This Friday at 2pm PST, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden is proud to present “The Garden and Art as a Sanctuary”, with Shayla Perrault.
“My paintings appear as a split imagery system. Elements of design, pattern and order are juxtaposed against invented and muted mindscapes. They are meditations on the physical and spiritual aspects of painting.”
Notable shows include a collaboration with Producer Ian Widgery at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. The solo show “Trois” at the CBC Gallery Georges Goguen was televised across Canada and Perreault participated in a group show at Owens Art Gallery, the oldest University Gallery in Canada.
On June 19th, 2020, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month hosted our very first Virtual Recognition Awards Ceremony. We were joined by our President, Leticia Sanchez, Minister of Citizens’ Services Hon. Anne Kang, VAHMS directors Jing Palad, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan and Patricia Woroch, festival coordinator Jasper Sloan Yip, and musical guest VI AN.
In June, we celebrate National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity that we all have to honour the heritage, contributions, and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Celebrating National Indigenous History Month in June is an important tribute to the heritage and diversity of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. Recognizing the historic contributions that all Indigenous peoples made to the development of Canada, as well as the strength of present-day Indigenous communities and their promise for the future should make us proud of sharing our lives in their lands and will help us build more respectful relationships. We all have a role to play in our efforts towards finding truth, reconciliation, and inclusion of all peoples, National Indigenous History Month provides us with precious time to reflect and gain deeper appreciation of Indigenous heritage, values, and the common interests we share.
The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society understands and recognizes the past and present connections between Indigenous and Pan-Asian Communities and is proud of the mixed heritage that many Pan-Asian and Indigenous families share.
Two notable figures of Pan-Asian and Indigenous Heritage are Elder Howard E. Grant, and Elder Larry Grant who is also VAHMS patron.
Larry Grant, Musqueam Elder
Larry Grant, Musqueam Elder, was born and raised in Musqueam traditional territory by a traditional henqeminem speaking Musqueam family. After 4 decades as a tradesman, Larry enrolled in the First Nations Languages Program, which awoke his memory of the embedded value that the henqeminem language has to self-identity, kinship, culture, territory, and history prior to European contact. He is presently assisting in revitalizing henqeminem in the Musqueam Language and Culture Department and co-teaching the introductory henqeminem course through UBC.
Larry is the Elder-in-Residence at UBC’s First Nations House of Learning. He is a Faculty Fellow at St. John’s College, and the inaugural Honorary Life Fellow for Green College. In 2010, he received the Alumni Award of Distinction from Vancouver Community College, and in 2014, he became an Honorary Graduate from the Native Indian Teacher Education Program (NITEP) at UBC.
Howard E. Grant, Executive Director, FNS
Howard E. Grant was born and raised in the Musqueam community. He was one of the fortunate children who did not attend residential school, giving him the benefit of learning his culture, values, and teachings from his elders in his everyday life. Mr. Grant is his family’s cultural speaker and is a historian and cultural leader of his extended family. As a result of this, Howard was given the honour by the elders of his extended family to carry the name qiyeplen?xw. A name known and respected throughout Coast Salish territories.
Mr. Grant is currently the Executive Director of the First Nations Summit (FNS). FNS is comprised of a majority of First Nations and Tribal Councils in British Columbia (BC), providing a forum to address issues related to Aboriginal Title, Rights and Treaty negotiations as well as other issues of common concern.
Mr. Grant is also a long serving member of Council from his home community of Musqueam, whose traditional territory once occupied much of what is now Greater Vancouver and surrounding areas. The primary Musqueam Reserve, Musqueam I.R. #2, is located at the mouth of the Fraser River in Vancouver.
Mr. Grant was previously employed as the Executive Director of the Musqueam Indian Band from 1992-1997. He also held senior management positions with the federal government (Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada DIAND now AANDC) from 1984-1992.
Larry Grant: Intertwining Cultures, produced by CCS
Info retrieved from: https://president.ubc.ca/medal-of-excellence/2019-recipients/elder-larry-grant/
National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.
Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs.
