by Linda Moore

Other Columns Autotalk by Jeremy Cato and Rob MacGregor Good Living In the Garden by Barry Peters New on the Net by Richmond Public Library Staff The Book Club by Shelley Civkin

Chinese Art Treasures benefits library

Last Thursday at the Raymond Chow Gallery in south Vancouver, the Richmond-based artist who also teaches at the Steveston Arts Connection opened a show of 12 artists.
The 12 will collaborate later in an outdoor summer show in a couple of Richmond fields. For now though, the widely differing works of these artists are on exhibit at Zeeclay, 1618 West 75th Ave. in Marpole.
Displaying works ranging from raku pottery hands and faces to beautiful art cards are Jo-Anne Hartley, Jordanka Simmerlein, Ann Hurst, Ross Munro, Lyle MacDonald, Jerry Davidson, Huibert Van Drimmelen, Chris MacClure, Kathleen Bergman and Raymond Chow himself. More details about the site installation will be published as they become available, but in the meantime check out the impressive talents of the participants.
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On May 29th, Chinese Art Treasures, Paintings of Master Lam Chun, was officially opened at the Lecture Hall at the Richmond Cultural Centre, with Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt participating in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
This impressive collection of calligraphy and Chinese brushwork amply demonstrate Master Lam Chun's (also known as Kwok-Chu Lee) enormous talent, matched only by his generosity. In his address at the opening, the artist noted that May 19 this year was one of his proudest moments, when he became a Canadian citizen. His generosity of time, creativity and money in support of the library have already made him an exemplary new citizen.
This is the second year in a row that Master Lam Chun has displayed his artwork for show and sale. Last year the sale of 26 paintings raised more than $30,000 which he donated to the library along with 10,000 Chinese language books. That has helped expand the collection to 34,000 books, one of the best, and best-used, collections in the Lower Mainland. (In 1996, adult Chinese language books were checked out 334,259 times, a 53-per-cent increase over the previous year.)
This year, Kwok-Chu Lee has promised to donate $30,000 from the sale of his artwork towards the fundraising goal of $150,000 for the new Ironwood library branch, set to open in the fall of 1998. He has also donated an additional 3,000 books to the library.
The exhibit wrapped up on June 1, but the results of the event will benefit the citizens of Richmond for years to come. Those interested in viewing the paintings of Master Lam Chun on the Internet, can visit the library's website at www.rpl.richmond.bc.ca/Asian/lamchun/index.html.
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They met in high school in Richmond, and now they're about to go on the road in support of their new CD "I Am Here...Are You There?".
We met Mossy Ledge in the midst of preparations for its tour, and next week, on the eve of the group's departure, we'll have a few insights and comments from the five musicians who are heading off across Canada in search of fame and fortune.