Bathurst

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.

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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

SO … Tell me again

Tell me again
Will you please
I am but
A lazy artist
—————————————————————–
We interrupt to bring you …. The following
This is an unpaid non-political advertisement.

Invest in good.

Get a good job
——————————————————————-

Not worth $10,000 a year
Thank you
O Canada

Join the festivities?

The celebrations?

Get together with artists?

Celebrate culture days?

Celebrations cost money

Not much left …

$10,000 hardly pays the bills.

Fade into the background?

Where is my pride … Is that the question?

Fade out like a dignified senior is expected to do?

Not on your life, O Canada.

O Canada, you gave me this bed upon which I am expected to retire.

Now take a good look.

 

So O Canada you think artists are worth nothing?

So … To all those good capitalists who have been living off of the creativity of artists for my lifetime … What can I say?

I remember one woman, years ago in Bathurst … Some say she sailed away on a love boat … I have no idea. What I do know is that she stole my work. Yes I know those are harsh words but it is the truth. She stole my design which was a drawing of a cornucopia which was to have been used on a menu. I was paid only for the menu design. What she did was to take my drawing and build her whole marketing campaign around it. She even had the drawing copied onto a large sign made to hang outside her very successful high end gourmet dining room. I was never paid for this extended use of my drawing.

What can I say about the young man who was starting up a consulting business in Bathurst back in the 1970s.  He asked me to design a brochure. I worked many long hours and presented him with a professional camera-ready copy.  He disappeared and I was never paid.  Commercial art, some say is a cut-throat business.  I agree and I guess that is why I closed down my small business shortly thereafter.

Then there was the good Christian woman whose Bible I repaired. She too disappeared and I was never paid. And there were all those other fine folks who complained that I asked more than five or ten dollars to repair a book that might take hours of work. There was also the hand-tooled leather guitar strap that  was  never paid for.

Then there was the super smooth talking Bathurst salesman who had this brilliant idea for something or other involving a picture of a baby which he asked me to do. Well, yes I did it,  gave it to him … OK … One more mistake.  I never saw my drawing again. Need I say that I never saw a cent of money.

I suppose all this might be discounted by saying that I am not a competent business person.  I don’t pretend to be. I am an artist.

So why did I not get out and get a “Real Job” all those years ago?  I tried … For years and years.  My government was no help there either.

Now I am a senior … Yes boring, I agree … and my government feels that I should be able to live on under $800.00 a month.

 

You did what O Canada?

You supported your Artists?  That would be an outrageous lie.

“Arts in Canada
Status of the Artist in Canada
An Update on the 30th Anniversary of the UNESCO

Recommendation Concerning the Status of the Artist

Prepared with the generous support of
Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal

September 2010

Author: Garry Neil, Neil Craig Associates Quebec research: Guillaume Sirois
Canada responded to the UNESCO Recommendation by creating the Siren‐Gélinas Task Force on the Status of the Artist which reported in August 1986. The 37 recommendations urged action by all levels of government on taxation, copyright, collective bargaining rights, payment of professional rates by governments and their agencies, social benefits, health and safety provisions, education, training and freedom of expression.

In response to the Siren‐Gélinas Report4, the federal government appointed an Advisory Committee on the Status of the Artist, comprised of artists and officials from associations and

the federal Status of the Artist Act, which was proclaimed into law in June 1992.

Part 1 of the Act outlines important principles, including: “The Government of Canada hereby recognizes:

(a) the importance of the contribution of the artists to the cultural, social, economic and

political enrichment of Canada;

(b) the importance to Canadian society of conferring on artists a status that reflects their

primary role in developing and enhancing Canada’s artistic and cultural life, and in

sustaining Canada’s quality of life;

(c) the role of the artist, in particular to express the diverse nature of the Canadian way of

life and the individual and collective aspirations of Canadians;

(d) to propose measures, based on research and studies, to improve the professional

working conditions of artists….”

