(thanks to Death the the Stock Photo for the original image)
- It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, but it is Friday the 13th today. To inspire your weird and wonderful work, read through 13 obscure superstitions from the Toronto Star. My favorite? Number 10. "You should actively chew on a thread while someone is actively sewing on a piece of clothing you’re wearing. This proves you’re not dead."
Still, it IS Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Dear artist, we love you.
There are so many artists to love, and so many mediums to explore. Perhaps you have a favourite you’d like to nominate for the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts? Nothing says ”I love you” in this town like an award from Don Iveson.
One of the newest, craziest, and most technology-centric mediums is Augmented Reality. What exactly is AR? Essentially, it’s a way for smart phones to bring virtual life to the real world by combining what your phone’s camera sees with animations and interactive elements. But somehow, it’s more magical that all that. Experience it for yourself, all year long, with this AR Calendar from We Are Royale.
- Closer to home, how about exploring the new medium of splash parks? Check outthe Hawrelak Park Water Play Experience public art competition,open to professional artists residing in Alberta.
- Writers, and especially poets, take note. Even closer to my own home, the McCauley Writers Atlas is holding a poetry submission contest on the theme “Inner City”. There are a hundred bucks at stake, along with the chance to read during Edmonton Poetry Fest in April. Get the details here.
What is the McCauley Writer’s Atlas, you ask? I’ll let the about section of their facebook group explain,
Local writers meet
Tuesday nights at six
Sip coffee at Zocalo
A fresh inspired setting
Stories and poetry
Pictures and drawing
Guest writers and artists
Workshops and readings
Build community
Be creative
- Perhaps you prefer music with your words? Alberta singer-songwriter Karla Adolphe is now offering vocal and songwriting workshops. You can even receive training from home, via Skype! For now, find the information on Karla’s tumblr. Soon, find the information on Karla’s new website. I’m helping Karla build that site, and we’re goign to bring you along for the ride, starting next week. If you’ve wanted to set up your own website, or revamp what you have, I’m going to show you the best way to do it, and it will cost less time and money than you think.
- Maybe you work with ”time, space, the performer’s body and the relationship between performer and audience.” If Performance Art is your medium, Edmonton’s Creative Practices Institute is calling for you.
- If you are photographer or designer, you are going to want to download Affinity Photo, just released into Beta this week. For now it is totally free, and when it officially releases the software will be a sliver of the cost of Adobe Photoshop. I’m already using it for real work and while there are still some bugs, this is an amazing piece of software.
- Illustrator? Get inspired by the work of Yeg’s own Jeffrey Dekker. He’s got some sweet Edmonton prints on sale at Tix On The Square and his design work is particularly awesome. If I am recalling an art-market meeting correctly, Jeffrey also rocks a bowtie with class.
And now for some words we can all use.
We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.- Love is no simple thing, of course, just ask poet Rainer Rilke.
- There will be a lot of love at The Carrot this weekend. Saturday night, I’d like to sing you a love song or two at the Carrot Open Mic. Come out to listen and watch, or to participate. All artforms welcome. 7:30-10 PM. 9315 118th Ave. Heck, come out twice, because The Carrot By Moonlight happens tonight, Feb 13, and offers great community, food and chocolate-making for just $20 a person. And wine. Don’t forget the wine.
Love is an art. Let us master it.
Don’t forget to send me your #yegarts news by email, or using the hashtag #artscene13 on Social. I’ll be glad to post your news here, for all to see.