Canadian Labour in Crisis

Please join Fernwood Publishing in celebrating the release of David Camfield's Canadian Labour in Crisis: Reinventing the Workers' Movement, on Thursday, May 5, at 8:00 pm 

at Mondragon Bookstore and Coffeehouse, 91 Albert Street.  

Tasty vegan food, beverages and ambiance will be provided.  

David Camfield, an associate professor in labour studies at the University of Manitoba, 

will deliver a short talk on the state of Canadian labour and will have copies of his book available for purchase.  

Does Canada have a working-class movement? 

Though many of us think of ourselves as middle class, most of us are, in fact, working class: we work for a wage. And though many of us are members of unions, the most significant organizations of the working-class movement in Canada, most people do not understand themselves to be part of this movement.   

Canadian Labour in Crisis asks why this is so. 

First Friday Lecture with Amy Karlinsky

Finding the female voice, making space, celebrating the female body, creating independent thinkers, rewriting ritual, reflecting on and asserting needs are aspects of feminist pedagogy.

Join art educator Amy Karlinsky, on Friday May 6, from noon to 1:00 pm at MAWA, 

611 Main Street, as she discusses strategies and looks at projects undertaken with female students and female artists at a university, the public school system, a cultural art centre, an adult women’s group and a women’s shelter.

Amy Karlinsky is a writer, curator and teacher with experience in galleries and museums in New York State, Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia and Nunavut. Karlinsky has taught in rural, northern, public and private schools, including Winnipeg’s Inner City, as well as universities.  She was a Visiting Fellow at St. John's College and an Adjunct Professor in Native Studies. Her art criticism has appeared in Border Crossings, Canadian Art, the Winnipeg Free Press and more. 

This lecture is sponsored by the University of Winnipeg Institute for Women’s

and Gender Studies c/o the Margaret Laurence Endowment.

Margoshes with Schott & Still; KIN

Please join Aqua Books on Friday, May 6 at 7:00pm to welcoming Saskatchewan-based writer Dave Margoshes to Winnipeg.  

He'll be joined by former Saskatchewarian Jennifer Still and Barb Schott, who recently won the Winston Collins/ Descant Prize for Best Canadian Poem for her poem Thin Ice.  

Dave Margoshes is a writer whose stories and poems are widely published in literary magazines and anthologies throughout North America, including six times in the Best Canadian Stories volumes.   

In 2009, he was a finalist for the Journey Prize. His Bix's Trumpet and Other Stories was named Book of the Year at the 2007 Saskatchewan Book Awards. He published two new books of poetry in the last two years: The Horse Knows the Way and Dimensions of an Orchard, which won the Anne Szumigalski Poetry Prize at the 2010 Saskatchewan Book Awards. He’s given numerous workshops and taught creative writing. He was writer in residence in Winnipeg in 1995-96.   

Barbara Schott's work as a fashion stylist frequently takes her to Asia. She is the author of two books of poetry: The Waterlily Pickers and Memoirs of an Almost Expedition. 

She is also one of the poetry editors for Prairie Fire Magazine.   

Jennifer Still’s first collection of poems Saltations was nominated for three Saskatchewan Book Awards. Poems from her new collection Girlwood were finalists in the 2008 CBC Literary Awards.   

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Saturday, May 7  

8:00 pm to 10:00 pm 

$10  

Unabashedly organic, KIN’s solidly instinctive alternative folk pop was born in 2005, by la petite rivière Seine, on the outskirts of Lorette, Manitoba and the Winnipeg music scene.   

The Burke siblings’ music is comprised of subtle motion and unexpected passion, coexisting ingeniously. Complex yet unaffected, soothing yet sparklingly exciting and intriguing.

When Grandma Came to Live with Us (3 by Margaret Ullrich)

     Grandma was a prisoner.  She refused to go to a store with a list to give to the clerk as other immigrant Grandmas did.  She refused to go to the store with anyone.  She refused to go for medical checkups.  Church was a quicky half hour weekly Mass, instead of the social hub of a group of friends with whom she could gossip.   

  

     Four years after Grandma arrived Charlie got married to an American girl.  Liz tried to get on Grandma's good side.  She couldn't find it.  Grandma didn't attend their wedding.  She never visited Charlie in his home.  She also didn't attend her new granddaughter's christening or any other family occasion outside our home.  No first communions, confirmations, graduations or weddings, including mine.

     Over the years Grandma began to understand what we said in English, but she refused to learn how to speak it.  She also refused to speak in Maltese with Pop's siblings.  She reasoned that if it hadn't been for them, Ma and Charlie would have stayed in Malta.  Grandma couldn't read the papers or magazines.  She didn't understand most of what was said on television or the radio, although she did enjoy watching wrestling.  Grandma's whole social circle shrank to the five of us.  

