Profile: Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art; Artist-Run Centre (Winnipeg)

Above photo posted with permission from Amber-Dawn Bear Robe.

Profile: Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art
Status: Not-for-profit Artist Run Centre
Community served: Aboriginal and Winnipeg arts communities
Arts focus: Visual, Media, Installation Arts
Language(s): English
Location: Exchange District, Winnipeg
Mandate: Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art is a nationally recognized leader in Aboriginal arts programming and one of the foremost venues and voices for Aboriginal art in Canada. Our focus on developing new programming and new ways of presenting it, have resulted in increased exposure and the expansion of our activities. Urban Shaman is dedicated to the Aboriginal arts community and arts community at large. Our mandate is the promotion, dissemination and expansion of discourse relating to contemporary Aboriginal art on a local, national and international level.
We are committed to serving the needs of emerging, mid-career, and established Aboriginal artists through exhibitions and associated programming, workshops, residencies and curatorial initiatives.
We are committed to facilitating artistic production, education, and the appreciation of contemporary art as an important and empowering tool for Aboriginal peoples.
We are dedicated to meeting the needs of artists by providing a vehicle for artistic expression in all disciplines and at all levels by taking a leadership role in the cultivation of Indigenous art.

Upcoming exhibitions:
Facing The Camera
Rosalie Favell
July 29 – October 01, 2011
Talking About Abstraction
Rolande Souliere
October 14 – November 20, 2011

Contact: Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, Director/Curator
Phone number: 204-942-2674
E-mail: director@urbanshaman.org
Website: www.urbanshaman.org
Address: 203-290 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB

submitted by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe
Director/Curator, Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art

Please see ArtBridge’s Google Map for contact information.

Above works left to right: “Shaman Rider” by Norval Morriseau; “Fertility Totem” by Joseph Sanchez;
“Thunderbird Woman” by Daphne Odjig; “Flack” by Jackson Beardy and Jackie Travers.
Photo posted with permission from Amber-Dawn Bear Robe.

Above works left to right: “Jeekasaw” by Eddy Cobines; “Rabbit and Bird With Sun,” “The Woodpecker,” “Thunderbird, Metamorphosis, Thunder Dancer” by Jackson Beardy and Alex Janvier.
Photo posted with permission from Amber-Dawn Bear Robe.

Call for Artists!: Bikes Without Borders’ ArtCycle 2011 (Toronto)

“When? Thursday August 11th, 2011
Where? London Tap House Toronto 250 Adelaide St. West

Dear Artist,
Bikes Without Borders is delighted to present ArtCycle 2011!

Bikes Without Borders (www.bikeswithoutborders.org), a Toronto based nonprofit organization, works internationally to support marginalized communities. We use bikes and bike-related solutions to increase access to health, education, and economic prosperity.

We are asking for your artistic support for a silent ART AUCTION in Toronto on August 11th, 2011. We are looking for contributions from talented, green-minded, bicycle-loving artists like you. Does our cause inspire you?? Bikes Without Borders wants to display your piece at ArtCycle 2011 at the beautiful London Tap House in the Entertainment District. Art is all about creativity – please do what you do! Photographs, sculpture, painting, drawing, welding…. We’d love you to create a bike-inspired piece in totally your own style, or re-create an existing masterpiece.

Bikes Without Borders is proud to offer you 25% of the proceeds from your piece to help cover your costs and support future work. The remaining 75% of the proceeds will help launch Phase II of our Pedal-Powered Hope Project in Malawi, Africa. Why bikes?? A bicycle is empowerment for the Community Health Volunteer who walks 3 hours a day to visit patients. A bicycle is education for the child who gets transportation to school. A bicycle is economic prosperity when a farmer gets to travel to another market and deliver more goods. A bicycle is life-saving for the mother who is giving birth and there are complications.

To confirm your commitment to ArtCycle 2011, please email Noelle Pagura or Melissa King to receive your Artist Agreement Package. Artists Agreement Package DEADLINE: JULY 21st, 2011.

Thank you for joining us to send bikes across borders, transportation where it matters, and art where it can make a real difference. Please don’t hesitate to contact event organizers with comments, questions, or to organize art reception.”

