Umbrella Summer 2023

What's Under the Umbrella?

o Luisé Cisneros

o Carl Weins

o Paco Luviano

Summer 2023

Janet Jarrell, Executive Director janet@quinteartscouncil.org

Kodie Trahan-Guay, Communications and Media Director kodie@quinteartscouncil.org

Matilda Aide, Program Director matilda@quinteartscouncil.org

Andrew Gray, Graphic Designer drewgraymatters@gmail.com

Kim Lidstone, Bookkeeper qac@quinteartscouncil.org

The Quinte Arts Council is a not-for-profit, charitable organization, registration number 107869448 RR 0001. Publications mail agreement number 40667523. Published by: The Quinte Arts Council, P.O. Box 22113 Belleville, Ont. K8N 2Z5.

Material may be reprinted only with permission. The information contained within is believed to be reliable, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. We do not assume responsibility for any errors and/or omissions related to submitted content.

The pages of Umbrellaare full of celebrations!

The QAC team continues to push boundaries in its effort to promote, support and advance the arts. We celebrated Loyalist College students in Television, Filmmaking and Digital Content Creation with our 2nd annual Docs, Dinner and Drinks. This event allows us to bring the work of these new generation artists to the community and to partner with one of the most important organizations in the Quinte region: Loyalist College. We thank President Mark Kirkpatrick for your dedication to education and investing in this community.

The QAC hosted Expressions, the biennial juried visual art show and sale, featuring the work of artists and artisans from throughout the Quinte region and surrounding area. Over 80 pieces from 54 artists working in a variety of media, including: painters, photographers, woodworkers, sculptors, textile artists,

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

folk artists and mixed media arts. This year, artists were tasked with applying the theme “Emergence” into their work.

The QAC team itself is growing. We welcome Matilda Aide to the team as Program Director. She graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design University with a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Advertising. We also welcome two students for the summer - Anissa Nielsen and Hannah MacEwan. Thank you to Canada Summer Jobs for their support.

Our arts education bursaries are one of the most important programs we facilitate annually. This year, seven bursaries were awarded to students graduating from secondary schools in the Quinte region who are studying the arts at a university or college. See pages 16 to 19.

The QAC recently held its Annual General Meeting in our new ‘cultural hub’ space. Reflecting on 2022, celebrating our successes and acknowledging challenges we continue to face. We are grateful that we were able to attend in person, while offering the AGM package online.

Digital transformation continues to evolve at the QAC - traffic on our new website grows as does the use of our ‘What’s On Quinte’ event application. We continue to provide virtual exhibitions, and streaming our podcast, Makin’StuffUp, allows us to reach a larger, even global audience, as we explore innovative ways of presenting art and culture.

We present to you Umbrella on Issuu. We have been using this platform for a few years now - and have come to rely on it for the increased engagement it provides and the ease of promoting our artists to a wider audience. Focusing on the digital platform will allow us to include even more artists, play audio and embed videos, elevating the reader experience.

Thank you to our volunteers, donors, patrons and sponsors - you support the artists in our community, making the Quinte area a vibrant destination!

QAC programs are funded in part by:

John M. & Bernice

Cover: Phil Norton Back: Rene Fisher

Janet Jarrell

Table of Contents

Message from the Chair + Contributors

Daniel Fobert, PrideandLoveintheCape

Luke Hendry

MESSAGE FROM CHAIR OF THE BOARD

The arts bring solace, healing, and hope to individuals and communities grappling with the uncertainties of our times. The creativity of our artists provides a much-needed escape from the realities of daily life, transporting us to new worlds and inviting us to feel deeply.

The Quinte Arts Council has been at the forefront of this movement, tirelessly advocating for the importance of funding the arts community. We have worked diligently to secure resources, build partnerships, and foster collaboration, recognizing that the arts are not a luxury, but an essential part of the fabric that binds us together.

