Welcome to The Hub Nanaimo, your weekly insider guide to the best of community arts and culture. Did a friend forward this email to you? Subscribe to this newsletter.

The 27th annual Nanaimo Artwalk is happening this week with art at 13 venues in the Downtown and Old City neighbourhoods, featuring the work of 36 artists. 

You can see the full Artwalk Guide on the Nanaimo Arts Council’s website.

Please see all of our other regular music, art and community events listings below. 

Thank you for reading,

Mick Sweetman

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“Excellent articles and list of events I wouldn't have known about!”

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🔎 Watch for 🔍

Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23: The Nanaimo Artwalk is a unique opportunity to experience all forms of visual art from local artists located in venues in the Downtown area and the Old City Quarter.

Know of an event you think should be shared? 

Send Mick an email.

🎵 Listen 🎤

Thursday, Nov. 20, 9 p.m.: Ida Maidstone and Zoe The Strange will play ethereal pop and IDM-propelled outsider dance at The Vault Café. Tickets cost $10. 

Friday, Nov. 21, 6 p.m.: Celebrate two years of Nanaimo's metal and punk record store, NoiseAgonyMayhem, with eight killer bands over two days at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $35 for the weekend or $20 for one night. 

Friday, Nov. 21, 9 p.m.: Maverick Cinema and Chase Spencer will play an indie-rock and pop show at The Vault Café. Tickets cost $15. 

Friday, Nov. 21, 9 p.m.: The Bad Pennies will play blues at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $15. 

Saturday, Nov. 22, 5 p.m.: Cheyenne Ellis will host the Cello Café at The Vault Café. Admission is free.

Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.: Sterling Scott will bring his comedy show to The Queen’s. Tickets cost $25 in advance. 

Saturday, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m.: Disaster in a Dress, Bizkit Park, Hushed and Atomsmatter will play The Terminal Pub. Tickets cost $20. 

Saturday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m.: The Road Poets will play two sets of uptempo folk rock at The Vault Café. Tickets cost $15. 

Sunday, Nov. 23, 3 p.m.: LJ Mounteney will headline the Sunday Blues Jam at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $10, or are free for blues jammers and minors. 

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 10:30 a.m.: Ty Koch will play a coffee concert at The Port Theatre. Tickets cost $40 or $25 for students.

🎭 View 🖼️

Thursday, Nov. 20, 5 p.m.: The opening reception for HAIR! — an art show by students and faculty at Vancouver Island University — will take place at the View Gallery (Building 300) at Vancouver Island University.

Friday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m.: RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World will be screened at the Nanaimo Art Gallery as part of the Unsettling the Lens film series. 

Friday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 23: Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite, The Nutcracker, will be performed by ballet dancers from Kirkwood Academy at The Port Theatre. Tickets cost $45 or $35 for seniors and students. 

Friday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 30: Western Edge Theatre presents the world premier of A Bakers Dozen<> by Ward Norcutt. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for young adults under 30 and students. 

Sunday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m.: Scenes from the Nanaimo Indian Hospital: Reawakening Hul'q'umin'um', Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Kwak'wala Languages Through Theatre will be performed at the Malspina Theatre. Tickets are free. 

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 6 p.m.: Five Broken Cameras</> will be screened at Vancouver Island University, Building 200, Room 203 by the VIU Muslim Women’s Club and For Palestine Vancouver Island. Admission is free.

⛹️ Meet 🎲

Thursday, Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m.: The Nanaimo Pride Society will be holding a candlelight vigil marking the Transgender Day of Remembrance at Sands Funeral Chapel. 

Friday, Nov. 21, noon: Christine Meutzner, recently retired archivist at the Nanaimo Archives, will guide a historic walking tour of Nanaimo’s Commercial Street starting at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Tickets cost $5.

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2 p.m.: Author Celeste Nazeli Snowber will speak about her latest book, Creating in Dangerous Times, at the Gabriola Island Library. 

Sunday, Nov. 23, 2:30 p.m.: Writers can Shut Up and Write at the Nanaimo Harbourfront library in a “structured and focused environment where writers can come together, set aside distractions and achieve their writing goals.”

Monday, Nov. 24, 2:30 p.m.: Builders’ Club at the Wellington Library will have LEGO bricks, MagnaTiles and more for creative hands-on play for children aged three and up with a parent or guardian.

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 11:45 a.m.: Dr. Shannon Dames will talk about the development of research infrastructure that supports psychedelic service delivery in VIU’s Research Chair Speaker Series.

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 6 p.m.: Design and build your own clay fairy house lantern — complete with windows, doors and whimsical details at Lilach Lotan Ceramic Art Studio. Cost is $45. 

Thursday, Nov. 27, 2 p.m.: Learn about Amnesty International's campaign to support people who’ve been harassed, threatened and jailed for their activism and its annual Write for Rights campaign at the Malaspina Theatre. 

Thursday, Nov. 27, 2 p.m.:The Nanaimo Foundation is hosting Spotlight on Healthcare, a free afternoon event bringing together local charities and frontline teams working to strengthen health and wellness across central Vancouver Island, at Wellington Hall.

Thursday, Nov. 27, 6 p.m.: The Reader's Choice Book Club will have its second meeting at Brown's Social House.

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