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Doc gives Japanese pop artist her due

And four other reasons Vancouver is awesome this week
Kusama – Infinity screens May 18 to 23 at Vancity Theatre.
Kusama – Infinity screens May 18 to 23 at Vancity Theatre.

Kusama – Infinity
No, you aren’t randomly seeing spots. Polka dots just happen to be Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s motif of choice. Documentary Kusama - Infinity explores Kusama’s journey from a conservative upbringing in Japan to her brush with fame in America during the 1960s (grabbing headlines much like pop artist Andy Warhol at the time) and concludes with the international fame she has finally achieved within the art world. Now in her 80s, Kusama has spent the last 30 years living in a mental institution in Japan. The film explores Kusama’s fierce determination to become a world-renowned artist.
May 18 to 23.
Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St.
viff.org

Top Drop – Main Event
Top Drop, a unique two-day wine festival, will bring wineries from around the globe together, along with craft breweries, cideries, delicious eats and more. The centrepiece of Top Drop is the Main Event, a tasting event that pairs pours with food and one-on-one interaction with winery reps in an intimate festival atmosphere at Yaletown’s Roundhouse.
May 18, 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre,181 Roundhouse Mews
topdrop.ca

Expressions Theatre Festival
Granville Island’s Arts Umbrella celebrates gifted young artists with its annual Expressions Theatre Festival. From the whimsical fun of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the frontier hijinks of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, this year’s festival boasts a bevy of beloved theatre classics, re-imaginings and an original new work that highlight such topical themes as self-image, family dynamics and gender roles. Also on deck: Outside In, an original student-created work, coupled with the daring Greek tragedy The Phoenician Women, and Missing, a modern interpretation of the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel.
May 17 to 26
The Waterfront Theatre,1412 Cartwright St. (Granville Island)
artsumbrella.com/events/expressionstheatre

expressions

Bells and Whistles: Dip Into Summer Patio Party
The team at Bells and Whistles invites friends, neighbours and beer lovers to join them for their Dip into Summer patio party to kick off the restaurant/bar’s first official summer season. The Fraser Street spot will need your help to christen its new heated, wrap-around patio and B&W will be serving up plenty of food and drink specials — including large-format punchbowls of Pink Sangria — while special guest DJs the Super Amigos provide live entertainment.
May 20, 2 to 7 p.m.
Bells and Whistles, 3296 Fraser St.
bellsandwhistlesyvr.ca

David Byrne – American Utopia Tour
Catch the Vancouver stop on veteran alt-pop-rocker David Byrne’s tour. The Talking Heads’ frontman continues his prolific solo career with his current album, American Utopia. He’ll play songs from the new album, plus his own back catalogue, as well as some Talking Heads’ hits. A 12-piece band will also join Byrne on stage for a choreographed concert that he has called “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.”
May 23, 8 p.m.
Queen Elizabeth Theatre. 630 Hamilton St.
vancouvercivictheatres.com/events/david-byrne-may-23-2018/

byrne