Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 arts, culture, and culinary stops to check out at Doors Open Richmond
From taste-testing Ukrainian pierogies to learning watercolour-painting techniques, this year’s offerings have plenty of free activities in store
Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko. Photo courtesy of Richmond Museum
Richmond Museum presents Doors Open Richmond on June 8 and 9 from 10 am to 4 pm, at more than 40 locations across Richmond
PRESENTED EACH SPRING by the Richmond Museum, Doors Open Richmond offers locals a peek at what’s hiding in plain sight all around the city they live in.
More than 40 businesses and organizations are participating in the annual celebration this weekend, which will showcase a diverse collection of vibrant artist studios, rich cultural practices, vital city workings, and important historic landmarks.
Among the various happenings is a sold-out bus tour down No. 5 Road of Richmond’s different places of worship; a rare tour of the City of Richmond’s artifact collection; and a conversation about archiving artworks at the Richmond Art Gallery. (Two exhibits will be open to view at the gallery, including Unit Bruises: Theodore Wan and Paul Wong, 1975-1979, presented as part of this year’s Capture Photography Festival.)
Here are just a few of the highlights at this year’s Doors Open Richmond, all open for drop-in visits during the event (and in one case, available for viewing at any time online). Check out the rest of the sites by navigating the Richmond Museum’s interactive map.
The Blue Cabin at Imperial Landing Docks in Steveston Harbour. Photo by Jordan Schinkel
The Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency
June 8 and 9, 1 pm to 4 pm, at Imperial Landing Docks (4280 Bayview Street)
Originally built in 1927, the Blue Cabin has a decades-long history resting atop pillars on the foreshore of Cates Park in North Vancouver. Husband-and-wife artist duo Al Neil and Carole Itter resided in the sanctuary from 1966 up until 2015, when a neighbouring development company forced their eviction in order to clean the contaminated foreshore. Artist groups collaborated with the District of North Vancouver to restore and transform the Blue Cabin into a floating artist residency space over the next few years, and it was towed along the Fraser River to Steveston Village’s Imperial Landing in 2022. At Doors Open Richmond, visitors can tour the space, learn about its rich history, and explore the Sovereign Waterways public-art exhibition featuring works by Calvin Charlie Dawson/Ts’kanchtn, Jonas Jones, and Chase Gray.
Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko
June 8, 10 am to 4 pm, at 5311 Francis Road
One of Richmond’s hidden food gems is the Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko, which opens up its doors to the public every Saturday to sell delicious handmade Ukrainian goods: varenyky (pierogies) with potato-cheddar, sauerkraut, cottage-cheese, and potato-dill fillings, plus holubtsi (cabbage rolls), medivnyk (honey cake), and more. Along with serving up bites to eat, the society will be teaching folks about the arrival of Ukrainians to Canada with a vivid exhibit. Guests can also try a hand at writing their own names in the Cyrillic alphabet—the Slavic writing system used in several Eurasian countries, including Ukraine—and watch people decorate intricate pysanky, traditionally embellished eggs.
Sudnya Dance Academy
Online video
The Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam, graceful in nature and full of facial expression, is characterized by its intricate footwork and elaborate hand gestures. Though it began as a southern Indian temple dance for women, in modern times, performers employ the style to convey stories of Hindu mythology. Sudnya Mulye, founding artistic director of Sudnya Dance Academy in Richmond, teaches the ins and outs of the dance form’s technique to her students each week—and in a brand-new video presented by the Richmond Museum, Mulye is now sharing her knowledge with the general public. Through the seven-minute online lesson (see above), she teaches viewers about the art form’s history, the nine universal emotions it incorporates, students’ years-long journeys to learn its nuances, and more.
Steveston Japanese Language School
June 9, 10 am to 4 pm, at Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (4255 Moncton Street)
Founded in 1960, the Steveston Japanese Language School is housed in the Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, and offers classes for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Drop by to learn more about the centre’s class options and Nikkei community programming, and try a hand at crafting a Japanese origami paper sculpture to take home. The Steveston Japanese Language School has been a key part of Doors Open Richmond for over a decade now, and provides visitors with the chance to learn about Japanese community, culture, and heritage in the city.
Springtime in Garry Point Park. Artwork by Scott Pleydell-Pearce
Scott Pleydell-Pearce Artist Studio
June 8, 10 am to 4 pm, at 8640 Fairdell Crescent
A former animation director from southwest England, Scott Pleydell-Pearce immigrated to Vancouver in 2016 and has since embraced a career in watercolour painting. His works capture the natural charm and beauty of Steveston, Richmond, and Greater Vancouver, from a quirky wooden home in the fishing community of Finn Slough to bright-yellow spring gorse flowers in bloom at Garry Point Park. Pleydell-Pearce’s garden studio will be open on a drop-in basis for folks to view his works, watch him paint live, and even experiment with watercolour techniques themselves.
Related Articles
