Jasper is located in a National Park, and April is the month previous to the busiest time of year for the residents of Jasper.The opportunity to look at art slowly, to be welcomed into a Museum to look and forget about the hectic world outside was met with great anticipation.Such unfamiliar territory…
I suggested as the ‘viewers’ arrived that they each take a journal and select one or two pieces from the exhibition to focus on.The following text is from the journals.
Paulette: I walked into the room.Bear called.There was Raven.Bear called again.From the centre of my brain he was calling, he was calling and I kept circling.Then the moon and her phases catch me on the left.Bloom into dark places where things are born.Red chakra bleeds down his legs.This bear has no claws. No mouth. Such small eyes – those two can be liars.The ears, are the big part, one dark one clear.No gold here like on his feet.He stepped in the honey is all.Sometimes, the sweet things in life are there to slow us down.Like walking through honey.
I am drawn again to the eyes and the frost, the pattern on the face.I wonder how an artist can ‘contain’ ‘produce’’coax out’…’birth’’vision’…’dream’’pray’ such elegance and not go insane.This is not a sculpture.The inside is hollow hello, it is speaking from the inside.It’s still moving, I wonder if there is a room big enough for this piece?I wonder if it will fit under my coat?He belongs outside?
(for the full text from this viewer please ask)
Small remote communities are often full of treasures yet can lack a sense of inclusion that larger arts communities have.Jasper’s humble ‘small town’ museum has the usual walk through our history displays, high points along the way include famous people who have been here, connections to the rest of the world through world events like war and peace.AND then it has a beautiful big room for exhibits and gallery showings.Behind the displays of patronage to the monarchy and institutional colours is a room that the Museum has created for showcasing the art and soul of the region.
Sharon:Love Spell.Little child, wings, infinity.Raven, cosmic joy, moon, freedom.Love.The dreams of magic and what the future will hold.Its all happening, past present future.This picture for me is about infinity.At first it was childlike wonder that attracted me to it.But in the end I felt the whole continuum of life and a sense of wholeness completeness.Love the colour and the name.I felt love, the innocence of a child, protective and unemotional.Lavender moons, feminine energy.
Sharon is the clay artist…if anyone can understand the process of slow…it is a clay artist.The stages of creating from clay to bisque to glaze to completion is not for the impatient.Even after working through the winter on her exhibition pieces she finds the time to stop and look a valuable exercise.
Sharon:Earth Keeper, by Sharon Anderson.Interesting she hasn’t found a home yet.She looks like stone not so much like Raku.It seemed to me that the Goddess came from the cup…I didn’t see that before.The intent is the same as when I created her – but I think I need more introspection – maybe that is why I am taking her home.This piece seems to be in my life right now in some form or another in conversations.There is a letting go as you put the piece in the kiln.Time is very important to my work.
As a curator (not of this show) and observer for the day I imagine the journals of the two artists talking about their own work were the hardest to write. I find artists are often immediately their own worst critics…but after an hour of sitting with their own creations…
Marla: Athena, by Marla Pollock. This busy highly decorative piece appeals to me because of its joyful central figure. The whole effect of scattered jewels in contrasting colours. The more you look the more you discover! The hand turned into bird, the feathers turned into fern branches, the dominant snake come to tempt or embrace Athena? Do you see the claws, antlered fish, skull, heart, waves, a palm laden with fruit…what was Marla thinking?
Needless to say the lunch after the hour in the gallery gave way to much chatter.Not only do we seldom spend an hour inside our heads and hearts looking at art…it is equally seldom that we spend an hour in silence.Recurring themes and thoughts from the morning were obviously very relevant to the subject matter of the exhibit.The journals overflowed with the ideas of compassion, wisdom, healing, earthy, imaginative, harmony, richness, beginnings, portals, movement, freedom,…playfulness.
Would an exhibition of more dramatic imagery/black and white photography/or digital media result in a different conversation?
Would a different group of people have written different journals? Or does the art have the power to direct the writings?
Does looking at art slowly change the viewer and/ or the viewing?
We look forward to next year to have some way of comparing the process.
One thing we have learned about running a three week arts ‘festival’…there is no such thing as NO we can’t. It’s yes time. All things are possible…all things are subject to change – but there is no NO.
Let’s start with the annual Raven about the Arts Awards.
This year’s funding was a bit less than expected and at least four of our hard core volunteers (and when you have four hard core volunteers you really have eight volunteers!) were going on vacation, a couple had work related issues and some had even moved on to new horizons. The remaining crew took over the gaps, filled them in or the event was simply changed to work with what we had. The doors opened, the MC welcomed the full room of artists and art lovers and the night went off without a hitch.
