A Friday 13 Sendoff So We Can All Take a Trip

Okay, I don't want to rub it in, but I'm headed to Europe tonight, and won't be back until after Thanksgiving. That means it's going to get a little thin around this blog for a couple of weeks. But I've made you a care package.

Here are thirteen fresh links to wander through. So now we can all take a trip. And hey, if you click just one of these a day, I'll be back with you in no time. Until then ...

1. Distance can be difficult, and that personal touch can make all the difference. Handwritten notes mean a lot - even if they are written by robots.
2. My visit to the Louvre in a couple of weeks will include a peek at the Mona Lisa - but lucky for me, it will also include a gander at this contemporary neon lightning bolt, shot straight through the Pyramid by Claude Lévêque.
3. I'll be unplugging from social networks while away, including this new one called Mix, which is all about building on the creations of others. Very cool. Here's a 'mix' with relevance to The Bleeding Heart, for instance. What could go in that bubble?
4. I'll even unplug from promising new social networks like the always-ad-free Ello. Really, they won't sell our data. It's right in their manifesto.
5. Manifestos are pretty awesome. That's why we wrote one.
6. Of course, we were inspired by some other great manifesto's, like this one from Holstee.
7. When I unplug, I'll be keeping notes and drawing by hand. I hear that's good for the brain.
8. Perhaps I'll stumble across some great public art. Did you read my recent piece on Murals and Morale in the Inner City?
9. It has a great illustration by the best-named-Zine-in-history - WeAreNotAtTheMall.
10. Speaking of local arts publications, are you reading Prairie Seen Notes?
11. Back on the international scene, how about following an artist's hilarious imaginary adventures with his dog?
12. And while we're on the subject of imaginary - how about an art museum where all of the art is imaginary? Not convinced? What if James Franco were involved?
13. OK, I have to admit. That last one does sound a bit like a joke. Or, perhaps, exactly like a joke. Love the opening line of this story - 'Let's face it. Art is not really meant to be understood by most people.'

Your Turn Now

So I'm off folks. Want to add to the collective art consciousness while I'm away? Add you own links and recommendations to the comments below (one link per comment, please).

The Amazing Space: ArtsTalk Tuesday

What is the best art space you have ever visited? Why do you love it so much?

Is it the building itself, with architecture that gives the work inside a run for its money, like our own AGA?

Is it the work inside, like at New York's MoMA, where you can view a Warhol, a Picasso and Van Gogh's Starry Night in the same permanent collection?

At the end of this week I am off to Europe. I'll have a chance to visit Munich, Berlin and Paris. I will indeed by visiting the Louvre to pay homage to the little Mona Lisa. 

Oh, and when I get back we'll be working on creating our own little art space. So I've got art space on the brain this morning.

What is the most amazing art space you've visited? Share in the comments below.

Murals and Morale in the Inner City

Driving from Victoria to Parksville, BC, I see signs for the ‘World Famous Murals’ of Chemainus, practically begging me to visit. I do, but leave disappointed. The inner-city has spoiled me.

Driving the shadowy side-streets of cities like Vancouver, Portland or even Calgary, I’ll spot murals in vibrant contrast to urban decay and wonder, ‘Have I found this city's Alberta Avenue?’

I wonder if, where there are murals, there are people taking back their once neglected streets? 

Along Alberta Avenue you’ll find art everywhere. A power box painted like a pack of crayons. Park benches etched with community-sourced designs. Nine of Jill Thomson’s paintings climbing alley walls near The Carrot Coffeehouse.

Perhaps we are trying to convince ourselves that our inner-city neighbourhood is just like an idyllic small town. Just like Chemainus. Or maybe it works the other way. Maybe, murals aren’t the cause, but the effect. Maybe when a community comes together, murals become our collective voice.

Mural map illustration by We Are Not At The Mall - http://wearenotatthemall.tumblr.com/

Kris Andreychuk has heard that voice. He spent years with the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) on Alberta Avenue, working with Arts On The Ave, the police, and others for creative solutions to neighbourhood issues. Here, Kris learned the power of the arts to transform communities.

Inside The Carrot, I try and get to the bottom of all these murals with Kris Andreychuk. Do murals really lower crime? Can paintings really save a neighbourhood?

Murals work, Kris says, with a caveat. The art has to involve the community as part of a larger strategy. There has to be ownership. Top down, enforced public art may bring something the neighbourhood is not proud of. 

I think of the giant baseball bat down the road. 

Murals can work wonders, Kris assures me, when the community is involved. It is for good reason that Edmonton offers matching grants up to $2000 for the creation of public murals.

