Jasper Culture Days 2014

Five years and going strong.  So many ways to bring community together through art.

Starting in early September a partnership with Arts Jasper (celebrating 42 years of bringing art to Jasper stages!) brought some amazing musicians to town.  Christine Hanson, Bruce MacGregor and Andrew Hillhouse filled the Legion for an evening of celtic music, tales and even had some folks up dancing.  Bruce, on the left, Christine in the middle are not strangers to Jasper.  And in the fall of 2015 Christine will return to present her composition commissioned by Arts Jasper to honour the life of Edith Cavell.

Bruce is always full of tales, with a Scottish accent!

With Culture Days only a few weeks in the future and the volunteer room filling with programs and Culture Days swag and white board calendars being edited on a regular basis…we saw the second lead up event come together out at Pine Bungalows.  Fitting place for a Film Festival fundraiser.  Pine Bungalows owner, Mike Wasuita, has been a supporter of Alberta Film and filmmaking for years.  As an IATSE member he has offered up the Bungalows as a base for all kinds of productions.

The Karvonen family are also no strangers to Jasper.  And what better place to show a documentary on Albert Karvonen made by his daughter Ava than in one of the wilderness locations that inspired his work.  Albert often visited Jasper National Park to film.

Screening the documentary on Albert produced by Ava Karvonen at Pine Bungalows.

Any evening at Pine Bungalows is a treat and this one did not disappoint.  In attendance for this Jasper Short Film Festival fundraiser was Peter Wunstorf to the left of the easel above.  Peter created a short called ‘Patiences’ that was selected for the Festival.

Alberta has no end to great talents and Jasper has connections for many.  It is unfortunate that Culture Days is only a weekend long…so we cheat.  It’s difficult to get artists to come to Jasper when the entire country is celebrating Culture Days!  For that reason we called on Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail to come do a writing workshop through the Library before Culture Days weekend!

Danielle grew up in a family with a passion for aviation – and she just released her newest book ‘Polar Winds’ on flying in the North.  She did a book signing at the Snowdome Coffee Bar and then a free workshop for a room full of inquisitive writers and wanna-be writers!

And then the countdown was on…less than 7 days to Culture Days…

Time for Marie Helene to bring life to some inanimate objects…the annual puppet making workshop is always a treat for all ages.

These creations were on display during the Community Fair on Culture Days weekend!

One of the key events to come from this weekend dedicated to art and culture…is the annual Raven’ About the Arts Awards.  An evening that has ranged from a black tie affair at The Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre to fabulous gatherings in the Jasper Artists Guild.  This year we had the opportunity to host the event at the Jasper Museum…surrounded by works from the Artists Guild in the Showcase Gallery.  The Guild did a Sketchers crawl on a fabulous fall afternoon and then the day evolved into the evenings awards.

Jasper has a wealth of heritage sites to sketch…and a sketchers crawl for Culture Days!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards were created by Urban Forest Pottery Studios – glass fused photography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And thanks to Jasper’s very own engravers…Lucia’s Gifts…we have some very nice plaques for the awards too! Thank you Vera Forabosco for doing these up for us!

An evening to honour those who inspire, create and share their art …

Watch how they express their work in their own words!

The Fitzhugh also did a very nice writeup of the evening… http://www.fitzhugh.ca/locals-celebrated-at-arts-awards/

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Close the doors on another Raven’ About the Arts Awards Friday night…and open the doors on Saturday morning for Jasper’s FIRST ‘madeforjasper’ Film Festival!!

Starting in April the call went out across as many channels as we could think of…other festivals, websites, friends…and over 35 submissions came into the Film Fest office.  From all over Canada, Quebec, Manitoba, BC…and even one from LA!  Documentaries, dramatic shorts, animation…from nature to comedy…over 14 hours of programs.  And the selection committee watched them all, sometimes twice.  We have a fantastic small town theatre, the Chaba Theatre, that was opened to us to use for one day…6 hours…a big screen!

Having the films, the theatre and even banners on the street were all good…but what about an audience!?  Being the first ever short film fest in Jasper, on a beautiful sunny fall day…lets just say lots of fingers were crossed.  And it worked!  Thank you Jasper and all the filmmakers who came from away…thanks to the volunteers who kept the tight screening schedule tight.

Toddske, from Fort Mac…got away before the day ended…interestingly he was involved in the short Ninjavention.  Coincidence?

Peoples Choice was chosen by ballot during the day, second choice was Ancestors Calling…and third place was shared by Exquisite Taste and Through Ice and Time.  All of the award winning films and runners up for Peoples Choice will be collated into a BEST OF THE JASPER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL program to travel the region as a fundraiser!

And of course…what is a film festival without the chance to meet the filmmakers and have some fun…dance…

One of the more famous actors to grace Jasper soil…Marilyn made an appearance!

Chad Krayenhoff of Jasper’s blues fusion dance group brought some life to the floor…what better way to get a room of strangers mingling?

And who better to play blues for blues dancers than Jasper’s own Brian Lackey…who was this years award winner for music at the Raven’ About the Arts Awards!

 

 

 

 

 

Mingling at the Jasper Inn!

 

Who knew magic was so much fun!

Sometimes things can get out of hand…but no filmmaker was harmed in the making of Culture Days!

Daniel Foreman of Groove Soldier Productions…obviously making new friends!

Saturday also meant street performers!  This year we found a young man – Ryan Lackey – who we like to think brought the MAGIC to Culture Days!

If you ever need a little magic for your event…give this guy a call!!

And on the other side of the street!!  Stephen Nelson entertained at the SnowDome Coffee Bar.  (Stephen also takes a lot of the photos we use for Culture Days archives…a couple of years in a row now!)

Sunshine, coffee and music…gotta love Jasper in the fall.

We like to bring the season into the weekend if we can…and scarecrows just seem to be the thing to do for a workshop, to decorate and to entertain!

