Tag: museum events

What is Whistler’s Greatest Icon?What is Whistler’s Greatest Icon?

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What heights will this year's competitors go to?

WHAT HEIGHTS WILL THIS YEAR’S COMPETITORS GO TO?

 

Icon [AHY-kon] noun: A person, place or thing of great cultural significance.

Icon Gone [AHY-kon gon] event: A no-holds-barred critical-thinking cage match to determine Whistler‘s greatest icon.

Tailor-made for a town with as quirky and contested a history as Whistler, Icon Gone is a raucous community celebration that pits passionate, outspoken locals against each other in a rhetorical joust to determine Whistler’s greatest historical icons.

It’s all going down this Wednesday at Merlin’s, itself an iconic Whistler watering hole. An atmosphere (and the carpets too I guess) drenched in decades of epic apres sessions will provide the perfect setting for 8 impassioned Whistlerites to get on stage and debate on behalf of their chosen icon.

Just who are these Icon Goners?  Well, we’re pretty excited because we have a full  array of prominent, knowledgeable, and  charismatic long-time locals who are sure to out on a great show:

Michel Beaudry

Mandy Rousseau

Angie Nolan (defending champ)

Stephen Vogler (inaugural champ)

Steve Andrews

G.D. Maxwell

Emily Wood

Kevin “Big Kev” Mikkelsen

We’ve got actors, writers, and all sorts of other creative folk. Who or what their specific icons are we’ll leave as a surprise, but suffice to say there are some great choices, and a few tricks up their sleeves.

Once again, Mo Douglas will be keeping things rolling as our wonderful MC, and we’ve got Whistler Question editor Tanya Foubert, and Whistler Museum President John “Bushrat” Hetherington joining you, our audience, as the esteemed judging panel. It all adds up to one solid night of entertainment, and you’ll probably learn a thing or two as well!

Angie Nolan, with help from Cathie Coyle, waxes nostalgic about the beloved Boot Pub.

Angie Nolan, with help from Cathie Coyle, waxes nostalgic about the beloved Boot Pub.

Icons—our shared experiences, cherished landmarks, and beloved neighbours—are the essence of our shared identity, the difference between a collection of people and a real community. So what are Whistler’s greatest icons? Is it Black Tusk? Opening day gondola line-ups? Your favourite local visionary or eccentric? Or is it some under-appreciated yet essential element of our social fabric? Come with an opinion, and come prepared to laugh, cheer, maybe even cry at one of the few events that can truly claim to be “history in the making.”

We’ll leave you with a clip from last year’s event, as Jamie Bond (Gaper Day) and Angie Nolan (The Boot Pub) faced for the evening’s final showdown.

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Wednesday, March 6th, at MERLIN’S BAR & GRILL

Advanced tickets: $10 at Whistler Museum (4333 Main Street, or call 604.932.2019)

Tickets at door: $15

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Icon Gone’s back!Icon Gone’s back!

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We’re super excited to announce the return of Icon Gone, one of our biggest events that we like to describe as “the Battle for Whistler’s Soul!” For those who don’t know, Icon Gone pits passionate locals against each other in a head-to-head competition to determine Whistler’s greatest historical icon. Over the past five years this has produced tons of compelling, entertaining, informative presentations, and yes, even some controversy (for those who recall Andrew Mitchell’s questionable but ultimately effective defense of bikes).

Well, as all good things do, Icon Gone muse come to an end. This year will be the last Icon Gone, so we’ve opened up the field and all previous icons are back on the table, whether or not they were represented at past events.  We’ve got a great line up featuring such literary and performing heavyweights as Michel Beaudry, G.D. Maxwell, defending champion Angie Nolan, Stephen Vogler, and more. Mo Douglas returns as our fabulous M.C.

It’s all going down the evening of March 6th, this year at that iconic Whistler watering hole, Merlin’s.