     Ma kept in touch with her family in Malta by having their letters sent to Pop's brother.  Ma needed to vent and she felt it wasn't disloyal to tell her siblings what life was like since their mother had moved in with us.  Who else would've understood?  

     As the years went by, Ma told me bits and pieces about Grandma's decision to live with us.  When Grandma was in her late fifties she decided she wanted to live with her daughter.  Aunt Stella was single and had her own business as a seamstress.  Stella said two women in the same kitchen would only make trouble.  Then Grandma approached her son.  Uncle Joe and his wife had two little boys.  They didn't think it was a good idea for Grandma to move in with them.

  

     Grandma wrote to Ma saying that her ungrateful children had abandoned her.  Grandma now wanted to move in with us.  Ma tried to explain that we had six people in four rooms with one bathroom.  Ma mentioned other problems a new immigrant would face.  Americans spoke English, not Maltese.  All her friends were in Malta.  She wouldn't know her way around.  It would be hard for an elderly woman to get used to everything, including the weather, being so different.  Wouldn't Grandma be more comfortable staying where she was?  Did she need more money? 

     Grandma then reminded Ma about all she had done for her family.  Was Ma an ungrateful child, too?  Ma started crying.  Pop said Grandma could move in with us.  After all, he said, she's sixty.  How much longer could she live anyway?  

     After Grandma had lived with us ten years, Pop feared that she was going to outlive him.

     One morning, when Grandma was eighty, she decided to clean the windows.  Feeling a little tired, she lay down and had three major strokes.  Ma had her rushed to the hospital but, outside of prolonging her life for a month, little could be done and Grandma died.  Ma phoned.  She wanted me to come for the funeral. 

     Ma had decided to give Grandma a traditional Maltese wake.  By the time I arrived Grandma was on display in the funeral home.  Her casket and the floral displays dominated the large room which was filled with dozens of chairs.  We five had to sit with the body for three nights to greet the other mourners.  Pop's side of the family came, said a prayer at the casket, said a few words to Ma, then left.  Charlie, Liz and their daughter came, said a prayer at the casket, said a few words to Ma, then left.  Most of the time it was just the five of us sitting and staring at the empty chairs.  I don't know who Ma was expecting. 

     Some people say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Pop wanted to be near his siblings and to provide a better future for his family.  Ma wanted to help her brother and invited him to live with us.  She couldn't refuse Grandma when she wanted to move in, too.  I had wanted to have my Grandma live near us.  But, I wonder what she would've been like if we had stayed in Malta, if I had known her on her own turf.  I don't think I could say I ever really knew her when she lived in our home.  She made the rules she wanted to live by.  We followed her wishes.  It was hellish.  

     And it was all done with the best of intentions.

When Grandma Came to Live with Us (2 by Margaret Ullrich)

     The first change came the next day.  Grandma refused to sit and eat with us.  She said she was used to eating what food was left after 'The Family' had eaten.  She just stood by the kitchen cabinet, as she said she'd done in the houses where she'd worked.  In those houses there were dining rooms.  Since we ate in the kitchen it was hard not to notice Grandma standing in the corner.  Ma started crying again.  After the rest of us had eaten, Ma took her plate to stand and eat with Grandma.  After a few days, Pop got mad, cursed in two languages and threw a dish of spaghetti.  Ma continued to eat with Grandma.

     The next change affected Sunday Mass.  We usually went to the 10:00 o'clock High Mass.  It was quite a show: the choir sang lots of songs, the incense was heavy and all the candles were lit.  The mix of songs, smells and smoke was almost as good as a rock concert.  Grandma didn't speak English.  She didn't want to risk meeting anyone who might want to talk to her.  The least popular Mass was at 5:00 am.  It was attended by the nuns and people who had odd work shifts.  Ma and Grandma started going to it, too.   

     Another problem was Ma's shopping.  We lived in Queens.  Years earlier my Aunts had introduced Ma to doorbuster sales in Manhattan.  It was a bit of excitement, taking the bus to Flushing, then taking two trains to get to 14th Street.  Ma loved getting to Klein's department store before the doors opened, being carried along by a huge crowd of people, then diving into the tables loaded with the doorbusters.  

     One of my earliest memories is of returning from a sale.  I was on an aisle seat in the train, barely able to see over a huge clove-studded ham that was as big as I was and was sitting on my lap.  I remember feeling woozie from the smell.  Grandma decided that going into the city was a waste of time.  She didn't want to be left alone for a whole day.  And what if the phone rang while Ma was out?  Ma agreed doorbusters weren't worth the risk of a phonecall.

     The weather was another problem.  Malta is near Italy.  Grandma expected certain weather at certain times of the year.  She did not expect snow.  Her first New York snowfall frightened her so much she threw her apron over her head, ran to the closet and started praying the rosary.  Ma couldn't change the weather.

