 By Lana Kamaric
October 8, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Ballerina Project by Rolly Astrom is now showing at the Art Gallery of Burlington for the month of October.
 In this photography project Rolly Astrom takes classic ballet dancers and places them in contemporary cityscapes. Each photograph is a portrait that gives you a glimpse of what the dancer is capable of. Astrom’s artist statement reads, “My intent was to showcase the dancer’s grace, beauty, strength, flexibility and lines against a background of local sites.” The Ballerina Project showcases all of these elements while also presenting a portrait of the dancer herself.
Each ballerina is given her own space to work within a different part of the city. In A Stage to Herself we find the ballerina dancing outside of the Performing Art Centre. Shifting the boundaries of dance space, she is taking her craft from the stage and bringing it into the outside world. Another dancer is Stopping Traffic in her bare feet; she turns the city street into her studio, as a lamppost becomes her ballet bar. With each photo we find another public space occupied by a dancer as the world becomes their stage.
 Astrom was surprised at how collaborative the project became when he began working with the dancers. They would simply “meet up and start wandering” according to Astrom. Together they would agree on a space that worked and transform it into an art piece. The dancers would use their years of ballet experience to work with the space and create beautiful shapes, while he would use his photographic eye to capture each portrait. The dancers use the space around them to shape their poses and become part of the space itself. Poised in the Niche portrays the dancer as a statue preserved in the architecture. While Stone Dance seems to pull the dancer into the natural world around her, sculpted among the rocks her body becomes part of the structure.
Astrom works with digital photography. After taking the photo he manipulates elements of it to create various effects. In Waiting the image has the appearance of being folded over twice as one might find with an old photograph printed from film. This illusion according to Astrom was added to give the sense that it was an abandoned photograph picked up by the viewer. With the blending of dance and photography each image tells us the story of the girl in the photo.
 The Ballerina Project is Astrom’s first solo exhibition. On October 5th an opening was held in the Fireside Lounge of the AGB, where the pieces are currently on display until the end of the month. Many of Astrom’s supporters attended the opening to congratulate him and celebrate the first exhibition of this project. Guests were also able to meet some of the ballerinas who attended. The exhibition included the dancers’ old ballet shoes piled below the photo Abandoned, showcasing their discarded shoes. The photos range from bold colours to softer palettes and black and white. Each photograph, taking on its own presence while the dancer’s lines move your eyes from image to image.
 Astrom said that he had difficulty choosing which pieces to print and include in the show. To overcome this challenge he decided to include a digital slideshow of the full collection. The slideshow ran on loop for the duration of the opening. Guests were able to see the same dancers in another variety of movements and spaces that offered further clues to their portraits.
I had a chance to speak with Jodie, one of the ballerinas. She was pleased with how the exhibition turned out, “It’s nice to see our form of art combined with photography. I think it will make people appreciate dance more.” This may be true since the combination of the two art forms opens up each one to a wider audience. Working with Astrom, she found it interesting to use aspects of the background in combination with her dance. It is “unlike typical dance photos” which usually consist of a basic backdrop and the dancer smiling while posed. By taking the dancers out of their studios and off the stage Astrom has given them a limitless performance space and offered the viewer a new way to see ballet.
 So where does he go from here? “It’s not done,” says Astrom. “I’m going to continue with this as an ongoing series.” Working with Dance Makerz studio, he has taken most of the photos in Burlington but is looking to expand into Hamilton as well. With the number of dance studios in the surrounding area I am sure we will be seeing many more ballerinas taking over the cities before Astrom is through.
Lana Kamarić is a contemporary surrealist artist and a self-taught painter. Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia Lana arrived in Canada at the age of five. After moving to Burlington she attended Robert Bateman High school and graduated from York University with a degree in Art History. Lana has worked with the Museums of Burlington, the Art Gallery of Burlington and is currently working as a full-time artist. Lana was a participant in Cirque, the 2014 No Vacancy installation event in the Village Square. Her last show was Art in the Workplace at McMaster Innovation Park.
By Lana Kamaric
October 3, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Traditional ballroom dancing involves a man leading and a woman following. So what happens when the dance is performed with two men? Who leads and who follows? Trevor Copp, founder of Burlington’s Tottering Biped Theatre, and Jeff Fox, professional ballroom instructor and choreographer, seem to have successfully resolved this issue with their piece First Dance.
 Now playing at the Burlington Performing Art Centre, First Dance tells the story of Ted, played by Copp, and Aaron, played by Fox. Ted is determined to create a meaningful first dance for his wedding, one that he can proudly perform with his future husband in front of his entire family. For help he turns to Aaron, a competitive dancer and his former lover. As the characters interact through dance we learn the story of their past relationship, their struggles through adolescence and their search for identity in a world of designated gender roles.
