Shane Koyczan, award-winning spoken word poet made famous by his performance during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies, debuts a brand new work inspired by the art and artifacts of Glenbow Museum on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Glenbow’s In Residence program invites diverse artists from a variety of disciplines to interact with Glenbow’s exhibitions and collections and create new work that debuts to the public at Glenbow. Tell us your favourite artist in the comments for a chance to win two tickets to Shane Koyczan’s performance. The draw will be made at 10:00am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Shane Koyczan
7:00-8:30pm, Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Conoco Phillips Theatre
Tickets $15 / Members $12
Call 403-268-4110 to book

The Glenbow Museum’s latest exhibit, Watch Me Move: the Animation Show, presents 111 films that span several years and range in popularity. This is the only Canadian stop before the exhibit goes on tour in Asia, so make some time before December 24, 2011 to see it (you may want to have time for more than one visit).

Ever since I heard there was going to be an animation exhibit at the Glenbow Museum I’ve been looking forward to it. Yesterday, I got my first look.

The collection is presented in six themes, rather than chronologically, so you could visit in any order you like. They also have several suggested highlight tours that focus on different aspects of animation. As for me, I’m a wanderer so I just started with the biggest screen and drifted around from there.

There’s no set time given to see the whole exhibit, but I imagine it would be several hours if you tried. There are enough screens (I didn’t count but if you’re keen, go ahead and tell me the answer in the comments) that you can always find one to watch, lingering as your interest dictates.

The films are presented as art, rather than a ‘how-to’ of animation making it easier to appreciate clips of some of the most well known animation sequences on their own, as opposed to the whole movie. Although really, who doesn’t find the lifelike animation of a T-Rex eating an SUV impressive?! I know I still do.

My favourites were Tim Burton’s Vincent and Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (clip). This was due as much to their presentation as to the films themselves. In the room you could hear the buzz of each film, but within the booth you could only hear that film’s sound.

There are also many films you won’t recognize (unless maybe you’re an expert), but that’s part of the fun of the show.

If you like movies, cartoons, comics or anime I think you should see this exhibit. If you don’t? I still think you’ll like it.

Plus, you need to see Falling Cat.

Photo Credit: Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park, 1993, Courtesy of Universal Studios LLC

Every Saturday and Sunday this September our Back to Style team will be at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew to give one lucky shopper each day an instant shopping spree with $200 in Couture Cash. How can you spot them? By their pink shirts of course! Today was Carlee’s lucky day, she got two new looks for Fall at the Gap.

Carlee just moved to Calgary from the Okanagan and was looking in the CORE for some warm clothes for her first Calgary fall. Most of her wardrobe is from Aritzia, H&M and the Gap. Her tip for a long day of shopping in Calgary? Comfortable shoes!

Today Carlee got two new outfits from the GAP with her $200 in Couture Cash. She was our last winner for this year’s Back to Style Instant Shopping Sprees, but maybe we’ll be back for September 2012.

Tell us : What do you like to wear when you’re out shopping?

Remember the CORE has free parking (plus valet service) for the first three hours on the weekend and there’s a train station right outside their door.

Photo Credit: Tasha Komery 

Every Saturday and Sunday this September our Back to Style team will be at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew to give one lucky shopper each day an instant shopping spree with $200 in Couture Cash. How can you spot them? By their pink shirts of course! Today was Raymond’s lucky day, he got a new look for Fall at Banana Republic.

Raymond was at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew booking a honeymoon and met our Back to Style team. He’d really like a new jacket for fall.

Raymond chose an entire new outfit, but no jacket, maybe we’ll see him back downtown for the last piece in his new fall look.

Our Pink Shirt will be at it again tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled and you could be experiencing your own Couture Cash spending spree!

Tell us : What’s your favourite jacket length: short, medium or long?

Remember the CORE has free parking (plus valet service) for the first three hours on the weekend and there’s a train station right outside their door.

Photo Credit: Tasha Komery 

It’s Back to Style time downtown this month and it’s a good time to think about your personal style. What inspires you? I asked Alderman Druh Farrell where she gets her style inspiration.

I inherited my sense of style from my mother, who owned a boutique on 17th Ave in the 1980s.  I worked at a tailor shop on the weekends when I was 15, and then made accessories for my mother’s store.  I went on to design school and eventually designed and exported a line of children’s clothing for 17 years. My mum advised investing in fewer quality pieces and I still wear some treasures from her store and ones that I’ve made.

I like to mix vintage couture pieces that I collect when I travel with basics from stores like Femme Carriere, Club Monaco, Banana Republic, or Holt’s, then add something unexpected such as a fun piece of jewellery from a local designer.  Although I don’t have a lot of time to shop, when I have the opportunity, my first stop is downtown. I asked my colleague, Gian Carlo Carra, if he could define my style and he came up with “Urban Pixie Librarian”.

