First Friday Artist Spotlight: Joe Stable

For 55 years, Joe Stable has been an artist, developing his craft through different forms and mediums.

Residing in his Peterborough studio, Stable recently fell in love with copper to the extent of opening a second gallery to showcase his creations. The Acme Art Studio and Copper Closet are participating venues for First Friday.

First Friday Peterborough (FFPTBO) is a downtown monthly art crawl that allows you to experience the city’s art, music and food scene while supporting local artists, people watching and taking in some city sights all at once.

FFPTBO is dedicated to showcasing the immense artistic and musical talent in the Peterborough community. The art crawl is a self-guided tour of downtown galleries, studios, shops and cafés that takes place on the first Friday of every month.

FFPTBO Art Crawl Schedule Oct. 7 schedule from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (individual venue hours may vary):

• Miguel Hernandez: New Works | TSC gallery & Studio, 280 Perry St., Unit 10A

• Victoria Wallace, Miguel Hernández + Marcia Watt: New Works |  Studio 10A, 280 Perry St., Unit 10A

• Instructor of The Art School of Peterborough Spotlight + Launch Shop | The Art School of Peterborough, 174A Charlotte St.

• Celebrate Canadian Library Month! Interactive Book-End craft | Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N. √

• The Oddities Show: Various artists + DJ @codyodez 6-8 p.m. and @otonabeatsradio 8-10 p.m. | Jason Wilkins Factory, 188 Hunter St. W. #7

• Susie Julia: Whimsy & Wonder + Pumpkin milkshakes + Patel Pilsner on special  | The Dirty Burger, 211 Hunter St. W.

• Bethany Davis: Follow the Trees | Odenabe Books, 410 George St.

• Grand Opening! The Neighbourhood Vintage, ft. mural installation by: Brooklin Stormie + Bethany Davis | The Neighbourhood Vintage, 391 Water St.

• Spooky Sampler: Various artists showcase + sale, Guest Chef Kayla Daluz  | Tragically Dipped, 386 Water St.

• Gillian Turnham: Earth Measure | Acme Art Gallery, Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• Kim Beavis Sanderson: Rage in Retro *Please download the App Artivive to interact! + Andrea Andrews: Macabre Charcoal + Graphite | Francey Studio, Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W., Studio #3

• Enzo Stimpson: leiðangur – photo expedition of wonder seen through the eyes of a pubescent male +  Luke Best: Music Photography | We Design, 393 Water St., Unit #16

• Nicole Bauberger: RavenMonsterDress  | Atelier Ludmila Gallery, Commerce Building 129 1/2 Hunter St. W. Studio #1

• Kelly Albin: Gone Postal + Juli Sage: Blue Whimsy | Blue Frogs Legs Studio, Commerce Building 129 1/2 Hunter St. W. #7

• Paddler Press: Poetry & Art Journal6 | Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• Various Artists showcase | Studio 5, Commerce Building, 2nd Floor, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• FFPTBO After Party | Gordon Best Theatre, 216 Hunter St. W. 

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The Mount Community Centre Calls All Artists To Display Their Work For ‘Mountmas’

An open call has gone out to artists to display their work for ‘Mountmas’ held by The Mount Community Centre at the Austin Doran Hall on Nov. 12 and 13, announced on Sunday.

The Mount Community Centre during its renovations last summer. Photo courtesy of the Mount Community Centre.

Artwork is being set up on Nov. 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Mount says this is an excellent opportunity for artists from all disciplines to display their work to the community.

“We are thrilled to be holding ‘Mountmas,’ an exhibition showcasing the inspiring talents of artists in our community,” says Hartley Stephenson, event organizer. “The world needs artists, craftspeople and workers of wonder and beauty and this will be a perfect time for artists to display their work and for attendees to pick up some holiday gifts.”

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New Public Art Installation To Be Viewed and Celebrated at Jackson Park

The public art installation Handwritten Moon will be displayed at Jackson Park on Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of The County of Peterborough.

Handwritten Moon is a collaboration between the sculptor Garrett “Owen” Gilbart who fabricated the artwork, and poet Justin Million who wrote the text.

The piece was commissioned as an artist-initiated project through the City of Peterborough’s Public Art Program.

In daylight the reflective text piece takes on hues found in the nearby landscape. On a clear night it reflects the moon. Handwritten Moon also responds to flash photography or a flashlight, and the public is encouraged to bring flashlights or headlamps to experience the piece.