The impact of our collective efforts can be seen as children discover the joy of self-expression through arts education programs, in our gallery space and masterclasses, in the pages of our Umbrella magazine, and in the podcasted stories that touch the hearts of audiences, offering a glimpse into the shared human experience.

Of course, none of our accomplishments would have been possible without the generosity and support of our funders and local partners. Their loyalty and financial contributions have been instrumental in allowing us to provide grants, programs, and resources to artists and organizations in need. We are deeply grateful for their belief in the power of the arts to create positive change and their willingness to invest in our shared future.

As we look to the future, let us reaffirm our promise to the arts community, recognizing that their impact reaches far beyond aesthetics. The arts are a catalyst for social change, a mirror that reflects our collective experiences, and a unifying force that celebrates our diversity.

And please, join us in our efforts as advocates for increased funding, as agents of change for artists, and as we continue to create spaces where creativity can thrive. Let us continue to ensure that diverse arts are accessible, valued, represented and cherished by this community.

CONTRIBUTORS

Andrea Kerr

Paul Kite

Drew Gray

Anissa Nielsen

Janet Jarrell

Kodie Trahan-Guay

Ardith Racey Greg Ceci Jennifer Shea

QAC welcomes Matilda Aide and summer students

Matilda Aide (she/her) grew

up in the beautiful oak hills just outside of Stirling. She attended Ontario College of Art and Design University earning a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Advertising and discovered a wonderful blend of creativity, innovation and communication. Since leaving OCADu Matilda has worked locally as a Marketing and HR Coordinator and most recently as a Marketing Strategist.

Now in her role here at the Quinte Arts Council as Program Director, Matilda will be bringing her creativity, marketing knowledge and passion for the community together and continue to celebrate the arts and culture of the Quinte Region.

Contact: matilda@quinteartscouncil.org

Through the Canada Summer Jobs Program, the QAC mentors the new generation with employment skills and training. Hannah MacEwen joined the team as the Social Media Community Manager, and Anissa Nielsen as the Special Events Coordinator.

MacEwen attends Trent University for a dual degree program that works towards a degree in English Literature and a Law degree from Swansea University in Wales. She is the current President of their Law and Arts Society and has taken on the task of highlighting their social media presence on campus.

Nielsen is going into her second year at Queen’s University, where she studies life sciences. She is part of the Quinte Symphony, where she plays violin. She has also been a part of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regional Chorus, St. Andrew’s Strings, Front Porch Shenanigans and co-founded Fridays For Future Quinte.

Anissa Nielsen

Hannah MacEwan

Matilda Aide

Phil Norton’s artist statement should be: If you live with curiosity and creativity your life will be the story and legacy you give to the world.

Since 1972, when Norton bought his first 35 mm SLR film camera, he has been a photographic artist. This led him to become a writer and, most of all, a listener, observer and storyteller. After getting his degree in environmental science, he embarked on his career as a newspaper and magazine journalist.

Describing it as ‘nerve-wracking or at times an adrenaline rush,’ Norton has covered many police and Indigenous standoffs and a nighttime ride-along with the US border patrol on the California Mexico border. Those were the days of manual cameras

with low sensitivity film in a low light situation. He ran with the federal law enforcement agents through cactus with only their flashlights and a light beaming from a helicopter hovering overhead.

In the early 2000’s Norton upgraded his skills and moved toward multimedia, studying web and graphic design at Concordia University. He furthered his studies merging still photography with audio and video - his favourite creative process for evoking emotion. Norton performed five times with a symphony orchestra in the United States. Each required months of learning the classical symphony score, producing a series of images with precise timings to accompany the music.

Always independent and learning something new, Norton took an online Masterclass on documentary filmmaking with Ken Burns, a smart phone webinar with a National Geographic photographer, and in March 2023, a news video bootcamp at the University of Oklahoma.