With traditional ballroom dance the roles are specifically outlined for male and female partners – the male instigates the dance and the female follows. Outside of the ballroom this notion of male dominance is completely outdated in a society that strives for gender equality and presents an obvious challenge for same sex couples performing a traditional ballroom dance.
As Ted and Aaron compete to take turns leading and following their bodies create a visual dialogue. They struggle to find a balance between Aaron’s classic textbook perfection and Ted’s desire to break free from tradition and create a dance that makes sense when performed with two men. The characters strive to create a harmony between both partners, each having the opportunity to lead and follow, each having the opportunity to start.  While their characters wrestle for control of who leads and who follows, Copp and Fox alternate between the roles with seamless fluidity. Gliding in and out of each other’s arms, they create a stunning balance of strength and grace.
The piece is not performed on an elaborate set – instead the dancers paint the space with their movement. A simple backdrop spills onto the floor with a black and white checkerboard pattern mirroring the contrast between male and female dance roles. While this piece focuses on the relationship between two gay men, the struggle with identity is an issue we can all relate to at one time or another. First Dance demonstrates a personal journey with a universal concept. As Aaron and Ted share their final steps and the dance reaches its end all the pieces fall into place and leave you with a quiet sense of resolution.
October 2 through to the 5th and from the 9th to the 11th. Matinee performances are included. Moderately priced. Tickets can be booked on the Performing Arts web site. Box office 905-681-6000
 By Pepper Parr
October 2, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
For the record, said ward two Councillor Marianne Meed Ward 22 businesses have joined the downtown business family between January and September 2014. Some of these “new businesses” are lateral in that they are replacing an “exiting business” with the same address.
 Ward two city council candidate accused of spreading “shameful half truths”. Meed Ward maintains candidate Kelly Arnott had this information “but chose only to share the closures, not the new businesses – a half truth to deliberately mislead. This is unethical, untruthful, and shameful behavior, unfit for someone running for public office.”
“It’s shockingly brazen to stand up in a room full of residents looking for honest information and to knowingly give them a half truth, and at the same time disparage a part of the ward, the downtown, that she is running to represent! Shameful.
Listed are the names and the month they opened in the core.
January 2014
Heavenly Gourmet
Test Kitchen
Pearl & Pine Retirement
Sante Day Spa & Boutique
March, 2014
Lingerie D’amour
Private Matters Psychotherapy
May 2014
Son of a Peach Pizzeria
Tim L. Consulting Ltd.
June 2014
Cold Turkey Vapor Bar
Dynasties Churrasqueira
Beauty Destination Spa n Esthetics
Nail Candy
Tammy M. Alpe Professional Corporation
Kinetic Yoga & Pilates
Dr. Paulette Laidlaw
Britannia Dental Centre
August 2014
Waters Edge Salon and Spa
Dr. Paulette Laidlaw, Psychologist
September 2014
Blyth Academy Burlington
The Corned Beef Hut
Irina’s Shoe Paradise
Brant Street Butcher & Market
Rawlicious
You can add another one to that; the Gazette expects to open an office in the Downtown core in the near future
 By Pepper Parr
October 1, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Burlington Lions Club is hosting an all candidates debate Wed. October 1, 7pm at the Lions Club at Pearl and James (471 Pearl St). Candidates for Regional Chair, Mayor, and Ward 2 Councillor will be on hand to talk about their platform, why they are running, and answer written questions from the floor, chosen by the moderator. Candidates for school board trustee will be on hand with information tables, but will not participate in the debate.
 It sounds like a pretty tame approach to getting a solid look at these candidates – adding the council members to the mix means Philip Papadopoulos will also be speaking; we heard from Papadopoulos when he ran for Mayor in 2010
Then adding candidates for the office of Regional Chair will mean an event that spreads the available time over too many people.
 Goldring winning in 2010. Burlingtonians want to hear Mayor Goldring defend his record and some of his controversial decisions and would like to hear if Peter Rusin has anything to bring to the table.
 Peter Rusin – running for the office of Mayor. Rusin is unknown, has never served in an elected office and has no record of any community involvement. Does he have “chops” – could he do the job?
The citizens need an opportunity to listen to these two men and make a decision.
The Lions are to be applauded for hosting the event – it looks as if the audience is going to get to listen to 11 people in one evening running for three levels of public office.
Four candidates running for the ward two Council seat; three candidates running for Mayor and four candidates running for Regional chair.
By Pepper Parr
October 1, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
When the Performing Arts Centre was first opened there was deep concern amongst the smaller theatrical and performance groups that there would not be a place for them – and during the Heatherington regime – there wasn’t much in the way of “local” talent on that stage.