     Grandma had her pride and wanted to work to earn her keep.  She insisted on doing the cooking, saying that Ma never did know how to cook.  Cooking was Grandma's field of expertise, if you only wanted to eat Maltese food.  Over the years Grandma managed to work off some of her anger by chopping vegetables and muttering names, like Nixon.  

     Grandma also took charge of the cleaning.  She said things like vacuum cleaners were just for lazy Americans.  She also did the laundry.  She ignored the care labels, insisting hot water was necessary to get things clean.  Ma wanted her to feel at home so she let Grandma take over our house.  It wasn't enough.

     In Malta Grandma had been an independent woman.  She was in her own country.  She spoke the language and knew her way around.  She had family, friends and activities in her town and in her parish.  She did her own shopping.  She went for regular medical care.  Her income was supplemented by cash from her four children.  Her son took care of house maintenance chores.  She could come and go as she pleased.  

     It was very different from the life she led with us.

When Grandma Came to Live with Us (1 by Margaret Ullrich)

Yesterday an elderly woman announced "This is my home," and refused to move to a safer area, even though she is in danger from the flood.  

Being a senior citizen, I can sympathize with how attached she is to a home she has lived in for a long time.

Recently 'reuniting families' has become an election issue.

It really does sound like a wonderful idea.

I lived through a family reunification.  It was over a half century ago.  It was done with the best of intentions.  I had thought my situation was unique.  But, living in the north end of Winnipeg, a very diverse area, I've learned I didn't have a particularly unique experience.  Other families are struggling with homesick elderly relatives in the 21st century.

I wonder how much experience politicians have had with elderly immigrant relatives...

    

     My parents and I had emigrated from Malta when I was an infant.  Most of Pop's relatives had emigrated before we did.  Ma's brother Charlie was living with us.  But we still had family in Malta, including Pop's parents, Ma's sister, their brother and their mother.  

     I had seen my friends' Grandmas handing out treats and toys.  My cousins' Grandma had included me in family parties and had helped me make the transition from Befana to Santa Claus when I was five.  But I wanted my own Grandma, too.

     Ma had told me that her father had died when she was four.  Her mother had been expecting Charlie.  There wasn't any pension so she had to clean people's houses.  Ma and her older sister, Stella, had to care for the two boys.  Stella became a seamstress to earn money for the family.  School was a luxury.  Then the war happened.  Their home was hit by a bomb and destroyed.  Luckily the children had hidden under the table.  Their neighbors had dug them out by the time Grandma returned from work.  Grandma, an amazing hero, was strong and brave and could handle anything.  She had kept her family together through it all.

  

     Then, when I was eight, Ma told me that Grandma would be coming to live with us in a few weeks.  Ma said we were going to have to make a few changes, but it was going to be just fine.  The two cribs for my brother and sister would stay in my parents' bedroom.  Grandma and I would share a twin bed in Uncle Charlie's room. 

  

     Ma cried when Charlie phoned from the airport to tell us Grandma had arrived.  Ma reminded me to never mention in front of Grandma the names of any of her family in Malta.  I had thought it was because Grandma would get sad about not seeing her children or my cousins.  Well, I reasoned, it was about time I had a chance to see her, too.  Grandma was also my Godmother, so I thought we'd really have a great time together. 

     When my sixty-year-old Grandma entered I was disappointed.  She didn't hug anyone.  She said the house was small.  Ma kept saying things would be alright, that we would make a few changes.

Humanizing the Economy

Come to the launch of Humanizing the Economy: Co-ops in the Age of Capital on Wednesday, May 4, at Mondragon, 91 Albert Street.

Join us for a discussion, from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, with John Restakis, author and executive director of the BC Co-operative Association, on the history and future of the 

co-operatives and how they are changing our economy. 

Avi Lewis writes, "Humanizing the Economy connects the dots among far-flung sites of co-operation and resistance, tracing the outlines of a humane alternative to the deadly business of business as usual."

Séan McCann & Doug Buss

Tuesday May 3, 7:00 pm

Grant Park in the Atrium

As a follow up to last year’s release, Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes, Great Big Sea’s 

Séan McCann returns with the release of his second solo effort, Son of a Sailor.

Having grown up in Newfoundland and spending nearly 18 years touring with Great Big Sea, it’s not difficult to hear the musical and maritime influences on songs like "Rather Be a Sailor".  

Drawing inspiration from the road, family, home, love and longing, Son of a Sailor provides the listener with a collection of first person narratives that invite them to briefly live in the life of another.

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Wednesday May 4, 7:00 pm

Grant Park in the Atrium

Doug Buss is a professional who runs his own financial services company. His designations include: B Comm. (Hons.), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

Doug’s first book, Life Balance, The Secrets to managing your personal journey is an uplifting journey down the paths of Spirituality, Relationships, Health, Fitness, Education, Family, and Finance. 

