oMg – Le Corrid’Art/The Long Haul Montreal hosts the ‘M’ show

Oct 2, 2015, starting 6pm, your place to be is Parc Ex, people. The good folks at Le Corrid’Art / The Long Haul kick off the M show in their hallowed hall of creativity, and it’s not to be missed. If you haven’t visited Le Corrid’Art in Montreal, it’s time to go: it’s tough to find another site in the city that packs as much creative talent per square inch.

Le Corrid’Art/The Long Haul has tied their an annual fun-a-thon fundraiser for the past several years to the alphabet, and this year we arrive at the auspicious letter M: what other letter calls to mind so many profound associations? Majesty, marvel, might, munificence…macaque…I could go on. Instead, I’ll direct you to their press release for the upcoming show. So many reasons to go see this show, including the awesome Batman painting by Mary Hayes (the image of which I have shamelessly pilfered to include with this post). See below for the coordinates, and how you can help support Le Corrid’Art/The Long Haul:

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL – The “M” Show: Parc Ex’s artist collective celebrates 14 years of creativity with an art auction and fundraising event.THE M SHOW – Silent art action / fund raising event

Vernissage: Friday, OCTOBER 2rd, 2015, 6 PM – LATE. 450 Beaumont ave, 2nd floor, MTL

Auction begins at 6 pm and closes at 8 pm sharp. Party will go on til late with good tunes and booze.

Musical guest: MAERIN

Raffle tickets for sale, and prizes from local businesses to be won! (ALDO shoes , Omer DeSerres, Resto’s Bazalli, Santa Barbara, Laika, Magpie Pizza, Monastiraki and many more)

The Long Haul – Le Corrid’art artist collective is kicking off the season with its annual art auction and fundraising party. 30 artists showcasing an eclectic array affordable art plus special musical guest Maerin, and 1000$ worth of raffle prizes. All taking place in a unique, welcoming and kid friendly venue. Celebrate 14 years of keeping studio spaces affordable for emerging and established visual artists!

“Batman”, Painting by Mary Hayes

Journées de la culture this weekend!

Another bonus of moving into my new studio space when I did is the chance to participate with Julia and Carolina in an open house for les Journées de la culture this Friday, September 26! Les Journées de la culture is a fantastic annual cultural festival in Quebec: every September since 1997, hundreds of artists, performers, artisans, cultural organizations, and an army of volunteers across the whole province host a huge variety of FREE cultural events for the public during the last weekend of the month. From visual arts to circus activities to theatre performances to dance to slam poetry to – well, you name it, really – les Journées de la culture aim to raise awareness about the importance and the need for greater access to arts and culture for all citizens in over 300 communities in Québec. Last year, there were over 3000 FREE activities and events across the province, and this year will offer no less.

Highlights in Montreal this weekend will for sure be at 4710 St-Ambroise in St-Henri! On Friday, stop by our open house to see me, Julia, and Carolina in our space on the third floor, from 10 until 17:30: http://www.journeesdelaculture.qc.ca/activity/12377/studio-open-house-4.html . When you’re here, you’ll have the chance to help create an incredible dress, as part of Carolina’s ongoing Native Immigrant series: http://www.journeesdelaculture.qc.ca/activity/12409/dress-making-activity.html . There are loads of other activities happening in the building, too, so a major art crawl is in store at the St-Ambroise building this weekend! See you in studio #336!

 

Supporting new familes: The New Mom Project

Ooh Baby! New Mom Project fundraiser Sept 20

Even in the best of circumstances, it seems that raising a child really does take a village – so imagine the incredible challenge when new parents lack the resources to provide even the basic necessities to care for a baby. Community organizations and initiatives like The New Mom Project, a fantastic volunteer group out of Toronto, play a vital role in addressing this challenge and making a real difference in the lives of new families: by providing basic baby supplies received through donations of gently used or new items, The New Mom Project helps to get families with limited resources off to a great and loving start. In the words of the organization’s founders: “We are trying to fill a void that has become noticeable to all involved. There are women that are starting their new lives as mothers without the basic necessities to care for a baby. This is not acceptable in a city like Toronto in the year 2014 and we decided to do something about it.”

