Art Gallery | Red leather booth

Category: Art Gallery
- Take it to the bridge/street/park/gallery: CAKFA
  
  Posted at 2:28 pm by Red leather booth, on May 29, 2016
  The beautiful Wind Water Wave by Mary Ma (Find at 260 King St W, Kitchener)
  
  It’s CAFKA time, people. In the soon-to-be-classic words of Darin White from Makebright, it’s time to “leave yer sofa” and hit the streets of K-Dub to see some incredible contemporary art in public spaces.
  
  Every two years, the creative minds behind CAFKA – Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area – present an exhibition of contemporary art by local, national, and international artists, installed in public places throughout Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.
  
  A slice of the large-scale Monuments by Quebec artists Acapulco (see in Victoria Park)
  
  I went on a guided walking tour yesterday, led by CAFKA’s executive director, Gordon Hatt, where many of the artists where on hand to talk about what they built/created/manufactured/designed/crafted.
  
  I love art, but I don’t always “get” it, especially installation pieces. But the tour was fascinating and a great way to get a solid understanding of what the piece represents and how it was created.
  
  Swoon by Jaime Angelopolous – a 15-foot sculpture in Victoria Park lake. (This required a crane for installation. Art is not for the faint of heart)
  
  Artists work extremely hard to create these large-scale, dynamic, evocative, sensational, and creative works that tell interesting stories. And it animates our city spaces, bringing them to life and instigates conversation.
  
  Double Disco by Chicago’s Claire Ashley, appearing as inflatable, dancing art at Kitchener City Hall
  
  And CAFKA is making it so easy for you to get involved. There are guided beer, coffee and bike tours, artist lectures, and performances plus they’ve partnered with the Open Ears Festival – a stunning collecting of weird and wonderful music that aligns beautifully with work of CAFKA.
  
  KW’s own Meg Harder made these civilization huts from debris in Victoria Park.
  
  Kitchener-Waterloo has some extremely cool things happening right now and you need to see it, question it, wonder about it, talk about it, and be inspired by it. Art is good for you.
  
  Untitled White Van by the MAW Collective
  
  Tree atop of the Untitled White Van
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art collective, Art forms, Art Gallery, Art promotion, Community building, Culture, Downtown Kitchener, Exhibits, Installation art, Mixed-media art, Public art, Uptown Waterloo, Waterloo Region | 0 Comments | Tagged CAFKA, Open Ears Festival
- The magic door to the arts: Lauren Weinberg’s Open Sesame
  
  Posted at 8:00 am by Red leather booth, on February 2, 2016
  Open Sesame owner, Lauren Weinberg. Photo by Brian Limoyo.
  
  New York City to Chicago to Kitchener. Not the typical journey for an arts writer/arts advocate but one we are delighted Lauren Weinberg made.
  
  Lauren recently opened Open Sesame, a shop-gallery-community creative space nestled in front of Kitchener City Hall, to promote contemporary, even avant-garde culture in Waterloo Region, and provide a meeting place for people who care about the arts.
  
  “The thoughtfully designed items we sell in the shop – from stationery, books, and housewares to jewellery, toys, and accessories – are intended to subsidize the exhibitions, concerts, and other activities we host in the space,” says Lauren. “At the moment, prices range from $3 to $395 and while I can’t say our housewares are particularly political, the shop as a whole has a feminist, progressive bent.”
  
  Photo by Lauren Weinberg.
  
  Lauren, who has a masters degree in design history and spent several years in Chicago writing about artists, designers, and architects for Time Out Chicago, thought the people in her new home of KW would appreciate well-designed housewares and accessories. Inspired by similar art gallery/shop/community spaces she had seen in major US cities, she took a leap and opened Open Sesame last November.
  
  While her 2016 plan for events is just getting underway, so far they have hosted two art exhibitions by local artists – Amanda Rhodenizer and David Blatherwick, for six to eight week shows. (You can still catch David’s show until Feb 21).
  
  Open Sesame gallery wall, featuring the work of artist David Batherwick. Photo by Jessica Neilsen.
  
  “We highlight emerging and mid-career artists,” she says. “We’re open to showing work from anywhere in the world, but most of the artist’s on this year’s exhibition schedule are from Waterloo Region. I have also learned that KW has no shortage of talented artists and musicians, but there aren’t many places where they can present their work and get paid for it.” Lauren is pleased to be able to contribute that sort of space to the community.”
  