And there is a youtube video where the award winners tell you about their art in their own words.
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The awards night was followed by the third Artists in the Pines weekend with instructor Tessa Nunn. Sunday afternoon music provided by the Artists Guild with guests The Fiddle River Band.
Visits with the Alberta Minister of Culture and Premier Redford…
Wrap that up in a Variety Show of Jasper talent, a community coming together for soup…a photo workshop in the most beautiful time of the year…
So while volunteers can fall victim to jobs…or vacations…Jasperites just seem to be able to bring it together through all kinds of circumstances!
Like the awesome theatre troupe that brought Jasper two nights of live theatre this month. We heard some back stage jitters about minor nervous stage stumbles or bumbles but unless you had written the script – it was perfect! Congrats Jasper Theatre Company!
And in case you are wondering…throughout the photos you can catch our painted skulls and South American theme…well…its 2012. Yes, it is a year of change. Jasper’s arts community is getting a brand new building for 2013. In early 2011 the Municipality of Jasper invited both the Habitat for the Arts and the Jasper Artists Guild to be part of the new Library/Cultural Building presently under construction. Definitely a time of change! Culture Days and Arts with Altitude 2013 will be bigger and better with the new dedicated artspaces!
SO
THANKS JASPER.
On to the Yellowhead Arts Festival Spring 2013!! Another two weeks of art that YOU can be part of. Ask us how!
Hard to believe that another year has passed and we are looking at the 4th annual Alberta Culture Days month of festivities in partnership with the ARTS WITH ALTITUDE Festival and Arts Jasper and Jasper Artists Guild and the Jasper Theatre Company and the Library…!!
The theme this year is CHANGE…its 2012 and the Mayan calendar is not the only ‘icon’ of change in Jasper! The new cultural spaces the Municipality are building will mean a lot of change for the arts organizations and relationships for the future of Jasper arts and culture!
SO- lots to say and do…lets get to it! (VOLUNTEERS…we need some photographers to make sure we capture all these events for history!)
SEPT 21 RAVEN ABOUT THE ARTS AWARDS, 7pm at the Jasper Artists Guild. $5 (VOLUNTEER opportunities: door, hospitality, setup and takedown)
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SEPT 21 PRAIRIE TALES 14, 7pm in the Mandala Room at the Jasper Artists Guild. $5, entrance to the Awards Night is entrance to the films. The annual touring anthology of short films and videos made by Albertan media artists. Every year, Alberta’s filmmakers bring out a new batch of works from the shining lights of our province’s media arts scene and assemble them into a feature-length package for distribution across Alberta and beyond. (VOLUNTEER opportunities: door, setup and takedown)
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SEPT 17-28 SCARECROW CONTEST, build a scarecrow in your neighbourhood, register it at jasperscarecrowfestival@gmailcom to win great prizes!
SEPT 25 and 27 PUPPET MAKING WORKSHOPS, $10 per night. 6:30-9:30pm both nights
SEPT 28 SCRIPT WRITING for puppetry, $10. 6:30-9:30pm
SEPT 28 The Best of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) will host a Three Part Series this Fall!
Part One : Bike Climb Paddle Run Fly : September 28
Part Two : Pipelines and Playgrounds : October 26
Part Three : Stoked on Snow : November 23
Tickets:
$14 in Advance at the Jasper Legion (after September 10)
$16 at the Door
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SEPT 29 A WALKABOUT with heritage character MONA MATHESON…learn a bit about Jasper heritage and then drop by the Library for storytelling and a writers afternoon!!
Then stop into the Jasper Library for an afternoon of storytelling with writer John Strugnell at 3pm.
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SEPT 29 and 30, watch Jasper’s streets as Artists appear – to register to play outside…contact Peggy at events@iotad.ca or call 852.4747. (VOLUNTEERS needed to make performance badges)
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SEPT 30 BOWLS WITH SOUL, the annual night for sharing a bowl of soup with your community, and you get to keep the HANDMADE IN JASPER bowl! Only 70 bowls this year…$20. Community event, no charge if you don’t want a bowl. This year we will be voting on Jasper’s soup makers…and someone will get to take home the GOLDEN LADLE!! (VOLUNTEER opportunities: take tickets at the door, hand out ballots for the GOLDEN LADLE, dish duty!)
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SEPT 30 VARIETY STAGE SHOW, an annual stage production for Culture Days…to get on stage email hillbear@shaw.ca. Dance, sing, share your poetry or play your fiddle! Great honorariums. Free, all ages welcome.