THIS IS SOME KIND OF A BAD JOKE?

Ahhhhhh yes is that what they mean by lip service? Say one thing for official records but do the exact opposite?

“Part 1 also enables the creation of the Canadian Council on the Status of the Artist as a vehicle to give voice to the concerns of the artistic community and to recommend appropriate action by the government. ”

“While a temporary Council was appointed in 1991, its appointment was never confirmed by the Governor‐in‐Council as required by the Act. It effectively ceased to function in 1996, roughly a year after the substantive provisions of the Act were implemented. As reported below, the Council was eliminated in 2010. ”

Source

Click to access StatusoftheArtistReport1126101-Copy.pdf

Bathurst New Brunswick Canada

Health and Wealth appear to be popular topics of discussion these days.

So … Let’s talk about Health and Wealth in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada

“INCOME AND SOCIAL STATUS: If money can’t buy health, it certainly can contribute to our well-being because housing, diet, clothing and living conditions depend on our income and our place in society.”

Is Bathurst a Healthy Community?

WHAT DOES A HEALTHY COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATION LOOK LIKE?
Source: http://www.macsnb.ca
It is a place where everybody works together to improve their quality of life. A Healthy Community/Organization has human resources (all its members from the youngest to the oldest, city employees, decision makers…), economic resources (industries, companies, businesses…) and physical resources (water, air, soil, roads, parks, buildings, industrial plants…) to be proud of and that are used to improve health, the quality of life and the collective well-being.

A Healthy Community/Organization is a place where:

• Individuals are in good health;

• People have drinking water, food, and good housing;

• Everybody feels safe;

• Citizens participate in making decisions that concern them;

• People have access to adequate health services;

• People use both public and private services;

• Young people want to stay

• There are numerous support groups that work together;

• Cultural activities are important and reinforce people’s sense of belonging;

• Economic activities are important and varied (RQVVS, 2004).

Does Bathurst look like that?

Visit the MACS-NB web-site http://www.macsnb.ca to discover more …

Mouvement Acadien des Communautés en Santé du Nouveau-Brunswick (MACS-NB)

220 Boulevard St-Pierre West, Room 215, Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1A5

Telephone: 506-727-5667 Fax: 506-727-0899 macsnb@nb.sympatico.ca

Thank you MACS-NB for this information:

The Determinants of Health

BIOLOGY AND GENETIC ENDOWMENT: This is how you acquire your mother’s nose or your father’s eyes. The genetic baggage from your parents can have as much impact on your state of health as your previous medical history.

GENDER: Men and women are prone to health problems or conditions that are specifically their own. And it goes even further- they have different ways of reacting to their problems, as well as treating and preventing them.

CULTURE: It is basically who we are, our identity, our language, our history, our beliefs and our values.

HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT: What is experienced during early childhood influences the development of the individual throughout his or her life. That is why a healthy environment and enriching learning experiences are so important.

SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS: In good times as well as bad, to socialize or simply to prevent loneliness we turn to family, friends, colleagues or the community. These networks must be built as early as possible and maintained throughout our lifetime.

EDUCATION AND LITERACY: The higher our level of education, the better the chances are to have interesting employment, a good income and a better quality of life.

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKING CONDITIONS: Do you have a job? Are you unemployed? Do you work too hard or not enough? Are you stressed at work or are you appreciated? Working conditions affect your health whether they are good or bad.

8. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS: These are social conditions that promote wellness stability, acceptance of differences, inclusion, the sense of security, family and community solidarity.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS: Our health is affected by the quality of everything that surrounds us such as the air, water, global warming, housing, the workplace and even the road conditions and street lighting.

PERSONAL HEALTH PRACTICES AND COPING SKILLS: Making healthy choices (nourishing food, physical activity, mental health and fighting addictions) helps our ability to cope with the pace of every day life.

HEALTH SERVICES:Each one of us is responsible for promoting and maintaining our own health. However,we would all like to have quick access to quality services in our own language as close to home as possible.

