Federal Candidates Join Artsvote Canada at Showplace Performance Centre

Federal candidates Joy Lachica from the New Democratic Party, Maryam Monsef, Peterborough’s Liberal Incumbent and Chanté White from the Green Party will attend Artsvote Canada 2021 at Showplace Performance Centre to discuss federal arts, culture and heritage policy this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Artsvote Canada.

Federal cultural policy and funding programs have an enormous impact on the development and sustainability of the arts in Peterborough, affect the lives of professional working artists in our riding and make a difference in our ability to protect and preserve our heritage assets, says Electric City Culture Council (EC3).

The art community contributes millions of dollars to the local economy and has a significant impact on social well-being, the health and vitality of community members, the downtown and local tourism according to EC3. This is a sector that has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and is facing a rocky road to recovery.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Artsvote Canada 2021 will be taking place for a very limited, invite-only and fully-vaccinated audience, but will be simultaneously streaming live on EC3’s Facebook and YouTube page.

It will also be broadcast on Trent Radio (92.7 FM) and will be available to watch on Facebook and YouTube following the event.

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SPARK Photo Festival Winners Announced

The winners of the 2021 Themed Juried Exhibit at the SPARK Photo Festival were revealed on Wednesday.

The 2021 Juried Exhibit Theme was Nourish: To Eat, To Drink, To Enjoy.
Best in Show was awarded to Fine Art Pear by Melissa Maahs.

Winners of the 2021 SPARK Themed Juried Exhibit Nourish: To Eat, To Drink, To Enjoy competition from entries by photographers from across Ontario.

This year there were two double-winning photographers who will take home a cash prize.

From the top 25 images selected by the jury, the Best in Show is Fine Art Pear by Melissa Maahs, Second Place is Hots by Laura Berman, Third Place is Fall Harvest by Melissa Maahs of Courtice and Honourable Mention is Crunch by Laura Berman of Castleton.

To view all winning entries click here.

The winners, along with all Top 25 images, are on display outdoors on George Street for spectators to view.

Find the Exhibit listings with information about the artists, venue locations and operating hours and the downloadable digital catalogue here. Pick up your own copy of the keepsake print catalogue at exhibit venues.

The SPARK Photo Festival is on until Sept. 30.

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Local Indigenous Business Owner Semi-Finalist in Pow Wow Pitch

Dominique O'Bonsawin, owner of cedarlilie a beadwork and craft supply shop, is a semi-finalist in the Pow Wow Pitch. Pow Wow Pitch is a a grassroots community of Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island.

Dominique O’Bonsawin and her dog Cedar. Photo courtesy of Dominique O’Bonsawin

O'Bonsawin is of both French-Canadian and Abenaki heritage and started learning beadwork about five years ago while attending university in Ottawa.

“It was an important part of me reconnecting to my community and the larger Indigenous community in Canada,” she said.

As she gained interest in the craft she began to notice a lack of Indigenous owned bead stores in the country. She began to buy beads in bulk for her own use and selling any extras she had.

“I started running out of beads and realized this was a market I could tap into,” she said. “Before I knew it I had to make my own website.”

O'Bonsawin has now been selling beads and craft supplies for about a year and a half.

An example of Dominique O’Bonsawin’s beading. These pieces were completed along with her mother and sister. Photo courtesy of Dominique O’Bonsawin.

The Pow Wow Pitch competition is for Indigenous entrepreneurs across North America. It shines a light on vendors, artists, business builders and innovators from all backgrounds and industries, whether just starting or looking to grow to the next level.

This year, more than 1,500 Indigenous entrepreneurs pitched their businesses online for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $500 to $25,000.

O'Bonsawin was one of those entrepreneurs and was surprised to find that she was chosen as a semi-finalist.

“I had a few people reach out to me and tell me to apply, but I didn’t think I was there yet. I’m still kind of figuring out this whole thing,” she said.

“All we had to do was submit a one minute video of what we would do with the money if we were to win,” she said. “It caught and I thought ‘okay this is for real now’.”

Of the over 1600 entries there are 156 semi-finalists who now must pitch their business plan live to a board of panelists.

O'Bonsawin is also eligible to win the peoples choice award, which would send her straight to the finals. The peoples choice award is based on the amount of votes a contestant receives, anyone is welcome to participate in voting.

More beadwork by Dominique O’Bonsawin.

O'Bonsawin’s pitch can be viewed here on September 22, 2021.

If she wins the Pow Wow Pitch competition she plans to expand her business and while she plans on doing so anyways, winning this competition would allow her to do it sooner.

Through beading O'Bonsawin has had the opportunity to connect with a new community of people.

“I didn’t grow up knowing much about my roots until I became a young adult and started doing that work myself, and I’m still learning. It’s an ongoing journey of reconnection,” she said.