He provides the reader with strategies to help them grow and learn how to overcome existing personal barriers to live the life they have always wanted.

Phone 204-475-0483

(Toll Free 1-800561-1833)

PLASTIC PAPER

PLASTIC PAPER: WINNIPEG'S FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED, ILLUSTRATED + PUPPET FILM is an international festival that takes place May 4-7, at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg. 

The festival is one component of the year-round organizational activities of the Big Smash! Film Collective. 

PLASTIC PAPER’s programming is a mix of premieres, retrospective screenings, short films and features with special guests, workshops, multi-media presentations, installations and exhibits, artist talks, and gatherings where the artists and the audience can interact more informally.

Special guests will include animation legend RALPH BAKSHI (Fritz the Cat, Lord of the Rings), who will be appearing in person to present his film American Pop and to give an artist talk at the opening for his visual arts exhibit THE STREETS at RAW Gallery, and Montreal underground cartoonist RICK TREMBLES, who will present his Motion Picture Purgatory: De-Censortized expanded cinema show at our main venue, The Park Theatre.

Other treats in this year's PLASTIC PAPER lineup include 

the animated documentary AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY

Brent Green's elegiac stop-motion feature GRAVITY WAS EVERYWHERE BACK THEN

a retrospective of the psychedelic short films of Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami

Mathieu Weschler's feature-length machinima THE TRASHMASTER (made completely using source images from Grand Theft Auto 4)

Albert Birney + Jon Moses' musical stop-motion oddity THE BEAST PAGEANT and CODE IN MOTION

a short film program showcasing early computer animation, curated by Clint Enns. 

Plastic Paper is also honoured to be presenting the Manitoba premiere of THE FLORESTINE COLLECTION, the last film by animator Helen Hill, which was completed posthumously by her husband Paul Galiunas.

All-access PLASTIC PAPER festival passes are available for $55. 

Passes can be picked up on opening night of the festival at the box office.

Ron Romanowski & Sam Knacker

Launch of 

The Big Book of Canadian Poetry (Augustine Hand)

Wednesday May 4, at 8:00 pm 

Grant Park in Prairie Ink Restaurant

In March of 2009 six Winnipeg poets met to forge a new direction for poetry in Canada. They wanted to write the Canadian poetry of the strike, the carnival, the revolution and the flash mob. 

They studied the sociology of groups in the works of Dario Fo, Mikhail Bakhtin, Rebecca Solnit and others. They did practical research by attending Winnipeg’s many festivals and political and other mass events. 

New Festival Theory is what they call their philosophy. 

But their practice is poetry. 

The Big Book of Canadian Poetry is the brash and challenging debut from the New Festival crew.

Ron Romanowski’s unique fourth poetry collection covers many genres of poetry, including forms from the haiku to long poems. 

Ron Romanowski is a Winnipeg writer whose last book of poetry, Insurrection, was published in 2009.  His work has appeared in journals such as CV2 and in numerous anthologies including Witness (poems about war) and Myth Weavers (Canadian mythology). 

His poetry has been read on national CBC Radio.

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Come at 7:30 pm to enjoy a special performance by Sam Knacker on harmonica.  

If you were a listener of our CKUW radio show, 2000 and Counting - Older and Wiser 

you will remember Sam's beautiful music and wonderful stories.  

He is a delightful gentleman and performer.

Phone 204-475-0483

(Toll Free 1-800561-1833)

Story Time at the Library

The Winnipeg Public Library, Stone Soup Stories and the Manitoba Storytelling Guild present: Stories for Today: Old and New.

Join us at the Millennium Library, Buchwald Room, 251 Donald Street, 

from 12:15 to 1:00 pm and be entertained by expert storytellers. 

Be entertained by expert storyteller’s traditional folktales, legends, 

and humourous stories during your lunch hour. 

While children are welcome, this particular series is meant to amuse adults!

Friday, May 6 ~ Folktales and Reality: Why are we still listening to old stories? 

With Mary Louise Chown & Anne Morton

Friday, June 3 ~ Spiritual Storytelling with Karen Toole & Justin Jaron Lewis

Bert Johnson Trio & None the Wiser

Winnipeg pianist Bert Johnson performs with bassist Julian Bradford and 

drummer Curtis Nowosad on Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 pm at Aqua Books.  

Pianist Bert Johnson has performed at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, both with saxophonist Neil Watson, and also with the Bert Johnson and Daniel Jordan Quintet. He also performs with Steve Kirby's Jazz On Wheels. His first CD is Calm and Collected.   

$10

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May 4

8:00 pm to 10:00 pm 

$10 

None the Wiser was born in 1999, with the teen songwriting team of Eli Matas and 

Zack Kinahan. Joined by the hot rhythm section of Sam Little and Alan Nagelberg, the acoustic guitar duo has an original catalogue. The stories range from the personal to the political, but like they say, 'talking about music is like dancing about architecture.' 