“My thinking times are my creative times. I find my creative mind needs freedom to wander. My many jobs have included farming, teaching,

newspaper editor, stock photography sales, lobbying for the minister of environment, writing on deadline, photographing models for tourism promotion, corporate conferences and leading small group photography adventures to every corner of North America. I have no regrets and look forward to new challenges. I will never retire.”

Phil Norton

Prince Edward County

Belleville Fine Arts

An Illustrator in Transition

After 34 years work

-ing full-time as a freelance illustrator, Belleville-based Carl Wiens is starting to transition into an exciting new phase of his creative life: He’s spending more time on his own artistic works that will be seen in area galleries.

In the early part of his career, Wiens was part of the design team for a number of companies in Toronto before becoming a freelancer. “When I started out, I worked with ink washes, brush and ink, and pen and ink,” he says. “I did a lot of black and white work, which is good to refine and define what you’re trying to portray.”

A relocation to Picton in 1992 changed his approach. “I was almost forced into working digitally so I could deliver my work by email. I started out doing work in (Adobe) Illustrator, which is vector-based

– simple and clean. I kind of obsess over line work and attention to detail, so I found that a friendly medium.”

Wiens often starts an illustration with pen and brush, then scans it, vectorizes it, and adds further elements digitally. The result is artwork that has a handdrawn feel, but with technical elements. “If you want to define my work, it’s carefully crafted, assembled, built. I really enjoy doing scientific subject matter, and technology has always been a big part of the work I cover.”

Wiens’ work includes illustrations for Sanford Innovation Review, New York Times, SubTerrain magazine, The Walrus magazine, and OnEarth magazine. More recently, his commission work has largely been for academic publications. This seems fitting in that one of his influencers is Rudolph

Zallinger, an Austrian-Russian artist and illustrator whose notable works include The Age of Reptiles mural at Yale University’s Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Glancing through Wiens’ online portfolio, you may be surprised to find a few cartoon-style images. When he was younger, he did a lot of cartooning work and even thought about pursuing it as a career. However, as a student at Western University, he was often asked to draw illustrations for the student newspaper. He enjoyed it and wanted to do more. A post-grad stint at the Ontario College of Art and Design was the last step before he began his career in illustration. He admits that he felt more confident entering a career in arts after his brother, Robert, pioneered the way as a sculptor and painter (Robert is based in Picton).

Wiens’ career accolades include having a painting published in American Illustration, a juried annual that’s highly recognized in the field. “It’s one of those life accomplishments, a real honour. It was a giant illustration (5x8 feet), but also a painting. I spent about three months working on it and it was quite challenging.” The painting was completed a couple of years ago, and it marked a point of departure for Wiens.

Since then, his Belleville home features not only an illustration space with desktop, laptop, drawing table, and reference books, but also a painting space (in part of the garage). Wiens divides his time between the two spaces but seems to be gravitating more often to the garage.

“I’ve always listened to other people and responded to their ideas. Now it’s my chance to take my own experiences and put those down in visual terms.”

www.carlwiens.com @carlwiens

https://quinteartscouncil.org/member/carl-wiens/

Don Fraser: The Sketch Hunter

By Paul Kite

The phrase 'the sketch

hunter’ was a term used by Robert Henri, an American artist and inspired educator from the early part of the last century and Don Fraser’s muse. Fraser would produce thousands of sketches, hundreds of paintings, hold dozens of

solo and group exhibitions, including an invitation to exhibit at an art museum in France for 4 months. Millions would view his work, albeit anonymously, when they watched the CBC, where he worked for three decades as a scenic painter.

Fraser was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1921. Later his family moved to the Muskoka area when Fraser attended high school in Bracebridge. Upon graduation he received a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art. Fraser’s teachers included John Alfsen, Yvonne McKague Housser, Manly MacDonald, and Group of Seven

member Franklin Carmichael, who would annoy Fraser with his habit of making marks over his student’s work. Fraser won the Governor General award of Excellence upon graduation. Following college he taught art, worked as a commercial artist, and accepted private commissions, especially portraits.