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Jasper is home this year to HOME ROUTES house concerts…check them out on facebook! Or contact Nancy Addison to see what great musicians are coming to Jasper this winter! First concert is Sept 30 with guest artists THE SATURDAY SAINTS!
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OCTOBER 1 Jasper Legion is the place to be with great music by MATT ANDERSON!!
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OCT 6 and 7 ARTISTS IN THE PINES, share the weekend with an amazing instructor, Tessa Nunn. Tessa Nunn graduated from with a Masters in Fine Art from the New York Academy of Art in 2002. Since her return to Canada, she has been teaching figurative painting, drawing and sculpture, as well as courses on painting techniques. Tessa began to teach painting and drawing workshops because she felt a need for a new approach to teaching art, one that embraces the many levels of our being. The curriculum she has developed is based on her artistic processes which are influenced by spiritual principles, as well as traditional painting techniques. Through meditation, gentle Yogic movement, and lessons on art techniques, participants explore different ways to look at the human form, and then ultimately at the world around them. $225 please register at 780.852.0359 or arts@iotad.ca
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OCT 11 and 12 DINNER THEATRE for Arts Jasper, Jasper Theatre Company and the Arts with Altitude Festival Finale! Beyond Therapy, adult content, tickets are $50 and for sale at the Library and Tekarra Photo. BEYOND THERAPY…Trying to find that special someone can be quite a trial in our hectic, fast-paced society. In Christopher Durang’s play Beyond Therapy the already difficult situation of trying to build a new relationship is given an extra twist through the creation of a unique love triangle. The story centers around Bruce , a neurotic bisexual thirtysomething; Prudence , the equally neurotic thirtysomething who answers his personal ad, and Bob, Bruce’s high-strung, jealous lover. Add to the mix Bruce’s and Prudence’s therapists, and the stage has been set for confusion, conflict, and lots of comedy. (VOLUNTEER opportunities…please call!)
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OCT 13 Join us at the Jasper Park Stables on Pyramid Lake Road for some ‘Flashlight painting’ for the Dark Sky Festivities. Details on the Tourism Jasper Dark Sky Festival website.
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OCT 13 and 14 DARK SKY PHOTOGRAPHY workshops at Pine Bungalows with YUICHI TAKASAKA! $55, 2-4pm. Register at arts@iotad.ca
OCT 13 noon to 4pm take in the Animation workshop ‘Drawing Dragons’ with Deanna Dence. Ages 12 – 100, $50 materials supplied.
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AND because sometimes we all need a little help planning our days when there is so much going on…we have CULTURE CACHING PASSPORTS coming out soon. Follow the arts and culture map of your community and get the passport stamped at participating merchants or locations! Then hand in your passport at the Activity Centre for a chance to win a Culture Caching prize!
Ask us questions…we have more details…or stop by ROOM 12 in Building 32 Tuesdays through Saturdays in September from 1-3pm (thankyou Chris and Sharon Diamond) for a chat about how you can be part of ARTS WITH ALTITUDE…
Thanks go out to Delphinus 18 Productions for all the help with technical and digital services. Thanks go out to Julie McMath, Jason Munn, Zaybee McGregor, Kim Wallace, Marie Helene, Randy Daniels, Peggy Munn, David Baker, Marianne Garrah, Jasper Artists Guild, Phat Cat Event Planners, Arts Jasper, Jasper Theatre Company and many more to come we are sure!!
Thankyou to Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus for administration assistance with these many events.
AND watch the JASPER COMMUNITY HABITAT FOR THE ARTS on facebook for details and more…
Change is the only constant, and if you work with the non-profit sector you know all about change. After 20 years of workshops, seminars, webinars and social networking it is obvious that change is happening at an ever increasing speed and if we want to survive, and make a difference, we will have to learn the language that will take us into the future. Where better to learn a new vocabulary than at an event called an ‘IMAGINATION CONVERSATION’.
These conversations are a practice of the Performing Arts Dept at New York’s Lincoln Centre where they have been imagining a more creative community for over 35 years. The one at the Winspear this week was Canada’s first Imagination Conversation. The intent of the organizers is to have 150 conversations before 2017 when Canada turns 150 years old. So for three days we were entertained, fed and watered in both mind and body.