INCOME AND SOCIAL STATUS: If money can’t buy health, it certainly can contribute to our well-being because housing, diet, clothing and living conditions depend on our income and our place in society.

The source of most of this information is:

PRACTICAL GUIDE to help implement the Healthy Communities Organizations approach; Nathalie Boivin, Ph.D., author; An initiative of the Mouvement Acadien des Communautés en Santé du Nouveau- Brunswick inc., in collaboration with the Réseau-action Communautaire de la Société Santé et Mieux-être en français du Nouveau-Brunswick.

Source URL http://www.macsnb.ca/publication/129/file/Building%20Healthy%20Comm.pdf

See for yourself
http://www.bathurst.ca/accommodations.php

Safety Net

Easy come
Easy go

Who said that?

Qui?

Are you sure it was Thomas Piketty?

—————————————————————–
We interrupt to bring you …. The following …
This is an unpaid non-political advertisement.

Invest in good.

Get a good job
——————————————————————-

Art Space

MaggieQuinn on Peace Walk

MaggieQuinn on Peace Walk

Hand painted T-shirts for sale

212 St Andrew, Bathurst, NB

also for sale – strings and things

like picks, tuners, stands, guitar parts,

even a few guitars and cases,

drumsticks, drumskins, cymbals,

custom-made cables for instruments and mics.

Ever see a 2000 foot microphone cable?

Need one? Ask us for a price.

Open Tuesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

212 St Andrew, Bathurst, NB

Last Call

Hey George
Want to go to Toronto?
Not today … October 3rd … Well there is this amazing free night of art … You know George … I do believe Scotiabank really supports art and artists … Well maybe not here in Bathurst, NB … So … Shall we move to Toronto?

No George … Missed the deadline … Well you know how I feel about competitions …
Besides the deadline is today … Well really …
http://www.sweetloveable.com/calling-artists-for-nuit-blanche-2015-info-sessions-jan-5-12-submission-deadlines-jan-19-feb-17/#more-60751

We missed another deadline, George. Oh well …m
Go to Toronto? Do you think? Evenafter the warning I just received?

Oh, did you not see it?

Someone just warned me that I might die if I left Bathurst, NB.

Hooooo … Hoooo … Hilarious, George. Like that is not just one more been-there-done-that scenario? Talk about those experiences? No George, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.

Ask any homeless person how scary and dangerous is life for those who dare to venture outside the boundaries constructed for them.

http://www.homelesshub.ca

Maybe ask the warriors try to help them.
http://www.santjordi-asociados.com/author/paulo-coelho-institute

Take a walk? You want me to take a walk?
On the coldest night of the year?
George, have you no heart inside that wee black and white feathered breast?
http://www.coldestnightoftheyear.org
Can we talk about this first?

Warning … Communication Breakdown

Warning:Public-Private Communication Breakdown
Warning:This following communique might be seen by some as an act of passive-aggressive behaviour on my part. Such is not my intention nor is this an under-handed attempt to criticize any particular person. I am simply trying to illustrate that communication-breakdown happens and think this is a good example of such breakdown.

Communication is an interesting concept. While being the passive recipient of emails and newsletters and tv and radio is the ultimate in communication for some people, there are those like myself who appreciate a bit of feed-back. Sometimes even a bit is not enough. Perhaps a grunt of assent was sufficient for my neanderthal ancestry. For me, however, communication requires a bit more effort.

Following is one example of communication-breakdown between myself and a paid public servant who did not appear at a public meeting last August although he had assured me he would be there. I finally received an email from him this past week, five months after the meeting. He wrote in his email that he had indeed gone but nobody was there.

What are you supposed to do or say when a public servant tells you that he will gladly do what he can to help you, then when you make a specific request, replies that your request does not fall within his particular area of expertise? What are you supposed to do when he or she does not appear at a meeting he promised to attend? Are you supposed to try to find out what happened? When you reconnect months later and he assures you that he will gladly help you in any way he can, do you actually believe such words are to be taken seriously?

