Where else can you learn to Mongolian throat sing, enjoy some home cooking by local favorites Peppercorn & Co, DJ’s Kitchen, Jonnies Sticky Buns and The Sleepy Owl Bakery and express your love for your mom with a hand made gift by a local artisan.
Make a date this Fri. May 8 and Sat. May 9 for a family visit to one of Winnipeg’s favorite community art shows, Wolseley’s envision Festival of the Arts.
The visionary behind this growing annual art festival is local Wolseley resident Jim Palmquist.
“Envision is a festival that celebrates the huge amount of artistic talent that lives and works in our Wolseley-West Broadway community,” says Palmquist. “The festival showcases all forms of the arts; visual, literary, film and performing. We encourage all levels of artistic endeavour; professional, aspiring, young and not as young, to show our community and the rest of Winnipeg what you are doing with your talent.”
Have you ever heard of Mongolioan throat singing? Have you ever wanted to learn? This years festival is extra special with new, free one-hour workshops by local creatives such as Nathan Rogers who will demonstrate a vocalization that allows a person to sing two or more notes simultaneously.
Using a method of muscular constriction, one creates tones that would otherwise be unsingable. These are used to create whistling melodies or crackling, rasping overtones. The sound resembles a Didjeridoo or a wood flute. Rogers will also be singing on stage Sat. May 9 at 1 pm, and a must see.
This year attracts local visual artists such as paintings by Winnipeg favorites Dodie Mitchell, Bonnie Wallace, John Izzard, Cynthia McGregor, Richelle Burchill, Jola Liebzeit, Jo’Anne Kelly, Kathleen Black, Gabriela Aguero and her students, Dave Horton, Jamie Vann, Bryan Sullivan, Alice Crawford, Rosella Farmer, Charlie Pyle and others.
Photography is also a popular art form at this festival which features the work of some great local photographers, such as brilliant photos by Community News Commons citizen journalist Doug Kretchmer, Tyrrell Mendis, Joe Oczerklewicz, Maureen Miller and Marie LeBlanc (a CNC contributor as well).
To entertain visitors at the show be sure to check out some live performance artists and mucisians such as Nathan Rogers, Mulvey School Choir, Marc Girardin , Robbie Harper, Skye McLean, River & Stephen, Twin, John Wilson, and Winnipeg Conservatory of Music.
Promising to be a fan favorite is the belly dancing performances, featuring three distinctly different troupes and a soloist dancing for the deaf. Illuminari/Sundara Gita Tribal Belly Dancers perform at 7:30 p.m. on May 8. Turkish Taffy Belly Dancers are featured at 3:30 p.m. on May 9; Prairie Caravan Tribal Belly Dancers take to the stage at 12 noon on May 9; and Iris Perchaluk – Artistic Sign Language Dancer is at 4:30 p.m. on May 9 (outside).
Looking for that perfect gift for Mom? This year you may find it courtesy of local Winnipeg artisans with a wide range of unique hand crafted items for sale that will delight even the most discriminating mother. This is the place to purchase one of a kind gifts for many occasions, and not just for Mother’s Day, which of course is coming up on Sun. May 10.
Other notable vendors at this year’s Wolseley’s envision Festival of the Arts, include:
Aeliosdesign– hand made jewelry
BD Cain – tye dye wonders including hangings and huge windsocks
Dave Pruden – fantasy drawings, pen & ink drawings for your home, photographs
Joe Oczerklewicz – unique photographs from around town
Jenn Jacques – art cards
Krista Reid – Sterling silver jewelry
And on Saturday somewhere outside of the Centre look for the following artistic pieces:
Moneca Sinclaire will have a display of her windmills made from old bike wheels, and her Woven Bicycle Wheels, while Cain Hashimoto will have his glorious tye dyed wind socks.
A “Do you know your Wolseley” contest is asking contestants to send in their guesses until May 18, and the first correct entry wins a prize. (All photos in the game poster were taken by Doug Kretchmer.
Envision 2015 runs May 8 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on May 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at RA Steen Community Centre, 980 Palmerston Ave. It’s an opportunity to see the work of, and meet some wonderfully talented people living right here in our community.
Become inspired!! You can still volunteer by contacting Jim at envisionfestival@gmailcom