Christopher J.J. Reimer Show and Chris Reimer Legacy Fund Announced

In February of this year, Vancouver lost a an immensely talented young artist. Taken from us at the tragically young age of 26, Christopher Reimer was known and loved throughout the world for his spellbinding guitar work in Azeda Booth and Women and as touring guitarist for The Dodos. Christopher also composed a significant amount of unreleased and largely unheard music, and his artistic talents extended beyond music: he was involved with dance performance as a youth, and he created a collection of mostly unseen drawings, photographs and writing as a young man. Chris’ early training in dance and music was integral to his development as a professional artist.

His wonderful sister is the published poet and former editor of Event magazine, Nikki Reimer, and she worked with us at V.I.A. for years; first by sharing her inspiring East Van Cats photo project over 52 weeks and then going on to lead our Van City Kitty feature which continues to share all of the wonderful felines that you readers are lucky to call your own. Nikki recently made the move back to Calgary from Vancouver after 8 years here, attributing 25% of the decision to wanting to be close to family after her brother's death and 75% to the rent/housing/job situation for artists in our city. It was sad to see her go and to become an illustrated example of the brain drain that our city has been experiencing for decades - I myself moved to Los Angeles for 5 years in the early 2000's due to finding work there, and not here. And while I hope that Nikki will one day return like I did, the subject of affordability in our city is immense and it's not one we tackle here often. In the coming years we're hoping to help bring light to some housing initiatives here on V.I.A., and to hopefully be a part of a long-term solution.

And of course there is really good news in all of this! Nikki has started a legacy fund in her brother's honour, and is kicking it off with an art show at Sled Island in Calgary in a couple of weeks. Below are the details for the show, if you're going to be in Calgary on June 20th, you absolutely have to go:

All opening reception drink sales and donations will benefit the Chris Reimer Legacy Fund. A selection of art will be available for silent auction.

When: Opening 6:00 p.m., Wednesday June 20, 2012.

Show runs June 20-24, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary, 104 – 800 – Macleod Trail SE, Calgary Alberta

(Main floor, Calgary Municipal Building)

Tickets: FREE. All opening reception drinks and donations will benefit The Chris Reimer Legacy Fund

And here are the details for the legacy fund as well as a donation form which, if you have the means, I urge you to fill out and contribute to:

The Chris Reimer Legacy Fund Society (official charitable registration pending) is a collective of Chris’ closest friends and family who have banded together to keep his tremendous spirit alive. Chris was unfailingly generous, loving, loyal, humble and kind. It is our hope that his art and his generosity may live on through our work.

The Chris Reimer Legacy Fund has two aims:

1) to provide funding for youth to receive training in dance and music

2) to professionally produce and release the music that Chris wrote