We were right in our sense that something is coming, changes that we need to be able to address…in all facets of society – Economics, Socio-demographics, Regulatory and Technological. Here in our wonderful remote community we don’t feel the emergence of cell therapy or fusion energy. Those combined with access to technology, as never before, coupled with the retirement of over 78 million people within the next 10 years leaves our world with changes not unlike those of the middle ages or the invention of the printing press. These changes will challenge all structures – our institutional systems are becoming archaic. And as leaders we cannot address these changes by simply moving faster and learning more. Information is everywhere…no longer do we see our clients (the people that we serve in our nonprofits) as needing information…they have access to as much information as professionals now. This is a profound change in the service provider’s relationship to clients. Alberta is already applying analytics to much of its professional sector – displacing the need for professionals – in everything from studying energy to crime to consumers. (Dr. Pierre Kinkaide, Alberta Council of Technologies, http://www.bestofanalytics.com/category/blog/ )
Coupled with the 78 million retirees and their ‘knowledge’ leaving the workplace is the incoming ‘idea generation’ and their concepts and use of the digital world. This imaginative generation takes problem solving out of the language and replaces it by facing challenges through ICI – the imagination-creativity-innovation continuum. (Robert Kelly, http://www.robertkelly.ca/home-page, Scott Noppe-Brandon, http://lcinstituteblog.com/2011/03/23/the-%E2%80%9Cici-continuum%E2%80%9D-imagination-creativity-and-innovation/ ) Changes in educational environments are leading to ‘sustained creative potential’ programs. Some institutions in the States are already admitting students through an ‘academic blind’ process – where creative portfolios, not the traditional academic ratings, are key.
“In a Grade 11 English class at McNally High School this year, students chose their own novels, worked at their own pace, and the teacher didn’t lecture at the front of the room. These students, though they had limited success with English previously, made great progress — everyone finished all assignments, from poetry to the persuasive essay — before the end of term. They worked on what they did best first. They got better grades. That’s what happens when creativity, flexibility and student engagement are built into the classroom — and when teachers aren’t constantly teaching to a test and the class isn’t obsessed with marks, says principal Dale Skoreyko.” (http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Imagination+Conversation+explores+creativity+role+student+success/6614802/story.html )
Educating a creative workforce is a global issue. CEOs around the world were asked the following question: “What are the top qualities you seek when hiring someone?” The answer was “the ability to deal with complexity.” When they were asked what qualities they find lacking in today’s workplace, they said “creativity.”
A sustainable future depends upon imaginative, creative, innovative solutions to profound and complex challenges. The very future of our communities and institutions depends on our ability to nurture and harness imagination to creatively solve problems. Alberta is already moving towards changing education to reflect the ‘Creative Challenge Index’. (Dan Hunter, Hunter-Higgs LLC, http://www.creativechallengeindex.org/ )
If this seems like a lot of information to absorb…it was. Guest speaker ‘rapid fire’ sessions ranged from political scientists, economists, a neurosurgeon, lawyers, and educators all with one theme in their talks…creativity. How to harness creative energy, how to help educators plan for creativity, how to value creative assets in your organization and how to apply these concepts to our own organizations once we got home – all topics laid out in just 48 hours.
All traditional ways of working in committees, ways of leading and solving problems will be challenged by the socio-economic, demographic and cultural changes of the fast paced technological future.
And of course, what would a conference on the future be without the future being included!! Over 100 children got on stage and did this exact song…wasnt a dry eye in the building. The Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus will be bringing these fantastic ‘ARTISTS IN NATURE’ to our region, to work with our youth, next spring on time for Earth Day!!
“A time of inbetweenity.” Psychologist Ellen Langer, known for her work in ‘mindfulness’, tells us that we should be ready to embrace uncertainty. We learn from noticing differences, we learn through uncertainty. We cannot continue to look at the world through a ‘deficit based perspective’ (problems to be solved). She goes on to say that this kind of thinking leads to ‘rearranging the furniture’ – keeping the status quo…a linear approach that focuses on inabilities rather than abilities. Yet we value abilities as they are the inspiration for leadership. Embrace the uncertainty and focus on abilities, non linear thinking allows for individuality – acknowledging strength based assets. (Dr Peter Gamwell, Ottawa, Peter’s philosophy is simple: the health and prosperity of any organization is directly proportional to the value, autonomy and creative freedom given to the people who make up that organization.)
‘Selling creativity to a bean counting culture’ by Matt Homann talks about the need to measure things that make life worthwhile – in the future the GDP will not have the same status it has today. Measuring the economy will be done on new curves. ( http://www.lexthinkllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Matthew-Homann-One-Page-Bio.pdf ) Matt had an intense view on the economic concept of creativity…arts are communication – have been around for thousands of years, cave art, stained glass windows of cathedrals were storytelling for those who couldn’t read…business has lost that connection. These communicators, artists and teachers, are often the lowest paid persons…sell your product – give them value, no one wants to buy karma.
