Author: Mary Bennett

Tsunami-Damaged Kimono Fabric – Reimagined

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Peace Building Event

Love, Hope and New Life

Remembering March 11, 2011

Seven Years after the Eastern Japan Great Earthquake /Tsunami

3 Related events: March 7-9

Click here for personal stories from Tama Copithorne and Judy Villett

Wednesday March 7th, 7:30pm  

Talks and Music

Eriko Shiomi, Music & Art Producer, Japan

Keiichi Hashizume, Music Educator & Clarinetist, Japan

Julia Lin, Author – ”The extraordinary bonds between Taiwan and Japan”

Dr. David Edgington, Professor Emeritus, UBC – “Building back in devastated communities”

Dr. Eiichiro Ochiai, Professor Emeritus, Juniata College, Penn. – “Health problems related to the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident”

Thursday March 8th, 10:00am-4:00pm

Textile Art Workshop

Eriko Shiomi & Judy Villett, Textile artist

Friday March 9th, 7:30pm

Music for Peace and Textile Art Display

Japan: Keiichi Hashizume, Clarinetist

Vancouver: Keiko Alexander, Pianist I Bo Peng,, Cellist I Winds Choir & Egret Choir

Reception

Sponsored by:

Artistic Studio LaLaLa, Tokyo

Egret Music Centre, Vancouver

Vancouver Program Committee:

Judv Villett <ivillett@hotmail.com> 604-521-1191

Tama Cooithorne <tcopi@shaw.ca> 604-224-2646

Antonia Chu <antoniachu@yahoo.ca> 778-322-5566

Cecilia Chueh <egretmusic@gmail.com> 604-889-1114

Registration Recommended: 604-436-5995

***Participation by Donation***

50 X 50 TEXTILE ART WORKSHOP

Remember – Learn – Participate

Celebrate the incredible resiliency of the Japanese people and the way the world has helped,

especially their close neighbor Taiwan,  and friends in Canada.

Everyone is invited to participate in the 5OX5O cm Textile Art Workshop at Hewett Centre,  UCV on March 8th from 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Erika Shiomi will talk about the rescue of kimonos and fabrics from a historic shop, KAMESHICHI in lshinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, north of Fukushima, flooded by the tsunami. She will describe the cleaning and recycling process, bringing garments to show and sell made from the precious fabric. Thousands of 5OcmX5Ocm squares have already been made in Japan and around the world to be displayed during music performances organized by renowned clarinetist Keiichi Hashizume from Japan.

Participants are encouraged to think about their memories of the tsunami disaster and make a personal image using a scrap of the kimono fabric that Erika will bring from Japan. Add your own fabrics or use some that will be supplied. Embellishments and special threads may be incorporated. Stitch by hand or machine or don’t stitch at all! Images may be applied using iron-on fusible web – no sewing. No experience required!

Sharing materials and skills is encouraged. Several irons and sewing machines will be available, or you may bring your own machine with extension cord.

The finished 5O cm X 5O cm pieces will be donated by participants, either left at the end of the workshop or brought early the evening of the closing concert. All of the pieces will be safety-pinned together to provide a heartfelt back-drop for the talks and musical performance that are part of this memorial event.

Your work will then return to Japan to be part of the ever-growing collection from all over the world to be displayed in the new Culture Centre that is currently under consideration in lshinomaki.

A light Japanese and Taiwanese lunch will be provided during the workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring family and friends to attend the opening talks on

Wednesday evening and a very special finale concert on Friday evening to see your work and more than one hundred 5OX5O textiles brought from Japan.

For more information and to register for the 5OX5O Textile Art Workshop

please contact Judy Villett: jvillett@hotmail.com 604-521-1191

PARTICIPATION BY DONATION

Summary of the 3 Events

This series of events will be well worth attending! I’ve been fascinated following the background of these music, art and peace-building events. (from Mary Bennett, UCV Arts Committee).

