Last Sunday July 11 the GAPACC artists were demonstrating :

Abbey Allen in paintings, Helen Jones in wood carving, Nancy Stevens in people drawing, Felicity Redgrave in animal drawing, Bruce Campbell in canvas painting, Larche artists in papermaking, Michel de Noncourt in sculpture, Greg Melchin and his brother in a drumming workshop and Ann Comozzi in silk painting.

This is the first time ever that GAPACC artists have been formally invited to participate actively at an Highland Games cultural event. The invitation was brought to GAPACC by Ann Marie MacKenzie Secretary of the Games.

Thank you to the artists who took time to not only be present but to engage in demonstrating and asking participation from the visitors.

Art reaching the community at the ground level as our GAPACC mandate.

Thank you specially to Tila Kellman who coordinated this GAPACC  Exhibition Committee event. Let’s all be back next year !

GAPACC and the Gathering of the Arts are pleased to present a number of workshops for people of all ages!

Riding with the Romans: Classical Sculpture

Wednesday, July 7^th, 1.00pm, St. James United Church

In this session Fenn Martin will be leading a presentation on how to sculpt figures in clay. In this participatory group project, we will create an action packed adventure scene, and mount it for display. Time to dig in, get your hands dirty and create your favourite heroes in clay! All clay and tools provided.  All ages welcome!

The Art of Calligraphy: Japanese-style Ink-Brush Painting

Saturday, July 10^th, 1.30pm, St. James United Church

Local artist and professional designer Ruth Young will provide an introduction to Japanese-style ink-brush painting. Come learn and participate in this introduction to an ancient and sophisticated art form! Materials provided on site. Ages 8 and up.

Groove Workshop: Hand drumming

Sunday, July 11^th, 1.00pm, Columbus Field

Professional drummer Brendan Melchin will introduce concepts of rhythm and “groove” to young people while developing basic hand drum technique. No prior musical experience is necessary, and hand drums will be provided at the workshop.

The Camera Eye: Photography

Wednesday, July 14^th, 10.00am, St. James United Church

Cara Jones of Intuitive Eye Productions (www.carajones.ca) will host a workshop on techniques of artistic photography. Get an introduction to the techniques used by professional photographers! Don’t forget to bring a camera!

Landscapes/Streetscapes: Watercolour

Wednesday, July 14^th, 2.00pm, St. James United Church

Local artist Felicity Redgrave will help participants develop their watercolour technique. Participants are encouraged to bring a photograph of their choice for painting. Watercolour supplies provided.

For all workshops, pre-registration is not necessary – just show up before the event! There is a $5 registration fee for all workshops. For more information, call 867-2172 or e-mail Greg Melchin at gmelchin@stfx.ca

Dear GAPACC members,                                    June 25 , 2010

Our 2010 AGM on Tuesday June 22 was very successful and well attended. Annual Chair reports were presented for acceptation and discussion by our eight different standing committees.

We presented a well structured 2010-2012 Strategic Plan for consideration to the members present. The explanation was followed by a question period.

One of the main activity of the evening was the presentation of a resolution to modify the GAPACC by-laws that read as such :

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

In principle,  the name of the Society is Antigonish Culture Alive Association.

The objects of the Society are :

a)   To serve the artistic and cultural interests of the people in the Antigonish area.

b)  To offer programs and services for the education and training in, and appreciation of, the arts and culture for people in the Antigonish area.The vote was unanimous for the name change and the objectives.

The mandate of the Antigonish Culture alive (ACA) will now refer mostly to the surrounding Antigonish area.

It had become more and more difficult to meet our previous mandate to cover the three counties of Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough area.We will still be active in Pictou and Guysborough but the Board focus and agenda will reflect more the local Antigonish area needs.

Michel de Noncourt

Chair

Antigonish Culture alive

I want to take this occasion to invite all GAPACC members to attend the Annual General Meeting happening Tuesday evening June 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the St FX Art Gallery. On this occasion the Board will be looking to rename our organization to more accurately reflect our mandate in the area. We are also looking at acquiring Charitable Status in order to facilitate our fund raising and there will be a discussion on a proposal for a new  strategic plan.

Please become a GAPACC member by signing up a membership form at www.gapacc.ns.ca and be a part of a new cultural revival in our community.