 

 

 

 

 

A workshop midday by Ann Hoffele was supposed to be for kids…but it soon became apparent that kids in Jasper have no age!   (Ann also offers weekly workshops in all kinds of crafts…ask us about them arts@iotad dot ca)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isara arrived in Jasper last week…on time to join the weekend! She sang at the Raven’ About the Arts Awards. Thanks Isara!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hula Hoops and Drums rounded out the workshop offerings (excuse the pun)!  Matricia Brown shared her love of song and drumming.  Shawna Woelke shared her passion for movement with whoever was brave enough to pick one up!  (Shawna is also this years award winner for dance for her amazing choreography on the hoop.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sundog Tours let us put up the Astrodome so Jasper could get excited about the Dark Sky Festival that is just weeks away!  A lot of Jasper residents didnt even know we had a DOME!  Jasper has a lot of well kept secrets 🙂  but now that over 40 people got to get inside this amazing attraction…the word will get around!  Thanks Sundog!

The Dome was nominated this year for a TIAC (Tourism Association of Canada) award.  It is the only dome (we know of) that has taken the songs and drumming of a Cree storyteller and put that audio track to the visuals of the night sky.  Good Luck Matricia Brown and Sundog Tours and Delphinus 18 Productions – lets bring TIAC notoriety back to Jasper again!  (Delphinus 18’s parent AV production office was a finalist for a TIAC Globe and Mail award in 2008)

And so we come to the end of the weekend…to the most anticipated event of the weekend…the one that started when a young potter told us about an annual fundraiser at her college.  Julie McMath inspired the BOWLS WITH SOUL weekend in 2010.  Simply set out handmade bowls, people choose the one that they like, fill it with soup and keep the bowl for a modest fee to support the arts.  It has been 4 years now…and while Julie and her bowls are temporarily not available (rumoured to be around for 2015!) the artist was chosen for 2014, the bowls were picked up at the Connie Pike Studio in High River Alberta…and soup was had!

In 2012 we took the idea one stop higher and have the public vote on their favourite soup of the night.  The soups are marked with ingredients only…so its fair.  2012 and 2013 saw Mountain Park Lodges’ Riley Black take the Golden Ladle award…two years in a row.  The challenge for 2014 was not only to make great soup…but to unseat Jasper’s two time winner Riley Black.

As the soup was warming I asked Clayton Anderson what the chances were of someone new taking the Golden Ladle from Riley.  Clayton thought it was likely as Riley had made a humble tomato soup.  Well…it was a very good tomato soup…with chorizo meatballs…and again – third year in a row the community chose Riley Black!

Arts Jasper always there to help keep order!

Decisions Decisions…what the heck…take one of each!

Aw…someone brought a bowl from a past year…Julie McMath will always be part of Bowls with Soul!

The man who makes Bowls with Soul a wonderfully smooth running event! Clayton Anderson! And thanks Kaitie Worobec too…couldnt have done it without you!

Soup, scarecrows, music, dance, films, hula hoops, drumming, writing workshop, book signing, Scottish music, an Astrodome, awards, new and old friends, puppets, street performers, Marilyn Monroe!  I think that’s it!

We will post MORE photos on our Flickr site, and of course follow us at the JASPER COMMUNITY HABITAT FOR THE ARTS and THE JASPER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL on facebook to see what’s going on next!  Arts Jasper and the Jasper Artists Guild, the Library and the Museum have facebook pages too!

 

If I forgot someone…apologies…we can always add as the memories flow in!

 

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward!

Yes…I know.  Its an old cliche that usually reads one step forward, two steps back…usually meant for the times when what you are trying to accomplish just seems to be out of reach.

Yes…its true…the new Cultural Spaces building is still under construction…and we have had to cancel shows, re-budget events, decline funds and break some hearts (ours usually) BUT 2014 just keeps getting better.

This years Culture Days funding has come through.  Great stuff coming up…puppet workshops, harvest dancing, Raven’ About the Arts Awards, A FILM FESTIVAL!! and the ever popular Bowls with Soul! (Check out this year’s potter for bowls with soul!  Connie Pike!  http://www.pikestudios.com/Pike_Studios/Dinnerware.html )

Check out her glaze names…Earth Spirit, Morning Mist, Maple Syrup and Alberta Gold!

Last years theme was that of ‘Gypsy’ as we were homeless…this year we are still homeless, but, kinda likin’ it!

Where to start with an update…I hope you are one of our facebook followers as that is a daily way to watch what’s going on.  (on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jasper-Community-Habitat-for-the-Arts/187132354657836?ref=hl )

If not, here’s the low down:

The Jasper Short Film and Media Arts Festival

Jasper’s first ‘made for Jasper’ Film Festival.  Submissions are open now through to August 15. Details on how to submit, application form and rules are at http://www.jasperfilmfestival.com . BIG thanks to Alberta Culture for the Culture Days funding…no application fee THIS YEAR!  We have three awards…emerging, established and peoples choice films.  Prizes are pretty FREAKING AWESOME!!  A weekend in Banff during their world famous (we are never sure if we should be jealous of Banff’s great film festival or thrilled that such a great event is only 4 hours away!!  Lets go with thrilled!)…so where was I…oh yes…A NIGHT at the Fairmont Banff Springs and a day pass to the Banff Film Festival!  Get your films submitted!!  And please…consider coming to Jasper for the day of…both the Mountain Park Lodges and Best Western have allocated some rooms for discounts that weekend…ask us for details!  arts@iotad.ca

On Saturday Sept 27th a full day of films with run at the Chaba Theatre in Jasper.

The day will start with a Premiere showing of ANCESTORS CALLING from our neighbours to the north who have a great history of publications including films and books!

For media art lovers we will have Gary James Joynes in Jasper presenting PEREGRINATION.  A live cinema work reflecting on the nature of sound and its visual and material nature. A meditation on Joynes’ visual experimentation using historical scientific instruments and anachronistic musical technology. PEREGRINATION combines compositional sound elements and improvisational use of recorded footage of live play of the wavedriver machinery he uses to create in the studio.

Gary James Joynes, also known by his performing moniker Clinker, has been active in the electronic and experimental music performance community for years. He has more recently embarked on a broader artistic exploration using his analog synthesizers and custom made machines to create visual sound as photograph/drawing/sculpture hybrids along with immersive and unending installation environments for reflection and a deep listening experience.

https://vimeo.com/62593278

The day will be followed by an evening at the Best Western Jasper Inn and Suites with an industry and filmmaker meetup with guests from the industry as well as entertainment.

