Having just finished off their festival season at the Okanagan Rhythm Festival, Small Change will be bringing their unique sound to the Minstrel Cafe,Friday November 13th @ 8 pm. Small Change has been getting great responses from it's concert audiences who have enjoyed the musical journey from highly charged rhythmical pieces to dark and moody. If you are looking for a night of great music, check out Small Change at the Minstrel.
 
Small Change can be seen on Youtube (just google 'Youtube Small Change at Squilax') or go to  www.myspace.com/smallchangeokFor more inf. contact Jim at jimcopeman@telus.net  

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07 Nov 2009

"Art that cannot shape society and therefore also cannot penetrate the heart - is no art." ~ Joseph Beuys, 1985

The Penticton Art Gallery would like to invite artists working in all media from across the British Columbia to participate in a non-juried exhibition set to open at the Penticton Art Gallery on Friday January 22, 2010. This exhibition is intended to provide a public forum to examine the legacy which will remain as a result of the recent cuts to arts and culture funding and the 2010 Olympic Games. As a result of these cuts the Penticton Art Gallery is not able to pay CARFAC fees for this exhibition but each participating artist will receive a copy of the catalogue for their records and the gallery will pay for the return shipping of all submitted artworks at the conclusion of the exhibition.

Artists have long been at the forefront of social change and their legacy is not only the barometer for which the health of a society can be ascertained it's the benchmark for which historians will judge and record our passing. It‚s been an unprecedented year in so many ways both globally and provincially with the global economic crisis, the election of Barack Obama, our provinces devastating cuts to arts and culture and the onslaught of the 2010 Winter Olympics. As we begin to welcome the world to Vancouver what legacy will come of these events and what if any global change will result from such a significant international gathering? Artists from across the province are invited to submit a work which questions the state and health of our society today and the legacy which will remain as a result of these contemporary events.

In considering this question we ask that you also consider the following quotes as they pertain to the Provincial Governments acknowledgement of the important roll that arts and culture plays in our province and the Olympic Games.

"Think of what we're doing as we work with our First Nations people to create with them a sense of opportunity for the future. Think of what we can do with our young people as we hold that Olympic gold medal up ahead of them as they reach for that pinnacle of excellence in whatever sport they decide to pursue. And think of what it can do for our cultural community." ~ Premier Gordon Campbell address to the 2010 Vancouver/Whistler Olympic Bid Committee, November 23, 2001

"You know, the Olympics are certainly about doing great in athletics and arts and culture, but it's much more than that. The Olympics - and any Olympian who stands on the podium and gets a gold medal put around their neck will be able to tell you this - are about teamwork. It's about support from your family and support from coaches, support from trainers. It's really about looking deep inside yourself and seeing what matters to you and what you're willing to commit yourself to. It's about being willing to go through difficult times to achieve something that is maybe higher and better than you ever expected." ~ Premier Gordon Campbell address to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities, March 26, 2004

It's also interesting to read the how the Province of British Columbia comes to view the roll of the visual arts and the artist. In the Ministry of Education‚s Integrated Resource Package published by the Ministry of Education Standards Department in 1995 and revised on January 26, 1999 the Ministry describes the values as set out in the provincially prescribed curriculum for Visual Arts students in grade 11 and 12. The full curriculum can be found at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/va1112/vaco.htm

"The art of image making is a unique and powerful human endeavour. In visual arts, images give shape and meaning to ideas and feelings. Images take many forms and transcend boundaries of time, culture, and language. Visual arts both reflect and affect the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which they exist. For this reason, visual arts education provides a unique opportunity to foster respect for and appreciation of a variety of values and cultures. In addition, an education in visual arts promotes understanding of the role of the arts in reflecting and challenging social values throughout history. The visual arts are an essential form of communication, indispensable to freedom of inquiry and expression. Visual literacy skills enable students to evaluate the contributions of artists in society, and to work with images to better understand social and environmental issues. Through experiences with the visual arts, students gain pleasure, enjoyment, and a deepened awareness of themselves and their place in their environment, community, and culture. By making learning personally relevant to students, visual arts education fosters lifelong learning. Visual arts education promotes intellectual development by expanding students' capacities for creative thought and encouraging critical-thinking skills such as curiosity, open-mindedness, persistence, and flexibility."