Focus on the user of the product, provide an experience that is beyond what is already available. (Our ‘Come for the Smiles’ program at Habitat last year, where town employees and other corporate offices were invited to come and play in the arts, allowed for creative communications.) Matt has taken executives into tango classes where he provides each dancer with a secret card…the card might say things like ‘teacher’ or ‘student’ or ‘superintendent’. No one is told what the other person’s card reads…imagine trying to dance not knowing if you are the teacher or the student… Rather than putting executives through ‘Toastmasters’ to teach them public speaking…incorporate storytelling, and theatre and song and writing into what these public speakers will need to communicate. He also talked about the knowledge transfer that is occurring as the boomers leave the workforce…that knowledge is an organizations assets.
Don’t let reality be the end of an idea…if x or y won’t work…what about a or b.
Dr David Kahane from Alberta Climate Dialogue wanted us to know that diversity should not only be represented by the different people in a room but should be found in each person as well. Alberta is not a province of diversity. Ideas sometimes must die so great ideas can live. ‘His broader research deals with theories and practices of democratic dialogue and deliberation, with focus on features of process design that make public dialogues more inclusive and transformative.’ (www.albertaclimatedialogue.ca)
The theme of Imagination Conversation is part of the project undertaken by i150 (http://i150.net/who-we-are/). To mark Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 Governor General David Johnston has asked ‘where are we now as a nation, where are we going and how are we going to get there?’ ImagiNation 150 is a Calgary based organization focused on those questions and working towards that commemorative date. In keeping with this concept (150 and conversation and where our community is today) I wondered if perhaps our community would like to engage in a challenge where we attempt, as individuals, to meet 150 new people in our community within the year. That would meet many of the concerns addressed at this conference here in our community…conversation, diversity, creativity and relationship building. And by using technology a social network could be setup where we share who we are meeting.
It is interesting to note that many attendees at the conference were there to talk about art and creativity, and were pleasantly surprised to find that, in actuality, the focus was on how creativity is incorporated into everything we do – and how important creative thinking will be to lead us into the next generation of change. Most of us were hoping for the magic formula to take home and implement in our communities. Showing yet again, how thinking is changing. There IS no formula.
The nonprofit sector is being transformed by a broad range of trends – generational shifts, economic and political uncertainty, technology and networking, increased diversity, shifting nonprofit boundaries and virtual work. Transformation is not optional, if we don’t move at the speed of change, we will be left behind. (La Piana Consulting)
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QUOTES I found:
Ideas don’t make change, experiences do.
You can’t jump chasms without taking a leap.
Follow the crowd, stop with the crowd.
Committee’s are cul-de-sac’s. (Interestingly the new cultural spaces in Jasper are taking the Partnership Matrix beyond collaborations to actual Strategic Alliances…collaboration is just the beginning to building partnerships!! The Creative Campus also takes collaboration beyond phase one – creating an alliance between five municipalities!)
Nonprofits want to ‘deserve’ money…ask for it. Give value, not karma.
Only those who are asleep make no mistakes…
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Perhaps the most exciting thing collected at this event was the concept of ArtScience. ArtScience looks at the need to have our cultural, corporate and educational systems use both art and science in ways where the conventional line can no longer be seen; artists, industry and social sectors working together to meet the needs, and lead innovation, for the future. And David Edwards book ‘Creativity in the post-Google Generation’ has many examples of how this happens every day without notice. ( http://thelaboratory.harvard.edu/concept/artscience/ )
We do not need to work harder or faster to meet these changes, in fact ‘busy’ doesn’t allow for conversation (or healthy relationships)…we need to be mindful of where we are in the process of addressing challenges and influencing change.
Should you have any questions or suggestions on how our communities can move forward into the Idea Generation…we can start conversations now!!
January’s mark new beginnings, new years full of promise and dreams. For Habitat, just over a year old, we are now looking at our old age – in a sense. We created a space for exploring the arts, a place to show art, create art – regardless of age or skill. The community jumped on board with regular workshops, film nights, demonstrations and events.
Music in the Street!
And as the Habitat prepares to take down the walls of accessible creative space – the walls for Habitat II are going up. You see, in 2011 we were invited to be part of the new Library that the Town of Jasper is building. They have opened up the northwest end of the new structure to be a home for Jasper’s Arts and Cultural industries.
So, as we get into the groove of booking events and opening doors for the varying community orgs to create programming in Hab I for 2012 – our attention and energies are twisted towards making sure that, when Hab II opens its doors in 2013, it reflects all the gusto and intensity of seasoned arts and cultural workers! We will transfer the excitement of our original opening, such a short time ago, and pour it into the new foundations.