When Brian McCurdy took over and got some of the problems worked out he began to include local groups in the program.
 Trevor Copp, founder of Tottering Biped Theatre will perform at the Performing Arts Centre for a two week run. Thursday evening First Dance, a significant re-interpretation of that traditional first swing around the dance floor by a freshly wed bride and groom will be performed by Trevor Copp and dance partner Jeff Fox.
Copp is a fine performer, he doesn’t walk – he glides. He has tremendous control over his movements and is a delight to watch. I’ve not actually seen Trevor Copp dance – other than the occasion when he was declared one of Burlington’s BEST a number of years ago. On that occasion he floated out into the middle of the room and made his acceptance comments.
The Gazette will be doing a review of the First Dance – look for it on Friday when Lana Kamaric reports on the performance.
Copp was the person who appeared before city council about two years ago and asked why he, as an artist, could not earn his living in his community. We didn’t know it at the time but that delegation was the first peek at what is an energetic arts community that few knew about.
Following the Copp delegation we saw the creation of the Arts and Culture Collective that speaks on behalf of much of the art community.
 Trevor Copp talks with Angela Paparizo during the unveiling of the Spiral Stella at the Performing Arts Centre last year. That was followed by the first No Vacancy event at the Waterfront Hotel in 2013 – to be followed by a hugely successful second No Vacancy event at the Village Square.
And now Trevor Copp gets to dance on the Performing Arts Centre Stage telling the story about how, a man about to marry his male partner sets about devising their traditional First Dance. Through Ballroom dance and Theatre, the journey of a gay man is explored through the challenge of creating a dance for a ritual that has no history.
The dancing will be superb – what many will not get immediately is the political undertone of the performance. In our society men lead on the dance floor – how does that happen when both dancers are male? Our assumptions get challenged and we find we are facing a “cultural blind spot”.
As Copp was planning his own wedding (which has since ended) all the assumptions had to be deconstructed and a new approach created.
 Trevor Copp, the Burlington actor who mobilized the arts into a Collective makes a point on leadership while Executive Director of the Burlington Museum’s operation listens. This performance has “gay” stamped all over its marketing – a bold and quite unexpected step for Burlington. Would the performance attract the gay community from Toronto and Hamilton?
Copp wasn’t sure. He expects word of mouth will draw the audience and he is delighted that the Performing Arts Centre has given him a two week run. Something also unheard of in this city for a local group.
Copp has performed First Dance in Guelph, Kitchener and Hamilton and in the very near future he will be taking the production to Albania.
He has done between 25 and 30 performances of a production that undergoes constant change.
For those attending the event – there will be some wonderful dancing and a challenge to many of the assumptions we make about marriage and the roles each partner plays.
Copp takes his performance a couple of steps further and has added “Talk Back”; he works at getting into a dialogue with the audience after the performance. Copp has found in the past that people just blurt out a thought or a feeling.
This is tricky stuff – the performer has no idea what will come from the audience – perhaps nothing which makes for an awkward moment.
Copp doesn’t appear in the least deterred by something that might not work out.
This is new, exciting and bold stuff – Brian McCurdy deserves kudos for bringing First Dance to his stage.
October 2 through to the 5th and from the 9th to the 11th. Matinee performances are included. Moderately priced. Tickets can be booked on the Performing Arts web site. Box office 905-681-6000
By Staff
September 29, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
They’ve done it every year for the past 17 years. The cottage they live in and work out of is located on Beach Blvd in Hamilton – but because it is more like a part of Burlington than Hamilton (except for the taxes) they seem like local people.
 Cora Brittan was the calligraphist who did the work for the first Royal Reading presentation to Prince George on the occasion of his first birthday. Royal Reading was a collection of greetings from the people of Burlington.  They are both artists. She is petite, he has a pony tail. They winter in Mexico and usually rent their home while they are south.
They are not wealthy people – they just live their lives and do their art.
Cora has a well-developed calligraphy skill and did the inscriptions for Royal Reading, the presentation the Gazette made to Prince George on the occasion of his first birthday.
On a weekend in the middle of October – 18th and 19th – Cora and Eric Brittan will host their 17th annual Open House art sale. The event will run from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
 Much of Cora Brittan’s work has a light, whimsy, almost magical touch to it. Their home is next to what used to be the Bell Cairn Public school but is now the Training Centre for the Provincial Correctional Service located on Beach Blvd. Cross the canal and swing into Beach Blvd.
The neighbourhood has a rich history. There was a time when the Blvd was being used by heavy trucks – mothers blocked the road with their baby carriages to stop that kind of traffic.
They do things differently in Hamilton.
