| The RED Letter, Sep 2009 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
Fast forward about twenty years and I am over the moon once again. A few years ago after curating the second RED Festival, I felt tired and burnt out and I needed to find a simple and inexpensive way to rejuvenate myself. So I started making stuff, it started with knitting, then beads, I did some watercolour painting and finally I found collage. For such a long time, I didn’t really know why I was making all of this stuff, and then about a year ago I started doing craft shows, and people started to buy my work. I dreamt about my work being displayed in a gallery, and finally, this week, my dream came true! Forty-four of my original collages are on display from now until December at Wise Daughters Craft Gallery. We opened on Wednesday as part of the Junction Arts Festival. The work is being seen and people like it, I have sold some pieces, and I feel like I have found something that's really meaningful to me. When I create these pieces, I am creating a visual story using old photos, handwritten letters and magazine cut outs. It feels brilliant, and scary and I think I am going to do it a lot more in the next while. So please come and check it out at Wise Daughters. And for those of you who might be interested, I am also selling limited edition prints from my show, Sleeping Cats and Other Stories at girlcancreate.etsy.com! It’s an exciting fall full of new things here at GirlCanCreate, hope you had a brilliant summer, and are ready to check out some brilliant events in the city. Be well and let me know your thoughts about the RED letter, as always, would love to hear it! Best, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
2. Feature Theatre : The Refugee Hotel – Free Ticket Giveaway!We have a pair of tickets for the September 16th show to give away to the first RED Letter Reader who replies with “Refugee Ticket Giveaway” in their email! Please include your name and phone number!
"A humorous and heartbreaking look at life in exile." Alameda Theatre Company in association with Theatre Passe Muraille proudly presents the World Premiere of Carmen Aguirre’s powerful play The Refugee Hotel. Based on the poignant story of the playwright’s own family, The Refugee Hotel will be presented at Theatre Passe Muraille from September 16 to October 4, 2009. Originally staged as a reading in March 2007 at Harbourfront to great critical acclaim, The Refugee Hotel is a humorous and moving portrayal of a group of Chilean political refugees who arrive at a Vancouver residential hotel in 1974, months after Chile’s bloody military coup. Passionate and insightful, the play brilliantly captures the immigrant and exile experience in Canada. It is a story about love and the poetic ability of the human spirit to survive adversity. Written and directed by Carmen Aguirre, The Refugee Hotel will feature a cast of 12 actors including Leanna Brodie, Terrence Bryant, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Cheri Maracle, Paloma Nuñez, Beatrice Pizano, Paula Rivera, Michael Scholar Jr., Osvaldo Sepulveda, Todd Thomson and Juan Carlos Velis. The Canadian premiere of The Refugee Hotel coincides with the 36th anniversary of the September 11, 1973 Chilean military coup. Founded in 2006 by Marilo Nunez, Alameda Theatre Company is Canada's premiere professional Latin Canadian theatre company, providing opportunities for Latin Canadian theatre artists and playwrights and building audiences for their work. Alameda Theatre Company is challenging stereotypes and empowering its artists by creating mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities for established and emerging artists. The Refugee Hotel September 16 to October 4, 2009 Theatre Passe Muraille 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto
3. Feature Visual Art Festival – Queen West Arts CrawlI'm proud to Announce that this year I will be participating in the Crafters Market! Come and say hello at booth 46!
