Art

Retro

Or would that be retrospect? No matter … Looking back looking ahead or looking ahead to looking back while I try to downsize, clean up, whatever I think to call it on any particular day.

I keep finding bits and pieces of a past life … To an older person that is a way of saying “I was young once too”

So here I am looking at a pice of art I did in my younger days, possibly early seventies, although I cannot recall. I also have no idea what ever happened to the original. All I have left is a photo I took of the piece.

I was going to post the picture but something doesn’t seem to be working.

So then I look at a picture of an installation I did a few years ago incorporating something I had made around mid seventies. That too, does not appear to be working.

So much for my attempts to use “new” media.

Then again, I bet Facebook will let me post my image.

OK I hear you Gabe. Thanks for the memory jog. It’s not that I can’t do any of that techie stuff. It annoys me th even have to try. Well, I bet I’ve forgotten more of that time-wasting stuff than many people my age have even tried.

image

Advertisement

Boxes

Was it Steve Jobs who first made us aware that we were living inside of boxes? I’m not sure. But it’s so hard to be sure of anything in this changing world, isn’t it? I guess none of us likes being defined by the boxes to which life consigns us. But hey, that’s life.

Two of the boxes that most define me nowadays are Artist & Senior.

I chose neither of these. The first box is one I was born into and shaped to fit because of the family and society that raised me. The second is the box everyone of us is forced into should they live long enough.

I was advised long ago to shed that artist box and get a real job. I really tried but over and over potential employers discovered that I was only pretending not to be an artist. As I grew older and society began to measure me for my senior box things began to get really uncomfortable.

Being an artist had been difficult enough but until I became a senior I had no idea how it felt to be a true outcast. But I’ve been a lone survivor for a very long time.

Over the past few weeks I’ve made an attempt to contact other survivors like myself, those floating about in their own boxes, trying to find a friendly shore on which to land and build something suitable and worthwhile.

I thought there was a solid shore but I guess that was merely an illusion. So these days I just float, imagining that somewhere out there are other artists, some like myself who have at most 20 or 30 more years of life, perhaps 10 more years of making art. I’m trying not to be sad over this failure. At least I tried.

Artists Centre in Chaleur

A Community Arts Centre in Chaleur may be in the works.

Chaleur Region has been waiting a very long time.

This might have happened many years ago at the old Sacred Heart Convent in Bathurst. Plans were in the works until the Bulldozers came in and POOF the building became a memory and the property a parking lot for the beautiful new City Hall.

Years later we still have no Community Arts Centre in Bathurst, the largest community in the Chaleur Region.

Ahhh but things are beginning to happen, maybe. Facts can be fuzzy at times.

There has been some recent resurgence of interest in getting a community Arts Centre started in Bathurst.

AMDHHA has been working on this idea for at least 10 years so this is nothing new. What is new is that there seems to be yet another organization in the process of forming to bring this hope to fruition. This new agency may be looking at the Maison Doucet Hennessy House as a possible location for this centre. There also has been interest expressed that LaBarque in Green Point Pointe Verte might be a good location.

Several other local and provincial organizations and businesses also appear to be somehow involved in this move to build a community arts centre in Bathurst.

Personally I think it is wonderful that there is so much happening all of a sudden. The one concern I have is that local individual artists might be left out of this picture. For that reason I have begun to raise a series of artist meet ups.

My hope is that other independent artists like myself will be encouraged and permitted to also have a say in any plans to build a community arts centre.

The first meetup planned for May 11 is canceled
It will NOT be held …

We will NOT be meeting …

Since the house has been closed up most of the winter it might still be a bit cool inside so it would be good to dress warm.

We will NOT be meeting with … for artists who want to work in the house this summer, … and see what facilities are being offered.

Although the artist meet-ups will not be taking place at Doucet-Hennessy House I still support the idea that this house could play some part in the future of the artists of Chaleur.

The official name of this organization is AMDHHA Association Doucet Hennessy House Association by the way if you want to do a search. The house is an historic property and the organization has both a website and a Facebook site.

As for the next meet-up in a month’s time , well we had planned to fix a time and date on May 11. … But that one has been canceled.

Any suggestions anyone as to a venue for meet-ups?

I did approach the local Bathurst library with a request for meeting space but that was over a week ago and they have yet to get back to me.

Meanwhile I’ll be searching out other potential free art spaces in the region. If you have any suggestions please let me know Contact maggiequinn@rogers or call 783-7944

If you know of any artists who would like to join us, please invite them along to future meet-ups.

These will be informal get togethers. For anyone who can only spare a half hour that is fine. By just showing up to show support you are helping. If you you want to stay around for an hour or two to discuss future plans and share ideas that is wonderful. No fees, no committees no voting, no hierarchy, let’s try this.

Never Forget

I am the first artist-in-residence at the Doucet-Hennessy house in Bathurst, New Brunswick. My new exhibit opens to the public on Wednesday, July 3

By the way, I strongly identify as Irish. Yes, technically I am Canadian and one might suppose that today I would be celebrating Canada Day. However, for reasons I’ll not go into at present, I prefer to celebrate the Heritage passed down to by my ancestors, the Hennessys and O’Tooles among others.

The Don’t Forget You’re Irish art exhibit opens to the public July 3. Drop by Tuesday to Saturday for a cup of tea and a chat at the historic Doucet-Hennessy House in Bathurst, New Brunswick. If you play Celtic or Acadian music or any sort of traditional folk music, we hope to have informal music sessions on Saturdays from 2-4. Bring along your acoustic instrument and join us. Music workshops are in the planning for September.

This exhibit is open to the public from July 3 – 28 in Bathurst, New Brunswick. More about the exhibit in this press release: https://surmonbabillard.com/art-exhibit-dont-forget-youre-irish-doucet-hennessy-house/”>Irish Canadian family settled on Bay of Chaleur in Canada.

Spring Garden 2016

Snow will soon cover our lawns, our driveways, our walkways and wherever else we may enjoy spending our time outdoors. Do not despair. It will not last forever.

Spring 2016 is coming. With it comes an opportunity to engage in art-fare.
Chaleur Bay Artists are again being invited to participate.

As in the Spring Garden of Artists Festival 2015 …

A whole five months of preparation time lies ahead

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?

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.

Job Share II

Today’s Job find
Sunday October 4, 2015
But this is Sunday. This is my day of rest.
About those folks who stop by and offer to pray for you …
Yes we know … Prayers won’t help pay the heating power during even the kindest Canadian winter. But smiles will help take away the chill and at least they took the time to stop by.
By the way, there is no day of rest for the wicked.

Do you fancy a job as
Senior Visual Designer?
Product Designer?
Design Director?
Senior Graphic Designer (UI)?
Junior Art Director?
Creative Director?
Product Designer?