Noelle Pagura, ArtCycle Intern
noelle.pagura@bikeswithoutborders.org 416.220.7023

Melissa King, ArtCycle Coordinator
Melissa@bikeswithoutborders.org 647.967.6102

-submitted by Noelle Pagura, ArtCycle Intern

Summer Employment Opportunity for Youth: Program and Events Assistant (Art Starts, Toronto)

“Job Posting
Summer Job for Youth
Program and Events Assistant

Position Type: Summer
Job Region: Toronto
Deadline: June 26, 2011        
Hours per week: 30
Commitment: 7 Weeks
Start/End Date: July4th-Aug12, 2011
Salary: $10.50/hr

Art Starts is an award-winning charitable, not-for-profit organization committed to arts-based community development in the city of Toronto. Our mandate is to build healthier communities using the arts. We are a growing organization currently operating five sites across the city.

Position Summary: As the Programs and Event Assistant, student(s) will support the many events and celebrations associated with five Art Starts summer programs.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Developing marketing & communications materials (e.g flyer design, web & Facebook postings…),
• Recruiting volunteers, outreach, liaising with all partners (e.g. police, artists,
participants…),
• Assisting during programs set up and take down/clean up
• Administrative support, purchasing supplies, finding venues, etc.
• The students will be assisting with the following five programs:

1. Dusk Dances
2. The Element, a summer program for teens from one Lawrence Heights and Neptune
3. communities.
4. Mural Program & Celebration.
5. Art in XS – a creative summer camp for children

QUALIFICATIONS:
• You must be a student between 15 and 25 who is returning to school full time in September 2011.
• Interested in community arts and working with racialized and underserved communities.
• Able to multi task and work within set deadlines and possess excellent organizational
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to work well with other and possess great interpersonal skills.
• Dedicated, enthusiastic and responsible.
• An arts background and experience is an asset.

Interested applicants please reply with your resume and cover letter to: Katherine Earl: Art Start Program Manager Katherine@artstarts.net“

submitted by Tamara Haberman
Director of Development and Administration, Art Starts

For more information on Art Starts, read their profile.

Please see ArtBridge’s Google Map for contact information.

Profil: Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne (CCSA) [Fredericton] / programmation en arts

Mini Profil: Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne (CCSA)
Position: Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne (CCSA) / Programmation culturelle annuelle
Communauté visée pour la programmation d’art: la communauté francophone, francophile et la population en générale de la région de la capitale provinciale du Nouveau-Brunswick (Fredericton) et d’Oromocto.
Discipline d’art: Musique, danse, théâtre, variétés, humour, arts visuels et films.
Langue(s) utilisée(s): Français
Région: Région de la capitale du Nouveau-Brunswick
Objectif de la programmation d’art: Offrir une programmation culturelle et évènementielle diversifiée et de qualité qui répond aux besoins de tous les groupes d’âge et d’intérêts. Par l’entremise de sa programmation culturelle, le CCSA permet à la communauté francophone et francophiles, ainsi qu’à la population en générale de la région de la capitale provinciale, d’apprécier les artistes francophones de la région et d’ailleurs et de faire valoriser la diversité culturelle.
Sommaire des activités/projets artistiques principaux: La programmation annuelle débute en septembre et offre une trentaine de manifestations culturelles en français incluant notamment des spectacles de musique, de théâtre, de variétés, des films et des expositions d’œuvres d’art visuels avec des artistes professionnels et de la relève. De plus, le CCSA organise une vingtaine de 5 à 7, qui ont lieu tous les vendredis dans un bar au centre-ville de Fredericton, avec des musiciens locaux et de l’extérieur.
Contact: Murielle Savoie, directrice du développement culturel
Tel.: 506-453-2731.
E-mail: msavoie@centre-sainte-anne.nb.ca
Site web: http://www.centre-sainte-anne.nb.ca/index.html
Adresse: 715, rue Priestman, Fredericton, NB E3B 5W7

-soumis par Murielle Savoie, directrice du développement culturel

Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Profil: Le centre des arts du Yukon / Yukon Arts Centre (ressource/resource)