In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.
VAHMS is saddened to learn of the passing of renowned BC ceramicist Wayne Ngan last Friday at the age of 83. The impact of Wayne’s life and work on the BC craft community cannot be overstated. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Wayne Ngan was born in 1937 in a small village near Guangzhou, China and emigrated to Canada when he was 13. He graduated with honours from the Vancouver School of Art in 1963, beginning a prolific career in pottery, painting and sculpture. Ngan’s work was featured as the inaugural exhibition of the Bau-Xi Gallery in 1965, with key exhibitions following at the National Gallery of Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery, National Palace Museum (Taipei), Museum of Civilisation (Ottawa), the Canadian Craft Museum and the Belkin Gallery, among others. Ngan was the recipient of the Saidye Bronfman Award for Masters of the Crafts (1983) and the BC Creative Achievement Award of Distinction (2013). Ngan’s work has been recognized as instrumental in the development of the well-known West Coast Modernist Aesthetic that continues to influence ceramic practice in British Columbia; his unyielding experimentation in form and surface has resulted in pottery that spans the refined to the rough. Ngan’s work is collected and exhibited worldwide.
Our Virtual Recognition Awards Ceremony is coming up this week on Friday, June 19th and we want you to get to know this year’s honourees before the big event. You can register now to tune in live and be a part of our first ever virtual ceremony.
Sima Ghaffarzadeh is the Co-founder, Director, and Editor-in-Chief of Hamyaari Media, a bi-weekly magazine, which serves BC’s Farsi speaking community by providing original contents through a trusted source of news, arts, and culture. Hamyaari Media was established in 2016.
In 2010, Sima also founded the popular Facebook group named “Hamyaari Iranian Vancouver” which means Iranians Outreach in Vancouver. This virtual community currently has over 30,000 members and provides newcomers with information and resources to help them settle into their new communities. Through her personal involvement in these projects, Sima Ghaffarzadeh has improved the quality of life for thousands of newcomers coming from Farsi speaking regions in Asia.
She is also an active member of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, and her leadership was recognized with prestigious awards in 2018 and 2019 for her public-spirited support for equality, human rights, cooperation, and understanding among the members of various cultural groups in Canadian society.
Yayoi Theatre Movement Society
Yayoi Theatre Movement Society is a dance company founded by Yayoi Hirano in 1990. Born and raised in Japan, Yayoi has lived in Vancouver since 2002 and is a graduate of Toho Gakuen College of drama. Over the past 30 years, she has continued her study of Japanese dance and movement such as Kagura, Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki-dance as well as western dance forms such as classic ballet and modern dance.
The Yayoi Theatre Movement Society has taken a leadership role in promoting cross-cultural exchange between many Asian arts societies and Canadian audiences who are not familiar with Japanese traditional dance and movements. Over the decades, Yayoi Theatre Movement Society has collaborated with many Canadian dance companies and artists that exist outside of the traditional Japanese community, with the goal of creating meaningful cultural exchange through the theatre experience.
Margaret Gallagher
Margaret Gallagher has been a regular voice on CBC Radio since 2001 on programs such as Hot Air, The Early Edition, and Canada Live. Prior to joining the CBC, Margaret was active in the Vancouver arts scene, working with the Western Front, the Video In, and the Independent Film and Video Alliance.
Actively involved in community outreach, Margaret has tirelessly donated her time and efforts to many Vancouver events. She has hosted dozens of events for a variety of arts and community groups and even won a “Community Builder” award from the Hapa-palooza Festival of Mixed Roots in recognition of her work to connect communities.
For many years, Margaret has collaborated with Pan-Asian communities, individuals, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations, including VAHMS, to promote the inclusion and representation of Asian traditions and cultures in Canadian society. Her strong leadership and kind approach have allowed her to reach many audiences and promote a more equitable and accepting society.
Performing:
VI AN
VI AN is a world music recording artist and composer specializing in spontaneous, intuitive compositions on various Asian long-plucked zithers, including Japanese koto, Vietnamese ?an tranh and Chinese zheng instruments. A completely self taught musician, VI AN has released 25 independent solo albums to date and collaborated with thousands of other artists, musicians and theatre groups from around the world.