In designing this call for submissions the Penticton Art Gallery hopes artists from across the province will gather en mass to celebrate the importance of the visual arts as an essential form of communication, indispensable to freedom of inquiry and expression. This is your opportunity to be heard and for us to document and record a snapshot in time and provide future generations an opportunity to see where we were at this important point in our history.

* The fine print * ~ important details and deadlines ~

Friday December 18, 2009 (confirmation of participation due)

If this project appeals to you I ask that you e-mail your confirmation of participation in this exhibition by Friday December 18, 2009. As space is limited I need to have confirmation of your participation by this date to plan the exhibition. Work in any media is welcome but if your work requires any special consideration (Size, Installation, Multimedia Etc...) I ask that you contact me prior to discuss your proposal to see if it will work.

Please e-mail your confirmation to:
Paul Crawford E-mail: agso_curator@shawbiz.ca

Friday December 18, 2009 (artist statement due)

Please e-mail a 250 ˆ 500 word artist statement explaining your thoughts on "2010 Legacies Now" as it relates to your piece. These will be used for a small catalogue which will accompany the exhibit. If possible please e-mail an image of your work to be submitted for the exhibition. Please also include up to 15 addresses for invites to be mailed to for the opening. If you are interested in giving an artist talk or being apart of any exhibition programming like a roundtable discussion around the topic of "2010 Legacies Now", or potential workshop ideas, please let me know and I will book programming around the exhibit.

Please e-mail your artist statement to:
Paul Crawford E-mail: agso_curator@shawbiz.ca

Tuesday January 5th - Friday January 15th, 2010 (Work to arrive at the Penticton Art Gallery)

All works to be included in the exhibition need to arrive at the gallery framed and ready for display unless otherwise discussed. The gallery can undertake some framing of works on paper using standard OPUS back loading exhibition frames. Works can be made available for sale at a 70/30 split with the Penticton Art Gallery. Works that arrive later than this date will not be included in the exhibition due to space restrictions and exhibition planning.

7:00 pm Friday January 22nd, 2010 (Exhibit opening)

The exhibition opening which is open to anyone and everyone so please invite your friends and family and all you meet on the street.

5:00 pm Sunday March 14, 2010 (Exhibition closing)

Due to the recent cuts to provincial and municipal funding the Penticton Art Gallery is unable to pay CARFAC fees for this exhibition but the gallery will cover the return shipping costs of all submitted works. Works will be returned by April 15th unless otherwise mutually agreed to in advance of the exhibition. Each artist will also receive a copy of the catalogue for their records.

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07 Nov 2009

Five local artists have banded together to create Kelowna's newest Art Gallery and Studio!

Little Shop of Artists will be open seven days a week, starting November 1st, to create a unique little shop for Kelowna.  You'll find that all of the work hanging on the walls was created by one of the artists of the gallery!  Each day of the week our customers will be delighted to find that the artists not only contribute their creations to the gallery, but their time as well.  Each of the artists will be working in the shop one or two days a week to help out and work on their latest creations in store.

November 7th at 5pm will be the Opening Reception party of Little Shop of Artists where everyone is invited to come in, share in some goodies, have a chance to win a door prize, chat with the artists, and preview the work for sale.  

Here is an introduction to each of the five artists of Little Shop of Artists:

Ed Goodon of Metal Dream Designs - The creative force behind Metal Dream Designs, Edward's spirit soars as a metal sculptor. In his words "beginning of my explorations in form may be a type of material, an idea, scrap on the floor, a vision, a sketch, or nothing at all: just pure play. I try to create sculptures that play on the basic nature and ruggedness of the metals I use. I believe it's necessary to ensure that each sculpture expresses just the right emotion".
Welded steel, recycled metal and more come to life as Edward sculpts them into fluid, organic forms and ìpersonalities". ìI guess Iíve always been an Artist, building sculptures and artwork has been a hobby of mine for the past 30 years". His work over the years has evolved into a diverse collection of garden sculptures and decorative indoor art pieces. "My ancestry is metis and this influence can be seen in several of my earlier pieces. Some of the items used were actual items my dad and I used when trapping and hunting as a young man".

