Go Nanaimo Blog

So you say you’re an entrepreneur?  Now that you’ve convinced yourself that your venture will be viable, how do you go about convincing others?  And how do you avoid the many hidden mines that could stop you from polishing your gem? On Tuesday, March 9, 2010, the Mid-Island Science, Technology & Innovation Council (MISTIC) is hosting a New Ventures BC seminar titled Assessing the Opportunity. This interactive event will review the basics of putting together an elevator pitch or business opportunity statement and will delve deeper into how to better understand investor math, appropriate capital structures, industry standard investor materials and terms, investor expectations for go-to-market strategies, and how to put together a capital plan. As an added bonus, participants will walk through a step-by-step guide on how to put their best foot forward and advance their corporate development.

The keynote speaker will be Bob de Wit, an investor, mentor, director, and consultant to growth-stage technology companies. Bob expresses his passion for entrepreneurship as executive director of New Ventures BC, as director of GreenAngel Energy Corp, and as an active member of the VANTEC angel network and the WUTIF angel fund. Annually, he mentors or reviews the best of the new technology ventures coming out of British Columbia. As a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, de Wit shares his executive experience in corporate development, corporate finance, and competitive market intelligence with audiences ranging from entrepreneurial CEOs to angel investors and graduate students. Bob has built his fifteen year career around starting or nurturing technology start-ups. In addition to working for companies, he has worked with university faculty members to develop effective technology commercialization strategies.

Registration and networking at the March 9 event will be from 9 to 9:30 am and the seminar will run 9:30 am to noon. The cost is $10 per person and includes morning refreshments and a snack. To pre-register for Assessing the Opportunity contact Chelsea at the MISTIC office at tel. 250-753-8324. For more details, visit www.newventuresbc.com.

Robyn Foster

Instructor Robyn Foster of Creative Escape Art Programs is teaching a series of workshops on drawing at Studio 366, 366 Selby Street, Nanaimo. The classes will be on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm from March 2 to 23, 2010, and on Thursdays from 9 to 11 am from March 4 to 25, 2010. Tuition at either the Tuesday or Thursday series is $64.

Discover drawing through this extensive series of classes. Techniques and mediums covered in these classes include how to create volume, texture, depth, and more using pencil and charcoal. Learn to layer your pencils properly to create smooth beautifully shades images and explore perspective to create the illusion of depth in your work. Many skills learned in this class can be applied to other mediums including painting. Take along a sketchbook or drawing paper, HB, 2B, and 4B pencils, and a kneadable eraser to the first class. Charcoal will be supplied. No experience is necessary.

Wild West Express

The Wild West Express is in Nanaimo for one night only and tickets are going fast. On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the Young Professionals of Nanaimo will take 250 passengers on a special journey back to the 1880’s. The event is part of the ongoing efforts of the YPN to raise $391,000 for the restoration of the historic Nanaimo Train Station. SRY (Southern Railway of British Columbia) Rail Link, Seaspan Coastal Intermodal, and the West Coast Railway Association have teamed up to barge four vintage passenger cars to Nanaimo for what is being billed at “a dinner delegation to save the train station.”

“We are extremely excited by what the Young Professionals are doing,” said Ken Doiron of SRY. “Promotion of green transportation and historic preservation are both so important to our Vancouver Island communities and we are proud to be able to help the YPN in their efforts.”

Nanaimo’s train station was gutted by fire in the summer of 2007 and since that time has sat empty at 321 Selby Street. The extent of the damage requires that the building be lifted up and the foundation replaced before the exterior walls and roof can be completed. The total cost of the restoration is estimated at $2.4 million with a total of $1.3 million to be raised for phase 1 and the remainder for phase 2 to be covered by a commercial mortgage. To date $896,000 has come from VIA Rail, $40,000 from the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association, and over $32,000 from the YPN fundraising efforts for phase 1.

“Interest in this project has been phenomenal,” says YPN President Andre Sullivan. “The community of Nanaimo has really gotten behind what we are trying to do and it is exciting to see how close we are coming to our goal.”

The Wild West Express will leave Nanaimo at 4:30 pm on Saturday, March 27, 2010, and head south to the Cowichan Valley where the dinner delegation will enjoy a special feast at the Quw’utsun’ Cultural Centre. /A\ TV’s Bruce Williams will host the evening which will include food and beverage service, live auction, period entertainment and, of course, an unforgettable ride on the train. Tickets are $200 of which $100 is a charitable donation.

Wild West Express tickets will be available from March 1, 2010, at the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvements Association (A10 Victoria Crescent), Herold Engineering (3701 Shenton Road), or Integral Wealth Securities (450 Wentworth Street). For more information, visit www.nanaimotrainstation.org or call Andre Sullivan at 250-616-1111.