 By Staff
September 26, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The city is calling the weekend Cultural Days and has a long list of events planned for the public. The Rocca Sisters, no slouches when it comes to promotion, decided to do their own cultural thing and are sponsoring Applefest at Ireland House at Oakridge Farm, 2168 Guelph Line in Burlington to celebrate the best the fall season has to offer.
 Ireland House – an original Burlington farm house that once stretched for acres on the northern edge of the city will be the location for Applefest – an occasion when the city remembers when it was the food garden for a large part of the world. This Sunday, September 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the “sisters” invite you to join them to celebrate the best the fall season has to offer.
Admission to the event is free compliments of the Rocca Sisters as a way to say thank you to the community for all the support it has shown.
 All children will receive a free goodie bag and a special surprise from the Rocca Sisters. Stop by their tent and table to say “Hi!” and help celebrate Applefest.
Funds raised at Applefest go towards Museums of Burlington’s educational programs and preservation of the historic collection.
By Pepper Parr
September 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The spin at the Art Gallery of Burlington has begun.
The announcement that he had left the Art Gallery was made by Ian Ross on his Facebook page.
Sandra Edrup, Chair of the AGB said this morning that Ian Ross and the board met last week and mutually agreed that Ian Ross’s 20 years at the gallery would come to an end.
That was last week – but there was no announcement until the Gazette broke the story earlier this morning.
 Ian Ross in better days at the Art Gallery of Burlington Kim Varian, Doug Niven and Denis Longchamps are serving as a sort of triumvirate to run the gallery on a day to day basis while Anne Swarbrick serves as a volunteer temporary Executive Director.
A search team will be put together said Ms. Edrup that will be inclusive and include all the stake holders and the wider community to find a new President and CEO
The phrase “support for success” has entered the language the senior AGB people are using and there was mention of confidentiality and Ian’s career future.
Was the parting of ways the result of philosophical differences over how the new branding was to be put into play? Or was there a clash of wills between some of the newly appointed senior staff?
Ross has not been available for comment.
The AGB is an important part of the cultural tapestry of Burlington – it matters and the public that pays a large part of the tab deserves as much transparency as possible. They didn’t get it today.
 By Pepper Parr
September 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
 Ann Swarbrick, former MPP in the Bob Rae government, then the executive Director of Habitat for Humanity , then the Chair f the Art Gallery of Burlington and and now in place as the Executive Director. Anne Swarbrick, chair of the Art Gallery of Burlington Foundation has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Burlington.
The appointment follows on the heals of the very sudden and surprising departure of long time leader of the Art Gallery operations Ian Ross.
 By Pepper Parr
September 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
“Yesterday was my last day as President & CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington” said Ian Ross on his Facebook page
That was a stunning statement.
No one apparently saw that coming
 Ian Ross, former President & CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington – taking a bid by telephone at the most recent Art Auction. Was this planned. Did he jump? Was he pushed?
Nothing from the board of the AGB – that’s not good news.
In a statement Ross said: “I want to thank all of you for your great contribution to making our Gallery such a tremendous success. These past few years have been ones of positive change and evolution, and 2015 is full of great promise and potential. Thank you for all of your planning and vision.
“The AGB has been an inspirational part of my life and I am proud to have helped grow it and make it a better place for all. Together we have won awards for excellence from Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor and the Mayor of Burlington.
“Thank you all for your friendship and the warmth and kindness that you have shown to me and my family. We have all been positively ‘marked’ by our experience of living and working at the AGB.
“I wish you all continued success in moving culture forward in Burlington.”
 Denis Longchamps Dennis Longchamps was brought in more than a year ago to head up the curating and operational side of what was recently re-named and re-branded as the Art Gallery of Burlington.
Links:
Art Centre re-named and re-branded.
Director of programs appointed at Art Centre
 By Staff
September 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Sunday didn’t have much in the way of promise at around 9:30 but by 11 am the rain had stopped and the “beds” were lined up on Brant Street like racing cars in pit.
There was a buzz in the air and the “judges”, representing the four Rotary Clubs in Burlington, were looking over the entry papers.
The chief money counter for Scotiabank in Burlington announced that $20,100 had been raised for the Joseph Brant Foundation.
 Accura on Brant takes it again. The rules for the 5th Annual Amazing Bed Race were explained. Every team got two times trials and the 16 teams with the shortest times on the course up Brant Street would make it to the finals.
With a provincial election behind us, a municipal election almost upon us and a federal election in their air – it was not surprising that there was a strong political flavour to the event.
Politics however didn’t play in the results – it was, for the second year in a row a run off between the car dealerships.
 The Judges scrutinize the entries – all were found to be in order. The fasted speed was clocked at 28 kph and the shortest time was 13 seconds.