Habitat and Jasper Artists Guild on the far left
And if that isn’t scary enough, we have taken a deeper dive into the world of advocacy and lobbying for this great industry by making sure our funders and future funders are confident in what we bring to the community of Jasper. To do that, we have to ‘peel back the hide’ on the carcass of Hab I and ‘pick some bones’ to make sure we are getting every possible scrap of information on what we have done and where we can go with what we know. What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses? (feel free to tell us!)
BUT first and foremost, before we go to the big house…before we go to the bright and shiny ‘in the public eye’ cultural spaces being built just for what we BELIEVE we are…lets define the what and the why.
What will it be? If we learned anything from the past 14 months it’s that not everything we felt the community needed was needed. At least not in the form that we presented it in.
Our efforts to include all ages – check. From wee ones to seniors – they came to be engaged or to share their skills.
Our efforts to tie the arts into as many community and extended community (tourism) events as possible – check. From the annual Jasper in January Festival to the Dark Sky Festival to Heritage Day…we built related workshops or displays and even full on festivals to complement what was there (or missing).
Our efforts to co-ordinate the different organizations in the community through art – check. Arts Days and the annual Arts with Altitude Festival not only got every possible org from the Folk N Blues Society to Arts Jasper to the Film Club doing what they do best – they did it all over town.
ArtsDays 2011
So that takes care of the WHAT. Now the WHY.
An initial glance at any ‘arts centre’ initiative and you can deduce that it was about the ‘centering’. It was about creating a ‘hub’ where information on art, arts groups, arts events, arts education…could be found. Our passing grade on this – check. Evidence is in the offshoots of success that can be seen in artists, that are now teaching and sharing their art, that found their audiences and students through Habitat’s ‘people place process’ mandate. Further evidence is in continued support and lobbying efforts made by IOTAD to keep groups alive, and prospering. This support reaches far and wide…from reviving ToastMasters (fingers crossed for their continued success…we need great speakers!) to offering volunteer support to Arts Jasper to offering space for community to meet. Continual searching for funds to enhance and financially support others – instructors, artists and even actors – round out the relevancy of Hab’s ‘centre’. A lengthy pursuit of ideology and philosophy on the detrimental effects of ‘silos’ in community we wont go into – Jasper’s past ‘silos’ are slowly merging and creating a strong diversified cultural industry.
This industry – in Alberta – is responsible for 3500 jobs and a 1:12 return on investment – turning $13 million dollars (in Alberta Foundation for the Arts grants alone) into $153 million for the Alberta economy. This impact is felt throughout the province from tourism, accommodations, transportation to agriculture and education. We find the potential to grow this industry in Jasper very exciting, we find the Town of Jasper’s insightful move to create dedicated ‘cultural spaces’ in the new Library very advantageous.
Ok, this is getting very long…and we still have pictures to post! One final reason for todays post…to educate those that wonder what Habitat is doing, what we stand for, why…
Almost every conversation we have – be it with teachers or students or seniors or parents or politicians…leads to economics. Well, while we are not artists in the pure sense – we dont paint, we dont dance [where you can see us], we dont sing - we sure do dream. And we believe. We believe that the arts can be a poignant economic driver if we learn from those that have succeeded, if we listen to those that are trying to tell us something, if we watch the signs and enthusiastically grasp and build on opportunities like a new facility.
People Place Process, IOTAD mantra – put them in whatever order you want. We believe they are the keys to success. Not unlike the 3T’s of Creative Class fame. Talent, technology and tolerance.
Talent: The driving force behind any effective economic strategy is talented people. We live in a more
mobile age than ever before. People, especially top creative talent, move around a lot. A community’s
ability to attract and retain top talent is the defining issue of the creative age. Technology: Technology and innovation are critical components of a community or organization’s ability
to drive economic growth. To be successful, communities and organizations must have the process for
transferring research, ideas and innovation into marketable and sustainable products. Educational institutions are paramount to this, and provide a key hub institution of the creative age. Tolerance: Economic prosperity relies on cultural, entrepreneurial, civic, scientific and artistic creativity.
Creative workers with these talents need communities, organizations and peers that are open to new
ideas and different people. Places receptive to immigration, alternative lifestyles, and new views on
social status and power structures will benefit significantly in the creative age. Define it as proactive inclusion.
