Erin Perkins
The start of the 2022 school year has me thinking of beginnings but also traditions. I’m the brand-new Arts Editor for The Navigator. How will I differ from all the past writers who made The Nav what it is today? To answer this question, I needed to speak to a Navigator alum. I met Erin … Continued
Susan Juby’s New Book
VIU Creating Writing and Journalism professor Susan Juby said her new book, Mindful of Murder, is a “murder mystery, but it’s a funny one.” The novel, released March 8, is Juby’s twelfth and her “first real big” mystery. She has written mysteries for a Young Adult audience, but this is her first entry with an … Continued
Joe Enns
The balancing point of what you want to do and what you need to do to sustain yourself can seem like a near-invisible wire. When I talked to Creative Writing and Journalism (CREW) student Joe Enns, it struck me that he seemed to have cracked the code to living as close to a balanced life … Continued
Global Storytelling
The latest entry in the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series took place on Friday, February 11. Creative Writing and Journalism professors Craig Taylor and Dr. Sonnet L’Abbé presented on “Listening to The World / Storying A Place” in Malaspina Theatre. It was the second of three events in VIU’s Spring 2022 Colloquium Series, and took … Continued
Connecting with the Local Art Scene
In a world of two-day Amazon shipping, it’s easy to become disconnected from one’s own community. There’s a growing emphasis on supporting local businesses, and an achievable first step could be to take time to discover and support local artists. However, it can be a struggle to determine how to connect or reconnect with Vancouver … Continued
2021 in (Book) Review
I read 45 books (and five plays) in 2021. I’ve always been a big reader, but last year was the first time I set out to make a comprehensive list of all the books I read. I was surprised by how many I got through! I read across a variety of genres last year, stepping … Continued
Carey Newman’s Hearts and Hands Pin
VIU students may have noticed orange heart-shaped pins for sale in the campus bookstore. Picking one up, they may also notice that the fifteen-dollar sale supports the Orange Shirt Society. What they may not know is the poignant story behind these hearts-and-hands pins by Kwagiulth and Coast Salish artist, and University of Victoria professor, Carey … Continued
Baking for the Holidays
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year—and perhaps the busiest for VIU’s Professional Baking and Pastry Arts department. The department went through an intensive two weeks of holiday baking in early December to fulfill approximately $15k worth of orders for the VIU and Nanaimo community. The holiday delicacies range from classic … Continued
All Together Now
VIU’s Malaspina Theatre joined thousands of other theatres around the world to put on a showing of Music Theatre International’s “All Together Now.” “All Together Now” is a musical celebration of theatre coming back after COVID-19, featuring numbers from musicals such as Les Misérables and Mamma Mia! The North American editions of the show were … Continued
Publishing
I check my inbox outside my English classroom and see a new email from The Malahat Review. They’ve decided not to accept the short story I’d sent for their consideration. They say one of the characters was unrealized. I had cut a significant section building his character at the suggestion of one of my Creative … Continued
Daniel Elliott’s Winds of Change Exhibit
There is a timely new art exhibit on display in VIU’s Malaspina Theatre lobby. Stz’uminus First Nation artist Daniel Elliott’s Winds of Change was unveiled last Wednesday evening, the night before Canada’s first Truth and Reconciliation Day, and runs until October 8, then again from October 12-13. The exhibit turns a deliberate eye to themes … Continued
Lurk:
Street art has always been highly criticized, feared, and polarized by communities around the world. Maybe because it’s “out there” for everyone to see; maybe because it evokes newfound emotion and conversation—who knows? In my mind, it allows a person’s creativity to bring life to a previously mundane wall or building. Street art is instrumental … Continued
Pop-Up-Shop Art Show
Shawnda Moufette of Moufette Arts is a contemporary mixed media artist, poet, and writer who attends Vancouver Island University. She will be hosting a pop-up-shop sale of her artwork October 9–October 10 from 1–4 pm each day at the Vault Café in Nanaimo. Her newest work is inspired by Montreal, the city where she grew … Continued
Can a movie change the world?
The role of the arts in creating social change is a history that stretches far back into time. Artists in cultures and countries around the world have used their mediums to inspire and incite the viewer to examine a particular issue in a new way. Frida Kahlo, one of Mexico’s most famous artists, used her … Continued