- from the artist’s statement
2. Niagara Welcomes the Wine King of Dominion City!
Wine King Float in the Niagara Wine Festival Parade
Saturday 26 September
Wine King Float and Dominion on display in The Show Room Wed 30 Sept - Sat 21 Nov
Opening Reception Fri 16 Oct at 8pm
This year's Niagara Wine Festival Parade will have twice the royalty. Since 1952, the Grape King has ruled over the festival, but in 2009 the Wine King of Dominion City will join the parade on a float of his own. The Grape King needn't worry about a battle for supremacy, however, the Wine King character and the community of Dominion are fictional creations of renowned Canadian cartoonist Seth.
Artist members of the Niagara Artists Centre, with the support of the Brock Centre for the Arts, have teamed with Seth and RENDER* to create a parade float from far away Dominion City, the fictional setting where Seth's stories take place. The float features the Wine King, a rotund wine lover about ten feet high, and a gathering of cartoon grape minions. Marching with the Wine King will be members of the Royal Orders of Connoisseurs and Aficionados, costumed performers of the Suitcase In Point theatre company along with students from Brock University. Among the performers will be two human-sized bottles of Megalomaniac and Henry of Pelham wines—the Good Stuff, meeting the expectations of a connoisseur’s taste.
After the parade the float will be parked in The Show Room of the Niagara Artists Centre. Exhibited with it will be a scale model of Dominion City as well as historic images of the grandest days of the Grape & Wine Festival Parade. "The three things are a good fit," says NAC Director Stephen Remus. "Dominion is a throwback to the hay days of fifty years ago. A sense of those times that escapes nostalgia is pervasive in Seth's world. I think the Wine King offers us an opportunity to celebrate the history of our parade without being sentimental".
Born in Clinton, Ontario, Seth began work as a cartoonist in the mid 1980s. After over twenty years of artistic output, he's created a number of graphic novels and strips (including Clyde Fans, Wimbledon Green, and George Sprott), had his work featured three times on the cover of The New Yorker, contributed a twenty-five issue serial for the New York Times Magazine, and exhibited his Dominion City at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition component of the exhibit at NAC is being toured by RENDER and was curated by Andrew Hunter.
The Wine King Float and Dominion City will be on view in NAC's newly renovated Show Room from Wednesday 30 September until Saturday 21 November. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday 16 October starting at 8pm.
* A program established in 2006 to shift the University of Waterloo Art Gallery’s focus to innovation. render.uwaterloo.ca
3. CRAM presents
La IIave: Selected Small Paintings and Prints
From the Cultural Factory "Luís Díaz Oduardo" - Santiago de Cuba
Opening: Friday 18 September 8 - 10pm
Show runs 18 September - 7 October
with artist-in-residence Jorge Luis Chávez Games
The Opening also marks the reveal of CRAMPress, Canada's newest and smallest print workshop. Specializing in small format relief printing, the workshop will be co-ordinated by the CRAMPress International Print Master, José Armando Medina.
CRAM has developed an on-going relationship of exchange projects with Taller Cultural "Luís Díaz Oduardo" in Santiago de Cuba. In April and May CRAM artists were in residence and participated with Cuban counterparts in the exhibition "Dos Grupe de Siete (+2)" at Galeria Oriente in the historic city centre of Santiago de Cuba. Now the Cubans join us in Niagara.
The "Cultural Factory" was founded in Cuba's second largest city in 1976. Since the 1980's the Taller Cultural "Luís Díaz Oduardo" has brought together artists, critics, and researchers interested in the study, creation, and dissemination of the Visual Arts. Unique in Cuba by its structure, this cultural factory concentrates on techniques and experimentation in the plastic art disciplines of printmaking, painting, sculpture, and ceramics. The Taller Cultural gathers and disseminates documentation for research and exchange with other institutions in Cuba and abroad.
The 10 senior, mid-career, and emerging artists presented at CRAM have an array of national and international awards, and they are engaging representatives of the contemporary cultural fabric of Santiago de Cuba. Recognized for their exceptional craftsmanship and prominent in this selection of work is the colograph, the print medium of choice at the Cultural Factory, as well as examples of stone lithography and painting. The imagery is steeped in symbolism and metaphor. There are elements in the work that reflect the influence of an original Cuban Surrealism pre-dating European Surrealism that grew out of the synchronism of the Santeria religion.
Taller Cultural organizes the international events Terra-cotta (ceramics) May 14 - 31 and Internos (murals) January 5 - 27. This December the first meeting of international print artists will take place to establish annual printmaking workshops.
Artist in the exhibition: Jorge Knight, Israel Tamyo Zamora, Vivian Lozano Caballero, Julio Cesar Carmenate, Joel Aguilera Tamayo, Justinio Reyes Rodríguez, Mauricio Reyes Aranda, Joaquin Bolivar, Listado de Obras, Jorge Luis Chavez, Miguel Angel Lobaina Borgues
4. Ninth Annual Toasted Tomato Wine & Chi
Sunday 20 September from 3pm until dark
175 Vine Street South (between Welland Ave & Service Rd)
Proud NAC members of good-standing are invited to attend this legendary nutritious and delicious get together.
5. Glen Ridge Artisan Show - Something Unique in Our Backyard
At Glen Ridge Public School
101 South Drive, St. Catharines
Saturday 19 September 11am - 5pm
Glen Ridge Public School is hosting a fundraising Artisan Show. Money earned will be used to subsidize future projects and purchase equipment and resources. Show admission is $2 (Grades 6 and under are free).
“The exhibitors at our show are exceptionally talented. We encourage the community to join us on this very special day. The event will feature items from the unusual to the unique—sure to fit every taste and budget.” Organizer Manisha Solomon stated. The Glen Ridge Artisan Show will be Bullfrog Powered thanks to Erin King—personal chef, Enjo representative, and environmental advocate. For every kilowatt of electricity used during the show, the equivalent amount of low-impact power will be put back onto the provincial grid on the show’s behalf. The anticipated contribution is 1 megawatt.
Featuring displays of wares by:
ASK Pottery: Functional, unique pottery
Bead Queen: Jewellery w/ precious stones
Creations by Cline: Fabric accessories
Creative Solutions Company: Accessories using recycled items
Gary McCollum: Hand-blown oil lamps
The Glassbug Studio: Fused-glass jewellery, cuff links, tie clips
Gracelette: Knitted Mom/Baby items
Greg Johnson: Photography
Hannelore’s Story Works: Handcrafted blank books and journals
Katalin Koos: Mural art work
Lawrence King Originals: Felt boards
Melanie Johnston: Painted home decor
Oops Bags: Original objet d’art purses/bags
Pursemaid: Handbag/purse organizers
Scrappy Bits: Quilted jackets, accessories
Silk Design by Jane: Silk scarves, cards
TreeHuggers: A natural soap company
Blog: http://glenridgeartisanshow.blogspot.com
Website: http://glenridgeartisanshow.webs.com
E-mail: glenridgeartisans@gmail.com