AND to help fund all this we have a raffle ongoing in Jasper…tickets at the Fitzhugh office and the Video Stop. A dinner for 4 at Syrah’s Jasper…a dinner you cannot buy as Chef Munn will be creating a special menu for the lucky winners!  And executive seating and swag at the Festival…

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Arising from the Film Festival news Jasper’s Laura Campbell has taken her concept of collecting ‘Jasper Stories’ one step higher.  The idea was that – for the 50th anniversary of Jasper’s Marmot Basin and Jasper Skytram – stories by the folks that made those places possible would be collected for fun and heritage.  Well…anything fun will eventually lead to a film!

JASPER STORIES has evolved into a proposed series of visual storytellers/storytelling.  Details are on line at http://www.jasperstories.com.  Check it out…and its crowd sourcing project page at Indiegogo.  There are some great perks…just for supporting a great idea!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jasper-stories-from-the-mountains

First one in the series is about the two celebrating their 50th anniversaries…the people behind the origins of Marmot and Skytram…but the next one might be about biking in Jasper or hiking or ???  Who doesnt love a good yarn!?

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So

Yes…we have had some set backs…but we sure dont have time to worry about them!

OH Yes…yesterday we received some serious green light funds for this fabulous project!!  CHECK OUT our ARTOGRAPHY page to see what else we are up!  If you are an Alberta artist…let’s chat!

https://artshabculturelabs.wordpress.com/alberta-artography/

See ya soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Now What

It looks good.  It has been designed to look good.  The floors are perfect for cleaning up after busy workshops…

The patch bays between rooms for tech hookups and communications are done.  The sound proofing in the music room is done…

The industrial plugin is in for the kilns.  The plumbing for the big sinks for washing up is installed…

Now what?

For those of you who have been following this exciting developing cultural spaces building…what now…not much.  Apparently nothing done well is done quickly.  And that statement is not applicable to this building in any way.  There have been some flaws, a few errors in construction.

We get disheartened.  Just this week we had to tell an artist her exhibit planned in 2013 for August 2014 would not be possible.  Heartbreaking news for any artist…and family that have planned time in the Rockies to celebrate the completion and exhibition of a new body of work.

The process of dreaming up a cultural space and programs for engaging as many people as we can is unshakable though.  As we stand in the incomplete facility we can almost hear the chatter and music that will happen there soon.

The studio space for independent study or resident instructors sits eerily quiet for now…but we can almost hear the guitar lessons – we can almost envision the author pulling the doors closed so they can work in solitude on their writing.

So while the tarps blowing in the wind may be the only sound at the end of the day still…we dream.  Because without out dreams we would be looking for a certain building contractor to hang in the elevator shaft!  KIDDING

As the sign says that is hanging over our desk… ‘Another failure!  Success is imminent!’

See ya soon in this amazing space.

 

Khalil Gibran

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_dreams.html#0PdJGUeWAbE4fFdS.99

 

O manusha khelevan tut

The people make you dance.  (Romani/Gypsy – Said if a place is nice.)

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Wow.  The last post was all about the stuff we were going to do for Culture Days.  And here we are – two months later…ready to tell you the stories of a festival well lived!!

Our theme for 2013’s Culture Days was that of ‘homelessness’ or more romantically…that of being a gypsy!  (we eagerly await – still – the opening of Jasper’s new cultural spaces building) BUT the arts are never really homeless…instead we will think of them as subject to movement, colour, sound and entertainment, like a gypsy caravan!

Marie Helene took the lead again this year with a workshop in puppet making.  Some puppets went on to perform on the street during our day of Street Art…and even welcomed folks to the Raven’ About the Arts Awards night.

Every year, actually every time there are events for community to gather, we try to create interesting events that will entice all ages.  Well, this year we thought that, rather than having the Harvest Dance at the community hall and then go pickup our amazing seniors, why not host the Culture Days Harvest Dance at the seniors lodge and have them invite the community to join in!  And what would a Harvest ‘anything’ be without scarecrows.

Our second year of building scarecrows grew substantially…and the voting was done at the Dance for the scariest, the most recycled and of course…the Jasperiest!

Music was presented by the lovely Ms Monika Schaefer and two fabulous musicians from Tight Squeeze.  The evening opened with The Jasper Dance Program dancers…followed by great food, music, family, dancing…it was quite a party!  (actually we had a hard time shutting this evening down!  They could have danced all night!)

Scarecrows had three categories…Jasper the Bear (now one of our senior community!) awarded Ursula for the Jasperiest scarecrow.

Awards were from Jasper’s artistic community, this image by Judy Gieselman was met with great enthusiasm!

And of course – the Culture Days swag was a big hit!

The week of Culture Days was shared with the schools…they not only designed a few of their own scarecrows – they added to their rock garden and hosted an art exhibition.

Culture Days offers us an opportunity to celebrate all things art…to invite all ages to play, to create as many ways to engage with the public as possible.  So what would a weekend of art be without buskers!!!  Art in the streets…

And while downtown enjoying the sights and sounds of Jasper artists…there was also the opportunity to stop into the Chaba Theatre to take in two French Films, one for the kids and one the big kids!  Les Jour de Courneilles and Les Gamins…thanks to our new partnership with the Alberta Media Arts Alliance and cInaMAGINE Lethbridge!

As we move closer to moving into the new Jasper Cultural Building we are making new partnerships…the new building will hold the Library, the Jasper Artists Guild, L’ACFA’s French Library and the of course…the Habitat for the Arts.

With Saturday afternoon winding down we headed over to the Legion to setup for the annual Raven’ About the Arts Awards!

As folks arrive they are greeted by an unexpected host!  Marie Helene and her puppet characters…

Alan Butler accepts the evenings program…one of two presentations he will be part of this evening.  Alan did receive an arts award for Fine Arts this year.  You can find Alan’s work at the Jasper Artists Guild!

The Raven’ About the Arts Awards is one of Jasper’s key Culture Days events!  Jeremy Derksen was our MC for the evening, Mayor Ireland recited some of his own poetry, the Library’s poet in residence Shirley Serviss graced the stage as well.

