Author Archive: Genevieve Allen Hearn

Erin Patterson Here in this beloved Annapolis Valley, as elsewhere, we are facing many challenges. The climate emergency threatens our coastlines, our food security, and our children’s futures. Our healthcare and education systems, despite the selfless and often thankless efforts of their workers, are overburdened and under-resourced. The inflated housing market has put homeownership out of reach for many Nova Scotians and has put pressure and hardship on renters. The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated societal inequities, caused an increase in physical and mental health issues, and burdened the economy. In such a context, the arts and culture sector is…
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Exploring Pop Culture Desires Through a Byzantine Lens

Ottawa-based artist Adrian Gor’s exhibition at ARTSPLACE Gallery Annapolis Royal is by turns shocking, amusing, and insightful.Submitted In Performers in New Old Historical Landscapes, Gor upends figures of cultural, political, and religious influences from ancient to present times through lino-cut prints and mixed-media paintings in an unexpected play of medieval-inspired themes and pop art inspiration in images that include drones and shopping carts. A part-time faculty member at Concordia University in Montreal and a studio and art history instructor at Ottawa School of Art in Ottawa, Gor’s teaching and artistic research encompass theoretical and practical aspects of Byzantine Art in…
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Deep Roots Announces 2021 Festival Weekend to Be Held at Grand-Pré

Submitted The Deep Roots Music Cooperative is planning a weekend of five concerts September 24-26 in the gorgeous UNESCO Landscape of Grand-Pré. They will create a magical performance space on the grounds of the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, formed by three interlocking Nordic Kata tipis. The music begins Friday, September 24 at 7:00pm with the soulful sounds of Ian Janes, Owen ‘O’Sound’ Lee, as well as folk-pop sensation, Gabrielle Papillon. Saturday afternoon features Jennah Barry, Mary Beth Carty, and local favourites The Hupman Brothers. Saturday night showcases J.P. Cormier, Daniel James McFadyen, and rising Mi’kmaq star, Morgan Toney & Keith…
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Listen

I KNOW A PLACE

Ron Lightburn Moonlight Grove Coldbrook thelightburns.com Ron Lightburn’s art cards are now available at locations throughout the Annapolis Valley: R.D. Chisholm and the Kings County Museum in Kentville; The Port Pub and Sea Level Brewing in Port Williams; Bent Ridge Winery in Windsor, Wheaton’s in Berwick, Henny Penny’s Farm Market and Saunders Tartans & Gifts in New Minas, and Endless Shores Books in Bridgetown.

Remembering Alex Colville

Anna Horsnell Alex Colville was born on August 24, 1920. He passed away in 2013. His was a long and storied life in the world of visual art, a master artist distinguished by the exacting realism of his paintings as well as the consistent subject matter. His art was easily accessible and yet often endued with a question or unsettling juxtaposition. Now, as then, Colville is one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. Innumerable essays, articles, and books have been written about Colville and his work, his years as a war artist, his time at Mount Allison University in Sackville, and…
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Local Grad Wins 2021 Watson Kirkconnell History Prize

Beverly Boyd, Wolfville Historical Society “When you study history, you figure out how the world has shaped into what it is today,” says recent Horton High School graduate Yarrow Bedwin, who recently won the Wolfville Historical Society’s Watson Kirkconnell History Prize.Yarrow, who plans to pursue a degree in economics at Dalhousie University this fall, adds, “I enjoy learning about everything.” He credits history teacher Brad Richard for bringing the past to life through active class discussions. “I was one of the most vocal in that class, and I intend to include history courses at Dal as well!” Graduating with an…
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CentreStage: My Ten Year Anniversary!

CentreStage: My Ten Year Anniversary!Mike Butler 2021 marks my ten-year anniversary being involved with CentreStage Theatre. It’s hard to believe how fast these years went by. It’s also hard to believe how much theatre I’ve done with (and outside of) CentreStage Theatre. Seventy-five shows in 11 years (including the pandemic times), is something I am very proud of. So many friendships, working relationships, connections, challenges, and the chance to work the memory, get creative and have an outlet to be a bunch of nutty enduring characters has made my time on stage with CentreStage so enjoyable. I’ve been an actor,…
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Getting Everyone on Board: Addressing the Housing Crisis

Russ Sanche, Portal Youth Outreach Association The intention of this article is to help the community at large see a way forward through this housing crisis. There are several key pieces, including prevention, community capacity, and housing. This comes from a place of deep gratitude for the work that has already been done, the community support, and collaboration that has allowed such great progress in the last few years. PreventionThe next critical step for ending homelessness across the Annapolis Valley is to get everyone on board. We must shift our thinking from emergency or crisis response. This is challenging during…
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What’s Growing: The Art of Herbarium Specimens

By Sarah Hines Acadia has a long history of preserving plant specimens in a way that is both artistic and scientific. The herbarium on campus has been in existence since 1910 and is alive and well today thanks to a multitude of students, staff, faculty, and volunteers over the years. The E.C. Smith Herbarium and Irving Biodiversity Collection add hundreds of new specimens to their collection each year. The specimens are gathered in the field, identified, preserved for long-term storage, and entered into an online database. Preserving plant specimens is an art that requires a lot of patience. Jean Timpa…
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Light in the Piazza to Welcome Audiences to Al Whittle Theatre

Wendy Elliott The first live piece of drama that will return audiences to the Al Whittle Theatre in late August is called Light in the Piazza. The musical, first staged in 2004, is based on a 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, which was published in The New Yorker. The story, set in the 1950s, follows a North Carolina mother on a grand Italian tour with her daughter, Clara, 26. A young Italian man, Fabrizio becomes enamored with Clara, which presents her mama, whose own marriage has failed emotionally, with a dilemma. Clara, we come to see, has suffered trauma in…
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