Do you have an old violin or cello sitting unplayed in your home? Is Grandpa's guitar gathering dust in a corner of the attic?

You can help out the New Westminster Secondary School strings program.

article continues below

The school's orchestral strings program, now in its second year, is seeking instruments for students. As it stands, the program has no school-owned instruments for students to borrow.

"This has the undesirable effect of leaving some students behind - those who may want to participate in the program but are unable to without an instrument to play," notes an email from the NWSS Music Auxiliary. "We are therefore reaching out to the community to see if anyone has a forgotten instrument in an attic, closet or storage locker that could be dusted off and donated to the school."

The instruments most needed are violins, cellos, double basses and guitars. Cash donations are also welcome and would be used by the music department to buy the instruments needed.

If you can help out, please contact music teacher Kelly Proznick, kproznick@sd40.bc.ca.

FROCKS AT THE GALLERY

Art lovers, don't miss your chance to take in the latest exhibition at Plaskett Gallery.

The gallery at Massey Theatre is currently hosting Frocks, an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Antoinette Hérivel.

It's on until April 30, and a meet-the-artist event is set for this Sunday, April 19 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Hérivel, on her website (www.antoinetteherivel.ca) notes the dresses and accessories in her paintings are created in "life-size" dimensions with traditional oil painting methods on canvas.

"I am fascinated by historical paintings where costume and dress are given equal, if not more attention than the human wearers," she says on her site. "The dresses in my work have taken on a personality, partly because I have imagined one for them but also suggesting the absent wearer. As I create the work, I am aware of how women in the broader society are still shrouded by invisibility, especially as they age, hence the absence of figures adds another layer of meaning."

The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., and during performances at the theatre.

LGBTQ ARTISTS SOUGHT

The Arts Council of New Westminster is calling on artists from the LGBTQ community to take part in a Pride Week exhibition.

The arts council gallery in Queen's Park will be hosting a New West Pride exhibition from July 21 to Aug. 16.

Artists are asked to apply by April 30. A solo exhibition will be considered for an artist with 20-plus pieces.

Artists must include eight to 10 slides, photos or a DVD of their work, an artist's statement of aims and objectives and a current CV.

Artists who want to take part can pick up brochures and application forms at the arts council gallery in Centennial Lodge, Queen's Park, or online at www.artscouncilnewwest.org. You can also call 604-525-3244.

BEAT WRITERS' BLOCK

Suffering from writers' block? Suffer no more.

The Royal City Literary Arts Society and New Westminster Public Library are hosting a free workshop, Bypass Writers' Block, on Tuesday, April 21.

The 6:30 p.m. workshop is led by Bernice Lever, who will show participants how to "refuel inspiration for one's scraps and starts of writing as well as how to choose to bury some false starts," a write-up says.

The workshop will be held at the library at 716 Sixth Ave. Register at 604-527-4667 or email listener@nwpl.ca.

POET HONOURED

A creative writing instructor from Douglas College is among seven finalists shortlisted for the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize.

Four international and three Canadian poets are in the running for the award - among them Douglas College's Russell Thornton for his book of poetry The Hundred Lives.

Thornton, who's a North Vancouver resident, is no stranger to the world of major awards - his previous books have been shortlisted for the B.C. Book Prize, the ReLit Poetry Award and the Governor General's Award.

He's also a past winner of the League of Canadian Poets National Contest.

"The poems in The Hundred Lives burn with a rare blend of rhythmic intensity and hard-earned experience that make them at once timeless and contemporary," said the judges' citation about the book.

The Hundred Lives was published by Quattro Books - check out www.quattrobooks.ca for more.

Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca, or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.