Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 90
August 4, 2016
Germany gains 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site - Le Corbusier houses in Stuttgart
From a media release:
Germany gains 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO title for Le Corbusier houses in Stuttgart
Toronto, August 4, 2016 – On July 17, 2016, the two Le Corbusier houses at the Weissenhof Estate in the Southern German city of Stuttgart were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it the first World Heritage Site for Stuttgart and the 41st for Germany.
Stuttgart, Weißenhofsiedlung, Haus Le Corbusier Photo: Andreas PraefckeAs part of a transnational joint application, Stuttgart and destinations in seven other countries applied to have 17 of Le Corbusier’s buildings listed due to the architect's outstanding contribution to Modernism. The two Stuttgart houses are the Swiss architect’s only buildings in Germany and include
Stairway, Le Corbusier house Stuttgartthe Weissenhof Museum, which illustrates the radical change in architecture around the time of the Second World War as well as Le Corbusier’s visionary thinking.
Known as Houses 14 and 15, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret designed the two-family building in 1927. It is one of the earliest examples that follow the so-called "Five Points of a New Architecture".
The striking white building is located in a suburb of Stuttgart in the Weissenhof-Siedlung (Weissenhof Estate), an experimental housing development and exposition of Modern architecture.
Germany’s other 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the majestic Cologne Cathedral, the expansive Wadden Sea habitat, Classical Weimar and Regensburg’s charming Old Town. They can be explored on eight different themed routes , from natural wonders to architecture to palaces and parks.
For more information about Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, visit www.germany.travel/unesco.
Roof, Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, Germany by Le CorbusierImages of stairway and roof of the Weissenhof Estate, Stuttgart by Runner1928
Germany gains 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO title for Le Corbusier houses in Stuttgart
Toronto, August 4, 2016 – On July 17, 2016, the two Le Corbusier houses at the Weissenhof Estate in the Southern German city of Stuttgart were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it the first World Heritage Site for Stuttgart and the 41st for Germany.
Stuttgart, Weißenhofsiedlung, Haus Le Corbusier Photo: Andreas PraefckeAs part of a transnational joint application, Stuttgart and destinations in seven other countries applied to have 17 of Le Corbusier’s buildings listed due to the architect's outstanding contribution to Modernism. The two Stuttgart houses are the Swiss architect’s only buildings in Germany and include
Stairway, Le Corbusier house Stuttgartthe Weissenhof Museum, which illustrates the radical change in architecture around the time of the Second World War as well as Le Corbusier’s visionary thinking.Known as Houses 14 and 15, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret designed the two-family building in 1927. It is one of the earliest examples that follow the so-called "Five Points of a New Architecture".
The striking white building is located in a suburb of Stuttgart in the Weissenhof-Siedlung (Weissenhof Estate), an experimental housing development and exposition of Modern architecture.
Germany’s other 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the majestic Cologne Cathedral, the expansive Wadden Sea habitat, Classical Weimar and Regensburg’s charming Old Town. They can be explored on eight different themed routes , from natural wonders to architecture to palaces and parks.
For more information about Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, visit www.germany.travel/unesco.
Roof, Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, Germany by Le CorbusierImages of stairway and roof of the Weissenhof Estate, Stuttgart by Runner1928
August 3, 2016
NFB animation and documentaries shine at #TIFF16
From a media release:
#TIFF16
NFB animation and documentaries shine at TIFF
New features from Ann Marie Fleming and Alanis Obomsawin join shorts by Justin Simms and Theodore Ushev
• Check out all of TIFF 2016
August 3, 2016 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Feature-length animation from Ann Marie Fleming, a new documentary by master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, a short film by Newfoundland and Labrador filmmaker Justin Simms and a multi-award-winning short by animator Theodore Ushev make up a stellar National Film Board of Canada (NFB) lineup, featuring world and North American premieres, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), September 8–18, 2016.
The National Film Board of Canada at TIFF 2016Making its North American premiere at TIFF, Fleming’s Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming is a feature film about a young Canadian poet who embarks on a whirlwind voyage of discovery. One of Canada’s most distinguished documentarians, Obomsawin is back in TIFF’s Masters program with the world premiere of her latest NFB film, We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice.
Also making its world premiere at TIFF is HAND.LINE.COD., a film by Justin Simms that revisits the Newfoundland community of Fogo Island almost 50 years after Colin Low’s legendary Challenge for Change films, as residents there seek to revive the traditional fishery. The visually stunning Blind Vaysha, Ushev’s 13th animated short to date, has its North American debut at TIFF after an acclaimed European festival run.
Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming – North American premiere/Special Presentation
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, Window Horses is a feature animation about love—love of family, poetry, history, culture.
Rosie Ming, a young Canadian poet, is invited to perform at a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, but she’d rather go to Paris. She lives at home with her over-protective Chinese grandparents and has never been anywhere by herself. Once in Iran, she finds herself in the company of poets and Persians who tell her stories that force her to confront her past: the Iranian father she assumed abandoned her and the nature of poetry itself. The film is about building bridges between cultural and generational divides. It’s about being curious. Staying open. And finding your own voice through the magic of poetry.
The film’s voice actors include Sandra Oh (Rosie), Ellen Page (Kelly, Rosie’s best friend), Don McKellar (a young poet named Dietmar), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Mehrnaz, a professor at the University of Tehran) and Nancy Kwan (Gloria, Rosie’s overprotective grandmother). More than a dozen animators, including Kevin Langdale, Janet Perlman, Bahram Javaheri and Jody Kramer, worked on the film with Fleming.
Window Horses is co-produced by Stickgirl Productions (Ann Marie Fleming), Sandra Oh and the NFB (Shirley Vercruysse and Michael Fukushima), and distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.
A long-time collaborator with the NFB, Fleming has been making award-winning films that deal with family, history, memory and issues of identity for over 25 years, including such NFB films as I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (2010) and Big Trees (2013). She also adapted her animated feature documentary The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam into an award-winning graphic novel of the same name.
We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice – World premiere/Masters Program
In 2007, the Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations filed a landmark discrimination complaint against Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada. They argued that child and family welfare services provided to First Nations children on reserves and in Yukon were underfunded and inferior to services offered to other Canadian children. The case was subject to appeals and stretched out over nine years, but it finally ended in victory for the plaintiffs in 2016.
We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice documents this epic court challenge, giving voice to the tenacious childcare workers at its epicentre―especially Caring Society executive director Cindy Blackstock, who was spied on and harassed by the federal government for her part in this saga. Obomsawin takes us through all the stages of this long legal battle without ever losing sight of the key issues: the well-being of children and the sustainability of Indigenous culture.
A member of the Abenaki Nation, Alanis Obomsawin is one of Canada’s most distinguished filmmakers. For over four decades, she has directed documentaries at the NFB that chronicle the lives and concerns of First Nations people and explore issues of importance to all.
We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice by Alanis Obomsawin
HAND.LINE.COD. – World premiere/Short Cuts
Set in the coldest waters surrounding Newfoundland’s rugged Fogo Island, Justin Simms’ 13-minute HAND.LINE.COD. follows a group of “people of the fish”—traditional fishers who catch cod live by hand, by hook and line, one at a time. Their secret mission? To drive up the price of fish. After a 20-year moratorium on North Atlantic cod, the stocks are returning. These fishers are leading a revolution in sustainability, taking their premium product directly to the commercial market for the first time.
The film is dedicated to the memory of NFB film pioneer Colin Low, who shot 27 films in Fogo Island for Challenge for Change, developing a revolutionary way to use film as a tool to bring about social change and combat poverty. HAND.LINE.COD. is produced and executive produced for the NFB by Annette Clarke.
One of the most prolific and acclaimed filmmakers in Eastern Canada, Justin Simms is especially focused on bringing the Newfoundland experience to the screen, including through his 2014 NFB feature documentary Danny, co-directed with William D. MacGillivray, about former premier Danny Williams.
Blind Vaysha – North American premiere/Short Cuts
Vaysha is not like other young girls: her left eye sees only the past while her right, only the future. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities, unable to see the reality that exists in the present. In this animated short adapted from a story by acclaimed Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov, and narrated by Caroline Dhavernas, Theodore Ushev reaffirms his virtuosity in visual experimentation. Using an expressive and powerful style poised halfway between religious paintings and linocuts, Blind Vaysha is a captivating metaphoric tale about the difficulty of being in the here and now.
Blind Vaysha has received four awards to date, including the Jury Award and Junior Jury Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The film was produced at the NFB by Marc Bertrand and executive producer Julie Roy, with the participation of ARTE France.
Born in Bulgaria, Theodore Ushev settled in Montreal in 1999, where he acquired a reputation as a prolific and talented animator thanks to such acclaimed works as his animated documentary Lipsett Diaries (2010), recipient of 16 awards—including a Genie Award for Best Animated Short—and named to TIFF’s list of top 10 Canadian short films of the year.
#TIFF16
NFB animation and documentaries shine at TIFF
New features from Ann Marie Fleming and Alanis Obomsawin join shorts by Justin Simms and Theodore Ushev
• Check out all of TIFF 2016
August 3, 2016 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Feature-length animation from Ann Marie Fleming, a new documentary by master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, a short film by Newfoundland and Labrador filmmaker Justin Simms and a multi-award-winning short by animator Theodore Ushev make up a stellar National Film Board of Canada (NFB) lineup, featuring world and North American premieres, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), September 8–18, 2016.
The National Film Board of Canada at TIFF 2016Making its North American premiere at TIFF, Fleming’s Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming is a feature film about a young Canadian poet who embarks on a whirlwind voyage of discovery. One of Canada’s most distinguished documentarians, Obomsawin is back in TIFF’s Masters program with the world premiere of her latest NFB film, We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice.Also making its world premiere at TIFF is HAND.LINE.COD., a film by Justin Simms that revisits the Newfoundland community of Fogo Island almost 50 years after Colin Low’s legendary Challenge for Change films, as residents there seek to revive the traditional fishery. The visually stunning Blind Vaysha, Ushev’s 13th animated short to date, has its North American debut at TIFF after an acclaimed European festival run.
Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming – North American premiere/Special Presentation
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, Window Horses is a feature animation about love—love of family, poetry, history, culture.
Rosie Ming, a young Canadian poet, is invited to perform at a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, but she’d rather go to Paris. She lives at home with her over-protective Chinese grandparents and has never been anywhere by herself. Once in Iran, she finds herself in the company of poets and Persians who tell her stories that force her to confront her past: the Iranian father she assumed abandoned her and the nature of poetry itself. The film is about building bridges between cultural and generational divides. It’s about being curious. Staying open. And finding your own voice through the magic of poetry.
The film’s voice actors include Sandra Oh (Rosie), Ellen Page (Kelly, Rosie’s best friend), Don McKellar (a young poet named Dietmar), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Mehrnaz, a professor at the University of Tehran) and Nancy Kwan (Gloria, Rosie’s overprotective grandmother). More than a dozen animators, including Kevin Langdale, Janet Perlman, Bahram Javaheri and Jody Kramer, worked on the film with Fleming.
Window Horses is co-produced by Stickgirl Productions (Ann Marie Fleming), Sandra Oh and the NFB (Shirley Vercruysse and Michael Fukushima), and distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.
A long-time collaborator with the NFB, Fleming has been making award-winning films that deal with family, history, memory and issues of identity for over 25 years, including such NFB films as I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (2010) and Big Trees (2013). She also adapted her animated feature documentary The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam into an award-winning graphic novel of the same name.
We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice – World premiere/Masters Program
In 2007, the Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations filed a landmark discrimination complaint against Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada. They argued that child and family welfare services provided to First Nations children on reserves and in Yukon were underfunded and inferior to services offered to other Canadian children. The case was subject to appeals and stretched out over nine years, but it finally ended in victory for the plaintiffs in 2016.
We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice documents this epic court challenge, giving voice to the tenacious childcare workers at its epicentre―especially Caring Society executive director Cindy Blackstock, who was spied on and harassed by the federal government for her part in this saga. Obomsawin takes us through all the stages of this long legal battle without ever losing sight of the key issues: the well-being of children and the sustainability of Indigenous culture.
A member of the Abenaki Nation, Alanis Obomsawin is one of Canada’s most distinguished filmmakers. For over four decades, she has directed documentaries at the NFB that chronicle the lives and concerns of First Nations people and explore issues of importance to all.
We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice by Alanis ObomsawinHAND.LINE.COD. – World premiere/Short Cuts
Set in the coldest waters surrounding Newfoundland’s rugged Fogo Island, Justin Simms’ 13-minute HAND.LINE.COD. follows a group of “people of the fish”—traditional fishers who catch cod live by hand, by hook and line, one at a time. Their secret mission? To drive up the price of fish. After a 20-year moratorium on North Atlantic cod, the stocks are returning. These fishers are leading a revolution in sustainability, taking their premium product directly to the commercial market for the first time.
The film is dedicated to the memory of NFB film pioneer Colin Low, who shot 27 films in Fogo Island for Challenge for Change, developing a revolutionary way to use film as a tool to bring about social change and combat poverty. HAND.LINE.COD. is produced and executive produced for the NFB by Annette Clarke.
One of the most prolific and acclaimed filmmakers in Eastern Canada, Justin Simms is especially focused on bringing the Newfoundland experience to the screen, including through his 2014 NFB feature documentary Danny, co-directed with William D. MacGillivray, about former premier Danny Williams.
Blind Vaysha – North American premiere/Short Cuts
Vaysha is not like other young girls: her left eye sees only the past while her right, only the future. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities, unable to see the reality that exists in the present. In this animated short adapted from a story by acclaimed Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov, and narrated by Caroline Dhavernas, Theodore Ushev reaffirms his virtuosity in visual experimentation. Using an expressive and powerful style poised halfway between religious paintings and linocuts, Blind Vaysha is a captivating metaphoric tale about the difficulty of being in the here and now.
Blind Vaysha has received four awards to date, including the Jury Award and Junior Jury Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The film was produced at the NFB by Marc Bertrand and executive producer Julie Roy, with the participation of ARTE France.
Born in Bulgaria, Theodore Ushev settled in Montreal in 1999, where he acquired a reputation as a prolific and talented animator thanks to such acclaimed works as his animated documentary Lipsett Diaries (2010), recipient of 16 awards—including a Genie Award for Best Animated Short—and named to TIFF’s list of top 10 Canadian short films of the year.
July 28, 2016
#NovaScotia #TravelMaritimes: Cabot Cliffs golf course ranked best in Canada - Stunning resort in Inverness County Nova Scotia
From a media release:
#NovaScotia #TravelMaritimes
Cabot Cliffs golf course ranked best in Canada
First in history to debut as number one
• Book at the link
Inverness, NS (July 28, 2016) – Cabot Links Golf Resort has officially been named the top golf course in the country following the release of SCOREGolf’s TOP 100 Ranking this past Friday.
Cabot Cliffs Golf CourseIn its first year of eligibility Cabot Cliffs stole the coveted number one position, becoming the fifth course in the history of the Ranking to hold this title and the first to debut in the top spot. Sister course Cabot Links also placed within the top five in the country, with a ranking of fourth in Canada. Both courses belong to the Cabot Links Golf Resort located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.
The resort’s Managing Partner Ben Cowan-Dewar says his team is thrilled with the ranking and is not taking it for granted.
“It’s such an amazing honour and a celebration of all the people who have worked very hard to make this happen,” says Cowan-Dewar. “It’s certainly a tribute to our architect team Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw who continually prove themselves as the very best in the business globally, but also to all our employees and the Cape Breton Community as a whole.”
Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links also ranked in the World Top 100 by Golf Digest earlier this year, with Cliffs debuting as 19 in the world.
Course architect Bill Coore says Cabot Cliffs was a very special project, “Ben and I, along with our entire team, are honoured by this award. It is really a celebration of the Cape Breton landscape, which we were so fortunate to have as a canvas”
The SCOREGolf ranking, which takes place every two years and is judged by a panel of over 90 golf experts, was first published in 1988 and is known as the most comprehensive ranking in Canada. Each course is evaluated on beauty, strategy, challenge, design, par 3s, par 4s, par 5s, conditioning and fun. The goal of the Top 100 is to compile a listing of the very best courses in Canada, public or private.
Cabot Cliffs - Hole #16Accommodations
Designed by award-winning Nova Scotia architect, Susan Fitzgerald and celebrated interior designer, Alexandra Angle, the 72-room Cabot Links Lodge is inspired by its surroundings. The building incorporates local materials, such as cedar and heavy timber, which combined with a timeless and modern aesthetic are the epitome of low key luxury. The Lodge is located in close proximity to the Pro Shop, the Cabot Bar and Panorama Restaurant, fanning south to border the putting green.
The 2-bedroom and 4-bedroom Golf Villas at Cabot Links, designed by Omar Gandhi Architect, offer an upscale accommodation option with modern influences and high-end amenities, set against a picturesque backdrop of breathtaking ocean and golf views.
Dining
There are three onsite dining options from the stunning Panorama Restaurant with its unbroken view of the surrounding area and an upscale meanu, the Cabot Bar with a diverse menu focusing on locally caught seafood, game and fresh salads, the Cabot Public House with a menu of pizza and pub fare along with local craft beers. The Downstreet Coffee Company is a few minutes walk on Central Avenue in Inverness.
Here's a dramatic video of the 16th hole - a par 3
EXPLORE THE AREA
The Glenora Distillery
North America’s first, and still Canada’s only single malt whisky, Glenora Distillers is based in Glenville, a gaelic community just a short drive south of Cabot Links. Their most prominent product is the Glen Breton Rare, a 15 year old Scottish-style single malt that holds its own against some of the best in the world. Book a tour and explore this amazing piece of Cape Breton history. Travel: 15 minutes
Inverness Beach, Nova ScotiaInverness Beach
Blessed with a stretch of sand two miles long, an ocean with the warmest waters north of the Carolinas and the spectacular sunsets that Inverness is known for, this stunning geography is, in large part, the reason many of our guests return again and again. At Cabot, when we’re not on the golf course, we love nothing more than to spend those beautiful Cape Breton summer days on the beach. If you’re heading down that way, we would be happy to help with transportation, beach activities or whip up a great picnic of your choice. With the warm waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence, ideal summer weather and a lifeguard on duty during the day, the Inverness beach is a popular spot for both guests and locals alike.
Whale Watching
Located a short drive away in Pleasant Bay, you can experience some of the best whale watching grounds on the Cabot Trail, on board a 42-foot cabin cruiser. Dolphin, seal, seabird, raptor and bear sightings are also a common occurrence. All equipment is provided, including, rain suit and hydrophones to hear the whales. Other scenic highlights of the tour include unique cliff formations, sea caves, pioneer settlements and waterfalls.
For the more adventurous, zodiac vessels are known for providing close encounters. Both options offer sightings of various marine wildlife and spectacular coastal views of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A tour with Captain Mark is a must for eco-tourists and photographers. This trip is also available out of the Harbour in Inverness. Peak times for whale watching is June through September. Travel: one hour each way Duration: 2 hours
Ocean View diningAlso nearby/available:
Exploring Margaree Island - or Sea Wolf Island National Wildlife Area (NWA)Sea KayakingStand Up PaddeboardingBeach Trail Horseback RidingSunset boat toursSalmon fishing on Margaree RiverDeep Sea FishiingHiking and cycling on the legendary Cape Breton Highlands National Park – Skyline Trail, Celtic Trail and many more optionsA look at Inverness County, Nova Scotia
#NovaScotia #TravelMaritimes
Cabot Cliffs golf course ranked best in Canada
First in history to debut as number one
• Book at the link
Inverness, NS (July 28, 2016) – Cabot Links Golf Resort has officially been named the top golf course in the country following the release of SCOREGolf’s TOP 100 Ranking this past Friday.