  For the gallery curation, she has enlisted the help of Sarah Kernohan. As an artist, former artistic director for CAFKA, and a freelance curator, she really knows her stuff.
  
  For the musical performances, she has local musicians, Candy Young and Jessica Nielsen, coordinate the programming. “We are still playing with the vision for the music in the space, so at the moment they are brining in talented musicians from various genre,” she says.
  
  Musical event at Open Sesame. Photo by Candy Young.
  
  The workshop offerings will run the gamut of photography, drawing, and crafting. Local artist, Ellie Anglin, will showcase her KW-focused zine library, starting February 12, and will be hosting zine-making workshops soon.
  
  “I have big ideas for partnerships with the City of Kitchener’s arts and culture programs, local businesses, and non-for-profits such as Kwartzlab,” she says. “We are also planning readings and screenings of all kinds, and are certainly open to community suggestions.”
  
  For a new business of any kind, the first year can be tricky as you build awareness of your work and figure out the best way to do what you do. Yet Lauren has been delighted with the support she has received so far. “Downtown foot traffic isn’t always great, but my arrangement with the City is that for discounted rent, I will try to bring more people downtown on evenings and weekends, though the performances, workshops, and exhibitions,” she says. “Event coordination is hard work but balancing these activities will be crucial to our success.”
  
  A peek inside Open Sesame. Photo by Lauren Weinberg.
  
  Please make a plan to visit Open Sesame if you haven’t already (Tuesday – Saturday, 11am-6pm and Sunday 12-5pm), and stay up-to-date with upcoming shows and events on Facebook and Instagram.
  
  P.S. Lauren’s favourite topic of conversation: Her daughters, followed closely by Gilmore Girls.
  
  P.P.S. You can also watch for my profile of Open Sesame in Own It, the City of Kitchener’s magazine, this spring.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art forms, Art Gallery, Art promotion, Bands, Books, Comic book, Community, Community building, Culture, DIY culture, Downtown Kitchener, Exhibits, Kitchener, Maker culture, Music, Waterloo Region | 0 Comments | Tagged Open Sesame
- The Gifted: Sylvia Horn
  
  Posted at 8:05 am by Red leather booth, on October 27, 2015
  A peek inside Gifted, in Waterloo.
  
  Do you like charming, beautiful or adorable housewares and gifts? I sure do. And so does Sylvia Horn, the owner of Gifted, a shop in Waterloo.
  
  Opened in the last six months, Gifted has already built a loyal following of customers who enjoy the warm and bright atmosphere of the store while looking for a meaningful present, or getting sidetracked and finding something for themselves.
  
  Don’t you just want to poke around in this shop?
  
  “I had a long career in retail and was the chief buyer and merchandizer for the now defunct Booksmarts,” says Syliva. “It turns out I have a natural affinity for the gift industry and after Booksmarts closed, I decided it was time for me to try something on my own.”
  
  Gifted offers a curated selection of cute and quirky home decor, giftware and fashion accessories from independent suppliers across North America. Her philosophy is to offer items her customers want versus trying to create the demand for items, like many big box stores do.
  
  Look at all the fun stuff on the shelves
  
  “I stand behind the products I choose for the store,” she says, “I never do a hard sell – thats not in my nature anyway – and I want to create the best environment for people to browse and delight in what they find.”
  
  Supporting local designers and creators is also a part of her business philosophy. “Of the 50 design lines I carry, 12 are by Waterloo Region designers,” she says. ”I love supporting local artists especially as they often carry high-quality products that are unique to the area.”
  
  Some coasters by Bearface Designs
  
  Some popular locally designed items include coasters and onesies from Bearface Designs, wallets and totes from Cloud Rabbit Designs and typographical city maps by graphic designer Louise Jessup.
  
  Sylvia is thoughtful about the aesthetic of the store, aware of the powerful influence of colours, lighting and music playing. The act of pulling disparate things together, creating colourful and fun vignettes throughout the store to inspire people and showcase the beautiful items, is one of her favourite elements as a store owner.
  
  The curator of Gifted, Sylvia Horn
  
  Marketing a new business can often be the biggest challenge for a startup enterprise but her strong sense of style and design displays well on social media, especially Instagram. “Customers often tell me they came into the store because of what we posted on Instagram,” she says. She also loves when customers post pictures of what they bought displayed in their homes. “It helps me visualize what people are interested in and I use that to buy more interesting items for the store,” Sylvia says.
  