Sketching was a passion throughout his life. Pen, ink, sepia, charcoal, conté, whatever was at hand to draw and draw on. Fraser liked sketching rural and urban landscapes, life models at school, and patrons from the inner-city pubs like the Paramount and Waverly. He re-cycled many different materials for sketching, including the inside of his pants pocket once while on his way home on the streetcar. In 1955, Fraser joined the CBC as a scenic artist. At the CBC, he created small and large works, recreating Roman walls, forests, valleys, and even reproductions of Emily Carr’s work for a show about the famed artist. For three decades, until he retired in

1986, Fraser would paint TV sets by day and teach life drawing at Northern Secondary School in the evening. He also entertained his fellow CBC colleagues by sketching their portraits during breaks, producing several hundred by the end of his TV career.

For many years he taught at the Madoc Arts Center and the Schneider School of Fine Art in nearby Actinolite. Upon retiring he moved to Madoc where he and his wife Catherine became acquainted with the owner of a local art gallery who persuaded Fraser to let him exhibit his work. He would form friendships with many of the local artists with whom he would travel throughout the region, including Poul Thrane, Lucy Manley, Audrey Ross, and Ron Leonard. In the early 90’s, an art curator from La Rochelle, France, was so impressed by Fraser’s work that he invited him to attend and exhibit 70 of his paintings for 4 months at La Musée du Nouveau Monde in 1995.

Today, Fraser’s artwork is still in demand and although he would be pleased, it was never of great importance to him, it was simply about making art. Fraser passed away in 2003, finally succumbing to complications from his lifelong battle with diabetes.

Don Fraser Sketching Fine Arts

Art makes a full deck for Ryan Carde

By Kodie Trahan-Guay

R yan Carde, an emerging artist was born and raised in Napanee, a town with a thriving and growing art scene. Carde is an artist who uses the style of NeoExpressionism to express his innermost thoughts onto canvas.

Carde has been interested in art since a young age. He used it as a way to escape reality for a moment and to process his emotions. He took classes while in school but had a hard time sitting still long enough to pay attention.

“Art has always been in my life, but it wasn't till recently that I fully understood the beauty of it.” When the world stopped

due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carde was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and found out that his father had throat cancer. While this may have stopped some people, Carde says it actually helped him discover his calling and to push him out of his comfort zone.

“It's only been recently that I've discovered what I'm here for and I'm going to continue to push until my voice is heard.. art is my voice.”

Carde is also a musician, like his father who played many instruments and was in many bands but had a passion for drums. Carde plays the bass in Sonic Souvenir. He’s self taught and feels like he has more to learn but it’s a passion for him.

Napanee

“Art and Music still to this day are very important pieces to my daily activity. It's my therapy. When I paint or play music, for that tiny second all my fears fade away. I become lost in the moment, Both take me to a place mentally and spiritually! I'm at peace!!”

Neo-Expressionism is an art style that uses intense colours and dramatic figural forms and emotive subject matter. Carde loves how it creates a story for anyone to enjoy. It allows people to see things and open their minds to a new level. He tries to create a different story with each piece and wants everyone who views his work to question everything.

“My art is a symbol of issues we face today..and will continue to face: mental health, politics, media, drugs, spiritual awakening. Being able to open your eyes and see beyond what you are told, "We are like fish, trapped in a fishbowl, we cannot see beyond our own eyes" we are all lost beings we just need guidance.”

Carde says he’s always been scared to be himself and to open up but art is allowing him to push past his boundaries and to show the world what he is capable of. He wants to encourage other artists.

“Don't give up, keep going, battle every single day, never put yourself down. Stay focused..push yourself..... Remember we are all here to do something special, you just gotta find it.. stay positive and positive things will happen.”

Theatre

Fine Arts

Quinte Arts Council Bursaries

"What a year it has been!"

