ArtsLink NB- Web Log & Comments

ArtsLink’s Board of Directors continues to grow with additions from around the province. Added last week are:
Adrienne Elfner-Hazen, an arts teacher and painter from Bathurst,
Michele Turgeon, iconographer, painter and photographer from Edmunston
Donovan Richard, an emerging film-maker from Moncton
Susan Chalmer-Gauvin, the CEO of the Atlantic Ballet in Moncton and
Kara Stonehouse, music business and communications expert from Saint John.
These 5 new Board members join Pam Ward from Miramichi, Thaddeus Holownia from Sackville, Maggie McLaughlin from Fredericton, Peter Powning from Markhamville, Mike Wennberg from Rothesay, Claire McCain from Florenceville, Andy Scott from Fredericton, and Kathy Hamer from Sackville.

Population Growth Secretariat- Youth Engagement strategies Grant Funding

This program funds the development of projects or services that help youth become more involved in their communities. Assistance is in the form of non-repayable grants.

The maximum financial support available to an eligible recipient will vary, depending on the complexity and scope of the project and the applicants’ demonstrated capacity to undertake eligible activities. The project must be completed in 12 months. Multi-year funding will not be considered.

’’The Population Growth Secretariat believes that the key to retaining young New Brunswickers is to instill in them a sense of belonging and pride in their community – while giving them access to quality education, an opportunity for meaningful careers in their field of study and income security. ’’

For application forms, go to www.gnb.ca/3100/PRO/YFI/index-e.asp

Canada Council Dealines Approaching:

Visual Arts Funding Programs, Creation, Production, Travel grants, international residencies and more. Deadline for applications is Dec 1st 2009

Go to
Canada Council Visual Arts Programs

NB Regional Arts Funding Program

Description: The New Brunswick Regional Arts Funding Program is intended to increase the sources of revenue available to professional artists and artists’ collectives in the greater Edmundston and Saint John regions. The agreement is also intended to encourage creative projects that will reinforce partnerships and cooperative action in the community, by enabling professional artists at all levels of their career to make a recognized contribution, have increased visibility and to develop their particular talents.

The New Brunswick Regional Arts Funding agreement is part of the board’s orientation towards a greater democratization of culture, and a confirmation of the New Brunswick Arts Board’s commitment to recognize regional differences.

DEADLINE: Jan 15th
For more information,go to the artsNB website: ArtsNB regional Programs

STATE OF THE ARTS

News for and about the greater Saint John arts and cultural community

October 23, 2009. Volume 9, Issue 18

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In this Issue…

1. Imperial Theatre manager receives Award of Excellence

2. Bernard Riordon receives Honorary Degree

3. Finalists announced for 2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards

4. Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography announced

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1. Imperial Theatre manager receives Award of Excellence.

Peter D. Smith, General Manager of Imperial Theatre has been honoured by the Atlantic Presenters Association (APA) with their Award of Excellence in an emotional presentation at their recent performing arts showcase, Contact East. Described by current APA president Chris Ball as the group’s “Lifetime Achievement” award, this honour is presented to “recognize the commitment and contribution of an individual to touring performance presentation in Atlantic Canada, such as long term involvement, commitment to excellence, or contribution to community life and/or to touring sector growth.”

The Atlantic Presenters Association is the regional arts presenter’s organization for the four Atlantic Provinces and is a leader in the presentation of the performing arts and the development of performing arts touring in the Atlantic region. As President of the APA for many years, Peter Smith spearheaded the development of block booking, a process that allows presenters to co-operate in bringing artists to the Maritimes, to the benefit of both large and small organizations and the artists themselves. Current President Ball recounted his first memory of meeting Smith and being told, “Chris, you should be block booking” and went on to cite Smith’s “enthusiasm, passion, and wonder at the effect that our chosen vocation unleashes on the world.”

The presentation of the Award of Excellence, a piece of original New Brunswick art by Tim Isaac, was greeted with a spontaneous standing ovation by the group of about one hundred presenters, artists, and arts managers in Moncton on October 4. In his acceptance, Smith noted that during his time as APA President he had always tried for tears on the part of the recipient of this award, but that he wasn’t quite in tears, yet. Keeping it short, his acceptance was read from a fortune cookie he had received with the previous night’s dinner, “It is important to keep your feet on the ground when your friends flatter you.”

Source: Imperial Theatre, Media Release, Email (A. Levesque), 23 Oct 09

2. Bernard Riordon receives Honorary Degree.

On Sunday, October 18, Saint Mary’s University bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree on Bernard Riordon, Director and CEO of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the former Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS).

The honorary degree recognizes Riordon’s work as a pioneer in expanding the scope of fine art museums to embrace folk art, as well as the long-standing support he’s provided to the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery and the contribution he’s made establishing the AGNS as one of the leading art museums in Canada and the world.

After graduating from St. Thomas University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science, Riordon began his career in 1971 working as a gallery assistant at the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery. During this time, he also completed all course work for his Master of Arts in Canadian history at Saint Mary’s. In 1973 he was appointed as the Curator of the Centennial Art Gallery at the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Art, and two years later, became the founding director of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Under his leadership, the AGNS developed from a one-person operation in a powder magazine on Citadel Hill to a major world-class art institution with a staff of more than 40, an operating budget of more than $2-million and an endowment fund of more than $2.5-million. As director, he oversaw the gallery’s move to its first permanent home in downtown Halifax, an expansion in 1998 and later the establishment of a Western branch in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, as well as the growth of the its collection from 385 works to more than 8,500 works. Key additions added during his tenure as director included works by Christopher Pratt, Alex Colville, Gerald Ferguson and Maud Lewis.

Retiring from the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 2002, he accepted his current position as the Director and CEO of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick. During the past seven years at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, he has revitalized and repositioned the institution as the art gallery of New Brunswick. He has worked with the Board in a major challenge of legal title over one of the most significant art collections in Canada. Currently, he is planning for a retrofit / expansion and a major national fundraising campaign.

Riordon has been and is a member of several national and international museum and art associations, including the International Council of Museums, the Canadian Museums Association and the Smithsonian Institute. He has also served as a member of Canada Council committees and Arts Atlantic boards as well as the Atlantic Provinces Art Gallery Association and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, to highlight just a few of his career-related and civic activities.

Honours received during his career include the Order of Canada (Officer), a Fulbright Scholarship, a Canada 125 Award, a Golden Jubilee Medal and a Recognition Award from the Halifax Regional Municipality. He is also an honorary Fellow of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design.

Mr. Riordon received the honorary degree during the annual fall convocation at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. For more information see Saint Mary’s University website at www.smu.ca/newsreleases .

Source: Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Media Release, Email (L. Glenn Norris), 15 Oct 09.

3. Finalists announced for 2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards.

The Canada Council for the Arts announced Wednesday, October 14th, the finalists for the 2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards. The finalists include authors, illustrators and translators from ages 27 to 78. The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation. In total, 70 books are shortlisted.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Canada Council involvement with the Governor General’s Literary Awards. A total of 1,541 eligible books were submitted for this year’s awards. Thirty-eight of the 75 finalists are nominated for the first time. At least seven of the finalists are under the age of 35 and three of the finalists are aboriginal. A sense of belonging, family, war and religion are themes that figure prominently in several of the books.

The names of the finalists, the titles of their works, and the peer assessment committees’ citations for each work as well as the names of the members of the 14 committees (seven English and seven French) are listed here: www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2009/wi128999467161854957

Download images of the shortlisted books: www.canadacouncil.ca/imagegallery/ga128999385012522209

Additional information about the 2009 Awards is available on the Canada Council website at www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla .

Source: Canada Council for the Arts, MarketWire, Email, 14 Oct 09.

4. Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography announced.

Toronto photographer Donald Weber is the winner of the Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography for 2009. This prize is awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts.

The Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography was established by the Canadian government in 1986 through an endowment to the Canada Council of $170,000 for an annual prize in photography. The prize is given to the most outstanding visual artist working in photography, as selected from among all those awarded a Canada Council visual arts project grant in 2008. The $8,000 prize is awarded in addition to the recipient’s grant.

Mr. Weber was selected by a peer assessment committee made up of Alvin Comiter (Halifax), Patrick Coutu (Montreal), Walter Dion (Saskatoon), Denyse Thomasos (Mississauga, ON), and Rhonda Weppler (Vancouver).

Images of Mr. Weber and his work can be downloaded here:

http://www.canadacouncil.ca/news/imagegallery/dt128993366670953989.htm

Award-winning photographer Donald Weber began his career as an architect for Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2002, he received a Governor General’s Medal for Architecture for the Student Centre at the Centennial College in Toronto with Architects Kongats Phillips, now Kongats Architects.

Mr. Weber has exhibited widely and has shown work at galleries and festivals worldwide, including exhibits at the United Nations, the Museum of the Army at Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, and the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Human Rights with the VII Photo Agency, exhibited in over 50 cities worldwide. His work won the Grand Prize for the 2007 PHODAR Photography Biennial in Bulgaria.

He has completed assignments for such international publications as: Business Week, Der Spiegel,

The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Condé Nast Portfolio, Rolling Stone, Stern, Time Magazine, as well as the NGOs Doctors Without Borders, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and War Child.

The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and two Canada Council for the Arts grants, he has also been awarded the Lange-Taylor Documentary Prize and a World Press Award. Amongst other citations, Mr. Weber was named one of PDN’s 30 (Photo District News publication) and an Emerging Photo Pioneer by American Photo Magazine. His first book, Bastard Eden, Our Chernobyl, was released in 2008. www.donaldweber.com

General information

In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts, the Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards many prizes and fellowships in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, engineering, and arts management. These prizes and fellowships recognize the achievements of outstanding Canadian artists, scholars, and administrators. The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to raising public awareness and celebration of these exceptional people and organizations on both a national and international level.

Please visit www.canadacouncil.ca for a complete listing of these awards.

Source: Canada Council for the Arts, Media Release, Email (A. Yorke), 07 Oct 09.

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S T A T E O F T H E A R T S

Cultural Affairs Office, City of Saint John

Box 1971, Saint John, N.B. E2L 4L1

Tel: (506) 649-6040

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Unless specifically stated, any part of this newsletter may be reproduced with appropriate credit given to the

Cultural Affairs Office, City of Saint John.

NB Regional Arts Funding Program

The New Brunswick Regional Arts Funding Program is intended to increase the sources of revenue available to professional artists and artists’ collectives in the greater Edmundston and Saint John regions. The agreement is also intended to encourage creative projects that will reinforce partnerships and cooperative action in the community, by enabling professional artists at all levels of their career to make a recognized contribution, have increased visibility and to develop their particular talents.

The New Brunswick Regional Arts Funding agreement is part of the board’s orientation towards a greater democratization of culture, and a confirmation of the New Brunswick Arts Board’s commitment to recognize regional differences.

DEADLINE December 1 (Subject to Change) For more details, visit: http://www.artsnb.ca/en/prog_regional.php

ArtsLink NB On the Road: Bathurst and Miramichi

We just completed a visit to Bathurst and Miramichi, to meet artists and arts supporters in those two cities. In Miramichi, a vibrant arts community is springing up around the Edgewater Gallery and the local music store. Events are hosted by the local gallery, and by local writers and musicians at the “Words On Water” events. At these events, writers and musicians have the opportunity to present and perform their work. I had a chance to speak with Michelle Cline Caddogan and well-known Miramichi writer Doug Underhill, and they in turn gave me an excellent overview about what’s happening in the Miramichi region. Doug showed me “Bread’n'Molasses”, which is a local magazine that includes an excellent calendar of events. Link to Bread’n'Molasses:

I also attended a meeting with the Bathurst Arts Society. The monthly meeting is held at the Artist-Run gallery on the waterfront in Bathurst. It’s part of a beautiful array of buildings on the shore of the Nepisiguit river, and the gallery is full of local art works. President Rita May Gates and 15 other core members of the group met to discuss ongoing gallery business. During the ArtsLink presentation, many interesting questions were raised about ArtsLink membership and Professional Status. The ArtsLink Member application ( see:
has an outline regarding professional status, and I spoke in depth with the artists at the Bathurst gallery regarding that. As we talked about the criteria, many artists were realizing that “Yes, I am a professional artist.” These questions led to group discussion how they may begin to change the way that the Bathurst Arts Society presents their professional face to the public.

Last night, on October 5th, ArtsLink NB attended the first public consultation. The Minister of Finance, Greg Byrne is visiting 5 communities, and public stakeholder events are taking place in another 5 communities around NB.
The Dept. of Finance is accepting input from stakeholders regarding the upcoming budget, and this is the time for NB artists and arts supporters to speak out. We are asking the government to become aware of the Creative Economy, and to increase the Provincial Arts And Culture Budget to $7million over the next 3-4 years,beginning with a minimum increase in 2010-11 of $3 million.

this link will take you to the NB gov’t site where you can input your comments. Comments are being accepted until Oct 16th.