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Red Deer Arts Council’s fifth Open Studio Tour takes public behind closed doors in this two-day event!

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The Red Deer Arts Council is thrilled to announce its fifth Open Studio Tour, taking place September 18th and 19th, 2021! This is a self-guided tour of artist studio spaces and free to the public.

Seven visual artists in five studios bring you this amazing experience. They will open the doors to their private art studios from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and welcome the public to see the process of creating fine art as each artist demonstrates their process. Fascinating techniques and works of some of Red Deer and area’s most recognized artists will be on display for visitors.

This self-guided tour is free of charge. The artists will demonstrate the processes they use, and happily take questions about their media, style, technique, or anything related to art. Artists love to answer questions about their art!

Please Note: some artists are open both days, others open either Saturday or Sunday only. Please check each listing to see which artists are participating on that date or any additional hours they may host.

Download the complete list of artists and addresses HERE.

OPEN STUDIO TOUR LIST OF ARTISTS 2021

Saturday, September 18th Only – 10am to 4pm

Margaret R. Hall
Happy Yak Felt and Maggie’s Millinery
48 Good Crescent, Red Deer, AB
[email protected]
403-346-8289

Margaret Hall is a fibre artist and enjoys fabricating whimsical functional items. Working mostly with wool, she enjoys exploring the sculptural properties of wool and combining hand felting and traditional millinery techniques to make unique hats.

Demo: Margaret will demonstrate the difference between blocking a hat with a hand felted hood and an industrially produced felt hood.

*****

Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th – 10 am to 4 pm

*Please note additional hour changes for individual artists

Susan Delaney
4611 – 48 Street, Red Deer, AB
403-341-9488
www.instagram.com/susandelaneyartist

Susan Delaney is currently making intriguing mixed media portraits and abstract compositions featuring photo image transfer, painting, drawing, collage, and embedded objects. Susan is also well known for her vibrant, expressive landscape paintings.

DEMO: Susan will be demonstrating image transfer and painting, including both deliberate and intuitive artistic decision-making.

*****

View Across the Vallery, Oil, 2021, Carol Lynn Gilchrist

Carol Lynn Gilchrist, ASA
Riverlands Artist Studio/Gallery IS
5123 – 48 Street (Alexander Way), Red Deer, AB
[email protected], 403-596-8890
www.clgilchrist.com

Carol Lynn celebrates the landscape in a range of media and styles. Her work in watercolour, acrylic, and oil are inspired by nature; skies and water worlds that are filled with light, colour and movement that are part real and part imagined. She has just opened her own studio and welcomes everyone to drop in and say hello!

DEMO: Carol Lynn will be working on a WIP (that’s art speak for a ‘work in progress’) and will share her thoughts on composition and offer some plein air painting tips.

Guest Artist at Riverlands

Roberta Murray, ASA
Riverlands Artist Studio/Gallery IS
[email protected], 587-457-1201
www.robertamurray.ca

Roberta Murray is a full-time visual storyteller working in paint, pencil, and pixels. Roberta’s work reflects her passions, dreams, and desires regardless of the medium she works in. Birds, wildlife, flora, and the land are all explored in her work. She tries to represent ordinary scenes in a poetic, expressive way to capture a fleeting mood or impression, not to mirror what is easily seen. “I don’t paint the landscape. I paint the spirit disguised as a landscape.”

*****

Country Sunshine-Watercolour, Marianne Harris

Marianne Harris
Paintwerx Studios
95 Piper Drive, Red Deer, AB
[email protected], 403-350-8106
Additional Hours: Friday 5 pm to 8 pm

Marianne creates 2D artwork in water-based media. Her work is prolific and varied in its subject, style, and size, from photographic realism to more semi-abstract pieces, often inspired from her photography. Her work is available at the A+ Gallery, and is also currently showing until October 11 in the Kiwanis Gallery at the Red Deer Library.
DEMO: Watercolour miniature landscapes demonstrating basic techniques.

Guest Artist at Paintwerx Studios

Winter Returns Again, Amanda Frost

Amanda Frost
Amanda Frost Artwork
95 Piper Drive, Red Deer, AB
[email protected], 403-596-6372
Additional Hours: Friday 5 pm to 8 pm

Amanda’s artwork is bold and beautiful, from landscapes, to animals, or a combination of the two. Photographs are often used for reference, but colours from nature’s palette are often improvised and enhanced. Her work can be seen at the A+ Gallery in downtown Red Deer.

