Okay Calgary. From the looks of it winter is here and here to stay. But that doesn’t mean you should hibernate like a bear. Get out and enjoy a steaming cup of art. It’s sure to warm you right up. And it’s all here in this week’s Round Up.
A Beautiful View: Moving, Exploratory and Amazing
Stacie Harrison and Monice Peter are phenomenal in Sage Theatre’s A Beautiful View, running now until November 16.
Photo by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image
Love can take many forms and not all those have the words to describe them. In Sage Theatre’s A Beautiful View, that sentiment couldn’t be louder or truer, even without a designation.
According to A Beautiful View Director Jason Mehmel, the story is all about language and communication.
“The show is about two women… it’s a play about two people connecting but not knowing what to call that connection,” he says. “The more and more I talk about the play [I realize] that it’s a play about language and not knowing what to say. It’s full of those awkward pauses we all have in conversation.”
The other very notable and very refreshing thing about the play is that both the characters are female, something that, surprisingly, you don’t see very often.
Jason says that there has been a lot of conversation amongst Calgary artistic directors about having more women on stage and more people of colour on stage and this piece, by Canadian theatre stalwart Daniel MacIvor, is a great example.
“The more people see themselves on stage the more likely they will be to go see a [production],” he explains. “The other thing is that there’s so many fabulous Calgarian women to showcase women’s voices. That was also a kind of problem in auditioning. Often when you are auditioning you’re looking for a particular kind of person so sometimes the trick is finding that one actor that will do the job. In this case we auditioned a tonne of great actors and they were all excellent. It was a problem of riches. Any one of them could have been in the show but we went with [Monice Peter and Stacie Harrison] out the proximity of my initial reactions when I read the play.”
And excellent they are.
Monice and Stacie’s performances are heartbreaking, heartwarming and wonderfully real. In the span of their twenty-year relationship there’s the ups and downs and the audience feels them right along with the actors. We laugh with them. We cry with them. We sigh with them. We all know that feeling of not having the words.
The stage is set simply and the movement throughout time works wonderfully well in the sparse, yet interesting set up. And keep an eye for the trees, generously donated by the September snowstorm, that add to the ambience even when you don’t know where you are or where the story is going.
When you watch the show there are a lot of moments of, “Hey, I remember that” and “I swear I’ve been at that party.” They truly are representative of everywoman Canadians, through their lost and found again years. And the honest nature of the show is portrayed beautifully in the spaces in between words.
There’s also a special $15 matinee this Sunday, November 16 at 11:30am.
And, if you’re tight on cash, Sage is offering an awesome promotion – just take a selfie with any A Beautiful View poster around Calgary to receive two tickets for the price of one. Present your pic at the Vertigo Theatre Box Office or email the photo here. Subject to availability.
A Beautiful View runs November 7 to 16 at The Studio at Vertigo Theatre (161 – 115, 9 Ave SE).
Viewing the Great War through Pop Culture
If you’re taking the time to honour our Veterans, as you should, you might want to make a stop at The Military Museums.
They’ve got an amazing exhibit showing The Great War through the lens of popular media and pop culture.
Opening this Remembrance Day is Viewing WWI Through Contemporary Popular Culture – an exhibit that explores how the First World War is reflected in various media, including video games, film clips, comic books and graphic novels and even features a biplane flight simulator.
Viewing WWI Through Contemporary Popular Culture runs at The Military Museums in the Library and Archives, operated by the University of Calgary’s Libraries and Cultural Resources.
Other video games on display include Valiant Hearts from the University of Calgary’s collection – a game developed in France that follows the experiences of a family throughout the First World War.
“Despair and loss are typically associated with the First World War when we study how major conflicts are reflected in popular media,” explains Jerremie Clyde, head of the Library and Archives, in a statement. “Heroism and action tend to be the themes linked to the Second World War in part because much of the literature, films, and many video games were developed by the American entertainment industry. This has meant the Great War remains significantly underrepresented in contemporary popular culture.”
Other items from UofC’s collection will also be available for public viewing in the library including First World War trench maps, an album of photographs taken by Lt. Col. E.R. Selby of the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance, century-old diaries written by Canadian Gen. David Watson and a letter home from Canadian soldier John McAllister after his brother Arthur was killed in the battlefield.
