arts

A blue, turquoise, and off-white mural lines one side of a tall building. Painted on the wall is a globe held up by two hands, surrounded by flower-like petals.
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The closure of Vancouver Mural Festival leaves a gaping hole in Vancouver’s art landscape

Peak Web March 6, 2025

By: Osna Hadef, SFU Student On January 24, 2025, the Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF) team announced their closure after nine years of contributing enormously to the public art scene in Vancouver. In their announcement, the team explained how they “have faced growing financial challenges in the past years.” VMF, a non-profit arts organization, was founded in 2016 with a mission of connecting art and people. Initially starting as a summer festival, the organization transformed into an agency that organized several events yearly. Aside from murals, their portfolio includes many community events, commissions, and projects. One of Vancouver’s visible characteristics is…

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Four photos of BAWAH: top left is of BAWAH standing by a window wearing a chromatic purple top. Top right is of BAWAH standing in front of water and mountains with his arms up wearing a patterned top with long sleeves that billow in the wind. Bottom left shows BAWAH sitting in front of a fireplace and brick wall. In the bottom right, BAWAH balances a basketball on his knuckles and stands in front of a basketball hoop outdoors.
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MAUVEY TO A BAWAH: A name, legacy, and cinematic journey

Peak Web March 5, 2025

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer On a bone-chillingly cold Friday night, I made my way down to the VIFF Centre to watch the film premiere of MAUVEY TO A BAWAH. It’s directed by Andrew Huculiak and shot by Joseph Schweers.…

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A woman with short black hair stands at a podium while speaking.
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A conversation with SFU artist Casey Wei

Peak Web March 4, 2025

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer Last month, Casey Wei, an SFU Master of Fine Arts alum and a current PhD student in Contemporary Arts, was awarded the Philip B. Lind Emerging Prize for her work, The Zhang Clan 张家族.…

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A woman stands at a microphone while lit up by purple spotlights.
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Flowing verses at Black Futures Open Mic

Peak Web March 3, 2025

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer A gentle wash of purple and green clung to a white brick wall, as if the colours themselves were intent on listening to the evening’s poems. Behind the microphone sat a few modest armchairs and…

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A book lying on a wooden table with an illustrated cover. The top half depicts colourful visuals of people dancing and playing music, while the bottom half shows police and guards trapping people with shields.
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Postcards from Congo is an artful graphic history

Peak Web February 27, 2025

By: Petra Chase, Editor-in-Chief Content warning: brief mentions of slavery, child soldiers, and war. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest country in Africa, yet its rich, enduring history is often overlooked. Postcards from Congo is an…

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A cute red-brick storefront with a black, yellow, red, and green sign reading “The Lion’s Den Cafe.”
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Local Black businesses

Peak Web February 26, 2025

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer Whether you’re shopping for clothes or dining out with your loved ones, what better way is there to celebrate Black History Month than by supporting local Black-owned businesses? A good thing about Vancouver is…

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A standing microphone overlooks a blurry crowd.
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Need to Know, Need to Go: Month of March

Peak Web February 25, 2025

By: Osna Hadef, SFU Student Treat Show Comedy China Cloud Studios, 524 Main St., Vancouver March 1, 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Tickets: $18 online via Eventbrite, $20 at the door If you want to start the month with laughs,…

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A small figure in all red stands amid concrete rubble and barren, brown hills.
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No Other Land takes a haunting look at the horrors of Israeli occupation

Peak Web February 24, 2025

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer Content warning: mentions of genocide.  No Other Land had been on my watch list since the day I heard about it. The lack of distribution for this film has been frustrating, as there aren’t many…

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a white building with a white awning that reads “Fassil restaurant Ethiopian cuisine” in green.
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A taste of Ethiopia in Vancouver at Fassil Ethiopian Restaurant

Peak Web February 21, 2025

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer Last week, I had the chance to visit Fassil Ethiopian Restaurant, home to warm meals and located not too far from the hustle and bustle of the Commercial-Broadway skytrain station. It’s named after King…

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Three older men laugh while staring out at something past the camera lens.
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Tezeta, a dive into Ethiopia’s music scene and its Armenian influences

Peak Web February 21, 2025

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer Content warning: brief mention of genocide. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) film festival, held at the VIFF centre, has had an expansive catalogue of unique films and documentaries which capture stories from these…

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