The Pearl Company

Jazz, The Pearl, and Adam Vaughan: Monday, April 13 at 7:00pm – 9:30pm. Enjoy an evening of jazz, flamenco and classical guitar with Gary Santucci and conversation with Adam Vaughan, LPC’s housing and urban affairs critic, and Anne Tennier for Hamilton Centre at The Pearl Company, Hamilton’s performing arts gem. Tickets are $100 per person, including light refreshments, and are available by calling 905-523-6575 or online at http://events.liberal.ca/Event/jazz-the-pearl-and-adam-vaughan.aspx?Lang=en&mi=A

Charity Art Auction/Comedy Show: Saturday, July 19.  Auction and FUN for KIDS: 1pm – 5pm. Kid’s Kingdom proudly presents: Charity Art Auction with 100 kids painting and 100 pieces of art auctioned off for $10!  This is a Free Event with prizes and games for kids.  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/763098573701136/?ref=br_tf 

Standup Comedy Show: 7pm – 11pm. $20 admission. Featuring: Larry Smith, Neil Griffin, Matthew Surina, Voodoo Ray, Kevin Spencer, Maysin’s Dad.
All proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hamilton and to the McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation
Tickets: http://www.ticketscene.ca/events/10842/ 

Robin Benedict’s “By the Seat of Her Pants Fun Raiser” at The Pearl: Friday, July 18: PWYC (Pay What You Can). Doors at 7:00 pm (Hang out, check the auction items…) Show at 8:00. In conjunction with Rebels Rock! Robin, bless her generous heart (although she’s just making sure she can still sing here!) is pulling together a show that will blow our wee minds.  We have Erin and Nara hosting; Cindy Dell and Sue Leonard performing as Perfect Strangers; Robin will sing, of course. Music happening both here and at Rebels.  Added to the final lineup are! Lori Yates and Duane Rutter, Social Animals; aka Chris and Christa Bradbury, Annette Green on piano. There will be a silent auction, 50-50 Draw. Who knows what all might happen! Wow, all you marvelous women. You really know how to get things done – by the seat of your pants!

Amber & Friends Fundraiser: Friday, September 20. 7pm doors. 8:00pm show. $20 / $10 for children under 12.  Please join Stephanie Beatson (Amber) for a musical fundraising event to help sponsor her upcoming volunteer work abroad in South Africa. Joined by fabulous special musical guests The Fox and the Moon, Jimere, Amber of course, and… much more TBA! Door prizes and raffles! This show is ALL AGES. Stephanie will be working in South Africa on two different volunteer placements.  The first is a cheetah reintroduction project that aims to help boost cheetah population long term.  The second one is devoted to the research and care of African elephants.  This is to study how the animals behave in captivity and to offer them a safe place to live, free of poaching.  For both projects, she’ll be helping with general park maintenance, cleaning and feeding, research tasks (collecting samples, observing behaviour, etc.) as well as helping to host guided tours in the park.

THE JACK STREET SHOW: THE LAST CALL: The Memorial Wake & Celebration of the Life & Work of the late local Artist & Story Teller. Monday, September 16. Doors at 6:00, show at 9:00. Pay what you wish at door. Join Jack’s wife LLLLaura, his family of friends, and his dog, Gonzo in celebrating the man’s life and work. At 9:00 the show be launched with bagpipes and we will showcase the eclectic parade that was Jack’s life: his poetry, his stories, his musical collaborations, his artwork (the retrospective he was working on before he passed away)..  Jack`s favourite music will accompany LLLLaura`s photo slideshow. Bob Ezergailis’ videos of Jack on stage, taken over the years will be projected on the big screen of the main floor theatre. Suggested attire is Gypsy/Hippy/Jack Street style. There will be spirited libations, merriment, great gobs of food, remembrance and lively conversation, all the things Jack loved the most. Truly a multi-faceted, entertaining, and interesting evening not to be missed. A good old “Knees Up” as Jack would say! Pot luck offerings welcome!

2nd Annual Ladybird Spring Fair! Sunday, May 5. 1 to 5pm.  Admission: “Pay What You Can”. Come on out and enjoy: Music, vendors, food and fun to benefit Ladybird Animal Sanctuary and the rescued animals in their care!  The fair was great fun last year and absolutely packed with people, happenings, food, crafts, and entertainment.