Most obviously, murals curb graffiti, but their effect goes much deeper. 

In 2011, Kris was part of Eyes On The Alley, where residents made their 82nd street alley cleaner and safer by installing giant photographs of their own eyes on dumpsters. The images were striking. Crime dropped.

Kris remembers a local crack dealer lamenting how she couldn’t deal drugs in that alley any more. She said it was like her grandfather was looking at her. 

Eyes On The Alley drew positive attention. These residents moved beyond security cameras and neighbourhood patrols, and felt more than protected. They felt proud. 

I feel proud, too.

Riding along the LRT tracks towards downtown, I slow to see Kris Friesen’s rich underwater world, painted on the back of a fitness store. Walking north up 95th street from 107th ave, I catch Grace Law’s stylized characters traversing brightly coloured stripes. Blocks later, a giant Lois Hole by Ian Mulder tends her sunflowers.

This is my neighbourhood. This open air gallery is a testament to transformation. These murals are both the cause, and the effect, of a community awake, alive and beginning to grin with pride.

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This article first appeared in the premiere issue of Arts & Culture XL, and is reprinted here with permission. The second issue of Arts & Culture XL launches this week. Discover more at artsandculturexl.tumblr.com

September Check-In: Grow Your Art Challenge

It's time again for a check in. Some real-deal accountability for our 2014 Grow Your Art Challenge.

Summer was nice. The sunshine brought a lovely bit of relaxation, but the leaves are turning friends. That means our year-long project is nearly 75% done. That means just 3 more months until we gather to celebrate our accomplishments (even our incomplete ones).

I don't say all of this to scare you. I say all of this to scare me.

I'll fill you in on my progress below, but let's just say I need this accountability at least as much as any of you. This is that time in the project where things seem a bit impossible. Rocky is down and bloody on the mat. Things are looking bleak.

But then ...

But then the crowd chants, slow at first and then louder. Raucous. Roaring. 'Rocky! Rocky!'

Then hope rises. 

I'm looking for the hope of the crowd today friends. Maybe you are too. We can do this thing. I'm not licked yet. 

Please check in below by answering these four questions;

1. What have you made for the Challenge since last check-in (which was actually June)?
2. Is there something you can show us?
3. What is the biggest challenge you are facing now?
4. How can we help you move forward?

Friday. The 13 Arts, Faith and Community Links you Need to Visit.

This week I've got 13 more links about art, faith and community for you. We'll learn a bit about all there is to learn, listen to some new music from Leonard Cohen, meet a young songwriter named Braden Gates and carve out some sacred space. Sound good? Dive in.

1. Before you go reading any of this stuff, remember that knowing does not necessarily make you wise. This charming animation reveals a great truth for our times from Maria Popova; Knowledge DOES NOT EQUAL wisdom. 
2. This is Leonard #CohenWeek folks! Why? Because on September 21, the legend turns 80. And because CBC Radio 2 says so. To celebrate, Cohen releases his 13th album, Popular Problems, next week. If you can't wait that long, you can have a 'first play' right here, right now.
3. Speaking of Leonard Cohen, you have read his poem, God is Alive, Magic is Afoot, right? Maybe you'd rather if Cohen read it to you?
4. While we're onto words, do you like quotes about creativity? How about 45 creativity quotes in one post?
5. And while we're onto music, last weekend at Kaleido I stumbled upon Braden Gates in a back alley. It was, perhaps, the best possible way to discover this local folk gem. 
6. Amid the roar of the new U2 album, no one is really talking about the music. Well, neither is this guy, until the end of this insightful New Yorker article on U2's Christianity.
7. While U2 gives an album away for free, many of us wonder how to make any money off of music. New models keep emerging, like my friend Jonathan J Bower's 'kick-ender' campaign. Have a listen and support great music.
8. Wonder what it's like to start something you know little to nothing about - like a business? Listen to the process on a new podcast from the Producer of This American Life at http://hearstartup.com/.
9. Of course, here's what might really happen when you follow your bliss.
10. But there are plenty of resources to help you succeed. CARFAC is launching a new series of Webinars (online seminars over Wednesday lunch hours) for just $15 each - and less if you register for all six at once. The series covers topics ranging from Marketing 2.0 to Doing Business With Commercial Galleries and crafting the Perfect Portfolio.
11. How do you get the important stuff done? Here's how the most successful people manage their time.
12. Rather than doing any of this, you might want to carve out a sacred space for deep thinking.
13. You can get some good tips on crafting your own Sacred Space through a weekly Sabbath from the folks behind the Sabbath Manifesto. They've been slowing down lives since 2010.

