Interview with Vancouver cartoonist Brian Fukushima
MUSIC: “N35-40-19-800” by springtide
INTERVIEW, VIDEO & EDIT: Chris Bentzen

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Interview with Vancouver burlesque artist Lola Frost
MUSIC: “Colorado” by Podington Bear
INTERVIEW, VIDEO & EDIT: Chris Bentzen
ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE: Burlesque Hall Of Fame

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Hot Talks: Tod Seelie
July 22, 2014
 
Tod Seelie loves New York, but not the version depicted in postcards. His city is an underground haven for people at society’s edges, people who come alive at night, who make music and art and noise and mess; punk bands and bike parades, abandoned spaces and skeezy clubs, junk-filled lots and sketchy streets, his book Bright Nights is a startlingly beautiful collection of images capturing a gritty culture that belies the city’s glamorous persona. Interspersed throughout the book are texts from Seelie’s friends and fellow artists, along with an introduction by Jeff Stark, editor of the iconic alternative events e-mail list Nonsense NYC. At this Hot Talk, you’ll see photos from his book, hear the stories that went in to the creation and what was going on behind the scenes, and a bit about Tod’s process.

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Tod Seelie has photographed in over 25 countries on five different continents. Originally from Cleveland, he relocated to Brooklyn in 1997. Tod was a founding member of The Miss Rockaway Armada, and continued on to travel by raft with both manifestations of the Swimming Cities. His work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Stern Magazine, TIME Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Spin, Juxtapoz, Thrasher, Vice, Der Speigel and ARTnews among others. His images also appear in the feature films Perfect Sense (2011) and Empire Me (2011). Tod has exhibited work in solo and group shows around the world and at Mass MoCA and the Philadelphia Art Alliance. His work has also appeared in photography and art books, such as The Vice Photo Book, Hijacked, Swoon, Street World and Backyard Shakedown. In 2013 Tod published his first book of photography, BRIGHT NIGHTS: Photographs of Another New York, with Prestel Publishing. The book chronicles 15 years of living and shooting in NYC, with 10 essays by fellow collaborators and cultural observers.

Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School is what happens when a simple question is asked: why can’t figure drawing be sexy? Part art class, part cabaret, join us on the third Tuesday of the month at Hot Art Wet City for 3 hours of drawing and decadence! drsketchyvancouver.com for more info. Join the Dr Sketchy’s Facebook page to keep up to date and see pics >

Vancouverite: A Comedy Show
July 11, 2014
 
Amber Harper-Young & Brent Constantine host Vancouverite, a comedy show featuring funny stories about what adjusting to Vancouver has been like, from some of the best Vancouver comedians including: Mark Nesbitt, Cass Keeley, Emma Cooper, Alicia Tobin, & Kevin Banner!

Interview with Vancouver artist and designer Martha Varcoe Sturdy http://marthavarcoesturdy.com
MUSIC: “High School Snaps” by Broke For Free
INTERVIEW: Alex M F Quicho for Winsor Gallery
VIDEO & EDIT: Chris Bentzen

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Comics on Comics
June 27, 2014
 
Vancouver comedians tear through old, awful and forgotten comic books at Hot Art Wet City! Hosted by Brent Constantine, the panel features Brad Dorion, Stuart Jones, Warren Bates, Ed Witty, Shane McLean, Chip Ellis, Alex Sparling and Lauren McGibbon. Watch as they make fun of terrible comic books, live, on stage.

Interview with Vancouver artist Luc Latulippe
MUSIC: “Forgiveness Transcending Geneva” by BLEO
INTERVIEW, VIDEO & EDIT: Chris Bentzen

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Interview with Vancouver artist Michael Markowsky
MUSIC: “Truth and Consequences” by Skim Milk
INTERVIEW, VIDEO & EDIT: Chris Bentzen

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HOT TALKS: Chris Tyrell Loranger
June 24, 2014
 
How society fails visual artists OR why it’s sometimes a pain in the ass to get up in the mornings

So you want to be an artist, with dreams of playing in a studio all day making art? It’s an idealized vision, but the reality of working as a professional artist is that society fails to support and sustain the arts and artists on many fronts. The education system fails us, because creativity is not recognized as a core academic value; the arts are considered an educational option. And working professional artists are statistically destined to be poor and untrained. Also, professional commercial galleries represent perhaps 6% of self-identifying artists in metro Vancouver and an even smaller percentage of them are exhibited in public galleries. All these facts may seem insurmountable when taken together, but artists can do something to change how society trains and respects “worthy” creators. Join us as Chris Tyrell Loranger shares his ideas around making changes to the arts in Vancouver and beyond.

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Chris Tyrell Loranger has been involved with the visual arts, visual artists and the arts in general since 1976 when he established Presentation House Gallery of Photography in North Vancouver. He is passionate about the arts and have worked as a consultant for many arts organizations including Emily Carr Institute, Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Film Festival and The Roundhouse. He designed, built and managed Presentation House Theatre and managed the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works facilities on Granville Island. He was a founding member of the BC Touring Council and co-founded the Alliance for Arts and Culture in Vancouver. He is currently an instructor of professional development at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in the Continuing Studies Department.