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Hot off the Photographic Presses: The InFocus Edmonton Call for Submissions!
On October 1st we launched the Call for Submissions for InFocus Edmonton, or InFocus YEG for short. The submission deadline is November 30, but with Thanksgiving and Halloween in between, the time will slip away quickly. Rummage through your negatives or digital files to find your best images and submit them here!
InFocus YEG strives to exhibit the amazing local talent of Edmonton and area at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre during the month of February 2015 as a part of Exposure Photography Festival. This is the first year that Exposure is province wide and the first time ever Edmonton is included in the creative festivities.
InFocus is an amazing opportunity to exhibit your work in a professional space with province-wide recognition. Plus, we are going to have a rockin’ reception party with a chance to celebrate the photographers that make our city and area distinct.
As a special incentive to enter early, the photograph for the magazine-style Exposure Photography Festival catalogue will be chosen from the images submitted before October 24, 2014! This is a huge opportunity to have your work seen across the province – and likely the country! Don’t wait to submit!
To learn more about InFocus YEG and how to enter your photos, click here.
Shortlisted for a Yeggie!
Is being nominated for a Yeggie like an Oscar or Grammy nomination? Well in the case of Edmonton new media – a Yeggie’s where it’s at.
I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who nominated my blog writing for a Yeggie. My blog, Wanted, Chosen, Planned – Life after the Loss of a Child, made the shortlist for the category Best in Family & Parenting.
First of all I want to say that writing about my late son Zachary and our family’s journey after his death is more than an honor. Wanted, Chosen, Planned is dedicated to Zachary and I am so thankful that the legacy of his short life is that I may encourage and support others who have also lost a child. It is truly the greatest gift Zachary could have ever given me – apart from his life. I miss him daily but am glad to be making a difference. That part makes me smile.
The category description: The Best in Family or Parenting award is given to those who share insights into their own families or family in general online. They may call themselves Mommy Bloggers or Daddy Bloggers (though of course these categories are medium agnostic). Regardless of self-applied labels, they let us into their homes, and allow us to get to know their families — and perhaps even our own — through storytelling.
No word yet on the date of the awards night, but I’m sure it will be quite a party.
Art Market in ‘da House, Harcourt House
I cannot tell you how much I love my wonderful art patrons. You buy my work, attend my openings and generally cheer me on. Thank you!
This Saturday I will be exhibiting some never before seen artwork I created while I lived in New Zealand. I’ve got paintings made with the very sand and sea shells of the Eastern Beach where my hubby and I took up residence for two years. The work is colorful, textural and ready to be adopted into good homes.
I’m also offering some newer works and even showing a sneak peak piece from my upcoming solo exhibition entitled “The Quiet Rebuild” which will adorn the main gallery of Harcourt in a solo exhibition in October of this year.
For some art is a hobby. As a professional artist, the boundary between hobby and work often overlap and blur. But that’s fine with me. One of my newest hobbies, candle making, will debut at the Harcourt Art Market and I’m thrilled. If you are looking for a handmade gift with a creative twist, these candles are for you! Vintage meets chic style – but that’s all I will say for now. Come and see for yourself.
Art Market
An art and design show and sale
Saturday, May 25th, 2013
1:00 – 7:00pm
Harcourt House Gallery
10215-112 Street
Entry by donation
Save the Date for an Art Market Extravaganza
One week from now a select number of Edmonton’s fine artists will gather to exhibit their work at Harcourt House Gallery and Artist Run Centre. As the gallery’s Artist in Residence, I’m proud to be taking part in this creative endeavor, which serves as a fundraiser for this awesome local gallery and creative hub in our city.
Speaking of the important role Harcourt plays, and this impact extends well beyond only our art community, this Market and festivities mark the 25th anniversary of Harcourt in Edmonton. Be there to be part of this special event. Save the date!
Art Market – An art and design show and sale
Saturday, May 25th, 2013
1:00 – 7:00pm
Harcourt House Gallery
10215-112 Street
Entry by donation
Evening event – $5 at the door
8:00 – 10:00pm
Annex Building
10211-112 Street
– A multimedia retrospective with Absolutely No Respect, Plan 9 From Outer Space
– Music by Wind Rose AKA Gary James Joynes, Bong Sample AKA Peter Thiessen, Reinhard Von Berg, Allison Balcetis & F13m
Wanted, Chosen, Planned Nominated for a Yeggie
It is with much excitement that I announce that my blog, Wanted, Chosen, Planned, has been nominated for a Yeggie, Edmonton’s New Media Award.
The Yeggies honors local content creators and social media mavens in our city. We have an abundance of talent in Edmonton and I am thrilled to be counted amongst many greats! Wanted, Chosen, Planned is a blog where I write about “Life After the Loss of a Child” and strive to encourage those whose baby is taken too soon. Through heartfelt posts from my personal experience I reach out to those suffering from loss due to miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS and early infant loss. My son Zachary died in 2010 from a cardiac tumor and since then I have been experimenting with this strange thing called “grief” and it’s associate, “healing.”
Wanted, Chosen, Planned is one of six blogs in the “Best in Family or Parenting” category.
The awards will be given out at a happening event on May 4, 2013 at the Shaw Conference Centre, Salon 11/12 (7:30pm), hosted by Trent Wilkie. Buy tickets online!
