Studio Tour Pit Stop!

Planning on doing the Uxbridge Studio Tour this weekend? The Siloam Hall will be an artistic pit stop of sorts, with fresh coffee and tea and light refreshments. See the details below!

The Studio Tour runs this Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For more information on the Uxbridge Arts Association, please visit their website.

26th Celebration of the Arts Kick Off!

Politicians, Celebration of the Arts organizers and artists kicked off the festival at the Uxbridge Township office on Monday, September 12, 2011. Image by Stuart Blower Photography.

The Celebration of the Arts kicked off its 26th year with a buzzing opening reception in front of the Uxbridge Town Office.
Many stood proud with their creations ranging from paintings to sculptures as they chatted with each other, excited for the three-week celebration embracing the arts culture to begin.

Artists, event organizers, council members and Uxbridge Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor were all smiles and laughs as the official event banner, created by Sweet World Media, was unveiled.

Several councillors appeared in period costume, as they join MPP John O’Toole and local celebrities in the 110 Anniversary of the Uxbridge Music Hall on September 17, 2011.

Councillors Pat Molloy, Gordon Highet and Jacob Mantle in period costume for the 110th Anniversary of the Uxbridge Music Hall gala on Friday, September 17, 2011. Photo by Stuart Blower Photography.

Our latest newsletter: The countdown has begun

See our latest newsletter below! Be sure to sign up to get arts and culture news delivered right to your inbox: www.celebrationofthearts.ca/e-newsletter/

The countdown has begun!   Less than one month until the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts launches its 2011 festival. We can’t wait for what will be an outrageously fun three weeks of arts and culture! Our 19,000-copy beautiful brochure guide with a brand new design, VIP contest and full calendar of events is about the hit the streets. Look for in your mailboxes next week, and over the next few days at retailers in Uxbridge, its hamlets, Mt. Albert and Port Perry. We look forward to sharing the vivid, varied, dynamic and sensational arts community in Uxbridge with you! Stay tuned for regular weekly newsletters as we draw closer to September 16, 2011, and read on to see what we’ve been up to. All the best, The Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts team 2011 Chairpersons: John & Rita Jackson www.celebrationofthearts.ca read more

Sculpture Expose artists: videos

Check out these videos of the Sculpture Expose artists! We found them on the Durham Tourism YouTube channel.

Fly, Wynn and Francis will be at Centennial Park from September 26 – October 7, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. View details on the Sculpture Expose event page here.

Enjoy!

Fly Freeman

Wynn Walters

Francis Muscat

Value of a Play Reading Experience

By Barbara Blower

I first went to a “A Play Reading” in Uxbridge as a willing tag-along. A number of my friends were familiar with this kind of theatrical event and spoke of it in glowing terms. Since the event was also a fundraiser for a Musical Theatre Company in Cuba, I felt that my Sunday evening, not to mention a very small amount of cash, would in their words be “Time and Money” well spent.

Anna Mackay-Smith was the moderator that evening. I sat spellbound as she and the other actors read dialogue right from a written script. Portraying each character with such skill and grace as to evoke all variety of emotional responses among my fellow audience members. I laughed out loud then wept real tears, then did it all again. A truly memorable theatrical experience.

On reflection, I noticed that I did not miss the costumes, the sets, the “usual stuff” that we associate with more conventional forms of theatre. In fact I believe the absence of “the usual stuff” offered a freedom to explore my emotinal response to the actors and the work.

I have attended many play readings since that first Sunday night, I have been responsible for encouraging others to “tag-along” with me on my promise that they will be very surprised at how much there is to
“get” from this simpler form of theatre.

Email Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1

Welcome to our inaugural newsletter! Watch for these regularly as we move closer to the festival in September. We have so many new and exciting additions to the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts this year, from a July fundraiser to a new website, completely new design and cool events such as cuisine and youth bands. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months. We’d love for you to share this with your arts colleagues, friends, family and important contacts, and encourage them to sign up. See below for more info. We also have details of a special youth film festival info night and a local artists’ showing, both happening this weekend. We look forward to sharing the vivid, varied, dynamic and sensational arts community in Uxbridge with you! All the best, The Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts team 2011 Chairpersons: John & Rita Jackson www.celebrationofthearts.ca Our new look! We’re thrilled to present our new look for the 2011 season! This year we have hired local design companySweet World Media (publishers of Uxbridge Town Talk & Durham Region Kids) to do our marketing, branding, public relations and print materials. The team at Sweet World Media researched other arts festivals, brainstormed with us, and took cues from past years’ designs to come up with the concept to the left. We love how it embraces the many elements of our arts community. Feedback has been fantastic. This design will form our brand new website to be launched in June, plus our brochures, programs, print advertisements and social media campaigns. read more