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Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Fringe Review: How to Pack a Revolution in Your Suitcase charming, poignant
Article content How to Pack a Revolution in Your Suitcase Article content Stage 8, Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, 8426 Gateway Blvd. Article content Bremner Fletcher confesses he has an addiction. Before you clutch your pearls, know that the addiction is history. Article content Fletcher is a singer who studied opera at Montreal's McGill University and at the Banff Centre. Article content His show is a hybrid of song and storytelling that comes to the Fringe all the way from the Weimar Republic, which was the name of the German government between 1919 and 1933, preceding the rise of Hitler. Article content Article content Through a collection of historical tidbits and tunes written between 1923 and 1941 by German artists from Bertolt Brecht to Kurt Weill, Bremner describes the Weimar period, characterized by political and social upheaval, but also artistic ambition and democratic idealism. Article content Throughout the show, Fletcher draws chilling comparisons between the Weimar Republic and the United States under Donald Trump. He sprinkles in enough haunting parallels and word-for-word quotes between German leadership of the day and the U.S. president to make his quite-depressing point. Article content But the strength of Fletcher's show is in his passionate and professional delivery of the music (opening show glitches and errant cell phones notwithstanding) and the stories of German talents forced to flee the country, including filmmaker Samuel (Billy ) Wilder, scientist Albert Einstein and composer Kurt Weill. It's a charming performance, but also a poignant reminder of all that can, and will, be lost. Article content
Hamilton Spectator
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Influence of art across generations, families explored in new Banff exhibit
BANFF NATIONAL PARK – It's the smell of fresh paint that takes artist Hali Heavy Shield back to her childhood. From helping her mom, Faye Heavy Shield, install pieces in galleries to learning a craft by her side, Hali's artistic journey has always been closely tied to her mother's. 'She would have piles of grass working on a sculpture or we'd be baking, or I remember the smell of paint quite often when she'd be working on a project – things like making paper dolls,' said Hali. Now an artist and children's book author, Hali's work is part of the current exhibit 'Elliptical Lineages' at the Banff Centre's Walter Phillips Gallery. Exploring the influence of family members on artistic practices exchanged through generations and speaking into ideas of 'artistic lineage', 'Elliptical Lineages' features artists showcasing their individual work and those who have collaborated as family members. Curated by Jacqueline Bell, the exhibit provides a unique opportunity for artists to show their work alongside one another whether as relatives or friends who consider one another family. 'The initial concept of thinking about artists' practices that were in some way kind of relating to or reflecting on the creative work of a family member, someone that they consider kin is an idea that's been on my mind for years now. [It was] really through conversation with artists that the exhibition kind of developed from there,' said Bell. As one of 18 artists with work on display, Hali reimagines her children's book, Naaahsa is an Artist! through several mediums. The book tells the story of her daughter and her mom and the creative practices they share. 'It's sort of a celebration between the relationship of a grandmother and grandchild and how the grandmother's creative influences can be very powerful and can influence the grandchild,' said Hali. Alongside hard copies of the book, her pieces include three bean bags made with fabric from patterns seen throughout the story, a mural with illustrations from the book and an audio track done by her mom with excerpts read in the Blackfoot language. '[My mom] taught me that life as an artist can become a reality. You can really make art for a living and so this inspired me; inspired the idea for the book,' she said. From the Kainai Nation in southern Alberta, Blackfoot culture is central to Hali's practice, and she often incorporates Blackfoot language, colour palettes and design referencing her cultural background throughout her work – all a part of her artistic lineage. 'Blackfoot language is so important and integral to who I am and the importance, too, of women. I have a lot of influential people in my life, specifically auntie moms and cousins and sisters and my daughter, of course, that all feed into my work,' she said. From animations and interactive pieces to beadwork, quilting and found objects, the artists take diverse approaches in exploring tradition, relationship, community and ancestry through the exhibit. 'It's a really unique and special opportunity for me to be able to share work that really means very much to the artists,' said Bell. Under the name tīná gúyáńí, parent child duo seth cardinal dodginghorse and Glenna Cardinal, display a piece called 'nadisha-hi at'a (I am going home).' Using a silkscreen technique and elk parfleche, their work shows an image of Glenna's grandmother, Winnie Bull, along with two Canadian pennies. The piece reflects on the loss of their families' generational home in Tsuut'ina Nation after the construction of the southwest Calgary ring road. Îethka artist Kirsten Ryder displays regalia used for ceremonial dances in her piece 'Mîsepasin'. The traditional craft of beadwork was passed down to her by her grandmother and mother. Other artists with work on display are Norma and Sarah Houle, Frank and Rita McKeough, Hangama Amiri, Badrin x Blackburn, Letitia Fraser, John de Haan and Jason de Haan, Aaron McIntosh, Anne, Gailan and Wayne Ngan and Jamie Ross. Hali hopes viewers of the exhibit will reflect on the importance of family and relationships in the journey of being an artist, along with the power of art to bring healing. 'We tend to work sometimes individually or in isolation, but that's really not the case,' said Hali. 'It takes a lot of people and especially family is so important in many different areas and I'm hoping that comes about in the artwork.' The exhibit will be on display at the Walter Phillips Gallery until Sept. 7. Visitors are invited to join a guided tour of the show on Aug. 20. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Canmore summer theatre returns with two classic, adventurous tales
