundraising initiative, he has launched a China Cloud Studios GoFundMe fundraising appeal to address continuing financial struggles. With a goal of $20,000, the campaign has reached 25 per cent of its total since launching in February. 'I've always had a good take on what was and wasn't working and the audience cycles that happen, pulling through the hard times,' said Cowan. 'Last June, we fell behind and have been struggling to pay rent and manage accounts to keep the doors open. We are asking for a little financial help to get to the other side of that.' A musician who has toured with major acts such as Black Mountain and Destroyer, Tiny Pyramids, Sunra Project and Elastic Stars, as well as being an actor and standup comic, Cowan buzzes with energy. The self-described '10-headed monster' says that the challenges facing the arts at the moment mean artist-run spaces are all having to revisit their plans. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Without help with rising costs, the future is not bright. 'I've been very lucky over the past 15 years to have fallen into the things that I've done, and make enough to get by,' he said. 'But getting people out and them having any money to drop is extremely hard right now. Fortunately, I have a supportive landlord, but I'm going to have to involve more outside presenters, etc.' Diane Kadota is a veteran manager and member of the city of Vancouver's music task force. She is a founding member of the Vancouver Independent Music Centre (VIM), which is a proposed 20,000 square-foot music centre planned for the area formerly known as the Plaza of Nations. The proposal for a 250-300 seat concert venue, rehearsal and workshop spaces and café offering ' an affordable, accessible, sustainable and culturally diverse music centre in Vancouver' has been in development since 2011. 'The idea was borne out of the frustration of not having a single designated space that was for music,' said Kadota. 'We've seen plans for a choral centre, a literary arts centre and others fall through. We still have faith this can happen and there are many different groups who need it.' At the moment, faith in the future is what a lot of artist-run spaces are questioning. sderdeyn@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Homes Vancouver Canucks Local News News
Vancouver Sun
24-04-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver hubs create vibrant arts and cultural community — but can they survive?
Article content Beaumont Studios, China Cloud, 8East and the Red Gate Arts Society are a few of Vancouver's busiest artist-run studios. Article content Key hubs to the region's arts and cultural sector, these vital mixed-use spaces are in trouble. Article content The government of B.C. reports that the arts, culture and heritage sector generated $6.7 billion to total GDP in 2022. Creative B.C.'s 2023 CIERA annual impact figures were $5.6 billion. That billion-plus dollar drop is not the direction the sector wants to go in. Article content Article content The message is that these are tough times to create art. Article content Article content The City of Vancouver has programs in place to aid artists including presenting grants and permit help, but there is a strong argument that more needs to be done to support vital mixed-use areas. Article content Arts groups throughout the province advocate for the reinstatement of the B.C. Fairs, Festivals and Events Fund (BCFFE) launched in 2021 in response to mitigate COVID-19 measures. This would benefit specific events, but it was never designed for artist-run spaces, many of which shuttered in recent years. Jude Kusnierz has run the Beaumont Studios at 316 W. 5th Ave. in Vancouver since 2000. The 20th anniversary of the space launched with Art Incognito, a multi-year fundraising campaign to secure a new home for the multimedia gallery and performance venue. Article content Kusnierz's artistic career began making custom, hand-painted martini glasses. As the business grew and expanded, so did the need for more space. Article content Article content 'My previous spot burned down and I needed a new one, as did others in the community,' said Kusnierz. 'I started designing a concept around an open plan where you could come and see studios, shop, take in a theatre show, etc. Essentially, it was creating a community-oriented gathering zone.' Article content Article content The space ran into issues with permits for issues ranging from artist designations to parking requirements. Kusnierz admits mistakes were made in the learn-as-you-go experience. Some sympathetic people on the board of variance, as well as a petition campaign, saved the project. Article content 'Now 20 years later, everything has changed with new neighbourhood designations,' she said. 'That means paying property taxes today on tomorrow's zoning plans. Art and cultural spaces need to find steady homes and not have constant affordability and displacement challenges.'
