Local artists are looking forward to exploring the netherworld with the second annual Trap/Door artists collective, Psychic Fair, March 19 at the Bowman Arts Centre.
“It will feature real psychics, pseudo-psychics and straight out charlatans,” said Darcy Logan, one of the organizers who will also be running four booths — Tarot Card reading, i-ching, aura cleansing and sin eating.
“We’ll have an actual
Fiji mermaid. They used to be a staple of traveling sideshows in the early twentieth century. People would pay their money expecting to see an actual mermaid …” said Darcy Logan, participant and one of the organizers, not wanting to spoil the mermaid surprise. There will also be Ouija boards, mind reading and art alchemy, and even a cyclops. So it will be a lot of fun for a great cause — supporting the Trap/Door artists collective.
“They are a collective without a home, but they have meetings and a board and they do programs to showcase their artists,” explained artist Aaron Hagan. The collective is open to any artist, even those without formal art training including masters students and others. Trap Door artists have exhibited at the SAAG, Trianon, Yates Centre and the Bowman. Among the many programs they offer is an art residency in the Crowsnest Pass.
“It’s a really small version of what the SAAG does,” Hagan continued.
“But it’s for emerging artists— artists who aren’t established yet,” he continued.
“It emerged in the ’60s and ’70s as an alternative to more formal institutions,” Logan added noting the members create cutting edge contemporary art.
This year’s psychic fair has grown since the debut last year with the addition of new organizers like Len Komanac.
Logan will be running four booths — aura cleansing, Tarot Card reading, i-ching and sin eating.
“Last year I did a little magick, this year I’ll be showing off some of my more esoteric abilities,” he said adding he will also be predicting lucky lottery numbers.
“There is a canteen and bar upstairs and the curio table while all of the booths will be downstairs in the dance studio. And we have some people from last year and some new people,” Logan continued.
One of the new people is Nadine Duckworth, aka Indigo Iris who will be giving participants a taste of art alchemy. She will be starting teaching a full class beginning at the end of the month (March 28) at NirvanA Energy.
“Art alchemy is the process of expressing your creativity to develop your insight and intuition,” she said adding she will only be giving a taste of the process, which involves the participant relaxing their mind and opening the door to visions and symbols.
Usually it takes an hour, but in 10 minutes, she will be leading participants to their vision in five minutes and giving them another five to illustrate them. Even if you don’t draw well, the process will work, as drawing don’t have to be professional, they only have to be good enough to recognize in a rough illustration.
The actual classes will take much longer and lead the participants deeper into discovering their visions plus give them more time to draw them.
“It is loosely based on art therapy,” she said adding she learned about art alchemy through studying for her Masters in art instruction and work with the Schizophrenia society which is what got her interested in the subject.
“As part of my own personal journey of art and poetry, I took a class called expressive art education,” she said.
“It’s about eliminating negative and hurtful emotions. I’ll lead you on a journey and get you to relax and allow the visions to happen, to let you open the door and let you see something,” she said even if you can't draw well, she will help interpret your vision and resulting drawing.
The psychic fair will be a lot of fun for a good cause, and if you want to know how Logan will cleanse your aura—
“You’ll just have to some and see,” he said.
Admission is $10 which gets you tokens for all of the booths.
The Psychic fair takes place at the Bowman Arts Centre, March 19, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
More information is available online at http://www.trapdoorarc.com
A version of this story appears in the March 16,2011 edition of the Lethbridge Sun Times
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