Art Donation for YESS Edmonton
It was my pleasure to donate a piece of my artwork for Rock ‘n’ Robes, a fundraiser for YESS Edmonton. YESS, Youth Empowerment and Support Services, is a quintessential not-for-profit in Edmonton which is “unconditionally devoted to helping youth facing difficult realities.”
I had the pleasure of interacting with Katie Clackson who is one of the fundraiser organizers. She sold me on the event describing it as: Rock ‘n’ Robes is a battle of the bands event in which a number of musically talented lawyers and judges will be performing for their colleagues and other members of the Edmonton community.
How fun is that! What a creative idea to bring people together to raise funds for a great cause!
YESS is a great cause, but over the years they have experienced significant difficulty reaching their funding goals. I have tweeted often in support for YESS, circulating a request for help letter they put out to the media and community not long ago.
Please visit the YESS website to learn about donating, or if you are able please get involved.
Our community can be strong and healthy when we commit ourselves to do good.
Photoshop Workshop at Harcourt House
Want to crack open the creative possibilities of Photoshop? Have you ever wondered how Photoshop can make your photographs and artwork even better but don’t know where to begin?
Look no further! I will be teaching a Beginners Photoshop Workshop at Harcourt House!
Details:
Saturday, February 16 & Sunday, February 17, 2013
10am – 3pm (Bring your own lunch and snacks)
Cost: $110 ($80 Harcourt House members – if you are not a member, please consider joining!)
Individual students must bring their own laptop with the newest version of Photoshop installed. Please also have at least 5 images of people and 5 non-people images to edit.
Learn how to make your good photos great through many awesome Photoshop techniques. Want to remove a zit? Brighten a dark photo? Make your image look vintage? We will be covering spot removal, how to adjust exposure, create interesting black & white images, and how to harness the power of Photoshop filters.
Saturday: Editing images of people
Sunday: Editing images without people
There is limited space in the class so register early by calling (780) 426-4180! It is going to be a great weekend of creative play and guided experimentation with results you will be excited about.
The class will be taking place in the Annex, the one story metal building beside the Harcourt House gallery.
Register today!
Photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Harcourt House
10215 112 Street Northwest
Edmonton, AB T5K 1M7
Find a map here.
(780) 426-4180
I Eat at Vi’s for Pies after Gallery Openings
This is not a shameless plug – I am not even getting paid (but maybe I should…). I just wanted to share with the world (and specifically Edmonton #yeg) my love and appreciation for Vi’s for Pies.
Vi’s for Pies is a little café style joint I learned about through friends. We went to a Harcourt House gallery opening in October and then chose Vi’s for desert afterwards. I immediately fell in love with their cozy atmosphere and their chocolate caramel cake (triple yum!).
Harcourt House has an opening tomorrow, Thursday December 6. Come here artist’s Marie De Sousa talk about her show “In Material” at 7pm and Corey Hardeman discusses his work “Rooted” at 7:30. Opening reception 8-10pm. THEN, join me at Vi’s for Pies!
Vi’s for Pies13408 Stony Plain Rd NW (780) 454-4300
Hours:
Tue-Thu 9 am – 10 pm
Fri 9 am – 11 pm
Sat 10 am – 11 pm
Sun 10 am – 4 pm
Harcourt House
10215 112 Street Northwest
Edmonton, AB T5K 1M7
(780) 426-4180
Moving into Harcourt House, Artist in Residence Studio
It has been a few weeks since I moved in to my studio at Harcourt House where I will be creating art for the next year.
My hubby carrying in our baby play pen for my very young art collaborator.
Moving day:
My husband’s vehicle was full of log stumps and a love seat given to me by a sweet friend (the couch for sitting, the stumps for art projects). I had bags of random supplies, wood glue, paint brushes, and sketch and inspiration books that I hauled in while wearing my newborn in the baby backpack. My three year old said she was going to help, but only managed to bounce around the room with excited energy.
I inherited some furniture.
“Mommy’s studio!” she screamed and I was thankful someone really understood how exciting this opportunity is for me. I so love my jubilant girl.
My family.
I unlocked the wooden door and walked in, took a deep breath and saw beyond the white washed walls to my vision of the art that rumbles deep within me.
“It is beginning,” I thought to myself and I couldn’t help but smile.
The history of previous tenants.
Since November 1st:
Harcourt House’s Artist in Residence position has been the longtime fulfillment of a dream I’ve cherished since a child; the passion for my art growing into something larger than myself in an environment of inspiration.
So far I have a handful of works in progress – all wood based and in keeping with my theme of re-growth and rebirth, the starting over that many of us must begin in the face of life’s sometimes unfortunate circumstances. For me, it was the death of my son. For you – I would like to hear what challenges you have battled to overcome.
Encouragement written on the wall above my door.
I found my voice through creating art after my loss and my work, though not specifically about my story, is a picture of the resilience and determination that is required if we are going to make our lives the brilliant creations that they are capable of becoming.
I will be taking some photos of my works in progress and will share where I am at throughout the year here on my blog. Subscribe to receive my posts via email. Keep in touch! I’d love to hear from you!
This is where I’ll be.
