SECTION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003 Page 81 Duthie turns eye from literature to furniture By MITCHELL SHERRIN CASES FOR BOOKS: Celia Duthie, left, prepares to Staff Writer launch Duthie Bookcases at Sabine Swierenga's A pioneering business­ bookstore in Ganges. PhotobyM•tcheiiShernn woman who cultivated the Vancouver literary communi­ ty to nurture Canadian writers has taken on the new chal­ Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art proudly sponsors lenge of promoting B.C. wood products through a line of island-designed and locally crafted bookshelves. "I'm hoping we're a pebble on an avalanche of the B.C. woodwork industry," said Celia Duthie. She's launching her new business, Duthie Bookcases, at Sabine's Fine Used Books with a preview celebration 2- 4 p.m. on June 28. "I've always felt very strongly about the idea of B.C. wood products. Where are they?" Consequently, Duthie has kicked off her own fine furni­ ture company to sell bookcas­ es made from indigenous tim­ Management course through "It was exciting to see the distributors. ber milled at small owner­ Malaspina College. book world come alive in "To me it's all appalling operated woodlots on "It was an enormously B.C. and be part of that ... that 80 per cent of the book Vancouver Island. enlightening course. A lot of As one publisher said, 'You distribution business is con­ thought has gone into new always treat our books like trolled by one silly woman in forestry methods." royalty."' Toronto." Bookcases became a way Duthie helped establish But Duthie still maintains ••It was excit­ to combine the twin passions prominent B.C. writers such her Fourth Avenue bookstore ing to see the of forestry and literature, she as William Gibson and in Vancouver. said. Douglas Coupland. "We paid for our indepen­ book world "I think we all have dreams "It's great to see them now dence." come alive in of having a bookstore or a as international stars. They're And the bookseller is ready restaurant or a farm." completely quirky." to champion another B.C. B.C. and be She approached long-time She took over her father's product with her value-added friend and local woodworker bookstore in 1977 and built wooden bookcases. pari: of that. •• llityd Perkins to design book­ the business up from two "I obviously hope that we cases that could incorporate stores to 10 branches with have influence on other "West coasters tend to be B.C. forest products. 170 employees. wood-based communities. I mavericks. My tradition is as He modelled "five easy "We owned Vancouver, the want them to see that this is a private independent." pieces" on arts and crafts city was ours." possible." Duthie manages a 55-acre designs that captured the Duthie is also recognized She also believes that the woodlot on Galiano Island, essence of what Duthie was for her innovative work in value-added wood-product where she lives part time. She looking for, she said. developing on-line marketing industry offers an opportunity also runs Duthie Books and "These struck me as and Internet sales. to engage in more local patri­ publishes two magazines in tremendously useful bookcas­ But Duthie Books was otism. Vancouver. A third portion of es." forced to file for bankruptcy "I want to develop a strong her life is spent on Salt Spring Perkins said the shelves in 1999 and closed nine local industry." where her children Mary and speak a kind of "B.C. vernac­ stores after Chapters moved Like her work with local Peter attend school. ular" as dictated by the choice into the city. writers, Duthie would like to "I like living in the bush of materials. "We got hammered by the see B.C. wood products step but I'm an urban animal as "You wouldn't design the advent of these big-box onto the international arena. well." same thing in mahogany or stores." "It's an area that could dis­ Duthie moved her family black cherry." Duthie finds it alarming tinguish itself and remain dis­ from Vancouver to Galiano in The supple grains of red that much of Canadian book­ tinct in the face of the vast 1999 to live in seclusion near alder, western yew and selling is dominated by a few homogeneity." Dionisio Park. Douglas fir are celebrated in a "I'd read Five Acres and simple style with visible join­ Independence and I thought ery, Perkins said. 55 acres would certainly pro­ "It's an honest style. What vide some independence, you see is what you get." which is true. But it's a strug­ Each of the bookcases is gle." made using wedges, splines She joked about her rustic and through-tenon joins. life that involves endless "Some have no metal parts cleaning, chasing chickens at all." and the monstrous work of Perkins has also been impressed by the work of the