There were no accidents, providing the one runner who had the bed run over his foot.
Prize for the best decorated “bed” went to Burlington Taxi.
 By Pepper Parr
September 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
She pulled it off. With the help of her husband Dean and one of the most impressive collections of volunteers we have ever seen in this city, Selina Jane Eckersall held her second No Vacancy event, this time at the Village Square.
Jack Friedman, the man who built the Village Square, must have smiled when he learned that the space he created was being used the way he wanted it to be used.
Eckersall held her first No Vacancy at the Waterfront Hotel in 2013. It was a critical success and drove her to growing the concept and worked out an arrangement with the property owners at the Village Square to use the empty space.
Eckersall estimates there were between 2,000 and 5,000 people at the event – that is too wide a spread – the real number was somewhere above 3,500 based on what we observed.
Eckersall wasn’t prepared to say which was the best of the 30 installation but she did say that Appollonia Vanova and the Grand Connection were very popular.
 Lovely colours  The volunteers were superb. The volunteers were exceptional. If you had a question – they had an answer or they got you an answer quite quickly.
There were times when the space around the gazebo was packed so tightly you could hardly move. It was a friendly crowd – not a hooligan in sight.
In a city the size of Burlington most people know someone and the chance to meet up was just fun. Patrick Bermingham one of the artists, decided to rent one of the empty spaces for his own purposes and held a private party. He was able to invite all his friends, offer them a drink and have people get out to see some of the installations and come back to chat about what they had seen. Expect to see more of that next year.
 Dream catchers. And there will be a next year. Eckersall was going through what worked and what didn’t work. The installations at the Gym on Pearl didn’t get the traffic they should have gotten; the beer garden didn’t produce the revenue that was expected and Eckersall isn’t sure that she will use a portion of Pine Street next year.
Eckersall knows now that she needs to tweak the business model. The event cost about $10,000 to put on – revenue didn’t quite reach that level.
 The Juggler Sponsorship was good – but ways have to be found to increase the revenue. Selena Eckersall and her husband spent more than six months on this project and are not likely to see as much as a dime personally for their efforts. They might even have to dip into the cookie jar to make up the loss.
 Student Theatre mannequins It was an exciting event; it left all those who attended fully appreciating their community and the sense of community that was created in the Village Square.
It was a delight to see Angelo Bentivegna working the crowd and chatting with his friends. He was in full election mode and it seemed perfectly natural.
When asked: What was the biggest thrill for you? Eckersall didn’t need a second to respond – “Seeing all those people – the excitement of the artists and how inspired they were.”
What was the biggest disappointment?
Beer sales were much lower than we expected. We need to re-think the beer garden”, said Eckersall. All the activity was inside the Village.
Despite the low beer sales “the city is hungry for this kind of stuff and that was certainly evident” Eckersall added. The challenge now is to keep the content fresh and relevant.
The Cirque was different, it wasn’t as “scrappy” as the Art Crawl in Hamilton. There was more money in the space – Burlington is a wealthier city and that was clearly evident in the traffic – no one was wearing furs but there was a sense of satisfaction in the crowds – a crowd doesn’t seem to be the right word. There were a lot of people but it was more like a community getting together.
The mannequins located throughout the Village were all courtesy of the Student Theatre. The make up on a few was close to astounding.
 This took all the seniors back to the 60’s The juggler was close to a carnival pitchman – she moved beautifully and talked about her art. The belly dancers had nice costumes.
 Suspended illusions Eckersall is now looking for operational funding and working on writing for a Trillium grant. She might want to have lunch with Kelly Arnott of the Chilly Half Marathon fame, and talk about how one finds long term sponsors.
By Staff
September 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
There is something about a church fund raiser.
While the event is for the local people – anyone is welcome – you just have to show up and be ready to be social and talk to people.
 They are always very welcoming – I’ve been to events like this where people invite you back to their homes for a drink.
Thursday, the 25th the Lowville United Church is hosting a pig roast with all the trimmings. The Chef on hand will be making cuts from 5 to 7 pm.
It’s a short drive up Guelph Line – the church is at the corner of Guelph and Britannia. Chow down a good meal, chat with the folks and if you’re interested in what Lowville is like, drive on up to the Lowville Bistro for a glass of decent wine and a dessert you don’t need.
If you really want to make a day of it – head for Lowville an hour or two early and watch the salmon run in the Bronte Creek that runs through Lowville.
Tickets are $18 for adults – reserve one at 905-335-5099
New feature:
 Early in October readers of the Gazette will be able to use a new feature for announcing community events. Anyone will be able to go on line and post their event. Our editorial team will be moderating the posts to ensure they are appropriate. Watch for the notice.