Michel de Noncourt

GAPACC Chair

Celebrate the shortest night of the year by watching cosmic fire play on the wall of the Antigonish Professional Building between the CIBC and St James United Church. Don’t miss a fired-up eclipse of the moon, shadow play between beanstalks and apple branches, a comet and other wondrous sights. Be prepared for wonder and laughs.

It’s free!  Just come to the parking lot or sidewalks in front of the Antigonish Professional Building, June 21st, Starting around 9:30pm.

For further information, contact Tila Kellman, 867-1852, or kellman@seasidehighspeed.com.

This outdoor event will feature a motley collection of video and photography stills as well as documentation of Time-based pieces. It aspires to be a bizarre amalgamation of the spiritual, the assinine, the celebration and the fire. There will be one video series relating to the archaic kabuki theatre, as well one piece harkening to the ritualistic primordial burning of  “Old Hay”

This one night project is under the guidance of Dr. Kellman, prominent local art critic and Contemporary Art teacher at St. Fx; she commented, “Tiger Tiger Burning bright”. One of the participants Helen Jones-Cockburn replied to this cryptic statement with  “Burn baby burn, When am I gonna get my turn?”

The Guysborough Antigonish Pictou County Arts Council (GAPACC) supports local artists in all creative media. One GAPACC initiative, Culture Alive!, has supported GAPACC members’ book and musical recording launches, exhibits, concerts, film screenings and other public events since 1999. In an attempt to reach out to all local artists, GAPACC expanded the reach of Culture Alive! in 2009 to offer support to non-GAPACC members via the Emerging Artist Series. Read more to find the Culture Alive Application form.

Like Culture Alive!, the Emerging Artist Series offers organizational and financial support to musicians, performing artists, writers, visual artists of all media, and all other creators based in the Guysborough, Antigonish and Pictou County region. Last year Culture Alive! sponsored a book launch by local author Pam MacLean; a concert with Tanya Davis and the Smokin’ Contra Band in collaboration with Nicholas Johnson; an exhibit reception for potter Teresa Dunnigan; a film screening by Director Tim Wilson, in collaboration with Tiiu Poder and the Antigonish Palliative Care Society; and continued sponsorship of films for the Antigonish International Film Festival.

GAPACC recognizes the tremendous artistic talent in the region and wants local artists to recognize GAPACC’s eagerness to support them. So that they might learn firsthand the benefits of belonging to an Arts Council, the Emerging Artist Series also provides successful applicants with a one-year membership to GAPACC. Molly Thomason was the first recipient of the Emerging Artist sponsorship for her CD launch in 2009.

Applicants are requested to provide a minimum of two weeks notice prior to their event. A GAPACC board member will be present at all Culture Alive! and Emerging Artist Series events. GAPACC wishes to stress that the Emerging Artist Series is only awarded once per individual applicant.

GAPACC encourages interested parties to complete an Emerging Artist Series application form. The application form is easy and quick to complete.

Click here to download an application form.

Sarah O’Toole

Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council (GAPACC) is pleased to announce the thirteenth annual Gathering of the Arts (GoArts)! The exhibition is open to artists working in all media. All pieces must be new submissions to the Gathering of the Arts. A jury of peers from the Nova Scotia arts community will select the works to be exhibited. The decisions of the jurors are final. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, June 9th.

SUBMISSIONS

Applicants may submit up to five 35mm slides, color photographs, or .jpg files saved to CD (300dpi resolution, 5”x7” size).  No actual art work will be accepted for the application process. The title, medium, size and artist’s name must be attached to the slide or photograph. Place a red dot in the lower left-hand corner for correct slide viewing. CDs must be labeled with the artist’s name, and digital .jpg files must be numbered to correspond with the submission information given on the entry form. E-mailed submissions will not be accepted. Submission material will be returned to artists following completion of the jury process. Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of slides, photos and CDs. A completed entry form and applicable fees must accompany submissions.

FEES

Applicants must join or be current members of GAPACC to participate. Membership in GAPACC is open to all interested artists and is not limited to residents of Guysborough, Antigonish or Pictou Counties. If your 2010 membership in GAPACC is current, then please enclose payment for the $15 entry fee. If your membership is due, or you are joining GAPACC for the first time, please enclose payment for $20 membership and $15 entry fee ($35) and a completed membership application form. Payment is by cheque or money order. Completed application package with CV must be postmarked no later than Fri June 4, 2010 and mailed to GAPACC, PO Box 1175, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2L6.

