September Recap: Fort McMurray Fringe Fest, Words & Birds, and More

Wow, where the heck did September go? I honestly feel like I blinked and it was gone, which I’ve probably been saying every month for the last few years. … I hear it only gets worse.

Anyways, it’s crazy to think how much time has passed since I had the pleasure of joining Theatre; Just Because for their Fort McMurray Fringe Fest on September 6th as a market vendor!

I know I said this last time, but the day couldn’t have been better. It was perfect weather, a good amount of traffic came through, and there was the bonus of live performances I could watch. This was fantastic second market experience for me, and I even had some self-proclaimed fangirling going on which is honestly blows my mind. Nothing beats hearing that people connect with the work you’ve poured so much energy into and put it into the world. Just wow. Even if it’s just one person. (It’s also nice when it’s more than one, then at least you know it isn’t a fluke.)

I also recently had the opportunity to be a part of the Words & Birds Project, hosted by Arts Council of Wood Buffalo, where each artist was provided a wooden square panel this past Spring to take home and create an artwork using any visual medium to depict a local bird of their choice. Naturally, I chose the Red-breasted nuthatch, based purely on the name. I created my bird out of scraps of pages from an aerial view photography book (a BIRDSEYE view, if you will) as well as paint, thrifted doodads and materials, and a branch I picked up on a walk. It was super cool to be a part of a project that had specific parameters, but loose enough to add your own creativity and style.

This project also included poetry from local writers and I submitted a poem called “Fight or Flight'“ which has become one of my favourite poems I’ve written so far. We all gathered for a VIP event at Acden on September 4th, where all panels and poems were in one place for viewing and bidding.

The evening also featured incredible meatballs, ADORABLE tiny adorable forks (I took 4 of them), and some really great live poetry and music.

The Collective Threads exhibit (you can read more about that in my blog post here) also came to a close this month! On September 11th, we attended the closing reception at the Kirschner Family Community Art Gallery where Mayor Sandy Bowman proclaimed September as Month of the Artist. Again, another opportunity to gather and talk about, celebrate and enjoy art. Also featuring a PEROGI BAR. It’s all in the details. (No tiny forks this time though, to my disappointment.)

It was also a very special evening, because two nights earlier at a municipal council meeting it was announced that the city was finally investing in arts & culture in our region by purchasing the Arts Inc. building downtown from ACWB and finishing its construction, so that the organization can continue doing what they do best, building a thriving community through the arts. Learn more about Arts Inc. project here.

Since then, I’ve had some space to reflect on the summer, think about the work I’ve created, and plan for what’s ahead. I’m excited to share that my next stop will be the Winter Maker’s Market, hosted by Arts Council of Wood Buffalo at Keyano Theatre on November 30th, 11am to 4pm. Hope to see you there!

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