See end of story for the poem written just for the awards by Mayor Ireland!

This year’s awards were created by Enzien and Christian of Urban Pottery Designs.  They work in fused glass as well…and just happen to take lots of photographs of the ravens on Chip Lake…making for amazing awards.

Foods were presented by Elizabeth Prinz…a great evening of recognizing all the great art and artists in our community!

Patron of the Year award went to Wayne Kennedy for his amazing community connecting he does for all the orgs in town…making sure we all know what is going on.  He had an important message for us all…regardless of all this social media – we still need to get out and communicate to our neighbours one on one about what we are doing!  Well said!

Check out these artists, eloquently sharing their love of their art… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yf7LA5hnEE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUYc2gpkTFYDws_glNif07pA

Entertainment for the evening – besides our noted poets – was piano by Alys Thomas and guitar by Edwin Richards.

Night Two of Culture Days concluded…on to SOUP FOR THE SOUL!!

This event began 4 years ago when Julie McMath told us about an event from her days at college in Nova Scotia…the ceramics students would create bowls for an event…they would be filled with soup and you kept the bowl.  How absolutely perfect for Culture Days.  She had several students from Dish Pottery School help her create the 100+ bowls that we would need for the night.

In 2013 we changed it up a bit…as Julie has moved out of town – and until our own pottery school is in place – we now call the event SOUP for the Soul…we find misc bowls…you come for the soup which is provided by restaurants in town.  Soups are voted on…and the community awards the soup maker with the most votes the annual GOLDEN LADLE award.  This lovely mini chef is about 2 inches tall, created by Tracy Templeton for us.

If you think soup is a ‘so so’ meal…you will have to come out next year!  Purple cauliflower, boar chorizo, all kinds of veggies and curries and cream and colours.  And yes, our servers were dressed in gypsy attire. The theme this year was ‘homelessness’ – as we await our new building we are ‘gypsies’!  The music on the stage was even gypsy themed as Cam Neufeld and friends treated us to excerpts from the ‘Road to Django’ show.

This event would never be as smooth and successful as it is if it were not for Clayton Anderson and his team at Mountain Park Lodges!

Success!  Another great year of music, food, friends and art.

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And the poem!  By Jasper’s very own Mayor Ireland!

Yes. We can!

One thing we have learned about running a three week arts ‘festival’…there is no such thing as NO we can’t.  It’s yes time.  All things are possible…all things are subject to change – but there is no NO.

Let’s start with the annual Raven about the Arts Awards.

This year’s funding was a bit less than expected and at least four of our hard core volunteers (and when you have four hard core volunteers you really have eight volunteers!) were going on vacation, a couple had work related issues and some had even moved on to new horizons.  The remaining crew took over the gaps, filled them in or the event was simply changed to work with what we had.  The doors opened, the MC welcomed the full room of artists and art lovers and the night went off without a hitch.

The photos are up on our Flickr site… http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertaartspeak/sets/72157631795067324/

And there is a youtube video where the award winners tell you about their art in their own words.

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The awards night was followed by the third Artists in the Pines weekend with instructor Tessa Nunn.  Sunday afternoon music provided by the Artists Guild with guests The Fiddle River Band.

Visits with the Alberta Minister of Culture and Premier Redford…

Tours through the new cultural spaces…scarecrow building, puppet making, dragon drawing!!  (you really have to check out the photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertaartspeak/sets/72157631630950375/

Wrap that up in a Variety Show of Jasper talent, a community coming together for soup…a photo workshop in the most beautiful time of the year…

So while volunteers can fall victim to jobs…or vacations…Jasperites just seem to be able to bring it together through all kinds of circumstances!

Like the awesome theatre troupe that brought Jasper two nights of live theatre this month.  We heard some back stage jitters about minor nervous stage stumbles or bumbles but unless you had written the script – it was perfect!  Congrats Jasper Theatre Company!

More pictures on Flickr @  http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertaartspeak/sets/72157631795054762/

And in case you are wondering…throughout the photos you can catch our painted skulls and South American theme…well…its 2012.  Yes, it is a year of change.  Jasper’s arts community is getting a brand new building for 2013.  In early 2011 the Municipality of Jasper invited both the Habitat for the Arts and the Jasper Artists Guild to be part of the new Library/Cultural Building presently under construction.   Definitely a time of change!  Culture Days and Arts with Altitude 2013 will be bigger and better with the new dedicated artspaces!

SO

THANKS JASPER.
On to the Yellowhead Arts Festival Spring 2013!!  Another two weeks of art that YOU can be part of.  Ask us how!

jasper@yraf.com

Mayan year for change, scarecrows and looking for you!

Hard to believe that another year has passed and we are looking at the 4th annual Alberta Culture Days month of festivities in partnership with the ARTS WITH ALTITUDE Festival and Arts Jasper and Jasper Artists Guild and the Jasper Theatre Company and the Library…!!

The theme this year is CHANGE…its 2012 and the Mayan calendar is not the only ‘icon’ of change in Jasper!  The new cultural spaces the Municipality are building will mean a lot of change for the arts organizations and relationships for the future of Jasper arts and culture!

SO- lots to say and do…lets get to it!  (VOLUNTEERS…we need some photographers to make sure we capture all these events for history!)

SEPT 21    RAVEN ABOUT THE ARTS AWARDS, 7pm at the Jasper Artists Guild.  $5  (VOLUNTEER opportunities: door, hospitality, setup and takedown)

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SEPT 21    PRAIRIE TALES 14, 7pm in the Mandala Room at the Jasper Artists Guild.  $5, entrance to the Awards Night is entrance to the films.  The annual touring anthology of short films and videos made by Albertan media artists. Every year, Alberta’s filmmakers bring out a new batch of works from the shining lights of our province’s media arts scene and assemble them into a feature-length package for distribution across Alberta and beyond.  (VOLUNTEER opportunities: door, setup and takedown)

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SEPT 17-28    SCARECROW CONTEST, build a scarecrow in your neighbourhood, register it at jasperscarecrowfestival@gmailcom to win great prizes!
SEPT 25 and 27    PUPPET MAKING WORKSHOPS, $10 per night.  6:30-9:30pm both nights

SEPT 28    SCRIPT WRITING for puppetry, $10.  6:30-9:30pm

Take all three workshops for $20.

