Carnival creations

Art Pop, Puces Pop, Kids Pop, it’s all here in our everything but the Pop sink round-up

POPPING POPSTERS: Richmond Lam

Art Pop celebrates its fifth anniversary this year by simultaneously getting centred and branching out. Maison Notman (51 Sherbrooke W.) and La Place Ubisoft: Espace Réunion (6600 Hutchison) serve as the bases for the fest as a temporary art gallery and meeting place respectively. But it’s the collaborations and mini-fests that make the most noise.

One of the city’s most promising installation artists, Dominique Sirois, turns a workshop into a discothèque at Maison Notman, while Jean-Philippe Harvey and Adam Bergeron cover the walls of the historic mansion with their neon-inflected murals.

The Wild West, crime, violence and a family mystery come together in Kim Kieilhofner’s video A Dragnet for Lost Feelings. Search for your own face/hands/feet in the work of local scene photographer Richmond Lam, who’ll be showing a collection of images from last year’s edition of Pop.

Drop into Espace Réunion on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. to be a part of performance history when engineer/artist duo David Beaulieu and Christian Pelletier create music with their room-sized theremin. The hands-free instrument can only function with the help of the human body, so swing by to add your appendage.

ROCK TEES REVIVED: Marielyne Tarabulsy’s quilt

OFF BASE

The En Masse collective gives a bunch of teenage artists the opportunity to cut class and exhibit their talents by putting them to work on a large-scale black-and-white mural at Red Bird Gallery (135 Van Horne). Six members of the collective will work closely with the students to help mentor, guide and inspire the young artists. The show opens Sunday, Oct. 4, 5–9 p.m.

Smile on Your Brother at Off the Hook (1021a Ste-Catherine W.) is another exhibit with the kids in mind. Over 50 old-school skateboards have been painted by artists such as Don Pendleton, Eve Duhamel, James Braithwaite and Thomas Campbell and will be auctioned off for charity on Oct. 24. Proceeds will go towards providing skateboards to underprivileged Canadian youth. Check out the vernissage Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.

Casa Del Popolo got their liquor licence back and everyone’s happy (no more forced feeding)! But not as happy as the ladies behind Spectacle!, a women-only group show by artists affiliated with the venue. Pieces include everything from a rock quilt by Marielyne Tarabulsy to an illustrated bass drum by Aimée van Drimmelen. Casa may be the inspiration, but the exhibit is being held at Galerie Frame and Canvas (220 Bernard W.) with a vernissage tonight, Thursday, Oct. 1, 6–9 p.m.

It’s all about pop and pageantry with theatre production Teen Sleuth and the Freed Cyborg Choir. The “ope-raw,” about an ex-Girl Guide who meets cyborgs and post-humans in an enchanted forest, originally appeared at this year’s Fringe and returns with an expanded production to the MainLine (3997 St-Laurent), with performances from Oct. 1–4 at 8 p.m.

AND THE REST

It’s the usual band of craft culprits with their always unusual and inspired brand of creations at Puces Pop this weekend Oct. 3–4 from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Back in the confines of St. Michel Church Hall (105 St-Viateur W.), you’ll be able to find fashion designers, cake makers, screen printers and puppeteers. A number of artists will be conducting workshops for kids throughout the fair—perfect to keep them busy while you browse.

If your child is more rock than workshop, the Kids Pop Purple Dance Party on Sunday at Metropolis (59 Ste-Catherine E.), starring numéro#, P-Star and more, should give them ample opportunity to let it all hang out. The free event (noon–6 p.m.) also invites kids to bring along their own instruments for a jam session. And if you’ve got a mini-Winehouse or Jay-Z at home, this’ll give them the chance to take centre stage at live karaoke.

Finally, if you’re looking to unload that barely played guitar or pick up some new vinyl, head over to the Ukrainian Federation (5213 Hutchison) this weekend, Oct. 3–4, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., for the Record Sale and Gear Swap. With local and international labels representing and on-sight instrument repair, it’s the perfect end to a music-fuelled week.