When Gloria Bernal moved to Vancouver from Guadalajara, Mexico, she brought with her a love of the arts. Then, after studying entertainment business management at Vancouver Film School, the Glitz Entertainment co-founder gave the city an event that connects and celebrates its vibrant multicultural arts scene.
“When I graduated, myself and the two co-founders saw a need in Vancouver for unifying all the [art] disciplines to work together as a team,” Bernal recalls. “We decided to create Lab Art Show, where we can actually combine all the disciplines and showcase them in one night – that way everyone can pollinate and work in different projects in the future together.”
Four years and six Lab Art Shows later, the event has grown into a mammoth showcase of world music, painting, photography, fashion, short film and dance, with production values improving with each incarnation. The event has also built art collections, helping its artists sell over $80,000 worth of art.
This year, on April 16, more than 100 artists will take over the Roundhouse Community Centre. Of the plethora of participants, highlights include an experimental multi-media performance by musicians and composers from Vancouver Community College, French-Canadian sculptor Padam (formerly known as Morley Wiseman), whose work is inspired by his illustrious professional dance career, the debut of French photographer Pascal Avenet's latest series, exploring the connections between historical land and its inhabitants, and Rome/Seoul/New York-based artistic duo ShinLiArt, who have documented their long-distance relationship in captivating and creative ways.
Curated from a pool of open submissions, the idea behind Lab Art is that art is for everyone.
“When we have all the portfolios we sit down and watch all the videos and discuss what would be a good fit for our audience,” says Bernal. “Vancouver is very multicultural, so we like to have a fit for everyone to enjoy their culture within one night.”
• Lab Art Show runs April 16 from 6pm at the Roundhouse Community Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews). Earlybird tickets $25 online/ $30 at the door; Glitz-Entertainment.com