Jasper might be a bit behind on the PROCESS or the TECHNOLOGY to make the arts a viable economic pillar today. And Habitat II or IOTAD’s dream of a ‘Banff Centre’ atmosphere in Jasper might be a bit reaching…but that’s what we do. That’s why we are here. Imagine a world without art.
Since November 10th 2010 the big space located on the corner of Hazel and Patricia Streets in downtown Jasper has been home to the Yellowhead Regional Creative Campus, Library Film Nights, music jams, painting workshops, beading and knitting afternoons – heritage arts, author readings, information sessions from the Banff Centre and Volunteer Alberta, public gallery shows from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts collection, regular meeting space for over six community arts related orgs including a startup for Jasper’s Toastmasters, square dancing, childrens theatre games (lots and lots of children), adult theatre practices, video classes, pottery classes, multimedia art exploring, NFB webcasts, language arts for outreach education, Whats On Jasper wall, volunteer store and centre, afterschool programs, annual cultural celebrations like Celtic Hour, lunch bag programs, studio for visiting artists…
…we were hoping to create a SPACE for community to engage, teach and demonstrate arts and culture. It looks like ‘it only took a dream’.
Photos of the past year can be seen on our the link to the right here called ‘A Photo History’ – it will take you to a Flickr photo site. Or catch some sidewalk cinema as we showoff the year on the window screens at Habitat this month…hey – if it’s going to get dark at suppertime…we are going to use the dark!!
The Habitat has been supported by many and supports many arts programs in Jasper. In 2011 over $20,000 was spread through the community for three culturally related arts ‘festivals’. Artists were employed, musicians were hired, art was purchased, instructors taught, restaurants and hotels were booked – are we bragging…you bet we are! In 2010 the social return on a ten day festival was calculated to be a 200% spin back of dollars into the community…we haven’t finished this years SROI.
The ANNUAL JASPER CHRISTMAS FAIR – November 20…make a gingerbread house for Santas Anonymous and maybe you will win a day in the JPL Fairmont Bakery…secrets will be shared I have heard! To be on the voting ballot please register your house by the 18th..and deliver it to the Activity Centre on Sunday morning between 9:30 and 10:30 please.
And Go to the FAIR!!
ITS ANIMATION MONTH!
NOVEMBER 21 and 28 – animation NFB short films at 4pm and animation projects for Christmas gift making workshops, $5 and $10 drop in fees for the Craft Stations (might be good to phone and let us know you are coming so there is enough materials! Hate to turn anyone away)
DECEMBER 10- the Habitat will be open from noon-4 or later for its first birthday party. Come by for cake and check out Jasper’s very own Jazz Band (I would say High School Jazz Band…but if I don’t tell you how old these musicians are – you would never know by their skill!). Joel Cultur of Art of Street will do a live demonstration of his art during their music…Amber Hayward will read to us from her latest book…Shara will have some awesome handmade dolls for sale as well as Paintings by Paula and Jewelery by Sandra! Both of the Art of Street artists Joel and Ryan will have some artworks on display…
Door prizes, and open stage for busking and tours through the building…
Habitat’s office is open Tuesday to Friday – noon to 5 in November. 780.852.4747
Join us for an after dinner black tie affair at the Sawridge – cocktails at 5:30.
October 1
Start the day right with fresh pancakes at 9:30 at the Robson Fair that is now moved from the beautiful little park to the MAIN HALL of Jaspers Activity Centre.
Noon to 4 – check out the artisans, music, food and the labyrinth at the ArtsDay festival…indoors at the Activity Centre.
There is so much coming on for September that we decided to put out a Museletter. They are now available at the Habitat, Snowdome Cafe, Video Stop, Mondos Cafe, the Activity Centre, the Museum or here…
Here are a few of the highlights of our first edition!
ARTS WITH ALTITUDE—-Check the right hand column of this webpage for more details!!
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Some changes to the MUSELETTER
PLEASE CHECK THE VOLUNTEER PAGE TO THE RIGHT FOR WAYS TO BE PART OF ARTSDAYS!
Deadline to submit something of interest for next Museletter- Sept 7th
In Alberta it is a day – August 1. A day to celebrate who we are, what makes us Canadians or Albertans…or a day to recognize the multitudes of ethnicity that now constitute our community.
Did you know that Canada was the first country – 1971 – to adopt a policy on multiculturalism?
Living in Jasper, and welcoming the world on a daily basis as we are a true Canadian destination of choice, means we see the ‘Global Village’ in a much different way than perhaps someone who doesn’t experience such diverse visitor traffic. It’s fascinating to walk the streets or go to the grocery store and hear the languages of the world trying to translate our English world.
