Client Testimonials and Press about LIKS Graffiti Art and Designs

“That evening we’ve got the whole centre,” she said. “The arts council is trying to bring everyone together and show Pemberton we really are a vibrant art community.” The event will be spread through the Community Centre with live music, art displays, a slide show, artists who will be creating work live, and other artists mingling with the crowd. Graffiti artist Liks will wield his spray paint cans outside the front entrance, while artists such as Gavin Livingstone will be painting live inside, Love said. More than 30 artists will have work on display, much of which will be available for purchase, and many of the artists will be in attendance at the event. Photography, paintings, mixed media, video, sculpture, fabric art, graffiti, jewellery and stone works will all be featured.

“That’s what’s so exciting, to bring all these creative people out of the woodwork,” Love said. Funk master Papa Josh will play jazz guitar and dance grooves, with Susan Wilson, Steven and Dawn and the Courageous Mountain Rangers also set to provide live tunes. The folks from Pemberton Valley Vineyard and Pemberton Valley Coffee will be on hand with refreshments at the cash bar.

Komuro said the goal of the Pemberton MADE party is to bring artists, art supporters and people who aren’t at all involved in the local arts circle together to dance, listen to music and experience art. The event is aimed at everyone through the northern Sea to Sky corridor — from Pemberton to Birken and D’Arcy. “We just wanted to celebrate the arts and give Pemberton a little bit of art awareness,” she said. The event is also designed to bring some attention to the Pemberton Arts Council, Komuro said. The organization has a limited budget, but it’s working toward holding art workshops and other educational components, Love said.

PAC’s membership also continues to grow, with more than 75 members currently, she said. The possibility of having art on display year-round at the Community Centre is a step toward making art a part of the day-to-day culture of Pemberton, Love said. Art can bring the community together and help shape its identity, she said. “Don’t forget that art is important — it’s part of our life,” Love said. Pemberton MADE takes place Saturday (Nov. 29) from 8 p.m. to midnight at the new Pemberton Community Centre. Admission is by donation and the cash bar event is for ages 19 plus.
- Jennifer Miller

For the first time, Liks will have the chance to create a graffiti masterpiece on an Airstream RV — you know, the shiny aluminium ones with the rounded edges — and everyone is invited to watch the work of art unfold. Liks will be painting the RV live at ARTrageous, Whistler’s signature art party, on Nov. 6 at Dusty’s.

Liks said he’ll be painting the Airstream in the classic New York graffiti style, likely with a recognizable character and some lettering in the design. At about 27 feet long and 10 to 12 feet high, it’s a “huge surface,” and Liks said he’ll likely have a friend helping him paint. You may have seen Liks painting in Whistler Village this summer as part of the street entertainment programming, and you’ve likely seen his graffiti and murals at Merlin’s, Moe Joe’s and Crossfit Whistler. He’s also participated in several of Whistler’s underground Blind Mute art shows.

Liks said he got hooked on graffiti art during the long commutes to his high school on Melbourne’s train system, during which he saw walls and walls of graffiti. “It just caught my eye. I was really intrigued by it,” he said. He works with spray paint and paint pens — Liks has never picked up a paintbrush or tried airbrushing. “I didn’t go to school to learn fine art or anything,” he said. Having lived in Whistler and Pemberton for about 14 years, Liks isn’t your typical city graffiti “bomber,” though he said the art form is part of daily life.

In addition to his live Airstream project, Liks created an ARTrageous graffiti banner for the event and he’ll have a couple of pieces for sale in the urban art section of the party. This year, the ARTrageous theme is the Evolution of Art and Dusty’s will be divided into five sections reflecting different genres of art: surrealism, expressionism, urban, abstract and pop art. Each section will have its own exhibit with the work of Sea to Sky artists. ARTrageous also includes funk music by DJ Czech, dancing, wine, performers, interactive art stations, a photo studio experiment and live art creations. Dusty’s will be transformed into a world of creation, music and costume for the popular event.

Attendees and artists are encouraged to get into the creative spirit of ARTrageous by dressing up as famous artists or dressing to exaggerate their own artistic side. The 13th annual ARTrageous, presented by the Whistler Arts Council (WAC), kicks off the Cornucopia weekend on Thursday, Nov. 6. The party gets underway at Dusty’s in Creekside at 7 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m.
- Jennifer Miller