Live music: Michelle Titian, Mary Simon, Kim Koren, Dawn & Marra, and more!

Vendors include: Striped Aardvark, BLove, Marsha Z, The Button Pushers, and more to be announced!

Activities for kids and yoga demos too!

Bring your family to the fair and help Ladybird rescue animals in your community! www.ladybirdanimalsanctuary.com

Keeping the Dream Alive! Support The Pearl! Saturday, February 16. 7:00p.m. Give What You Wish. (From a Toonie to a Tune.)  To the numerous well-wishers and supporters who sent love and offers of help, who passed on their dismay, distress and outrage and who have asked us what they can do, we have never needed your support more. This particular event, being pulled together by ‘Allies of The Pearl’, will be a mini-support-and-funds-raiser to help us get past both the trauma of the horrendous events last week (we need lots of hugs and hand-holding…), and to help get our feet back under us financially. Feb.16th was to be DJ (former VJ) Michael Williams’ Dance Party and Michael has graciously agreed to still be here with the dance music, but this is the only possible date we have until the end of March and we need to use it. Much will be added over the next while; art, music and contributions of… (do you have something you would like to share?) If Gary can manage it, he too will play. We would normally have food, but we are looking for help with that as well. It would be great to have a potluck!  We are inviting all who can to drop by for 5 minutes, an hour, the entire evening, just to show your support and concern for a plight that was as bizarre as it was violent.

Over the years we have put our heads and our hearts on the line. We have insisted on keeping a wonderful, ambiance-laden structure that seems to have been built for powerful acoustics and warm gatherings, and the dream has been to keep it as a voice for the arts! The Pearl Company has filled a number of necessary roles in its neighbourhood and its community. It is a stage for budding, mid, and realized talent in the music, theatre and visual arts fields; it is a place for community gatherings and celebrations; it fosters numbers of creative undertakings from gutsy new ideas to rehearsal space to festivals.  And, it could be so much more!

There is another simple answer if you can’t make it on the 16th: Continue to support by coming to events; tell your friends, your neighbours, your co-workers.  Thank you so much. Hope to see you soon, Barbara and Gary

Dawn and Marra´s First Ever Christmas Show: Thursday, December 13. 7:00pm. $10 or $8 with a canned good. The night will consist of many top local acts, collaborations between artists and lots of Christmas cheer! There will be caroling, homemade snacks, Kim Koren, Kori Pop, Hachey the Mouthpeace, and more. Proceeds will go to the Hamilton food bank. A night to put you in the mood for the holidays! Come celebrate with us! Guests also include Reuben the Magician and much more. Dawn and Marra keep adding to the evening so expect some surprises!

“Raise the Roof”: Saturday, November 17, 8:00pm.  The Pearl is hosting this fundraising gala and with your generous support, we will celebrate the completion of a fundraising milestone that will see the construction of three desperately-needed classrooms in the Guatemalan village of San Lucas, Ixcan. This town is the birthplace of adopted Hamiltonian, Eugenia (Sheny) Rodrigues. Her special vision was to help the youth of her town to have the education that was not possible for her until she came to Canada.
The goal is to raise $10,000.00 to complete the fundraising and begin construction of the school. The people of Guatemala have suffered a brutal civil war and continue to suffer under the repressive regime.  Education of their young people is the first line of defense for a better future. There are 100 tickets available; they are $100.00 each. If you have attended one of our New Year’s Eve parties this event will be similar, however, with the addition of our favourite 17-piece Big Band “The Jazz Connection”. And yes, there will be dancing!  We would like this event to help Sheny and the many people who have worked on this project for years to realize their dream. For more information on this project and the fundraiser please go to http://www.cheprojects.ca/index.html

