July is one of the best months to get out and attend events in Guelph. We staff at GAC are excited to share what we experienced over the past four weeks.
Sarah Goldrup, Communications and Events Assistant:
The Artful Pledge for July is Attend, which is perfect for a sunny month full of fantastic events. This July was my first Art on the Street, which I attended as part of Guelph Arts Council. It was a great day of sun, community, amazing art and music, though what made it special for me was getting to meet the artists of Guelph. It was wonderful to put faces to names after writing short posts about many of them that went up on our Facebook page leading up to the event.
Something that I have loved this summer is going to Farmers Markets. The Guelph Farmers Market has been a focal point downtown for 108 years, running Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 2 Gordon Street. There is always fresh produce, meats, cheeses and baked goods, as well as some great artists to check out. It’s great way to spend a Saturday morning.
There have been many other fabulous events and openings happening throughout July, and more are gearing up for August. With Guelph Arts Councils Historical Walking Tours starting up again in August, I know what I’ll be doing with my Sundays.
Taryn McIntosh, Summer Co-op Student:
This month I had the opportunity to attend a couple of events in Guelph. Last weekend I went to Hillside, an annual 3-day music festival at Guelph Lake. It was my third year volunteering and camping, which is my favorite part of the festival. The weather was beautiful and I saw some really cool artists, as I enjoyed the generally relaxed and welcoming Hillside environment. Attending Hillside is a great experience, but I highly recommend doing more than attending by getting involved.
I also attended the play “A Night in Flanders” at the McCrae House earlier this month. Guelph Museums commissioned the play as part of the 100th anniversary commemoration of In Flanders Fields. The play allows a glimpse into the mental anguish that prompted McCrae to write In Flanders Fields as it follows him on the night of May 2, 1915. I had the chance to thoroughly explore McCrae House as well. The experience really inspired me, which I admit was not what I expected as I am pretty far from the event’s targeted demographic. I think that getting out and attending and experiencing the things going on in your community is always really valuable.
Hillside is the last weekend of July every year, and A Night In Flanders runs Thursday – Saturday nights until August 8 at the McCrae House.
I’m excited to continue Attending next month and Sharing some of the incredible artistic experiences that Guelph has to offer.
Patti Broughton, Executive Director:
On July 11 I attended my first Art on the Street since joining Guelph’s arts community. I was thrilled to be involved in an event that showcases high-quality creative work in a variety of media, and is a dynamic and fun community event. It was also a wonderful opportunity for me to meet some of GAC’s artist members for the first time.
I’ve also attended meetings this month with reps of some of the organizations that partner with GAC to develop and deliver arts programming for Guelph. I appreciate how willing my community colleagues are to bring their particular strengths to new or existing collaborations. I’m looking forward to Culture Days at the end of September, and other projects that will ensure Guelph remains a great creative city.
Katie Wilde, Office Manager/Membership Coordinator:
In July I had the pleasure of not only attending Art on the Street, but skipping ahead 6 months to December’s theme and doing a little bit of “Buy!” This year I am consciously saving a bit of cash here and there, and spending it on original art, small items though they may be. I’ve realized that to start a collection I can start small. So I purchased a couple of items from very talented Art on the Street vendors – this year they were photographer Jennifer Squires and well-known local printmaker Gillian Wilson.
I also attended Good/Bad + Bad/Good, a lighthearted exhibition of little-seen works from the MacDonald Stewart Art Centre (now Art Gallery of Guelph) collection. Curated by Verne Harrison, this show is currently set up at the Boarding House Gallery on the corner of Dublin and Waterloo, while the AGG’s Gordon Street location undergoes renovations (reopening Sept 17, 2015). Stop by to see this fun grouping of oddities, and while you’re there, pick up 5 catalogues of past exhibitions for only $20 at their art book fire sale like I did! They also have catalogues of recent exhibitions available and they are each beautiful and fascinating.
Thanks for Attending with us here at GAC. We look forward to Sharing with you in August!
From Artful Pledge Part 2: August’s Theme is “Share”
By Sonya Poweska
Do you have a favorite artist, musician, maker, event, or artisan? August is the month for sharing!
We here at Guelph Arts Council love discovering new artists. We also love hearing why your favorite artist has captured your attention. They can be seasoned or fresh, emerging or established, unknown or famous; we would love to hear them all.
For those of you who don’t know, we three staff members here at Guelph Arts Council have all worked in the creative industries in different capacities for many years. We each have our own artistic practices and love hearing about other artists’ processes, disciplines, mediums, and experimentation.
Each day in the month of August, we will share the work of a local artist on Facebook and twitter. Although we have many members whom we can brag about, we would like to hear about your favorite artists. We would also like artists to share images and links to their websites. Bonus points go to artists who share images, videos, or links that detail their creative process. What you share with us we’ll proudly share again with the rest of our network.
Helps us spread the word about Guelph artists, musicians, authors, makers, media artists, and innovators. Join us throughout the month of August as we share, share, share and open a dialogue about the art in our great city! Who knows, you might even discover something new!
