Month: October 2014

Sam Hain

Sam Hain? Never heard of the guy.

Ever been to Seven Dials
Are you that kind of guy
They asked before the pounce
They might as well
Have locked him up
The way they locked him out

What was it worth
That double-edged question
As they threw him out
Was he that kind of guy
How could he know
What it was they meant

Mixed up head
Created by the experts
Those modern architects
Of topsy-turvy world
That thin disguise
Of gentrified lives

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October 2014 Newsletter

Please share:

Spring Garden Newsletter for October 2014

Arts thrive when people agree to cooperate with others.
That is what the Newsletter said … But maybe it would be better to say “when people help one another”

That helps create a strong arts community.

There is a new website dedicated to looking at the state of the arts along Chaleur Bay. Please take a look. Let’s see what we have and where the arts might need a bit of help and encouragement … That’s old folk’s talk for “tweaking”
Almost sounds like tweeting … That would be nice too. Please go ahead and Tweet

http://chaleurbay.com

If you have any local arts related notice or studio contact you wish me to post here, please let me know. It can be written in English or French or both.

This web log is about art and culture along the Shores of Chaleur Bay or Baie des Chaleurs as my French-speaking friends call our beautiful bay.

“What Art and Culture! It’s not like we live in Fredericton*.”
Yes … I’ve heard it too.
OK … Let’s deal with this. Must culture and art always be about comparison and competition?
Let’s take a look at the Arts in Fredericton.
Now there is a model for people willing to work together to make good things happen. I ask whether those same good things can happen here.

I am preparing to take a trip along the Bay and this trip is not about judging one place over another. It is about seeing what is being done in each community, seeing which communities are proud of their artists and seeing how much support artists are actually getting.

And what do I mean by support? Shouldn’t artists have to support themselves just like everyone else? Up to a point, yes. But the artist who is being asked to donate time and talent for every worthy organization out fund-raising surely deserves at least to be recognized as making valuable contributions to his or her community.

If there are not enough paying jobs to provide for groceries and heating, why would the artist not move to a place like *Fredericton, the Capital City of New Brunswick?

Who

Milton Acorn

Milton! What kind of a name is Milton Acorn? And how do we know he ever really existed? Did he have a job? … a real job ?… Did he ever work for CBC? Did he ever accept an invitation to do an interview on CBC? Was he ever asked? If he had been asked would he have worked there? Might he have been fired? Why?

Was he a great poet? If so, was his poetry ever heard over the CBC airwaves? What, when, where, why, by whom?

Two more days George. Only two more days before I disappear into my turret … No idea … And besides … Would Milton really care … What would Milton say … Milton, who as far as I know was never even asked to read his poetry on CBC … Not even on November 11 … Well he was a veteran … From PEI … One of ours George … Surely he must have read at least one poem on CBC … At least on November 11

Then again, was he a veteran? After reading a biography of Milton from the University of Toronto library website I wonder. There is no mention of his having been a veteran.

PEI’s greatest poet! Says whoo? Some nurse? What do nurses know about poets?

Now if we could find that CBC had considered him a poetic …
Not even worth one show? So, whether or not he was a veteran, who are the veterans CBC has considered worthy? Who are the Canadian writers and artists and musicians CBC has considered worthy?

Steal … Those who don’t steal! But what are you saying … That the CBC considered Milton a thief? Impossible-not true- totally ridiculous. What if Milton had sued … or something worse … But no … He didn’t actually admit to stealing! Not PEI’s greatest poet! Did he?

And … He didn’t! He would not have dared … I’m sure he had nothing to do with publishing a book about some old plane that never even existed … Not even Milton would go that far …

Cease and Desist


The Eureka Notion

Eureka

A woman senior is especially vulnerable.
100% of 0 is 0. That appears to be how the world has balanced her worth.

...
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$00000000.00

Cease and Desist

Well George, it is almost that time of year and I've decided to take your advice.
Cease and desist providing free entertainment for the masses.

As of November 1st, 2014 I begin work on my book and I'll probably be too busy to come by for our little chats.

You can still visit me if you wish ...

Time of year? Oh, well don't you know that the old Celtic year fades away on October 31?

... And every year on November 1st we Celts set out on some quest or begin a new project or take on a new job. Not just another list of resolutions too soon forgetten, George. We take action. It's the Celtic Way.

Happy 1st of November George. Happy Celtic New Year.

Think of me as off sailing my phantom ship for the next several months.

If you really need to reach me ... Try ... http://chaleurbay.com

Health, Sport, Active Living VS the Arts

The Eureka Notion

Eureka

A woman senior is especially vulnerable.
100% of 0 is 0. That appears to be how the world has balanced her worth.

...
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$00000000.00

A contest George? You think that life is a contest between Health, Sport, & Active Living on one side and Arts on the other? Really? You think the only active healthy people are hockey players ... Might depend on how much bench time they occupy ... ice-time? That too.
Let's face it George. We canna all be hockey stars. Nice job if ye can get it. Or as they say around here "GO MAN GO"

Or maybe ...

Go mamm go ... Are there any women on the TITAN TEAM?

TITAN GO"

Health, Sport, & Active Living
So ... You asked ... What does art have to do with Health, Sport, & Active Living?
Think George ... Think ...
Not sure huh? No George ... Martial Arts is not quite what we are all about. However, I did once design a poster for a local martial Arts Club. That was many years ago George. Sigh ... Just one more in a long list of volunteer efforts to support healthy activities in my community. Artists do that sort of thing, did you know, George?

