One Bad @%$ September 25th day

I cannot believe what I am going to tell you about the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25th Anniversary - Saturday the 25th is going to be so busy and filled with so many exciting things to do, that right now you will have to take a deep breath, calm down and look at the next paragraph.

There are 4 separate events that you can get yourself busy with on Saturday, September 25th and the best thing is that you can in fact do ALL OF THEM!!! As you would suspect, since this is the 25th and this is our 25th anniversary, it just seems to make so much sense.

Event #1 - Shorts for the Shorties - is the best in new and classic cartoons and aimed for the kids to see at Roxy Theater on Brock Street. Bring your kids to see some great cartoons being played on the fabulous screens of the theater - and it starts at 9:30 am but the doors open at 9am for the best seats.

Event #2 - from 9:30am - 5pm, the downtown part of Uxbridge will be closed off so that the families in the area can truly enjoy art with all of their senses. The theme is The Senses: see, hear, smell, touch, taste and ??? the sixth sense. This is called 25 on 25 Street Party. All of the local merchants have worked together to open up the streets for over 25 different opportunities to experince art first hand. Of course there is no admission fee and goes all day.

Event #3 - Second Lunch Hour Concert at St. Andrew's Chalmers Presbyterian Church and featuring Welcome Back Students. This time we are welcoming back local youth who have moved onto university to study music/voice. We will hear the amazing voices of Meghan McKibbon, Travis Smalley and Christina Campsall. Accompanying all is the ever talented Jackie Crawford. This will be an exciting hour, where you can sit and relax and listen. Free Will offering is the cost.

Event #4 - Silver Gala - oh what a night this will be. The evening will be a reflection on the past and honouring those who have truly been pivotal for the Celebration - and then welcoming in something new in the way of the 25 Hour Masterpiece. The evening will start at 7:30pm at the Uxbridge Music Hall and tickets can be purchased for $25 at the door (if available) or at Presents, Presents and Blue Heron Books.

Performing for us again this year is the wonderfully talented Carol Gibson and electric Tom Baker and Friends. To start the program though is the world premiers of performance art in play, poetry, short story, video, comedy and music - all created just 25 hours before.

Okay everyone - let me hear an audible WOW!!!!!

Art shows for Young and Old

Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25 Anniversary is all about traditions and on of the constants and traditions would be the 14th Annual Juried Art Show and the Children's Art Show. These are both housed in the Uxbridge Township offices, and the Council Chambers is transformed into an art gallery for 6 days.

This is a long process for selecting the art that will be displayed and honoured AND then selections are made from our jurors and judges as to the BEST. They would have at least 80 pieces submitted for the Juried Art Show, and the Jurors are Maura Broadhurst, Curator of Latcham Art Gallery, Lee Petrie, Curator for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and Daniel Colby, local award winning artist.

For the Children's Art Show, the art will have been completed at the end of last school year and presented this year. It is wondrous to see the skill and talent of the youth in our community, and this is one way to showcase their talents.

Both of these shows start with a Opening reception on September 21st (tonight) at 7:30pm. They art will be on display from September 21 - September 26th from 10am - 6pm.

Please come to see the wonderful works and see the future of art in Uxbridge.

Ken Whiteley in concert - this Saturday

Every year during the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, there are many events happening, and things that could keep you busy almost every night for 10 days - but one of the most anticipated is the first Saturday night event. This year is no exception.

On Saturday September 18th, Ken Whiteley and his band will be blowing the doors off of the Uxbridge Music Hall with his rich background sound created by his incredible influences in blues, gospel and folk. The "One World Dance Concert" will start at 8pm and the tickets are $25. You can get the Tickets from Presents, Presents and Blue Heron Books and if you are lucky, there may be some at the door. There will be a cash bar.

Some background on Ken- he has played at virtually every major folk festival in Canada, and has performed and recorded with such legends as Pete Seeger, Blind John Davis, Stan Rogers, Raffi and more. He is also an active record producer having worked on more than 80 albums. And not just any albums - these have resulted in Ken being honoured with 11 Gold or Platinum Albums, 22 Juno nominations, 2 Juno awards and 2 Grammy nominations. That is some big load of awards.

Ken welcomes his full band including The Levy Singers (vocals), Joe Sealy (piano), Ben Whiteley (bass), Bucky Berger (drums), Colleen Allen (saxophones), and Ken himself on guitar and mondolin. This night promises to be electrifying.

Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts Lunch Hour Concerts

The Lunch Hour Concerts during every year's Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts has been happening ever since I can remember. I started going because I found it to be a very enjoyable distraction from my normal Saturday and it really did not take too much time out of my day.

And the tradition continues during this 25th Anniversary year.