After many compliments and much encouragement from everyone who has seen his work, he decided that it was time to give his work the exposure it deserved. With the help of his wife, he began bringing his work to the public with the creation of Metal Dream Designs in 2005 (www.metaldreamdesign.com).
Angella Goodon ñ Angella Goodon is an emerging abstract artist, currently living and working in Kelowna, BC.

As a young child she was constantly drawing or painting.  During her school years she took every art related class possible.  In 2006, Angella decided it was time to improve on her self-taught skills and enroll in classes towards a Diploma in Art.  In 2008, she graduated with honors.

Through these classes, her love for design and fine art grew and she was able to refine her abstract painting skills.

Angella currently works in acrylics but enjoys all mediums.  And while she does a lot of her work on paper, canvas is her preference.  Canvas gives her the freedom to create more depth.  By employing bold lines and vibrant color, she creates art that leaves an open interpretation.

She has been approached to paint a number of commissions and has several pieces in private collections.

In January 2009, she launched her website, www.angellagoodon.com displaying her most recent work.

Jazmyn Douillard ñ is an illustrator and graphic designer but you will see many mediums in the store of her work since sheís always experimenting with something new.  

Born and raised in Kelowna, she has taken on many commissions for graphics and illustrations for local companies and clubs, and she is always taking on extra work to help out start up companies.

Her artwork has appeared in magazines and websites world wide; but she canít consider any of it work.  Creating is simply what she loves to do.  Any style, any medium, everything is a new challenge and something sheíll gladly take on.

Sheís inspired by both American and Asian comics, and you will see a lot of that translate through her work, but donít be surprised if you turn around and see something abstract with her name on it, or something sculpted.  Life is too bland for her if you only look at one way to live, and one way to create.  Much of her work can be viewed at www.bandear.deviantart.com

Stu Brown ñ he grew up beside the Chilliwack river in Sardis BC where he developed his love for the outdoors.  He started going fishing whenever possible, along with going for hikes, bicycling among other things.  Those were the days before he even dreamed of owning a car; he would rather just ride a bicycle anywhere he had to go.  Back then he was happy working 40 hours a week and taking home enough money to survive.

Presently heís blessed with the opportunity of living in the Sunny Okanagan, which is in his opinion one of the most beautiful places in the world.  He started his photograph company and is inspired to take some breathtaking photographs wherever he travels to in this vast province.

He says ìI don't have the perfect lifestyle yet, but give me some time and I know that I'll make it as close as humanly possible.î  His website is www.bcscenicwonder.com.

Theresa Fougere ñ She has been painting in Kelowna since 2003.  She has traveled and worked in Nova Scotia, Southern Ontario, and Northern Alberta and her exhibitions from Hamilton Ontario in 1975 to RCA in Kelowna in 2009. Her interest in watercolours flared through private art instruction from Edna Chadwick in 1975.  She furthered her studies by acquiring a B.A. with a fine art major, from Guelph University in 1985.  Tony Sherman was a great influence.

She enjoys a wide variety of subjects, but concentrates on animals and portraits.  She has also taught adults and children, for the past 7 years.  She has enjoyed volunteering at many local community events.

We invite you to take part in the opening of Kelowna's newest and most personal gallery, and experience each of these creative individuals in their element. 

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06 Nov 2009

Gallery Vertigo presents a series of workshops for writers this month.
These day-long intensives are ideal for new writers or for experienced writers looking for an injection of inspiration.
(photos of instructors attached)

November 14th

Getting Started - Karen Meyer

This workshop will be based on Natalie Goldberg's popular book, "Writing Down the Bones - Freeing the Writer Within." An instant success, Goldberg combined her ten years of studying Zen meditation with writing and discovered that, in fact, writing naturally transcends into the spiritual. I will review some of the many lessons from inspiring book. Together, we will learn about Beginner's Mind and trusting the process of writing. Also, we will go over the six rules of writing practice. We will do a number of timed writing exercises and a game. We will learn to recognize our own obsessions and strong feelings for a person or situation as rich material to write about. We'll end the day by taking a walk to the Bean Scene for some immersion in caffeine culture and a chance to write in a different environment.

November 21st

Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction

Currently, the most popular type of writing is creative non-fiction -- the truth with a twist.  Your work is based on reality, but through your unique interpretation.  Articles, stories and all kinds of books from biographies to travelogues fit into this category.  Learn the limits of when it turns into fiction!
Come and explore what and how to writein this exciting genre.