Kaleido Moments and 34 Photos for #ArtsTalkTuesday

This past weekend thousands of guests crowded the cordoned off streets of Alberta Avenue for the Kaleido Family Arts Festival. Perhaps you were one of them?

The Bleeding Heart Art Space provided volunteer care in the 'Volunteer Luxe Lounge' all weekend. This meant we decorated the room, brought in some crazy lamps, kept things clean and tidy and served up food the festival brought in. It also meant a lot of smiles and great conversations with some very dedicated volunteers.

At some point, I left the Volunteer Lounge and wandered the streets. I took some photos. I had some moments.

What moment stands out for you from this past weekend's festival? If you weren't able to make it, do you have any questions about what was there?

Enjoy the photos and stories below! 

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Friday's Kaleidoscope of 13 Finds

I know the sky has not shone brightly, but surely there is yet some joy to be found? Look no further, in fact, than this magical kaleidoscope of 13 artistic finds!

1. The title of this week's post is a wink and a nod to this weekend's fabulous Kaleido Festival. If you've never been, you NEED to check this out. If you have been, you'll be back I'm sure. Did I mention people dance on walls? Here's what I had to say about it last year.
2. And our friend Karla Adolphe will be there. And here, too. Oh, and here, too.
3. Want to know what an Arts Potluck looks like? What do people share? Who shows up? What they recommend? You can find all of this and more on my recap of last Friday's event.
4. Jonathan J Bower is a musician I met at the Glen Workshop this summer. He just put out a great album, and launched a Kickstarter to pay for post-production of Hope, Alaska. I love this way of supporting an artist and his work so directly. 
5. I recorded a demo of a song inspired by words and images emailed to me from participants of the recent JusticeCAMP: Land event. I hope you like it.
6. Aaron Srumpel, synthesizers and the Book of James collide.
7. While we're on music, maybe you're a U2 fan and maybe you're not. Either way, you've likely heard by now that the new U2 album is free for all 500 million plus iTunes users in the world. You may also, like me, have had troubles finding and downloading the free gift. In my opinion, Songs of Innocence is a very solid release from U2 and worth the listen. If you are still wondering how to get yours, this article from CNET makes it simple.
8. If you are a U2 fan, you likely have The Joshua Tree already. But if you don't, you need it. You can get it for just $5.99 from iTunes right now, along with all other U2 albums on sale.

9. "Good books tell the truth, even when they're about things that never have been and never will be. They're truthful in a different way" - Stanisław Lem (from Good Reads)

10. I had the pleasure of watching the film Enough Said on Netflix recently. It is a warm and real romantic comedy with great writing. It is also good to watch Julia Louis-Dreyfus bumble awkwardly for a couple of hours. She's just so good at it. If you are a Netflix subscriber, you can watch it here.
11. Speaking of movies, remember how terrifying these end-times movies were? Watching these as a kid led to issues therapy could probably help me with. Somehow, being from the 70's only makes them scarier now.
12. I've been reading Anne Lamott, a Christian author who would likely have strong disagreements with the rapture theology presented in the aforementioned film. Her book, Bird By Bird, is a classic for writers. Oh, and she's on Twitter.
13. Surely you have enough time to check out these links? After all, you have 168 hours this week. How are you using them?

Arts Potluck Goes Online for #ArtsTalkTuesday

Perhaps you missed our Arts Potluck on Friday, September 5. Perhaps you were there, and want help remembering what you saw and who you met. Perhaps you have no idea what on earth an Arts Potluck is? 

Look no further, friend. Here is a recap, with links and images, from this past Friday's event. If you have any questions, ask them below. If you want to share your own work and take part 'virtually', provide us a link in the comments below. If I forgot something (if?!), make up for my forgetfullness by adding to the comment stream.

A Whole Lotta Sharin' Goin' On

Our first Arts Potluck of the season is a hit, with over 20 folks in my living room to share snacks and art. Some bring kids. Some come just to watch and listen. I think it's safe to say that all have a good time.

7 PM to almost 8 PM we eat and reconnect. Or connect for the first time. There are many new faces. There are many tasty snacks. Around 8, we move into the living room. I am happy to finally see my new couch make room for five grown adults!

I give a bit of the history of the Arts Potluck–how it began with Jeffery Overstreet's Thomas Parker Society at the Glen Workshop two years ago. Then the sharing begn.