CANMORE – Audiences can buckle up for a trip down the yellow brick road and a front row seat to some swashbuckling adventures during this year's summer theatre festival. Returning for its eighth year, Pine Tree Player's summer theatre is presenting two well-loved classics: The Wizard of Oz adapted by Erin Detrick and Treasure Island by Mary Zimmerman at Canmore's Stan Rogers Memorial Stage in Centennial Park. Starting July 10 and running as the festival's matinee, The Wizard of Oz directed by Chelsea Howell-Fellows is packed with action, dynamic movement and bright costumes. 'It's a very fun show. It's quite fast-paced as well. It goes from scene to scene. There's no pauses and it's great for young kids to keep their attention there,' said Lily Burden, who plays Dorothy. Closely based on the book by L. Frank Baum, director Chelsea Howell-Fellows says the outdoor festival environment adds a unique element to the show. 'The weather is just beautiful, and I feel like a story like The Wizard of Oz is so unique to have in a park … because you can really feel surrounded by all of those environmental things and kind of get lost in the journey and the adventure of it,' she said. 'I thought it would be a great choice this year because of all the hype with Wicked,' Howell-Fellows added. Using parts of her grandmother's old dresses to make the costumes, Howell-Fellows is dedicating the show to her grandma Dorothy. 'My mom also helped make some of the collars and costume pieces and then my dad helped make the monkey wings and stuff like that … growing up in community theatre, I wanted to bring that aspect of having my family involved,' she said. A classic storybook tale, Treasure Island, is running as this year's evening show. 'We follow the journey of Jim Hawkins, this 14-year-old boy, quite closely and so a lot of these things kind of take place with his perspective in mind, things feel larger than life,' said director Kelsey James. 'I've been thinking about Treasure Island for over two years. Just the visual of the stage really lends itself to the idea of a boat.' Incorporating movement through fight scenes between sailors and pirates, James said the show doesn't shy away from character's deaths, giving the audience the chance to see it all play out on stage. 'I think we get to take advantage of it being an evening show, so we can be a little bit more realistic with the deaths and things like that,' she said. Costumes also played a key role in the production. Vanessa Taylor, costume designer for The Wizard of Oz and head of wardrobe for Treasure Island, said the theatre was given access to part of the Banff Centre's wardrobe. 'We're going to see a lot of those classic pirate costumes, sailor costumes and there's blood involved, so it's going to be very dynamic in that sense too.' 'I'm really excited for both these shows. I think that there was a bit of a concept that, you know, for The Wizard of Oz, it's like these are youth and this is their backyard and they're playing dress up ... and they're throwing on different costumes,' she added. Cast members range from all ages and skill sets, and for some the festival is their debut into community theatre. 'Multi-generational learning is my favourite part of community theatre … I think our youngest is around nine and then all the way up to probably 60 plus,' said Howell-Fellows. Treasure Island runs until July 19, with the final performance of The Wizard of Oz on July 20. 'Both of them are great for kids. The Wizard of Oz [is] definitely more for the younger kids and then Treasure Island is probably 10 and up, maybe 13 and up. There are some mentions of violence and there's some depictions of violence,' said Burden. Audience members are asked to bring their own chairs. For more information on show times visit: . The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Canmore-born artist explores mountain life with humour in new artsPlace exhibit
CANMORE – Canmore-born artist Amery Sandford is back in her old stomping grounds. After leaving the Bow Valley at 17 for art school, the now Montreal-based artist has returned home to explore the spirit of mountain life with humour and fun in her first Canmore exhibit, 'Dare to Ride'. Specializing in illustration and risograph printing, through a series of drawings depicting observations and memories from her hometown, along with a collection of mountain life screen prints, Sandford explores ideas of tourism and the balance of appreciating a special place without exploiting it. 'Because I've been gone for so long, I've seen so many changes [in Canmore] and a big part of visiting here is the landscape but it's also the people, so I feel like I have a lot of really funny drawings of tourists,' said Sandford. 'It's really funny and I hope people can kind of laugh with me. I'm super curious to see how people are gonna react to it.' During a residency at Elevation Gallery last summer, Sandford worked on a drawing-a-day series. Walking around town observing people and places, while revisiting memories of her childhood growing up in the mountain town, the sketches from the project are now on display for the first time in the exhibit. 