The collection also houses the Chicksands Collection – one of the largest collections of military-related texts in a Canadian academic library containing more than 50,000 books and historical writings from the 1700s to the 1970s.
As for the exhibit’s graphic novels, those were contributed through collaboration with the Reg Erhardt Library at SAIT Polytechnic.
Viewing WWI Through Contemporary Popular Culture is open to the public November 11 to January 2015.
YYC Public Art Brings Home Creative Time Summit
Not everyone can make it to Stockholm for a creative summit, but this week you don’t even have to leave Calgary to attend.
Thanks to Public Art Program in partnership with the University of Calgary Art Department and support of the Nickle Galleries, all established and emerging artists are invited to attend a free live stream of the two-day Creative Time Summit. Taking place at The University of Calgary’s Nickle Galleries on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, the event explores socially and politically engaged art in a global context.
Launched in 2009 at the New York Public Library, the 2014 event is a collaboration between the New York City-based Creative Time and Stockholm’s Public Art Agency Sweden and will be streamed to 70-plus international sites.
Along with the screening, attendees will have the chance to network with local artists, community organizations and community art organizations who will be on hand to give a local perspective on Summit themes including Art House Union, Arusha, Calgary Biennial, Mountain Standard Time Festival M:ST, Sharon Stevens, TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary, Wreck City and more.
There will also be a live, spoken-word performance and Q&A by Kris Demeanor.
Full line up and details can be found here.
Calgary as a Cultural Hotbed
I’m sure every one of you know how awesome Calgary is. And our arts and culture scene, a not so well kept secret, has been getting all sorts of international attention recently. Just look at the New York Times feature from a couple of weeks back if you have any doubts.
Now, one of our awesomest arts proponents, Calgary Arts Development, is set to build on that buzz with the renewal of its Remarkable Experience Accelerator program alongside the Calgary Hotel Association. And it’s ready to inject $1.2 million into Calgary’s remarkable cultural experiences over the next three years.
Starting in 2015 through 2017, the program will invest in experiences that will attract the attention of Calgarians and visitors alike with the goal to showcase Calgary as a cultural hotbed and give visitors even more reasons to come to Calgary as leisure travellers.
“We saw tremendous successes in the inaugural Remarkable Experience Accelerator program, from Canada’s first professional outdoor summer opera festival to a 175% increase in hotel nights booked for the Calgary International Film Festival,” says Emiko Muraki, Calgary Arts Development’s Director, Impact & Engagement in a statement. “This program uses an innovative model that benefits the arts, the tourism industry, Calgarians and visitors to our city. We’re grateful for the Calgary Hotel Association’s vision for our city and investment in its cultural sector.”
The first Remarkable Experience Accelerator program invested $775,000 in four organizations from 2012 to 2014 – Calgary International Film Festival, Calgary Opera, One Yellow Rabbit and Sled Island. And with that initial investment, garnered the Calgary Hotel Association the Best Entrepreneurial Award in the 2013 Globe and Mail’s Business for the Arts Partnership Awards.
“People are talking about the arts in Calgary, and that word-of-mouth is crucial to our city becoming a must-see destination,” says Richard Main, Chairman of the Calgary Hotel Association in a statement. “The Remarkable Experience Accelerator helps participants leverage that interest, allowing them to expand their respective visions and reach at low risk and to great effect. We are very happy to be continuing and expanding our collaboration with Calgary Arts Development at such an exciting time for Calgary.”
The program will be open to new and returning applicants and expands from a downtown focus to include all quadrants of the city. Program guidelines will be available in December at CalgaryArtsDevelopment.com.
Parade of Art and Crafts Sales Continues
If you thought there were a tonne of arts and craft sales last week in Calgary, well, this week is just as full of them with some of the coolest of the season taking place this weekend.
Just one of the awesome arts and craft sales going on this week is Handmade Here and features all hand made works including these amazing pieces by Anne Ormerod. Photo courtesy of Handmade Here.