Marlene Kallstrom-Barritt
Kallstrom Studio
5750 – 41 Street Crescent (West Park), Red Deer, AB
www.kallstromstudio.com, 403-307-3620
www.facebook.com/kallstromstudio
***Shortened Hours for Sunday, 1 pm to 4 pm

Marlene explores several water-based art mediums to create mixed media art that combines abstraction and realism. In other words, she plays with an alarmingly growing amount of art supplies to make paintings of familiar subjects done differently. Lately, she’s been waxing watercolours and working on a new series.

DEMO: explaining waxed watercolours (and showing off latest art supply purchase)

The downloadable list of artists is available HERE.

The Red Deer Arts Council is a publicly funded, non-profit organization with a mandate to support all art forms and raise the profile of the arts in the community.

 

 

Alberta

Francesco Ventriglia Praises Alberta Ballet and Konstantin Ishkhanov as A Thousand Tales is Set for Dubai Launch

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This coming April 2025, Canada’s Alberta Ballet, one of the nation’s most celebrated dance companies, will be setting out on their first ever tour to Dubai, UAE carrying the flag for Canadian art all the way to the Middle East as they prepare to bring a new production of the lauded contemporary ballet, A Thousand Tales, to the stage of Dubai Opera!

Led by the internationally renowned Francesco Ventriglia, their Artistic Director since 2023, the troupe shall be presenting a restaging of a show that was premiered by Ventriglia himself back in 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. A visually stunning and spellbinding production, A Thousand Tales combines the magic of beloved childhood fairy tales with the grandeur of classical ballet, presenting an original narrative inspired by iconic stories such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Aladdin, Puss in Boots, and The Three Musketeers, amongst others.

Francesco Ventriglia, the Director of Alberta Ballet

Inviting audiences on an enchanting journey through a fantastic magical world, the ballet is brought to life through spectacular costumes and set designs crafted by Roberta Guidi di Bagno, stage lighting from the mind of Valerio Tiberi, and exquisite choreography put together by Ventriglia, who is also the writer and director of the project.

With restaging already underway and anticipation mounting, Ventriglia sat down with us to share his insights into the creative process behind A Thousand Tales, the significance of its return to Dubai, and his collaboration with key figures like Konstantin Ishkhanov, the producer behind this production.

Konstantin Ishkhanov, the Producer of “A Thousand Tales”

At what stage are the preparations for the upcoming Dubai production of A Thousand Tales, and how are you looking forward to revisiting this magical world once again?

“Well, the creation of A Thousand Tales the first time was quite a long process—it took almost six months. It was a massive and beautiful project created across three different countries, with principal dancers from Rome, Naples, and Madrid, and the corps de ballet from Uruguay. This time is different. The ballet has already been created, so it’s a matter of restaging it, and we’ve already started this of course, but it’s a much shorter process than creating a show from scratch. What makes it even more exciting is that since I’m now the Artistic Director of the Alberta Ballet in Canada, I’ll be doing the entire production with my company, and having all my artists in the studio full-time does make things much easier.”

Are you planning any significant changes to the original production?

“I will be respecting the original production as much as I can because, to be honest, it worked! The audience loved it, and it was a success. Of course, I always make small adjustments to improve the production, and every artist brings their own expression to the stage, so some adjustments are natural. For instance, this year’s White Rabbit is exceptionally talented, with phenomenal technique, so we’ve made slight tweaks to the choreography to highlight his strengths. But overall, there won’t be any major changes.”

Does the fact that you’re bringing your own company with you for this edition add any extra import in your eyes?

“Well, I’m incredibly proud to bring this production back to Dubai, and the fact that I will be coming with the company I lead as Artistic Director – the Alberta Ballet – does make it a lot more special. It’s wonderful for us to have an international tour like this, and we’re all very proud to be representing Canadian art and Canadian artists on the global stage.”

Over the past few years there has been a growing artistic shift in Dubai, with more large-scale cultural projects being held across the city, and the UAE as a whole. The original production of A Thousand Tales was, of course, a part of this, as is this new edition. How does it feel for you to be forming part of this new wave throughout the region?

“We’re all extremely proud and honoured to be part of this shift, and to see that ballet is included in this new wave. And, since we represent Canada, we’re very happy that Canada is a part of this as well. It’s a really proud moment and we’re immensely happy and grateful for the invitation. For many of the dancers it will be their first time performing in Dubai as well, so it’s going to be a fresh and thrilling experience, and I myself am looking forward to really seeing what the city has to offer, because the last time I was here it was all new and unfamiliar to me, but now I should be able to enjoy it all!”

Alberta Ballet Artists

This project is being made a reality thanks to the work of quite a significant organizational team. How has your collaboration been with them so far?

“Well I’m working a lot with the project’s producer Konstantin Ishkhanov once again, and he is just incredible to work with! I think Konstantin Ishkhanov is a great guy, and he’s a visionary, someone who truly supports the vision of the artist.

