The emergence of new media and the increasing importance of the visual over the verbal have created a growing demand for visual communicators with strengths in both traditional and digital design and illustration. Students in the 2006 graduating class of the Capilano College Illustration and Design Program (IDEA) learn just these skills throughout their three years of studies.

Opus is proud to support the IDEA program and the students with their 3rd annual 13 month art calendar, Vancouver Impressions 2006. This inspired calendar features a selection of paintings which celebrate Vancouver's unique urban and natural settings.

Each student was given the challenge of creating an oil painting of a familiar local scene with some inspirational help from a well-known artist of the 19th or 20th century. The result is 13 images of Vancouver featuring Downtown to False Creek to Horseshoe Bay, as Gustav Klimt, Edward Hopper, Lawren Harris or others might have envisioned it. This beautiful and inspirational calendar brings together a unique vision of Vancouver as seen through the eyes of the past and brought to life by the eyes of the future.

The calendar includes brief artist biographies, Canadian holidays and the lunar cycle. The closed dimensions of the calendar are 14" x 11" and the open dimensions are 14" x 22". Each calendar comes individually shrink-wrapped with a protective card insert and is printed in Canada.

Vancouver Impressions 2006 was produced in its entirety by IDEA students. This project is integrated into the curriculum and provides hands-on marketing and project management experience as well as helps to support fundraising efforts for student initiatives.

Please help to support these talented students by purchasing their Vancouver Impressions 2006 calendar. Available at Opus North Vancouver and Opus Granville Island for $14.00, or ask at any Opus location.

For more information on the calendar, you can visit www.capcalendars.com, telephone 604-986-1911 ext. 3661 or email calendars@idea.capcollege.bc.ca. More information on Capilano College and the IDEA Program can be found at www.capcollege.bc.ca