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Culture crawl an eastside tradition

Deep in the thick of the industrial hub just off Commercial Drive lies a hidden well of talented artists who for one weekend each November let the city into their secret world.
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Deep in the thick of the industrial hub just off Commercial Drive lies a hidden well of talented artists who for one weekend each November let the city into their secret world. The Eastside Culture Crawl, the annually anticipated event arrives again this weekend, Nov 20-23.

Stretching across East Van from Victoria Drive west to Main, and from East 1st to Railway, this year’s crawl includes more than 400 artists in 78 different buildings.

As co-founder and executive director of the unique Vancouver event, Esther Rausenberg has a long history with the crawl. Part of a group of artists who banded together 18 years ago to create a one of a kind multi-disciplinary showcase, she says she never dreamed the event would into the annual institution it is today.

“It really speaks to the intimacy of the event,” she explains. “Often there is a distance between viewer and artist in a proper gallery. The crawl offers a rare opportunity for both to engage in a dialogue about the art making experience.”

Brad Turner, a first time participant will be at the Terminal City Glass Co-op in the Mergatroid building. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design, Turner fell in love with glass blowing nearly a decade ago, honing his skills within the small but connected community.

“It’s nice to see glass is growing beyond its success in countries like the Netherlands, Italy, and the U.S.,” Turner says. “This is my first year at the crawl so I’m interested to meet the community here in Vancouver.”

His crew of glass, wood, and ceramic artists will open their studios and offer live demonstrations on site.

It’s all part of how Rausenberg and her team are committed to further expanding the program of the crawl. This year sees the return of Studio 101, a collaboration with local inner-city schools designed to engage children in art, bringing them to artist studios for various workshops.

Their long term vision is to bring art outside the walls, this year doing so with a projection titled “Moving Art” at Parker Street Studios.

“The artists really do want the feedback of the public and want to know how people are responding to their artwork,” she says. “It’s ultimately a way to empower the artist, having them present their own work to potentially make a living.”

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