This past week, I installed a window display at Novel Idea, Kingston’s wonderful independent bookstore. The display is for Kingston WritersFest, which runs September 27-October 1. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘unbound’, and as turned that word over in my head, this is the image that came to me.
News
Life Cast
A woman asked me to make a life cast of her chest before she has surgery because of breast cancer. It ended up being one of the most beautiful and connected days. There were four of us there. She brought a friend, and my friend Ginger worked with me. The four of us listened to East Coast music, drank coffee, and told stories about joys and stories about griefs. I am grateful to have been part of the experience. Photo posted with permission.
Ginger and #lifecast #breastcancer #breadtcancerawareness #checkyourboobs
The Highwayman
On February 16, I was at The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts performing a shadow puppet play I created to accompany Dean Burry’s gorgeous, haunting composition, The Highwayman. The Highwayman featured the incomparable mezzo-soprano Kristina Szabó. It was a wonderful evening. Students Zoe Sulisz and Sarah Wolstenholme performed with me, and they had worked on the project in the months leading up to the performance. My daughter Simone Scala-Conley stepped in to help with overhead projections when we decided to add text and therefore needed another person.
Mask making in Haliburton
This was possibly the busiest summer of my life, but good busy. I love building and teaching and talking about art - all the things I managed to spend almost every moment of my summer doing. Being that busy meant that I was somewhat rushed with the paperwork side of my job, which includes updating my website. It’s in need of a major overhaul (with many more photos), but in the meantime, I’ll update the news page.
First up this summer, I spent a week teaching in Haliburton at the Haliburton School of Art & Design. My students were fantastic, the setting beautiful, my classroom perfect, and we made masks! My 13-year-old came with me and took an excellent course down the hall with artist Rebecca Reynolds. My daughter and I stayed in the sweetest little cabin surrounded by deer-filled woods, and we capped off our week with a hike around the sculpture garden. I am already excited about teaching at HSAD next summer. And I’m thinking that maybe I’ll take a class too.
Meet the River 2022
Had great fun making these cardboard masks for Meet the River 2022, a Belle Park Project arts, community and environment-focused event. “Look into the river, and through time, and see fish…”
Decorate your own fish mask on Saturday September 3, 2pm to - 4:30pm, at the “fish sign” at the South end of Douglas Fluhrer Park. The event is free and open to all ages; no registration required. Please bring a folding chair or a blanket. Rain date: September 10, 2022, from 2pm to 4:30pm @belleparkproject
https://facebook.com/events/s/meet-the-river-2022/2188304724685238/
#meettheriver #belleparkproject #cardboardmasks #kingstonontario #biodiversity #fishmasks
To learn more about Swimming Upstream:
https://belleparkproject.com/projects/swimmingupstream
Summer Mask and Puppet Workshops at the Haliburton School of Art & Design
I’m looking forward to teaching mask making and puppet design at the Haiburton School of Art & Design this August. Spending time in pretty cottage country while designing and building with groups of creative people sounds like a perfect way to spend a couple of weeks.
Mask Making runs from August 1-5. https://flemingcollege.ca/continuing-education/courses/mask-making
Puppet Design & Construction runs August 8-12.
https://flemingcollege.ca/continuing-education/courses/puppet-design-construction
HSAD offers lots of great courses throughout the year. Check out their full catalogue: https://flemingcollege.ca/school/haliburton-school-of-art-and-design
BU's Women & Masks Conference April 23, 24, 30
On April 23, I’ll be presenting my artist talk, “Finding form in mask making” at Boston University’s online Women & Masks conference. I’m looking forward to the weekend and checking out all of the presentations and workshops. https://sites.bu.edu/womenandmasks/events/schedule-for-april-weekend/
Talking Masks & Puppets on the Cookie Jar on CICK
This spring, I had a great time chatting with Christine Bruce on her podcast, The Cookie Jar. We talked and masks, puppets, youth mental health, Edward Gorey, Tim Burton and lots of other stuff. Below is a clip from our interview that Christine posted on Facebook. The full episode is HERE. Christine show delves into many important social topics including logging, basic income, green burials, and animal welfare. Links to her shows are HERE.