All in Inspiring Stories
The Day of the Dead (November 1st) is approaching, and so is the day of the Faithful Departed (November 2nd) two days that are particularly important in several Latin American cultures. Although there are variations in the traditions, one common thread among all the celebrations is that those days are meant to be about remembering, and visiting those we lost... or rather allowing them to visit us.
Deer Woman’s first public audience was the reading at Native Earth’s Weesageechak festival in November 2017. After four days of development we had a showing. We experimented with blocking and video design. The primarily Indigenous crowd was silent when we concluded, and Cherish recalls feeling worried. The first sound to explode from our people was not applause, but a loud sob from one woman, followed by resounding cheers.
Non-profit organizations are often overlooked when it comes to how integral they are to so many facets of our lives.
In Canada alone, there are over 170,000 non-profit organizations, of which 85,000 are registered charities. Their contribution to the Canadian economy makes up 8.1% and they support a wide spectrum of industries including animal care and welfare, health care, education, and arts and culture. So what happens during a pandemic?
“I have always been very connected to the land. Coming from a Mexican family that grows food and flowers, it is only natural that I find comfort working with the land in my art practice. It connects me to home and defines my identity.”
Based in Calgary, Rocio Graham is a multi-disciplinary artist whose art practice is influenced by her cultural heritage, experiences as a woman, interest in life cycles, and knowledge of botany. She emigrated from Mexico to Calgary in 2002, and brought with her a deep appreciation for gardening instilled in her by her family from a young age.
If you work in the arts sector, whether as an artist or an arts administrator, you are likely familiar with the crucial role the Rozsa Foundation plays in the Calgary and Alberta arts community. On the 30th anniversary of the Foundation, we sat down with Simon Mallett, Executive Director, and Mary Rozsa de Coquet, Board Chair, to reflect on the past three decades.
On stage at Arts Commons there’s no doubt that you’ll see amazingly talented people. Whether they’re delivering a classic sonnet or bringing the house down with an evening of soul-energizing music, Arts Commons is a building filled to the brim with talent. Few people think about the individuals behind the scenes that make it all happen.
In part two of this multi-part series, we’ll introduce you to some of our staff who have been secretly (some much less secretively) practicing their art in their off-hours. For some it’s a hobby, and for others it’s a separate career fueled by their passion.
Sixty-six members strong, employing musicians from all over Canada and the world, Calgary Philharmonic has filled the Jack Singer Concert Hall with powerful music for over 37 years and been a member of Calgary’s vibrant arts community for 65 years. Like all performing arts organizations in Calgary, they were forced to close their doors when the pandemic hit, but these past couple months they’ve been anything but idle. With the start of the 2020-21 season, they’re announcing a new fall series of free online concerts.
“Stay productive and stay creative,” is what dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker Sabrina Naz Comănescu kept telling herself as COVID-19 sent waves through the performing arts community. That doesn’t mean that even with her optimism, she didn’t go through her own private mourning period when the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ Beautiful Noise production was cancelled outright – just days before its premiere.