What is Heritage? Well, if you were in Edmonton you could go to Hawrelak Park and taste foods from around the world for Heritage Day – or watch ethnic dance! (Next summer we shall try this here!)
It seems that a word like Heritage is not something you can define with just more words…its a feeling…a sound…something intangible.
So – on August 1 in Jasper you can drop by the Parks Info Centre and meet ‘heritage’ characters like Charlotte Small and David Thompson. Catch the Metis Dancers, try some Maple Syrup cotton candy, check out the art of Creeatives, take a ride on the various modes of transportation…because…like our visitors who arrived this summer – we all came here at some point via RIVERS RAILS OR ROADS!
1pm August 1
Free Community Event…
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AND
DONT MISS THE 3rd ANNUAL ARTS WITH ALTITUDE FESTIVAL
SEPT 23-OCT 2
Check out the page on the right of this site…called ARTS WITH ALTITUDE!
Anticipation is the only word that we can find to describe the feeling we get when we walk into the Habitat for the Arts this (and every) month. We like the word anticipation because it involves emotion and excitement. In a dictionary anticipation can sometimes involve anxiety – either way, excited or anxious – it is all about expectations and hoping for good things.
And that is exactly what Habitat is. Good things.
We are gearing up for another Sunday in July with Matricia Brown – the second Sunday in our Habitat Heritage Series of workshops. Matricia spent an afternoon sharing her skills at traditional beading. The Habitat’s classroom with its northwest facing windows proved to be the perfect place to chase tiny beads around a loom…an artform that puts the eyes to work as well as the fingers! All five of the students (yeh! class sizes are progressively growing) finished bracelets in the allotted time and are already registered for July 17th’s bead workshop – mocassins – beading on hides. The class is filling up but give Justin a call – we can add another class!
Matricia has also agreed to be part of our RIVERS RAILS AND ROADS Heritage Day program on August 1. The information centre in Jasper will come alive for half a day with the sights and sounds of Metis Dance, art and music. 2011 is the 200th year anniversary of the cartographer and explorer David Thompson having moved through this area of the Rockies. In keeping with the spirit of travel we have several summer events around the theme RIVERS RAILS AND ROADS. And of course what is any kind of a Heritage celebration without cultural expression from as many ethnicity’s as possible! See you there on August 1 – you will find me at the Maple Shack kiosk…maple sugar candy floss – yum!
The theme of travel is pretty hard to ignore when you live here…we travel out to get services we don’t have here. And thousands of visitors travel here because of the draw of the mountains…including a class of students who spent an afternoon at Habitat this week. What to do with 27 children? How can we build an arts program that they can relate to and learn from? How can we give them something of value for their afternoon at Habitat?!
A puzzle mural! We presented them with the concept of RIVERS RAILS AND ROADS and provided them with a short history of David Thompson and the Fur Trade area that we live in…a map was drawn on a 10 foot scale of the three R’s between their home and Jasper and then cut into 1 foot squares. At random each student chose a square and then was to draw what they knew about the area on their square. Was there a river there? Was there any heritage buildings there? Mountains? They were free to draw a historical depiction of the area on their square or a futuristic vision of what might be there in 2211!
The map was then reconstructed – and not unlike the one below that we did at the community BBQ – we have discovered that putting the puzzle together is as much fun as painting it!
So we are anticipating July to be as wonderful as June has been. The AFA exhibit for July is all about our Global Village…what better way to share our love of arts and culture with visitors and community than with ‘This Village’, works by five immigrants to Alberta. Did you know that Canada was the first country to adopt a policy of multiculturalism in 1971 where all ethnic groups are encouraged to share their culture with other Canadians? Be sure to take in the RIVERS RAILS AND ROADS Heritage Day festivities on August 1 … there will be some great surprises! (thanks to Deb at Phat Cat!)
Another project under the three R’s program is the revival / continuation of the famed JASPER STORY! And serendipitously – what should arrive at Habitat this week? A box full of gold rush Klondike clothing. Mens and ladies hats, dresses, frills and stockings… A must see for anyone interested in fabric arts, fashion or history!
Watch for our Mulitcultural displays in July, some films from the NFB and a chance to get involved in history!
Habitat is open Tues to Saturday, noon to 5 (sometimes we close early on Saturdays)
We will be at the Jasper Farmers Market starting July 5!
Located on the second floor of the Provincial Building on the corner across from Nutters and Evil Daves Restaurant.
If you stop by and the door is locked…give us a call…780.852.4747 and we shall meet you there if we can!
OR
You can catch a glimpse of the Habitat on CITY TV’s Breakfast Show soon…