The Malahat Review's Launch & Contest

Come celebrate our Spring issue with readings from:  

Cynthia Woodman Kerkham (2011 Open Season Award for poetry winner) 

Philip Huynh (2011 Open Season Award for short fiction winner) 

Patrick Friesen 

Rhonda Batchelor reading from Michael Larson's "The Woods" 

Barbara Stewart 

Iain Higgins  

UVic Fine Arts Building, Lobby and Room 103 

Tuesday, May 3  

7:00 pm to 10:00 pm  

FREE admission (and treats).  

Draw prize for all Friends of The Malahat in attendance!  

The Malahat Review is one of Canada's leading literary journals. 

Published quarterly, it contains contemporary works of Canadian and International poetry and fiction, as well as reviews of Canadian fiction, poetry and literary non-fiction.

*****

If your fiction has yet to be published in book form (book=48pgs or more), you have until next Sunday (May 1) to mail your best piece of short fiction (3500 words or less) to our Far Horizons Contest for Short Fiction. 

Prize: $1000 CAD

Entry fee:

$25 CAD for Canadians

$30 USD for US residents

$35 USD for entries from elsewhere (anywhere else!)

*Entry fee includes a one-year subscription to The Malahat Review

Deadline: May 2, 2011 postmarked

Mail entries to:

The Malahat Review

Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction

University of Victoria

PO Box 1700 Stn CSC

Victoria, BC

V8W 2Y2

Canada

Full contest guidelines for The Malahat Review 

Queries: malahat@uvic.ca

Submit Your Film | WNDX

WNDX is now open for submissions for our 2011 festival!

WNDX will consider new, innovative moving image artwork - 

film, video, digital, and hybrid forms - of any length.  

Distributors please e-mail info@wndx.org for a spreadsheet version of the entry form  

deadline May 13   4:30 pm 

free!  

Films will be shown Sept 29 to Oct 2

Happy Easter!!

The Promise of Easter.... 

May joy fill your day

Hope light your path

And the many

blessings of Easter

warm your heart....

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!!

Improv Karaoke & The Monkey King

ImproVision presents: Improv Karaoke

Saturday, April 30 at 8:00 pm 

Tickets $10 at the door or in advance at Aqua Books

Like peanut butter and jelly, Arm and Hammer, Charlie Sheen and court-ordered drug testing, improv and karaoke just go together.

They don’t?

Screw it, we’re gonna do it anyway.

The “kings of short form improv” (CBC Manitoba) are combining their unusual take on improv with the ancient art of karaoke.

We put the set list in our audience’s hands as they pick from our improv playbook. You can sign us up to play, or choose to join us on stage. And just like karaoke, you can laugh at your friends as they try to hit those improv high notes.

Warning: no actual singing will occur. Unless it does.

PS - it's a licensed venue! (but accompanied minors are welcome)

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The Monkey King and Other Stories from Asia

Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm

Storytellers Kay Stone and Rebecca Hiebert, with taiko drummer Margaret McKenty.

Tickets $10 

West End Spring Clean Up & Lawncare

Massive West End Clean Up on April 30, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  

Meet at WCWRC and help us take care of the neighbourhood!

We will supply garbage bags, gloves, dust masks, trash pickers, shovels and brooms! 

Please bring your sense of community pride and your appetite, as there will be lunch afterwards at St. Matthews Maryland Community Ministry at 641 St. Matthews Ave. 

Community clean ups are a great way to chat with your neighbours, spend time with your family, stretch your legs and enjoy the Spring weather. 

Please contact Robyn (greening@dmsmca.ca) or Jen S. (composting@dmsmca.ca) with any questions.

This event is in collaboration with Spence Neighbourhood Association, St. Matthews Maryland Community Ministry and West Central Women's Resource Centre. 

*****

DMSMCA Sustainable Lawncare Workshop (FREE)

Wednesday, May 4, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

202-583 Ellice Ave

Come learn how to maintain your lawn without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and fossil fuels. Tips for dealing with weeds/insects and information about grass alternatives will also be provided.

Good Holding Ground

The Good Holding Ground Launch will take place on Friday, April 29, 

from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm at Planet Earth Poetry, #103-1633 Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC.  

Good Holding Ground maps the awakening of sexuality and how our bodies and hearts respond to marital and family bonds.   

The sense of wilderness, the body out of control, is described in vivid detail in many of the poems. From sailing in the uncertain waves of the Pacific, to a cancer diagnosis, Kerkham explores our place in nature and struggles to negotiate the varied relationships that have a powerful hold on us. These poems are at once personal and a testament to our times. 

In precise and painterly detail, they investigate the diverse worlds of family and explore our ambivalence, anger, gratitude and desire.

