In Print – Medicine Hat News art exhibition

In Print – Medicine Hat News art exhibition

Opening Reception

• TONIGHT! Friday, March 1st
• 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• Yuill Family Gallery (Medalta)
• No Charge Entry

A newspaper’s front page has long been a ubiquitous part of many peoples’ lives. It is often the first point of reference when big news breaks anywhere in the world. The headlines call to us and even though the images are often iconic, few can name the source they originally came from.

How can it be that one of the most important communication tools of the past 500 years can be taken for granted?

In this exhibition, Medalta and the Medicine Hat News have partnered to exhibit important front pages over the past one hundred years.

The thought is that by elevating the Front Page from its regular place on your dining room table to the walls of a gallery, it will encourage the viewer to re-visit the idea of how information is transmitted.

The POST has been getting some big renovations lately. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has just announced the re-opening of this great downtown thrift store taking place this Friday, March 1st. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. Lavar Payne and the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce will be on-scene to help them celebrate. The ceremony will be followed by coffee, snacks, tours of the store, and a massive 50% off blowout sale.

The renovations were made possible thanks to the generous support of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta which provided the CMHA a $6000 grant which was used to make floor plan changes, repaint the interior of the 14,450 square foot store, and create new in-store signage.

“We are so appreciative that the Community Foundation provided us with this funding. By helping us make improvements at The POST, we can continue to provide the community with a wide selection of merchandise at affordable prices, a supported work program that helps individuals experiencing mental illness get back into the workforce and an excellent volunteer opportunity,” said Executive Director, Sharon Hayward. “The POST also provides our Association with dependable revenue that we can use toward operating our various mental health programs and services in Southeastern Alberta.”

A little bit more about The POST:

The POST is a social enterprise owned and operated by CMHA that provides a supported work environment for several individuals experiencing mental illness. In doing so, revenue is generated to assist the non-profit with the ongoing provision of its programs and services. The store is staffed by a mix of paid employees and volunteers.

Figure yourself a businessy-type?

Dragon’s Den will be holding open auditions in Medicine Hat on Friday, February 22nd, 2013 looking for the next big thing for the hit series on CBC Television. Taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre.

All interested entrepreneurs should be prepared to pitch their business in less than five minutes. If they can convince Dragon’s Den producers, they could be invited to brave the Dragons face-to face when season 8 is filmed in Toronto.

The auditions in Medicine Hat are one in around 40 stops in various Canadian cities. We’ve already had the Worst Driver, so why not redeem Medicine Hat by getting a participant on the Dragon’s Den?

More information with more audition dates and places here:
http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/auditions/

The past twelve months have been a labour of love for musician Sarah Cripps as she’s been producing her debut album Change. “You can only make your debut album once and it was really important for me to make it be something I could look back on and think is a real representation of who I am,” says Cripps. “It has evolved really naturally.”

The natural evolution of the release is also a direct mirror of how the 21-year-old country musician has allowed her burgeoning career to evolve. She began playing music when she was just nine years old and before she was 13 had been offered a deal by a major record label.

“It was a really incredible thing, and I was really grateful for it, but it just felt like the whole process would have been too rushed,” says Cripps of the deal, and what prompted her to ultimately walk away from it to continue her career as a completely independent musician.

“I’m really proud to be putting this record out on my own,” she affirms. “It’s been a really long journey, but I have put together a team who believe in me and have helped me make what I think is the best possible record I can make.”

A modern blend of country, folk and pop music, Cripps and her longtime collaborator/producer David Martin enlisted help from some of the most well-known country musicians to play on the record including Chris McHugh, drummer for country music star Keith Urban; Jimmie Lee Sloas, the bass player for Carrie Underwood; and Tom Bukovac, a guitar player for Sheryl Crow.

“There are literally some of the best session players in this industry playing on my album, which made it an even more exciting experience,” she said. “Now I get to go across Canada playing shows which breathes a very new and different life into the songs.”

Cripps will perform on February 12 at Inspire Café, 675 2nd Street S.E. The show starts at 1 p.m. CDs will be available for purchase at the show or online, visit www.sarahcripps.com for more information.

The furry visitors at the SPCA in Medicine Hat are in need! Help out the Medicine Hat SPCA and most importantly, the animals, by donating a Kuranda Dog or Cat Bed! These beds are chewproof designs for kennels, shelters and chewing puppies. They also:

• Keep pets comfortable and dry off the cold, hard floor
• Easy to keep clean, deodorize, and are odor free
• Top choice of kennels and shelters worldwide
• Soft, off the floor comfort
• Replaceable fabrics and parts
• Last for years
• 1 year warranty

You can make their stay more comfortable today! Please visit http://kuranda.com/donate/8303 to donate a cat or dog bed to SPCA Medicine Hat.

Which book should Medicine Hat residents read in October 2013? During the month of January, the One Book One Community committee is asking for suggestions of books for the eighth annual book discussion weekend which will take place in October 2013.