  Christmas is coming. You have gifts to buy and I highly recommend you visit Gifted. Frequently. You will find something great for the special people in your life and you will quite likely find something for yourself that you wish someone as clever as you would buy you.
  
  P.S. Sylvia’s favourite topic of conversation: other’s people’s stories.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art Gallery, Curator, Maker culture, Uptown Waterloo, Waterloo Region | 2 Comments | Tagged entrepreneurship, Gifted, housewares, Shop, small business
- Finding rural beauty: Nancy Forde
  
  Posted at 8:00 am by Red leather booth, on October 1, 2015
  Catharsis by photographer Nancy Forde
  
  Nancy Forde has been enamoured with photography since age 10 when her father bought her an antique Brownie camera. Yet, it wasn’t until six years ago, the time her son was born, that she developed a serious commitment.
  
  “I am a trained actor and couldn’t imagine time for rehearsals and performances with a new baby on my hip,” says Nancy. “I craved a creative outlet that would be conducive to single motherhood and picking up the camera proved an easy and attractive medium that wasn’t reliant on coordinating schedules with others.” Her camera has become an extra limb: these days she’s never without it.
  
  We Are Lonesome Animals by Nancy Forde
  
  She admits that she unconsciously frames images as she walks around. She laughs as she says, “It’s sometimes a challenge to lower the lens and just enjoy a scene on its own merit. I have to remind myself to do that. Actually, my son reminds me to do it, thankfully.”
  
  While Nancy has yet to feel she’s found her own definitive style, she is drawn to rural landscapes; the stormier and moodier the better. “I lived in a farmhouse for a decade and after relocating to Uptown Waterloo, I missed the expanse of sky, the farmer fields and the intimacy of the change of seasons,” she says. “I kept being drawn back to the country to capture what I was missing.”
  
  Achtung by Nancy Forde
  
  In the near future, she hopes to rise to the unique challenges of portrait photography but landscapes have been her primary focus so far. “The theatre major in me loves the drama of landscapes,” she says. “The solitude and spontaneity of what I might encounter driving out of the city, exploring backroads, is addictive. I prefer rain, fog, mist or snow over a picture-perfect, cloudless sky any day.” She attributes that melancholic nature to her Irish roots, and part of the reason she isn’t interested in capturing idyllic, pastoral scenes.
  
  “The years I spent rurally were emotional ones for me: my ex-spouse and I spent them battling infertility. So my constant yearning to return and document the pastoral life ends up bittersweet, often coloured by the sorrow of that time,” she says.
  
  Photographer Nancy Forde with her son
  
  But it seems she’s not the only one drawn to her moody, sometimes stark landscapes: she is receiving positive feedback about her first solo photography exhibit, Ruralgia, at Death Valley’s Little Brother (DVLB) in Waterloo.
  
  With nine large-format photos on display, Nancy feels lucky and extremely grateful to Joel and Katherine Gingrich, owners of DVLB, for the opportunity.
  
  Onslaught (on left) and Fixer Upper (on right) by Nancy Forde
  
  “I was shocked when I one day received an email from Joel saying he had seen some of my photos online and wondered if I would be interested in a show at his cafe,” says Nancy. “His email kicked me off the artistic couch and I was challenged by this great opportunity to stretch and push myself artistically.”
  
  One Horse Hope by Nancy Forde
  
  Nancy also has a serious following on Instagram, where she posts not only her beautiful photographs but also snippets of poetry or lines from classic books that reflect the mood of her work. “I miss the leisure time I once had for reading so this is one way I can revisit passages and characters I love, words that still haunt me or are evoked by a scene I am framing,” she says.
  
  You should follow Nancy’s photographic adventures on Instagram and Twitter and you still have time to check out Nancy’s show at DVLB, where her work is for sale.
  
  P.S. Nancy’s favourite topic of conversation: her son, and her happy story of IVF that made him possible.
  