Fluttertongue 5

Mc Nally Robinson

Grant Park in Prairie Ink Restaurant

Thursday April 28, 8:00 pm

Steven Ross Smith has been creating and performing poetry and sound poetry for over three decades. Fluttertongue 3: Disarray won the 2005 Saskatchewan Books Awards’ Book of the Year Award. He has published twelve books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and has performed and been published in England, Holland, Russia, Portugal, USA and Canada. He is currently the Director of Literary Arts at The Banff Centre.

Fluttertongue 5 draws shock, secret smiles and out-loud exclamations from the most stoic of readers. Each poem sits atop a sly and sensuous moss-like footer that unfolds below with wink-and-nudge word play.

Steven will be joined by Winnipeg poet Dennis Cooley. Cooley has lived most of his life on the prairies where, for many years he has taught, edited, and written. He has been an English professor at the University of Manitoba and resides in Winnipeg. He is a founding editor of Turnstone Press.

Phone 204-475-0483

(Toll Free 1-800561-1833)

Erika Lincoln

Join Erika for a discussion on her newest installation The Singing Condition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, on Thursday, April 28, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. 

Included with Gallery admission

Car horns. Mobile phone rings. Traffic crossing signals. 

The chirps of urban birds sound very different than those of their country cousins.

These sounds facilitate and in some ways control humans as we move and find our way through the city. This led Winnipeg electronic media artist Erika Lincoln to consider what the effects of these communication sounds, that are used solely by humans, have on animals living in our shared environment. 

Prairie Excellence

Opening reception Thursday, April 28, 7:00 pm  

Exhibit continues to May 28 at 5:00 pm  

The Prairie Excellence exhibit is at Gallery 1C03, located on the first floor of Centennial Hall, beside the UWSA Info Booth, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue.  

Prairie Excellence is a unique and ground-breaking joint project of the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Craft Councils.  The competition and exhibition entailed the participation of more than 160 craft artists across three provinces.  

The risk and the work of countless people paid off!

VOTE, 2011!!!

University of Winnipeg Vote Mob!

Meet at the U of W Centennial Hall Escalators at noon, April 27! 

Jonnie's Sticky Buns (bakery in the West End) has graciously offered to donate buns to participants on the day of the vote mob! 

Free Food and more incentives to attend this event!

Send Canada a message: Youth are voting this federal election!

Follow updates on twitter #votemobwinnipeg 

@brittanymaria

@devindrock

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Links

CBC Voter Compass (Who's views are most like yours?)

Information from Elections Canada on how to vote.

Elections Canada - Young Voters

FAQ for students and young voters in the 41st general election

PARTY ELECTION PLATFORMS (in alphabetical order)

Conservative 

Green Party

Liberal

New Democrat

Elections Canada Website

How to Vote

Voting out of the country:

"For others away from the country: the process for overseas voting is actually less cumbersome than Elections Canada website describes. Just fill in the application for a mail-in ballot and ...DO NOT send it by post (like the website says) - *email* the application together with a proof of ID (scan of page 2&3 of your passport). 

Addy: infosvr@elections.ca

If you're in Australia or NZ or somewhere equally far, they will courier your ballot out to cut down on the time."

Aqua Books' Music Rocks!!

Wednesday, April 27 is your last chance to see Bog River perform until late August, so come join us at Aqua Books!  

Say your farewells to Ben before he leaves for the planting season and hear some new tunes from our upcoming full-length album.  

We'd love to see you there at 7:30 pm!  

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Thursday, April 28  

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

Based in Winnipeg and led by Steve Kirby, the Oceanic Jazz Orchestra draws its inspiration from folk music from the four corners of the earth as it celebrates the world community through the jazz performance process.   

Members are the cream of the jazz community, and stellar players from the popular and classical community as well: Jazz bassist Steve Kirby, with Will Bonness, Curtis Nowosad, Andrew Littleford, Edvany Sylva, Sheena Rattai, and Gozar Persian Trio.  

***** 

Thursday, April 28  

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

Cowlicks and Rooster Tails is a group that originated from an impromptu billing at the 2010 Jazz Winnipeg Festival. The group delivers an exciting performance of musical diversity.  Traditional banjo, flattop guitar, alto sax and upright bass evoke a natural blending of jazz and Appalachian styles.  

Spearheaded by Adam Young and Neil Watson, the idea of the group is to compose and arrange within the idiomatic aspects of the instruments and the styles of the musicians. 

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Friday, April 29 

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

Jazz singer Helen White performs with Jonathan Alexiuk, Chris Berti, Glenn Lambert and Ken Gold.

SWISH - A Fashionable Soirée

The Rainbow Resource Centre invites you to their 2nd Annual Gala Fundraiser, 

at the Delta Hotel Winnipeg on May 7, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  

It will feature incredible entertainment by Swish Productions, 

with fashion meeting art, music and passion!   