Cabot Cliffs Golf CourseIn its first year of eligibility Cabot Cliffs stole the coveted number one position, becoming the fifth course in the history of the Ranking to hold this title and the first to debut in the top spot. Sister course Cabot Links also placed within the top five in the country, with a ranking of fourth in Canada. Both courses belong to the Cabot Links Golf Resort located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.The resort’s Managing Partner Ben Cowan-Dewar says his team is thrilled with the ranking and is not taking it for granted.
“It’s such an amazing honour and a celebration of all the people who have worked very hard to make this happen,” says Cowan-Dewar. “It’s certainly a tribute to our architect team Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw who continually prove themselves as the very best in the business globally, but also to all our employees and the Cape Breton Community as a whole.”
Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links also ranked in the World Top 100 by Golf Digest earlier this year, with Cliffs debuting as 19 in the world.
Course architect Bill Coore says Cabot Cliffs was a very special project, “Ben and I, along with our entire team, are honoured by this award. It is really a celebration of the Cape Breton landscape, which we were so fortunate to have as a canvas”
The SCOREGolf ranking, which takes place every two years and is judged by a panel of over 90 golf experts, was first published in 1988 and is known as the most comprehensive ranking in Canada. Each course is evaluated on beauty, strategy, challenge, design, par 3s, par 4s, par 5s, conditioning and fun. The goal of the Top 100 is to compile a listing of the very best courses in Canada, public or private.
Cabot Cliffs - Hole #16AccommodationsDesigned by award-winning Nova Scotia architect, Susan Fitzgerald and celebrated interior designer, Alexandra Angle, the 72-room Cabot Links Lodge is inspired by its surroundings. The building incorporates local materials, such as cedar and heavy timber, which combined with a timeless and modern aesthetic are the epitome of low key luxury. The Lodge is located in close proximity to the Pro Shop, the Cabot Bar and Panorama Restaurant, fanning south to border the putting green.
The 2-bedroom and 4-bedroom Golf Villas at Cabot Links, designed by Omar Gandhi Architect, offer an upscale accommodation option with modern influences and high-end amenities, set against a picturesque backdrop of breathtaking ocean and golf views.
Dining
There are three onsite dining options from the stunning Panorama Restaurant with its unbroken view of the surrounding area and an upscale meanu, the Cabot Bar with a diverse menu focusing on locally caught seafood, game and fresh salads, the Cabot Public House with a menu of pizza and pub fare along with local craft beers. The Downstreet Coffee Company is a few minutes walk on Central Avenue in Inverness.
Here's a dramatic video of the 16th hole - a par 3
EXPLORE THE AREA
The Glenora Distillery
North America’s first, and still Canada’s only single malt whisky, Glenora Distillers is based in Glenville, a gaelic community just a short drive south of Cabot Links. Their most prominent product is the Glen Breton Rare, a 15 year old Scottish-style single malt that holds its own against some of the best in the world. Book a tour and explore this amazing piece of Cape Breton history. Travel: 15 minutes
Inverness Beach, Nova ScotiaInverness BeachBlessed with a stretch of sand two miles long, an ocean with the warmest waters north of the Carolinas and the spectacular sunsets that Inverness is known for, this stunning geography is, in large part, the reason many of our guests return again and again. At Cabot, when we’re not on the golf course, we love nothing more than to spend those beautiful Cape Breton summer days on the beach. If you’re heading down that way, we would be happy to help with transportation, beach activities or whip up a great picnic of your choice. With the warm waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence, ideal summer weather and a lifeguard on duty during the day, the Inverness beach is a popular spot for both guests and locals alike.
Whale Watching
Located a short drive away in Pleasant Bay, you can experience some of the best whale watching grounds on the Cabot Trail, on board a 42-foot cabin cruiser. Dolphin, seal, seabird, raptor and bear sightings are also a common occurrence. All equipment is provided, including, rain suit and hydrophones to hear the whales. Other scenic highlights of the tour include unique cliff formations, sea caves, pioneer settlements and waterfalls.
For the more adventurous, zodiac vessels are known for providing close encounters. Both options offer sightings of various marine wildlife and spectacular coastal views of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A tour with Captain Mark is a must for eco-tourists and photographers. This trip is also available out of the Harbour in Inverness. Peak times for whale watching is June through September. Travel: one hour each way Duration: 2 hours
Ocean View diningAlso nearby/available:
Exploring Margaree Island - or Sea Wolf Island National Wildlife Area (NWA)Sea KayakingStand Up PaddeboardingBeach Trail Horseback RidingSunset boat toursSalmon fishing on Margaree RiverDeep Sea FishiingHiking and cycling on the legendary Cape Breton Highlands National Park – Skyline Trail, Celtic Trail and many more optionsA look at Inverness County, Nova Scotia
July 26, 2016
Public Art: Katonah Museum of Art Co-Commissions Public Mural in Downtown Chappaqua with sherry b dessert studio from Artist Keiran Brennan Hinton
From a media release:
Katonah Museum of Art Co-Commissions
Public Mural in Downtown Chappaqua with sherry b dessert studio
Mural Launch September 17, 2016
Katonah, NY, July 26, 2016 — The Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) in partnership with sherry b dessert studio of Chappaqua, NY, announces a public art commission by New York City-based artist, Keiran Brennan Hinton. The commission, a public mural, is a civically minded initiative organized by the KMA and sherry b dessert studio aimed at enriching communities beyond the Museum’s walls while empowering artists as agents of change. Situated on an outside wall of 65 King Street in Chappaqua, the mural will portray one of artist’s signature enigmatic interior spaces. Works by Brennan Hinton are currently on view at the Katonah Museum of Art as part of the exhibition, OnSite Katonah (through October 2).
Kieran Brennan Hinton - muralBuilt in 1929 as a department store, 65 King Street fell into disrepair and was left vacant for several years before being acquired by sherry b dessert studio in 2010. The addition of a visual art feature on the exterior wall has long been envisioned by Sherry and Jeff Blockinger, owners of sherry b dessert studio, as the final touch to the building’s extensive renovation and revitalization. Painting began mid-July with the completed artwork to be unveiled at a public reception on September 17. During installation, paintings by Brennan Hinton will be on view at sherry b dessert studio, which will also host two events that explore the creative process -- an art-making workshop for children on August 2, and a panel discussion for adults in September. (See RELATED EVENTS for detailed information.)
Darsie Alexander, Executive Director of the KMA, says, “We are thrilled to partner with a local business to commission the artist’s largest project to date and to insert Keiran’s mural into the everyday life of Chappaqua residents. Facilitating unexpected encounters with artwork sparks just the type of social engagement that the KMA seeks to foster among neighbors both inside and outside of traditional museum walls.”
Sherry Blockinger, Executive Pastry Chef, owner of
sherry b dessert studio
, and a member of the KMA Board of Trustees added, “We are passionate believers in the important role that art plays in our community and in how exposure to the creative process enhances our capacity for imaginative thinking in our daily lives. We felt confident in approaching the KMA as a valuable partner in bringing this project to fruition.”
Paint and supplies for the mural have been generously donated by Chappaqua Paint and Hardware.
Open House (37) by Keiran Brennan Hinton oil on linenKEIRAN BRENNAN HINTON
Keiran Brennan Hinton is a native of Toronto who now lives and works in New York City, NY. Brennan Hinton received his MFA in Painting from Yale, and his BFA from Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn NY. With oil paint and canvas, Brennan Hinton creates nuanced meditations on the ways in which we experience the human-built spaces around us. His compositions depict domestic interiors that, in their balance of familiarity and ambiguity, speak to the psychological weight architecture carries. With a range of bright, muted, and dark colors, the paintings reveal their complexity slowly, over a period of sustained looking. Brennan Hinton’s domestic scenes appear to shift under our vision — moving from precisely rendered to entirely abstract and back again. These works suggest the ways in which such experiences stick in our memory — particular details intertwined with intellectual and emotional impressions.
Recent group exhibitions include Onsite Katonah at the Katonah Museum of Art, Mercury Rising at Mulherin New York, and Large Works at FRONT Art Space. The artist has been awarded the Gloucester Painting Prize and Residency, the Yale International Student Scholarship, Outstanding Merit in Painting from Pratt Institute, and a Presidential Scholarship from Pratt Institute.
RELATED EVENTS:
Be An Artist
Tuesday, August 2, 2016, 1:30 PM – 3:00PM
Tickets: $15/child, $12/KMA Members, pre-registration required, ticket includes materials and dessert
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
Keiran Brennan Hinton may be known as a painter, but before any paint touches the canvas, he starts by sketching his ideas on pencil and paper. Children ages 6-12 are invited to join Brennan Hinton for a “process workshop” led by the artist and educators from the Katonah Museum of Art.
Meet the Artists
(September date TBA)
Tickets: $20/General Admission, $15/KMA Members
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
Elizabeth Rooklidge, Associate Curator at the Katonah Museum of Art, moderates a panel discussion exploring parallels in the creative process between Keiran Brennan Hinton’s practice as a visual artist and Sherry Blockinger as a pastry chef. A reception with the artists will immediately follow the panel discussion.
Mural Launch Party
Saturday, September 17, 2016, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Free and open to the public
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
The Katonah Museum of Art and sherry b dessert studio cordially invite you to the unveiling of OnSite Katonah artist Keiran Brennan Hinton’s mural on an exterior wall of sherry b dessert studio, Chappaqua, NY. Meet the artist and mingle with neighbors at this festive event celebrating the completion of this civically minded public art initiative, co-commissioned by the KMA and sherry b dessert studio.
