Chtertainment P Langara’s library was transformed into a swanky art gallery Thursday night as the college played host to the Art-fully Yours silent auction. Around 350 guests competed to take home their favourite pieces from the ART LOVERS ENJOY THE ART OF A DEAL MATT HYNDMAN photos roughly 340 works on display. “There are works from 200 artists, which includes art students and facul- ty,” said Deborah So, one of the organizers of the event. “There is even one girl taking biology who [submitted a piece].” The estimated prices ranged from $1,000 for the most expensive paintings down to $20 for some of the handmade pieces. Design Stu- dents finally reap the fan- tastical fruits of their toil fter three months of lengthy hours and hard work, Langara’s second year design formation tudents finally unveiled their exhibit last night. The exhibit, entitled Muse, is a col- lection of mannequins, each telling a story of their own through their visual adornment and construction. The ex- hibit is a visually stunning exploration of what design formation instructor Kevin Smith called a lost art form. “We can create theatre that is an ex- tension of fashion,” he said of display design. “That’s when you see dressing, that’s when you see drama, that’s when you see attitude and the full potential of taking the story further... and that’s what mannequins are, they’re story- tellers.” Smith, a veteran of the display man- agement industry, said the presence of dramatic window display has dwindled over the years. He likened a beautiful window dis- play to a strong fashion editorial in the sense that each grips its audience with its attention to detail. “There is nothing better than being that window dresser standing across the street after working a 12 hour day and watching people walk up to your window and standing there for 20 min- utes ... going back and forth on de- tails,” he said. “There ain’t no better feeling.” The display industry is 90 per cent grunt work and 10 per cent glamour at the end, said Smith. Under the joint tutelage of Smith and graphics instructor Marcela Noriega, the students spent up to 50 hours a week preparing for the exhibit. They did everything from creating fake cup- cakes to seeking out sponsorship for the exhibit, often coming in on week- ALEXANDRA GRANT photos The students in Langara’s Design Formation program are displaying the culmination of their efforts at their exhibit Muse until Dec. 15. ‘Muse’ exhibit opens at Langara By ALEXANDRA GRANT ends to take part in workshops on de- sign techniques. “Collectively we have got an amaz- ing group of second year students, all really talented,” said Sherry Hancock, the chair of the design formation de- partment. “It’s always a bumpy road when you have 19 creative people in the room, but in the last week or so it’s all come to- gether.” Liza Child is one of the 19 design for- mation students behind the exhibit. She said the preparation has been a “full-time job,” but that the event is a huge stepping-stone for the students as a group. “It’s been beautiful,” she said. “It’s been a lot of collaborative work, seeing a lot of strength in each of us.” Muse will run from Dec. 1-Dec. 15. From Monday to Friday, the exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SUB full of holiday cheer Santa Claus visits the Students’ Union Building bearing gingerbread, cards and table hockey By JENNIFER FONG the Langara Students’ Union building yesterday. The three-hour Festival of Lights de- lighted students, promoted awareness about environmentally friendly ap- proaches to gift giving, and raised money for local charities. “Tt turned out really well,” said Eli Zbar, LSU’s media liaison. “We had lots of people coming through and every- one enjoyed the activities.” Festivities included cookie decorat- ing, a gingerbread house contest, holi- day refreshments, and gingerbread men. “If there’s no gingerbread, some- thing’s missing from Christmas,” said Gunkirat Randhawa, LSU’s women’s li- aison. The event also featured a card mak- ing station. Cards were made out of re- cycled paper and decorated with natu- ral materials. “We just wanted to try to make it a little less impactful on the environ- ment,” said Surya Carmichael, one of the organizers of the station. “It was cool to see all of the creative cards peo- ple made,” she added. Miniature, replantable, Christmas trees were also sold at the event as an alternative to the larger, plastic variet- ies. The event also had an air hockey ta- ble, a Dance Dance Revolution arcade game, and a photo booth. “It’s a good way for people to de- stress and get them into the winter mood,” said Carmen Chan, LSU inter- national affairs coordinator. Fine arts student Lisa Recchia agreed. “Tt’s nice to have Christmas stuff just before exams because everyone’s stressed out,” she said. “It was pretty fun,” she added. “I liked the free food.” A raffle was also held, raising $100 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Chan noted that students were so generous, many donated more than the ticket price. Mugurel Mic, an environmental committee member, called the event “very rewarding.” He liked “seeing people get involved and doing some- thing for fellow students.” Zbar called the event a success. “Hopefully, students will look for- ward to the events for next semester,” he said. a came early this year to JENNIFER FONG photos The SUB played host to a Christmas celebration yesterday, complete with gingerbread.