The event will feature DJ Mama Cutsworth, and top designers from across Canada, 

a gourmet meal by the Delta Winnipeg’s Executive Chef, with dancing, 

cocktails and energy throughout the night.   

All funds raised will go into services at the Rainbow Resource Centre.   

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Every month hundreds in Manitoba access services at the Rainbow Resource Centre.  

From calling our Peer Support Line, to accessing our onsite counselling program, to meeting other kids through our Peer Project for Youth program, the demand for services is continuously increasing.  

Currently over 30 individuals are on our waitlist for counselling.  Last year, over 516 youth attended youth programming, with over 5000 visits in an eight month period.   

Volunteers staff reception, answer the Peer Support Line, oversee the library, 

deliver workshops, and participate in delivering counselling services.  

In 2007, Canadian researchers found that gay, lesbian and bisexual youth were 

over-represented in marginalized street youth population.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Even higher, those who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide. Teenage suicides due to conflict about sexual and gender identity are at an all time high.

The Winnipeg Wrecking Ball

Hot and raw political theatre that pillories the political process!   

With short and sassy new plays by Ross McMillan, Steve Ratzlaff, Marcus Youssef and others, accompanied by the driving rhythms and powerful vocals of Gerry Atwell, the Wrecking Ball will incite voter passion!   

Be part of a national event as The Wrecking Ball swings in cities from coast to coast, gathering momentum as it goes.  

In Winnipeg on Monday, April 25, at the Prairie Theatre Exchange. 

Show runs from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm  

A pay what you can event with all proceeds going to The Actors Fund.

Portfolio Showcase, Vol. 5

From the series INSIDE THE BOX © Sophie Jacobson     

Entries due May 3 

Notice of acceptance June 10 

Online Exhibition  July 1 - November 30  

Book release & reception in November    

There is no theme for this exhibition.  

The images will be evaluated as a cohesive body of work.  

Fifteen photographers will be chosen to display their twelve-image portfolios in the Center's Portfolio ShowCase Volume 5 book and online exhibition.   

JUROR CHRIS PICHLER is the founder and publisher of Nazraeli Press.  

Based in Portland, Oregon, Nazraeli Press publishes books specializing in contemporary photography.  

UrbanPlot Contest!!

UrbanPlot offers garden coaching, installation, construction of in ground & raised beds, maintenance, garden rescue and bilingual workshops for all ages.

Whether you're starting from scratch, need advice on an existing garden, have fallen so far behind in your weeding that you can't even look at your garden or want someone to come speak to your students or group on a wide range of garden topics, drop us a line. 

With ten years experience in making healthy, green things grow, chemical-free, we include permaculture principles in our projects to meet your needs, working with nature to create your dream garden.

We specialize in edible gardens that provide beauty and balance. 

urbanplot@gmail.com

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UrbanPlot Contest 

We'd like to hear about your urban garden dreams!

Post the details of what you've got planned, or hope to achieve this year in the garden, on the UrbanPlot Facebook page. 

The most creative or inspiring entry will be selected on Sunday, May 1 to win:

a free UrbanPlot garden consultation ( a $50 value )

a $20 gift certificate from Jonnie's Sticky Buns to fuel up before heading in the garden

a $50 gift certificate from Prairie Sky Books ( maybe for some garden books...? )

One entry per person.

Open to Winnipeg residents only.

"Most creative" can mean how it's written: rhyming, alliterated, futuristic sounding, fantastical, etc, or have to do with your actual urban garden plans. 

The garden "dream" itself can be a very simple one...

CIBC Presents Hope Rising!

A benefit concert, on May 3, at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 

1 Front Street East, in Toronto, Ontario 

for the Stephen Lewis Foundation to support grassroots organizations 

at the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic in Africa. 

International recording artists Alicia Keys, K’naan, Angélique Kidjo, Rufus Wainwright, and Holly Cole headline this spectacular evening co-hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, Marci Ien, and Gloria Reuben.

Wanda Koop Film

There will be a screening of a film about Winnipeg painter Wanda Koop on Saturday,
April 23, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Blvd.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the WAG.

Wanda Koop has been hailed by Time magazine as one of Canada's best artists.  

the film shows Wanda in her studio, setting up her WAG exhibition, and on a trip down the St. Lawrence on a freighter in search of inspiration. It's a fascinating look at the creative process. 

Brandon: Paint with Lisa Wood

Mini-Mentorship in Paint with Lisa Wood

Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, 10 am to 5 pm 

at Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon

$30 for MAWA members

The mini-mentorship will feature critical readings, slide presentations of other artists’ works, and group critique of participants’ paintings.