ABOUT THE KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART:
The Katonah Museum of Art, through innovative exhibition and education programs, promotes the understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts for diverse audiences. The Museum presents exhibitions that explore ideas about art, culture, and society — past and present.
The Katonah Museum of Art is supported in part by ArtsWestchester with support by the Westchester County Government, The New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the New York State Legislature.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:
OnSite Katonah
July 10 - October 2, 2016
OnSite Katonah presents eight experimental, site-specific installations created in response to the Katonah Museum of Art’s distinctive landscape, architecture, and history. With projects boldly immersive and keenly subtle, artists investigate and reimagine every facet of the KMA’s location. Installations occupy the light-filled Sally and Volney Righter and Mary L. Beitzel Galleries; the Marilyn M. Simpson Sculpture Garden, with its towering Norwegian spruce trees; and the sloping greens of the Front and South lawns. These artistic interventions into its site transform the Museum’s physical space — which so deeply impacts the KMA’s institutional identity — into a platform for creative experimentation.
Artists include Grimanesa Amoros, Amy Brener, MaDora Frey, Keiran Brennan Hinton, Caitlin Masley, Caleb Nussear, Jason Peters, and Rachel Mica Weiss.
Victoria Fu, Egg
July 10 - October 2, 2016
Los Angeles-based artist Victoria Fu employs analogue and digital techniques to explore the impact of virtual aesthetics on the everyday human experience. While Fu typically works in film, light-projection, and photography, for the KMA she has created a site-specific building wrap, covering the Museum's front façade with one of her enigmatic, unexpected images. Fu's work was featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial and she is a recipient of the prestigious 2015 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. Egg will mark the artist's first solo project on such a monumental scale.
Victoria Fu, EggThe Katonah Museum of Art is located at 134 Jay Street, Katonah, NY 10536. Museum hours are: Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 5pm, Sunday from 12pm - 5pm, closed Monday. General admission: $10 adults, $5 seniors & students. Members & children under the age of 12 always enter free. For more information, please call (914) 232-9555 or visit www.katonahmuseum.org.
Stay connected with the Katonah Museum of Art on Facebook (facebook.com/KatonahMuseum), Instagram (@KatonahMuseum) and Twitter (@KatonahMuseum).
Katonah Museum of Art Co-Commissions
Public Mural in Downtown Chappaqua with sherry b dessert studio
Mural Launch September 17, 2016
Katonah, NY, July 26, 2016 — The Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) in partnership with sherry b dessert studio of Chappaqua, NY, announces a public art commission by New York City-based artist, Keiran Brennan Hinton. The commission, a public mural, is a civically minded initiative organized by the KMA and sherry b dessert studio aimed at enriching communities beyond the Museum’s walls while empowering artists as agents of change. Situated on an outside wall of 65 King Street in Chappaqua, the mural will portray one of artist’s signature enigmatic interior spaces. Works by Brennan Hinton are currently on view at the Katonah Museum of Art as part of the exhibition, OnSite Katonah (through October 2).
Kieran Brennan Hinton - muralBuilt in 1929 as a department store, 65 King Street fell into disrepair and was left vacant for several years before being acquired by sherry b dessert studio in 2010. The addition of a visual art feature on the exterior wall has long been envisioned by Sherry and Jeff Blockinger, owners of sherry b dessert studio, as the final touch to the building’s extensive renovation and revitalization. Painting began mid-July with the completed artwork to be unveiled at a public reception on September 17. During installation, paintings by Brennan Hinton will be on view at sherry b dessert studio, which will also host two events that explore the creative process -- an art-making workshop for children on August 2, and a panel discussion for adults in September. (See RELATED EVENTS for detailed information.)Darsie Alexander, Executive Director of the KMA, says, “We are thrilled to partner with a local business to commission the artist’s largest project to date and to insert Keiran’s mural into the everyday life of Chappaqua residents. Facilitating unexpected encounters with artwork sparks just the type of social engagement that the KMA seeks to foster among neighbors both inside and outside of traditional museum walls.”
Sherry Blockinger, Executive Pastry Chef, owner of
sherry b dessert studio
, and a member of the KMA Board of Trustees added, “We are passionate believers in the important role that art plays in our community and in how exposure to the creative process enhances our capacity for imaginative thinking in our daily lives. We felt confident in approaching the KMA as a valuable partner in bringing this project to fruition.”Paint and supplies for the mural have been generously donated by Chappaqua Paint and Hardware.
Open House (37) by Keiran Brennan Hinton oil on linenKEIRAN BRENNAN HINTONKeiran Brennan Hinton is a native of Toronto who now lives and works in New York City, NY. Brennan Hinton received his MFA in Painting from Yale, and his BFA from Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn NY. With oil paint and canvas, Brennan Hinton creates nuanced meditations on the ways in which we experience the human-built spaces around us. His compositions depict domestic interiors that, in their balance of familiarity and ambiguity, speak to the psychological weight architecture carries. With a range of bright, muted, and dark colors, the paintings reveal their complexity slowly, over a period of sustained looking. Brennan Hinton’s domestic scenes appear to shift under our vision — moving from precisely rendered to entirely abstract and back again. These works suggest the ways in which such experiences stick in our memory — particular details intertwined with intellectual and emotional impressions.
Recent group exhibitions include Onsite Katonah at the Katonah Museum of Art, Mercury Rising at Mulherin New York, and Large Works at FRONT Art Space. The artist has been awarded the Gloucester Painting Prize and Residency, the Yale International Student Scholarship, Outstanding Merit in Painting from Pratt Institute, and a Presidential Scholarship from Pratt Institute.
RELATED EVENTS:
Be An Artist
Tuesday, August 2, 2016, 1:30 PM – 3:00PM
Tickets: $15/child, $12/KMA Members, pre-registration required, ticket includes materials and dessert
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
Keiran Brennan Hinton may be known as a painter, but before any paint touches the canvas, he starts by sketching his ideas on pencil and paper. Children ages 6-12 are invited to join Brennan Hinton for a “process workshop” led by the artist and educators from the Katonah Museum of Art.
Meet the Artists(September date TBA)
Tickets: $20/General Admission, $15/KMA Members
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
Elizabeth Rooklidge, Associate Curator at the Katonah Museum of Art, moderates a panel discussion exploring parallels in the creative process between Keiran Brennan Hinton’s practice as a visual artist and Sherry Blockinger as a pastry chef. A reception with the artists will immediately follow the panel discussion.
Mural Launch Party
Saturday, September 17, 2016, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Free and open to the public
sherry b dessert studio, 65 King Street, Chappaqua, NY 10514
The Katonah Museum of Art and sherry b dessert studio cordially invite you to the unveiling of OnSite Katonah artist Keiran Brennan Hinton’s mural on an exterior wall of sherry b dessert studio, Chappaqua, NY. Meet the artist and mingle with neighbors at this festive event celebrating the completion of this civically minded public art initiative, co-commissioned by the KMA and sherry b dessert studio.
ABOUT THE KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART:The Katonah Museum of Art, through innovative exhibition and education programs, promotes the understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts for diverse audiences. The Museum presents exhibitions that explore ideas about art, culture, and society — past and present.
The Katonah Museum of Art is supported in part by ArtsWestchester with support by the Westchester County Government, The New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the New York State Legislature.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:
OnSite Katonah
July 10 - October 2, 2016
OnSite Katonah presents eight experimental, site-specific installations created in response to the Katonah Museum of Art’s distinctive landscape, architecture, and history. With projects boldly immersive and keenly subtle, artists investigate and reimagine every facet of the KMA’s location. Installations occupy the light-filled Sally and Volney Righter and Mary L. Beitzel Galleries; the Marilyn M. Simpson Sculpture Garden, with its towering Norwegian spruce trees; and the sloping greens of the Front and South lawns. These artistic interventions into its site transform the Museum’s physical space — which so deeply impacts the KMA’s institutional identity — into a platform for creative experimentation.
Artists include Grimanesa Amoros, Amy Brener, MaDora Frey, Keiran Brennan Hinton, Caitlin Masley, Caleb Nussear, Jason Peters, and Rachel Mica Weiss.
Victoria Fu, Egg
July 10 - October 2, 2016
Los Angeles-based artist Victoria Fu employs analogue and digital techniques to explore the impact of virtual aesthetics on the everyday human experience. While Fu typically works in film, light-projection, and photography, for the KMA she has created a site-specific building wrap, covering the Museum's front façade with one of her enigmatic, unexpected images. Fu's work was featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial and she is a recipient of the prestigious 2015 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. Egg will mark the artist's first solo project on such a monumental scale.
Victoria Fu, EggThe Katonah Museum of Art is located at 134 Jay Street, Katonah, NY 10536. Museum hours are: Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 5pm, Sunday from 12pm - 5pm, closed Monday. General admission: $10 adults, $5 seniors & students. Members & children under the age of 12 always enter free. For more information, please call (914) 232-9555 or visit www.katonahmuseum.org.Stay connected with the Katonah Museum of Art on Facebook (facebook.com/KatonahMuseum), Instagram (@KatonahMuseum) and Twitter (@KatonahMuseum).
July 25, 2016
#TravelAustralia: Dine Under the Stars at Uluru by Night - Ayers Rock Resort
From a release:
See the Stars at Uluru by Night
Ayers Rock Resort
• Check out & book your experience
• Check out all the tour possibilities at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Yes, it is possible to explore the Australian Outback while being respectful of the Aboriginal people and their sacred landmarks.
Ayers Rock - Uluru - is one such area. Tourists typically want to climb to the top of the stunning landmark, even though the Anangu, the people of Australia's Western Desert, request that outsiders respect their ancestral lands. By booking your tour through the Ayers Rock Resort, you can experience the magic of the desert landscape without committing the sins of the obnoxious, self-serving tourist who doesn't care about the people who call the place home.
