Calling all artists — particularly artists with works inspired by or influenced by  the local music scene — a new music themed art gallery is opening at local independent  record store, Blueprint. So they need you and your works for the inaugural display, beginning Arts Days, Sept. 17-19.

Known for being a staunch supporter of the local music scene, selling concert tickets and promoting local and touring bands, Blueprint is undergoing a transformation.

The walls are covered with four years of gig posters from venues past and present, and treasure awaits in  rows of record and CD bins. However as of Sept. 18, just in time for Arts Days, and Blueprint’s fourth anniversary, the store will be opening a new a new music themed art gallery opening  combining Lethbridge’s thriving arts and music communities.

“I was going to renovate anyway. So I was talking with Mike (Maguire, the gallery curator) about the idea of a gallery here and he ran with it,” said Blueprint owner Mike Molloy said adding the Allied Arts Council have been huge supporters of this project. The gallery will be located in the room where his office is currently located.

“What I’m expecting is quite a lot of photographs of shows. I’m looking for as many submissions as possible, so I can pick and choose and actually curate,” added Mike Maguire, noting if all else fails, he has enough photographs  to cover the walls of the gallery with his own work.  

The first exhibition is themed “live music,” and will be running for three weeks. While  they are expecting mostly photographs, all music themed work is welcome. Submissions must be at Blueprint by Sept. 14.

All submissions must be framed and matted and ready for display and possible sale so they should look as professional as possible as they are a reflection of the artist.

Local writer Michelle Greysen  didn’t know if Lethbridge had any other writers, so she decided to set up a writer’s group.

“I’m shocked. I didn’t think I’d find so many people. I didn’t do any advertising, I just put up the Facebook group and wrote it on the blackboard at the Penny Coffee House and I had eight people at the first meeting (in February),” said Greysen, who is a freelance writer for numerous magazines and self published a book of poetry in addition to publishing and editing community newspapers including the Calgary Straight. She is currently finishing  her first novel.

“ But every meeting there’s more people and it’s not usually  people bringing people. It’s people who  are complete strangers. It’s unusual because writing is so personal. But it  shows how brassy writers can be. When you go to a group where you don‘t know anybody,” she said adding the  August meeting, which was held at Henderson Lake Park, attracted 30 writers. It also featured the first people to volunteer to read their works to the group, which is something she’d like to see continue.

 The group includes all ages from teens to seniors from all backgrounds plus encompasses all genres  and styles including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, playwrights, scriptwriters and even songwriters.
The original intention of the group was to meet on the second Tuesday of every month to discuss writing strategies, techniques and trends  and to share works with each other.
 However, the different members have branched off into their own little groups according to their interests and styles to workshop each other’s works.

“So we’re going to have each group host one of our meetings so it isn’t just me speaking, so we’ll have themes like fiction,” she said.