Sebastian Barrera

To keep things simple, we order by birthday. That meant that newcomer Sebastian, with a September birthday, kicks things off. Sebastian's smooth, Portuguese-influenced vocal and guitar are a beautiful way to begin. We sit mesmerized as he shows off not only his mastery of music, but his ability to play, sing, smile and care for his young daughter all at the same time. I am impressed.

Sebastian teaches free music lessons every Saturday at the Parkdale-Comdale Community League. Through his initiative, Creart, he has been able to give free arts instruction and musical instruments to kids in need.  Creart is looking for additional instructors – artists who want to make a difference in community through their gifting. 

Cheryl Muth

Cheryl Muth shares her vivid oil paintings next. One depicts a violinist in Barcelona. The other is a landscape. The two paintings represent a broad spectrum of style, which leads us into a conversation about the work we make for pleasure, and the work we make for pay. How does one make their art profitable, anyways?

There are, of course, no definitive answers. But there is feedback and encouragement. There are ideas. There is the wisdom of experience in a room full of artists.

More of Cheryl's paintings can be found at cherylmuth.com

Aaron Vanimere

Aaron waits his turn, far left.

Aaron is with us fresh from a Vancouver trip. While there, he saw a concert, in a small venue, that left a mark. He shares his story of meeting the artist and it's obvious this meeting has impacted Aaron. But before the meeting, the album, Heal, was working it's magic.

Aaron leaves us with a fitting bit of homework. Listen to the new album, Heal, by Strand Of Oaks.

You can find Strand Of Oaks on BandCamp at  http://strandofoaks.bandcamp.com/track/goshen-97

Marcie Rohr

Marcie is up next with art that comes from a deep and personal place. She's just returned from an intense conference on justice, faith and land. She's developed a new perspective on our interconnectedness with the land, and she's still processing this relationship and its implications. This processing can be seen in her work, still unfinished. We offer feedback, perhaps more than Marcie is even after. The dance of feedback can be a difficult one to learn, but Marcie is gracious and so are the critiques and suggestions.

We are all interested where this new exploration will lead Marcie and her work.

You can discover more of Marcie's paintings on Saatchi Art at http://www.saatchiart.com/marcierohr

Julie Drew

Next up is new work from Julie Drew. Julie is no stranger to the art and faith scene in Edmonton, but this work is different from previous showings in many ways. First, this is acrylic, not watercolour. Second, the subject matter is not a beautiful landscape, but rather a garbage heap. And finally, there is actual garbage attached to the piece, and bursting out of the frame, which is used as an element of the composition, rather than a firm boundary. 

Julie reads an essay to us on redemption. This piece is tied to the idea of redemption, as displayed by the vine, growing up from the refuse in the piece.

Now comes time for feedback. Julie is interested in our thoughts, as this is a new direction. A lot of us like this exploration. It is fun, bold, risky territory. We like watching Julie play at the margins like this. But we do have our critiques. Because I have known Julie for a while, I muster my courage and offer some feedback that is hopefully constructive, and not entirely positive. 

I still wonder how far to push in moments like this. Arts Potlucks are really not for intense critique. The concept here is more of a free-form grown up show and tell. A time to share some beauty. But Julie has asked for feedback and I feel honesty is most helpful here. So I offer some thoughts. I hope they are given and received in love. I still struggle with these moments.

In the end, there is conflicting feedback. Most of us agree that the vine is not needed in the piece, and draws our attention away from the interesting and beautiful depiction of the trash heap that is at the centre of the piece. We disagree on other elements. 

It is up to Julie to take this feedback and do with it as she sees fit. This is her piece – her vision. She has opened herself to ideas, which is a brave thing to do. Now she must decide to use or discard them. 

Julie Drew leads spiritual art retreats twice a year. Find out more about Art: Vocabulary of the Soul retreats here. The next retreat is October 17-19, on Weakness and Failure.

Find Julie's work online at shedrewit.com

Adam Tenove

Adam Tenove is blazing new territory, too. Adam always seems to bring something new to the table. Literally. He arrives late because his crusted zucchini takes so long to cook. It is worth the wait.

Adam shows an intensely detailed pen drawing of intertwining figures. Incorporating feedback from a past event, Adam has added a deep red background. We are all draw in to the piece, which reveals more detail the closer you look. Adam points out the text that plays across the figures. Then he moves on do more experimental work.

Two pieces, mostly black, reveal the folding and unfolding of origami figures. The black is worn away along the folds, revealing a history in the material. This origami work immediately reminds of the of bronzed paper-folding sculptures of Kevin Box in Santa Fe. We all encourage Adam to follow this new direction and see where it leads. 

Finally, Adam shares a poem. It's great to see people moving beyond comfort to open up to the group in new ways. 

