African Drumming and Dancing with MaObong Oku, A true African Cultural Experience

For our February ArtStarts on Saturdays workshop series, we were pleased to present MaObong Oku. This was the second time we have had this amazing Nigerian born artist visit us for the ArtStarts on Saturdays series and she does not disappoint.

Music, Dance and Martial Arts, A True Visual Feast with Aché Brasil

For our January installment of ArtStarts on Saturdays workshop series, we were delighted to host Aché Brasil for a fun and engaging workshop where both parents and kids were clapping along and dancing to the drumming rhythms.

Imagination Play with Kathryn Ricketts

We all had an entertaining morning and afternoon as artist and story teller, Kathryn Ricketts tells us a story through her imagination, physical gestures and interactive performances. Kathryn's method of storytelling is to get children and families excited about the content, in this case Dr Suess, and relate in a physical way so that everyone has a deeper experience beyond listening to a story.

Around the World with Boris Sichon

For our Septemeber ArtStarts on Saturday’s workshop, we had the pleasure of hosting Boris Sichon for an amazing musical experience that kept us all captivated.

ArtStarts Open House for Culture Days

Get in the spirit of Culture Days at the ArtStarts Open House featuring:

• with free face painting with Samantha Rae
• sidewalk chalk art with local artist Brent Clowater
• gallery tours of our current exhibition BIG IDEAS
• tasy treats and MORE! 

Sunday October 2, 11am - 3pm
808 Richards St. (map)

Drumming with a Smile and Fana Soro

May’s installment of our free workshop series was a big hit, with record numbers of kids (and kids at heart) taking part in an African drumming workshop led by master drummer, Fana Soro. Some of the kids made it down after having seen Fana perform at their school in the past.

Laughter and Silly-ness with DuffleBag Theatre

Our most recent installment of the ArtStarts on Saturdays series saw the gallery filled with laughter, silly-ness, and grownups in funny costumes, as DuffleBag Theatre presented their interactive version of the classic fairy tale Cinderella.

Clowning Around with Dianna David

ArtStarts recently hosted the incredibly talented and mad-cap clowning, miming and dancing antics of Dianna David in its downtown gallery as part of ArtStarts on Saturdays.

Singing and Dancing with Will Stroet

This Haloween weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting a crowd of little monsters, dinosaurs, giraffes, bumble bees plus their mums and dads at our most recent ArtStarts on Saturdays workshop with Will Stroet!

Hoop Dancing with Teddy Anderson

In honour of Culture Days and the opening of our new exhibition, ArtStarts showcased two interactive workshops by traditional First Nations Hoop Dancer Teddy Anderson as part of our ArtStarts on Saturdays series. Teddy's moves, which sometimes had him spinning up to 20 hoops at one time, captivated the audience.

Wild Things, Wild Play with Kathryn Ricketts

Roaring, stomping, clapping, dancing. Kids and parents had lots of fun acting like monsters at our latest ArtStarts on Saturdays workshop! Kathryn Ricketts stopped by the gallery space on June 26th to lead two interactive storytelling workshops based on Maurice Sendak's classic tale, Where the Wild Things Are.

Instrument Fun with The Kerplunks

Award-winning band The Kerplunks visited ArtStarts today to deliver a fun-filled musical performance. The 4 talented members taught the audience about a variety of instruments, including bass, guitar, trumpet, trombone, banjo, drums, and even kazoo!

Sudnya Mulye at the ArtStarts Gallery

Sudnya Mulye visited the ArtStarts Gallery on Saturday for a workshop on Indian Dance. Kids and parents learned about the classical dance style Bharata Natyam, exploring Indian culture and tradition through this expressive medium.

Drumming with Milton Randall

Saturday marked another action-packed ArtStarts on Saturdays workshop. Milton Randall dropped by to teach kids & parents about the language of drumming. Participants got a workout and practiced their counting skills as they banged on their individual drums.

Sing-along with Bobs & Lolo

After a month in hiatus, the ArtStarts on Saturdays series is off to a great start in 2010. In record breaking numbers, families poured into the ArtStarts gallery for a performance by popular local artists, Bobs and Lolo. Kids sang and danced to a number of songs, using movement and imagination to celebrate the natural world.

More photos of African Dance!

Here are some more photos from our exciting African Dance workshop with Maobong Oku. Many thanks to Lia Margueratt for documenting the event.

African Dance with Maobong

The ArtStarts Gallery was packed on Saturday for two invigorating African Dance workshops with Maobong Oku. Kids and parents got a workout as Maobong led them through a series of different dances that celebrate Nigerian culture.

Michael Mitchell gets kids dancing to songs about Canadian history!

Seasoned children's performer Michael Mitchell visited the ArtStarts gallery on Saturday to perform some songs about Canadian history! He got kids stomping around like prehistoric dinosaurs, paddling an imaginary canoe through the Land of the Silver Birch, and waltzing like Log-Drivers on the Ottawa river.

SWARM takes ArtStarts by storm!

What an exhilarating performance by Vancouver's very own hyper- kinetic percussion troupe SWARM! The group offered a unique hands on experience filled with fun, music and movement. Kids learned action drumming using funky recycled instruments such as rubber tubing, garbage can drums and even rubber duckies and chickens. Parents and kids leaving the event told us it was a blast, so awesome, and that they i loved it all!

Traffic Saftey for everybody!

Once again, kids, parents and grandparents joined us for another successful Saturday event featuring the dynamic and playful, Major Conrad Flapps. His“Traffic Safety Show” parodies hip-hop and rap as Flapps demonstrates the right and wrong ways to cross the street.

They sang, they danced, they played!

Children and parents were captivated by popular children's entertainer Art Napolean at the ArtStarts in Schools Saturday series on June 27th. Art's performance was fun and interactive, which kept the audience interested as he playfully taught kids Cree chants, drumming and traditional stories ending in a friendship dance.

Joe Ink moves it!

Both children and parents shook it up and stretched it out at the May 30th Move it Show. The Joe Ink workshop was stimulating and interactive for kids and allowed their parents to bring out their inner child as they joined in the live dance performance. Energetic lead dancers Jacci and Barb encouraged everyone to be a "super dancer" as they coached participants to follow the magic hand, do the robot or paint the bubble.