Archive for the ‘Live Art Events’ Category
city nights experienced
written by Gail Hodder
So, here we are, all friends, at our local watering hole; The Al!bi Lounge. Five visual artist hovering at the beginning of the evening. Excited with the anticipation of the night to come. In the next several hours we will not only get to talk about our artwork, but people will witness the process and the craziness that partakes to achieve the end result.
A shot of tequila is decided on. Celebratory and calming. We set up our easels, our paints and other relative flotsam. Computer and projector, wire and tools, plasticine and palettes. Each of us thinking of something clever to work on and claiming our space at the Lounge. The dance floor is a consideration. There must be room for dancing!
We begin our artmaking. Some more hesitant then others. Showing our art in public is normalcy, creating in public, not so much. But our audience is interested and approach with inquiries. As I make inquires back, I find out that most are art enthusiasts themselves, interested in learning more. Questions of materials, sources, schools, techniques. Others ask familiar skeptical questions, “What is it?”, “Why?” Our answers are practiced. We make them feel at ease with their skepticism.
The night ensues with more wine and more audience and our artwork takes shape. We slip into a comfortable rhythm of greeting our friends and acquaintances who have come out to encourage us. We pause to explain or chat. We own this place for the evening. We have become the performers.
Dancing breaks out as the DJ continues to spin his techno, hip hop, funk. The beat and energy is contagious. It’s getting late now. Our energy doesn’t waiver, but is only heightened. When the lights come on and the end is threatening, we drop our art making implements and join the dancers. They seem surprised, but we are well on our way to catching the groove and we blend in, in an arm flailing, hips swaying, belting out the words celebratory dance. Wahoo’s all around when the music stops.
We discuss when we might perform our art-making again.
We leave exhilarated wanting more and more and all the time.
Wishing the night not to end.
*** check out what city nights is all about here! Don’t forget to sign up for our next event by April 10th!
this town is small presents: City Nights
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen – twitter.com/thepeej
City Nights is an ongoing program for members of this town is small. We welcome all artists, emerging and professional and will try to accommodate all mediums. No idea is too crazy for us to discuss!
If you are interested in playing music, modeling, or creating art at a City Nights event or becoming a member of this town is small please contact Becka at this.town.is.small@gmail.com
The night of Decemeber 16 marked the second presentation of City Nights @ the Alibi Lounge in downtown Charlottetown. City Nights is a small town program designed to showcase Island Artists while developing Charlottetown’s artistic nightlife and arts’ scene. By providing an atmospheric space to create and sell for one evening, City Nights mashes the art of electronic music, visual art and the public.
Six artists, Sandi Hartling / John Dohe / Mauricio Aristizabal / Becka Viau / Chrissy Cerminara / Betty-Jo McCarville, and two DJ’s, Tim Kelly / Andrew Drake, participated in the event resulting in a night of incredible energy and creation. Sandi Hartling worked from a digital picture taken from the crowd while other media used included collage, pastel, painting and drawing.
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen - twitter.com/thepeej
City Nights is an ongoing program for members of this town is small. We welcome all artists, emerging and professional and will try to accommodate all mediums. No idea is too crazy for us to discuss!
City Nights will happen every two months! Sign up for the February Event Now!
If you are interested in playing music, modeling, or creating art at a City Nights event or becoming a member of this town is small please contact Becka at this.town.is.small@gmail.com
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen twitter.com/thepeej
Oh those City Nights…
City Nights Poster - Jeff McGuigan
caution: some potty mouth occurs
“This ain’t the yellow brick road ” – the making of Iris Mercurial: The Passage of Night
The Bog Queen - Marie Fox (mask/paint)/Kelly Caseley (costume) - Photograph by Sarah MacEachern
written by Becka Viau
It was the middle of the night when Marie Fox first approached me about a possible collaboration with this town is small. A model lay still, chained to a bed. Painters painted the surreal scene surrounded by a captivated audience. Imaginations were buzzing and I could feel energy starting to spill out of people’s heads, through their mouths into inspirational and creative conversations. Swimming about the atmosphere I soon found myself shaking hands and locking eyes with the electric Ms. Fox, and so the story of Iris begins.
After a quick meeting with Marie, I began the search for possible collaborators. This can be a daunting task in a city packed full of creative minds, hands and spirits however, the lead creative team came together like a flash of lightening: Marie Fox, John Mackenzie, Jenn Richard-Coupland, Kelly Caseley and I. By the end of July a tentative list of all collaborators was written, the date was booked at the Alibi and notice of the event was sent to the Buzz. Time to start creating.
TTIS presents: Iris Mercurial: The Passage of Night
On September 30 @ the Alibi Lounge in Charlottetown This Town is Small will present a living sculpture event featuring the Artwork of Marie Fox.