Wed, Mar 7, 2018 at 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Peace Building Textile Art and Music Event – Remembering March 11, 2011 – Main Hall
http://vancouverunitarians.ca/e…/peace-building-textile-art/

Thu, Mar 8, 2018 at 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – 50 x 50 Textile Art Workshop – Main Hall
http://vancouverunitarians.ca/events/textile-art-workshop/

Fri, Mar 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Music for Peace and Textile Art Display – Sanctuary
http://vancouverunitarians.ca/ev…/music-concert-textile-art/

All events at the Unitarian Centre
http://vancouverunitarians.ca/eventlist/

Click below for 2-page description of the three events

Do feel free to print out and share with friends.

Page 1 – word doc – Description of 3 events   Page 1 – pdf – Description of 3 events

Page 2 – word doc – workshop description   Page 2 – pdf – workshop description

 

Installation of Rev. Samaya Oakley

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An invitation from the South Fraser Unitarian Congregation (Surrey Unitarians)

You’re Invited to the Installation of Rev. Samaya Oakley

With great joy and excitement, the members of the South Fraser Unitarian Congregation gather to install Rev. Samaya as our settled minister. We gather with excitement, with anticipation, and a sense of wonder – feelings which naturally come with taking risks. The service is family friendly.

Date:               Sunday, March 11th at 2:30 pm

Location:        Crescent United, reception to follow.

2756 127 Street, Surrey, BC V4A 6L5

Note:               Religious professionals are invited to robe at 1:30 pm.

RSVP               Ruth Sands by Monday, March 5th. Please indicate if you are:

  • Planning to robe;
  • Planning to sing in the choir; or
  • Planning to bring children

For More Information: Ruth Sands, ruthbbh@gmail.com; (604) 512-9032

Installation of Rev. Samaya’s

Lynn Armstrong “I’m with kindred spirits with Unitarians”

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Lynn has moved around a lot! Her first Unitarian home was with the Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowship 1990-2000 where she had active involvement in various roles (not all at the same time): Newsletter Editor for many years, Chair of Membership Committee, Chair of Denominational Affairs Committee, Canvass Co-chair, Archivist, occasional RE teacher and four years on the Board with two years as President.

Here’s where I live
Equator Nov 2016

When children graduated and flew the nest, Lynn moved to Victoria where she was an active member of the Victoria Church 2000-2002. Then a move to North Vancouver led to joining the North Shore Church 2002-2005 where she was Chair of Denominational Affairs. Lynn was often a delegate to PNWD and CUC meetings and was active in the BC Council serving as first Chair. She was a member of the CUC Nominating Committee 2000 to 2004 including a year as Chair. She was a member of the HUUG Team 2001-2002 (Helping U*U’s Grow) and a Service Consultant with the CUC Regional Network 2003-2005.

After checking with son and daughter who both said “Go for it Mom!,” Lynn moved to Surrey just south of London, England where she lived and worked for eight years. She visited Unitarian congregations in England but never felt “at home” in the way she experienced in Canada. She didn’t find the same sense of kindred spirits.

In 2013 Lynn returned to Calgary where she was actively involved with the local Unitarian church for two years before returning to the Lower Mainland and finally fulfilling her teenage prophecy of joining the Unitarian Church of Vancouver where she is enjoying involvement with committees for Social Justice, Environment, Communications and Canvass and appreciating being with kindred spirits yet again.

Current identity in addition to being a Unitarian: retired Social Worker, very happy grandmother to three grandsons who call her Nan, cross-country skiing enthusiast, social activist and adventurer.

Sasamat Family Camp

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Unitarian Family Camp

June 8–10, 2018

Set in the natural splendor of Port Moody’s Belcarra Regional Park, the camp offers swimming, boating, hiking, climbing, children and youth programs, a choral workshop for youth/adults, campfires and other fun communal events. Heated cabins with electricity. Meals provided. Note: Children love this camp but you do not need kids to attend Family Camp!