  P.S.S. Nancy is also a contributor to the very cool book called Women in Clothes. You definitely need to pick up a copy.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art Gallery, Exhibits, Photography, Uptown Waterloo, Waterloo Region | 0 Comments | Tagged Death Valley's Little Brother, Instagram, landscape photography, poetry, rural photography, Women in Clothes
- New kid on the block: Downtown Studio Tour and Art Sale
  
  Posted at 8:55 am by Red leather booth, on September 28, 2015
  PAINTING BY MARTINA VIGINI (STOP 7 ON TOUR)
  
  Autumn in Waterloo Region is the season to don your woolly sweaters and stroll through local neighbourhoods to visit artist studios. Now downtown Kitchener has its own studio tour and art sale, started by the creative folks at Art District Gallery (ADG). You can check it out for yourself this Saturday, October 3 (10am -6pm).
  
  Piece by artist Meg Leslie (Stop 2 on tour)
  
  “The studio tour was started as a way to help artists in the downtown core exhibit and sell their art,” says Brenda Murray, the founder of the ADG and the tour event coordinator. “To our surprise we discovered that there are a lot of artists working downtown, with real studios that are ready for the public to visit.”
  
  Design by Carolyn Dawn Good (Stop 3 on tour)
  
  The tour has a range of artists, from glass and fibre artists, to painters, sculptors and jewellers. “Their studios are hiding in plain sight,” Brenda says. “We hope this tour will inspire people’s curiosity to meet the fabulous artists whom they may cross paths with every day without knowing it.”
  
  Glass sculpture by Renato Foti (Stop 2 on tour)
  
  Brenda says visiting a working artist’s studio is an interesting opportunity as it helps demystify the profession and helps people understand the process involved in making a piece of art.
  
  Photo by Mark Essner (Globe Studio on tour)
  
  As the ADG has only been open a few months, the support of downtown sponsors have been critical to making this event happen. “We’re grateful to the 14 wonderful downtown Kitchener sponsors and we hope that patrons will stop by the sponsors’ locations, such as Cafe Pyrus or Adventure’s Guild, between visits.
  
  You can pick up a tour brochure at the Gallery (310 King Street East, #201) or at any stop along the route. Take some time to plan your travels and visit the artists — they’ll be so happy to see you.
  
  Downtown Studio Tour and Art Sale map
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art Gallery, Community, Downtown Kitchener, Jewellery, Painting, Sculptor, Studios | 2 Comments | Tagged Art District Gallery, downtown Kitchener, Downtown Studio Tour and Art Sale, Waterloo Region
- Dynamic art duo: Paint by Munzy
  
  Posted at 7:45 am by Red leather booth, on July 21, 2015
  Birch Forest by Paint by Munzy
  
  If you look up, way up to the top of Kitchener City Hall, every night this month you will see cool images projected on The Cube. Those are landscapes and cityscapes by local painter, Jonathan Munz, also known as Paint by Munzy.
  
  If you can’t stay up until 10pm to see the Cube exhibit, take a stroll through Uptown Waterloo where you’ll find the Paint by Munzy micro gallery, at the corner of King and Dupont streets.
  
  While the gallery is small, the space feels welcoming. The big windows cast a pleasant glow on Jonathan’s large-scale oil paintings and the gallery manager, who happens to be Jonathan’s sister Laura, animates the gallery space with her cheerful demeanour.
  
  Brother and sister Paint by Munzy team, Jonathan and Laura Munz
  
  Jonathan’s paintings are beautiful; a style akin to Group of Seven meets Tiffany glass. Inspired by a lifetime of camping and hiking, he references photos from those trips as inspiration. “I think nature creates beautiful shapes and colours so I try to capture elements of them in my paintings,” he says.
  
  Part of Munzy’s NYC series
  
  Trained as a graphic designer, Jonathan’s style started with pop art, but he moved onto this true love: landscapes. More recently cityscapes have been a focus, especially his New York City architectural icons series. He also has a side project capitalizing on his long-time passion for Lego. He collects pieces to design pop-culture Lego sculptures for friends and special clients.
  
  One of Jonathan’s creations, Lego Enterprise
  
  Always a big champion of Jonathan’s talents, a couple of years ago Laura encouraged him to think about showcasing his work in a public way. They started with a show at Seven Shores where they sold 15 paintings the opening night. Buoyed by the success, Laura quickly looked for a more permanent space to showcase his work. The King Street store font opened up and they jumped on it.
  
  “Opening a gallery that only showcased Jonathan’s work has been both terrifying and exciting,” says Laura. “However, we’ve been delighted by the level of support from not only our family and friends but the community, who have become regular clients and champions of his work.”
  