This Saturday, Sept. 20 in Toronto, don’t miss The New Mom Project’s event – Ooh Baby! – as your chance to help out, give back to community, and eat super yummy baked things! Head to Baby on the Hip on Queen East for their awesome September fundraiser that includes bake sale deliciousness and a raffle with great prizes from Peoples Jewellers, WeeUrban clothing, Starbucks goodies, and a pair of Baby Bespoke Booties custom designed by yours truly (I gussied up some high-quality black rubber Kamiks with a Japanese koi design in white for some stylin’ little toddler feet). Check it out!

New Studio!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I’m very happy to get back up on the horse this fall and begin a new posting season from my new studio space! I had the good fortune to be introduced to two incredibly talented artists during the summer who were looking for a third roomie in their St. Henri atelier. I now have the privilege of working alongside Julia Pomeroy and Carolina Echeverría, two fantastic Montreal-based artists whose works are beautiful and provocative – check out their websites to see their vibrant paintings: http://juliacpomeroy.com/ and http://carolinaecheverria.ca/. Plans are already in the works for a joint exhibition of our stuff in April 2015, so stay tuned.

Shot of my new studio

This space is terrific – inspiring paintings all around, a great big window beside my drawing table, a community of artists and craftspeople in the building, the E.K. Voland gallery on the first floor, and a tasty café with great coffee to boot. Love it.

April 10 – Bonne Fête ArtBomb Montreal!

April 10 marks the one year anniversary of ArtBomb in Montreal! Thanks to the amazing staff at ArtBomb, especially the incomparable artist and promoter Holly Friesen, Montreal artists have an incredible online platform to showcase their work worldwide. To celebrate the big day, come check out the ArtBomb talent on display at the E.K. Voland Gallery in St. Henri (4710 rue St. Ambroise, #100). The 2-week exhibition will kick off on April 10 with an Art Market bash, complete with wine, food, music, silent auction, and FREE ART — yes, FREE ART. Every guest at the Art Market bash will receive a wrapped, original 8×8″ artwork created by an ArtBomb artist – once inside the party, you can open up your surprise work, and either keep it or trade with another partygoer. Space is limited for this event, so get your tickets through Eventbrite here: http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/artbomb-art-marketplace-tickets-10823504393 And the requisite fb event: https://www.facebook.com/events/662090390520776/permalink/671401766256305/ If you can’t make it to opening night, be sure to stop by the E.K. Voland Gallery before April 28. Original artwork from over 70 artists will be on display, including 3 pieces by moi-même; below’s a sneak peek – hope you enjoy.

Quills (2014). Wood, oil paint, and glue on canvas, 7 x 10 x 1″ (unframed).

Osseous labyrinth study (2013). Conté crayon and pencil crayon on kraft paper, 11 x 17 x 1″ (framed)

Network (2014). Pencil crayon and gesso on paper, 9 x 12 x 1″ (framed).

 

New article on CurioCity: Where Science Matters

CurioCity: Where Science Matters

Keeping older kids engaged in science isn’t easy. Even though science is all about the world around us, many teens (and adults alike) often don’t see the relevance of scientific discoveries to our lives. Unless we can communicate the excitement and impact of research and discovery, attention spans for chemistry, biology, physics, and other fields risk falling to zero.
Enter CurioCity, a terrific tool in the scientific communications arsenal: CurioCity is a fantastic online forum that engages teens in discovering hot topics in science. An initiative of the award-winning educational outreach organization Let’s Talk Science, CurioCity offers articles, videos, and discussion groups as a way for young adults to learn about the science, engineering, and technology behind everyday life.
If you haven’t heard of CurioCity or Let’s Talk Science, have a tour by clicking here and here. While you’re there, check out my recent article for CurioCity – a short piece on the mind-boggling world of behavioural epigenetics.

Inside Out: The Art of Vesna Jovanovic

Vesna Jovanovic, Sewing Button, 2013, 60″x80,” Ink, Graphite, and Gouache on Polypropylene

This article was published on the Art & Science Journal blog in January 2014. For a link to the post, click here. If you haven’t seen Art & Science Journal yet, go check it out – it’s a great demonstration of how the visual arts capture the wonder of science, and how science inspires innovative artwork.