Uluru - Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock Resort
Ayers Rock Resort lies at the gateway to Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory. The Resort lies hidden from view to those visiting the National Park precinct. Everything about the Resort reflects sensitivity to the environment and respect for the area's traditional Aboriginal owners. Huge sails provide shade, solar panels generate power and native trees flourish throughout - the Resort is an architectural achievement.
The Resort provides a variety of accommodation options for every possible taste and budget - from the award winning 5-star Sails in the Desert Hotel, and modern Desert Gardens Hotel, to the self contained Emu Walk Apartments, the authentic Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge & Ayers Rock Campground, offering powered campsites and air conditioned cabins.
Ayers Rock ResortSounds of Silence Experience
FROM $195 per adult
Entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four magical hours. An evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky.
Your Sounds of Silence experience begins with canapés and chilled sparkling wine served on a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table of fellow travelers for an unforgettable dining experience.
Our attentive staff will keep your glass full with a quality selection of Australian wine and beer while first course is served. As the night sky twinkles to life, help yourself to a bush tucker inspired buffet that incorporates native bush ingredients.
Settle back and listen to our resident star talker decode the southern night sky. Locate the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies that are visible due to the exceptional clarity of the atmosphere.
TIP For an unparalleled experience, upgrade your Sounds of Silence to ‘A Night at Field of Light’, combining the Sounds of Silence dinner experience with the once-in-a-lifetime Field of Light art installation. With the 50,000 soft lights of the Field of Light covering the desert floor behind you, you’ll enjoy a mouth-watering 3-course buffet menu before you're invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light. It’s pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light that beckon you to explore.
Art at Ayers Rock
In the coming months, Ayers Rock Resort will feature a fascinating line-up of Indigenous Australian and Australian artists as part of its popular Artist-in-Residence program. Each month, the highly successful program features an artist and craftsperson to create art in situ at the Resort, as well as to exhibit and sell their work.
The line-up of artists for the rest of 2016 includes sought-after Indigenous artist Raymond Walters Japanangka, who will be in residence at Wintjiri Arts & Museum throughout September, and up and coming artists from the Indigenous art communities of Yuendumu and Utopia (1 July-31 August), and Ninuku (1-30 November).
Artist Raymond Walters JapanangkaMingkiri Arts and Craftworks, located near Desert Gardens Hotel, will feature a regular Craftsperson-in-Residence, including jeweler Suzette Watkins (15 June-30 July), whose work is inspired by the Australian landscape, colours and light; Patrick Ferguson (1-15 September), who creates stunning punu (wood) artifacts, and well-known silk artist Heather Duff (1-31 December). A Glass of Fire jewelry workshop is also on offer from 15 September-15 October.
Original Central Australian Indigenous art can be viewed and purchased at Ayers Rock Resort’s Wintjiri Arts & Museum near Emu Walk Apartments; Mingkiri Arts and Craftworks; the resort’s acclaimed Mulgara Gallery located at Sails in the Desert Hotel, and at the Indigenous Art Market at the Resort Town Square.
About Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) and operates Ayers Rock Resort on its behalf. The ILC is an agency designed to assist Aboriginal people with the acquisition and management of land.
Pictographs at UluruAs part of the acquisition of Ayers Rock Resort, the ILC established an Indigenous Training and Employment Strategy with the aim to employ one hundred Indigenous trainees at the Resort each year and to work towards fifty percent Indigenous employment by 2018. To help achieve this, the ILC established an Indigenous Engagement Team, responsible for the Indigenous Traineeship Program and working closely with Human Resources to provide specialist services in recruiting and retaining Indigenous people.
The National Indigenous Training Academy delivers accredited training to Ayers Rock Resort’s Indigenous trainees in partnership with William Angliss Institute and Charles Darwin University. At the end of March 2016 Ayers Rock Resort celebrated employment of 276 Indigenous staff, which includes 50 trainees, 226 employees including Real Jobs staff with a goal of 100 new employee placements by 2017.
See the Stars at Uluru by Night
Ayers Rock Resort
• Check out & book your experience
• Check out all the tour possibilities at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Yes, it is possible to explore the Australian Outback while being respectful of the Aboriginal people and their sacred landmarks.
Ayers Rock - Uluru - is one such area. Tourists typically want to climb to the top of the stunning landmark, even though the Anangu, the people of Australia's Western Desert, request that outsiders respect their ancestral lands. By booking your tour through the Ayers Rock Resort, you can experience the magic of the desert landscape without committing the sins of the obnoxious, self-serving tourist who doesn't care about the people who call the place home.
Uluru - Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock Resort
Ayers Rock Resort lies at the gateway to Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory. The Resort lies hidden from view to those visiting the National Park precinct. Everything about the Resort reflects sensitivity to the environment and respect for the area's traditional Aboriginal owners. Huge sails provide shade, solar panels generate power and native trees flourish throughout - the Resort is an architectural achievement.
The Resort provides a variety of accommodation options for every possible taste and budget - from the award winning 5-star Sails in the Desert Hotel, and modern Desert Gardens Hotel, to the self contained Emu Walk Apartments, the authentic Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge & Ayers Rock Campground, offering powered campsites and air conditioned cabins.
Ayers Rock ResortSounds of Silence ExperienceFROM $195 per adult
Entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four magical hours. An evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky.
Your Sounds of Silence experience begins with canapés and chilled sparkling wine served on a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table of fellow travelers for an unforgettable dining experience.
Our attentive staff will keep your glass full with a quality selection of Australian wine and beer while first course is served. As the night sky twinkles to life, help yourself to a bush tucker inspired buffet that incorporates native bush ingredients.
Settle back and listen to our resident star talker decode the southern night sky. Locate the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies that are visible due to the exceptional clarity of the atmosphere.
TIP For an unparalleled experience, upgrade your Sounds of Silence to ‘A Night at Field of Light’, combining the Sounds of Silence dinner experience with the once-in-a-lifetime Field of Light art installation. With the 50,000 soft lights of the Field of Light covering the desert floor behind you, you’ll enjoy a mouth-watering 3-course buffet menu before you're invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light. It’s pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light that beckon you to explore.
Art at Ayers Rock
In the coming months, Ayers Rock Resort will feature a fascinating line-up of Indigenous Australian and Australian artists as part of its popular Artist-in-Residence program. Each month, the highly successful program features an artist and craftsperson to create art in situ at the Resort, as well as to exhibit and sell their work.
The line-up of artists for the rest of 2016 includes sought-after Indigenous artist Raymond Walters Japanangka, who will be in residence at Wintjiri Arts & Museum throughout September, and up and coming artists from the Indigenous art communities of Yuendumu and Utopia (1 July-31 August), and Ninuku (1-30 November).
Artist Raymond Walters JapanangkaMingkiri Arts and Craftworks, located near Desert Gardens Hotel, will feature a regular Craftsperson-in-Residence, including jeweler Suzette Watkins (15 June-30 July), whose work is inspired by the Australian landscape, colours and light; Patrick Ferguson (1-15 September), who creates stunning punu (wood) artifacts, and well-known silk artist Heather Duff (1-31 December). A Glass of Fire jewelry workshop is also on offer from 15 September-15 October.Original Central Australian Indigenous art can be viewed and purchased at Ayers Rock Resort’s Wintjiri Arts & Museum near Emu Walk Apartments; Mingkiri Arts and Craftworks; the resort’s acclaimed Mulgara Gallery located at Sails in the Desert Hotel, and at the Indigenous Art Market at the Resort Town Square.
About Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) and operates Ayers Rock Resort on its behalf. The ILC is an agency designed to assist Aboriginal people with the acquisition and management of land.
Pictographs at UluruAs part of the acquisition of Ayers Rock Resort, the ILC established an Indigenous Training and Employment Strategy with the aim to employ one hundred Indigenous trainees at the Resort each year and to work towards fifty percent Indigenous employment by 2018. To help achieve this, the ILC established an Indigenous Engagement Team, responsible for the Indigenous Traineeship Program and working closely with Human Resources to provide specialist services in recruiting and retaining Indigenous people.The National Indigenous Training Academy delivers accredited training to Ayers Rock Resort’s Indigenous trainees in partnership with William Angliss Institute and Charles Darwin University. At the end of March 2016 Ayers Rock Resort celebrated employment of 276 Indigenous staff, which includes 50 trainees, 226 employees including Real Jobs staff with a goal of 100 new employee placements by 2017.
#TravelAustralia: See the Stars at Uluru by Night - Ayers Rock Resort
From a release:
See the Stars at Uluru by Night
Ayers Rock Resort
• Check out & book your experience
• Check out all the tour possibilities at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Yes, it is possible to explore the Australian Outback while being respectful of the Aboriginal people and their sacred landmarks.
Ayers Rock - Uluru - is one such area. Tourists typically want to climb to the top of the stunning landmark, even though the Anangu, the people of Australia's Western Desert, request that outsiders respect their ancestral lands. By booking your tour through the Ayers Rock Resort, you can experience the magic of the desert landscape without committing the sins of the obnoxious, self-serving tourist who doesn't care about the people who call the place home.
Uluru - Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock Resort
Ayers Rock Resort lies at the gateway to Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory. The Resort lies hidden from view to those visiting the National Park precinct. Everything about the Resort reflects sensitivity to the environment and respect for the area's traditional Aboriginal owners. Huge sails provide shade, solar panels generate power and native trees flourish throughout - the Resort is an architectural achievement.
The Resort provides a variety of accommodation options for every possible taste and budget - from the award winning 5-star Sails in the Desert Hotel, and modern Desert Gardens Hotel, to the self contained Emu Walk Apartments, the authentic Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge & Ayers Rock Campground, offering powered campsites and air conditioned cabins.
Ayers Rock ResortSounds of Silence Experience
FROM $195 per adult
Entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four magical hours. An evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky.
Your Sounds of Silence experience begins with canapés and chilled sparkling wine served on a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table of fellow travelers for an unforgettable dining experience.
