FRED LEE

FORE THE ARTS Art can change the lives of children in incredible ways. For the past 37 years, Arts Umbrella has been helping young artists — ages two to 19 — cultivate creativity and grow self-confidence through performing, visual and media arts programs.

Year after year, the Arts Umbrella Golf Invitational raises tens of thousands of dollars for the foundation to help more kids explore their artistic voices. Corporate leaders and golf enthusiasts once again came out swinging for the 19th edition of the tourney. On a picture perfect day (June 27), 144 players answered the call, signing up for the charity event chaired by Angela Austman and Randall Chatwin.

Seeing players off were tournament founder Sandi Lee, Arts Umbrella chair Michael Lee and newly appointed CEO and president Paul Larocque. A familiar face with the firm, Larocque returned to the non-profit where he previously held senior management positions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Golfers took to the fairways at Point Grey Golf and Country Club for a day of golf and camaraderie. Following the round of play and near hole-inones, the party continued back at the clubhouse with players and party guests taking in the gala dinner and auction.

Attendees feverishly bid up six live auction lots, including an exclusive dinner with Larocque. Fetching $7,500, the hot meal and other fundraising games netted the foundation $124,000 — a record haul for the charity classic.

Thanks to the generosity of players and gala-goers, more than 20,000 students will continue to access and pursue their love of the arts, more than half participating at little to no cost to their families, says Arts Umbrella’s chief fundraiser Heather Corsi.

“We’re proud to be able to offer free-of-charge arts programs to those who may not be able to afford it,” she adds.

BLURRED LINES The Indian Summer Festival’s long-standing luck with the weather ran out when rain fell on the celebration’s opening night gala. The liquid sunshine didn’t dampen spirits as creators

Sirish Rao, festival artistic director, and his wife Laura Byspalko moved the street party inside the Roundhouse Community Centre. The Yaletown space was transformed into a vibrant Indian market featuring colourful food and lively entertainment, two of the marquee attractions of the yearly celebration, which is cited as one of the top 10 must-attend parties of the season.

Glamorous guests, fine sips and delectable nibbles curated by

Vikram Vij — it was the perfect party mix to launch the festival’s sixth edition.

Hundreds of dignitaries, donors, VIPs and artists in their best saris and summer suits filed in under colourful umbrellas and bannered tarps for the opening festivities, kicking off 10 days of multi-disciplinary arts experiences bringing together diverse artists from Canada, South Asia and beyond in a spirit of global dialogue and citizenship.

Rain wasn’t the only detail Rao and Byspalko had to contend with. The latter was fully expecting to deliver the couple’s first child, scheduled to arrive on opening night. Fortunately, the baby was fashionably late, allowing Byspalko and fellow directors Caroline Neufeld, Ayme Sharma, Baljeet Basi, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Naveen Girn and Shelley Dhawan to welcome guests. Notable attendees included SFU president Andrew Petter,

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta, musician Ashwin Sood, former B.C. attorney general Wally Oppal, Twin Brook Development’s Robin Dhir and philanthropists

Arran and Ratana Stephens. Produced by the Indian Summer Arts Society, this year’s Border Crossings theme dared artists, authors, cultural leaders and attendees to break cultural silos and push barriers geographically, linguistically, religiously, sexually and racially.

Highlights of this year’s program include a fashion talk with actor and model Waris Ahluwalia, a discussion of food systems with environmentalist Vandana Shiva and a concert by acclaimed artist Rajasthan Josh.

More than 50,000 people, half reportedly not of South Asian descent, are expected to attend this year’s 22 free and ticketed events.

Arts Umbrella students, from left, Matthew Tucker, Bonnie Duff, Henya Rosen and Drew Ogle performed at the post-tourney reception dinner and auction.

Sandi Lee, left, founder of the Arts Umbrella Invitational, and chief fundraiser Heather Corsi were all smiles when $124,000 was netted.

Hitting the greens to raise some green were, from left, Nina Cassils, Arts Umbrella co-founder Carol Henriquez and artist Ann Goldberg.

Randall Chatwin and Angela Austman chaired the Arts Umbrella Invitational golf tournament this year.

Bringing their own brand of fusion to the Indian Summer Festival gala, celebrated chefs Rob Feenie and Vikram Vij headlined the Culinary Border Crossings event. Spice of life

Media personalities, from left, Sonia Beeksma, Nisha Khare and Sonia Sunger were among the style savvy who graced the Indian Summer Festival’s opening night gala.

Wet weather didn’t dampen the Indian Summer Festival spirits of, from left, Lindsay Nahmiache, Almira Bardai and Neesha Hothi who sported their best saris and ensembles for the opening jamboree.

Vancouver Art Gallery’s Bruce Wright, left, and Branislav Henselman, from Ballet B.C., were among cultural leaders at the annual celebration of arts, ideas and diversity.