  The Paint by Munzy gallery in Uptown Waterloo
  
  She thought the gallery might be isolating by showing a single artist, but Laura has been delighted that other creatives have stopped by to talk about artist promotions and locals, who wander by liking what they see. “The community has made the gallery an uptown hub of sorts,” says Laura. “And that’s amazing.”
  
  People of all kinds are buying Jonathan’s work: art collectors, business owners, people who simply like beautiful and colourful things, and even those who were given a Munzy art card and come in say, “I want this in a bigger version!” To her and Jonathan’s delight, many people buy multiple pieces for their home and workspaces. (I am about to buy my first piece from Paint by Munzy.)
  
  Paint by Munzy art cards
  
  To keep the gallery’s content fresh and support other like-minded talents from the area, they will on occasion plan artist take-over events. “I want to help artists who are too busy creating their art to promote themselves,” she says. “Selling their work and helping people feel inspired is important to what we do here.”
  
  Take the time to visit the gallery in Uptown Waterloo (say hi to Laura!) and keep up-to-date on Jonathan’s creations and events on Facebook and Twitter.
  
  P.S. Jonathan’s favoruite topic of conversation: movies – new ones, old ones, good ones, bad ones, and good-bad ones [think Sharknado]. Laura`s favourite topic of conversation: food, drink and travel.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art Gallery, Painting | 4 Comments | Tagged art promotion, arts champion, cityscapes, Community, Group of Seven, landscapes, Paint by Munzy, Tiffany glass, Uptown Waterloo, Waterloo Region
- Putting artistic gas in our creative tanks: Bright Blue Door
  
  Posted at 7:59 am by Red leather booth, on May 26, 2015
  Aaron and Nancy from the Bright Blue Door
  
  Taking a first step beyond the Bright Blue Door at 142 Waterloo St., you enter a well-lit art gallery with studio space decked out with easels, workstations and the night I visited, almost a dozen people, making art and talking about art amongst gallery walls filled with art. This is the Bright Blue Door (BBD) creative tank – where artists rent small workspaces and get creative near each other, while BBD helps to share their work with the world.
  
  Aaron Lundrigan and Nancy Barbosa Alaimo are the creators behind this concept. Aaron is the “doormaster” who acts as the artist advocate, taking care of the business side of things, while Nancy, an artist, is the “keymaster,” who runs the creative side of their enterprise.
  
  BBD first opened its blue doors last November, rented their first artist spaces in January, celebrated their grand opening in April and just this month, launched their online store, to compliment their physical gallery. The online store features the work of artists who work in their space as well as those from the community who are looking for another way to share their work.
  
  One of the artist’s space in the studio
  
  Based on a social enterprise model, this for-profit business is structured to be a “community mover of the arts.” We are socialists at heart,” says Nancy. “We want to be able to help people be creative though the creative tank and offer affordable artist promotion through our marketing hub.”
  
  Aaron, who is a former corporate litigation lawyer, has always been a supporter of the arts, and through the BBD, develops marketing solutions to help artists take their work to the public. “Following an advocacy model, I look for opportunities for artists to get commissioned work, show at events or find places for them to teach, to increase their profile and move their career’s forward,” he says.
  
  All Waterloo Region artists, whether they are part of the BBD or not, can have up to five professional photos of their work taken monthly, to be hosted on the BBD online store or for their own use, all for free. They call this a #payitforward activity. Nancy, who is a painter and photographer, knows that you can be riddled with self-doubt about your work, and taking those first steps to sharing it publicly can be hard. And that’s part of the reason she wanted to start the BBD.
  
  Nancy taking photos of an artist’s work. Part of their #payitforward activities.
  
  “In my home studio, I painted two pieces a year,” says Nancy. “Once I moved into BBD, I created four paintings in four weeks – I feel tremendously inspired here, and I can’t stop working.” She wants to offer that creative space and inspirational work environment to help other artists.
  
  “We welcome people at all levels to share the space, experiment with their work, participate in shows, take feedback, learn from other artists and continue to enjoy and grow their work.” BBD has artists who are just exploring their craft; artists like Nancy who have several years experience but are still refining their style and technique; and flagship artists such as Ros Ramsay and Shelia Deimert who are experienced artists with a serious back catalogue of work.
  
  A glimpse inside the Bright Blue Door space
  
  Their plan is to take the artists’ work out to the community, offering pop-up art galleries at local festivals and events, ensuring the region starts to develop a real sense for the creativity and talent within its borders. And this is just the beginning. Nancy and Aaron have a big vision to expand to other cities – Waterloo or Cambridge; train other advocates; and offer a similar creative launch pad for tattoo artists.
  
