You’ve gleaned all the inspiration you can from the sound of silence. Now tap into the “Sound of Conversation.” 

Wednesday night at the new Satellite Gallery, a 3-in-1 space shared by the Belkin Art Gallery, Museum of Anthropology at UBC and Presentation House Gallery, artists, curators and even a Feng Shui practitioner gather to share seven minute stories from their careers.

The event is in conjunction with their latest exhibit No Windows, which challenged graduate students with achieving the Trading Spaces of art shows—they had two months and a small budget to open an exhibition.

And if that isn’t inspiring, we don’t know what is.

“Sound of Conversation”, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (view exhibition 6 p.m.-7 p.m.), Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at Satellite Gallery, 560 Seymour St. (2nd floor), Vancouver, 604-681-8425, www.satellitegallery.ca

One woman’s treasure is another man’s canvas.

Brent Ray Fraser convinced a few friends to forfeit their prized Fendi bags and Armani suits for his exhibit, Prêt-A-Porter, opening Friday. Inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic treatment of the Campbell’s Soup can, the Lower Mainland artist and Emily Carr grad created his pop art by painting on big name designer fashions and imprinting them on canvases.

With more than 140 pieces hung on garment racks and price tagged, the show looks more like a clothing store than your standard exhibition. Pieces range in price from $399 to $2,000, with one piece, “4 Louis Vuitton Purses” (pictured), auctioned off to benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Now we can have our Chanel and mount it too.

Prêt-A-Porter by Brent Ray Fraser, September 18-October 2, Eastwood Onley Gallery, 2075 Alberta St., Vancouver, 604-739-0429, www.brentrayfraser.com

Audrina Patridge shooting off a dazed gaze, Spencer Pratt shrugging off responsibility with a raised brow and Kelly Cutrone with mouth agape giving what for—all moments from The Hills, all immortalized by Karin Bubaš as chalk pastel portraits.

Seeing an inspiring exhibition of pastels at the Musée d’Orsay followed by watching copious amounts of MTV are what led the Vancouver artist to create 20 drawings that capture with life-like perfection the less than perfect (yet still charmed) lives of Lauren Conrad and company.

Entitled With Friends Like These…, the show is both pretty and witty. If only the lovely ladies of La-la Land themselves possessed more of the latter.

With Friends Like These… runs until September 13, 2009 at the Charles H. Scott Gallery, Emily Carr University, 1399 Johnston St., Vancouver, 604-844-3809, chscott.ecuad.ca

For snippets from our interview with Karin (like who she loves and hates on The Hills), check out today’s Editors’ Diary.

Ever since we first laid eyes on a George Vergette painting, we’ve been jonesing for more. Good thing his new show opens tomorrow at Gallery Jones.

In this latest exhibit, the Vancouver artist delves further into the large scale, layered resin works he’s become lauded for. Using deep shades of red, blue and green and the written word, the collection plays with the notions of depth, transparency and language.

Scrawled across the breadth of one striking black and white piece is “Perfect”—we couldn’t agree more.

They Will Take My Island, May 7-30, 2009, Gallery Jones, 1725 W. Third Ave., Vancouver, 604-714-2216, www.galleryjones.com

You’ve most likely longed for haute couture, but what about haute peinture?

Coined to describe the process of commissioning contemporary paintings, haute peinture is B.C. artist Tanya Slingsby's specialty. The Zak Posen of the art world, her work already adorns Holt Renfrew and Chambar and judging by the buzz at opening night of her atelier (kudos on the grapefruit cocktails) bespoke masterpieces have found their market.

After all, when you’ve just spent a fortune on the house of your dreams, a made-to-measure painting is just the thing to put above the mantle. And unlike your Chanel, it won’t hide in your closet.

From $500. Tanya Slingsby Atelier, by appointment, 117 E. Second Ave. 604-874-1274,  www.tanyaslingsby.com