Download a brochure/registration form at

Camp Sasamat

 

 

 

 

 

March 7-9th Arts Event – How It All Began – by Tama and Judy

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Canada-Taiwan-Japan Connections

By Tama Copithorne

Love, Hope and New Life is a three-day arts and music event at the Unitarian Church marking the 7th anniversary of a great natural catastrophe and human tragedy of March 11, 2011 in Eastern Honshu in Japan (The Fukushima area).

Offering these events all started with the exhibition of our Vancouver based artist, Judy Villett’s exhibition, “Colours of Canada” in late December, 2017. I rushed to see Judy’s textile art exhibition in late December last year, a few days before the exhibition was to be closed. A fine example of Canadian social art!

I called my good Taiwanese Canadian friends who are interested in music and art to see if they would like to go with me to see Judy’s exhibition. They knew nothing about it but they were delighted to join me at the exhibition at Place des Arts in Coquitlam. We all went together to see the exhibition the next day.

At the exhibition, my Taiwanese Canadian friends told me just by chance that their friends in Artistic Studio LaLaLa (Tokyo), a Japanese social art organization approached them to help introduce their work in Canada, Vancouver in this case. The LaLaLa has already visited many countries in the world to promote peace following the tsunami and the nuclear disaster in 2011. Having been often involved in international cultural projects, I immediately suggested that we should all help bring this important art and music public event to Vancouver, to which my good Taiwanese Canadian friends and Judy said “Yes, let’s!” The timing presented us a challenge, as the LaLaLa with its principle individuals, music and art producer, Eriko Shiomi, and a well known clarinetist and music educator, Keiichi Hashizume, were already planning to come to Vancouver this March. We felt this is a significant starting relationship with them for Vancouver, so we started working on its presentation in our city on March 7, 8, and 9.

Personally speaking, I feel privileged to have good Taiwanese friends in our community who are interested in Japan. Japan and Taiwan has most of the time had a mutually helping and enriching history unlike Japan’s negative history with other Asian countries. Taiwan quickly came to assist Japan’s recovery from the great earthquake/tsunami catastrophe of 7 years ago. Taiwan raised over twenty billion Yen (nearly $250 million) for Japan’s recovery that time. Japan has also come to rescue Taiwan quickly whenever disasters hit the country. There is a mutual appreciation of each other.

Connections with Japan

By Judy Villett

The terrible earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan in 2011 felt close to me in several ways. I have visited Japan and have great respect for the visual arts and crafts there, forming friendships with textile artists there. As well, a close family friend was teaching school in a town near Fukushima in 2011. He survived, moving inland with his fiancé’s family. He kept us informed during and after the tsunami. Finally, one of my sons lived and worked in Japan for several years. We followed the whole event with horror and helplessness from Canada, and are still very concerned with the nuclear plant and the fact that radiation from it has caused Japanese friends to leave Tokyo and avoid the whole area. There are unknown consequences still affecting the ocean.

I was elated with the opportunity that arose via Tama Copithorne, a friend from the UCV Book Group, and her friend, Cecilia Cheuh. Through their musical/choir connections, we are able to help present a workshop using some of the rescued kimono fabrics…..a chance for me to take part, even this long after the event.

Helping Eriko Shiomi from Tokyo with her workshop gives me a chance to handle the precious relics and help create something meaningful and symbolic with them. There will be a direct connection as the work goes back to Japan.

I look forward to learning more about the catastrophe and Erico’s use of larger pieces of fabric to make original garments to sell as a fundraiser to replace musical instruments for children.

I will donate my time and some of my own fabrics as well as iron-on/fusible webbing for those people who don’t sew to help them make simple fabric collages.

I am looking forward to the speakers and world-class music. I have already learned about the strong connection between Taiwan and Japan from Tama and Cecilia, and feel privileged to be part of the world community supporting the survivors.

Judy Villett

www.judyvillett.com

Click here for details about the three day public event on March 7, 8 ,9.