Andy MacKinnon, co-author of the popular field guide Coastal Plants of British Columbia, will be the guest speaker for an evening hosted by NALT’s Edible Wild Plants Project on Thursday, March 4, 2010, in the Lounge of the Beban Park Recreation Centre, 2300 Bowen Road, Nanaimo. The focus of Andy’s one-hour presentation will be the harvest and use of edible wild plants on Vancouver Island. To liven things up a bit, he plans to add a bit of information about Sasquatch Ethnobotany.

Doors will be open at 6:30 pm, with information displays and light refreshments. The program will begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is free; donations appreciated. NALT hopes to see you there. For more information, contact the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust at 250-714-1990.

Nanaimo’s Art 10 Gallery was launched 26 years ago after brainstorming by a group of ten artists who wanted to showcase their work. The name Art 10 Gallery stuck even though membership had climbed to 13 artists by the time the gallery opened. Today, Art 10 is a collective of 28 local potters and painters. Well known artists such as Jack Shadbolt, Tony Onley, Grant Leier, and Nixie Barton have taught or displayed their work at Art 10. The gallery continues to attract award winning artists including painters Denise McNeill and Marilyn Risdale and potter Ian Nattras to name a few. Over the years, the gallery has also showcased sculpture, weaving, collage, stained glass, and woodworking, among other media.

A majority of Art 10 potters are members of the Tozan Cultural Society. The Tozan, a rare ceramic kiln made up of thousands of single bricks is located at Tamagawa College in Cedar and is one of only three such kilns in the world. It is a huge, multi-chambered wood burning kiln. Tozan pottery has a unique look and a more natural, stone-like surface with subtle colouring. When the kiln is full of pots and the fires are stroked, the Tozan has been likened to a fire breathing dragon.

Art 10 has moved several times in it’s long history. The gallery has been gained exposure in many different communities within Nanaimo. This has been one of Art 10’s strengths and the secret of its success. As a group, the members are resilient and have learned from their collective experience.  But most of all they continue to support one another. As artists they have contributed to such community events, such as The Festival of Trees. They have donated their art and time to the acquisition of Mount Benson and the Linley Valley. They come from many different backgrounds but all have one thing in common: A belief in the power of art to build community.

Recently the Art 10 Gallery moved from Port Place Mall to the Nanaimo North Town Centre. They are excited about their new home and invite loyal patrons and new clients alike to come and visit them there. The gallery is directly across from the lottery centre and is open mall hours. Pictured here are Art 10 Gallery members Marlie Schottke, Joyce Hedges, Barbara Lorimer, Maryann Fleming, Ruth Porter, Shirley Grey, and Keiko Bottomley celebrating the new Nanaimo North Town Centre location. Feature artist for the month of February, 2010, is George Williamson with his show titled Trains, Trains, Trains.

MISTIC, the Mid-Island Science, Technology, and Innovation Council, is hosting a four-phase Access to Capital Program developed and facilitated by Tom O’Flaherty, former president of Bedford and Richmond Software (Maximizer). Is your business stalled by lack of capital? Is money the only thing standing between you and a major breakthrough? Those who participate in this session will have a rare opportunity to hear one of British Columbia’s most successful entrepreneurs explain how to overcome financing challenges and move their company to the next level. Now is the time to learn how to access outside money. Preparation is key!

The topic of Phase 1 is Accessing Money: How to Beat the Odds. Tom will share his and others experiences of overcoming financing challenges to grow very successful companies. This session will include who and what are the main sources of financing; what does each source of capital look for in an investment; and how to match up your business’s needs with suitable financing options. This session will be from 10 am to noon on Monday, March 1, 2010, at the MISTIC office, 150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, BC. The $30 fee includes a comprehensive resource workbook.

Phase 2 is titled Becoming Investable. This program is for entrepreneurs who have identified that they are ready to access outside money. This session will provide entrepreneurs with information that will assist in the preparation for presentation to access outside funding including venture capital. The prerequisite for attendance is Phase 1; however, if you feel you are ready to attend without the prerequisite, call the MISTIC office at 250-753-8324 to make your case. Phase 2 is from 12:30 to 3:30 pm on Monday, March 1, 2010, at the MISTIC office. The cost is $50 including a comprehensive resource workbook and access to all services offered in Phases 3 and 4.

Phase 3 is individual assistance including one-on-one coaching from MISTIC Business Mentors / Coaches, to work with the business owner to develop a properly prepared plan. You will utilize the information that you receive from the workshops to assist you with your business plan development and presentation. If you wish, a review panel made up of successful business proprietors will vet and provide feedback regarding your business plan and investor presentation. Phase 4 involves qualifying appropriate British Columbia-based sources of capital and identifying those with an interest in receiving screened and qualified proposals from businesses located within the MISTIC region.

