Galt Garden is going to be alive with the sounds of music and the downtown core awash with the colours of a cornucopia of multi-faceted local artists, Sept. 17-19 for Arts Days. So make sure you are part of this one of a kind festival, which is taking place in Lethbridge due to the hard work of the Allied Arts Council , who’s application got Lethbridge qualified to receive a provincial grant to put on a massive showcase of the arts.
One local artist, Maria Livingston, is excited about not only creating her unique artwork out of whitefish scales at Elusis Beads during Artwalk, but also performing as a hoop dancer in Galt Gardens.
“It will be my first time (participating in Art Walk) I’m looking forward to it because I just want to share my artwork with other people. When I paint. It makes me think of my heritage and it inspires me,” Livingston said, looking at a wall of her and her mother’s works in the Blackfoot Gallery in the Lethbridge Centre Mall.
“It’s dried whitefish scales that you clean and dip in several store bought dyes,” Livingston described adding she then used them to enhance her paintings by pasting the scales on them with clear glue.
“My mom taught me. She took a class 22 years ago when she was pregnant with me,” continued the recently married 22-year-old Cree woman, adding this unique artform also keeps her in touch with her Cree roots.
Artwalk this year features over 50 local businesses who will have local artists from photographers to painters plus weavers and beadworkers— anything you can imagine, creating their art during business hours.
“I do a painting first. I like to explore nature, I paint a lot of trees and especially flowers, because they are important to traditional Cree culture,” she continued adding when inspiration strikes, she can complete two or three pieces a week depending on if she has the time to create them, as she has to factor school into the equation now.
“My mom is a big motivator. She wants to keep native traditions alive, especially Cree traditions,” she said adding she gets her supply of whitefish scales when she visits her mom in High Prairie, west of Slave Lake.
“She liked how they glisten. She cleans them and everything because I don’t know how to do that,” she said adding her mom learned how to do fish scale art from Mary Periard, who invented the process.
Livingston is also looking forward to hoop dancing in Galt Gardens
“I haven’t met many other people who hoop dance,” she said adding her older sister got her interested in hoop dancing. She has been dancing for five years. She will be performing at Galt Gardens, Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19 at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Arts Days also celebrates Blackfoot Culture. Several Blackfoot performers will be on stage at the Yates Centre, Sept. 18 beginning at 2 p.m. for ABFest 2010. Performers scheduled to play include country singer Shane Yellowbird, Red Star Woman with guests the Whirlwind Warriors, the Blackfoot Ambassadors, Don Shouting and family plus Olivia Tailfeathers and the Kainai Grassland Singers.
There is a plethora and a variety of live entertainment at Galt Gardens as well beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday Sept. 18 with Jeremy Floyd Cowper. Randy Shave, Kenzie Kill, Sophmore Jakes, Planet Telex, Smokestack Jacks and the firespinners all performing, Saturday night. And there is a full slate of music on Sunday, Sept. 19 beginning at 11 a.m. with Bandemonium.
Also on the bill are Global Drums, children’s performer Peter Puffin, the Scottish Country Dancers, local countrry/ folk singer Karen Romanchuk, Troyanda Ukrainian Dancers, local pop/indie rock band Jesse Northey and the Dandelions, Blues Sensashun with Shawna Rommolliwa, the Taiko drummers, Lethbridge’s alt-country band, the Skilletlikkers, Matt Robinson, the New Weather Machine, Treeline with local rock band Sleeping with Tuesday closing things off at 9:15 p.m.
Buskers will be performing throughout the weekend and local artisans will have tables set up throughout the park.
As well, the Windy City Kids Festival Society will provide family entertainment including story telling, face painting, kite making, yoga, Mad Science and drumming demonstrations from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 19.
Admission is free for all of Arts Days events.
Here is the schedule of music.
Saturday
6:00: Jeremy Floyd Cowpar
6:30: Randy Shaver http://www.myspace.com/randyshaver
7:00: Kenzi Kill
7:45: Sophmore Jakes www.sophmorejakes.com or www.myspace.com/sophmorejakes
8:30: Planet Telex www.myspace.com/planettelexband
9:15: Smokestack Jacks www.myspace.com/smokestackjacks
10:00: Fire Spinners
Sunday
11:00: Bandemonium www.myspace.com/jamesoldenburg
12:00: Global Drums – U of L Conservatory
1:00: Peter Puffin
2:00: Scottish Country Dance
2:30: Karen Romanchuk www.myspace.com/karenromanchuk
3:15: Troyanda Ukrainian Dance
3:45: Jesse Northey and the Dandelions www.myspace.com/jesseandthedandelions
4:30: 4:45: Blues Sensashun w/ Shawna Romolliwa www.myspace.com/shawnaromo
5:30: Taiko Drummers
6:00: Skilletlikkers www.myspace.com/skilletlikkers
6:45: Maria Livingston
7:00: Matt Robinson
7:45: The New Weather Machine www.myspace.com/thenewweathermachine or www.theweathermachine.com
8:30: Treeline www.myspace.com/ournameistreeline
9:15: Sleeping with Tuesday www.myspace.com/sleepingwithtuesday1
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
This story appeared in the Lethbridge Sun Times, Sept. 15 edition
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