Writing Love Letters to Art and Artists
The love letter is a form that can go far beyond a profession of romance for one’s paramour.
As writers in the Downtown Eastside, an area in Canada with one of the highest per capita rates of artists, we are inspired by the people around us. In honour of World Community Arts day we’ll be writing Valentines to the artists and arts organizations who help us makes sense of the world.
Perhaps your letter is to Mozart, Hemingway, or someone currently working in the neighbourhood such as muralist Richard Tetrault. Maybe you want to write to the busker at the bus stop or an arts organization that has made a difference to you.
We’ll be discussing love letters on Feb 9 and Feb 16 and the many different ways of letting someone know they have affected you. After class on Feb 16 you will have the opportunity to craft your work into a colourful, hand decorated valentine. We’ll also be creating and signing collage cards for members of the DTES arts community who have made a difference to our creative lives.
This initiative is part of a Community Arts Council Vancouver celebration called, “ART AS A CATALYST FOR CARING AND SHARING.”
Below are the details of all the events planned, of which Thursdays Writing Collective is just one small part.
“ART AS A CATALYST FOR CARING AND SHARING”
February 17, 2012
SHARE THE LOVE on World Community Arts Day
Send some love to the community artists who make our city a better place.
“A sweet project,” is how Rika Uto, Arts and Education programmer at Carnegie Centre responded when I asked about having space there! (and she said yes, enthusiastically).
Volunteers Needed: Now I’m looking for 3-5 volunteers to collect materials, attend one or more of the sessions to help people sign, collage, write, cards for community artists, particularly in the Downtown Eastside, many of whom are our partners or contractors for our projects. We want at least two people at each date. Then we need 2-3 to be at the finale signing session on World Community Arts Day at Carnegie on Friday, February 17. This will include set up and cleanup – which will include organizing delivery or pick-up of the cards.
Our CACV intern Elena Garcia-Escudero from Madrid, Spain, will be involved in helping coordinating.
Preparation: Come to the Woodward’s building on Saturday, February 11 from 11am to 1pm to cut out recycled materials and start the cards. We’ll provide some materials and supplies, but if you have extra magazines and calendars, scissors, glue, red, white or silver pencils, markers, paints, bring them along with any precious bits (beads, foil, stamps and stamp pads) or bring nothing except your enthusiasm. (time to be confirmed depending on people’s interest) – We’ll compile materials for three sessions and may start some collaged cards for people to add to.
BACKGROUND AND INVITATION
Six years ago, in 2007, Andrew Crummy in Scotland decided there should be a World Community Arts Day and he simply proclaimed it! What a cool thing to do. Since then it’s grown and has been expanding. For CACV, we have mentioned it in our e-newsletter each year but haven’t done an event YET! I saw on the Neighbourhood Arts Network in Toronto that last year they did “Love Letters to Community Art”. They’ve posted lots of photos and I thought: we could do that! Here’s the link to their site http://www.neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org/ and the blog post with photos at: http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-i
Some ways for anyone to be part of World Community Arts Day online http://worldcommunityartsday.com/
You can join the World Community Arts 17 02 12 Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/18218341148/
You can send a note on http://communityarts.ning.com
Or perhaps you agree with artist and author Douglas Coupland that, “People want experiences that can’t be downloaded.” He was speaking at the Cities Summit conference last week in Vancouver.
In that case, we invite you to show up to write a “love letter” to Vancouver community artists. We’ll provide materials for collaging cards and writing poetry on the cards at several times. At each group, participants will be invited to suggest people to receive a card for their work in community arts. Then on February 17, you can come to the 3rd Floor Gallery at Carnegie Centre and sign the cards
Here are three DTES opportunities where people will be invited to add their words – and art to the cards — that are started:
*Saturday February 11 2-4:30pm W2 Media Café (with the Intrepid Pens group – private)
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-i
*Thursday, February 16 4-5:30pm Carnegie Centre (after the Thursdays Writing Collective) –open to others
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-ii
*Friday, February 17 – Come and sign the cards in the 3rd floor Gallery, Carnegie Centre. 12-2pm (time to be confirmed.)
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-finale
*These are both scheduled to follow or be part of a writing group, hoping that some of the members will want to join us and write their poems about community+art on cards.
We plan to make between 10 and 20 cards and invite DTES residents to generate the list of people to receive cards. The cards will be made on 9×12 card stock with a collage on one side and text written in ink on top of the collage and then signatures and notes on the back.
The cards will either be left at the Info Desk at Carnegie for pickup, delivered or mailed to the recipients.
