EDITOR SASCHA PORTEOUS THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012 4 Vancouver is home to a number of striking public art pieces, including these monstrous figures outside City Hall. Artist to speak on public art Former Langara artist-in-residence Samuel Roy-Bots will be back By RYAN BANAGAN ast year’s Langara artist-in-resi- dence, Samuel Roy-Bois will re- turn to the campus next week to speak about public art. Roy-Bois’ project, Nothing Blank Forever, was designed and constructed last year in the quadrangle right out- side the Students’ Union Building. He will discuss the importance of public art and speaking about his time spent here on Monday, Oct. 15 at 12:30 p.m. in room A180. Asked to comment on his experience on campus last year, Roy-Bois wrote in an email: “It was great. It was both an experiment and an affirmation of all my beliefs and skills.” The college’s Centre for Art in Public Spaces agreed. It said on its website: “Focusing on architecture, uniquely constructed spaces, and large scale in- stallations, Samuel brought a wealth of creativity to the campus and an ability to engage the community with his work.” “The context was very specific, working with students, locating the artwork on campus, the duration and money, and I work[ed] with all these things to create something I am really proud of,” said Roy-Bois. The final product, a “makeshift mov- ie studio,” served as a movie set, a lec- ture room, a recording studio, a gallery space, an art studio and a theatre. He will also screen the movie he made to accompany the art project dur- ing his presentation next week. “T have heard through the fine arts, theatre arts, film arts, as well as art history and design formation depart- ments that Samuel’s residency at Lan- gara was very successful,” said Langa- ra College Centre for Art in Public Spaces divison assistant Katie Eliot. “THe] inspirled] the students in their own art work, providing them an ex- hibit space, giving them a focus for dis- cussing public art, and for talking with Samuel about being a professional art- ist and considering many relevant as- pects of art.” Roy-Bois was the third and final art- ist-in resident at the college because there is no funding to support a fourth. The college budgeted one per cent of the cost of the new library toward pub- lic art programs, explained Eliot. “The majority of this funding was utilized for three artists-in-residence. Kristina Lee Podevsa was the first cho- sen from 2008-09, then Holly Ward from 2009-2010, and Samuel Roy-Bois from 2011-12.” RYAN BANAGAN photo 66 Samuel’s residency at Langara was very successful for inspir- ing the students KATIE ELIOT Studio 58 presents 900 Days to Mars Langara actors simulate an extended journey to the red planet By JULES KNOX the first round trip mission to Mars when they suddenly lose communi- cation with Earth. The fate of the mis- sion comes down to a vote. Will the as- tronauts risk everything for the glory of reaching Mars? Actors from Studio 58 are exploring this scene in the student production 500 Days to Mars at Langara this week. The character drama was inspired by Mars 500, a psychological and medi- cal experiment conducted by Russia, the European Union and China. The simulation was designed to monitor how astronauts would fare during an extended period of isolation. Six volun- teers were locked in a Russian re- search centre for 520 days, the estimat- ed length of time required for a round-trip to Mars. Directors Genevieve Fleming and Sean Harris Oliver flushed out a clear concept for the show, but they left script writing for the actors to impro- vise. Oliver says the students had a firmly established internal dynamic that made the piece possible. “We couldn’t have done this play with professional actors that didn’t know each other be- cause it would have taken forever to build those relationships.” The directors whispered dark se- crets about each character’s past to the actors while the cast was improvising in rehearsals. The secrets became part of a colourful layering process that added complexity and nuance to each character. “T feel as though I’m conducting a so- cietal experiment where we get to con- trol circumstances and layer in our own catalytic events,” says Oliver. Fleming says that she enjoyed di- recting the play because it brings up tough questions about society. “Is soci- ety something that we as civilized, en- lightened beings have inherent with us, or is society a social construct? And if it is a social construct, what happens when you remove the construct?” she asks. “What happens when you lose touch with Earth.” The show is free by donation. It runs from Oct. 9 to Oct. 13 at 8:15 p.m. and Oct. 14 at 3:15 p.m. in Room 8032. [: 2036 and seven astronauts are on FanClub ts Granville's newest live music venue This New Orleans inspired nightclub touts to be one of the most unique entertain- ment venues in Vancouver By MICHAEL LETENDRE hen you walk through the colo- W:: doors of FanClub, one of Vancouver’s newest and most unique venues, you'll think you have entered a club in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Fanclub’s marketing and public rela- tions Consultant, Stella Panagiotidis, explained that FanClub, located on Granville St. between Nelson St. and Helmcken St., was inspired by New Or- leans and created with the purpose of giving the people of Vancouver some- thing original. “It’s our goal to inject excitement on the Granville strip.” The French Quarter is in every de- tail at FanClub. Many of the decora- tions around the club are antiques brought in from New Orleans. “It’s a room that’s sexy but elegant,” said Pan- agiotidis. The club is open 12 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fri- day and Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday. It continually has live music playing inside. In the quieter hours of the afternoon, FanClub’s resident pianist, Mike Van Eyes, can be heard twinkling away on an upright piano to an eclectic mix of songs. In the evening, a live band takes the stage. The genre of music depends on the night. MIKE VAN EVES ; You can expect Fanclub $ resi- to hear everything ent pianist from blues and jazz to country to indie rock. After the band’s set is done, the New Orleans inspired venue goes electronic with a live component four nights a week. “We're so eclectic. That’s reflected in the design, but it’s also reflected in our programming,” Panagiotidis says. She also touts the FanClub as an im- pressive sound space. “A lot of thought, time and energy has been put into cre- ating the best sound system possible.” If bass is your thing, FanClub’s woof- er is the same size as the one used in BC Place. As Panagiotidis puts it, “That’s insane.” The music may be diverse, but the food is New Orleans influenced. Fan- club has it’s own smoker and every- thing is made in-house, from their smoked ribs, where the meat falls off the bone, to their pulled pork sand- wiches. Word is starting to get around to Langara about what’s happening this new venue, which opened late August. Langara Psychology student Kamilla Mihalik is already a regular. “I would definitely recommend it,” she said. “The FanClub is where it’s at.” MICHAEL LETENDRE photo The bar at Vancouver FanClub serves signature cocktails as well as smoked bourbon, which is smoked