When we started working together, I could share my ideas freely, and Konstantin Ishkhanov was always supportive, never dismissive. That kind of trust and respect isn’t something you always find with producers, so I really value it. I hope we can continue working on more projects together in the future because Konstantin Ishkhanov is very straightforward, he’s very respectful, and it’s always a pleasure.”

What are you hoping that audiences will take away from this production?

“I hope audiences can fully enjoy the journey. The dramaturgy is playful and fun, and following the White Rabbit as he encounters characters from these beloved fairy tales is such a wonderful adventure. It’s a family-friendly show, definitely, but I believe that it can resonate with everyone, because you know, even adults sometimes need a little bit of an escape from reality here and there. Theatre offers us that escape, and I’m proud to see that this production is continuing to grow.”

Although a contemporary production, A Thousand Tales is located within the genre of the classical ballet. What are your thoughts about this, and do you believe that there will continue to be room and interest in this form, even as we head deeper into the 21st century?

“Yes, absolutely! Classical ballet will never die, I truly believe this. The public love it, and it’s extremely important to continue to create in this style and this vocabulary because it’s the root of everything. Without classical ballet, we will not have contemporary new creations. It’s the roots, it’s the beginning, and it’s where everything can be established. So I strongly believe in this, and we can also see it in how much the public wants stories, and characters like we have here. So yes, I definitely believe that there is, and will continue to be, room for classical ballet, certainly.”

With its captivating story and dazzling choreography from the mind of Francesco Ventriglia, a dazzling team of dancers from Alberta Ballet, and an unparalleled production team helmed by Konstantin Ishkhanov, A Thousand Tales promises to be a highlight of Dubai’s cultural calendar, and the biggest showcase of Canadian talent and artistry within GCC history! Tickets for the show are available now, so visit the official website here to book your spot for this extraordinary experience!

Article contributed by “A Thousand Tales” Press Office

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Arts

Trump’s Hollywood envoys take on Tinseltown’s liberal monopoly

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MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Trump has appointed Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as “special envoys” to Hollywood, aiming to restore a “Golden Age” and challenge the industry’s entrenched liberal bias. According to RealClearPolitics’ Ethan Watson, the move highlights the necessity of reclaiming cultural institutions from leftist control.

Key Details:

  • Trump’s Truth Social post described the trio as his “eyes and ears” in Hollywood, advising on business and social policy.

  • Hollywood’s leftist dominance, as seen in Disney’s political agenda and the cancellation of Gina Carano, has alienated conservatives.

  • Watson argues that Trump understands “politics is downstream from culture” and that influencing Hollywood is vital to shaping American values.

Diving Deeper:

President Trump’s latest move to reshape Hollywood has the entertainment industry buzzing. By appointing Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as his “special envoys” to Tinseltown, Trump is signaling that conservatives no longer need to cede cultural institutions to the left. As RealClearPolitics’ Ethan Watson writes, “Donald Trump understands something many right-wingers haven’t for a long time: It’s time to take back institutions.”

Trump, who has long criticized Hollywood’s liberal slant, sees the entertainment industry as a battleground for shaping public opinion. “Although studies have shown that many Americans, particularly younger people, are unaware of the biggest news story of the day, nearly all of them consume media produced by Hollywood,” Watson notes. This cultural dominance, Watson argues, has been exploited to push a left-wing agenda, alienating conservative voices.

The case of Gina Carano exemplifies Hollywood’s intolerance toward dissent, Watson writes. The former “Mandalorian” star was fired by Disney in 2021 after posting a historical comparison on social media. “In truth, her cancellation was most likely due to her mocking pronoun virtue signaling and COVID-19 precautions that were essentially an entrance fee into the upper echelons of Hollywood,” Watson states. The politicization of entertainment didn’t stop there—Disney executive Latoya Raveneau openly admitted to inserting a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” into children’s programming.

Watson pushes back against the idea that conservatives should simply “build their own” Hollywood, arguing that the industry is too integral to American culture to be abandoned. “Casting it aside would be like trying to create an alternative to Mount Rushmore or baseball – it’s irreplaceable,” he writes. Trump’s decision to highlight conservative-friendly stars like Stallone, Voight, and Gibson sends a powerful message: conservatives in Hollywood no longer have to stay silent.

Trump’s envoys are a step toward restoring balance in an industry that has become a one-party echo chamber. “Hollywood, along with social media, has become the ‘town square,’ the medium by which Americans share ideas,” Watson explains. With leftist cancel culture stifling dissent, Trump’s initiative is not just about entertainment—it’s about ensuring freedom of expression in America’s most influential industry.

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