 

Kids Will Take Over UCV

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Kids Takeover Arts Festival Coming to UCV

Our first event will be June 24th.

Learn to play Phroagh Frog with CoA kids

Make an ATC (Artist Trading Card) of a chalice (and then trade).

Participate in a free-wheeling discussion about the kids takeover in various groups. Be a bee or a butterfly–flit from one table to another or land on a topic and hang out there.

Hosts at each table will encourage brainstorming around: what would it look like if kids took over:

  • Buildings and Grounds
  • Sunday morning
  • Dinners and lunches at UCV (Messy church plus)
  • What would the ground rules be?

Send suggested topics to the Kids Takeover Team or show up with your topic.

We have a budget for art supplies and desert. Is there someone who could arrange the pie and ice cream for 1:20pm?

More about Kids Take Over

Inspired by Kids Takeover UBC (who in turn were inspired by Britain’s Arts and Culture Kids Takeover), I am starting an initiative (with Arts Committee support) to plan an Arts Festival for next fall or the following spring (depending on interest and offers from other UCVers).

Liam attended the Kids Takeover UBC event with his family.

There’s a great start for a committee: Liam and Noella two of our coming-of-agers have joined up.

Looking for a young adult and a parent/guardian of one or more babies (to represent their babies).

Mary Bennett, instigator and co-conspirator

Contact me if you have ideas or would like to join the team planning this event. I’ll pass ideas along to our team.

You’re probably wondering whether “takeover” is one word or two: The answer is both.  Takeover is a noun; take over is the verb.

Are you a kid?

What would you like to take over at UCV?

  • Lunches?
  • “coffee” hour?
  • the Sunday service?
  • Book Group?
  • Forum?
  • Gardens?
  • Sidewalks?
  • Website?
  • Signs?

Tell us! We want to hear! We could create a Kids Manifesto.

Some photos of Kids Takeover UBC from their facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/events/2087351434828549/

Here’s some of their description:

For too long, UBC has been run by adults. It’s time for kids to rule at this fun-filled arts festival for kids and families.
Celebrate Family Day weekend by bringing your entire family to UBC on Sunday, February 11 from 10am to 5pm for a day where kids and youth will be given meaningful roles, working alongside staff and volunteers to participate in the life of arts and culture. Takeover Day, first launched in the UK, is a celebration of children and young people’s contributions to museums, galleries, arts organizations, archives and heritage sites.

Some links:

A humorous (I think) article from the Ubyssey about what could go wrong.

https://www.ubyssey.ca/blog/what-could-go-wrong-when-kids-takeover/

UBC 2018 Event

www.utown.ubc.ca/kidsrunubc

 

UK Takeover Challenge

Takeover Challenge

Here’s a sample letter from young people to an organization–or perhaps at UCV it would be adapted towards a particular individual, committee or team.

[The address of the organisation you’re writing to goes here on the left, above the main letter]

Dear ,

[The name of your school or group] would like to invite you to be a part of our Takeover Challenge from Friday 24 November 2017. This year Takeover Challenge can happen any time, any day over the year so there are plenty of chances to get involved in the biggest takeover in England.

The event gives young people the chance to ‘takeover’ organisations for a day. They get to experience what it’s like to be in a real work environment, taking on responsibility and being a part of the decision making process. This year the project is asking organisations to think about how they can extend their Takeover for more than a day.

Organisations benefit too, gaining new ideas, insight and creativity to improve their services as well as the chance to show their commitment to listening to children and young people. Organisations across every sector and of any size can take part – it’s a flexible event which can be tailored to suit your needs.

[The name of your school or group] chose to invite your organisation to take part because [here you can explain why the organisation was chosen. Is it because they work with young people and you wanted to have a say? Is it because you’re interested in what the organisation does and wanted to learn more about it? Try to give a few reasons and a lot of detail so they really understand why you have approached them]

If you were willing to let us take over for the day we would like to [now explain what you would like to do on the day. How many young people want to take part? Who do they want to work with? What decisions do they want to influence?]

