Girl About O-Town

Today marks the start of Culture Days, a volunteer driven, Canada-wide celebration of arts & culture.  This three-day extravaganza features events  across the country, and is intended to promote awareness, appreciation and participation in the artistic and cultural life of communities.  From urban dance demos and glassblowing workshops to photography exhibits and jazz choir performances – Culture Days offers something for everyone.

I, for one, am pretty excited to be visiting the vaults at the Art Bank, home to the world’s largest collection Canadian contemporary art.  The Art Bank is administered by Canada Council for the Arts, and owns more than 17,000 works of art by 3,000 Canadian artists.  These works are rented to companies, institutions, and government departments – so you can bet you’ve probably seen an Art Bank piece before!

Anyway, the little girlaboutOtown and I plan to make a ‘girls night’ of our visit, and we’ll no doubt have a blast.  If you’re anything like me, the idea of perusing piles of valuable paintings is completely appealing!  Plus, if you’re interested, you can learn about art restoration, framing original works, and even have a personal piece appraised by an expert – “Antiques Roadshow” style!

The Art Bank will be opening it’s doors today,  Friday, September 30 (6-8 pm) and Saturday, October 1 (10 am-4 pm) only.  For more information about the open house, including location, click here.

And, if your culture kick extends beyond the weekend, why not check out “Keep the Car Running – Road Trip Polaroids By Maggie Knaus”, the latest fine art photography exhibit at The Exposure Gallery, on Wellington?  The fella and I crashed the vernissage just last night, and went away wanting one of these wonderful, colourful, nostalgic pieces.  You can also catch the artist in person this coming Wednesday, October 5.  Ms. Knauss will be leading a discussion about her work, but if you’re keen to see and hear, call ahead.  Seats are limited.

For more #culturedays  events taking place in Ottawa, click here.

Image: Untitled (Fawn) 2010, sculpture by Anna Williams, a recent acquisition of the Canada Council Art Bank.

Right now, I’m waiting for my IPhone to sync and download the 2768 photos  I’ve left sitting on it since my trip to Spain last April.  Now that I finally have the time to  ‘clear the decks’,  I’m struck by the strange parallel between my phone and my life.  Odd.

There are so many moments captured on my camera, and so many memories I want to share, yet in retrospect I don’t always want to stop to document everything I do in finite detail.  Instead, I’m inclined to keep going – to jam as much living as I can into the time I have – and to put off my efforts preserve everything for posterity.

But, when I finally do slow down to catch my breath, I solidify my recollections, savour the process of reflection, and ultimately – derive a great deal of gratitude and satisfaction for having benefited from the experience.  I chronicle.  That’s just the way I am.

So, I hope you will indulge me while I reminisce a bit about this past week.  It was an exceptionally wonderful one!  Here’s the rundown:

• Tuesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Angie, an esthetician and makeup-artist at the lovely little Only You Esthetics on Hawthorne Ave., just off Main St.  She introduced me to the marvels of all-natural Jane Iredale mineral make-up, and it’s unlikely I’ll use anything else from here on in.   This stuff is downright amazing, and worth every penny.  
• Wednesday, Krista and I stopped for a gab session/sweet treat at Blumen Studio on Parkdale – a fantastic flower studio/European coffee bar with some serious flair.  We had gluten- free cookies & cupcakes care of Auntie Loo’s, and caught up on all things personal and professional-related.  If you haven’t heard already, Krista is the prolific producer behind Ottawa’s Craft Co-op, the monthly Urban Craft Market (happening this coming Saturday, October 1), and alternative wedding show Wed By Hand coming up fast next February. Oh, and vendor applications are open right now.
• Thursday, I ventured further afield to meet a couple of old friends currently on maternity leave.  Would you believe these two walk to Wakefield for lunch once a week?? Yes, one of them lives along the river. I was invited to join them for soup and sandwiches on the porch at Cafe Molo.  Yum!
• Friday, the fella and I caught the 7 pm presentation of “10 Reasons To Love Animation” at Ottawa’s renowned International Animation Festival, then enjoyed a laid-back, late supper at The Black Tomato.
• Saturday, after a leisurely morning read, we suited up and headed out to see the documentary film “Ingredients” about the local food movement at legendary The Mayfair Theatre.  The show was part of “Cultivate: A Mini-Film Festival” a fundraiser for Heifer International presented by Heather Heagney the dedicated blogger behind After the Harvest.  I was so inspired, I actually made a meal plan for the week.  Good grief.

Anyway, I assure you between all these fun & friendly meet-ups,  I was working hard – but sometimes – being in business does have its advantages.  Besides, these are the experiences that make me most grateful.  Whether it’s a good gluten-free cookie, a new film at a familiar old theatre, or catching up with friends, I hope you too will squeeze in as much fun as possible!  Go!  Enjoy!  Your “to do’s” can wait until later…

Hipstamatic photos taken AND downloaded by me!