Every year Hatters come together to discuss a book and to enjoy activities based around the title. Like a citywide book club, One Book One Community offers readers opportunities to discuss the book, listen to guest speakers, and participate in activities that complement the book. Past books have included Obasan by Joy Kogawa, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, An Audience of Chairs by Joan Clark, The Englishman’s Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe, Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay, Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden and in October 2012, the chosen book was The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.

Hatters are asked to make suggestions up to February 1, 2013. To be eligible, the book should be by a Canadian author, available in paperback and substantial enough to generate discussion. It can be fiction, non-fiction, biography, poetry or short stories. Suggestion forms will be available at Medicine Hat Public Library, the Vera Bracken Library at Medicine Hat College and at Coles Bookstore in the Medicine Hat Mall. Suggestions may also be submitted online at www.obocmh.ca The suggested titles are read and evaluated by volunteer readers and the committee. Once the book has been chosen, the title will be announced in the spring.

One Book One Community is cosponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, City of Medicine Hat, Medicine Hat Public Library, Medicine Hat College and Coles Bookstore.

“To brush history against the grain and write a different account, one that deepens our understanding… one that seeks to reveal the interstices of resistance and pain.”
– Walter Benjamin, Thesis on the Philosophy of History

Portraits of Loss by Safira Lachapelle

Loss as an emotion that shapes history
What role does cultural identity play in the development of individuals and societies? I continually seek perspective to this question through the processes of cultural immersion and documentation. Reoccurring themes within my work reveal ideas of environmental sustainability, obsolescence, impermanence, humanity’s relationship to earth, traditional First Nation’s worldview, kinship, dreams, visions, the soul, and immortality.

The current ongoing focus of my work is an immersion in the personal, cultural, and historical perspectives that surround loss, specifically from suicide and accident. Suicide has been called Canada’s silent epidemic, and along with accident is the leading cause of death in young men, particularly in First Nation’s communities. These forms of loss are unique in that they offer survivors an unexpected life. My interest and experience with unexpected loss and contemporary First Nations culture presents an opportunity to open this dialogue.

Listening as a form of art
The intent of this installation is to continue exploring techniques that can be used to most effectively tell story. Story has the potential to act as impetus for personal and societal growth; this is a fundamental understanding in First Nation’s oral history teaching methodologies. I am interested in coalescing personal oral history collection with the creation of installation art. The documentation of personal stories will act as a primer for the creation of work and offer an open-ended interpretation to a melding of personal, cultural, and historical perspectives. My aim is that these interpretations will evoke memory and help guide the viewer to a greater truth.

I am interested in how media such as drawing, installation, print making, text, sound, and video interact and layer meaning for audience. Is a story interpreted physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually by the viewer? Are cognitive and perceptive processes enhanced when diverse mediums work together? How do auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli affect that response?

Biography:
Safira Lachapelle is born and raised in Medicine Hat. She has just returned to Medicine Hat to finish the last year of her arts degree. This show was made possible through funding from the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Battlefords and District Community Foundation Inc.

Show Info:
January 7 – 11 @ 11am – 8pm
Reception: January 11 @ 7pm
Medicine Hat College Room N159

The Hive Boutique and Gallery Has Moved!

We will officially opened in The Esplanade on Wednesday December 5th. Our new gallery and boutique is located to the left of the main doors next to the Studio Theatre in the former Gift Shop space.

The studios will remain at the current second street location and will still be open to the public on Saturdays. All art classes will still be held at the classroom in the studios.

Come and check out our new location!

Our new hours will be as follows for each location:

Gallery and Boutique
401 First Street SE
Wednesday – Saturday
11:00am – 4:00pm
+advance of evening events

Studios and Classroom
569 Second Street SE
Saturday
11:00am – 4:00pm
+scheduled class times

Our Studios / Classroom are still located at our 2nd street location.

This is just a quick post announcing that all accounts from Medicine Hat Media who have never posted and/or commented on anything will now be deleted. If this was done in error, please let me know, otherwise, if you want your account back, simply re-create the account. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Also, no the site isn’t dead.

Indie Rock HAUNT-cert!

You asked for it… YOU GOT IT!

This Halloween weekend, October 27th, 3rd street effort presents West Coast alt-rock talent, The Zolas and The Belle Game. So come sweat through your costume because if it’s any good you could win amazing PRIZES from Lucky Squid Tattoo and Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Medicine Hat. The schow is at Schooner’s Pub. Doors at 8PM

TICKETS: $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Available at Madhatter Roastery, The Lucky Squid, Schooners Pub and Valhalla Pure Outfitters as well as online.

After debuting with ‘Tic Toc Tic’ in 2009, The Zolas scaled the precipice of cult status across Canada and are back with their second offering, ‘Ancient Mars’. Their compelling brand of alt-rock, like Snickers, will satisfy.

Orchestral dark pop group, The Belle Game, has mystified crowds across Canada with rich melody that like M&M’s, melts in your ears not in your hand. (What?!)

O’ hungry for new local talent? Opening the show, will be eclectic hometown boys, ‘The Wild’, to prime your sweet tooth.