collecting potatoes that could ol" . o uanO.s easily be purchased for pen­ Sadler Fine Furniture crafts­ l11us1c featuring over 5 nies: men who are manufacturing "It's so isolated but it's the bookcases. uesaav 25 -Tom Hooper .,.._Sonm'Drite1:'jrom Grapes oj Wrath' been great. Now we're ready 'The people in Duncan are to emerge a bit." doing quite a job." While living on Galiano, Like Duthie, Perkins is Duthie has found lots of time another book lover who pre­ -The Randy Duncan Band to read, write and reflect; and viously taught literature at '1fist Coast Folk]azz' within that period of reflec­ UVic and universities in tion, she began to consider Europe. saturday 28 -Alan Moberg the idea of a furniture busi­ "I know Celia quite well. I ~· 'West Coast Baf/ndeer' ness. first met her on a remote sunday 29 - Synergy "Years ago I had the idea to beach in the Queen 'Funky, Folky & Fun ' develop a line of bookcases. Charlottes. She was fleeing 30 .. Simone, Mike & Bruce city life and studying monday We'd been doing clearing and ;Acoustic &uf Cfnssics' we decided to mill every­ Arabic." thing. We had a forester walk Duthie has also taught at l - Open Sl:{ige with Tara Hollings word. the.property with us and he U.B.C. and Simon Fraser said a few things that made us University. Her work in pro­ think we should learn more." moting B.C. writers as a So Celia and her husband Vancouver bookseller also Nicholas Hunt took a six­ earned her an S.F.U. honorary week Master of Woodland degree. www.artspring.cd 82 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003 ARTS & ENTERTAIN MEN T GULFISLANDSDRIFlWOOD Indigo delights Lions Hall guests Accolades were reverbu­ Cathy Young and Don some spirituals and the, Nigel rating through the communi­ Zacharias, Indigo packed the Russell White Collar Hollar ty following a premiere hall with an invitation-only made famous by Stan Indigo performance at Lions free concert of 10 selections. Rogers, the group kept its Hall Friday night. From Stephen Foster's audience smiling non-stop A new a cappella group Hard Times to a Bruce for about 40 minutes. consisting of Bo Curtis, Ruddell choral arrangement They're taking the summer Janet Hoag, Anne Millerd, of House of the Rising Sun, off, but Indigo is destined to Barb Ruddell Wendy Vine, to folk favourite 16 Tons, "go public" in the next year. --ftng Elementary Stacia Kennedy Kari Holmes Jim Prendergast FLOWER ART: Dexter Robson helps out his mom, Diana Thompson (not Deb Nostdal shown), who organized the flower circle art project in Peace Park last Saturday. Cathy Takagaki Photo by Derrick Lundy Ann Marie Pearson Wayne Taylor Cat Lightfoot Linda Mills Thank you for New Zealand String Quartet Tom McKeachie your creative Melanie Thompson energy and the swings into ArtSpring Sunday CoLLeen Shantz respect you've Melanie Staker shown to our A last-minute ArtSpring NZSQ, in 2001 she became Laurentian Quartet for Mylene Dammel children! booking brings an artistic director of the Adam almost a decade, he toured Patricia Weldon acclaimed New Zealand New Zealand Festival of internationally, made five Francis HiLL musical export to Salt Chamber Music, along with CDs and taught cello at Spring on Sunday. fellow quartet member Sarah Lawrence College in Ca rol Eyles Known for its "powerful Ansell. New York. Gjelsten also Debra Krause communication, dramatic Ansell is the group's vio­ received his doctoral degree Ced ri c Barker energy and beauty of list and was a founding in cello from Rutgers Mike Bath sound," the New Zealand member of NZSQ after University. And our wonderful String Quartet (NZSQ) per­ working professionally in Tickets are available through the ArtSpring box new Principal forms at the arts centre London for three years and Rineke Jonker beginning at 2 p.m. studies in both London and office. The program will be Germany. Dvorak's Andante con moto Before joining NZSQ in quasi allegretto from the 1989, Beilman was first vio­ Quartet in F minor, the linist of the prize-winning Brahms String Quartet in A Sierra String Quartet of the minor and the San Francisco Conservatory "Razumovsky" String of Music's Chamber Music Quartet in F maj or by Centre. As both a founding Beethoven. member of the 20th-century NZSQ, which regularly ensemble CadeNZa, and as tours North America, an individual, he has been Europe and Asia, is made part of numerous premiere up of Helen Pohl, Douglas performances of New Beilman, Gillan Ansell and Zealand and international Rolf Gjelsten. compositions. Pohl was first violinist of Now a New Zealand citi­ the San Francisco-based zen, Gjelsten is a native of Fidelio String Quartet from Victoria and began his cello 1988 to 1993, when she studies there with James toured around the world.