We would be glad to discuss alternatives with you if any of the above isn’t possible.

In previous years Commissioner’s Takeover has been a big success, with hundreds of organisations and thousands of young people getting involved, having fun, learning new skills and exercising their right to speak up on the issues that affect them. With the help of [the name of their organisation] we hope we can make

2017-18 the most successful Takeover yet!

As well as giving young people a valuable experience, Takeover Challenge is a great opportunity to gain publicity and show that [the name of their organisation] is one that takes on challenges and cares about young peoples’ right to have a say in the decisions that affect them. [Is there anything else you can list here that might help convince the organisation to get involved?]

We hope you will consider this invitation and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

[your name and position]

 

Valentine Day Cards – Unitarian Style

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Here’s a fun page for Unitarian Universalist style Valentine Day cards. 

By Jessica Ferguson, Tim Atkins

We’re very grateful to Tim Atkins (copy) and Jessica Ferguson (design) for sharing their UU Valentines with WorshipWeb:

  • We go together like a flame and a chalice
  • Let’s let our interconnected webs interconnect, baby
  • I love you more than [Henry David] Thoreau loved the woods
  • Will you join the committee of my heart?
  • Every day I thank (please check box) for you
  • You are the answer to my prayers, meditations, and/or moments of quiet reflection
  • I love you more than fair trade coffee…. almost

 

 

We’d Like to Get to Know You! Yes, We Would

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New Sermon Discussion Opportunity — Let’s Talk!

from the Connect & Engage Team, Sheila Resels  Email Sheila

Have you wished there was a quiet(er) space to have a meaningful conversation about the service on Sundays?

At the forum last week, the panel for Connect and Engage acknowledged that new people and visitors especially can feel overwhelmed by our busy (noisy, crowded) coffee and lunch hour. Indeed most people present (including me) reported that when they were new they found it hard to get connected. Those there of course persevered seeing that there was a lot worth persevering for. We do have some concern that others may just not try as hard as these stalwart folk.

Come and share your thoughts and questions about the Sunday’s service with a small group.

If you’re a regular, look around on a Sunday morning and you might see someone seemingly mesmerized by the bulletin board or lurking near the coat rack not sure how to get engaged.

Not just for new people – All welcome!

 

Not all, but some, members report that when they first came they found us unwelcoming. They sat at a table at lunch and no one started a conversation with them. Some are generous enough to admit that they themselves could have started a conversation, but didn’t. I think we all know it’s difficult sometimes to join a group of people who seem like they all know each other so we want to make it easier.

We’ll be in the part on the right of this photo.

Tamiko Suzuki recalls a conversation that she and Mary Bennett had early on when she started coming to UCV after moving from the North Shore Unitarian Church. (Mary had noticed her lurking on the edge of the Hall.) She says, “Mary told me to find a small group to get involved with. Then I joined the Environment Committee and got very involved. Now I realize sometimes that I am part of what I would have called a “clique”. On Sundays, I’m busy connecting with other people on our team. We often sit together for lunch, starting a pre-meeting before we’ve even got to the meeting room.”

Tamiko Suzuki

At a forum in January, Tamiko shared a suggestion of having a table set aside for discussing the sermon. This idea fell on fertile ground among those there and we now have a team who will take turns hosting the table. As Tamiko says, “Because the discussion is guaranteed to be on that day’s subject, everyone would be on equal footing (because they just heard it).” Everyone is welcome, but if you want to chat about upcoming events or other issues, this isn’t the place for you—at least not on that particular Sunday.

Melody Mason who joined about three years ago and Sheila Resels are getting together to do more planning about how we can make this new experiment work well. Sheila says, “I wouldn’t say I felt unwelcome. It was more that it was so overwhelming. And when it’s so busy, I feel we need to reach out even more to counteract that.”