 Photo by Didier Delahaye

Mini Profil: Le centre des arts du Yukon
Position: Organisme à but non lucratif
Communauté visée pour la programmation d’art: Nous tentons de servir une vaste communauté au Yukon en offrant une programmation pour les familles, les personnes âgées, les jeunes, les Premières Nations, les francophones, etc. ainsi qu’en dépassant les limites de Whitehorse.
Discipline d’art: Arts visuels et dramatiques
Langue(s) utilisée(s): Surtout l’anglais, quelques services en français
Région: Whitehorse, YT
Objectif de la programmation d’art: Le centre des arts du Yukon est un organisme caritatif à but non-lucratif dédié au développement artistique comme étant une importante force culturelle, sociale, and économique au Yukon. Nous avons l’intention de servir comme modèle en développement artistique dans le nord ainsi que pour stimuler un territoire créatif et vibrant.
Sommaire des activités/projets artistiques principaux : Le centre des arts du Yukon est un centre exceptionel pour les arts visuels et dramatiques au sein du territoire.
La galerie d’art publique de 4,200 pieds carrés est le seul complexe de qualité supérieure au nord. La galerie est hôte à de nombreuses expositions au cours de l’année, et souligne les artistes du nord, du Canada, et à l’internationale. Nous soulignons le meilleur en artscontemporains ainsi que le meilleur en art Yukonnais. La galerie a plusieurs activités d’éducation et d’assistance ainsi qu’une galerie communautaire et une galerie jeunesse pour les artistes locaux et émergents.
De plus en plus, le centre des arts du Yukon a une présence nationale comme présentateur de danse, théâtre, et musique d’haute qualité pour divers spectateurs. La série de présentation inclut des interprétations d’artistes francophones, et nous essayons aussi de rendre les présentations accessibles en anglais et en français. En 2010-2011, nous avons souligné Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal et The Lost Fingers. Autrement, nous utilisons divers approches communautaires, sous forme de question/réponse, ateliers, matinées scholaires, etc. Nous avons des partenariats avec plusieurs organismes communautaires spéciaux afin d’organiser des évènements speciaux et des programmes avec de la valeur ajoutée.
Contact:  Al Cushing, CEO
Tel.: 867-667-8575
E-mail: info@yac.ca
Site web: www.yukonartscentre.com
Adresse: 300 College Dr, Whitehorse YT, Y1A 5X9

Mini Profile: Yukon Arts Centre
Status: Not-for-Profit Organization
Community served: We try to serve a wide range of Yukoners by having programming that addresses families, seniors, youth, First Nations, Francophone, etc and by extending our reach past Whitehorse.
Arts focus: Visual Arts, Performing Arts
Language: Mostly English
Location: Whitehorse, YT
Mandate: The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) is a not for profit charitable organization dedicated to the development of the arts as an important cultural, social and economic force in the Yukon. We intend to be model for the development of the arts in the North and a stimulus for a vibrant and creative territory.
Main arts activities/projects: YAC is the territory’s premier venue for performing and visual arts.
The 4,200 sq. ft. Public Art Gallery is the only A-Grade facility in the North. The Gallery hosts exhibitions all year long, and showcases northern, national and international artists. We bring up the best in contemporary art and bring out the best in Yukon art. The Gallery has many outreach and education activities, as well as a Community Gallery and a Youth Gallery for emerging and local artists.
YAC is increasingly a major presenter in Canada presenting high quality dance, theatre, and music shows for our diverse audiences. The presentation series includes performances from Francophone artists – however, we also try to make the performances accessible to both English and French audiences. Recent 2010-11 highlights include Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and The Lost Fingers. Outside of performances we include outreach in the forms of Q&As, workshops, school matinees, etc. We partner with several community organizations to put on special events and value-added programming.
Contact: Al Cushing, CEO
Phone number: 867 667 8575
E-mail: info@yac.ca
Website: www.yukonartscentre.com
Address: 300 College Dr, Whitehorse YT, Y1A 5X9

Soumis par/Submitted by Vanessa Corkal, Programming Assistant

Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.
Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for more contact information.

Profile: MABELLEarts (Greater Toronto Area)

Bread Bearer exits park, photo by Katherine Fleitas

Profile: MABELLEarts
Status: Not-for-profit
Community served: we work with people of all ages and backgrounds living in the Mabelle neighbourhood – a high-density community housing complex in Central Etobicoke, as well as artists, builders, architects and gardeners from across the GTA and beyond.
Region served: central etobicoke, toronto, etc. etc.
Language(s) used: our artists predominately speak english and we predominately speak english as community – however many of our community members speak languages other than english – Arabic, Farsi, Romanian, Bengali and more.
Arts focus: we are a multi-disciplinary arts company, with a focus in environmental art and public space transformation, ceremony and spectacle.
Lanterns by Pat Austin, photo by Katherine Fleitas