Register at jasperscarecrowfestival@gmail.com

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SEPT 28    The Best of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) will host a Three Part Series this Fall!

Part One : Bike Climb Paddle Run Fly : September 28
Part Two : Pipelines and Playgrounds : October 26
Part Three : Stoked on Snow : November 23

Tickets:
$14 in Advance at the Jasper Legion (after September 10)
$16 at the Door

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SEPT 29   A WALKABOUT with heritage character MONA MATHESON…learn a bit about Jasper heritage and then drop by the Library for storytelling and a writers afternoon!!

Then stop into the Jasper Library for an afternoon of storytelling with writer John Strugnell at 3pm.

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SEPT 29 and 30, watch Jasper’s streets as Artists appear – to register to play outside…contact Peggy at events@iotad.ca or call 852.4747.  (VOLUNTEERS needed to make performance badges)

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SEPT 30    BOWLS WITH SOUL, the annual night for sharing a bowl of soup with your community, and you get to keep the HANDMADE IN JASPER bowl!  Only 70 bowls this year…$20.  Community event, no charge if you don’t want a bowl.  This year we will be voting on Jasper’s soup makers…and someone will get to take home the GOLDEN LADLE!!  (VOLUNTEER opportunities: take tickets at the door, hand out ballots for the GOLDEN LADLE, dish duty!)

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SEPT 30    VARIETY STAGE SHOW, an annual stage production for Culture Days…to get on stage email hillbear@shaw.ca.  Dance, sing, share your poetry or play your fiddle!  Great honorariums.  Free, all ages welcome.

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Jasper is home this year to HOME ROUTES house concerts…check them out on facebook!  Or contact Nancy Addison to see what great musicians are coming to Jasper this winter!  First concert is Sept 30 with guest artists THE SATURDAY SAINTS!
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OCTOBER 1     Jasper Legion is the place to be with great music by MATT ANDERSON!!

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OCT 6 and 7    ARTISTS IN THE PINES, share the weekend with an amazing instructor, Tessa Nunn.  Tessa Nunn graduated from with a Masters in Fine Art from the New York Academy of Art in 2002. Since her return to Canada, she has been teaching figurative painting, drawing and sculpture, as well as courses on painting techniques.  Tessa began to teach painting and drawing workshops because she felt a need for a new approach to teaching art, one that embraces the many levels of our being. The curriculum she has developed is based on her artistic processes which are influenced by spiritual principles, as well as traditional painting techniques.  Through meditation, gentle Yogic movement, and lessons on art techniques, participants explore different ways to look at the human form, and then ultimately at the world around them.  $225 please register at 780.852.0359 or arts@iotad.ca

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OCT 11 and 12    DINNER THEATRE for Arts Jasper, Jasper Theatre Company and the Arts with Altitude Festival Finale!  Beyond Therapy, adult content, tickets are $50 and for sale at the Library and Tekarra Photo.  BEYOND THERAPY…Trying to find that special someone can be quite a trial in our hectic, fast-paced society. In Christopher Durang’s play Beyond Therapy the already difficult situation of trying to build a new relationship is given an extra twist through the creation of a unique love triangle.  The story centers around Bruce , a neurotic bisexual thirtysomething; Prudence , the equally neurotic thirtysomething who answers his personal ad, and Bob, Bruce’s high-strung, jealous lover. Add to the mix Bruce’s and Prudence’s therapists, and the stage has been set for confusion, conflict, and lots of comedy.  (VOLUNTEER opportunities…please call!)

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OCT 13    Join us at the Jasper Park Stables on Pyramid Lake Road for some ‘Flashlight painting’ for the Dark Sky Festivities.  Details on the Tourism Jasper Dark Sky Festival website.

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OCT 13 and 14    DARK SKY PHOTOGRAPHY workshops at Pine Bungalows with YUICHI TAKASAKA!  $55, 2-4pm.  Register at arts@iotad.ca

OCT 13 noon to 4pm take in the Animation workshop ‘Drawing Dragons’ with Deanna Dence.  Ages 12 – 100, $50 materials supplied.

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AND because sometimes we all need a little help planning our days when there is so much going on…we have CULTURE CACHING PASSPORTS coming out soon.  Follow the arts and culture map of your community and get the passport stamped at participating merchants or locations!   Then hand in your passport at the Activity Centre for a chance to win a Culture Caching prize!

Ask us questions…we have more details…or stop by ROOM 12 in Building 32 Tuesdays through Saturdays in September from 1-3pm (thankyou Chris and Sharon Diamond) for a chat about how you can be part of ARTS WITH ALTITUDE…

Thanks go out to Delphinus 18 Productions for all the help with technical and digital services.  Thanks go out to Julie McMath, Jason Munn, Zaybee McGregor, Kim Wallace, Marie Helene, Randy Daniels, Peggy Munn, David Baker, Marianne Garrah, Jasper Artists Guild, Phat Cat Event Planners, Arts Jasper, Jasper Theatre Company and many more to come we are sure!!

Thankyou to Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus for administration assistance with these many events.

AND watch the JASPER COMMUNITY HABITAT FOR THE ARTS on facebook for details and more…

Keeping up with the ‘speed of change’

Change is the only constant, and if you work with the non-profit sector you know all about change.  After 20 years of workshops, seminars, webinars and social networking it is obvious that change is happening at an ever increasing speed and if we want to survive, and make a difference, we will have to learn the language that will take us into the future.  Where better to learn a new vocabulary than at an event called an ‘IMAGINATION CONVERSATION’.

These conversations are a practice of the Performing Arts Dept at New York’s Lincoln Centre where they have been imagining a more creative community for over 35 years.  The one at the Winspear this week was Canada’s first Imagination Conversation.  The intent of the organizers is to have 150 conversations before 2017 when Canada turns 150 years old.  So for three days we were entertained, fed and watered in both mind and body.