By Staff
September 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON –
With Rainer Noack you always get more than you see. He is generous, colourful, creative and one of the most loving people you will ever come across.
 The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has announced Rainer will be the 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee. Rainer Noack is the Founder and Program Director of Burlington Student Theatre.
Through Student Theatre, Rainer has been providing training, camps, and arts opportunities for children and youth in the Burlington area since 1978. Having also taught for the Halton District Catholic School Board, it is clear that educating is close at heart for Noack.
With his love of the arts and his incredible commitment and contribution to the city of Burlington, Rainer Noack received Burlington’s Arts Person of the Year in both 1995 and 2009.
 The Hall of Fame award will be presented to Rainer Noack at the 2014 Cabaret: Escape to The Mediterranean at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, November 8. This year’s special guest performer is PAVLO. Proceeds from this fundraising event support the education programs at The Centre.
Rainer joins Gordie Tapp, a television performer of some renown as well as a member of the Hall of Fame.
By Pepper Parr
September 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It look like there is going to be an opportunity for local artists to “paint the town. On Tuesday, October 7, 2014 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM local artists are invited to attend the briefing event at The Hive on Elizabeth Street.
This event is for Burlington artists only ‘No one from Nova Scotia at this event” said Jeremy Freiburger who is organizing the event for the city as part of its Cultural Plan.
 Jeremy Freiburger, author of a report that provided direction for the city’s cultural plan based on reams of data he had gathered. Now the city has to determine how it wants ti implement its Cultural Action Plan. The city is launching the Local Artist Mural Program. It is intended as an annual program that will commission small to medium-scale murals throughout the city. The intention is to have one in each ward but locations will not be worked out until there is significant public participation in choosing the locations.
Burlington residents will have the opportunity to submit suggestions for mural locations and themes and the resulting commissions will be open exclusively to Burlington artists. As part of the program, free professional development opportunities will be offered to artists who may not have previous experience creating public art and/or murals.
“To ensure this program meets the needs of local artists, we want to hear from you”, said Angela Paparizo, cultural co-ordinator for the city.
Local artists are invited to participate in an open brainstorming session – that’s the event at The Hive. The purpose of this session is to identify program goals and maximize opportunities for local artist involvement.
Artists will be given some help with scaling a work they want to do; there are health and safety issues with putting something on the side of a building – what are those issues and how do they get addressed.
Freiburger points out that these “murals” may all be 2D – “but a sound installation could be done” – imagine a graphic of a steam engine running along the old rail bed in the Beachway with the sound of the train whistle. The possibilities are close to endless.
Freiburger is particularly good at tweaking people’s ideas and drawing more out of them than they thought they had in themselves. “I want to know where do you need the help, where can they Jeremy help them
Is this going to be “upscale graffiti” – undoubtedly someone will see it that way and squawk at the $70,000 budget.
Burlington artists, working in a variety of mediums (murals don’t necessarily need to be painted!), are invited to attend a brainstorming session. Dinner and refreshments will be provided.
To register, please contact Kim Selman: kim@cobaltconnects.ca or 905-548-0111
By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
If you have plans for this Friday evening and they are not to attend the No Vacancy Cirque at the Village Square – You might want to change your plans.
 The No Vacancy event last year was the cultural event of the year. This year’s event is much large and will run for much longer – from 7 pm to 2 am – which is mind boggling for Burlington. Pine Street is being partially closed for the event.
The event locations are shown in the map below; plan now for those you want to take in.
 There are more than 30 installations being shown. What’s an installation? It is what an artist decides to do with a space – they are free to do whatever they choose to do – except for taking down any walls.
Last year there were several mind expanding installations – and we’re not talking about the stuff you smoke.
This is something well outside Burlington’s comfort zone when it comes to art – give it a visit.
By Staff
September 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The largest climate march in history will be happening worldwide September 2oth, 2014, and Burlington is going to be a part of it.
 The march begins at 10:00 am – the route is set out below.
10:00am: Meet at the Bandstand in Spencer Smith Park.
10:45am: Begin march proceeding up Brant to Fairview – west to Maple, south to Lakeshore and back to the band stand where the Mayor is expected to address the marchers.
12:00pm: Meeting Mayor Goldring for a photo with the full worldwide petition.
12:15pm: Picnic! Please bring some food to share as well. (Or money if you’d like to go to one of the local cafes/restaurants)
The event is part of a world wide movement
March route runs anti-clockwise on the map above.
The event is being organized by Alanna Antrobus
 By Rick Benoit
September 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
To some people, playing golf is fun, for some it’s business – yet they all say drive for show and putt for dough.
But to a long driver, it’s all about drive for show! A long driver has one goal in mind – hit the golf ball as far as you possibly can and make sure it stays within the boundaries or “grid” as it’s called.
