Festive bestias

“Strange folks, controversy, contradiction, truth and lies, rebels and monsters”—that, in his own words, are what you’ll find lurking in the vivid yet mysterious paintings of Montreal’s Alvaro Pérez del Solar, where “dark humour meets bright colours” and the playful bounces off the frightening.

“Growing up in Peru, I used to draw this ‘inside monster‚’ which I feared, over and over again. I’d make him absurd and turn the fear into laughter. As I grew, I started to represent, in all my work, that bitterness that makes life’s sweets sweeter, and the sweetness that reminds us of hardships past.”

There’s no question that hip urban street art and the post-graffiti style inform Pérez del Solar’s work. “But,” he says, “I’m even more influenced by popular graphic art and the techniques used in the hand-painted and hand-drawn posters and signs of the Third World.” It’s only appropriate, then, that his artwork graces this year’s poster for Festivalissimo, the annual Latino culture fest, as it does the walls of Espace Perspective (19 Fairmount E.). His gallery show, Après la Fête, runs until March 12. —Rupert Bottenberg

Students strike

Art first started mattering about two million years ago during the Palaeolithic era and will still be mattering strong when Concordia kicks of its sixth annual Art Matters festival with an opening party this Friday, March 3, 8 p.m., at le Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario E.).

Set to the live sounds of Dandi Wind, the Diamond Dogs, the World Provider and Ghetto Pony, the bash is also a vernissage for the Bain’s Beyond Eve exhibition. It features the work of eight very different female artists and their takes on women’s presence in art schools and absence in the art world, and runs till March 8.

But that’s nothing, don’t even get me started. Art Matters is a mammoth affair, spread out over 20-something venues—bars, clubs, theatres, galleries and university campuses across the city. To boot, a lot of it is quite good, and the entire festival is free. Visit http://

artmatters.concordia.ca for the full schedule. —Matthew Woodley

Staging Dec. 6

If you’re over 25, you probably remember where you were on Dec. 6, 1989. When 14 young women were massacred at the École Polytechnique, Adam Kelly was a CÉGEP student. Now he’s a teacher. So, one way and another, he’s spent a lot of time in school. Perhaps that’s why the fact that these murders took place in a classroom has such a strong impact on him.

Kelly, 33, is the writer-performer of The Anorak, in which he portrays the killer who ended his spree that day by turning his semi-automatic rifle on himself. He doesn’t claim to understand the horror, but he doesn’t think it’s something we should forget. See The Anorak in the auditorium of Trafalgar School for Girls, March 8–11, at 7:30 p.m., with an open discussion forum at 9 p.m., $15. —Amy Barratt

Native plights

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but aboriginal women only got the right to vote in Quebec in 1969, reflecting the reality that they often have to fight harder and longer than the rest of us for their voices to be heard. On March 8, the Quebec Native Women’s Organisation, Studio XX and Upgrade Montréal invite you to an evening of performances and discussion entitled Remix: Voices of Aboriginal Women—Artists Demonstrating Against Violence in Celebration of International Women’s Day, at the SAT (1195 St-Laurent). This exciting event includes: Algonquin singer Fanny Wylde and local performer Alexis O’Hara combining traditional singing and electronic sounds, a modern storytelling performance by Innu media artist Melissa M. Dupuis and the haunting throat singing of renown Inuit artists Taqralik Partridge and Nina Segalowitz. A round-table discussion follows the performances, which go from 7–10 p.m., free. —Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

BEE SIDES: “Art is the stored honey of the human soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail,” said the great American naturalist and writer Theodore Dreiser. Could be. Anyway, this Wednesday, March 8, Montreal’s black belt of beekepers, James Muscovitch, is giving what should be a very interesting talk entitled Bees: Our Gardens’ Friends. Ground he’ll cover varies from how you can improve your garden with the company of bees to the important health benefits of honey. Get stung with his knowledge at the Knox Crescent Kensington & First Presbyterian Church (6225 Godfrey in NDG), 7:30, presented by the West End Horticultural Society, free.

ArtsHole

AT EASE, SOLDIERS: Three army and air force brats turned artists take to the lobby/bar at the MainLine Theatre (3997 St-Laurent) on Monday, March 6, for the launch of the first episode of a new chapbook novel about army brats. The book is a creation of Patrick Goddard’s, co-author of the recent play Johnny Canuck and the Last Burlesque. He’ll be joined by Nick Carpenter and Vincent Tinguely. • ART THERAPY: Longstanding art outlet for people with mental health problems, Les Impatients’ eighth annual Parle-moi d’amour exhibition continues until March 22 (100 Sherbrooke E., 4th floor) with an ongoing silent auction in effect. All proceeds go to the centre. • PLAY ON: Seems Terence Bowman’s The Happy Fun Laugh Show is so happy, fun and hilarious that it’s being held over for another two weeks. Grab some giggles at Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.) March 3 & 10 at 11 p.m., $5.

ARTISTAT: Number of animations, docs and experimental shorts, mostly shot on Super8 and all made by women, hitting the big screen at the (Super) Reel Dames Film Festival this Monday, March 6, 7:30 p.m., at la Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent), $5: 16

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