Month: October 2015

Bathurst is Bathurst

Bathurst auditions are now over.

Best of wishes to all the young people who will be competing in the Battle of the Arts Competition finals taking place in Fredericton in November. More information on this competition may be found on the website http://www.battleofthearts.ca
And the FB page

Apparently auditions were held in Bathurst on August 15. If there was any local media coverage I am sorry to say I missed it.
I guess there must have been coverage since MAX 104 is a sponsor.

I think an art activity that encourages youth to stand up for their rights is of benefit to all of us.

Although I am an independent artist living in the area of Bathurst, New Brunswick, I myself am well beyond the age of youth competitions. However I have an open-to-the-public studio space at 212 St. Andrew Street in downtown Bathurst where I go to work three days a week and other artists are welcome to drop by.

An accident and the resulting surgury has curtailed my studio work over much of the last two months but I’ve tried to remain open and I expect to be walking again by December 1st.

I am a real people person, very familiar with the Bathurst business community, having written many stories and articles for a local home-owned newspaper in the past. I am also interested in womens’ poverty and unemployment issues and this is what I try to bring into my artwork.

Current artwork by Margaret Sharon Olscamp

Some of MaggieQuinn recent ongoing artwork

Although an art competition would be a rather rare occurrence in Bathurst, the spirit of competition is quite alive here. Fair weather soccer and bike rallies, cold weather hockey, and the dozens of trophies that adorn local rec-rooms attest to the fact that Bathurst people have an active sense of competition.

The more I think about this culture of competition the more I wonder why some people are watchers, some are joiners and some are neither.

One type of competition I’d love to see would be job openings that offer decent wages and are not restricted to only those who are welfare or EI recipients. I’m sure this would excite local interest and bring in plenty of joiners.

I wonder too whether there is any way that non-violence fits into this picture of a competitive community. Would people get along better? Would people have more respect for their neighbour’s property?

Each article I read on this website is an encouraging reminder that there are still people who believe in peace and write about it and try to live peaceful lives without giving up on the rest of the human race.

Today I was reminded that if non-violence is something we learn then maybe we seniors could all be teachers and help our young people learn about non-violence as a way of life.

Some question I might ask young people:
What is non-violence?
Are we born as non-violent beings?
Is non-violence something we learn?
If so, where do we learn non-violence?
How do we learn to be non-violent

What are the effects of arts, entertainment, games, sports?
Do these encourage us to be non-violent?

What about competitions?
Does the urge to fame and fortune allow us to be non-violent?
What about the need to compete in the job-market?

If we are a member of some team, is it a non-violent team that we have chosen to join?

As individuals are we confident enough to stand up for the right to be non-violent?

Advertisement

Erasmus College

And what might that be?
Erasmus College otherwise called “Open Free Institute of Learning” or OFIL.
Don’t you think Erasmus College sounds better?

Here we have the Faculty of Arts
Fine Arts Department Well they are still celebrating. Meanwhile we have a very exciting happening that is …well happening you might say. Simply say you love seminars and join in. Arts and culture peace seminar. What else would you expect here?

You might have noticed the somewhat unusual wall mural over here.

And the portrait of our founder.
And another, perhaps more recognizable.
You may also have noticed that bronze sculpture out in the courtyard where you entered. Erasmus too. Yes, we do like to show appropriate esteem towards our Founder.

Down this corridor is the heart of our institute, the library. The library is where the brightest and best of our scholars like to hang out. The library is probably the most important part of any college. See that desk over there? Well that is not just any desk. That is what we call THE DESK. Whatever you don’t know and really need to know … That is where you go to find out.

Canadiana? Right over here

If what you need is a bit of quiet time, might I suggest one of our favourite little nooks here around the corner, The More Reading Room. The Portrait? Why that is Sir Thomas More He is the reason we call this the More Reading Room. Thomas More himself was quite a prolific writer, did you know?

And here is our language lab
href=”http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/index-eng.php”><img src=”http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/images/bouton-final-e.png&#8221; width=”195″ height=”71″ alt=”ourlanguages.gc.ca Language Portal of Canada” title=”The Langu

Oops sorry about that looks like it’s not open. Hmmm perhaps they’ve not returned from the festival yet. Hmmm well it has been a while, I agree.

Or maybe they are busy in one of those cultural spaces

You might say they follow the money trail

Then again maybe they are just out taking care of business as usual

Distribution pattern? Sorry, can’t help you there. Maybe check with the Economics Department. Hmmmm distributive Justice?
Pigovian? Never heard of it.

And the Data Shmata Lab, otherwise known as Computer Science.

The Legal Department is in here preparing for Persons Day celebrations. Yes, on October 19.
Well of course women are persons too.

Artist on Board

My name is Maggie and I am a Canadian artist.
Visit ArtistsInCanada.com, a national directory of Canadian artists and art resources

Until it gets so cold that I can no longer work in my Bathurst studio I hope to be there Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Visitors are always welcome.

Maggiequinn studio sign

Visitors welcome to drop by for a chat on most Tuesday’s, Fridays and Saturdays 10-3pm

It is Friday October 16. I was in my studio today and here is what my chorus line looks like so far

Life size paintings on wood panel

Three chorus ladies

That Which is Possible

That which you can see – that which you cannot see
That which you can hear – that which you cannot hear
That which you can touch – that which you cannot touch
That which you can feel – that which you cannot feel
That which you can know – that which you cannot know
That which you can prove – that which you cannot prove

That which you can

Hope
Winnipeg

Love
whatever that means to you

Care for
for others
for caring sake

Share
Winnipeg
Ottawa
Cornwall Cornwall

Bear
gifts
Winnipeg Winnipeg

Believe
whatever your belief

Gather
Together working for a Better World

Nothing is impossible