This is only one example of many. How are you supposed to communicate with all those people guarding the portholes of government power in these days of Twitter?

Do you suppose anyone nowadays would appreciate the effort I put into the following (edited version) wordy reply I sent:

Thank you for getting back to me. When you were not at the meeting I was disappointed. I did not knock you off my list, however. My focus changed and I was very busy “seed-spreading” for the Spring Garden of Artists Festival.

Although the attendance at the meeting on that Sunday was very small, we were definitely there about an hour before the meeting which went ahead on schedule and lasted about another hour. I am puzzled. Perhaps you were at the wrong door is all I can think.

As for the the artist festival I have spread the seeds as far and wide as one one person could. What others have done is according to how interested they are in having arts in our community I guess.

The whole idea of what I am trying to do is show that it is up to individuals in the community to try to do what they can within their means and not depend upon government for handouts. I am asking artists to have the courage to put themselves and their work out there in May. It might be a bit like a performer jumping off a stage and hoping someone will be there to catch them. But isn’t that what a supportive community does?

All I am asking of any government agency is take the initiative to do their best to help independent artists feel welcome in their own community. Artists should not be obliged to join some formal government-approved organization or pay membership fees or scrounge for space in which to make and sell their art. Most of all, they should not have to leave their community in order to survive. Artists should be seen as the valuable resource they are and there should be infrastructure already in place.

I have already spoken to you and asked about vacant space in the city. I can think of several places and I’m sure there are others that might be made available to independent local artists and possibly visiting artists at least during May. That might be a good place for government to start. Rather than tearing down buildings they might consider offering space to artists for at least that month.

What I have discovered is that almost everybody I speak to is waiting around for someone in government to do something for them. I have no such expectations personally and am looking for nothing for myself. Such support was hardly there for me in the past and I don’t expect things to change at this late date in my life. However, I do hope that those in positions of power in Bathurst will wake up before it is too late and yet another generation of artists has moved away or given up completely.

I am still having an artist festival in May. Anybody who is interested is invited to become involved. There is no big money, no paying jobs, no sponsors and no luscious contracts. There is just me, a local artist who is inviting the community to become involved in building something out of almost nothing.

Because my husband’s business is closing I have lost one loyal supporter. On the other hand I have been presented with the gift of an art space for the next four months. I am willing to share this space because I see this as an opportunity to try to energize this community into becoming more arts-aware. This space would be the focal point of the arts festival during May. By then the weather will have warmed some, heating costs will be down and I hopefully will be able to remain open more than two days a week.

What you could do, if you are interested and so inclined, is to talk to the local merchants and businesses and ask each of them to actively seek out and find an artist to sponsor during May. That sponsorship might be as simple as displaying an artwork in their window or it could be more as their resources dictate. You might even pass this suggestion to agencies in neighbouring municipalities.

Making such contacts is something I was hoping to do until my husband’s business took a sudden change. Due to our present circumstances, I must focus my energies on my own space and my own art and am now unable to do the outreach I had originally planned.

I will be running the art centre at 212 St. Andrew St. Bathurst, New Brunswick until at least the end of May. The door will be open every Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 3:00 and people are cordially invited to drop by. I will also have a limited supply of musical accessories to sell, strings, capos, picks, drumsticks, etc. By the end of May I should know how much support Bathurst has for the arts and whether it makes any sense for me to remain here or like so many before me, just move away to an arts-friendly community.

Any artist who wants to sell their work or hold workshops here is invited to come into the St Andrew Street Arts Centre in Bathurst and discuss this with me.

Please feel free to pass this letter on to anyone you think who might be interested in reading it.

My website addresses are
http://www.facebook.com/chaleurartist
http://www.maggiequinn.me
http://www.chaleurbay.com or http://www.chaleurbay.wordpress.com