Editor's Note: Globe B.C. has joined forces with Scout Magazine to give you the best of what's happening in Vancouver this weekend. For a full week's worth of listings, head over to the complete Scout List, updated each week.
Ruins: Artist Jorge Manes Rubio is in town from the Netherlands with a fascinating collection of photographs. From Initial Gallery: "In his new work, Buona Fortuna, Rubio transports us to the mountains of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento in the south of Italy, where several isolated villages were abandoned after a series of devastating earthquakes and landslides. Hidden among these ruins, and despite all the decay and destruction, several churches and chapels reveal themselves in all their glory." Even though looters have stripped the buildings of paintings, sculptures and relics, a ghost-like beauty remains and is captured in this body of work.
Thursday, April 16, 6-9 p.m., Initial Gallery (2339 Granville St.), initialgallery.com
Opera: Aching for a spot of culture? How about a night of opera without the special occasion price or four-hour commitment? As luck would have it, a small, intimate performance in Chinatown this Thursday night fits the bill. The Salon brings Vancouver Opera to a small space to serenade a handful of lucky opera enthusiasts with arias. Accessible, affordable and fun – your $32 ticket includes wine, hors d'oeuvres and candlelight.
Thursday, April 16, 7 p.m., 434 Columbia St., $32, thisopenspace.ca
Art: At the Surface opens at the Bau-Xi Gallery on Thursday night. Comprised of new oil paintings by Vancouver artist Cori Creed, this show is all about the wild West Coast. From Bau-Xi: "Creed is fascinated by the tangles, textures and vistas of our land and the often fleeting and varied moods of the climate and skies. [This show] represents the artist's continued interest in the West Coast landscape with a greater emphasis on abstraction and interpretation of the natural world." The show runs through to April 30, and the artist will attend the opening reception this Thursday (April 16).
Now through April 30, Bau-Xi Gallery (3045 Granville St.), bau-xi.com
Spirits: The latest products and players from B.C.'s microdistillery scene are congregating this Saturday for BC Distilled to provide spirit wonks with a snapshot of their burgeoning industry. Expect 23 of BC's finest small-batch distilleries sampling and showcasing their spirits and liqueurs. Think gins, vodkas, and whiskeys galore. You should also anticipate cocktail-making demonstrations and tastings.
Saturday, April 18, 4-6 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m., CBC Studios (700 Hamilton St.), $ 49.99-$59.99, bcdistilled.ca
Perogies: There's an arts and culture festival at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Strathcona this weekend. Think beadwork, egg decorating and folk-song workshops as well as informative displays, entertaining performances and baked goods. The festival runs both Saturday and Sunday, but on Sunday, in addition to displays, performances and workshops on the main floor, you can make your way to the basement to the glorious semi-annual perogy lunch (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Grab a seat at one of the communal lunch tables and fill up on homemade borscht, perogies and kielbasa sausage.
April 18 and 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Ukrainian Cultural Centre (805 E. Pender St.), auucvancouver.ca