On June 19th, she will perform a delightful original piece titled “Mama’s Lullaby of Eternity” for the 30 stringed zheng instrument. This piece celebrates the life and legacy of her late Mama, whom for VI AN, represents intercultural and Asian heritage, a great and enduring legacy in her life!
I am writing on behalf of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society to express solidarity with communities of colour in BC and around the world who have long suffered under systemic injustice within our societies, as well as those individuals who have been victimized during the COVID 19 pandemic.
A key role of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society has been to advocate for equality and inclusion while providing a platform for Asian communities to be seen and heard. Our efforts are constantly led by our desire to promote culture, diversity, and education, and we remain committed to fair and equitable treatment and representation for all peoples in our communities. Right now we are all part of a moment in history that has the potential to reshape our culture and communities for the better, and it can be challenging for each of us to know how to be an ally of this positive change. For VAHMS, it is a moment for listening, learning, supporting, and amplifying voices from communities of colour, and we would like to invite you to learn with us. Here is a list and organizations that are providing important leadership and resources, that need your support.
Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society recognizes the potential of a diverse Vancouver and advocates for equity, inclusion, collaboration and the social integration of Asian-Canadian communities. VAHMS appreciates the social benefits of multiculturalism and believes in the peaceful and respectful coexistence of not only Pan-Asian communities but of all ethnocultural groups in Canada. As these values ground the work that we do, these days we find inspiration in the legacy of the late Alireza Ahmadian, an enthusiastic supporter and friend of VAHMS, a consummate socio-political analyst, and an opinion leader on foreign policy who nurtured the virtues of diplomatic dialogue.
Alireza Ahmadian. 22 Feb, 1981 – 28 June, 2019.
In June 2019, Ali, as we used to call him, was invited to be the honoured guest at VAHMS Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. However, shortly before the event, VAHMS president Leticia Sanchez received the unfortunate news of his passing. Ali was on an overseas trip when he suddenly succumbed to a fatal brain aneurysm. The unexpected end to Alireza’s life and to the multiple opportunities that were being developed by such a bridge-builder were felt not only within VAHMS but also across the many communities in which he served.
Alireza was equally proud to be both Iranian and Canadian. Having two different heritages, one by birth and the other by immigration, gave him the ability to contrast philosophies and policies from different vantage points and ultimately find a point of convergence. As a result, he often penned opinion pieces on the topics of immigration and Iranian-Canadian relations. His approach to tensions regarding racial relations was to confront them but to do so with the goal of unification as opposed to division. In Immigration Is a Scary Topic: We Should Talk About It, he called out the increasingly partisan rhetoric around immigrant-non-immigrant relations. “The lack of supply is changing. As more politicians adopt a divisive language and resort to “us” vs. “them” rhetoric with regard to immigration and immigrants, it becomes more important to openly talk about these issues.” and encouraged a rather diplomatic approach to confronting opposing beliefs “If we expand our identity and invite “them” to become part of “us,” and if we respect the integrity of our opponents and engage the content of their arguments, we can create an environment in which we can talk about uncomfortable topics comfortably.” Alireza also expanded the understanding of Iranian culture through education. He was instrumental in the institution of UBC’s Iranian studies and Persian language courses. In the non-profit sector, Ali served as a volunteer at VAHMS for 4 years. His amiable and respectful demeanour toward everyone made him a natural community gatherer. VAHMS Advisor Kelly Ip said of Ali, “He believed in multicultural harmony and strived to promote cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect among all people.”. His co-emcee, Margareth Gallagher said, “I had the great pleasure of working with Alireza…as a co-host at the annual Asian Heritage Month Awards Gala. I was struck by his kindness, his enthusiasm and by how much he truly cared about the community…I remember leaving that night thinking how lucky I was to have spent the evening working alongside such a genuinely compassionate and gracious person…”
At this time, we are witnessing a very different summer from last year when Alireza Ahmadian left us. Now, with increasing anxiety and division exacerbated by disease and injustice, we find ourselves remembering Alireza’s strong commitment to raising his voice in support of diversity, and we wish that our valiant and eloquent friend was still here standing along with us, calling for respect and unity and holding up the banner of true inclusivity.