Interested in being part of this “sweet project”?
Let me know your availability and which parts interest you the most, and we’ll build up the team to Share the Love on World Community Arts Day.
Mary Bennett, Community Arts Council of Vancouver mary@cacv.ca 604-682-0010
This week and next (Feb 9 and 16, 2012) we will be writing love letters to art and the artists who have moved us with their work. Maybe it is Mozart or Vancouver poet laureate Evelyn Lau who has affected you. Or muralist Richard Tetrault or the busker on the corner who makes you smile as you wait for the bus. Which DTES community arts program makes your heart swell?
Below is more info on the plan, as coordinated by Community Arts Council Vancouver – who deserve their own bushel of letters for all the support they give to artists in the DTES.
Community Arts Council of Vancouver
Invites you to celebrate
World Community Arts Day
” ART AS A CATALYST FOR CARING AND SHARING”
February 17, 2012
SHARE THE LOVE on World Community Arts Day
Send some love to the community artists who make our city a better place.
“A sweet project,” is how Rika Uto, Arts and Education programmer at Carnegie Centre responded when I asked about having space there! (and she said yes, enthusiastically).
Volunteers Needed: Now I’m looking for 3-5 volunteers to collect materials, attend one or more of the sessions to help people sign, collage, write, cards for community artists, particularly in the Downtown Eastside, many of whom are our partners or contractors for our projects. We want at least two people at each date. Then we need 2-3 to be at the finale signing session on World Community Arts Day at Carnegie on Friday, February 17. This will include set up and cleanup – which will include organizing delivery or pick-up of the cards.
Our CACV intern Elena Garcia-Escudero from Madrid, Spain, will be involved in helping coordinating.
Preparation: Come to the Woodward’s building on Saturday, February 11 from 11am to 1pm to cut out recycled materials and start the cards. We’ll provide some materials and supplies, but if you have extra magazines and calendars, scissors, glue, red, white or silver pencils, markers, paints, bring them along with any precious bits (beads, foil, stamps and stamp pads) or bring nothing except your enthusiasm. (time to be confirmed depending on people’s interest) – We’ll compile materials for three sessions and may start some collaged cards for people to add to.
BACKGROUND AND INVITATION
Six years ago, in 2007, Andrew Crummy in Scotland decided there should be a World Community Arts Day and he simply proclaimed it! What a cool thing to do. Since then it’s grown and has been expanding. For CACV, we have mentioned it in our e-newsletter each year but haven’t done an event YET! I saw on the Neighbourhood Arts Network in Toronto that last year they did “Love Letters to Community Art”. They’ve posted lots of photos and I thought: we could do that! Here’s the link to their site http://www.neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org/ and the blog post with photos at: http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-i
Some ways for anyone to be part of World Community Arts Day online http://worldcommunityartsday.com/
You can join the World Community Arts 17 02 12 Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/18218341148/
You can send a note on http://communityarts.ning.com
Or perhaps you agree with artist and author Douglas Coupland that, “People want experiences that can’t be downloaded.” He was speaking at the Cities Summit conference last week in Vancouver.
In that case, we invite you to show up to write a “love letter” to Vancouver community artists. We’ll provide materials for collaging cards and writing poetry on the cards at several times. . At each group, participants will be invited to suggest people to receive a card for their work in community arts. Then on February 17, you can come to the 3rd Floor Gallery at Carnegie Centre and sign the cards
Here are three DTES opportunities where people will be invited to add their words – and art to the cards — that are started:
*Saturday February 11 2-4:30pm W2 Media Café (with the Intrepid Pens group – private)
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-i
*Thursday, February 16 4-5:30pm Carnegie Centre (after the Thursdays Writing Collective) –open to others
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-ii
Friday, February 17 – Come and sign the cards in the 3rd floor Gallery, Carnegie Centre. 12-2pm (time to be confirmed.)
http://communityarts.ning.com/events/share-the-love-finale
*These are both scheduled to follow or be part of a writing group, hoping that some of the members will want to join us and write their poems about community+art on cards.
We plan to make between 10 and 20 cards and invite DTES residents to generate the list of people to receive cards. The cards will be made on 9×12 card stock with a collage on one side and text written in ink on top of the collage and then signatures and notes on the back.
The cards will either be left at the Info Desk at Carnegie for pickup, delivered or mailed to the recipients.
Interested in being part of this “sweet project”?
Let me know your availability and which parts interest you the most, and we’ll build up the team to Share the Love on World Community Arts Day.
Mary Bennett, Community Arts Council of Vancouver mary@cacv.ca 604-682-0010
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