The performance begins at 10:00 pm sharp and will be played again (video format) at 12:30 ish am.
Cover 5$
13 artists have worked together to produce a night of live art like no other. This is an event not to miss!
Cast
Trish Goguen – Iris 1
Alisha Stephen- Iris 2
Christopher Francis -The Messenger
Andrew Hercules – The Trickster
Heather Tasker – The Bog Queen
Sandi Hartling -Fox 1
Jill McRae – Fox 2
Kimberly McIntyre- Dark Figure
John Mackenzie – The Voice
Crew
Iris 1 - Iris Mercurial: The Passage of Night
costume/set design
set design/stage manager/coordinator
assistant stage manager
sound/music
writing/video
John Mackenzie
writing
writing
Kimberly McIntyre
video
make up/artist assistant
Costume assistant
Documentation
Bricolage – a live art collaboration
Bricolage Poster- Jeffrey McGuigan, http://knifeuptheharmonies.blogspot.com/
kəˈlɑʒɪz, ‐ˈlɑʒ/
Photograph by Dominique Cruchet - georges.cruchet@laposte.net
written by Becka Viau
Although this event is far past, this town is small recieved a photograph from that lovely night just the other day. Considering the recent discussion around collaboration, art and design it seemed like the perfect moment to look back at Bricolage: A live art collaboration, which happened in July 2010.
Ten Artists worked to bring this event to life. A fine art model, two painters, a DJ, three people working on set and costume, a hair stylist, an artist for the poster design and a coordinator. Yet, the “performance” was played out by four people: Two individual artists painting their own canvases, a model, and a DJ.
Also one could argue the audience is always part of the performance.
With that being said I ask these questions: Who is the artist when the Art produced is a collective effort? Is it the community driving the collective? Is it really the artist that prompts the collaboration?
See referenced quote below:
“Collaborative art is a different story, because there was no one set vision of what the end product should look like. In this case, my thoughts are that the person who thinks to do the collaboration is actually the artist. If it was a conscious decision that they will ask another to collaborate, and see what the result will be. Someone else might argue this point though.” Laura O’Brien, comment on Design: blog post written by Overman, posted September 9, 2010.
Small Town, Monumental Harmonies
- poster designed by Kirk Avery
Parallel Events Driven with Intention
“With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us”
– Boxer the Horse, SLTS
Party till the sun comes up and hug the people you love to hug. August is a beautiful moment in Charlottetown, traveling fast, leaving sunburns and memories, filling our souls with energy warm enough to fuel the bunkering down for winter.
As September’s shadow approaches, it feels good to look back into the sun and share some of the loveliness shared by this small town. People gather. Some home from away, some open doors to neighbors others share their backyard with strangers. Two great events happened this month, melodic and contemporary, parallel in genre and intent however different in execution.
On the evening of August 6th, Sam and Megan Stewart opened the gate to their backyard with true Island hospitality to host a wonderful backyard concert featuring Brooke Manning from Toronto and two great Island singer-songwriters Drew Heggie and Fraser McCullum. Water Street hasn’t seen this kind of collective celebration of creativity since the closing of Ampersand in February. Mussels steaming, lights glittering and voices uniting the evening was a true success.
Poster designed by Mike Carver
After dark, August 11th, three indy delicious bands hit the stage at the Alibi Lounge for the first fundraiser event for This Town is Small. All incredibly talented bands from Prince Edward Island, The Barkats, North Lakes and Boxer the Horse rocked a full house all night. Sandi Hartling and I presented an art performance piece titled “work hard and you will…” Climbing up and down ladders amongst the crowd we set out to work as hard as the band on stage. We surfaced above the crowd four hundred and seventy five times as Boxer the Horse stomped out a well versed set. The night was amazing and with the funds raised throughout the night This Town is Small will be bringing you more grand events in the near future.
Fantastic fills the air when people come together supporting their community. There is something special about taking a stand for yourself and for your home. Art and culture is integral to life here. Not only is art and culture one of the top economic generators but it is how history is recorded. It is Island life. We are a stubborn yet helpful and loving people. We are talented and we deserve accessible community support to ensure we can continue to produce creatively here on P.E.I. and in Charlottetown.
I would like give a special thanks Megan and Sam Stewart for leading the organization of both Small Town events. THANK YOU!
This Town is Small would also like to thank Jenn and Chris at the Alibi Lounge, your hospitality and support for the Arts community is greatly appreciated. The Barnkats, North Lakes, Boxer the Horse, Drew Heggie, Fraser McCullum and Brooke Manning for donating their time and music. Mike Carver and Kirk Avery for the beautiful posters.
And last but not least, THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY, stay connected and stay in touch, as all art deserves an audience and P.E.I. you are a great one!