The art of science is in full bloom in the multimedia drawings of Vesna Jovanovic. Jovanovic, a visual artist based in Chicago, creates mysterious and complex images in which human organs, plants, and other organic shapes emerge out of abstract inky pools. Invoking the phenomenon of pareidolia, or the perception of meaningful forms from random stimuli (think Rorschach blots), Jovanovic typically begins her drawings by spilling ink on various 2-D media, including paper and Yupo (a polypropylene-based paper). In response to the shapes created by the ink, she draws in new elements to create a detailed and cohesive composition: cilia-like hairs sprout from shadowy watermarks; intestine-like tubes snake around a rivulet of ink; dividing cells blossom out of blotchy, reddish stains.

Overall, Jovanovic’s work reflects her interest in the broader question of what it means to have a body in an age of dizzying technological advancement and scientific discovery. Her work is a striking montage of the physical and the ephemeral: far from traditional medical illustration, Jovanovic’s compositions are thoughtful and poetic reflections on our relationship with nature and the human form.

Given her background in both visual art and chemistry, Jovanovic’s fascination with the intersection of art and science seems a natural fit. In addition to informing her drawings, her interest in science has tinged other aspects of her work, including her photography and ceramics practices. Vesna Jovanovic is currently completing a residency at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. To see more of her work, go to her website , and her fascinating blog, Traces.

Art Bomb: the third and final act for 2013

Art Bomb Daily is featuring a third drawing of mine today: Rib Cage and Wing, an 11″ x 17″ drawing made with conté and pencil crayon on kraft paper, was inspired by two etchings I found in a first edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. My sincere thanks to Andrew Debicki for giving me these encyclopaedias, which are amazing cabinets of curiosities in their own right. Andrew is a brilliant stained glass artist whose work can be seen here: http://vitrauxboy.com/

Please check out Art Bomb for a daily dose of original artwork!

Rib Cage and Wing, 2013. Pencil crayon on kraft paper, 11″ x 17″.

Holiday Theatre for a Great Cause

It’s hard to believe it, but if the decorations in my local Pharmaprix are any indication, the holidays are nearly upon us. Although I’m usually a bit of a cynic around the holiday hoopla, I’ve found a great way to overcome this feeling – giving back to valuable causes and community organizations.
There’s no shortage of need, whether you’re looking close to home or overseas, and as a result, the choice of where to contribute your resources and energy can seem overwhelming. The importance of supporting the arts can get lost in this shuffle: when food, shelter, and warmth are in short supply, it can be hard to remember the value of culture and imagination for the human spirit. But as Henry James wrote, “It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.”
Dreaming, creativity, and joy are as necessary for the development of the soul as shelter and nourishment are to the care of the body. In the current economic climate, however, the opportunities for children to participate in the arts are dwindling. As a way of helping to stem this tide, my husband and I are participating in a fundraising production of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol for Geordie Productions, a Montreal-based theatre company that stages productions for children across the province. Now in its fourth decade, Geordie is a world-class organization that connects with over 45 000 kids every year through their travelling plays and theatre school. All proceeds from their annual staging of A Christmas Carol go directly to supporting Geordie’s incredible work throughout the year.
At the risk of lowering the quality of this production, we’re jumping on stage to fill the roles and Victorian costumes of Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig! Don’t miss this opportunity to see us at our hammy best, and support a terrific cause at the same time.The show is a limited run: only Dec. 12, 13, (evening shows) and Dec. 14 (matinée), and each staging will be followed by a cocktail dînatoire with open bar. Please check out Geordie’s website for more information, or contact me directly for more information (suz.hood@gmail.com). I can’t think of a better holiday gift to give than the means for a kid to dream, create, and be silly. Please join us in supporting this valuable cause!

To whet your appetite, check out this video of last year’s production! If you look closely, you can see Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig rocking out in the background ;).

Art Bomb, part II!

My map drawing, Osseous Labyrinths, will be featured on Art Bomb on Tuesday, Nov. 19! Please stop by the site, http://www.artbombdaily.com/, to check it out. Art Bomb is an amazing online auction site for new artwork curated from across Canada: it’s a fantastic way to get a daily dose of interesting work, and for artists, it’s a perfect forum to promote your stuff! Check out the information under the submit link for more details
To see the details and pricing for Osseous Labyrinths, click here.

Osseous Labyrinths, 34″ x 30″; pencil crayon on paper