Sujit Vaidya is an independent Bharatanatyam artist living in Vancouver, British Columbia whom you may recognize from this year’s festival poster. As an interpreter, he has performed extensively in Canada, US, Europe and India. He has many solo margam presentations (traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire) to his credit and has performed in duet and group productions with companies such as Co Erasga, Battery Opera Dance, Shakti Dance Company in Vancouver BC, inDANCE in Toronto ON, Spilling Ink in Washington DC, Nava Dance in San Fransisco CA and Nrithyalakshana in Chennai, India. His projects, UMA and ?iva Kissed Visnu , choreographed by Hari Krishnan, artistic director of inDANCE, Toronto, challenge him in new ways as an interpreter. As an emerging choreographer, he creates work that speaks from a deeply personal space. Using Bharatanatyam as language, his work “OFF CENTRE” draws from introspection around his experience of disconnect as a contemporary gay man, immersed in learning an ancient art form. He finds it important and urgent to question the narrative and relevance of non inclusive traditional ideas. As the first South Asian artist to receive the Vancouver City’s Mayor’s award as Best Emerging Dance Artist, 2010 He continues to pursue advanced training in the traditional form of Bharatanatyam with his Guru A. Lakshman in Chennai, India.
The month of May marks Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and as it comes to an end, I reflect on how different explorASIAN Festival celebration was this year with most of its signature events, tours, film screenings, and gatherings being cancelled or postponed. In past years, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, its partners and audience, shared stories, learned about the many different Pan-Asian Cultures, and cultivated relationships through its extensive live festival programming. These past months, the global health crisis showed us that we cannot take things for granted or predict when or how to gather, but that we can change the way we behave, communicate, and work.
explorASIAN Festival is an opportunity to provide Pan-Asian and Asian-Canadian artists a platform to be seen and heard. The question we had this year was, how to showcase the many Pan-Asian artists without our original plans? We decided to transition the festival from live to virtual as our best move to keep our promises and help our artists. Virtual explorASIAN held the key to our presence and active participation in celebrating Asian Heritage Month. Internet, social media, and live streaming brought forward more of new audiences as well as artists who could perform and connect. Our Opening Ceremony, Interconnected exhibitions project, film screenings, webinars, talks, interviews, and many partners’ events became more relevant and brought us closer together than any other years. Now, I can say that, regardless the circumstances, we found ways to connect with each other and celebrate.
As of today, we may not know when social distancing restrictions will be completely eased in our cities, but we, at VAHMS, will remain committed to continuing celebrating Asian Heritage Month, as well as cultivating, and promoting openness, diversity, inclusion, and community all year through.
Thanks to the hard work and generosity of our Partners, Sponsors, Advisors, Festival Coordinator, Board Members, Volunteers, and your continuous support, we made Virtual 2020 explorASIAN Festival a reality. Next Year, we will come back together as a stronger diverse community to celebrate VAHMS 25
Anniversary, and another successful Asian Heritage Month.
On Behalf of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, I would like to thank you, now more than ever, for helping us give voice and support to the diverse Pan-Asian Communities.
Following the conclusion of our first ever Virtual explorASIAN festival, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) is pleased to announce our annual Recognition Awards Ceremony will also be going virtual. Since its foundation in 1996, VAHMS has been dedicated to recognizing Asian-Canadian participation as an integral part of Canadian society by promoting understanding and appreciation of Asian-Canadian arts and culture. VAHMS is aware of the important contributions that many individuals and organizations have made towards the realization of this vision, and every year they host the Annual Recognition Awards Ceremony to recognize and thank those individuals or organizations that may otherwise go unnoticed.
We invite you to join this free webinar, which will include a musical performance from local independent recording artist and composer Vi-An.