Our attentive staff will keep your glass full with a quality selection of Australian wine and beer while first course is served. As the night sky twinkles to life, help yourself to a bush tucker inspired buffet that incorporates native bush ingredients.
Settle back and listen to our resident star talker decode the southern night sky. Locate the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies that are visible due to the exceptional clarity of the atmosphere.
TIP For an unparalleled experience, upgrade your Sounds of Silence to ‘A Night at Field of Light’, combining the Sounds of Silence dinner experience with the once-in-a-lifetime Field of Light art installation. With the 50,000 soft lights of the Field of Light covering the desert floor behind you, you’ll enjoy a mouth-watering 3-course buffet menu before you're invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light. It’s pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light that beckon you to explore.
Art at Ayers Rock
In the coming months, Ayers Rock Resort will feature a fascinating line-up of Indigenous Australian and Australian artists as part of its popular Artist-in-Residence program. Each month, the highly successful program features an artist and craftsperson to create art in situ at the Resort, as well as to exhibit and sell their work.
The line-up of artists for the rest of 2016 includes sought-after Indigenous artist Raymond Walters Japanangka, who will be in residence at Wintjiri Arts & Museum throughout September, and up and coming artists from the Indigenous art communities of Yuendumu and Utopia (1 July-31 August), and Ninuku (1-30 November).
Artist Raymond Walters JapanangkaMingkiri Arts and Craftworks, located near Desert Gardens Hotel, will feature a regular Craftsperson-in-Residence, including jeweler Suzette Watkins (15 June-30 July), whose work is inspired by the Australian landscape, colours and light; Patrick Ferguson (1-15 September), who creates stunning punu (wood) artifacts, and well-known silk artist Heather Duff (1-31 December). A Glass of Fire jewelry workshop is also on offer from 15 September-15 October.
Original Central Australian Indigenous art can be viewed and purchased at Ayers Rock Resort’s Wintjiri Arts & Museum near Emu Walk Apartments; Mingkiri Arts and Craftworks; the resort’s acclaimed Mulgara Gallery located at Sails in the Desert Hotel, and at the Indigenous Art Market at the Resort Town Square.
About Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) and operates Ayers Rock Resort on its behalf. The ILC is an agency designed to assist Aboriginal people with the acquisition and management of land.
Pictographs at UluruAs part of the acquisition of Ayers Rock Resort, the ILC established an Indigenous Training and Employment Strategy with the aim to employ one hundred Indigenous trainees at the Resort each year and to work towards fifty percent Indigenous employment by 2018. To help achieve this, the ILC established an Indigenous Engagement Team, responsible for the Indigenous Traineeship Program and working closely with Human Resources to provide specialist services in recruiting and retaining Indigenous people.
The National Indigenous Training Academy delivers accredited training to Ayers Rock Resort’s Indigenous trainees in partnership with William Angliss Institute and Charles Darwin University. At the end of March 2016 Ayers Rock Resort celebrated employment of 276 Indigenous staff, which includes 50 trainees, 226 employees including Real Jobs staff with a goal of 100 new employee placements by 2017.
See the Stars at Uluru by Night
Ayers Rock Resort
• Check out & book your experience
• Check out all the tour possibilities at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Yes, it is possible to explore the Australian Outback while being respectful of the Aboriginal people and their sacred landmarks.
Ayers Rock - Uluru - is one such area. Tourists typically want to climb to the top of the stunning landmark, even though the Anangu, the people of Australia's Western Desert, request that outsiders respect their ancestral lands. By booking your tour through the Ayers Rock Resort, you can experience the magic of the desert landscape without committing the sins of the obnoxious, self-serving tourist who doesn't care about the people who call the place home.
Uluru - Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock Resort
Ayers Rock Resort lies at the gateway to Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory. The Resort lies hidden from view to those visiting the National Park precinct. Everything about the Resort reflects sensitivity to the environment and respect for the area's traditional Aboriginal owners. Huge sails provide shade, solar panels generate power and native trees flourish throughout - the Resort is an architectural achievement.
The Resort provides a variety of accommodation options for every possible taste and budget - from the award winning 5-star Sails in the Desert Hotel, and modern Desert Gardens Hotel, to the self contained Emu Walk Apartments, the authentic Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge & Ayers Rock Campground, offering powered campsites and air conditioned cabins.
Ayers Rock ResortSounds of Silence ExperienceFROM $195 per adult
Entered into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, Sounds of Silence offers the best of the Red Centre distilled into four magical hours. An evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky.
Your Sounds of Silence experience begins with canapés and chilled sparkling wine served on a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table of fellow travelers for an unforgettable dining experience.
Our attentive staff will keep your glass full with a quality selection of Australian wine and beer while first course is served. As the night sky twinkles to life, help yourself to a bush tucker inspired buffet that incorporates native bush ingredients.
Settle back and listen to our resident star talker decode the southern night sky. Locate the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac, the Milky Way, as well as planets and galaxies that are visible due to the exceptional clarity of the atmosphere.
TIP For an unparalleled experience, upgrade your Sounds of Silence to ‘A Night at Field of Light’, combining the Sounds of Silence dinner experience with the once-in-a-lifetime Field of Light art installation. With the 50,000 soft lights of the Field of Light covering the desert floor behind you, you’ll enjoy a mouth-watering 3-course buffet menu before you're invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light. It’s pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light that beckon you to explore.
Art at Ayers Rock
In the coming months, Ayers Rock Resort will feature a fascinating line-up of Indigenous Australian and Australian artists as part of its popular Artist-in-Residence program. Each month, the highly successful program features an artist and craftsperson to create art in situ at the Resort, as well as to exhibit and sell their work.
The line-up of artists for the rest of 2016 includes sought-after Indigenous artist Raymond Walters Japanangka, who will be in residence at Wintjiri Arts & Museum throughout September, and up and coming artists from the Indigenous art communities of Yuendumu and Utopia (1 July-31 August), and Ninuku (1-30 November).
Artist Raymond Walters JapanangkaMingkiri Arts and Craftworks, located near Desert Gardens Hotel, will feature a regular Craftsperson-in-Residence, including jeweler Suzette Watkins (15 June-30 July), whose work is inspired by the Australian landscape, colours and light; Patrick Ferguson (1-15 September), who creates stunning punu (wood) artifacts, and well-known silk artist Heather Duff (1-31 December). A Glass of Fire jewelry workshop is also on offer from 15 September-15 October.Original Central Australian Indigenous art can be viewed and purchased at Ayers Rock Resort’s Wintjiri Arts & Museum near Emu Walk Apartments; Mingkiri Arts and Craftworks; the resort’s acclaimed Mulgara Gallery located at Sails in the Desert Hotel, and at the Indigenous Art Market at the Resort Town Square.
About Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) and operates Ayers Rock Resort on its behalf. The ILC is an agency designed to assist Aboriginal people with the acquisition and management of land.
Pictographs at UluruAs part of the acquisition of Ayers Rock Resort, the ILC established an Indigenous Training and Employment Strategy with the aim to employ one hundred Indigenous trainees at the Resort each year and to work towards fifty percent Indigenous employment by 2018. To help achieve this, the ILC established an Indigenous Engagement Team, responsible for the Indigenous Traineeship Program and working closely with Human Resources to provide specialist services in recruiting and retaining Indigenous people.The National Indigenous Training Academy delivers accredited training to Ayers Rock Resort’s Indigenous trainees in partnership with William Angliss Institute and Charles Darwin University. At the end of March 2016 Ayers Rock Resort celebrated employment of 276 Indigenous staff, which includes 50 trainees, 226 employees including Real Jobs staff with a goal of 100 new employee placements by 2017.
July 24, 2016
Jazz Musician & Composer Ivan Mazuze: Straddling the globe with a saxophone
Jazz Musician & Composer Ivan Mazuze
Straddling the globe with a saxophone
• Listen to his music on Spotify
• Buy his music on iTunes
I had the opportunity to hear Ivan Mazuze play recently at the Hamilton World Music Festival and hang with him for a couple of days in the sun.
In performance, he was loose and fluid with only two short rehearsals with his backup band (the stellar Jay Danley Ethio Jazz Project of Toronto) and in spite of a couple of glitches with the sound system. In a panel discussion I was fortunate enough to be a part of, he was eloquent and articulate on the art of juggling African and Nordic jazz and his roles as a musician and ambassador for Norwegian music.
Ivan MazuzeAbout Ivan
Ivan began his musical studies in Mozambique at the National Music School in 1987 with piano as first instrument. After 8 years of classical piano training Mazuze joined the woodwind section of the same school with a focus on improvisation. After finishing the basic elementary music school, Mazuze continued his studies at the Department of Jazz and Ethnomusicology at the University of Cape Town.
Ivan has performed with a wide variety of South African and Mozambica artists, including Tucan Tucan, Mingas, Bill Prince, Wazimbo, Jimmy Dludlu, Loading Zone and many others.
Ivan MazuzeHe is currently music instructor (woodwind instruments) for Oslo - Music and Cultural School in Norway and contributing artistic mentor for the International Jazz Day celebrations in Oslo, Norway. Since 2015 Mazuze seats as a board member national and international folk music, joik and folk dance, Rikscenen - Norway.
Additionally Mazuze was the driving force behind the implementation of the International Jazz Day in his home country, Mozambique with its very first edition in 2015. More recently, Mazuze is the musical leader together with Unni Løvlid for the program Talent 2016 at the Førdefestivalen in Norway.
The CDs
I decided to check out his three releases to get a better grip on his music. Ivan writes the majority of the material on his CDs, with a few co-written songs in each album.
MAGANDA (2009)
Recorded in South Africa in 2008, Maganda is Ivan's first full length release - and the word Maganda is his traditional name. In it, he seamlessly draws from traditional Mozambican musical genres like maskandi and marrabenta along with Western and Latin jazz idioms, offering textural complexity along with a driving groove.