You might also be interested in Alderman John Mar’s style staples.

Every Saturday and Sunday this September our Back to Style team will be at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew to give one lucky shopper each day an instant shopping spree with $200 in Couture Cash. How can you spot them? By their pink shirts of course! Today was Joty’s lucky day, she got a couple new looks for Fall at H&M.

The recently opened H&M flagship store in the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew carries the “Women’s Trend” and “Men’s Modern Classic” lines in addition to the stores other lines.

Joty works outside the city as a clinical resident and because she lives nearby, she likes to wander the mall browsing for new clothes. She definitely got some great ones today.

Joty got quite a few new things, the main one being the gorgeous ruffled coat she’s wearing in the picture, plus the purple purse on top, a cream lace top and a black dress.

Our Pink Shirt will be at it again next weekend, so keep your eyes peeled and you could be experiencing your own Couture Cash spending spree!

Tell us : What’s your favourite store to browse?

Remember the CORE has free parking (plus valet service) for the first three hours on the weekend and there’s a train station right outside their door.

Every Saturday and Sunday this September our Back to Style team will be at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew to give one lucky shopper each day an instant shopping spree with $200 in Couture Cash. How can you spot them? By their pink shirts of course! Today was Jody’s lucky day, she got a new look for Fall at Cassis.

Jody was at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew for some new clothes for a job she starts on Monday. The new position is one in management and she needs to dress more formally than at her last job.

Jody chose a fall sweater, a work blouse and a purse. She has tons of black purses at home, so she resisted the urge to get another and mixed it up with a different neutral.

Our Pink Shirt will be at it again next weekend, so keep your eyes peeled and you could be experiencing your own Couture Cash spending spree!

Tell us : What’s your favourite bag for work?

Remember the CORE has free parking (plus valet service) for the first three hours on the weekend and there’s a train station right outside their door.

It’s Back to Style time downtown this month and it’s a good time to think about you personal style. How do you decide? I asked Alderman John Mar a few questions about his distinctive style at City Hall.

Where do you get your style staples downtown? Whether that’s a statement piece or a store that always has something for you?

There are so many great and exciting places in the CORE for apparel, I often go to Holt Renfrew, and Harry Rosen for accent pieces like ties and pocket squares and to O’ Connors for shoes and boots.

What place is a great backdrop for your style?

Life is very busy for me, so you’ll often find me at events all over the City, but most likely, I am at City Hall

You have some signature pieces (your Burberry coat and red pants) is there a story behind these pieces or do you just like them?

Most of my clothes for work are bespoke pieces, but I have some unique signature pieces like my Trench (Burberry Prorsum) that I bought at Holt Renfrew. I also have a fondness for coloured trousers and have a wide selection of everything from sky blue for summer, to a deep scarlet moleskin.

So? Do you have a place that makes a perfect backdrop for your style?

You might also be interested in where Alderman Druh Farrell finds her style inspiration.

Here at getdown.ca we love running contests for our readers and today I have just the challenge for you. Look at the pictures below and tell me where you can find these retailers. When you think you have the answer leave a comment below to be entered to win a prize. What’s the prize you ask? I can’t tell you because that would give away the answer, but it’s a good one.

I’ll post the wrong answers so that you can help each other find the answer, but I’ll hold back the correct ones for our random draw on Wednesday, September 21 at 11:00am.

Update: The draw has been done and the prize claimed! Enjoy your gift certificate to Bankers Hall Garth and good guessing to everyone who got it.

For those who were wondering the pictures from the top are of m0851 (new), Intimately Yours, Henry Singer, La Chic, Blu’s and Helly Hansen.

Good luck to everyone who enters and visit downtowncalgary.com/back-to-style for more great style events this September.

Every Saturday and Sunday this September our Back to Style team will be at the CORE TD Square/Holt Renfrew to give one lucky shopper each day an instant shopping spree with $200 in Couture Cash. How can you spot them? By their pink shirts of course! Today was Al’s lucky day, he got a new look for Fall at GUESS.

GUESS opened their new store on the second level of the CORE TD Square\Holt Renfrew this past month and also a GUESS by Marciano store next to Holt Renfrew.

Al lives and works downtown and was looking for a new Fall casual look today. We had to be quick, because he needed to get back to work soon.

Luckily Guess’ stylist Zophia was up to the challenge, she chose new jeans, a T-shirt, a plaid button-down and a military inspired necklace.

Our Pink Shirt will be at it again next weekend, so keep your eyes peeled and you could be experiencing your own Couture Cash spending spree!

Tell us : What king of look do you want to try this Fall?

Remember the CORE has free parking (plus valet service) for the first three hours on the weekend and there’s a train station right outside their door.