  Bright Blue Door creators see themselves as a radical model to support individual artists, ensuring that artists have the freedom to show their work anywhere and make money doing it.
  
  Curious about what’s happening at behind the Bright Blue Door? You are welcome to visit during any drop-in time or catch them at upcoming local festivals. And stay in the loop on Twitter.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art collective, Art Gallery, Art promotion, Community, Community building, Exhibits, Kitchener, Painting, Photography | 0 Comments | Tagged Bright Blue Door, creative tank, marketing hub
- Curating culture: Krista Blake
  
  Posted at 8:19 am by Red leather booth, on March 5, 2015
  Krista Blake holding a wolf head as part of Archive Fever! exhibit
  
  Krista Blake is a freelance curator who works with diverse artists to assemble ideas into engaging exhibits. “I love mixing up different ideas to create something exciting,” says Krista. “Inspired by talented people, I come up with ways to showcase ideas in compelling ways.” Waterloo Region got a taste of that over the last few months at the Clay and Glass Gallery, where Krista curated an exhibit called Archive Fever!
  
  Visitors checked out boxes of unlabelled archival material, all donated by creative thinkers, from Scottish writer Ian Rankin to Toronto artist Shary Boyle. The boxes invited people to explore and discover creative people’s personal collections.
  
  “I’m fascinated by archives, curiosity cabinets and collectors themselves – we all collect something and this collecting teaches us so much about ourselves,” she says. “We love to hang onto objects, even the most mundane objects speaks to us. Seeing possessions in this ways helps us see the act of collecting as gateways to our pasts.”
  
  Krista has plans to take the Archive Fever! exhibit to the UK and the USA, specifically to MIT in Boston, where one of her archival participants, Erik Demaine, works as a computer scientist. She is exploring the idea of changing up some of the artists to reflect the exhibit location, as well as pulling in people who may not be artists but have interesting collections.
  
  Before arriving in KW, Krista and her family spent 15 years in Glasgow, Scotland, where she ran a small gallery that showcased a range of works – from student artists to established, international artists. “There was nothing austere about the gallery; we had performances and art of all kinds,” she says. “It’s important to me that art be accessible to as many people as possible.”
  
  Shortly after her arrival in KW, she met Starlight Social Club owners Josh Koehler and Bernard Kearney. They owned the neighbouring building, and were looking for a tenant to fill a recently vacated space.
  
  “With my gallery experience in Scotland, where I also sourced interesting design elements, I pitched them the idea of starting a cool design pop-up shop,” she says. “I assured them I could pull it together in a couple of weeks, in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season.” Bon Mot operated for a couple of years, showcasing some amazing art and artefacts.
  
  While getting the lay of the land, Krista discovered Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area (CAFKA) and was drawn to their vibrant support of interesting art and ideas. “I started out DJing at their events, and then joined the board last year,” says Krista. “I love that CAFKA pulls art enthusiasts from all ages, focusing their passion on bringing very interesting and temporary art projects to the region.”
  
  She has recently taken up the position of Arts and Culture Coordinator at the City of Kitchener but she’s got another big project up her sleeve. She’s working on an exhibit featuring Donald Coxeter, a highly influential British/Canadian mathematician who was also a composer. It’s still early in the planning but she says the exhibit will pull in a performance by the KW Symphony, as well as elements of architecture, virtual reality, design and of course some geometry, the core of Coxeter’s work. You can connect with Krista by email.
  
  P.S. Krista’s favourite topic of conversation: food.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art collective, Art forms, Art Gallery, Art promotion, Culture, Curator, Exhibits, Waterloo Region | 2 Comments | Tagged Clay and Glass Gallery, Donald Coxeter, Krista Blake
- Partners in creativity: Melissa Kristensen and Andre Smith
  
  Posted at 9:00 am by Red leather booth, on July 2, 2014
  Photographer Melissa Kristensen and wood worker/designer Andre Smith have been married for 27 years, and over time evolved their partnership into a creative business: Kristensen-Smith Photographic Art.
  
  Melissa captures evocative images and Andre sources unique reclaimed wood, and other alternative canvases, to print the photos on, creating large-scale pieces of collaborative art.
  
