Meet Gloria Bernal, a co-founder of Glitz Entertainment. Hosting the second annual Lab Art Show, Glitz is a marketing firm with big goals and a flair for the unique. They customize and design programs and events tailored to each client, committing to creating a memorable experience.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico and now living in Vancouver, Bernal is both an art appreciator and an art creator. She plays the violin, upcycles old furniture, and has a knack for creating special events.

Currently, Bernal is working on the Lab Art Show. In its second year, the multidisciplinary event is a showcase of some of the best local artists in town. From dancers to musicians, painters to fashion designers, the Lab Art Show has it all. This year, the Lab Art Show is supporting a charity in Mexico called the Huichol Home, an institution that supports the health and well-being of aborigional Huichol people.

Interested? Get your tickets for the Lab Art Show on September 21^st at the West 7 Studios ASAP. Sad Mag subscribers are entitled to 50% off their ticket price – email creative@sadmag.ca to have your name added to the list.

Sad Mag: Who are you?
Gloria Bernal: I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since I was 8-years-old, I started painting, using different techniques. From there, I slowly fell in love with different types of art, like music and dance and I started playing the flute and violin in the following years. I decided to study in Vancouver at Vancouver Film School (VFS) to learn more about different styles of art and culture.

During my studies at VFS, I realized that Vancouver has so many talented people who needed to get together and showcase their work in a fun environment, so Etel Bernal [Glitz Entertainment’s co-founder] and I decided to develop the Lab Art Show.

SM: How did Glitz Entertainment pair up Sad Mag?
GB: I got involved by searching for local Vancouver Art magazines because I was looking for artists to perform at Lab Art Show as well to learn about other Vancouver editorials. I met with Katie [Sad Mag’s Creative Director] and since the first Lab Art Show in 2012, we’ve been working together to support local artists.

SM: What kind of marketing does Glitz Entertainment provide?
GB: We try to be creative with our marketing without wasting paper, money, and people’s time, so we came with the idea of creating flash mobs, film exhibitions and videos of artist from the last year’s [Lab Art Show], as our goal is to create awareness of Vancouver’s local artist community.

The first flash mob was a secret fashion show for designer Tamara Montes Claros, who is inspired by bicycles and uses recycled materials to create each new piece.

SM: What inspired the creation of Glitz Entertainment?
GB: Etel and I were inspired by Cirque du Soleil because we loved the experience of attending one of their amazing shows. We decided to start a company to create unique events full of creativity and new experiences for our customers – from the moment they are part of the show to the moment the show is over.

SM: Why did you want the Lab Art Show to be a multidisciplinary show?
GB: The big reason is because we wanted to create a community of different types of artists, a network where they can share their knowledge with each other, as well a place for them to get inspired by seeing other people’s work. We wanted the Lab Art Show to be an incubator for creative minds.

SM: Why is the Huichol Home charity important to you?
GB: The Huichol Aboriginal House has been my inspiration for a long time. I always want to help them because they create wearable and non-wearable pieces of art by using a variety of coloured beads.

The mission of the Huichol House is to provide accommodation to the Huichol community when they the need to visit the city, as they live quite far away at an aboriginal reserve in mountains north of the province. The majority of aboriginals also speak a different dialect than what is spoken in the city.

I want to share their work with Canadians and the passion they put in every piece of art that they make.

SM: What other project(s) are you working on right now?
GB: Along with the upcoming Lab Art Show, I am working on creating a short film exhibition in the city, with the mission to showcase local Vancouver short films.

SM: What you most excited about right now?
GB: I am very excited to host our upcoming Lab Art Show on September 21th (at West 7 Studio) as we are showcasing over 100 artists in one night!

SM: What do you love most about what you do?
GB: I love to see other people’s inspirations and creativity. Every time I create a blog or open a new artist portfolio for the show, I feel that I will never stop being surprised and that encourages me to continue to motivate myself to produce new events in this magical city.

I always get inspired by this quote: “Life is about the people that you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start to be creative.”

For more information about Glitz Entertainment and the Lab Art Show, visit their website. You can also visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.