Melody noted that one of the themes from Phil Campbell’s service on Shared Ministry was that we can intend to be welcoming, but without a system in place, it might not happen at least not as well as our aspirations would lead us to want to be.

Starting February 4, 2018, a host from the Connect & Engage Team has been in Priestley (the East part of Lindsey-Priestley) to welcome anyone who wants to join in on a conversation about that day’s sermon. There are always thought-provoking and conversation-starting aspects to the service in any Unitarian congregation.

The host will make sure people are welcomed and introduced to each other. If they are new and have questions that weren’t answered at the Welcome Table the host will try to refer them to answers. And they’ll make sure the discussion sticks to the topic of the day.

On the first Sunday of each month, we’ll be sharing the space with Compu Tutor, who have generously offered to take their offerings into the Lindsey portion. We’ll pull the accordion partition shut.

There may be days when the room is fully booked, in which case we’ll set aside a table in the Hall, one close to the entrance with a sign on the table.

Are you someone who feels passionate about making sure our visitors feel really welcome and want to help them get connected and engaged? If the answer is yes, that’s great anyways. If you want to go one step further and help by hosting the Sermon Discussion table one Sunday, you can signup here.

http://vancouverunitarians.ca/community/volunteer/?sheet_id=7

Or go to the lower right section of our website home page to see various volunteer opportunities.

More information for newcomers.

Past sermons

Ice-Age Cave Symbols in Poetry and Art

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On Sunday, January 28, Mary Bennett and Keith Wilkinson will do an artists’ talk at 12:30 in the Fireside Room about the 32 geometric signs found in ice-age caves in Europe and how learning about this inspired their visual art (Mary) and poetry (Keith.)

 

The session will start promptly at 12:30 showing the TED Talk by Genevieve von Petzinger of the University of Victoria.

 

Each of them will talk about their own creative process, both the long term of how they began to create art and identify as artists as well as more recently how this particular project evolved.

Recently they published their chapbook with two poems (haiku) and one mixed-media painting selected for each of the 32 geometric signs. This is the second booklet they’ve produced, the first being “Incubating Poetry” combining Mary’s paintings inspired by birds’ nests and Keith’s poetry.

Books will be available for sale at $10 each at the talk for those who wish to purchase.

Link to details of event

Mary’s Artist website

From the back page of their chapbook:

Artist Statements

 

Mary Bennett – Paintings

One Saturday morning while still in bed, I heard Genevieve von Petzinger being interviewed on CBC’s North by Northwest. I was “between series”, although my recent mixed-media pieces I had named “sign posts” because most included some kind of text or numeric symbol. I was playing with the phrase “it may be a sign”. So I sat up in bed and thought: Now that may indeed be a sign!

So I just slightly shifted my artwork focus to these specific 32 geometric signs. I’m not a graphic artist, and more than one person had already made graphic representations of the signs. Nor am I a photographer, and Genevieve’s husband has done some photographs of the signs. So I searched for how I responded. After reading her book, and watching her TED talk more than once, my focus was on trying to capture the feeling of entering a cave and seeing these evocative and stirring marks for the first time.

Keith Wilkinson – Poems

Haiku immediately felt to me like the best verbal response to these ice-age signs. When combined with images, haiku becomes the related form haibun, so this would become a book of haibun, joining images and words to express thought, feeling, and wonder; immediate, past, and ultimate; the natural world and intimations of worlds unknown.

I wrote my haiku first in response to the graphic rendering of the cave signs in von Petzinger’s publications. After that, I looked at the images Mary had produced in response to the same signs and reoriented the haiku toward those. I let these rest for awhile again and in a final series of edits disconnected the haiku from their ancient and modern “sister works” and let them move independently without direct reference to their origins or influences. So if the haiku seem to wander off base, this is why. It was a kind of triple-distillation process: response, adjustment, release—all circling around unexplained mysteries. And that is the spirit I tried to be open to—touching what couldn’t be said.