O'Bonsawin hopes that people realize that beadwork is about building a community, and anyone can do it.

“I’ve met a lot of people who are in the exact position as I am. They’re doing their best to learn their language and know the people. It’s so beautiful to meet people that are going through the same thing you are and i think its even more beautiful that we can do that through beadwork.”

To view all the semi-finalists in the Pow Wow Pitch click here.

To vote for a winner in the peoples choice award fill out this online form.

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11 Festivals and Events in Peterborough and Area Recieve Over $900,000 in Funding

11 festivals and events in Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received over $900,000 in provincial funding through the 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program.

MEGAN MURPHY (LEFT) AND KATE SUHR (RIGHT) of 4th line Theatre. 4th Line theatre is receiving $92,842. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAN PEIRCE PHOTOGRAPHY AND 4TH LINE THEATRE.

The Reconnect Festival and Event Program offers non-capital funding for events in Ontario that provide safe experiences virtually or in-person when it is safe to do so.

$43 million was given to 439 festivals and events across Ontario.

11 festivals and cultural organizations hosting events in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area are receiving a total of $904,386 in funding.

Among the recipients are Peterborough Music Fest, the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival, 4th Line Theatre and Public Energy’s Pivot 2.0 Series.

For a full list of recipients click here.

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Peterborough Arts Alive Fund Awards $104,500 to 15 Local Arts Organizations

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) has announced that the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund has received $104,500 in COVID-19 Strategic Recovery & Resilience Grants to 15 local arts organizations on Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Arts Alive Fund.

Organizations receiving grants include the 4th Line Theatre, Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Peterborough Singers Choir.

Grants awarded range between $2,500 - $10,000 and support projects in artistic creation and development, PPE and public health upgrades, management and staff training/coaching/expert consulting, technology and digital upgrades, marketing and communications development and staffing.

Applications were reviewed and evaluated by a five-member peer assessment jury who recommended the grant amounts.

The initial idea came from local arts supporter Deborah Berrill. She leads a group of private donors who, along with EC3 and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, collaborated on the efforts that raised $104,500 for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund.

The City of Peterborough donated $40,000 to the fund.

“Local artists and arts organizations provide Peterborough with an amazing cultural life, one that we appreciated even more during the pandemic as their work lifted our spirits, offered us meaning and brought us together,” said Berrill. “It’s so important that we continue to support them through this difficult period and into the future, so they can keep doing what they do best.”

To view a full list of grant recipients, click here.

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95th Anniversary of Tragic Balsam Lake Accident Recognized With Film Screening

Today marks the 95th anniversary of a tragic accident on Balsam Lake. Brotherhood, a film depicting the event will be nationally broadcasted on Super Channel Entertainment Network at 7:15 p.m.

Newspaper clippings from 1926. Photo courtesy of Brotherhood1926.com.

In 1926 the Brotherhood of St. Andrew leadership camp located on Balsam Lake encountered a freak summer storm. Eleven boys died when their canoe was overturned by a large wave and they could not make it back to shore.

“It’s a transformative story about boys becoming men over the course of an evening,” said Director Richard Bell.

Crews began filming in 2017 and the first screening was on July 20, 2019 at Balsam Lake.

When the pandemic hit Canada screenings of the film were slowed due to theatres closing. When they re-opened briefly in the summer months the film was screened 127 times.

Image from the film Brotherhood - 2020 winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Visual Effects. Photo Courtesy of brotherhood1926.com

Director Richard Bell says the COVID-19 pandemic has caused him to look at this film in a completely different way.

This film takes place ten years after the Spanish Flu pandemic and touches on themes like brotherhood, loss, grief, guilt, and trauma.

Director Richard Bell wears a shirt with the names of the boys lost in 1926. Photo Courtesy of Brotherhood1926.com.

“I didn’t know when I released the film that another pandemic was coming,” he said.

Bell recalls a line in the movie in which a character in crisis says ‘We can’t go back. We can only go through.’

“This last year has been so divisive,” he said. “I’ve seen neighbour turn against neighbor and people divide. What I want to say is the same as this character - we can’t go back we can only go through.”

The broadcast is poignantly timed to begin at 7:15 p.m as the boys would have been gathering on the dock to prepare for their adventure across the lake in 1926.

Super Channel titles are also available to access via Amazon Prime. Brotherhood is available to rent on Apple TV (iTunes), You Tube, Google Play and can be accessed on-demand through Shaw, Bell and Telus.

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Showplace Launches New Initiative to Raise Funds for Renovations

Showplace Performance Centre is getting a new look after being open for 25 years.