The event will be held rain or shine at Jackson Pond near the Pagoda bridge in Jackson Park.

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Community Art Exhibit Hosted By One City Peterborough Will Be Hosted At Public Library

One City Peterborough will be hosting an art exhibit at Peterborough Public Library from Sept. 1 - Oct. 16.

Photo courtesy of One City Peterborough.

One City Peterborough runs an Open Art Drop-In Studio as part of their Community Development programming.

Community members’ art will be on display on the main floor of the library, with John Climenhage’s work being displayed in the basement and Em Farquhar-Barrie’s work displayed in the front window.

In addition to their exhibit, One City will also be running drop in collage-making classes on Sept. 20 (1-4 p.m.) and Oct. 1 (1-5 p.m.).

A panel discussion titled One Art, One City: Creating Community Through Art Making will be hosted at the library on Oct. 6, from 7-8:30 p.m.

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Barnyard Sessions Are Back At 4th Line Theatre This September

After a successful run of sold out shows in 2021, 4th Line Theatre is presenting the second presentation of The Barnyard Sessions: All About the Song, in September.

Ben Kunder will perform on September 22. Photo courtesy of 4th Line Theatre.

There will be four musical evenings with some of the region’s most beloved singer-songwriters. The Sessions, produced by local singer-songwriter Kate Suhr, will feature performers such as Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo), Terra Lightfoot, Aphrose, The Weber Brothers, Julian Taylor, Sarah MacDougall, Ben Kunder, James McKenty, Rick Fines, Evangeline Gentle, Melissa Payne, Dylan Ireland, Emily Burgess, Kyler Tapscott, Nicholas Campbell and Kate Suhr.

In an intimate setting, and in true “Writers in the Round” tradition, four artists will share the stage, taking turns as they reveal how their original music is imagined, conceptualized, and crafted. As the curtain is pulled up, audience members will bear witness to the powerful role of songwriting and the process behind the lyrics.

The event will run for four performances, showcasing different artists each evening. The concerts will all take place at The Winslow Farm in Millbrook from 7 p.m. -8:30 p.m. on September 22, 23, 29 and 30.

“When I had the idea for The Barnyard Sessions in 2021, I never imagined how well-received it would be. Those four nights in early fall of 2021, in the barnyard at the Winslow farm, were magical and I know everyone who attended, felt it. We want to capture that magical again this year with the second instalment of The Barnyard Sessions. These intimate concerts are extraordinary interplays between musicians, music and audiences.”

Tickets for The Barnyard Sessions are on sale now and are available for purchase through 4th Line Theatre’s box office. The capacity for each performance is 100 seats to ensure an intimate experience. Purchase tickets in advance to avoid disappointment, as shows often sell out.

Concerts takes place at The Winslow Farm located at 779 Zion Line, Millbrook:

· September 22 at 7 p.m. – Sarah MacDougall, Ben Kunder, Julian Taylor and Evangeline Gentle

· September 23 at 7 p.m. – The Weber Brothers, Aphrose, Rick Fines and Nicholas Campbell

· September 29 at 7 p.m. – Greg Keelor, Terra Lightfoot, James McKenty and Melissa Payne

· September 30 at 7 p.m. – Emily Burgess, Kyler Tapscott, Dylan Ireland and Kate Suhr

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New Public Artwork Installed At Jackson Park Sits Just Below The Surface Of Jackson Pond

A new public artwork, Handwritten Moon, created by two local artists was installed in Jackson Park on Monday.

File Photo.

The metalwork text piece, entitled Handwritten Moon, is the result of a collaboration between the sculptor, Garrett “Owen” Gilbart, who fabricated the artwork, and the poet, Justin Million, who wrote the text.

Considering land, water and sky and the ways in which water shapes and cleanses us, Gilbart conceived the artwork as text set over a distorted Victorian bookplate hovering just below the surface of Jackson Pond and he commissioned Million to compose the text.

“After talking with Garrett about possible themes and inspirations for this project, I started asking myself a couple of questions: What kind of phrase would be aesthetically striking to read as laid over landscape? What kind of phrase can be both evocative and provocative, while also being respectful to any conceivable onlooker? I wanted anyone who may read it to feel something whether it is something about themselves or about the land,” Million said in the project proposal.