Ladybird Animal Sanctuary Spring Fair: Sunday, May 13^th. Time: 1pm – 5pm. Admission: Pay What You Can!  A fundraiser to help Ladybird Animal Sanctuary help homeless pets.  What started as the dream of three talented Canadian singers to rescue forgotten animals from high kill shelters and find them loving ‘forever’ homes is now a two year old reality as The Ladybird Animal Sanctuary celebrates their 2nd Anniversary with a Spring Fair.  The event, hosted by ‘Ladybirds’ Melissa McClelland, Lisa Winn, and Janine Stoll takes place at The Pearl Company. ‘We chose Mother’s Day to honour all the Mom’s out there both two legged and four legged!’ said Melissa. ‘There will be free massages for Mom’s, yummy baked goods and beautiful crafts to buy, face painting, crafts and activities for kids…and much more’.
Live Bluegrass from ‘Houndstooth’, Baked Goods, Crafts and Art for sale. Free Massages and Tarot Card Readings for Moms. Face Painting, Crafts, Drum Circle and Yoga for Kids.  100% of proceeds to help homeless animals find ‘forever’ homes. Contact:  ladybirdanimalsanctuary@gmail.com

Impact Africa – Benefit Concert & Art Auction: Friday, May 11 – 7:30pm to 11pm, $20 admission
– kids 12 and under are free.  All proceeds go to the Mennonite Central Committee’s ‘Generations at Risk’ – which sends desperately needed medical supplies and money benefiting those living with the realities of  HIV/AIDS in Africa. Remember to bring cash or cheques! www.mcc.org
Featuring Music by: Darin Martin and Eclectislav
Featuring Art by: Dave Hind, Karyn Black, Heather Vollans, Scott Ireland, Sara Sears, Bryce Huffman, Harry Gils, Dana Cowie, Christina Vandermark, Crystal Sanderson, Sylvia Nickelson, Chris Cuthill, Matt McInnes, Andrew Hunter, Reid Flock

Prom at The Pearl: A Fundraiser for Colin Macdonald Community School: Saturday, April 30 at 8:00pm. Pricing: $30 single / $50 couple / $80 for four.  Music by Voodoo Chicken with DJ Andrea Redhill.  Come out, support this unique, friendly, child-centred school, and enjoy a fun evening with lots of entertainment, dancing, and great conversation. 50/50 draw; silent auction; finger foods and appetizers; prom photo booth.  It would be great if you can still wear your prom dress but if you can’t, (for whatever reason) do dress for a fab evening out!  www.colinmacdonald.ca

Impact Africa – Benefit Concert & Art Auction: Saturday, April 2 – 730pm to 11pm, $15 admission – kids 12 and under are free.  Remember to bring cash or cheques! All proceeds go to the Mennonite Central Committee’s Generations at Risk – benefiting those living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. www.mcc.org
Featuring Music by: Melissa Burke & Friends, Michelle Willis with The Girls are Back in Town, The Great Wooden Trio
Featuring Art by: Dave Hind, David White, Tony DiLorenza, Scott Ireland, Colleen O”Reilly, Jim Chambers, Karyn Black, Heather Vollans, Gary Rjinsburger, Judy Taylore, Christina Vandermark, Amber Edgar, Crystal Sanderson, Tricia Bos

Art and Peace Education Exchange Event: Sunday, January 30th. 2pm-6pm. $10 per person at the door. (Reserve your tickets by email apexafpak@gmail.com or call 905-544-0050).

Art and Peace Education Exchange (APEX) is a new not-for-profit Canadian organization dedicated to taking the message of peace education to the war traumatized children of the Tribal Areas and the Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. APEX Canada works towards building bridges between Afghanistan and Pakistan through Children’s Art and Peace Education exchange!

We request you and your loved ones to become part of this successful story by attending the LIVE MUSIC, ART EXIBIT, ART SALE and FOOD EVENT. You will enjoy music of the talented musicians and singers including Neeraj Prem, Lil Acevedo, Leo Johnson, Chinese Band, Jehangir Khan and many more. You will have the opportunity to meet with authors and the Afghans and Pakistanis who have experienced violence and have transformed their lives successfully. (more…)

Pearl Review Fundraiser: Saturday, February 6, 8:00 $10. Please join us here at The Pearl to help launch the Pearl Review Studio House (located directly beside The Pearl Company). Door Prizes, 50/50, Silent Auction. Food and Beverages. And more!!!

The arts journalism newsprint magazine, The Pearl Review (an exciting new take on the Hamilton Arts Scene and an Arts view of Hamilton issues) is coming right along.  Check out the patron subscriber incentives at www.thepearlreview.ca. This newsmagazine will focus on our individual artists of all disciplines, – the background stories, the big questions, and the lively particulars. First issue projected for Spring 2010. Order your subscription now!