Each artist will have an opportunity to show her work and receive feedback, as well as participate in discussions. This is an excellent opportunity to practice speaking about your work, to receive constructive criticism, to talk about issues specific to paint and to expand your community.

Lisa Wood is a Winnipeg-based artist who focuses on representational painting and drawing. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Yale University in 2005. Lisa has been the recipient of many awards and scholarships, and has exhibited widely. For the last three years she has taught painting and drawing at the University of Manitoba. She is currently the Programming and Administrative Coordinator at MAWA.

To apply for the mini-mentorship, please submit:

- a paragraph about your artistic practice (what you make, the ideas that drive your work)

- a line or two about why you want to participate in this program

- 5 jpg images of your artwork 

In order to apply, you must be a MAWA member. 

Applications are due at MAWA by Tuesday, May 3. 

Please submit by e-mail to: programs@mawa.ca 

Put “Mini-Mentorship” in the subject heading. 

Love Your Neighbour Banquet

Volunteers needed to help with our community Easter meal. 

Saturday, April 23, 9:00 to 11:30 am

Souls Harbour Soup Kitchen

Please email mcalder.shrm@gmail.com

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You are cordially invited to attend our eighth annual  

Love Your Neighbour Banquet 

to help raise funds for Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, Saskatchewan.  

Monday May 9 

Delta Regina, 1919 Saskatchewan Drive 

Free Parking 

Doors open at 5:30 pm  

Tickets: $30 each 

$25 each (when buying 2-7) 

$160 for a table of 8 

Rush seating 

Tickets can be picked up or mailed.

Call Derrick Moore at 543-0011    

Plate Service: Chicken Cordon Bleu Dinner 

Entertainment: Juno Award Winner Steve Bell 

Featured Event: 2011 LifeChange Program Graduation Ceremony  

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"Adopt-A-Plate" is our monthly giving program. 

If you are interested, just call 543-0011 and press 2 to speak to a financial clerk.

“The high rate of Saskatchewan’s volunteerism contributed to 80.6 million hours of volunteer service in 2004, the equivalent of 41,979 full-time jobs. 

– Government of Saskatchewan”

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Little Souls Daycare, 1475 Athol Street, Regina, is a fully licensed and subsidized Christian childcare facility located in North Central Regina. We have spaces for 60 children to play, eat, nap and enjoy their days.

Artist Residency at MAWA

Two deadlines: April 29 and October 28, 2011

Artists at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply. 

Rural Manitoba artists are especially encouraged. 

Contact Lisa at 949-9490 or programs@mawa.ca

Applications should include:

-a cover letter saying why you would like the apartment (goals, rationale)

-what you will need while you are here (facilities or equipment)

-first and second choice of preferred dates (including start and end dates)

-an artist’s c.v.

-up to 20 images on CD or two videos on DVD

-a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of your materials

Please send applications to: 

Residency Program, MAWA, 611 Main St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1E1 

MAWA is offering a loft-style apartment to women visual artists 

for residencies of 2-4 weeks. 

Applicants can use it for research, reflection, networking and/or production. 

MAWA will provide a $300 honorarium and free accommodations. It is a walk-up and includes a kitchen, a bathroom with shower, a double bed, a double futon/couch, linens, cooking utensils and a parking space.  

It is not wheelchair accessible. 

It is not conducive for painting and many forms of sculpture. 

We ask that you present your work to our members in a form of your choice:screening, talk, performance, showcase of work-in-progress, etc. 

The Great Fryday Brunch

You've got Friday, April 22 off! 

You're hungry and everything's closed! 

Come join us at the Mondragon, 91 Albert Street, from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm, for a great vegan brunch!

Menu Options:

1) the Anti-Continental Breakfast:  Tofu & Veggie Scramble, Home-style Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Greens and Local Tall Grass Toast plus Coffee or Tea.

2) Wildcat Flapjacks:  Gluten Free and Soy Free Pancakes, stacked 3 high, served with either a Fresh Fruit Sauce or Real Maple Syrup plus Roasted Potatoes and Coffee or Tea.

As always we will have a selection of Fresh Organic Juices and options for the kids!

$10 + t&t

Reservations not necessary but seating is limited so call for reservations!

Earth Day with Maude Barlow

Maude Barlow, the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, will speak on international and local concerns  on Friday, April 22, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, 

at Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway. 

FREE event. 

Refreshments will be served. Cash bar. 

In 2008/2009, Barlow served as Senior Advisor on Water to the former President of the United Nations General Assembly. 

She is also the best-selling author or co-author of 16 books.

She chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch; is also an executive member of the International Forum on Globalization, and a Councilor with the Hamburg-based World Future Council. 

Barlow is the recipient of eight honorary doctorates as well as many awards, including the 2005 Right Livelihood Award (known as the “Alternative Nobel”).

Co-sponsored by the Wpg. Chapter of Council of Canadians and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.