RESTRICTIONS

A maximum of five pieces may be accepted based on jurors’ recommendations. Works that are larger than 48”x 84”, or that are fragile or difficult to install and transport cannot be accepted.  All works must be for sale.  Work must be ready to hang or display.  For transport art work must be packaged with folded cardboard wrapped in each direction and marked with artist’s name and artwork title on the outside.  If these conditions are not fulfilled at the time of delivery, art work will not be included in the exhibition.

TRANSPORT

Initial delivery of art work to the Antigonish location, and final pick-up after the exhibition is over, is the responsibility of the artist. More details on where to deliver accepted art work will be forthcoming when the juried submissions are returned to you. At the end of the show, art work can be picked up at the venue in Antigonish, July 19^th and July 18th.

SECURITY

All exhibition venues are secure, and attendants will be present during open hours.  Art works will be insured for 67% of listed selling price for the duration of the exhibition.

CATALOGUE & PUBLICITY

Exhibiting artists will be listed in the Official Program. Participants are asked to submit a CV or brief biography with their application.  Artist statements and any contact information for display may be submitted with delivery of art work.  GoArts will be publicized through radio, newspapers, flyers, tourist publications, GAPACC broadcast email, and the GAPACC web site.

SALES

GAPACC will handle all sales and will charge 33% commission. GAPACC will issue artists a cheque for their sales at the conclusion of the show. Artists are responsible for negotiating further commissions with their dealers if they are represented.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GATHERING OF THE ARTS SUBMISSION FORM

For more info e-mail info@gapacc.ns.ca

Bette & Wallet Minstrels Extraordinaire

Joy Hanley’s community is rallying together once again to provide the support both spiritually and financially that she needs while waiting in hospital in Halifax for a liver transplant. Bette & Wallet will perform a fundraising concert May 30th at 2pm at the Georgeville Church, Antigonish County.

Joy hails from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, and has been an active professional in the business community for most of her adult life. Until her illness intervened, Joy was also the Director for the StFX Co-op Program and helped to raise awareness about the program both inside and outside the academic world.

Joy suffers from “Primary Biliary Cirrhosis”, a chronic disease, that causes the bile ducts in the liver to become inflamed and damaged and ultimately, disappear. She was diagnosed 17 years ago and because of a healthy lifestyle has been able to lead a productive life — but “TIME IS UP”! Her liver is shutting down and she needs a liver transplant and is currently waiting on the “transplant list”. “More than 4,000 Canadians are waiting for an organ transplant to save their lives. Last year, only 1,803 transplants were performed. Many patients remain on waiting lists. Unfortunately, 195 Canadians died while waiting for an organ transplant”. http://www.transplant.ca/pubinfo_orgtiss.htm

All proceeds from this concert will go to the Joy Hanley Trust.

Visit bette-wallet.com for more info…

Individuals between the ages of 8 – 18 are invited to submit up to 2 pieces of work, in any medium, to be displayed during the annual Gathering of the Arts exhibition

Work will be exhibited during the Gathering of the Arts (July 5th to 17th) in Antigonish.  This is a great chance for local students interested in art of any medium to gain exposure and experience exhibiting at a well attended art exhibit.

One submission will be chosen to become the visual identity for the Gathering of the Arts.  The artist will receive a cash award for the use of their image. Read More to find the Youth Art Submission Form…

Gathering of the Arts is a project of the Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council (GAPACC).

We look forward to seeing the works of our future artists!! See you there!!

Click here to download the Submission Form

Nick and Tila goof off at the Easting Bread & Honey.

The enthusiastic crowds were spilling out on to the sidewalks in front of The Tall & Small Café and Easting Bread & Honey Bakery on Main Street on the evening of May 3, buzzing about the exhibitions by Reuben Irons, John Levangie,  and Ron Hines at the T & S, and Nicholas Johnson at the Bakery.

John Levangie with friendly face.

Reuben showed heavy metal in forged iron sculpture, counterbalanced by John’s graceful, even sensuous designs in welded iron rods.  Nick Johnson, at the Bakery, lit up the  space with colourful interpretations of Antigonish’s own power station at the corner of Hwy 7 and the TCH.

See More Images from this event in the Photo Gallery…