This past week, news came in the form of
tweets, blogs and national articles, that the Waldorf Hotel, recent cultural
hotspot, would be closing its doors for good by the end of the month. This was
a serious blow to the Eastside arts community that used the Waldorf as a
showroom for their creative productions. It was also a shocker, to the many
patrons, fans and casual guests of the Waldorf, who witnessed the resurgence of
the tiki themed hotel.
The newly created arts hub was the passion
project of a local management team that together, with renowned architect Scott
Cohen, remodeled the once derelict hotel into a multi-venue establishment.
The hotels original 1947 tiki theme was
maintained and a number of different commercial spaces sprung to life offering
music, visual art, foodie delights, souvenirs and even a hair salon.
The Tikki Bar itself was retooled and remains
one of the oldest in North America; Nuba Cafe moved in and provided causal
diners with falafel treats and other Lebanese fair; Another eatery, the Leeteg
Room, opened, offering a more upscale food experience; Barbarella, a love-child
of our own Main Street vibe, set-up shop in the lobby; Two new nightclubs began
to thrive; Cabaret shows were booked and a souvenir shop opened.
I know! All that under one roof..?
With all this bustle, management still had time
and space to create the Black and Yellow visual art gallery, in Room 106. A number
of local artists have since opened shows here; the latest is KT Kilgour.
But all this progress in reviving the arts may
be lost. It's sad, but true.
This weekend, the community responded. A
Love-In was planned and hundreds showed up to vocalize their support for a
venue firmly dedicated to promoting the arts in Vancouver.
Multimedia artist Paul Wong was one of the
presenters whose words remained long after the crowds dispersed: "If we
don't have a place where the good, the bad and the ugly can come together...
where can we intermingle and meet great people and talk and do things, we're
not going to be a city that creates a great sense of ourselves and who we
are."
The Sergio Leone reference was bit over the
top, but the passion was there in force.
Even the Mayor stepped up, releasing this
statement:
"The Waldorf closing is a big loss to Vancouver's growing creative community. They built a great culture hub, and it's my hope that they'll be able to re-launch and return in some form in the near future. Supporting Vancouver's dynamic arts and culture sector is a top priority of our City Council, and the City is exploring ways to support the Waldorf continuing as one of Vancouver's most unique and vibrant cultural spaces."
In a year that saw the sudden liquidation of
The Vancouver Playhouse, the city cannot afford to lose another cultural
mainstay.
As a Vancouver building project that places artistic space as a top
priority, we would like to congratulate the community for their sudden
and heartfelt response. We are behind you a hundred percent. The Waldorf needs
representation and we are here to provide it.
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