'I was kind of just going from the things that I have walked by thousands of times in my life, like a picture of the Canmore Hotel with tourists and collecting memories past and present through drawing,' said Sandford. She captures scenes like a proposal at Quarry Lake, hanging out with high school friends on the Canmore hoodoos and tourists snapping selfies at Sunshine Meadows. 'We're all kind of coming [to Canmore] to enjoy and experience this really special thing. I feel like my attention kind of focused on the landscape, but also equally the people, and I thought that was interesting,' she said. Also completing an emerging artist residency at the Banff Centre last winter, Sandford experimented with the idea of recycling her old prints into new paper. 'I love trying to use recycled stuff, old inks that no one's using, and I feel like I'm just trying to create less waste, and I like printing for that reason because … the environmental impact of that is relatively small compared to other things,' said Sandford. Along with her illustrations are a collection of screen prints, murals and Sandford's self-printed artist book PURE ALBERTACANA. Capturing the ski and snowboard life through several of her prints, Sandford's lighthearted style features pops of colour and quirky characters. 'I ended up making some screen prints about ski culture and in Banff, this transient energy of just people coming and like partying really hard and skiing … it felt like this kind of temporary place to push the limit,' said Sandford. 'It's pretty celebratory and fun, but I was just really interested in … the extremeness of mountain life mixed with how we actually enjoy a place without exploiting it.' Having travelled and lived in several places across Canada, Sandford's work is often shaped by the qualities of a place, its local people and landscape. 'I think I'm just really curious as to how we enjoy tourist spaces or any special place intentionally and respectfully because it feels like a conversation that is being had everywhere.' Moving to Newfoundland for a time after school, Sandford noticed a connection between the East Coast community and her hometown back in the Bow Valley. 'In St. John's, they have a lot of similar problems and conversations about tourism and cruise ships and they're trying to shove all these huge cruise ships into the narrows and the infrastructure of the town can barely handle it and the people are frustrated, and it seems like they're looking for solutions on how to make money but also let people who live there live there,' said Sandford. 'I just was really fascinated by how I was just somewhere so far away, but I felt really understood,' she added. While done in a humorous spirit, Sandford's work speaks to current conversations being had in many tourist towns across the country. 'I think it's a really poignant conversation at this moment in time, though, as Canmore is looking at really large-scale projected growth, so this whole conversation around nature and tourism … are really relevant conversations to be having,' said Shanon Fitzgerald, director of programs at artsPlace. 'Amery's work depicts it in a really jovial kind of way.' 'Dare to Ride' is part of the community exhibition program at artsPlace, a program featuring Bow Valley artists, whether professional or emerging. The exhibit runs twice a year. 'The idea behind the community stream is that it's really sort of resonant with the spirit of the Bow Valley,' said Fitzgerald. The exhibit is on display at artsPlace until August 20. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
15-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Banff will see a good few days, hoping for a good few years as a result of G7 Leaders' Summit
The G7 Leaders' Summit is putting a spotlight on the Canadian Rockies, with Banff ready to gain some visitors and worldwide exposure from the event. The G7 Leaders' Summit is putting a spotlight on the Canadian Rockies, with Banff ready to gain some visitors and worldwide exposure from the event. The area is hosting international media as well as one of the designated demonstration zones. The town, which already has heavy foot traffic in the summer, is about to get a little busier as the area embraces the energy of the G7 Leaders' Summit being held in Kananaskis. The Japanese delegation has several members staying in Banff, and they have no complaints about that. 'So beautiful. … Fresh air and kind people,' said Suguru Hayashida, first secretary with the Japanese embassy in Canada. In addition to hosting some delegates, the Banff Centre serves as the international media centre for the three-day event. And on the edge of town, the recreation centre's parking lot is a designated demonstration zone—its location strategically chosen, away from homes and the hustle and bustle. 'Folks who are planning to protest or demonstrate can expect to see a police presence,' said Cpl. Carlie McCann with the RCMP. 'Our goal for that is to be there, to allow it to be safe and to potentially step in if needed, if there's criminal activity.' Banff's welcome sign has been temporarily removed since visitors will be unable to access the rec centre parking lot to get photos. The G7 Leaders' Summit comes as the area is already flooded with visitors. On Sunday, it hosted a half-marathon. 'It's the busy weekend,' said Christie Pashby, Banff and Lake Louise Tourism director of communication and engagement. But businesses aren't shying away from the added influx of people. 'I think it is really exciting to have such a big global event here,' said Gemma Cashman with Big Bear Trading Company. It's a sentiment shared across town. There's hope this will spiral into future international visitation. 'Definitely a good three days. But hoping it's going to be a good next three years as a result of the summit,' said Kyler Brierley with Good Earth Banff.