November 28th
 
Stories from Life: Writing your Memoirs - Devon Muhlert
 
A creative approach using various arts disciplines to coax out the stories of your life and then writing them for others to understand what they have meant to you.
 
December 12th
 
How to Win Writing Contests - Dona Sturmanis
 
Want to become an award-winning writer, get published and receive prize money for your efforts?  Find out all about writing contests (including the best ones), how to discern the real ones from
scams, how they work and strategies involved for entering and placing...or even winning!
 
Registration Information:
 
Cost is $65.00 per workshop for NOAA Members and $80.00 for Non-Members.
Special Price: $240.00 for all for 4 workshops for NOAA Members only.
Sessions will run on Saturdays, 10am to noon, break for one hour and then from 1 to 4pm.
Pre-registration is required at Gallery Vertigo by Tuesday November 10th.
Payment is due at time of registration. Cash or cheque please.
Class size is limited, so please register early to avoid disappointment.

Instructor Bios:
 
Dona Sturmanis
 
Dona Sturmanis, BFA, MFA, has been a professional writer, editor and publisher for 30 years. Her poetry, fiction and journalism have won many awards and has been published in magazines and journals across Canada. She has taught writing courses for Okanagan College Continuing Studies for 17 years at all campuses.
 
Karen Meyer

Writing began to interest Karen Meyer at the age of eleven. In her early twenties, she travelled South East Asia and then made a living performing at special events as Paisley the Face Painter. She earned both an English Lit degree from UBC and a photojournalism diploma from Western Academy. These experiences led into a job as staff writer for Focus On Women Magazine in Victoria. She is currently a writer in residence at Gallery Vertigo.

Devon Muhlert

Devon L. Muhlert, B.Ed, CMP, is an award-wining writer, columnist, songwriter, and facilitator/teacher. Now reinvented as a delusionist, she wrote a weekly newspaper column, *Devon's Delusions*,  for years.   Creativity is her forte, and she especially loves crossing artistic disciplines to invite inspiration. For ten years she translated for the International Choral Bulletin based in Belgium, and for over 20 years was a music director which included writing and producing several musicals.  
 

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01 Nov 2009

In honour of the book! Join us for a book fair, exhibition of books and festive launch party at Gallery Vertigo.
 
Book Exhibition: November 17th to December 12th
 
Gallery Vertigo is pleased to present a group exhibition of books from November 17th to December 12th at the gallery in what is becoming an end-of-the-year tradition. The event is designed to offer gallery visitors a warm festive atmosphere in which to enjoy books of all kinds. The exhibition will include paperbacks and hardcover books by local writers, broadsheets and comics, chapbooks and journals as well as some interesting found books, artist book works, CD's and DVD's. It's a great opportunity to purchase books by local writers. Or, just drop by to browse and enjoy some interesting books and music.
 
Call for Submissions:
Work to be included in this exhibition should be delivered to Gallery Vertigo by Saturday November 14th at 4pm. Writers, musicians, filmmakers and publishers, please submit up to ten copies of your book or CD/DVD. Artists are welcome to submit one-of-a-kind book works or book-related artworks. Also, sign up to be part of LAUNCH!
 

LAUNCH!

Saturday, November 28th - 1 to 4pm

Join us for an afternoon celebrating the book arts in the Okanagan. This festive launch party is in honour of the talented writers and musicians among us. Master of Ceremonies kevin mcpherson eckhoff (photo attached) will host the event which will feature both well-known and emerging authors interspersed with lively musical entertainment. (Eckhoff is an instructor at Okanagan College, and a writer and publisher in his own right.) Admission is by donation. Everyone is welcome.

1PM - Readings
Join us from 1 to 2pm for readings by many of the writers involved in the current exhibition of books. Enjoy excerpts, short stories and poems.
 
2PM - Book Signing
A book signing will be held from 2 to 3pm. This is your chance to meet and chat with the writers among us, and to have books signed, either for your own collection, or as a personalized gift.
 
3PM - Story Circle for Children
At 3pm, we will have a children's story circle with local storytellers and children's authors reading stories from their collections.
 
Holiday Cheer:
Hot mulled cider and goodies will be served all day. Local CD's will be featured for your listening pleasure. Come enjoy the festivities!

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23 Oct 2009