Outdoor Art Show and Sale Our now infamous Outdoor Art Show and Sale will return to transform Trinity Bellwoods Park into a bustling marketplace of ideas, inspirations, happenings and some exciting surprises that you won't want to miss! Parkdale Crafters Market - NEW! A new addition to the QWAC landscape is the Parkdale Crafters Market. Bringing together some of the most unique local artisans, crafters and artists, the Crafters Market is sure to inspire. Forget about the recession and shop to your heart's content as all pieces are priced at under $50! Independent Press - NEW! The Independent Press is dedicated to casting the spotlight on Toronto's left-of-centre independent publications. This includes but certainly is not limited to: zines, comics, silkscreened posters, show posters, t-shirts, and print-based art in general. Be sure to stop by, you'll be surprised at what you might discover! Art Fuzion The Fuzionists are not just any art collective. Drawing from a rich artistic background as well as a diverse range of specialties, the group collaborate and create right before your eyes. The Fuzionists always create in response to their environment, and during the Crawl they will be inspired by a wide variety of musical acts from singer/songwriters to gypsy jazz combos. Kids Zone Bring out the Picasso in your little one at the Kids Zone. Here, children are encouraged to uncover their creative side and learn a variety of techniques from professional artists. In a nurturing, fun and interactive environment, children are given the opportunity to create their own unique works of art. QWAC-fiti Join Queen West Art Crawl in Parkdale Town Square for the premiere edition of QWAC-FITI. Queen and Cowan will be taken over by some of Toronto's finest visual and musical artists. Curated by Funktion Gallery, exciting artists such as ROCK, GETSO, GWYN, ANSER, SMUG, SWIFT, HERBS, REVEAL, NORMAN YEUNG and more will be showcasing their skills. Toronto's GRIPSKI (Albino Zebra), NEWNO GREEN (Track Meet Records) and EMCEE RAE (Funktion Gallery) will be providing a slamming soundtrack to round out the party vibe. For more info see www.queenwestartcrawl.com
4. Feature Festival – Allende Arts Festival
Allende Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary event which will include: visual art exhibits; workshops; panel discussions, lectures and artist talks; music concerts; dance performances; film screenings; a night of poetry and performance; and many community activities for both children and youth. Home Sweet Hogar Friday September 11 to 26, 2009 Artscape Wychwood Barns This year, following on the theme of ‘homeland’, the festival presents work that speaks to social and political global issues and continues to push the boundaries and limitations of conventional labeling. The Allende Arts Festival contributes to the evolution and celebration of Latin American culture in Canada and is proud to present artists who now call this land home. For further information please see
5. NEW! Artist Trading Card Trading Sessions at Wise Daughters
Art Cards to Make and Trade Sun, Sept 27, 1:00 - 3:30 Lisa Pijuan-Nomura leads the fun. Like baseball or playing cards... only they're one-of-a-kind works of art. No art experience necessary - the only rules are that cards need to be 2.5 x 3.5 and you have to trade at least a few of the cards you make, and leave one with Wise Daughters to display! Pay-what-you-can, but please reserve. Wise Daughters Craft Market To register call 416-761-1555
6. Creativity Classes with GirlCanCreateShe Can Create: Creativity Classes for Women
Starting November 2 to November 23 An experiential women's creative group focusing on self-expression through collage, storytelling, movement, doll-making, beadwork and journaling. Jumpstart your creativity, overcome creative blocks, be inspired to complete projects and share your work with the world. Class Fee : $200. Wise Daughters Craft Market To register call 416-761-1555
7. Classes, Workshops and ConferencesContact Improvisation Dance Classes All Levels Welcome! Classes Will Explore: Suzanne will teach the technical partnering skills to enable efficient and effortless weight-sharing and lifts, along with exercises designed to access your emotions as inspiration for dancing. Classes will begin with a warm-up using skeletal movements, breath and partner work and will progress to weight-sharing and lifts while moving through space. Previous movement experience is an asset (ex. dance, martial arts, yoga, and/or physical theatre). Wear comfortable clothes. We will dance in bare feet. Suzanne Liska is a dance artist, teacher, and co-founder of Flight Works with Diana Groenendijk. Location: Class Series Price (before Sep 29): Regular: Drop-in Price: Registration: Mornings and Evenings of Deep Restoration One-time 3-hour workshops ~ Attend one date or more Give yourself the gift of deep relaxation with this three hour workshop that will leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed and restored. You will learn that deep relaxation is within your reach, and with continued practice, many of the techniques can be applied in everyday life to counterpoise the detrimental effects of stress and the often intense pace we keep. We will gently move through guided relaxations, simple and supported reclining yoga positions, and easy breathing exercises that together become a long guided meditation. The intent of this workshop is to be relaxing and enjoyable, and the class size is small allowing for personal attention. This workshop is suitable for absolute beginners, yet is beneficial to advanced practitioners alike. No previous experience with yoga or meditation is necessary. Because continued practice is optimal, you will receive a free CD with three guided relaxations ranging from 5 to 20 minutes to help you have a home practice should you wish to continue. Consider coming to the workshop with a friend, family member or partner, as it is a lovely way to spend quiet time together, and as with many things, continued practice is easier with a 'buddy.' Fall Dates: $55 per workshop Small class size Halcyon Health Yoga for Round Bodies Saturdays | 10:00am to 11:45am This introductory yoga series is offered specifically with the round body in mind. In this class, not only will you have the opportunity to explore yoga in a way that suits your constitution/anatomy best, you will also be able to practice and explore in a comfortable, non-competitive environment in a small group, at a cozy private studio. Classes will include restoration (deep relaxation) practices, gentle yoga and mindful movement. Absolute beginners welcome along with any other "level." Any size is welcome. This exploration is not about how big or not big, nor how advanced or not advanced, how flexible, nor how strong. Nor is it about weight loss. It is an opportunity to come and begin from where you are, to move your body and quiet your mind in a comfortable, supportive environment. These classes are intended for beginners and do not include vigorous practices. However, if you have done yoga, this class includes a significant amount of restorative practice--of benefit to anyone--and foundational principles that can be applied to any level of practice. Class size is small enough to accommodate modifications and individual attention. The 1hr-45 minute class length allows extra time to be spent in relaxation/restoration practice, as stress is a challenge faced by most, so you will also learn simple tools in this series that can be practiced in day-to-day life to counterpoise stress and its effects. Details: at Halcyon Health (Dupont & Christie) Registration required Questions? For registration and more info see Instructor: Tiina Veer BA RMT Tiina is passionate about making yoga and related practices accessible "to the rest of us" in a non-competitive and supportive environment. Inspired by her own journey with yoga and other self-care practices — including her own challenges and obstacles to regular practice — and informed by 12 years practicing massage therapy, Tiina brings a gentle, non-dogmatic approach to all of her offerings, understanding that we need to begin from where we are right now, wherever that is, and that it is often necessary to begin by un-doing rather than "doing."