We were right in our sense that something is coming, changes that we need to be able to address…in all facets of society – Economics, Socio-demographics, Regulatory and Technological.  Here in our wonderful remote community we don’t feel the emergence of cell therapy or fusion energy.  Those combined with access to technology, as never before, coupled with the retirement of over 78 million people within the next 10 years leaves our world with changes not unlike those of the middle ages or the invention of the printing press.  These changes will challenge all structures – our institutional systems are becoming archaic.  And as leaders we cannot address these changes by simply moving faster and learning more.  Information is everywhere…no longer do we see our clients (the people that we serve in our nonprofits) as needing information…they have access to as much information as professionals now.  This is a profound change in the service provider’s relationship to clients.  Alberta is already applying analytics to much of its professional sector – displacing the need for professionals – in everything from studying energy to crime to consumers.  (Dr. Pierre Kinkaide, Alberta Council of Technologies, http://www.bestofanalytics.com/category/blog/ )

Coupled with the 78 million retirees and their ‘knowledge’ leaving the workplace is the incoming ‘idea generation’ and their concepts and use of the digital world.  This imaginative generation takes problem solving out of the language and replaces it by facing challenges through ICI – the imagination-creativity-innovation continuum.  (Robert Kelly, http://www.robertkelly.ca/home-page, Scott Noppe-Brandon, http://lcinstituteblog.com/2011/03/23/the-%E2%80%9Cici-continuum%E2%80%9D-imagination-creativity-and-innovation/ )  Changes in educational environments are leading to ‘sustained creative potential’ programs.  Some institutions in the States are already admitting students through an ‘academic blind’ process – where creative portfolios, not the traditional academic ratings, are key.

“In a Grade 11 English class at McNally High School this year, students chose their own novels, worked at their own pace, and the teacher didn’t lecture at the front of the room.  These students, though they had limited success with English previously, made great progress — everyone finished all assignments, from poetry to the persuasive essay — before the end of term. They worked on what they did best first. They got better grades.  That’s what happens when creativity, flexibility and student engagement are built into the classroom — and when teachers aren’t constantly teaching to a test and the class isn’t obsessed with marks, says principal Dale Skoreyko.”  (http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Imagination+Conversation+explores+creativity+role+student+success/6614802/story.html )

Educating a creative workforce is a global issue.  CEOs around the world were asked the following question: “What are the top qualities you seek when hiring someone?” The answer was “the ability to deal with complexity.” When they were asked what qualities they find lacking in today’s workplace, they said “creativity.”

A sustainable future depends upon imaginative, creative, innovative solutions to profound and complex challenges. The very future of our communities and institutions depends on our ability to nurture and harness imagination to creatively solve problems.  Alberta is already moving towards changing education to reflect the ‘Creative Challenge Index’.  (Dan Hunter, Hunter-Higgs LLC, http://www.creativechallengeindex.org/ )

If this seems like a lot of information to absorb…it was.  Guest speaker ‘rapid fire’ sessions ranged from political scientists, economists, a neurosurgeon, lawyers, and educators all with one theme in their talks…creativity.  How to harness creative energy, how to help educators plan for creativity, how to value creative assets in your organization and how to apply these concepts to our own organizations once we got home – all topics laid out in just 48 hours.

All traditional ways of working in committees, ways of leading and solving problems will be challenged by the socio-economic, demographic and cultural changes of the fast paced technological future.

And of course, what would a conference on the future be without the future being included!!  Over 100 children got on stage and did this exact song…wasnt a dry eye in the building.  The Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus will be bringing these fantastic ‘ARTISTS IN NATURE’ to our region, to work with our youth, next spring on time for Earth Day!!

“A time of inbetweenity.”  Psychologist Ellen Langer, known for her work in ‘mindfulness’, tells us that we should be ready to embrace uncertainty.  We learn from noticing differences, we learn through uncertainty.  We cannot continue to look at the world through a ‘deficit based perspective’ (problems to be solved).  She goes on to say that this kind of thinking leads to ‘rearranging the furniture’ – keeping the status quo…a linear approach that focuses on inabilities rather than abilities.  Yet we value abilities as they are the inspiration for leadership.  Embrace the uncertainty and focus on abilities, non linear thinking allows for individuality – acknowledging strength based assets.  (Dr Peter Gamwell, Ottawa, Peter’s philosophy is simple: the health and prosperity of any organization is directly proportional to the value, autonomy and creative freedom given to the people who make up that organization.)

Rex Jung, a neuroscientist from the University of New Mexico, spoke of the processes the brain goes through when thinking creatively.  The way the brain uses creativity is related to intelligence – but not necessarily in the way we think it is.     http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2012/creativity-and-the-everyday-brain/transcript.shtml

‘Selling creativity to a bean counting culture’ by Matt Homann talks about the need to measure things that make life worthwhile – in the future the GDP will not have the same status it has today.  Measuring the economy will be done on new curves.  ( http://www.lexthinkllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Matthew-Homann-One-Page-Bio.pdf )  Matt had an intense view on the economic concept of creativity…arts are communication – have been around for thousands of years, cave art, stained glass windows of cathedrals were storytelling for those who couldn’t read…business has lost that connection.   These communicators, artists and teachers, are often the lowest paid persons…sell your product – give them value, no one wants to buy karma.

Focus on the user of the product, provide an experience that is beyond what is already available.  (Our ‘Come for the Smiles’ program at Habitat last year, where town employees and other corporate offices were invited to come and play in the arts, allowed for creative communications.)  Matt has taken executives into tango classes where he provides each dancer with a secret card…the card might say things like ‘teacher’ or ‘student’ or ‘superintendent’.  No one is told what the other person’s card reads…imagine trying to dance not knowing if you are the teacher or the student…  Rather than putting executives through ‘Toastmasters’ to teach them public speaking…incorporate storytelling, and theatre and song and writing into what these public speakers will need to communicate.  He also talked about the knowledge transfer that is occurring as the boomers leave the workforce…that knowledge is an organizations assets.

Don’t let reality be the end of an idea…if x or y won’t work…what about a or b.