Adam writes on art, and shares his work, at http://ellipsisartcollective.com/

Julie Rohr

Next up is Julie Rohr, longtime friend of the Bleeding Heart Art Space, yet making her debut Arts Potluck appearance. Julie has been taking our Grow Your Art Challenge, and through that spurring on, has plunged headlong into an exciting photography project. 

Julie has been moved by the global devastation that is human trafficking. Her heart aches for these women, and she wants to do something about it. So she is. 

Julie has gathered professional photographers to take portraits, for a $50 donation each, of those wanting to support the fight against human trafficking. She shows us some samples, and in each we see the soul of the subject shine through. The photos are phenomenal - true works of art. The project is inspiring.   

Find out more or book your session at http://thewomen.ca/

Sam Drew

Sam Drew takes the piano bench next, and shares the second poem of the evening. I love listening to poetry. Sam's is strongly narrative, putting us within an interaction with a traveller in them theme-country of the night – Spain. 

Sam's poem is vivid and we follow his interaction with this man, towards a turn that leaves us thinking about the importance of the small interactions in our own daily lives. 

Thank you Sam.

Melissa Crayford

Melissa Crayford is a friend of Grace Law, one of our Bleeding Heart Leadership Team, but I've never met her before. She brings great insight to the night through our critiques, and some great snacks too. 

More than all that, Melissa brings some beautiful textile art. She shows us a piece with embroidery laid overtop of fabric printed with a black and white transfer. It's hard to describe, but fun to look and and touch. It is passed around the room as Melissa asks for our thoughts and reactions. We want to see more of this. I hope we will.

Hopefully Melissa finds more time to experiment between studies in the U of A Fine Arts Program.

Edward Van Vliet

Last but most definitely not least come three poems from Edward Van Vliet. All three pieces, Edward informs us, have been written since this summer's Glen Workshop. All three are fantastic, though quite different.

The first poem still stands out for me as I write this. Consider the lily, Edward invites us. And then he considers the lily, in realistic, often humorous and jarring portrayals.

I try and capture Edward's first pounding as he passionately proclaims his last poem, but the combination of fast movement and low light proves lethal to the clear image. 

Edward will be sharing these poems on his blog over at etechne.blogspot.com

And that's not all

There are others in attendance. Some are artists who didn't find the time to prepare things to share, like glass blower Keith Walker, and fashion designer Sabrina O'Donell, of Sabrina Butterfly. But they'll have their chance again, and so will you.

See you next time?

Watch Your Click Finger - Here Come 13 More Rabbit Holes!

Look out folks. I hope you've stored away some precious moments because here come those rabbit holes of the internet again, to tempt you with their linky goodness!

1. You may want to put that phone down and take some notes by hand. Apparently sketching is real good for you.
2. One disadvantage of a paper notebook is that it is hard to organize to find things later on. Or, maybe there is an easy way to organize a paper notebook?
3. For some of us, Back to School means time for working from home, free from distractions. But how do we get the work done? Here's how Ira Glass, host of This American Life, works.
4. Speaking of Back to School - take a moment to remember your art teachers.
5. Maybe, among other things, those art teacher gave you some wonderful words about art?
6. Maybe it's time for some more training? How about free online courses from CreativeLive?
7. No really, you may want to put that phone down.
8. Looking for a way to connect with artistic community? Why not try an Arts Potluck?

9. "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." - Thomas Merton in No Man Is An Island (via etechne)

10. Speaking of email, I started my own newsletter today. Can I send you some tasty emails?

11. Want to send your own newsletter? The newly redesigned Tiny Letter, from the good folks at MailChimp, is as easy as it gets.
12. Speaking of design, did you know it affects just about everything? And most of our problems, according to visionary Bruce Mau in a recent CBC interview, are problems of design. 
13. Of course, there is also the opportunity to make things much, much better, like in this powerful poem from spoken word artist Joel McKerrow.

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Care to share a link of your own? Take advantage of the comments below!

Remembering Art Teachers: #ArtsTalkTuesday

Perhaps you were a rebel in school (I wasn't). Perhaps you were hard to reach and distant (I wasn't). Perhaps, even still, there was one teacher who just oozed cool that made a connection with you. Perhaps she 'got you', and gave you a rare opportunity to express yourself. Perhaps he encouraged your creativity when few others did. Perhaps that describes your art teacher (it does mine).

It's Back To School day, so lets give it up for our art teachers. In the comments below, share an art teacher who made an impact on your creative life. Or maybe you are the art teacher, and can share a memorable experience where you awakened some creative spark in a student?