Linda Kash - Ambassador, Pat Hooper - Champion, Beth McMaster - Champion, Megan Murphy - Ambassador. Photo Courtesy of Showplace.

The Take a Seat for Act II project is underway and aims to replace the tired seats that Showplace reports millions of spectators have sat in.

This initiative is led by Showplace Champions Pat Hooper and Beth McMaster and Ambassadors Linda Kash and Megan Murphy and hopes to allow community members to enjoy a space where music, live theatre and professional presentations will come to life for many years to come.

A donation of $1000 will allow donors to have their name or the name of someone they would like to honour on a seat. Donations will also go towards floor replacement, lighting and electrical work and painting.

Donations and seat purchases can be made by calling the box office at 705-742-7469 or by clicking here.

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Electric City Works Opens In Old GoodLife Fitness Location In Downtown Peterborough

Chalk Therapy owners Tara and Adam Genge announced the Grand Opening of their newest business venture, Electric City Works, on Friday, November 15th.

The new space is located in downtown Peterborough at 200 Charlotte Street in the old Goodlife Fitness building and offers a fully licensed 5,000-square-foot marketspace to browse one of a kind products. Electric City Works will be the new home to Chalk Therapy, along with a selection of other local makers and artists, creating a one of a kind marketspace.

Photo courtesy Electric City Works

Electric City Works will act as a potential incubator for small businesses to build their brands by providing makers and artists space to display, create, and sell their products while utilizing workshop space to teach others their techniques.

Chalk Therapy will continue to provide the same great products and service you’ve come to expect, including refinishing, redesigning and upcycling old, vintage, and antique furniture.

Photo courtesy Electric City Works

This unique space will provide an opportunity for the public to watch artists and makers at work, and attend workshops to learn the techniques directly from the artists. It is also available to rent for special events and functions.

Photo courtesy Electric City Works

Electric City Works welcomes customers to check out the new location during regular store hours Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For the month of December, Electric City Works will be open 7 days a week, open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Local Artisans Raise Funds for Jamaican Projects Through Annual Event

Jamaican Self-Help (JSH) is hosting the 13th Annual Artisan Show and Sale on November 23rd and 24th with proceeds supporting youth and educational projects in Jamaica. The event brings together over 20 of the community’s finest artisans who will be at Mark Street United Church showcasing a diverse selection of quality art and craft. Artisans will donate 20 percent of their sales to JSH.

At the show, you will find an impressive variety of hand-crafted items including pottery, textile and fabric arts, knitted and woven items, beeswax products, metal and wood work, photography, silver and gemstone jewelry, fresh wreaths and much more. A variety of baked goods and preserves will also be for sale. Admission is free but donations at the door are greatly appreciated. Debit, Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Photo courtesy Jamaican Self-Help

Over its 12-year history, The Artisan Show and Sale has raised more than $38,500, directly funding projects located in Kingston, Jamaica that are developed and managed by partner schools. Fundraising for the show is dependent on local artisans who donate a generous portion of their sales. A number of artisans who will be exhibiting this year have been supporting the show since its inception in 2007.

All are welcome to enjoy the Artisan Show & Sale on Saturday, November 23 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, November 24 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at Mark Street United Church (90 Hunter St. East.)

For more info, click here.

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Help Make A 14-Foot Textile Canoe At Canadian Canoe Museum With Artist-In-Residence Vanessa Coplan

Members of the public are invited to weave, tie, pull, wrap, knit and sew textiles to create a 14-foot canoe over the course of the next couple of weeks at The Canadian Canoe Museum.

The museum is welcoming Ottawa artist Vanessa Coplan to lead the unique community art project, which will begin on August 22nd and culminate in a temporary exhibition at the museum starting September 21st.

This activity is suitable for participants ages eight to adult, and younger children will be encouraged to take part with parent/guardian supervision and assistance.

Artist-in-Residence Vanessa Coplan

“It is truly a unique opportunity to work with Vanessa and as a community to create this collaborative sculpture,” says Karen Taylor, Director of Public Programs. “Participants are welcome to bring pieces of fabric that have personal significance or, they can use the recycled fabric we’ll have on hand for all. We look forward to seeing this canoe take shape before our eyes.”

Members of the public are invited to join in the project, included with admission to the museum, on the following dates:

• August 22nd – 5:00-8:00 p.m., with the artist (free admission Thursday evenings)

• August 24th – 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., with the artist

• August 25th – 12:30-3:30 p.m., with the artist

• August 29th – 5:00-8:00 p.m. (free admission Thursday evenings)

• August 31st – 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

• September 1st – 12:30-3:30 p.m.

• September 2nd – 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Registration is not required, but space is limited. If you would like to reserve, contact Karen Taylor, Director of Programs at the Canoe Museum, at 705.748.9153, ext. 219.

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