CHCK OUT THE MUSIC AND ARTISTS!
http://www.myspace.com/boxerthehorse Boxer The Horse
http://www.myspace.com/thebarnkats The Barnkats
http://www.myspace.com/owleyescrowsfeet Brooke Manning
http://www.myspace.com/racoonbandit Raccoon Bandit (Fraser McCullum)
http://www.myspace.com/thecashmeredisciples Cashmere disciples (Drew Heggie)
http://www.myspace.com/thenorthlakes North Lakes
http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k111/kirkavery/ Kirk Avery
www.beckaviau.com – Becka Viau
A Fashionable Small Town Project
Leather Mask - made by Becka Viau
A Fashionable Small Town Project
written by Becka Viau
A couple of weeks ago I was asked to participate in the Urban Fringe Fest Fashion Show on the waterfront in downtown Charlottetown. I was contacted by Savannah Belsher-MacLean, from Panache Magazine, the volunteer fashion show coordinator, shortly after a local designer had backed out of the project. It was last minute and a gap in the presentation had to be filled.
How could I possibly be of help at a fashion show? I don’t make clothing or Jewelry and typically my brain is pretty weird when it comes to creative output… maybe a fashion show is too fancy of an event for my artistic endeavors. Yet, a challenge is something I hardly ever shy away from, especially if there is a short deadline. So, I gathered my thoughts and met with my great friend and local artist Holly McGee with whom I had already collaborated with on a leather mask project last year entitled The Art of Disguise.
Quickly our imaginations came together. A storm of creativity. Questions, responses, discussions and sketches. The talk continued for four days, off and on depending on how often Holly and I bumped into each other on the street or at Timothy’s Coffee Shop. Our ideas funneled out into four categories: Islandness, fantasy, uniqueness and fun.
Crow #2 - Made By Holly McGee
This project had to be fun. There is no sense stressing about time when there just isn’t very much of it to worry about. Having fun is something that Holly and I are pretty good at, but it was also important to ensure our team and audience left the event smiling. Especially since the Urban Fringe Fashion Show was coordinated and implemented by volunteers.
Holly and I make masks, all sorts. We make them in spurts when our fingers and brains need to play and enjoy rather than work and organize. The masks are fantastical, born from make believe. Wearing a mask is a fun thing. They change who you are perceived to be. They can even change the way you perceive yourself to be. This is a concept I love playing with, adaptable identity.
The King - Mask made by Becka Viau
I was born in Nova Scotia. I moved to P.E.I. when I was three months old yet I still find it hard to say that I am a real Islander. My identity is an Island identity, but it is not one that stems from an Island family history rather it has grown from the community and landscape around me. Someone said to me the other day, “This dirt is who you are,” and I think that is true. There is something about the red soil that defines P.E.I. and its people. It is rich and beautiful but it is dirt and dirt is dirty. Generally we are told not to get in it or have it on us. But I do remember when I was little and we went mainlanding I was quite proud of my red clay stained socks and knees. Our Red soil makes us unique; it is a symbol that unites us without really being a symbol. It just is.
Blue bird - made by Holly McGee Pan Mask - Made by BeckaViau and Matt Bowness
So we took some red clay from Tea Hill, bought some tighty whities and headed to the water front armed with a basket of masks and a handful of mustaches on sticks. The fashion shows went well. Holly and I learned a lot about being behind the scene at an event like that, as well as how to work quickly yet sincerely together. I hope you enjoy the photographs from the event. I would like to thank Tanya Davis for allowing us to use her song Drums as the backdrop for the performance, Matt Bowness for collaborating with me on the Pan Mask and Leslie Hambly who worked backstage with us and Sarah MacEachern for the photography.
Collaboration, sporadic, spontaneous or not always blows my mind.
If you or anyone you know would like to collaborate with the members of This Town Is Small don’t hesitate to contact us. Collaborations happen organically and don’t need to be initiated by us, if you would like to support, promote or connect with our members it is as easy as saying “HEY! What do you think of this?”
the trickster - made by Becka Viau
Drums
The way you wear your clothes
and how you eat your food
I like the way you think
I love you
And how you play the drums
on top of every surface
And the rhythm that comes through your hands
And when you tie your boots up
And when you fold your T-shirts
I just like the way you move
And I like your freckles
And I like your muscles
And I like you sentences too
You stride over to me
And I’m watching you walk
Thinking it is the best sight I’ve ever saw
Cause when you come close to me
My heart is always opening
And every time I am so enthralled
The accent in your voice
And all the words you use
I like the way you talk
I love you
And how you hold your arms out when you’re ready for a hug
And the way you bring me close into your chest
And when you study hard and when you daydream harder
I just like the things you do
And I like your features and I like you fingers
I like your ideas too
- Tanya Davis
