THE FREE PRESS ENTERTAINMENT Page B7 THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2000 PHONE 564-0005 The Arts NOTEBOOK ♦------------------- ► New gallery near The civic art gallery has a new name, location, mandate and phone number. Now a regional facility located in downtown PG, it is called the Two Rivers Art Gallery and can be reached by calling 614-7800. It will officially open the July 7 weekend with huge public celebrations. ► Truck for the PGSO The Prince George Symphony Orchestra is into their largest fundraiser of the year. They are raffling off a 2000 GMC Sierra 4x4 truck (half-tonne, four-door). Tickets are $5 each or 3-for-$10. Find tickets on sale at Pine Centre Mall this week, Superstore next week or at the PGSO office in Studio 2880. ► Vivian retrospect Local artist Vivian Antoniw will hold an opening reception on June 16 at 6 p.m. to celebrate her new exhibition of paintings. The long-time artist/art teacher will have her work on display at Art Space until July 13. Vivian is a member of the Milltown Artists as well as a solo painter. This is a retrospective of her work, plus new material: oils, watercolours, landscapes, abstracts. ► Last chance for Brigadoon Excalibur Dance Studios presents Brigadoon at the PG Playhouse until June 10. This all-local cast stars such notables as Colin Dix, Parry Hallet, David Leach, Eira Glover, Frank Caffrey, Rebecca Greig, Gary Chappel and others. It is directed / choreographed by Bonnie Mathers, music direction by Broek Bosma, costumes by Solvig Mathers. Tickets available now at Studio 2880. ► Now for something different Art Space is calling for submissions for two out-of-the-ordinary shows. One is a show of recycled art (collage, fabric, whatever comes to mind). The other is to coincide with the Fringe Festival and calls upon artists working in the spirit of the fringe (anything goes!). Call Michael at 563-6648 for further information. Carving History Totem a testament to aboriginal past and multicultural future History has a sweet, dry smell as it is chipped away in front of the Two Rivers Art Gallery. Little piles of it blow in the wind across the paving stones. In little thumps and clumpy thuds it will whittle away through the month as it lays in wait, then it will rear up to its full height and stand forever where the people can see it and read it and know what it represents. Master carver Ron Sebastian is the Gitxsan Wet’suwet'en artist at work on this piece of history. His work is in the beginning stages, but in a few weeks it will be ready for permanent erection: the First crest pole in the recorded history of Prince George. This totem will stand in front of the new art gallery for all time as a reminder of this area’s aboriginal past and multicultural future. “As far as we know it is the first, but there may well have been ones down by the river two or three hundred years ago,” Ron says. “It’s not just a West Coast thing. Wherever there were rivers in the north there were totem poles. You have totem poles now in Ottawa, New York, Washington, why not Prince George? This is going to attract people from all over the world. I have my own business (R.A.S. Fine Arts) in New Hazelton and people passing through always say There’s nothing to stop and see in Prince George except the university, but now there will be another reason.” More than a postcard snapshot, this crest pole is to be a confluence of ideologies, just as the gallery behind it is symbolic of two rivers meeting. The base of the totem is the bear figure with a cave built into its body. Coming out of the cave are the four main native clans of North- Ron Sebastion works the cedar with an adze near its future home in front of the Two Rivers Art Gallery. John mckenz