 Stephen Lowe – winding it up. The International Long Drive Challenge Canadian Long Drive Championships was held over labour day weekend in Port Rowan, Ontario at Starks Golf Course. Seems like an odd place to have a long drive event? However, the long drivers need a long flat hole about 450 yards wide with no obstructions in place, and therefore a golf hole works perfectly, and Starks generously donates all 9 holes for the weekend event.
The objective is simple. Each hitter gets 3 minutes and 6 balls and with a live DJ spinning the tunes in the background, the longest ball in the grid wins. This is the extreme of golf, the home run derby of golf some may say. PGA Tour players will average swing speeds in the 115-120mph range. The long drivers will swing higher than 130 mph. Some will shatter their clubs on impact, others have been known to break ribs while swinging. But ultimately, if you ask every golfer in the world everyone wants to hit the ball farther!
Blistery winds set the tone for some super hitting Aug 30 and 31st at the ILDC Canadian Long Drive Championships at Starks Golf Course in Port Rowan, Ontario. Ladies began the day with two time defending champion Fareen Samji of Burlington opening the day with a personal best 329 yards. ” There was a nice right to left breeze all day long and I worked really hard to get a draw swing going to have the wind help me a little and it paid off, ” said Samji of her incredible drive which was followed by sets of 317, 325 and 321.
In an interesting turn of events, youngster and newcomer Cory Ann Pond of Simcoe, a second year student at Georgian College defeated Lisa “longball” Vlooswyk of Calgary in the Semifinals with a drive of 325 yards. In the final set, Samji bombed a 321 yard drive to defeat Pond and become the 3 Time ILDC Canadian Women’s Long Drive Champion. Samji will once again represent Team Canada 1 at the International Team Finals in the Dominican Republic Nov 16-23rd.” I always enjoy hitting against Lisa and she is such a great competitor having won this event so many times ” says Samji. “It was nice to see Cory hitting the ball so well and let’s face it, she is 20 and I am 40 this year! She kept me on my toes,” exclaimed the Burlingtonian Samji, who is a Pedorthist and very active in the Burlington community.
 Fareen Samji , a Burlingtonian swings for one of those really long drives Port Rowan’s own Bill Stark began the seniors division ( over 45 ) on fire with a crushing 357 yards to make it to the final round. Contenders Ron Lampmans, Todd Herold and Stephen Lowe battled it out to see who would meet Stark in the finals and Burlington’s Stephen Lowe edged out Lampmans with 345 yards to get to the final round. The event is a double elimination knockout so Lowe had to beat Stark twice in the finals to defend his title. Lowe’s mental prowess prevailed and drives of 361 yards and 351 yards proved enough to beat Stark and become the 2 time ILDC Canadian Seniors Long Drive Champion.” It was a tough ride coming through the losers bracket, but I knew I had it in me, ” said Lowe. ” I have been working on tweaking a few things and some new equipment and it all just seemed to come together at the right time, ” said Lowe, a national accounts manager with PPG Industries.
 Fareen Samji with her cup – she has taken this award before. Her next challenge is at the International level in November. The day ended with an incredible display of power from the Men’s open division and Ottawa’s David Dahms set a grid record of 408 yards. The battle was on and drives of 370 yards were being eliminated! Niilo Schonfeld of Toronto was in fine form and got into the final round early with a 384 yard bomb. David Dahms of Ottawa and Connor Hadaway who both hit it over 400 yards several times during the day, battled it out with Hadaway edging out Dahms to meet Schonfeld in the finals. In the first final, Hadaway narrowly edged out Schonfeld by 5 yards to force a second set. However, Schonfeld came back with an incredible answer to Dahm’s record and set a new grid record of 412 yards with his sixth and final ball to claim the title as the new 2014 ILDC Canadian Men’s Long Drive Champion.
The top three men, the top senior and the top woman receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Dominican Republic to hit for the ILDC Team Canada 1 at the International Long Drive team finals Nov 16-23rd 2014. Lowe, Samji and Schonfeld were all Team Canada last year and are the defending champions in the team category and this year are looking forward to joining their team mates Hadaway and Dahms to regain their title.
By Staff
September 2, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 So much for the summer we didn’t really have – here we are rolling towards a fall season – which will perhaps be a lot nicer than the past 90 days.
Theatre Burlington is doing their part to make the fall season more endearing with their production of “Sherlock Holmes and the West End Horror”, a comedy/mystery by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Anthony Dodge
The production is a merry madcap mixture of mystery, murder and mayhem. A despicable theatre critic has been murdered, and Holmes and Watson are soon visited by George Bernard Shaw, an aspiring Irish playwright who entices Holmes to take the case.