To whet your appetite, here’s Jack Crompton’s opening round performance as Jeanie the Bear from last year’s event. Those who recall that the event took place during the last municipal council election will get the joke in Mo’s introduction of Jack.

Jack’s spirited performance was enough to advannce to the semi’s, where he went head-to-head with Jamie Bond in full Gaper Day mode. Here’s Jamie’s 2nd round rebuttal of Jack’s Bear performance:

Tickets ($10 in advance) are now for sale at the Museum. More details to come later this week. Hop to see you there!

Can We Crowd-Source Democracy?Can We Crowd-Source Democracy?

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FEB-ss-poster

Over the last decade we have witnessed the most rapid technological advancement in human history. First and foremost, the Internet has completely changed how we communicate and interact with each other. Websites such as Wikipedia and YouTube have proven that, with the right technologies, vibrant, purposeful communities can emerge around crowd-sourced content. New applications using this open, collaborative system are created every day.

Can the success of open-source be applied offline to other aspects of society? Steve Andrews believes the potential is nothing short of revolutionary, and will be sharing his insights at the Whistler Museum’s next Speaker Series event.

Steve is extremely excited about the implications of the open-source paradigm, especially its potential to replace hierarchical, top-down power with collaborative broadcasting by and for the masses. With his presentation “Collaborative Communities: How the Open-Source Movement can Transform Society” Steve hopes to pay this enthusiasm forward.

The talk will begin with a historical overview of the open-source movement, discuss some of the more practical and effective applications of this collaborative paradigm, and present an alternative to what he considers overly centralized and bureaucratic governance models. The presentation will conclude with an interactive workshop; guests are encouraged (but not required) to bring a wifi-enabled laptop, smartphone, or tablet. This is democracy in action in the 21st century!

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When: Wednesday, February 20th; Doors at 6pm, show 7pm-9pm
Where: Whistler Museum
Who: 19+
Cost: $7 regular price, $5 for museum members

To purchase tickets (seating is limited), call the Whistler Museum at 604.932.2019, or visit us at 4333 Main Street, just behind the library.

There will be a cash bar featuring the Whistler Brewing Company and Jackson Triggs Wines, as well as complimentary coffee served courtesy of the Whistler Roasting Company.

 

Whistler Debates: Is Pride still relevant?Whistler Debates: Is Pride still relevant?

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Is Pride still relevant?

The Whistler Museum, WinterPride, and Whistler is Awesome are excited to announce the latest installment in the Whistler Debates event series, The Pride Debate. In this, our third public debate to date, we will feature four prominent members of our region’s LGBTQ community debating the proposition “Whistler Believes… the Pride movement is no longer relevant.”

While no one is contesting the major advances won by Pride advocates over the last several decades, there is growing disagreement about how such strategies from the past to represent the contemporary LGBTQ community.

Coming to the table to voice their opinions will be Chris Morrissey, Rick Hurlbut, Adam Adams, and a fourth, mystery debater. These individuals bring a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds ensuring a well-rounded, informative, and entertaining discussion.

So what do you think? Have the major battles been won? Is it time for a re-think? Or do queer politics remain an essential component of contemporary civil rights discourse? This debate will get to the heart of the cultural and political identity of today’s LGBTQ community.

To purchase tickets call the Whistler Museum at 604.932.2019, visit us at 4333 Main Street, or visit the WinterPride ticket kiosk.

Complimentary coffee and tea will be served courtesy of the Whistler Roasting Company and Namasthé Tea Co. In addition, there will be a cash bar.

About Whistler Debates: Whistlerites self-identify as informed, opinionated, and outspoken. We’re going to put this assumption to the test. Inspired by the Doha Debates, our aim is to provide a forum for respectful, informed dialogue on wide-ranging topics of local or general interest. Debates will take place year-round and coincide with ongoing festivals and events. All debates will feature a strong audience participation component, so come armed with an opinion, an open mind, and a desire to engage with some of the most pressing topics of our times.

prideposter