Handwritten Moon will be submerged in Jackson Pond near the Pagoda bridge until just before it freezes in late autumn and will be reinstalled next spring.

Handwritten Moon was commissioned as an artist-initiated project through the City’s Public Art Program. Special projects, such as artist-initiated projects, are a key area of focus of the Public Art Program that enable the program to keep up with emergent practices and provide opportunities for artists to experiment.

The call for proposals was issued this spring and was open to both established and emerging artists, artist teams and collectives, including those interested in expanding their practices into the public realm for the first time. Artists could propose artworks in any scale, scope and medium in any part of the city. The competition received eleven submissions.

City public art projects are reviewed by selection committees composed of five members of the community with interests or expertise in contemporary art, architecture, design, engineering, history, or cultural tourism. The members of the Artist-initiated Projects selection committee were Su Ditta from the City’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee, and Jon Lockyer, Shenoa Poirier, Frank Flynn, and Cydney Langill from the community at large. 

“This public art commission responds creatively and ingeniously to the site selected by the artists - grounded in the land and changing our perception of place in a way that transforms public spaces to bring new meaning to both Peterborough’s built and natural heritage.”  said Su Ditta from the City’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee.

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Peterborough Folk Festival Presents 'We Can Do This' Premiere At Market Hall

The Peterborough Folk Festival will present “We Can Do This”, a one hour concert film documenting the four day concert series presented at the Rolling Grape Winery in Bailieboro in August 2021, on August 18 at Market Hall.

When the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on many music festivals, Heritage Canada invited live event producers to reinvent artistic presentations.

Some producers chose not to participate, some aired their festivals on online platforms, but The Peterborough Folk Festival rose to the challenge.

Talented artists, filmmakers and more created a film documenting performances in unique locations with a mobile recording studio.

As the project evolved, the mobile studio concept remained and was implemented by engineer James McKenty and his ‘In Record Time’ mobile studio. James captured the performances in 32 channels of inputs for maximum quality.

By late June, the film evolved further to include a live audience. After exhausting all possibilities of hosting a live event within the City of Peterborough due to COVID 19 restrictions, and looking like the project was in jeopardy, it was decided to host a four day series of concerts at the Rolling Grape Vineyard in Balieboro.

“We Can Do This” is a film that highlights the musical performances of artists emerging from the previous 18 months of pandemic lockdown.

Accompanying the 55 minute film is the limited addi2on VINYL soundtrack album featuring 11 songs recorded live. There are only 400 copies available to the public, with no plans to create a digital download. The album will be available for sale at this year’s fes2val as well as at Blue Streak Records in Peterborough.

‘We Can Do This’ premieres at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on August 18. There will be two shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Admission is a pay what you can donation to The Peterborough Folk Festival. Donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt. Tickets are available at the door.

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Fleming College School of Art And Design Hosting Online Art Auction

Fleming College’s Haliburton School of Art + Design is inviting the public to take part in the Haliburton School of Art + Design Faculty Art Auction in support of art student bursaries.

Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

After having to cancel the signature fundraising event for the past two consecutive summers due to COVID-19, the annual Auction is back in an online format for the first time ever.

The auction will take place here until August 9 at 8 p.m.

All items have been donated by faculty who teach in Fleming’s Haliburton summer school and full-time programs. Works have been donated by many artists, including Helen McCusker, Rose Pearson, Rob Stimpson, Susan Watson-Ellis, and Todd Jeffrey Ellis.

Items will be added weekly as they become available.

The College will also host an in-person gathering at the Haliburton Campus on Aug. 11 from 5 – 7 p.m. which will include a cocktail reception, special silent auction, and art exhibition led by the instructors and creators at the Haliburton School of Art + Design.

This evening is an opportunity for college staff and students to re-connect with the Haliburton community. Winning bidders from the online auction can pick up items in-person at this event or arrange for pick up/shipping on another date by contacting Scott Walling at scott.walling@flemingcollege.ca or 1-866-353-6464 x 6721.

Proceeds from this event support Haliburton art student bursaries and innovative initiatives at the Haliburton Campus. Donations in support of this project can be made during the auction or online, and a charitable tax receipt will be issued for the full donation amount.

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Hometown PTBO: Kim Blackwell on the 30th Anniversary of 4th Line Theatre and Summer Lineup

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director for 4th Line Theatre about the company's 30th anniversary, the upcoming summer lineup and her journey through three decades with the company.

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