As they cross swords with the most famous literary luminaries of the day — Oscar Wilde, Gilbert & Sullivan, Henry Irving, Bram Stoker, and a young H.G. Wells, Holmes and Watson come face to face with their own celebrity as they pursue the killer in this rollickingly funny whodunit.
You can say this about the two playwrights – they do know how to drop names.
Show dates are: September 19-20, 25-27, October 2-4 2014
All at the Theatre Burlington- Drama Centre (beside Central Library, 2311 New Street. All shows start at 8:00 PM
Adult- $22.00 Senior- $20.00
Reserved Seating- Call the Box Office 905-637-1728 to order your tickets now.
By Pepper Parr
August 31, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Those people who earn their living as artists – have a rough row to hoe. Artists get asked to do any number of things for free. We all assume that their art is far too expensive and we want to buy too cheaply, hold it until the artist become famous and then sell for a fortune.
 Margaret Lindsay Holton Burlington artist, Margaret Lindsay Holton is having a family-friendly SOLO art exhibition in the Hamilton Beach Rescue Community Hall at 316 Beach Blvd, on the Hamilton Beach Strip, Sunday, Sept.14th, 2-5pm. FREE lemonade, with free parking at the back of HBRU. ‘
 Summer Haze; Piano improvisations on a century-old Bell Upright – Performed by Margaret Lindsay Holton Holton ranges over several disciplines – never adverse to trying something new and different. Along with her art, Holton will be releasing a CD, Summer Haze; Piano improvisations on a century-old Bell Upright.
Pinhole photography is something Holton has been doing for years. She describes this as “the oldest known form of photography on the planet first used in Asia around 500 B.C, and in the West, around 500 A.D.
For Holton this is photography without the use of lens or fancy gadgetry that lets a small pinhole of light into a completely blacked-out cavity. This incoming ‘pinhole’ of light creates a reverse image of what the pinhole is facing, in other words, a ‘negative’. Today, from this ‘negative’, a ‘positive’ print is pulled using conventional darkroom developing techniques. In other words, the ‘positive’ photo image is what you see as a ‘finished’ photograph.
 Leaves you with the sense that you are seeing both summer and the beginning of the fall colours. Holton is fascinated that any ‘image’ can transfer without any mechanical intervention. She likes how this process forces her to ‘slow down’ in the act and art of taking pictures. Pinholing is the epitome of ‘slooow photography’. An exterior shot, on a good bright, cloudless day, can easily take 3-4 minutes of exposure depending on the camera she am using. She only get ONE shot per camera. Interior shots can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, again, depending on the incoming pinhole light source.
 Sugar Shack: Crisp feel, strong colours – about as Canadian as you can get. Hamilton Spectator art critic Jeff Mahoney had this to say about Holton pin hole work: “Perhaps more than any of the other arts, photography is the horse that memory rides on. Music can take us back, but it is not documentary in nature. And literature, for all its reach, precision and poetry, remains essentially abstract, from a sensory point of view, everything left to the imagination.”
“A memory is not what happened, it is not the thing that is being remembered. It is a shadow of what is being remembered, and a picture is a shadow of that shadow.”
“We try to get at memory to get at the life, the time, the emotion behind them. But the sources are no longer available and immediate to the direct senses. Their residue in the brain gets mixed up with static; extraneous feelings, psychic noise, dream and mental error. We use pictures and other media to get at memory, to fix it. And that confuses an already confused issue even more. Pictures are partial stories, subject to perspective and quality of light, leaving out much — smell, sound, touch, temperature, heart rate, context.”
“How are all these ideas contained in Holton’s art? In two ways. Computerized photo collage and pinhole photography. In the first, the collages, Holton uses computer manipulation to layer several colour photographic images, sometimes of the same subject taken from different and/or overlapping angles, sometimes of different subjects. Now this is what memory looks like. Or at least feels like.”
“Memory’s Shadow confirms our impression of Holton as an important mixed-media practitioner, with a genuine artist’s eye and a probing intellect.”
This is an artist worth spending some time with.
 Moody, soft use of colour leaves a sense significantly different than the Sugar Shack piece. Directions: If driving in from either Niagara or Toronto on the QEW, take the Eastport Drive ‘turn off’, and then turn into the ‘Hamilton Beach Community’ via Beach Blvd. Beach Blvd is only one long road for the length of the beach strip. The Hamilton Beach Rescue Unit – 316 Beach Blvd – is on the west side.
If you want to follow Holton – make a note that she is partaking in ‘Doors Open’ on Sept 27th at the Different Drummer Books, signing copies of a new WW1 short story anthology, ‘Engraved: Canadian. She has one story in the 16 piece anthology.
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