Handmade Here
What: Featuring work by 25 of Calgary’s most engaging artists. Meet the artists, learn how things are made and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. There is a unique collection of ceramics, glass, textiles, paintings, jewellery and more.Free parking, free admittance and free refreshments.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, November 16 from10am to 4pm
Where: Triwood Community Centre (2244 Chicoutimi Drive NW)
Details here.
Wrap it Up! Holiday Show and Sale
What: Hosted by Creative Culture Calgary, their fall event features 16 unique handmade and vintage artists from the Calgary creative community, may hot off the successful Etsy: Made In Canada sale in September.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 9am to 3:30pm
Where: Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Avenue NE)
Details here.
Varsity Community Association Annual Craft Sale
What: Christmas Decorations – Painting Knitting & Crochet Photographs – Handmade Woodwork Handmade -Ornaments – Jewelry and More. Fun for the whole family! Free Admission
When: Friday, November 14 to Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 4pm
Where: 4303 Varsity Drive NW
Edgemont Community Association – Craft Fayre
What: Unique handmade crafts and gift sale from over 80 vendors. Admission by food bank or money donation.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 3pm
Where: 33 Edgevalley Circle NW
Details here.
Berkshire Christmas Market & Bake Sale
What: An array of vendors with jewelry, cooking products, books and gifts, homemade crafts and more as well as homemade holiday baking at the Salvation Army Berkshire Citadel Community Church fundraiser bake sale.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 9am to 3pm
Where: 222 Sandarac Dr NW
Details here.
Winter Greens and Festive Lights Christmas Market
What: Unique vendors, outstanding home baking as well as fresh boughs and bouquets of winter greens.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 3pm
Where: Westminster Presbyterian Church (290 Edgepark Blvd NW)
Blessed Cardinal Newman’s 21st Annual Christmas Market
What: Support the school community and soak up the festive atmosphere with special musical presentations. Admission by donation.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 4pm
Where: 16201 McKenzie Lake Blvd SE
Details here.
Bonavista Downs Christmas Market
What: Handcrafted and professional products.
When: Sunday, November 16 from 11am to 4pm
Where: 1418 Lake Ontario Road SE
Abbydale Christmas Craft Fair
What: Gifts, stocking stuffers, baked goods, spices, arts and crafts, baby items, jewelry, spa items, Girl Guide cookies and more.
When: Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 3:30pm
Where: 821 Abbydale Drive NE
Details here.
Arts Out and About
And if you’re still hungry for more arts, well Calgary doesn’t disappoint. There are more arts events than i could possibly list, but here’s a few more to take a gander at.
Calgary Opera’s Silent Night features Brett Polegato as Lt. Audebert, James Westman as Lt. Gordon and Daniel Okulitch as Lt. Horstmayer and you only have two more chances to see this amazing work.
Photo by Brigitta Diehl courtesy of Calgary Opera
If you haven’t already seen the award winning opera, Silent Night, you won’t want to miss this moving and timely show.
Calgary Opera opens the 2014-15 main stage season with the Canadian premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell.
Being staged commemorating the centenary of the start of WWI, this opera was inspired by true events and tells the story of a spontaneous truce on Christmas Eve 1914 when combatant troops laid down their weapons to celebrate the holiday together and bury their dead.
Silent Night runs November 12 and 14 at the Jube. Details and tickets here.
Over at the Glenbow Museum this Thursday is a great night to check out the last installment of the Made in Calgary series.
At 7pm on Thursday, November 13, they’re celebrating the end of their groundbreaking exhibition series with a night of performance, discussion and, of course, a party.
Artist Tomas Jonsson will be on hand for the performance piece and a lively panel discussion about art in the new millennium with curator Katherine Ylitalo and panelists Mark Dicey, M.N. Hutchinson, Tammy McGrath, Christine Sowiak and Renato Vitic will be amazing.
Made in Calgary: 2000s runs until December 14 at the Glenbow Museum so check it out while you still can.
Those great folks at Papergirl Calgary are hosting an Artist Trading Card Party this Friday, November 14 from 5pm to 9pm at the Blank Page Studio (1221 B Kensington Rd NW).
