Make it snappy!

'Photography in Bermuda' is the subject of today's (Desk: April 30) lunchtime lecture at the Bermuda National Gallery. The panel discussion will be moderated by Bermuda Society of Arts' executive director Victoria Evans-Cracknell, and feature Biennial artists Scott Hill, Antoine Hunt, Alan Smith, Scott Stallard, Ian MacDonald-Smith. They will be discussing where photography is going today — personally, locally and globally. Starting time is 12.30 p.m. Entry is free to members, with a $5 donation requested from non-members.

First auditions, then the Full Monty

Hardly does the curtain go down on the Gilbert & Sullivan Society's latest runaway success before everyone's asking: 'What will they come up with next?'. Well, here's the answer: the Broadway musical of 'The Full Monty' — book by Terrance McNally (who coincidentally wrote 'Ragtime', the Society's 2008 Bermuda Festival production); music and lyrics by David Yazbek. Performance dates are October 8-18 at City Hall theatre.

Meanwhile, auditions for a multi-cultural company of 24 are set for May 20 to 22 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Bermuda School of Music in the old Berkeley Institute building. Characters and show synopses can be downloaded from www.gands.bm , or collected from the BMDS at Daylesford any time after 5.30 p.m. from May 1 onwards, (Desk: tomorrow). Those wishing to audition should contact Mrs. Marjorie Stanton at 295-3218 for an appointment, and also prepare a song — preferably modern musical, pop or rock — for the audition.

New executive for Gilbert & Sullivan Society

At its recent annual general meeting, Mrs. Marjorie Stanton was returned as the Society's president. Joining her on the executive slate are Hannah Wilmott (vice-president), Deborah Smith-Joell (treasurer), Dianne Edmunds (secretary), Amanda Jackson (scholarship committee chairman), Mathew Nester (website), John Barnett (patrons), Alan Smith and Denise Whitter (members).

Dempster exhibition in Boston

Bermudian artist and Boston resident Dan Dempster is currently exhibiting at M2L and Canvas Fine Art, 107 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

Entitled 'Tidepools: Fractal Shallows', the show consists of 16 "shimmering, monochromatic canvasses painted with powdered graphite and ground Conté. Hung throughout the main floor and loft mezzanine, the four by four feet paintings are presented as a diptych of extraordinary detail and eight single studies of varying texture and intensity".

Described as "contemplative pieces with endless storytelling", they "evoke, from a child's point of view, the delight of paddling in the rock pools of Grape Bay and Ariel Sands on a hot summer day. The fractal patterns remind the viewer of shallow water... and the absence of scale and context allow for endless movement in the imagination".

They are further described as "meditations on the spectacular in the mundane, a gentle reminder of the quiet beauty which surrounds distraced lives in an age of information overload".

Mr. Dempster, who is known as an artist of water and light, has exhibited here and abroad over many years, and is also listed in the Art in America Guide to Galleries, Museums and Artists.

For further information about his current exhibition visit www.liquidlight.cm/Exhibitions/Emory/emory.html The artist's website is www.liquidlight.bm

All aboard for May 10 Whistle Stopper

Children aged seven to ten who clamber aboard the 'Whistle Stop Adventure 2008' fun train on Saturday, May 10 will discover the exciting world of the ocean, plants, Bermuda History, art and books — thanks to the combined efforts of the Bermuda Youth Library, the Botanical Gardens, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Bermuda National Gallery and the Bermuda Train Company. The adventure is from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. and the price of $10 includes lunch. Registration required (telephone 295-0487) — but hurry, space is limited.