The release is characterized by standard jazz idioms with a lively energy, with Ivan's fluid sax singing above it all. There's a nicely lush sense of instrumentation, including prominent keyboards on some tracks, liquid gold jazz guitar and a busy drummer. The release features titles in Mozambican languages, Portuguese and English and some tracks include vocals African style female chorus. Piece of Peace - the only song that uses Western jazz idioms/melody - features male and female vocals and philosophical lyrics. In Going Home, Ivan picks up the flute in a plaintive melody against Southern African rhythms.
It's a very accomplished first release in the African jazz canon.
NDZUTI (2012)
Released in 2012 after he got to Norway, in Ndzuti Ivan's music takes on a variety of global influences with the addition of Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and Ivoirian vocalist Manou Gallo. Also prominent is percussionist Sidiki Camara of Mali in a kind of Pan-African contingent with Cuban vibes.
The music is much more global in feel from the very first track. Ivan's skills on the flute are more in evidence on this release. He plays flute, soprano and tenor sax and sings - it's a dizzying, kinetic whirl of music.
In Celina, the sax takes the vocal line against a syncopated polyrhythm. Pé Descalço is a track that occupies a more Western jazz mode, with the lyrics sung in Portuguese. Ivan's sax goes from a clear, golden tone to throaty and sexy, often trading back and forth with Manou's vocals. The Cuban influence is especially evident on Ritmo de la Vida, a lush, melodic track.
Ndzuti means "shadow" in Xichangana, an ancient Mozambican language, a title he feels reflects his heritage set against a modern perspective. As a whole, the release reveals a more developed personal style that reaches beyond his own influences with stylish results.
UBUNTU - 2015
Recorded in Norway, in this release Ivan's style takes on another influence - Norwegian or Nordic jazz. There's more of an emphasis on his virtuoso playing in a range of contexts.
Inta Mutlhangela is the languid first track, a favourite of mine. The CD feature distinctly Southern African influences in tracks like the title Ubuntu. Celebration features the West African balafone played by Sidiki Camara (of Mali,) beginning with a chant and West African polyrhythms, Ivan's sax floating above the layers of sonic texture.
In this release, the compositions and song structures are more complex, attuned to the contemporary jazz scene and featuring superb jazz percussion by Frank Paco. Water is a stand out track with a trippy vibe reminiscent of... water, Ivan's sax fluid and the melody pensive. The track takes a turn around the avant garde and comes back into lush melody.
Ivan has the confidence of a runner who can go at top speed if necessary but who knows the value of superb phrasing and tone.
He also appears on JazzCD.no – 7th set – a compilation of jazz from Norway 2016 produced by Norsk Jazzforum in close cooperation with The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Music Norway.
From his recent appearance at the Hamilton World Music Festival on July 17, 2016:
Straddling the globe with a saxophone
• Listen to his music on Spotify
• Buy his music on iTunes
I had the opportunity to hear Ivan Mazuze play recently at the Hamilton World Music Festival and hang with him for a couple of days in the sun.
In performance, he was loose and fluid with only two short rehearsals with his backup band (the stellar Jay Danley Ethio Jazz Project of Toronto) and in spite of a couple of glitches with the sound system. In a panel discussion I was fortunate enough to be a part of, he was eloquent and articulate on the art of juggling African and Nordic jazz and his roles as a musician and ambassador for Norwegian music.
Ivan MazuzeAbout IvanIvan began his musical studies in Mozambique at the National Music School in 1987 with piano as first instrument. After 8 years of classical piano training Mazuze joined the woodwind section of the same school with a focus on improvisation. After finishing the basic elementary music school, Mazuze continued his studies at the Department of Jazz and Ethnomusicology at the University of Cape Town.
Ivan has performed with a wide variety of South African and Mozambica artists, including Tucan Tucan, Mingas, Bill Prince, Wazimbo, Jimmy Dludlu, Loading Zone and many others.
Ivan MazuzeHe is currently music instructor (woodwind instruments) for Oslo - Music and Cultural School in Norway and contributing artistic mentor for the International Jazz Day celebrations in Oslo, Norway. Since 2015 Mazuze seats as a board member national and international folk music, joik and folk dance, Rikscenen - Norway.Additionally Mazuze was the driving force behind the implementation of the International Jazz Day in his home country, Mozambique with its very first edition in 2015. More recently, Mazuze is the musical leader together with Unni Løvlid for the program Talent 2016 at the Førdefestivalen in Norway.
The CDs
I decided to check out his three releases to get a better grip on his music. Ivan writes the majority of the material on his CDs, with a few co-written songs in each album.
MAGANDA (2009)Recorded in South Africa in 2008, Maganda is Ivan's first full length release - and the word Maganda is his traditional name. In it, he seamlessly draws from traditional Mozambican musical genres like maskandi and marrabenta along with Western and Latin jazz idioms, offering textural complexity along with a driving groove.
The release is characterized by standard jazz idioms with a lively energy, with Ivan's fluid sax singing above it all. There's a nicely lush sense of instrumentation, including prominent keyboards on some tracks, liquid gold jazz guitar and a busy drummer. The release features titles in Mozambican languages, Portuguese and English and some tracks include vocals African style female chorus. Piece of Peace - the only song that uses Western jazz idioms/melody - features male and female vocals and philosophical lyrics. In Going Home, Ivan picks up the flute in a plaintive melody against Southern African rhythms.
It's a very accomplished first release in the African jazz canon.
NDZUTI (2012)Released in 2012 after he got to Norway, in Ndzuti Ivan's music takes on a variety of global influences with the addition of Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and Ivoirian vocalist Manou Gallo. Also prominent is percussionist Sidiki Camara of Mali in a kind of Pan-African contingent with Cuban vibes.
The music is much more global in feel from the very first track. Ivan's skills on the flute are more in evidence on this release. He plays flute, soprano and tenor sax and sings - it's a dizzying, kinetic whirl of music.
In Celina, the sax takes the vocal line against a syncopated polyrhythm. Pé Descalço is a track that occupies a more Western jazz mode, with the lyrics sung in Portuguese. Ivan's sax goes from a clear, golden tone to throaty and sexy, often trading back and forth with Manou's vocals. The Cuban influence is especially evident on Ritmo de la Vida, a lush, melodic track.
Ndzuti means "shadow" in Xichangana, an ancient Mozambican language, a title he feels reflects his heritage set against a modern perspective. As a whole, the release reveals a more developed personal style that reaches beyond his own influences with stylish results.
UBUNTU - 2015Recorded in Norway, in this release Ivan's style takes on another influence - Norwegian or Nordic jazz. There's more of an emphasis on his virtuoso playing in a range of contexts.
Inta Mutlhangela is the languid first track, a favourite of mine. The CD feature distinctly Southern African influences in tracks like the title Ubuntu. Celebration features the West African balafone played by Sidiki Camara (of Mali,) beginning with a chant and West African polyrhythms, Ivan's sax floating above the layers of sonic texture.
In this release, the compositions and song structures are more complex, attuned to the contemporary jazz scene and featuring superb jazz percussion by Frank Paco. Water is a stand out track with a trippy vibe reminiscent of... water, Ivan's sax fluid and the melody pensive. The track takes a turn around the avant garde and comes back into lush melody.
Ivan has the confidence of a runner who can go at top speed if necessary but who knows the value of superb phrasing and tone.
He also appears on JazzCD.no – 7th set – a compilation of jazz from Norway 2016 produced by Norsk Jazzforum in close cooperation with The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Music Norway.
From his recent appearance at the Hamilton World Music Festival on July 17, 2016:
Book Review: Kwame Stephens The Prophet's Room and Other Modern African Stories
Book Review:
Kwame Stephens
The Prophet's Room and Other Modern African Stories
• Buy the book in digital or paperback on Amazon
Kwame Stephens is a Ghanaian/Canadian writer and this collection of ten stories set in his native Ghana. The first two stories were published in English Speaking Africa in the mid 1980's when Kwame began his writing career while the rest are more recent. Taken together, the collection covers a broad swath of contemporary African life from the crowded buses to a busy restaurant in Accra.
Kwame's style is straightforward and focuses on action and character. Like his writing style, the characters are fairly straightforward and not given to indulging in a lot of introspection. Instead, Kwame focuses on the actions and details that flesh out their lives and the Ghanaian landscape of rural and city life. There are female characters but these are largely the stories of men and the male gaze.
Collectively, the stories bring the complex fabric of modern African life to light. The characters navigate between Christianity and older African religions, between ex-patriots and those left behind. Christianity is a strong theme, with faith as something that can be well or badly placed. Christianity is a disappointment in The Road to Accra, the element that won't magically help you get the job, but offers hope in The Shadow of Death.
Some of the elements play out in terms of tensions and resolutions, There are ethnic tensions between Christians and Muslims. There are the inevitable tensions between ex-patriot Africans in a new way of life and those who stayed behind are revealed in Letters to Kasoa.
The stories touch on family life - the reverence for family as well as the sometimes callous indifference of those close to us. Other Duties is something of a morality fable about the boss's son and An Honourable Gentleman deals with an ostentatious businessman who beats his wife. The Prophet's Room, the titular story, deals with the realities of village life without passing judgement.
Kwame StephensThe last story is an excerpt from a soon to be released novel, an opening that sets up a romance brewing between a Ghanaian business woman and a Kenyan worker. The novel, Abena's Loves, is based on stageplay.
Plots don't follow a traditional arc of conflict and resolution - they are more slice of life tableaux that should be read together to follow the characters from funerals to family gatherings, restaurants to road trips in a modern African landscape.
Kwame Stephens
The Prophet's Room and Other Modern African Stories
• Buy the book in digital or paperback on Amazon
Kwame Stephens is a Ghanaian/Canadian writer and this collection of ten stories set in his native Ghana. The first two stories were published in English Speaking Africa in the mid 1980's when Kwame began his writing career while the rest are more recent. Taken together, the collection covers a broad swath of contemporary African life from the crowded buses to a busy restaurant in Accra.
