Inspired by the power and beauty of Gabriola Island, the Elements is a new festival that celebrates our shared environment, and explores how the human and the natural world interact.The idea is simple and rooted in the question: What binds us to place and to one another?
Many artists from Gabriola and elsewhere bring their gifts, expertise, and love of community to the festival. Their work reflects their own exploration of this question, and offers their personal insights, as artists and as islanders, on community life. Four of the projects are commissioned thanks to a grant by the Arts Partners in Creative Development fund. All of them have been developed in collaboration with an eclectic cross section of Gabriolans.
We invite you to imagine Gabriola's very own 'terrestrial symposium' by joining us on a journey that celebrates our extraordinary human and non-human communities.
Everyone is welcome.
Non-human
A few of the plants common to the island include the trees Douglas-fir, Western Redcedar, Arbutus, Garry Oak, Bigleaf Maple, and Red Alder; the shrubs Oregon-grape, and Red-flowering Currant; the perennial herb Small Camas (Common Camas); the semi-aquatic or terrestrial herb Western Skunk Cabbage (Swamp Lantern), and the evergreen perennial Western Sword Fern.
Sea creatures near Gabriola include orcas (killer whales), sea lions, seals, otters, oysters, mussels, clams, wolf eels, octopuses, and salmon. Deer and raccoons are among the island's more common land animals.
In the winter months, the coast of Gabriola is visited by many species of waterfowl such as the Scoter, Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, and Harlequin Duck. Shorebirds such as the Black Turnstone and Ruddy Turnstone frequent the island as do garden birds such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Thrushes, Warblers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Flickers. The Bald Eagle, European Starling, and Turkey Vulture are common year round. More than 250 bird species live in or migrate through the Nanaimo/Gabriola area. ( from Wikipedia)
Human
Island festivals include the annual Thanksgiving Weekend Studio and Gallery Tour, sponsored by the Gabriola Arts Council. The Dancing Man Music Festival is held in late April through early May and the Home and Garden Tour in June. The Non-Marine Boat Race, the Sand Sculpture Competition, the Annual Salmon Barbecue, and Gabriola Islander Day, and now The Elements: a Festival of Nature in Performance, all occur in August. Throughout the summer, the Saturday Market at the Agricultural Hall features local produce and baked goods from the island, as well as crafts and artwork. Habonim Dror Camp Miriam, a Jewish summer camp, operates on the island from the end of June through the end of August.
Folklife Village on North Road a few minutes beyond the ferry terminal, is the island's main shopping centre. It was bought and transferred to Gabriola after its role as the Saskatchewan Pavilion in Expo 86 in Vancouver. Other shopping areas can be found at Twin Beaches Mall on the north end of the island and Silva Bay on the south end. The island has a strong connection to the city of Nanaimo. Gabriola residents often refer to Gabriola as The Rock and to Vancouver Island as The Big Island.
Gabriola and surrounding islands have more than 70 known petroglyphs - sandstone carvings, some of which may be as old as 2,000 years or more.[4] A small park at the Gabriola Museum contains reproductions of some of these petroglyphs. — from Wikipedia (mostly)
To see a collection of Flickr images of Gabriola Island, click HERE
Links
Ear to the Earth is an international network of musicians, composers, sound artists, scientists, business people, lawyers, doctors, academics, environmental activists, in short people from all walks of life who are concerned about the environment. It's a network that connects to an annual festival in New York, to other events throughout the world, to documentation of our sound environment, and to other events and activities.