There were other periods in my life when I visited people who were in hospitals and special schools. The idea was to share my art gifts with them, teach them to draw or share conversations that perhaps only an artist might be willing to share. One of these people had never gone to school, living his entire life in a bed or a wheelchair. I encouraged him to draw and read and think outside his small room in the institution where he lived. I pushed his wheelchair on walks outside the building when the weather was fine. The only other activity provided by the institution was the occasional game of Bingo, which is hardly more of a healthy sport than Art, do you think George?

Think of Arts as one more option George.

…

The Eureka Notion

Eureka

A woman senior is especially vulnerable.
100% of 0 is 0. That appears to be how the world has balanced her worth.

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$00000000.00

Here you go George … This is it! The final act! What?
What act? George, have you been sleeping on the job again?
It matters George … It matters …

Sigh … Yes George … sigh … Yes … Very frustrated … Here I’ve been working on my rock opera every day for … Well no I don’t put in eight hours a day … I do have other things to do … Art, George … When I’m not working on the rock opera I paint and … Yes George … Yes I realize you don’t really care for my paintings … That’s OK! I understand!

But about the rock opera … That is what I was trying to tell you George … the final act of the rock opera has …

Deus ex Machina? Is that what you said?
Hmmmmmm … Well considering that this is a low budget operation … Well I’ll just need to sleep on that one …

As I was trying to say … The last act will be the final gathering of the artists … One last ride if you will …

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ3MG_TK2p0&feature=em-upload_owner

As the train carries our group of … Well I guess some might say anti-heros back home they are joined along the way by more
… And more artists …
Rajni Shah

Gallimard & Mauclet

Even at the Power Plant.

Paid? You are asking what I get paid?
Hilarious, as usual!
Ok George I do realize that we cannot expect the artists to work for free … You know George … The artists who are coming to Chaleur Bay for the Arts Festival next May 2015.
What’s what all about? Didn’t anyone tell you either?
OK George … Check it out … Take your time.

Oh yes, about the money to travel … Try http://canadacouncil.ca/council/grants/find-a-grant/grants/capacity-building-initiative-travel-grants

Hmmm well since they just announced that … Oh never mind …

Money to pay the artist?
You mean like a real salary?
Well what’s wrong with the way they usually do things around here … You know … a few beer …
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Money for a Glass-blowers seminar? Well I’m not sure George … Do they do beer-bottles? I am serious George. You know the old saying … invent a better beer-bottle and the world will beat a path to your brewery.
Yes as a matter of fact I do enjoy beer now and then.
About that beer money …

Oh no no no … Listen to what you are saying George. It is simply not true. Not all the big prizes go to someone in the larger more prosperous communities. I’m sure someone from Chaleur Bay has an equal chance … Look at that New Brunswick artist who won the Molson Prize … He was from a small place along the Bay and … Hmmm … you don’t say … Moved to Moncton, did he?

Suppose he would like to come to our little art festival George … After all he’s important now … Bride! I don’t think so George … Besides he doesn’t appear to be that sort …
Also since we cannot expect him to work for nothing we will need a source of funding. A reasonabe source …

Bribe … That was the intended word George … Bribe not bride … Don’t you know the rules … These days it is ok to make mistakes … Typos are ok too …

Do I think there was bribery? No, I do not! That is the thing about artists. The real artists are not for sale. That is what makes artists what they are. Hmmm … Well George it’s a little thing called ethics.

Bribe? You want to know about bribe? Errr actually George … The word is usually not bribe … It is “bribes” … Yes George … Good old fashioned bribes … That is how the the rest of world mostly tumbles I guess … Didn’t you know? Across Canada? … No idea George … Not part of the Privy in Ottawa … Well … We all know what that stands for … No … Here in The Maritimes is really the only experience I have … Hmmm … bribes huh? You want to know about bribes? Wellll now here is how it works George … At least in my experience. First you find a contract … Yes George … A government contract … Is there any other kind these days. Sooooo … You find a contract … You say to yourself … “I can do this” well because positivity is the mandatory prerequisite these last years …no particular reason George … That’s the way things work in Canada … Positivity … So you find out who the government players are and you wine and dine … At the very least you never never never ever criticize government policies … Wining and dining? Well that is not what they call it George … They call it net-working … They tell you that if you want to get a contract then you must network … Well George … I guess it’s because networking sounds so much more innocent than wining and dining or bribery.

Step two … Well when you are offered the contract … Or even before … And the government agent suggests that you might hire his kid or another relative or friend or … Well whatever the connection … Of course there is nothing in writing that says you are obligated to hire the agent’s buddies or relatives … Get real George … What do you think they mean by networking?

See what I mean? And you ask me why I don’t like … Oh never mind George … let’s just end our rock opera like they did back when …

Eureka George! The Deus Ex Machina … Here we go … A huge screen … Think U2 … Yes that big … How about this for footage George?
Hmmm what is that song?
Where the pavement begins?
Where the pavement ends?
Ah yes … Where the streets have no name …
That’s it … That’s the song we need here …
Or Maybe Joni Mitchell…Parking Lot?
Maybe throw in a paving company or two
Fade out on a team of workers paving the lawn in front of City hall … around srniors homes and galleries … Well why should garages have all that lovely paving? Fair is fair especially when it comes to government grants and make work projects.

You and me George … Just you and me … We ride off into the sun… No no … We can’t afford to buy a beautiful solid black horse … George … Are those tears?

Have Fun …

Have fun!”

Yes, if someone is going out to a comedy show or a party or a concert, maybe it is an acceptable comment to offer them.
But is it really the right thing to say to a artist who is going into the studio to work?
Is it a bit of an insult, or is this artist just too thin-skinned? And how is the artist to respond gracefully to such a comment?
What might be the response of a surgeon who is about to operate, a lawyer preparing to defend a courtcase, a policeman, a fireman, an accountant, a soldier, or any member of a dozen other professions? How would they react if someone flippantly told them to “have fun” in their place of work?

Just wondering …