8. Support Local Business! - Wise Daughters Craft MarketIf you haven’t been to Wise Daughters, you must go there right away. It’s run by the lovely Mary Breen and the work of local artists and designers. The stuff that she has is unique and fun and I think there’s something for everyone. The other thing that I appreciate about this new space is that Mary has a ton of classes coming up that look awesome. Here is a partial list! Check it out!
For the grown-ups Sun, Sept 27, 1:00 – 3:30 Sun, Oct 4, 1:00 – 4:00 Sun, Oct 18, 1:00 – 4:00 Mon, Oct 19, 7:00 – 9:30 Sun, Oct 25, 11:30 – 3:30 Tues, Oct 27, 7:30 – 9:30 Mondays, Nov 2 – 23, 6:30 – 9:30 Sat, Nov 28, 1:00 – 4:00 For the kids Tuesdays starting Sept 22 Saturdays starting Oct 3, 10:00 – 12:00 Saturdays starting Oct 3, 1:00 – 3:00 Please call 416-761-1555 to pre-register. Wise Daughters Craft Market
9. Calls for EntriesInterrarium January 24, 2010 to February 7, 2010 Interrarium is a multi-disciplinary platform for contemporary performance that explores and reveals creative process related to dance, theatre, new media, music and hybrid forms of performance. Interarrium provides essential tools for everyone in arts and culture who creates, collaborates and produces across creative borders. Participants are challenged to actively engage with creative risk-taking through moments of questioning, tension and exploration. Facilitators for 2010 are William Yang and Linda Gaudreau with our third facilitator to be confirmed. For more info and application please see www.springboardperformance.ca Call for Submissions from Artists and Curators Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography Deadline: September 30, 2009 Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography is a non-profit artist-run centre committed to the advancement of photographic art. We encourage the submission of exhibition proposals from emerging, mid-career and established artists who are innovative in their use of materials and approach to subject matter. Gallery 44 welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other arts and community organizations. Please contact us to discuss your project. For more info contact the CHOREOGRAPHIC MARATHON© For Established and Emerging Dance Artists Question 1: How long is a marathon? 26.2 miles • Question 2: How long is the choreographic marathon? 26.2 hours • Question 3: Why? To learn the Art of the Possible in a shared community pulling each other along not because it’s easy, but because it is hard, going deep inside yourself and drawing on inner creativity and strength that you might have never known even existed. 2009 EDITION : December 12, 13, 2009 Toronto Canada A weekend of development, feedback, mentoring and a production of the work at the end of it all. More information, Proposal criteria and applications at Work within your own creative process. Break blocks. Move work forward. Build creative stamina. Hit the wall and find out what is at the other side. Come with material to test, twist, develop, cut, reflect, refashion, reason, rescue and refine. Share feedback and take it immediately back into the studio. Wrestle with angels. Play with demons. End with a work unlike anything else you’ve created or performed before. Across Oceans Maxine Heppner will mentor 4 groups of choreographers and their dancers over 26.2 hours of creative flow, discovery, creation and performance. Jessica Runge and Takako Segawa will assist as coaches. Submission Deadline October 15, 2009
10. Upcoming Performances of InterestSeptember 13 September 15 September 16 September 17 September 23 to September 25 September 23 September 26 to November 1 September 27 September 30 11. Photography by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
Dave specializes in macro and live event photography.
12. Last ThoughtHe who goes with wolves learns to howl. |