If you’ve never made an artist trading card, this would be the perfect introduction to these pint-sized pieces of creative wonder. I might even dig out my collection for the occasion.
They’ll be providing supplies and cards but you can bring your own and the cards can be exhibited in the hallway of Blank Page for a week, so be prepared to make a few.
Snacks, wine and beer will be on hand for this 18+ event (bring a donation) and the event marks the last of Papergirl’s commitment to Naheed Nenshi’s 3 Things for Calgary – facilitate connection between artists and the local community.
Details here.
SEITIES are celebrating their first four publications with a pop up gallery at Brava Bistro (723 17th Avenue SW) this Thursday, November 13.
Featuring handmade photographs from international, national and local traditional photographers – all previously featured in their publications Theme: Identity, Feminin, Streets and Icon. On display will be the original plates, prints and polaroids, making this a must see show for fans of traditional, analogue photography.
The event will run from 4pm to 11pm with featured wine and appetizers from 4pm to 7pm. Everyone is welcome. Details here.
Wildlife artist Vince Vandurme’s work is currently on display at Essentia Calgary (1113 Kensignton Road NW) with an opening scheduled for this Sunday, November 16. Image courtesy of Essentia Calgary
On Sunday, November 16 head to Essentia Calgary (1113 Kensignton Road NW) from 2pm to 4pm for a special afternoon event with local artist Vince Vandurme.
The event will give you a chance to explore his incredible artwork of our Canadian wildlife and discuss with the artist his process of creating such life-like paintings.
Animal Welfare and Environment advocate, Carol Tracey, will also be at the event raising wildlife and Canadian landscapes.
Vince Vandurme’s work will be on display until December 4. Details here.
Artists, art-lovers, and all Calgarians-alike are invited to The New Gallery’s fall fundraiser party, C.R.E.A.M.
This Saturday, November 15 from 8pm to 11pm head to the historical John Snow House (915 18 Ave SW) for a night of good company, cozy surroundings, newly commissioned artworks and an array of complimentary fall soups and fresh bread provided by Sidewalk Citizen Bakery.
Funds for the wonderful art group will be raised from the sale of three limited edition prints, produced on the historic letterpress that belonged to the late John Snow – a renowned local artist known for his support of Calgary’s artist community. The prints include works by Canadian artists Kyle Beal, Jillian Fleck and Wendy Toogood and are priced at $75 each, or the set of 3 for $200.
Also on sale will be a limited edition t-shirt designed and silkscreened by Calgary artist Jeremy Pavka priced at $30 each.
All proceeds will go towards supporting The New Gallery’s programming vision – providing opportunities and venues for artists that foster social, political, and critical creative practices, while engaging and educating audiences on contemporary art.
Many of the artists will be in attendance and all are welcome. Details here.
Film fans should take in this week’s showing of Calgary Cinematheque’s Contemporary World Cinema.
Taiwan’s Stray Dogs is up on the docket for Thursday, November 13 at 7pm at The Plaza Theatre.
Tickets are $12 general or $10 for members, seniors and students. Details here.
Or The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers will be showcasing the best of their members’ latest films with a screening at Theatre Junction GRAND, also on Thursday, November 13. And after the screening, join the directors in a discussion about process, technique, storytelling, and the independent film scene in Calgary.
On Location: Members Screening & Directors Talk goes down this Thursday November 13 at 7pm (doors & bar at 6pm) at Theatre Junction GRAND (601 1 St SW). Admission by donation ($5 suggested). Details here.
And last, but certainly not least, if you’re looking for some saucy fun to warm you up head to Dickens Pub this Friday, November 14 for the Calgary International Burlesque Festival Friday Night Cabaret.
The night will feature performances by Arabella Allure, Lily Bo Pique, Cheripop Purr, The Garter Girls Burly-Q Revue, Sara Von Trease, River City Revue Burlesque, Dusty Topps, Veronica Vex, Sugar Mae B, Clare Voyeur and Yaretza.
Tickets $25 advance (more at the door), doors at 8pm and details here.
Do you have something awesome coming up and want to be part of the Calgary Arts Round Up? Drop me a line at amy @ calgaryisawesome.com!