All in Guest Writer series
Every other dawn before the birds take to their singing, I sit at my desk thinking of the myriad ways a story can be told or a life lived to appease a foe’s aggro or appeal to the sentiments of readers and spectators waiting to be intrigued; people asking to be enthralled in a web, a weaving that transforms the acts and flaws of a character into the magic created from a marriage of the mind, the ink, and a blank sheet of paper; the most perfect threesome ever since man opened his eyes to see the breaking of dawn and the falling of dusk, the two constants that determine his days, ways, and the canvas on which he paints his masterpieces.
The most important part of the moniker "Black History Month" has to be the word "story". And there is nothing more reflective of the power of story telling than the musical art form known as "the blues". In preparation for BHM 2024, I got the chance to talk with two phenomenal blues singers in advance of their Calgary concert, at the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons on February 9th.
Growing up, art held a special place in my heart and began with my older sister. She's the one who kick-started my artistic journey, and it's sort of a ritual of ours that she insists I acknowledge her role. “Don't forget to tell people where it started,” she playfully reminds me before speaking or writing anything art-related. It's our little inside joke.
In a world where cultures blend, the combination of art and food becomes a strong way to share stories, honor diversity, and connect with others. When creative cooking meets the warmth of homemade meals, it fulfills our human need to bond, exchange tales, and find joy in simple pleasures. This merging isn't just on canvases or in galleries; it's also on our plates, broadening our view of the world and uniting different communities.
Is AI coming soon to a theatre near you? And by theatre - I don't mean the movie theatre. I mean the kind of theatre where Shakespeare crafted his wordy, imagistic and lyrical work. Work that makes audiences feel high brow and sophisticated - especially when they get through all that iambic pentameter.
As a kid I felt destined for a life in the arts. There are many factors that played into this. I was the youngest born into a family with means, and the arts were valued and accessible to us. In Montreal, where I grew up, there was a significant amount of programming available to me. I lived in a big city! When I was a kid it was VERY big. And it also had - what I am going to call - this amazing "civic unit", called Place Des Arts, referred to as the largest performing arts complex in Canada.
What’s the point? Why spend so many hours painting portraits that will soon be destroyed? Why put so much effort into a “passion” that nobody cares about? What’s the point when none of us or our art matters anyways in the end?
On May 1st, 2023, with little fanfare, the World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 global emergency. The virus that had ravaged the world for just over three years, forced many into isolation, devastated workplaces, and took loved ones from us, has now faded to background noise of booster shots and broken trust. Should we not be happy? We made it…?