Dr David Kahane from Alberta Climate Dialogue wanted us to know that diversity should not only be represented by the different people in a room but should be found in each person as well.  Alberta is not a province of diversity.  Ideas sometimes must die so great ideas can live.  ‘His broader research deals with theories and practices of democratic dialogue and deliberation, with focus on features of process design that make public dialogues more inclusive and transformative.’  (www.albertaclimatedialogue.ca)

The theme of Imagination Conversation is part of the project undertaken by i150 (http://i150.net/who-we-are/).  To mark Canada’s 150^th birthday in 2017 Governor General David Johnston has asked ‘where are we now as a nation, where are we going and how are we going to get there?’  ImagiNation 150 is a Calgary based organization focused on those questions and working towards that commemorative date.  In keeping with this concept (150 and conversation and where our community is today) I wondered if perhaps our community would like to engage in a challenge where we attempt, as individuals, to meet 150 new people in our community within the year.  That would meet many of the concerns addressed at this conference here in our community…conversation, diversity, creativity and relationship building.  And by using technology a social network could be setup where we share who we are meeting.

It is interesting to note that many attendees at the conference were there to talk about art and creativity, and were pleasantly surprised to find that, in actuality, the focus was on how creativity is incorporated into everything we do – and how important creative thinking will be to lead us into the next generation of change.  Most of us were hoping for the magic formula to take home and implement in our communities.  Showing yet again, how thinking is changing.  There IS no formula.

The nonprofit sector is being transformed by a broad range of trends – generational shifts, economic and political uncertainty, technology and networking, increased diversity, shifting nonprofit boundaries and virtual work.   Transformation is not optional, if we don’t move at the speed of change, we will be left behind.  (La Piana Consulting)

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QUOTES I found:

Ideas don’t make change, experiences do.

You can’t jump chasms without taking a leap.

Follow the crowd, stop with the crowd.

Committee’s are cul-de-sac’s.  (Interestingly the new cultural spaces in Jasper are taking the Partnership Matrix beyond collaborations to actual Strategic Alliances…collaboration is just the beginning to building partnerships!!  The Creative Campus also takes collaboration beyond phase one – creating an alliance between five municipalities!)

Nonprofits want to ‘deserve’ money…ask for it.  Give value, not karma.

Only those who are asleep make no mistakes…

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Perhaps the most exciting thing collected at this event was the concept of ArtScience.  ArtScience looks at the need to have our cultural, corporate and educational systems use both art and science in ways where the conventional line can no longer be seen; artists, industry and social sectors working together to meet the needs, and lead innovation, for the future.  And David Edwards book ‘Creativity in the post-Google Generation’ has many examples of how this happens every day without notice. ( http://thelaboratory.harvard.edu/concept/artscience/ )

We do not need to work harder or faster to meet these changes, in fact ‘busy’ doesn’t allow for conversation (or healthy relationships)…we need to be mindful of where we are in the process of addressing challenges and influencing change.

Should you have any questions or suggestions on how our communities can move forward into the Idea Generation…we can start conversations now!!

Peeling back the hide

January’s mark new beginnings, new years full of promise and dreams.  For Habitat, just over a year old, we are now looking at our old age – in a sense.  We created a space for exploring the arts, a place to show art, create art – regardless of age or skill.  The community jumped on board with regular workshops, film nights, demonstrations and events.

Music in the Street!

And as the Habitat prepares to take down the walls of accessible creative space – the walls for Habitat II are going up.  You see, in 2011 we were invited to be part of the new Library that the Town of Jasper is building.  They have opened up the northwest end of the new structure to be a home for Jasper’s Arts and Cultural industries.

So, as we get into the groove of booking events and opening doors for the varying community orgs to create programming in Hab I for 2012 – our attention and energies are twisted towards making sure that, when Hab II opens its doors in 2013, it reflects all the gusto and intensity of seasoned arts and cultural workers!  We will transfer the excitement of our original opening, such a short time ago, and pour it into the new foundations.

Habitat and Jasper Artists Guild on the far left

And if that isn’t scary enough, we have taken a deeper dive into the world of advocacy and lobbying for this great industry by making sure our funders and future funders are confident in what we bring to the community of Jasper.  To do that, we have to ‘peel back the hide’ on the carcass of Hab I and ‘pick some bones’ to make sure we are getting every possible scrap of information on what we have done and where we can go with what we know.  What are our strengths?  What are our weaknesses?  (feel free to tell us!)

BUT first and foremost, before we go to the big house…before we go to the bright and shiny ‘in the public eye’ cultural spaces being built just for what we BELIEVE we are…lets define the what and the why.

What will it be?  If we learned anything from the past 14 months it’s that not everything we felt the community needed was needed.  At least not in the form that we presented it in.

Our efforts to include all ages – check.  From wee ones to seniors – they came to be engaged or to share their skills.

Our efforts to tie the arts into as many community and extended community (tourism) events as possible – check. From the annual Jasper in January Festival to the Dark Sky Festival to Heritage Day…we built related workshops or displays and even full on festivals to complement what was there (or missing).

Our efforts to co-ordinate the different organizations in the community through art – check.  Arts Days and the annual Arts with Altitude Festival not only got every possible org from the Folk N Blues Society to Arts Jasper to the Film Club doing what they do best – they did it all over town.

ArtsDays 2011

So that takes care of the WHAT.  Now the WHY.

An initial glance at any ‘arts centre’ initiative and you can deduce that it was about the ‘centering’.  It was about creating a ‘hub’ where information on art, arts groups, arts events, arts education…could be found.  Our passing grade on this – check.  Evidence is in the offshoots of success that can be seen in artists, that are now teaching and sharing their art, that found their audiences and students through Habitat’s ‘people place process’ mandate.  Further evidence is in continued support and lobbying efforts made by IOTAD to keep groups alive, and prospering.  This support reaches far and wide…from reviving ToastMasters (fingers crossed for their continued success…we need great speakers!) to offering volunteer support to Arts Jasper to offering space for community to meet.  Continual searching for funds to enhance and financially support others – instructors, artists and even actors – round out the relevancy of Hab’s ‘centre’.  A lengthy pursuit of ideology and philosophy on the detrimental effects of ‘silos’ in community we wont go into – Jasper’s past ‘silos’ are slowly merging and creating a strong diversified cultural industry.