Every Saturday from 12:30 - 1:30, performing artists are invited entertain the audience with songs, dances, drum beats, big band sounds, piano playing and more. This years performances are September 18th, September 25th and October 2nd held in the sanctuary of St. Andrews Chalmers Presbyterian Church on Toronto/Church Strs in Uxbridge.

For the first Saturday Lunch Hour concert is themed "World Music Hour" and featuring the sounds of the Shimoda Family on Japanese recorders as well as Susan Luke on her fiddle and she had invited some surprise guests to play with her.

If you have not had the chance to hear the haunting sounds of the wooden Japanese recorder, this is your chance. The Shimoda Family have performed during a Uxbridge Music Scholarship night as well as at the Foster Memorial. It is amazing to hear the different sounds of the multiple sized recorders - when I heard them, they played a wooden recorder that was 8ft tall and one that was 6 inches. AMAZING.

The second half of the Lunch Hour Concert will be listening to the toe tapping music of Susan Luke and friends on their fiddles. Susan is well known in Uxbridge as one half of the group Poor Tom, and she teaches not only in the public school system, but also teaches privately on the violin and fiddle. East coast here we come.

Please do come out and the cost for the hour is "free will offering" - whatever you can afford. An appreciative audience is what we want and need.

Uxbridge Studio Tour - Art at its best!

The Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25th Anniversary cascade of events, would not be what it is today without the fabulous event that happens right along with it. The 25th Annual Uxbridge Studio Tour will be happening on September 18th and 19th from 10am - 6pm.

Okay so think about this - you have the opportunity to see the artists location of creation - the pad of creativity, where it all happens; and of course meet the artist themselves. There are 25 artists studios on the tour this year, and many of those will also have guest artists with them. I believe if you are able to make it to all of the studios and meet all of the artists, you will speak to 50 artists. Yup, 50. That's alot of "Art Talk".

You can find all the information you want by going to www.uxbridgestudiotour.com. Read through it, ponder your strategy, and I dare you to fill those two days with nothing but the excitement of art and conversations with the artist themselves.

And it begins ..... Well soon!

I have not been as diligent as I promised myself that I would be with this blog - and the news of the Uxbridge township and the very full and exciting Arts events that happen around here. I am sorry - life just seemed to get in the way - BUT whether life got in the way or not - the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25th Anniversary year is quickly approaching.

The Celebrations start on Sept 16th and then don't end until October 9th. REALLY!!!

That does NOT mean that every day there is something, but for all of that time, there will be well over 14 different events that you can attend. One day - oddly enough, on the 25th, you can fit in 3 different activities.

Let me again highlight the kickoff event for the Celebration - on September 16th at Uxbridge Music Hall, Motley Theatre will present a play reading. Starts at 8pm and the tickets are $20 (which includes refreshments and a cash bar) and you can get the tickets from Presents, Presents and Blue Heron Books. There will be tickets at the door if there are any left (and it has been known to sell out).

Don't forget to pick up your Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts full program at many places around Uxbridge and it was also sent in the local papers. See you there - and then at another event, and at another event and so on and so on and so on!!

Audible WOW.

Uxbridge Unplugged - yes another new event

As I have been sharing with you, all of you wonderful people of the world, and my very dedicated 5 followers, Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, 25th Anniversary, has been coming up with some of the most exciting, exhilarating, entertaining and, well just darn fabulous new events. Another is Uxbridge Unplugged.

On Friday, September 24th at 8:30 pm at the Uxbridge Music Hall, 4 very accomplished singers from the area - four very different style- will share their passion of music in one evening.

Not only are you going to hear their beautiful voices and haunting melodies, but you will hear from each of them the "Why" and "Where".

Tamara Williamson has toured and recorded in Canada and Europe and has been dubbed the "Godmother of Indie" for her very independent sound within her 5 albums. Having shared the stage with artists such as Feist, Oasis and Rheostatics, she will fill the stage on her own.

Carlie Laidlaw, who is an established Uxbridge vocalist, lead in a number of bands and heard at events such as the Royal Winter Fair. You can hear her on the recently released "Hummingbird" project, a CD of local original music.

Bringing along her country/rock attitude and voice, is Leah Daniels. Born and raised in Uxbridge, she has very recently spread her wings to Vancouver, opening for Johnny Reid at the 2010 Olympics, as well as a writing trip to Nashville.

Whitney Ross-Barris is an emerging solo artist on the Toronto Jazz scene, as well as a professional actor for over 11 years. Her performances have taken her all over Canada, the US and to Europe. We are thrilled that she will stop and be with us.

TO TOP IT ALL OFF - the evening will be hosted by Neil Crone and with that will come its own form of entertainment and excitement.

Doors will open at 8pm and the tickets are $15. Cash Bar. Tickets can be found at Presents, Presents; Blue Heron Books or at the door if available.