For more information or to register, contact Chelsea at the MISTIC office, 150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G6, Canada, tel. 250-753-8324, toll free 1-877-664-7842. The $80 you spend to attend these sessions could be your most profitable investment this year!

The Nanaimo Art Gallery, 150 Commercial Street, is having a Spring Art Mart from May 12 to May 22, 2010. This is an opportunity for art owners to offer art for sale to the public as well as supporting the Nanaimo Art Gallery through this fundraiser. Check your walls, attic, basement, and closets for original art, limited edition prints, original statuary, etc, that you would be happy to sell. The gallery is offering a commission of 60 percent to the owner, 40 percent to the gallery. Free entry forms are available in both galleries (900 Fifth Street and 150 Commercial street). Works and entry forms can be dropped off at the downtown gallery (150 Commercial Street) from Tuesday, May 4 to Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Entry forms can be dropped off earlier but the works should not be delivered until May 4 though they have to be at the gallery by May 11 as the sale starts May 12. This is a great opportunity for art owners to renew their artwork and for art lovers to find rare pieces of art to add to their collections. For more information call 250-754-1750.

Robyn Foster

Studio 366, 366 Selby Street, Nanaimo, is presenting a series of art classes with Robyn Foster, owner of Creative Escape Art Programs and a specialist on visual art programs on Vancouver Island. The first in the series, Outside the Box: Mixed Media, will take place every Monday from 7 to 9 pm, March 1 to 22, 2010, at a cost of $64 for all four sessions.

Think outside the box and let your creativity flow in this fun class. This mixed media class is ideal for individuals who crave texture and desire to work outside the boundaries of acrylic painting. Techniques covered include painting, drawing, and sculpture. Learn how to apply mediums, create texture, and incorporate sculptural details into your paintings. Various painting surfaces will also be explored, the possibilities are endless. No experience is necessary but materials are not included. Bring a pencil and paper or a sketchbook to the first class. Additional materials will be discusses during the first class.

Martha Rans

CARFAC BC and the Nanaimo Art Gallery are presenting a Copyright for Visual and Media Artists Workshop on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010, from 7 to 9 pm. This workshop will take place at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, downtown location at 150 Commercial Street. Tickets are $15 per person, $10 for Nanaimo Art Gallery members, free for CARFAC members.

Have you ever wondered what exactly is copyright and how it affects, protects, and benefits the work of visual artists? Understanding copyright law is tricky and with the rise of the digital world over the past 15 years, it may have become even more exciting and complicated.  Join lawyer Martha Rans in this highly interactive workshop, as she defines what you need to know about copyright with fascinating and relevant case studies.

Martha Rans has been practicing law since 1995 and has acted for artists in all disciplines including painting, photography, architecture, sculpture, textile, film and video, new media, animation, website and graphic design, theatre, and dance. She regularly advises arts-related and other not-for-profit organizations on a wide range of legal issues including intellectual property, employment, labour, health and safety, and privacy. Martha is the founder and current legal director of the Artists Legal Outreach, a volunteer-run community clinic providing access to legal information and advice for artists and arts organizations. Martha is also the Vancouver project leader for Creative Commons.

CARFAC BC is the provincial branch of the Canadian Artists’ Representation/le Front des artists canadiens, the national association of Canada’s professional visual and media artists. CARFAC defends artists’ socio-economic and legal rights through advocacy and professional development and produces a schedule of artists’ fees that is widely recognized as the national standard. The Status of the Artist Act empowers CARFAC to negotiate with national organizations on behalf of all visual artists in Canada. For more information, call 250-754-1750.

The Nanaimo Theatre Group at The Bailey Studio, 2373 Rosstown Road, Nanaimo, is presenting Godspell the musical by John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz and by permission of Theatre Maximus at 8 pm from February 17 to March 6, plus matinees at 2 pm on February 21 and 28, 2010. The director is Sheila Coultish, musical director Arvon Brunt.

This joyous and uplifting musical presents a whimsical view of the gospel of Mathew with Alex Brennan as Jesus. Wearing a Superman shirt, He greets the people of the city. They join with Him to re-enact His parables and teachings in memorable song and dance.

Tickets are $15 Wednesdays, Thursdays and matinees and $17 on Fridays and Saturdays. They are available online or at the following outlets: Falconer Books (Port Place Mall), Sea Drift Fish Market (Northridge), and The Black Dog Cafe (Lantzville). Call 250-758-7224 for more information.