This industry – in Alberta – is responsible for 3500 jobs and a 1:12 return on investment – turning $13 million dollars (in Alberta Foundation for the Arts grants alone) into $153 million for the Alberta economy.  This impact is felt throughout the province from tourism, accommodations, transportation to agriculture and education.  We find the potential to grow this industry in Jasper very exciting, we find the Town of Jasper’s insightful move to create dedicated ‘cultural spaces’ in the new Library very advantageous.

Ok, this is getting very long…and we still have pictures to post!  One final reason for todays post…to educate those that wonder what Habitat is doing, what we stand for, why…

Almost every conversation we have – be it with teachers or students or seniors or parents or politicians…leads to economics.  Well, while we are not artists in the pure sense – we dont paint, we dont dance [where you can see us], we dont sing –  we sure do dream.  And we believe.  We believe that the arts can be a poignant economic driver if we learn from those that have succeeded, if we listen to those that are trying to tell us something, if we watch the signs and enthusiastically grasp and build on opportunities like a new facility.

People Place Process, IOTAD mantra – put them in whatever order you want.  We believe they are the keys to success.   Not unlike the 3T’s of Creative Class fame.  Talent, technology and tolerance.

Talent: The driving force behind any effective economic strategy is talented people. We live in a more
mobile age than ever before. People, especially top creative talent, move around a lot. A community’s
ability to attract and retain top talent is the defining issue of the creative age.
Technology: Technology and innovation are critical components of a community or organization’s ability
to drive economic growth. To be successful, communities and organizations must have the process for
transferring research, ideas and innovation into marketable and sustainable products. Educational institutions are paramount to this, and provide a key hub institution of the creative age.
Tolerance: Economic prosperity relies on cultural, entrepreneurial, civic, scientific and artistic creativity.
Creative workers with these talents need communities, organizations and peers that are open to new
ideas and different people. Places receptive to immigration, alternative lifestyles, and new views on
social status and power structures will benefit significantly in the creative age. Define it as proactive inclusion.

Jasper might be a bit behind on the PROCESS or the TECHNOLOGY to make the arts a viable economic pillar today.  And Habitat II or IOTAD’s dream of a ‘Banff Centre’ atmosphere in Jasper might be a bit reaching…but that’s what we do.  That’s why we are here.  Imagine a world without art.

Welcoming Year Two

Habitat for the Arts is a year old.

Since November 10th 2010 the big space located on the corner of Hazel and Patricia Streets in downtown Jasper has been home to the Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus, Library Film Nights, music jams, painting workshops, beading and knitting afternoons – heritage arts, author readings, information sessions from the Banff Centre and Volunteer Alberta, public gallery shows from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts collection, regular meeting space for over six community arts related orgs including a startup for Jasper’s Toastmasters, square dancing, childrens theatre games (lots and lots of children), adult theatre practices, video classes, pottery classes, multimedia art exploring, NFB webcasts, language arts for outreach education, Whats On Jasper wall, volunteer store and centre, afterschool programs, annual cultural celebrations like Celtic Hour, lunch bag programs, studio for visiting artists…

…we were hoping to create a SPACE for community to engage, teach and demonstrate arts and culture.  It looks like ‘it only took a dream’.

Photos of the past year can be seen on our the link to the right here called ‘A Photo History’ – it will take you to a Flickr photo site.  Or catch some sidewalk cinema as we showoff the year on the window screens at Habitat this month…hey – if it’s going to get dark at suppertime…we are going to use the dark!!

The Habitat has been supported by many and supports many arts programs in Jasper.  In 2011 over $20,000 was spread through the community for three culturally related arts ‘festivals’.  Artists were employed, musicians were hired, art was purchased, instructors taught, restaurants and hotels were booked – are we bragging…you bet we are!  In 2010 the social return on a ten day festival was calculated to be a 200% spin back of dollars into the community…we haven’t finished this years SROI.

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But we can tell you:

The ANNUAL JASPER CHRISTMAS FAIR – November 20…make a gingerbread house for Santas Anonymous and maybe you will win a day in the JPL Fairmont Bakery…secrets will be shared I have heard!  To be on the voting ballot please register your house by the 18th..and deliver it to the Activity Centre on Sunday morning between 9:30 and 10:30 please.

And Go to the FAIR!!

ITS ANIMATION MONTH! 

NOVEMBER 21 and 28 – animation NFB short films at 4pm and animation projects for Christmas gift making workshops, $5 and $10 drop in fees for the Craft Stations (might be good to phone and let us know you are coming so there is enough materials!  Hate to turn anyone away)

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=269452783090366

Habitat will have a wish tree outside this year.  We will decorate on the 28th with some of the items we have made in the workshops.

Lantern Making workshop with Ursula is November 16.  And a lantern walk…with her other students…

There are Friday noon hour music jams at the Habitat as well…just until the sun returns to shine on the outdoor ones with some heat!

NOVEMBER 16 – Food Society Film – check out Jasper-Food Local-Society on Facebook.

And while you are on Facebook don’t forget to become Friends of the Jasper Community Habitat for the Arts!

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DECEMBER 10– the Habitat will be open from noon-4 or later for its first birthday party.  Come by for cake and check out Jasper’s very own Jazz Band (I would say High School Jazz Band…but if I don’t tell you how old these musicians are – you would never know by their skill!).  Joel Cultur of Art of Street will do a live demonstration of his art during their music…Amber Hayward will read to us from her latest book…Shara will have some awesome handmade dolls for sale as well as Paintings by Paula and Jewelery by Sandra!  Both of the Art of Street artists Joel and Ryan will have some artworks on display…

Door prizes, and open stage for busking and tours through the building…

 

Habitat’s office is open Tuesday to Friday – noon to 5 in November.  780.852.4747

ARTSDAYS 2011

September 30th

Join us for an after dinner black tie affair at the Sawridge – cocktails at 5:30.

October 1

Start the day right with fresh pancakes at 9:30 at the Robson Fair that is now moved from the beautiful little park to the MAIN HALL of Jaspers Activity Centre.

Noon to 4 – check out the artisans, music, food and the labyrinth at the ArtsDay festival…indoors at the Activity Centre.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 2

Another day of great stuff…