Kwame's style is straightforward and focuses on action and character. Like his writing style, the characters are fairly straightforward and not given to indulging in a lot of introspection. Instead, Kwame focuses on the actions and details that flesh out their lives and the Ghanaian landscape of rural and city life. There are female characters but these are largely the stories of men and the male gaze.Collectively, the stories bring the complex fabric of modern African life to light. The characters navigate between Christianity and older African religions, between ex-patriots and those left behind. Christianity is a strong theme, with faith as something that can be well or badly placed. Christianity is a disappointment in The Road to Accra, the element that won't magically help you get the job, but offers hope in The Shadow of Death.
Some of the elements play out in terms of tensions and resolutions, There are ethnic tensions between Christians and Muslims. There are the inevitable tensions between ex-patriot Africans in a new way of life and those who stayed behind are revealed in Letters to Kasoa.
The stories touch on family life - the reverence for family as well as the sometimes callous indifference of those close to us. Other Duties is something of a morality fable about the boss's son and An Honourable Gentleman deals with an ostentatious businessman who beats his wife. The Prophet's Room, the titular story, deals with the realities of village life without passing judgement.
Kwame StephensThe last story is an excerpt from a soon to be released novel, an opening that sets up a romance brewing between a Ghanaian business woman and a Kenyan worker. The novel, Abena's Loves, is based on stageplay.Plots don't follow a traditional arc of conflict and resolution - they are more slice of life tableaux that should be read together to follow the characters from funerals to family gatherings, restaurants to road trips in a modern African landscape.
Book Review: Kwame Stephens The Prophet's Room and Modern African Other Stories
Book Review:
Kwame Stephens
The Prophet's Room and Other Modern African Stories
• Buy the book in digital or paperback on Amazon
Kwame Stephens is a Ghanaian/Canadian writer and this collection of ten stories set in his native Ghana. The first two stories were published in English Speaking Africa in the mid 1980's when Kwame began his writing career while the rest are more recent. Taken together, the collection covers a broad swath of contemporary African life from the crowded buses to a busy restaurant in Accra.
Kwame's style is straightforward and focuses on action and character. Like his writing style, the characters are fairly straightforward and not given to indulging in a lot of introspection. Instead, Kwame focuses on the actions and details that flesh out their lives and the Ghanaian landscape of rural and city life. There are female characters but these are largely the stories of men and the male gaze.
Collectively, the stories bring the complex fabric of modern African life to light. The characters navigate between Christianity and older African religions, between ex-patriots and those left behind. Christianity is a strong theme, with faith as something that can be well or badly placed. Christianity is a disappointment in The Road to Accra, the element that won't magically help you get the job, but offers hope in The Shadow of Death.
Some of the elements play out in terms of tensions and resolutions, There are ethnic tensions between Christians and Muslims. There are the inevitable tensions between ex-patriot Africans in a new way of life and those who stayed behind are revealed in Letters to Kasoa.
The stories touch on family life - the reverence for family as well as the sometimes callous indifference of those close to us. Other Duties is something of a morality fable about the boss's son and An Honourable Gentleman deals with an ostentatious businessman who beats his wife. The Prophet's Room, the titular story, deals with the realities of village life without passing judgement.
Kwame StephensThe last story is an excerpt from a soon to be released novel, an opening that sets up a romance brewing between a Ghanaian business woman and a Kenyan worker. The novel, Abena's Loves, is based on stageplay.
Plots don't follow a traditional arc of conflict and resolution - they are more slice of life tableaux that should be read together to follow the characters from funerals to family gatherings, restaurants to road trips in a modern African landscape.
Kwame Stephens
The Prophet's Room and Other Modern African Stories
• Buy the book in digital or paperback on Amazon
Kwame Stephens is a Ghanaian/Canadian writer and this collection of ten stories set in his native Ghana. The first two stories were published in English Speaking Africa in the mid 1980's when Kwame began his writing career while the rest are more recent. Taken together, the collection covers a broad swath of contemporary African life from the crowded buses to a busy restaurant in Accra.
Kwame's style is straightforward and focuses on action and character. Like his writing style, the characters are fairly straightforward and not given to indulging in a lot of introspection. Instead, Kwame focuses on the actions and details that flesh out their lives and the Ghanaian landscape of rural and city life. There are female characters but these are largely the stories of men and the male gaze.Collectively, the stories bring the complex fabric of modern African life to light. The characters navigate between Christianity and older African religions, between ex-patriots and those left behind. Christianity is a strong theme, with faith as something that can be well or badly placed. Christianity is a disappointment in The Road to Accra, the element that won't magically help you get the job, but offers hope in The Shadow of Death.
Some of the elements play out in terms of tensions and resolutions, There are ethnic tensions between Christians and Muslims. There are the inevitable tensions between ex-patriot Africans in a new way of life and those who stayed behind are revealed in Letters to Kasoa.
The stories touch on family life - the reverence for family as well as the sometimes callous indifference of those close to us. Other Duties is something of a morality fable about the boss's son and An Honourable Gentleman deals with an ostentatious businessman who beats his wife. The Prophet's Room, the titular story, deals with the realities of village life without passing judgement.
Kwame StephensThe last story is an excerpt from a soon to be released novel, an opening that sets up a romance brewing between a Ghanaian business woman and a Kenyan worker. The novel, Abena's Loves, is based on stageplay.Plots don't follow a traditional arc of conflict and resolution - they are more slice of life tableaux that should be read together to follow the characters from funerals to family gatherings, restaurants to road trips in a modern African landscape.
July 22, 2016
LA-Based Conceptual Artist Justin Michael Williams Releases Music Video For Debut Single 'Here With Me' & Free Download
From a media release:
LA-Based Conceptual Artist
Justin Michael Williams
Releases Visually Stunning Music Video For Debut Single
"Here With Me"
A dedication to those we've lost too soon - we love you, we'll never forget you.
• Free download of the song at the link
Three years ago, Justin Michael Williams sat next to his grandmother on her death bed in her final days of battling cancer as she asked him a question that changed his life forever. "If you were in my shoes and knew you were going to die in two months, what would you do?" Williams immediately responded with, "I would drop everything I'm doing and finally record an album."
Today, LA-based conceptual artist Justin Michael Williams releases his first music video "Here With Me" after transitioning from an 8-year career as an international yoga and meditation teacher to recording artist. Directed by Thor Wixom (Chris Brown, The Chainsmokers, G-Easy), 'Here With Me' is a captivating visual that seamlessly matches the feelings of pain and loss Williams' delivers in his heart-wrenching vocal performance.
Williams says, "The phrase that spawned the idea for this entire video was 'colors of my darkness.' When we look back on some of the most challenging moments in our lives, we see that they are what make us stronger. This video shows how we can make art out of our pain, transform from our struggles, and paint the world with the colors of our darkness."
The message of the track and video is reflective of our current social and political state. Williams explains, "The colored teardrops that overtake my entire body represent the pain we face in the world today. As as society, we are crying right now. The mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, the terrorist attacks that are taking place across the globe, gun violence, racism, loss, and the list goes on. We must dance in that fire."
If Maxwell, The Weeknd, Prince and James Blake had a music baby, it would be Justin Michael Williams. Williams is taking pop-infused R&B to a new level that is as inspiring as it is entertaining. "What inspires me most in life is watching people accomplish the impossible," says Williams, "If my music and words can inspire people to do the same, I've accomplished my mission."
"I've wanted to be an artist since I was a kid," shares Williams, "The first thing I remember is wanting to be a performer, but never fully stepped into it because I didn't think I was good enough." Now, as he prepares to release his first full-length album, Justin Michael Williams has proven that he isn't just good enough...he's a bona fide supstar in the making.
Justin Michael Williams' debut album Metamorphosis will be released later this fall.
LA-Based Conceptual Artist
Justin Michael Williams
Releases Visually Stunning Music Video For Debut Single
"Here With Me"
A dedication to those we've lost too soon - we love you, we'll never forget you.
• Free download of the song at the link
Three years ago, Justin Michael Williams sat next to his grandmother on her death bed in her final days of battling cancer as she asked him a question that changed his life forever. "If you were in my shoes and knew you were going to die in two months, what would you do?" Williams immediately responded with, "I would drop everything I'm doing and finally record an album."
Today, LA-based conceptual artist Justin Michael Williams releases his first music video "Here With Me" after transitioning from an 8-year career as an international yoga and meditation teacher to recording artist. Directed by Thor Wixom (Chris Brown, The Chainsmokers, G-Easy), 'Here With Me' is a captivating visual that seamlessly matches the feelings of pain and loss Williams' delivers in his heart-wrenching vocal performance.
Williams says, "The phrase that spawned the idea for this entire video was 'colors of my darkness.' When we look back on some of the most challenging moments in our lives, we see that they are what make us stronger. This video shows how we can make art out of our pain, transform from our struggles, and paint the world with the colors of our darkness."
The message of the track and video is reflective of our current social and political state. Williams explains, "The colored teardrops that overtake my entire body represent the pain we face in the world today. As as society, we are crying right now. The mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, the terrorist attacks that are taking place across the globe, gun violence, racism, loss, and the list goes on. We must dance in that fire."
If Maxwell, The Weeknd, Prince and James Blake had a music baby, it would be Justin Michael Williams. Williams is taking pop-infused R&B to a new level that is as inspiring as it is entertaining. "What inspires me most in life is watching people accomplish the impossible," says Williams, "If my music and words can inspire people to do the same, I've accomplished my mission."
"I've wanted to be an artist since I was a kid," shares Williams, "The first thing I remember is wanting to be a performer, but never fully stepped into it because I didn't think I was good enough." Now, as he prepares to release his first full-length album, Justin Michael Williams has proven that he isn't just good enough...he's a bona fide supstar in the making.
Justin Michael Williams' debut album Metamorphosis will be released later this fall.
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