Summary of Main Art Projects: The artistic vision of all MABELLEarts projects grows from the belief that art making and sharing is itself an act of rebellion against forces of market control and gentrification.  We believe that the act of making beautiful a shared space, object or event is essential to the role of the artist and the promise of urban renewal.  This has always been the role of art – to enliven communities, spark conversations and engender a sense of shared ownership and power in neglected places.  We have witnessed the power of these practices in our own work and in the work of our mentors and muses, through local and international practices that include collaborative mural making in Latin America, the work of Lily Yeh and the Village of Art and Humanities, our mentoring company Jumblies Theatre, Clay and Paper Theatre’s work in Dufferin Grove Park, The City Repair Project in Portland, Oregon and Toronto’s Spiral Garden.

photo by Katherine Fleitas

Mandate: MABELLEarts brings together people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to make art, tell stories and creatively transform the place that is Mabelle – a high-density Toronto Community Housing complex in Central Etobicoke. For us, community arts is a collaborative process of creating culture with the hands, voices and dreams of everyday people. Together we talk, work, play, plant, tell, build, remember, think, sew, eat, celebrate, drawing, sing and mourn, transforming indoor and outdoor, physical and conceptual, personal and collective spaces in and around Mabelle.
We reside in the Mabelle neighbourhood and work in partnership with local organizations to:
· Produce new works of art and transform Mabelle’s public spaces.
· Uncover and present the stories, themes and imagery of Mabelle, inspired by the people and cultures found there.
· Bring together artists, elders, writers, designers, meal-makers, seed planters, architects, performers, carpenters and others from Mabelle and other places.
· Create opportunities for people from Mabelle and beyond to explore and develop their creativity and civic engagement through ongoing workshops, events and paid employment.
· Welcome those who are most likely to be left out by offering free activities, food, childcare, transportation and translation.
· Offer professional artists and others to explore and develop their chosen practice in a community context under the guidance of skilled artists.
· Inspire a sense of connection to our creativity, each other, and the places we call home, through the creation of artwork, ceremonies and celebrations that revel in the beauty of the everyday.

photos by Katherine Fleitas. Right: Lantern by Joshua Barndt, Michael Burtt and the PARC community.

Contact: Leah Houston, artistic director
Phone number: 416-239-4900
E-mail: leah@mabellearts.ca
Website: www.mabellearts.ca
Address: Site address: 5005 Dundas Street West, Etobicoke, Ontario (find us on the ground floor). Mailing address:  208 Osler Street, Toronto, Ontario M6N 2Z1

-Submitted by Leah Houston

Please see ArtBridge’s Google Map for contact information.

Profil: Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Crédit: Pascaline Gréau

Profil: Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife
Position: Organisme à but non lucratif
Communauté visée pour la programmation d’art: Tous
Discipline d’art: Divers (musiques, improvisations, visuels, danses, arts…)
Langue(s) utilisée(s): Français et Anglais
Région: Yellowknife, Territoires du nord-ouest
Objectif de la programmation d’art: Mission
L’AFCY a pour mission d’agir dans deux volets principaux :
1.- Promouvoir les arts et la culture canadienne française au moyen d’activités qui visent l’épanouissement et le développement durable de
la francophonie à Yellowknife dans une perspective de développement communautaire.
2.- Initier ou encourager tout projet ou organisme, ou coopérer avec tout organisme, groupe ou individu qui, en travaillant dans le
développement de la culture et de la vie communautaire, soutient la réalisation du premier volet de la mission de l’AFCY.
Sommaire des activités/projets artistiques principaux: L’association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife a pour mandat le développement de la vie culturelle au sein de la ville de Yellowknife. Le terme culture renferme plusieurs facettes et à cet égard, l’AFCY désire présenter par l’entremise d’activités une définition de la culture francophone dans un contexte social minoritaire. Pour plusieurs, la culture est synonyme d’art, pour d’autres, il s’agit de rencontres sociales enclines à la création de liens d’appartenance grâce à la somme de références sociétales similaires. Or, le terme culture est mis en relief à partir de plusieurs catégories, soit l’environnement, l’histoire, le bien-être d’une société, les arts, etc. L’AFCY a su au fil des années développer une programmation répondant aux besoins des francophones et des francophiles de Yellowknife. L’AFCY désire agir sur différents axes tels que : la diffusion artistique, les festivals, les activités sociales et communautaires ainsi qu’une programmation dédiée à la jeunesse. Nous organisons le festival «Miroir sur la francophonie nordique», un camp artistique pour les jeunes, plusieurs spectacles, festifilm jeunesse, les Fêtes du Canada, Festival de bières francophones, Fête des Rois, soirées de danse, conférences sur des sujets divers, etc.
Contact: Marie Coderre, directrice générale
Tel.: 867-873-3292
E-mail: dgafcy@franco-nord.com
Site web: www.afcy.info
Adresse: 5016, 48e rue, C.P.1586, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2P2

- soumis par Pascaline Gréau, Animatrice Culturelle, L’Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife.

Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Crédit: Caroline Lafontaine

Profile: Spiral Garden & the Centre for the Arts (Greater Toronto Area)

photos by Bohdan Petryk

Profile: Spiral Garden & the Centre for the Arts
Status: Not for profit and running under the umbrella and with the support of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Community served: We serve children and youth aged 2-29
Region served: GTA and surrounding area.
Language(s) used: English primarily, but many staff are bilingual in various other languages
Arts focus: Multiple modalities: we currently run programs focusing on dance, theatre, painting, ceramics, photography, music, puppetry/story telling
Summary of Main Art Activities/Projects: Please see Spiral Garden & the Centre for the Arts spring/summer brochure, which gives a brief description of each program they are currently running
Mandate: Spiral Garden is an integrated outdoor art, garden and play program that has been integral to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital since 1984. This innovative program, staffed by artists, brings together children ages 6 to 18 with and without disabilities from the community and Holland Bloorview to:
* Explore self and collective expression through a variety of art media
* Nurture our relationship to nature through tending our organic garden
* Foster an inclusive community that gives attention to the whole person
Contact: Karin Farkashidy, Manager Centre for the Arts
Phone number: 416-425-6220 x 3327
E-mail: kfarkashidy@hollandbloorview.ca
Website: www.hollandbloorview.ca
Address: 150 Kilgour Rd., Toronto, ON, M4G 1R8

photos by Bohdan Petryk

-submitted Skye Gross, Program Administrator, Centre for the Arts, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Please see ArtBridge’s Google Map for contact information.

Employment Opportunity: Community Artist in the Community Garden Program (Sketch, Toronto)

“SKETCH is hiring a Community Artist for our Community Garden program. This is an 8-week contract running for July and August at 30 hours per week. This position is funded by Canada Summer Jobs and is only open to students who are coming from and returning to full-time post-secondary schooling.

SKETCH seeks a Community Artist for our active and exciting Community Garden program. SKETCH has three plots in two separate community gardens; they are organic teaching gardens and aim to build skills in the SKETCH community while increasing the community’s food security.

The Community Artist in the Community Garden program will support the Community Arts Coordinator in all aspects of the program, including garden maintenance, using the harvest to prepare snacks and meals for SKETCH’s program participants, sharing organic gardening knowledge and skills with the program participants, leading or supporting gardening workshops, setting up and cleaning up on program days, program reporting and evaluation, and other assistance as needed. They will model healthy engagement in the program, building positive relationships within the community of program participants and SKETCH’s organizational partners. They will also be instrumental in supporting the coordination of community events in the gardens, such as pot lucks and Harvest Festivals.

Applicants for this position should have demonstrated knowledge of and experience with organic gardening and group facilitation, as well as cooking skills and event coordination skills. SKETCH particularly recommends that students in Geography or Environmental Sciences apply.

SKETCH is committed to diversity and to addressing and removing discriminatory barriers, systemic or otherwise in its workplace and in the community. We strongly seek applications from all equity seeking groups.

Please email resumes and cover letters to:
Sue Cohen, SKETCH Community Arts Coordinator, at sue@sketch.ca
no later than June 20^th, 2011 at 5pm.
Interviews will take place June 21-24.

SKETCH, P.O. Box 63, Station B, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2T2.
Fax 416-516-6286 www.sketch.ca
No phone calls please. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted.”

- submitted by Sonya Reynolds, Program Administrator

For more information on SKETCH,  read their profile.
Please see ArtBridges’ Google map for contact information.

 

Book Launch: Affirming Collaboration – Community and Humanist Activist Art in Québec and Elsewhere / Lancement du livre: Célébrer la collaboration – Art communautaire et art activiste humaniste au Québec et ailleurs (Montréal)

- posted with permission from Devora Neumark

Read ArtBridges’ profile on  Engrenage Noir/LEVIER here.
See ArtBridges’ Google Map for more information.