OnStage Uxbridge - That Summer

I know that everyone has been waiting for the last in the series of 4 shows from OnStage Uxbridge, and the wait is over - That Summer is going to be on stage and ready to entertain you on April 9 - 10 and 15 - 17. It will be held at the Uxbridge Music Hall and the tickets can be purchased online on OnStage Uxbridge website or by visiting Brock Street Music/Blue Heron Books.

That Summer is written by Canadian David French and tells a story of Margaret Ryan who returns with her grand-daughter to a lakeside Ontario cottage where 32 years before, she was FORCED to spend a summer with her sister. It was a time of discovery, awakening and tragedy and you will learn how it influenced Margaret for the rest of her life.

It is certainly worth seeing some well known and seldom seen Uxbridge actors bring the story to life for you.

The David Festival in Port Perry

I know that you will forgive me for advising you about a very exciting event happening in the community next to Uxbridge - Port Perry, when you hear how wonderful the "David Festival" will contribute to the arts and learning.

The David Festival will be offered on Saturday, March 27th and there are different opportunities to be involved - choral music, children's choral music and poetry. This is the second year of this festival, and recently it was written - "The vision of the Festival is to encourage, enable, engage and equip folks to glorify God through music and the arts among and through the churches of Scugog."

The day starts with D.S. Martin, an award-winning Canadian poet, will lead the Saturday morning poetry workshop, being held at the Anglican Church of the Ascension from
10 a.m. - 12 noon.

Also happening in the morning, a children's choral workshop will be held at St. John's Presbyterian church led by well known and respected director, festival adjudicator, vocalist, composer; Mark Ruhnke. Mark will then lead the adult choral workshop in the afternoon at the Port Perry United Church. Mark will take the group (reported to already be over 100) through a number of pieces including one that he will have composed for this weekend.

Now if you can't join in on the workshop, you are invited to see the wondrous results of all of these workshops by listening to the mass choir of over 120 voices, at 7pm on Sunday March 28th at Port Perry United Church.

This is the ultimate opportunity to breath the art that you love, and to be able to learn from some individuals who not only love art - but live it.

How do you celebrate a 25th Anniversary?

Well this isn't a celebration of an anniversary for a couple, or a person, it is for the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts. Yup, that's right 25 years.

There are some very interesting stories around how it started (I don't know them but if you know the people around it, there MUST be), the amazing acts, performances, shows that were seen over 24 years, AND some mind boggling things that will be happening this September 2010 - to celebrate 25 years.

We are not going to extend the celebration, it will still be run over 2 weekends - so 2 1/2 weeks.

We will not be increasing prices to cover the multitude of events and things we are putting together - actually, there will be more FREE things happening than ever before.

We will not expect just certain type of arts lovers to be happy with what we are presenting - there will be SO MANY things, you will have a hard time picking.

Look for some new adventures (not yet confirmed but considering) - a night that will highlight the local young talent in the area - a photography exhibit - a "25 Hour" creation project - HUGE street party - children focused events - and that's all I can say or I will be letting too many cats out of too many bags.

Watch for more information as it comes to me. September can't come soon enough for me, that is for sure.

I just bought myself a piece of art!!!

Talking about all things art - which this blog does if you haven't already noticed, is the fact that I have purchased myself a wonderful piece of art for my birthday. I am thrilled. My parents-in-law sent me some money for my birthday, and as usual, they were very generous, and so I thought - "ohhhh, what can I get for myself?" I could always go to jewellery, clothes, shoes, chocolate (yup I did think to buy that much chocolate), and then realized what I really wanted was a wonderful piece of art from someone that I admire very much - Wynn Walters.

For those who don't know Wynn, he is a very active and long standing artist in the Uxbridge community, and has a wonderful reputation for beautiful sculptures. Some in stone, from wood, from plaster, from bronze - just so much. He is part of just about every community enhancing and improvement group in Uxbridge, along with his wife Mary Margaret, Uxbridge Trails committee, Uxbridge revitalization committee, Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, singing groups and as always, will be featured on the Uxbridge Studio Tour and involved in the Uxbridge Celebration's Sculptures Symposium. MMMMM, not sure how he will have time to get my piece done, but he promised that he would.

I am just ecstatic to be having a piece of a Wynn Walters art in my home, and if nothing else - IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!!

New club in Uxbridge? not that kind of club!

I recently found out, and I thought I knew so much about my town, that there is a place where youth (and youth at heart) can go and see local bands, and invited bands. It is a controlled, safe environment for the youth of Uxbridge to hang out and well, not get into trouble.

This place is Club U and it is located at 69 Brock St. W. NOW WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Part of it is that this is not my kind of place I guess, and if anyone saw me in there, they would think that I was coming to pick up my grandchild, or trying very hard to relive my youth. Also, I have not been to a dance/club/rock concert in way too many years, and no comments from the peanut gallery on that one.

Some of the great talent (both local and not) that has played there is BETA PORN, Deadwalk, Shut Eyes, conquered Ground, Denied Existence and more. Club U has also offered special feature nights like Retro Night and Beatles night, and often the events are all ages.

The next event is featuring Part 2 - STEREOS Robb Chalifoux DJ DANCE PARTY. And I am sure it will be amazing. Good things happening in Uxbridge around arts and yes this too is ART. It is great that there is a place where the youth can go and find their Art.