  “The idea of melding my photography with wood and furniture design came from a desire to give my work more texture and functionality,” says Melissa. “Andre, who loves the beauty of wood grains, came up with the idea of creating a canvass out of reclaimed wood.” They then had to figure out a way to print directly onto the wood so that the image would be crisp yet allow the grain to show through.
  
  They source the reclaimed wood themselves and each canvass is hand cut and assembled, making each piece unique. Printing the image on the canvas is a multi-step process, one they prefer to keep confidential, and can take different amounts of time, depending on the condition of the wood and the way they want it to look in the end.
  
  Both love to travel and enjoying sourcing interesting subject matter. “I’m inspired to capture an image when something I see creates an emotional response in me and I want to stop that feeling from escaping,” says Melissa. “By capturing it on film, I can relive that moment and share it with others.”
  
  Her subject matter is broad: nature, urban objects and unique perspectives of humans, with many photos from her life in Mexico and the Caribbean. “I hope that when people look at the photographs they will feel the texture or atmosphere created in the scene, or see themselves or someone they know within the image,” she says.
  
  While Melissa and Andre work from a home studio, they sell their work at art shows across the region and Ontario. They are regulars at the Button Factory’s Artist Alley and the Uptown Gallery in Waterloo Town Square and are often found at the One of Kind Show and Distillery District, both in Toronto.
  
  Melissa Kristensen and Andre Smith, artists
  
  You can see Melissa and Andre’s work at the Artist Alley in Uptown Waterloo many nights this summer, including July 19-20 as part of the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival.
  
  P.S. Melissa’s favorite topic of conversation: family and friends. Keeping up with all the activities and pursuits of the people she loves requires a lot of talking.
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art Gallery, Exhibits, Kitchener, Photography, Waterloo Region | 0 Comments | Tagged art, collaborative art, Waterloo Region
- I spy a nearly naked man
  
  Posted at 10:07 pm by Red leather booth, on June 5, 2014
  Artist Johannes Zits ripping his clothes
  
  What a delightful surprise to be walking across the University of Waterloo campus today and stumble upon a nearly naked man attached by strings to a silver air stream trailer.
  
  The man, Johannes Zits, is a Toronto performance artist who started off wearing clothes but cut them off his body in strips, weaving the pieces into a long train.
  
  I found Johannes close to the end of his two-day performance: pants gone, jacket gone, shirt almost gone with underwear, hat, socks and shoes remaining, happily weaving his clothes on a handmade loom. At least 15 feet of woven clothes trailed behind him like a long scarf.
  
  Artist Johannes Zits weaving the clothes he was wearing on his handmade loom
  
  The University of Waterloo Art Gallery brought Johannes to campus as part of their CAFKA event, This could be the place.
  
  And it was awesome and odd and silly and fun. On most days I don’t really “get” performance art but I applaud someone who takes their idea and turns it into a public display of creativity. This was good. And I found it while at work, walking across campus between meetings. #artwin
  
  You can watch this very amateurish video I made talking to the artist and getting close up with his art.
  
  In case you are wondering about the “why” – Johannes’ work is a comment on materialism, fashion, identity and pride.
  
  You can see his finished woven product at UWAG starting Saturday, and join the This could be the place symposium.
  
  Thanks UWAG and CAFKA for bringing art to my day.
  
  What CAFKA art have you seen so far?
  Share this:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Email
  Like this:
  Like Loading...
  Posted in Art, Art forms, Art Gallery, Entertainer, Installation art | 4 Comments | Tagged CAFKA, UWAG
← Older posts
- Get this good stuff delivered to your inbox.
  
  Want Waterloo Region arts and culture profiles delivered fresh to your inbox? Enter your email address and we can make this happen. Thank you!
  
  Email Address:
  
  Join 288 other subscribers
- Recent Posts
- Twitter Updates
  Tweets by 8jude
- Red leather booth categories
  Art Art collective Art forms Art Gallery Art promotion Beautification Blogging Book publishing Books Cambridge Comedy Comic book Community Community building Culture Design Directing DIY culture Downtown Kitchener Entertainer Exhibits Film Food Food culture Gardening Graphic novel Installation art Kitchener Knitting Library Literary culture Maker culture Mixed-media art Movies Museum Music Painting Photography Pottery Publishing Radio Singer Singing Spoken word Sport Theatre Uncategorized Uptown Waterloo Waterloo Region Writing
- Search for:
- Archives

%d bloggers like this: