MMAC: Mississippi Mills Arts Council

Join us for an interesting talk, great conversation, and scrumptious snacks at the ...

Annual General Meeting - June 13, 2007

Our 2007 AGM was held on the beautiful grounds of Pinehurst, the home of Penny & Keith Blades.  The hot, sunny day was followed by a nice comfortable evening with slight breeze.

  Our Chair, Noreen Young, gave a report of how the year has transpired, with tales of successful work with the local government to establish an Arts & Culture Subcommittee, a sold-out workshop regarding exhibiting your work, a member survey, involvement in many other local groups, increasing our membership, and our usual much anticipated Arty Parties (now with speakers!).  Catherine Clark, our treasurer, gave us a report of our finances, which are fine and include a $1,000 donation from the Town.

Aside from the official updates, there was plenty of chatting, eating, and sampling of wine.  A good time was had by all, and some new directors were welcomed to the fold: Rosemary Leach, and Susan Kilburn.

 

MMAC Newsletter - May 2007

Hi all,

It’s coming soon! Our spring Arty Party, Wednesday, May 30^th at The Ironworks (5:30pm to 7:30pm) will feature new MMAC member and accomplished sculptor Russell Baron. Please take a break & join us!! (There will be a $5 cover charge to help cover costs and munchies, plus a cash bar.)

Members of the Almonte & Area Artists' Association invite you the 17th Annual Art in the Attic Show and Sale at the Almonte Old Town Hall, 14 Bridge Street, on Saturday, May 26 from 10-5pm and Sunday from 10-4pm. A variety of wall art, fused glass, ceramics, miniature quilts, artistic pieces for both visual and functional are examples of what over 30 members will be presenting at this popular art sale. For further information please visit www.4artists.ca or call 613-256-7910.

MMAC’s Annual General Meeting will begin at 7:00pm at Pinehurst, the home of Keith and Penny Blades, (39 Carss) Wednesday, June 13^th. The recent membership survey will be highlighted. This is also your chance to join the MMAC board - fun & short meetings guaranteed! To come on board please notify Vera-Lee Nelson vljnelson@xplornet.com .

A mighty effort like The Puppet Festival ( August 11/12^th) needs lots of volunteers. Please help make the third festival the best yet! Contact Mary Lou Souter jrsouter@rogers.com .

Artists! The opportunity to show your work in Mississippi Mills is getting better & better! A large display space in the municipal building will soon be available, the Almonte Library is another terrific venue, and now the new Fairview Manor is looking for work by local artists to enhance its pristine walls. Contact Susan Kilburn grank@sympatico.ca and Barbara Cotterill barcott@magma.ca for details.

At the Ironworks

Thursday, May 24th - 8pm - The Ironworks, Almonte

Brock Zeman is calling it the "Who Needs The Radio" tour and it's coming to the Ironworks. Brock, the Carleton Place talent who will hit the big time any day now, will share the stage with Andrew Neville and Corin Raymond.  Andrew writes songs about trucks, booze and women and is the king of Winnipeg. Corin is half of The Undesireables (based in Toronto). Together the three singer-songwirters will appeal to anyone who likes the wit of a well-turned phrase and the thrill of a a sentimental chord. Because it's a triple-header, the cover charge is $15.

ELEMENTAL

ELEMENTAL 

is a unique group exhibition / sale of fine art & craft and you're invited to attend.

Rockcliffe Park Community Hall 360 Springfield Road, Ottawa, ON

 Opening:

Friday May 11, 6-9pm  Food and refreshments will be served, courtesy of Tulips & Maple.
Saturday May 12, 10am-5pm    Coffee and teas courtesy of  Bridgehead.

Sunday May 13, 10am-4pm    Coffee and teas courtesy of  Bridgehead.

Participating artists / media:
Shaukat Chaney / stone sculpture    Thoma Ewen / tapestries    Carol Froimovitch  / pottery    Michael Kinghorn / artist-blacksmith    Saskia Praamsma / ceramic art    Robert Pauly / jewellery    Barbara Mullally / jewellery    Vicky Salinas / stoneware pottery Susan Roston / pottery
Richard Skrobecki / red earthenware pottery    Carolynn Pynn-Trudeau / pottery

 

ARTY PARTY - May 30th

It will soon be time for our spring Arty Party!!

Wednesday, May 30th

The Ironworks

5:30pm to 7:30pm

Our speaker will be Russell Baron, an accomplished sculptor who began his professional career in Saskatchewan in 1982 as a commissioned portrait painter.  His unique style and approach has earned him a full-time professional career as a free-lance artist with demand for his work across Canada, the United States and Europe. He has done many commissions for the Catholic Church and enjoys the stir generated by his interplay between traditional and contemporary, ecclesiastical and pagan, which sometimes borders on controversy. Russell currently resides outside Almonte and works fulltime as a freelance professional. His work is currently being shown at Galerie Désja in Montreal.

Come and celebrate spring (and taking a break from gardening). There will be a $5 cover charge to help cover costs and munchies, plus a cash bar.

Social Justice through Art

Focus on Development is delighted to invite you to an exhibit of photographs taken by students in the St Marc region of Haiti.

The opening reception of

'The Young Haitian Documentary Photographers Group - Social justice through Art'

will take place on Friday, May 4, at 7 pm at the Ironworks restaurant in Almonte.

On display will be 30 framed prints accompanied by descriptions written by the student photographers. The images of families, friends, homes and celebrations comprise a unique archive of a proud and beautiful people. Further, the photographs show that the students have an innate artistic ability and an instinctive eye for composition.

Haitian food will be served and Haitian music will help us celebrate the talent of these young artists.

Proceeds of the sale of photographs at our exhibit will go toward accommodation, food, water and schooling for at-risk Haitian students.

The show will hang until the end of June.

Please visit The Haiti Photography Project page on my website to learn about the work of these students.  From there you can access galleries of their work.  Feel free to forward this postcard to any friends. They can also subscribe by clicking here.

Thank you very much,

Jeff Mills

 

APRIL NEWSLETTER

Hey! A hint of sunshine and higher temperatures. Dare we hang up our shovels and pack away the winter coats?
Congratulations to board member Rob Riendeau for organizing MMAC’s first and very successful workshop Being a Better Exhibitionist. Many thanks too, to speakers Peter Harbic of Signature Shows Ltd., Jordan Smith, The Small Table Co., and Andrea Fabricius of Fabulous.

The other half of the busy Humm couple, Kris Riendeau, ably filled the House Guest role on CBC Radio One’s All In A Day on April 10^th. Kris cleverly charmed the crew by delivering cookies from Baker Bob’s and went on to brilliantly paint a portrait of the vibrant and varied art scene in our area. Well done Kris!

Party, party, party at the next Arty Party, Wednesday May 30^th at the Ironworks (5:30 - 7:30 pm). Those who haven’t met new MMAC member, Russell Baron, will be introduced to the man and his sculpture, a blend of traditional, contemporary, pagan, mythological, and ecclesiastical with a top dressing of prairie!

Check out the newest of Almonte’s “windows” at the Almonte Post Office honouring veteran, author, and former postmaster, Hal Kirkland. Plans are already underway for the next window to be installed in Pakenham.

Of interest to all non-profit groups who rent space in the Almonte Old Town Hall is a recently approved reduction to the Improvement Fee. Town Council Motion No. 129-07 resolved March 13, 2007:

Be it Resolved that the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills approves that the Improvement Fee for non-ticketed events that are sponsored by local non-profit groups and organizations be 50 percent of the rental rate to a maximum of $100.

Jim Riva has applied this new policy and adjusted contracts accordingly. Any questions about this change can be directed to Jim at 613-256-1077, ext 10.

Finally a re-reminder of three up-coming events:

Saturday, May 12^th/‘07 on your calendar should be marked for Rosewood Studio’s celebration of 5 years of fine woodworking plus an art exhibit featuring the work of several MMAC members. (11am to 5 pm at the North Lanark Agricultural Hall in Almonte) info@rosewoodstudio.com

If you have pamphlets or handouts you’d like featured in the MMAC booth please contact Ingrid Hamster Harris at 256-5577 . Don’t miss out on having your work included in the digital slide show! All the details are in Rona’s email sent April 17^th. Deadline for your submissions is April 25^th.

Finally, please don’t forget MVFN’s Gala Fundraiser with gardening expert Ed Lawrence, (a great way to ring in Earth Day, welcome spring, and support environmental education!) 6:30 pm April 21, 2007 at the Carleton Place Town Hall. www.mvfn.ca for details.

The second of Perth’s Empty Bowls events April 28^th/’07 will help fill the cupboards of several local and international organizations . For information check www.emptybowls.ca

 

Books & Beer

Date: Thursday, April 12, 2007

Time: 7:30

Address: 79 Little Bridge Street, Almonte

Tickets: free but required. call 613 256-7840 or 613 256-9090

To reserve dinner at the Ironworks call 613 256-7840

For more information call the Miller's Tale at 613 256-9090

The Ironworks and the Miller's Tale have the incredible fortune of presenting an evening with Ottawa Citizen columnist Charles Gordon just days after his return from teaching at the National University of Rwanda.

As a muzungu (foreigner) in an emerging nation, and as a journalist with decades of experience chronicling aspects of social development, Gordon will share stories from his African experience, if his recent newspaper jottings are anything to go by. He has described rush-hour traffic in Butare, safari tourists through the eyes of locals, and student perceptions of a struggling nation. Gordon has also written about the country's efforts to move toward reconciliation. Anyone who has followed news reports from Rwanda in the last decade will be interested in spending an evening with this astute observer.

Gordon is the author of five books, including At the Cottage and The Canada Trip. His latest book, a satirical novel about newspapers, is The Grim Pig. All are published by McClelland and Stewart. Gordon has written for National Lampoon, Canadian Forum, Cottage Life and Maclean's. He has won three National Magazine Awards and been nominated three times for the Stephen Leacock Medal. When not writing his three-a-week column, Gordon still plays jazz and hangs out at Ottawa's Triple A baseball stadium. His trip to Rwanda came about as part of the Carleton School of Journalism's Rwanda Initiative.

See Charles Gordon at the Ironworks as part of the Miller's Tale Books and Beer series on Thursday, April 12, at 7:30. Please call the Ironworks at 613-256-7840 or the Miller's Tale at 613 256-9090 for your FREE ticket to attend this event.

Charles Gordon is guest speaker at the next chapter of Books and Beer, a presentation of the Miller's Tale book store held at the Ironworks Pub (www.ironworkspub.ca) in Almonte ON.