Gabrielle Faith Edwards is studying in the Acting for Camera and Voice program at Seneca College and was the recipient of a Quinte Arts Council Bursary (QAC) in 2022. “It was such a big help for me financially with my studies. My first year was quite the learning and growing experience.”

From learning skills such as dance, combat, emotional work, and on screen techniques, to being cast in a lead role in her first short film - ”my program also opened up so many opportunities for me outside of the classroom. I was able to start modeling for photography students, star in a short film and mini web series, broadcast and be a performer/dancer for different events. Most recently I was cast in two worldwide broadcast commercials that will be released this year! Thank you Quinte Arts Council for supporting my journey.”

Quinte Arts Council

Gabrielle Faith Edwards

Each year, the QAC awards six bursaries to students graduating from secondary schools in the Quinte region who are studying the arts at a university or college. This year the QAC added a seventh bursary for a student pursuing dance. We thank the Parrott Foundation, Elaine A Small, Tipper Financial, Shawn Newman and our patrons for supporting this bursary program.

The recipients are:

Chloe Burr graduated from Bayside Secondary School and will attend the OCAD University studying Photography.

Isaac Levy graduated from Centennial Secondary School and will be attending Carleton University for Architectural Design.

Lily Chapman graduated from Centennial Secondary School and will be continuing on to Queen’s University for a concurrent Bachelor’s of Music and Bachelor’s of Education.

Chloe Burr

Lily Chapman

Jake Harrison graduated from St. Paul Catholic Secondary School and will be attending Algonquin College to study Interactive Media Design.

Sophia Crawford-Kenney graduated from Centennial Secondary School and will be attending the University of Toronto/Sheridan College for Theatre and Drama Studies.

David Litke graduated from Prince Edward Collegiate Institute and will attend Sheridan College for Performing Arts with an ultimate goal of being in musical theatre.

The inaugural recipient of the Anita Binnie Award is Piper Orrick. Orrick most recently has been awarded the 2023 Sara Holton International Program scholarship to attend the Summer Intensive at the Royal Danish Ballet.

John M. & Bernice

PARROTT FOUNDATION

Quinte Arts Council

Jake Harrison

Sophia Crawford-Kenney

David Litke

Piper Orrick

The QAC Presents Expressions 2023

Expressions is a biennial juried

show by the Quinte Arts Council where submissions come in from the best of the best from across the Quinte region. Both emerging artists and established Quinte area artists participated. The jurors, Peta Hall (creator of Expressions in 1994) and Andrew Hamilton, deliberated for five hours on the submissions.

“Expressions brings out the best artists in the region.” says Janet Jarrell, Executive Director of the Quinte Arts Council. “In its very nature, emergence occurs when things are exposed after being concealed over a period of time. Spring can make us feel emergent. Coming out into the world after a pandemic makes us feel emergent. In all forms of art, emergence is used to explore something new, something creative. This year we had nearly 60 artists submit well over 100 pieces into the competition. It’s a full show and the pieces are incredibly varied from painting to photography, fibre art to chainsaw sculptures.”

Daniel Decouvreur, Emergence

Belleville

Daniel Decouvreur and his carving, “Emergence” Daniel Decouvreur and his carving, “Emergence”

The awards were presented May 25, 2023 at the opening reception.

The winners are:

1st place and a $1000 prize: Daniel Decouvreur and his carving “Emergence”

2nd place and a $500 prize: Julie Eckert and her photograph “Autumn Emergence”

Craft award $350 prize including a one year membership to Craft Ontario: Marta Mouka for “Maelstrom”

Expressions is generously supported by Barratt’s Office Pro and Quinn’s of Tweed.

Julie Eckert, Autumn Emergence

Quinte Arts Council

Marta Mouka, Maelstrom

Lorraine Mackie, Turqouise Dawn

Sarah Winn, Unwinding

Laura Brown Bowers, 1,2,3,4,-Shut the Door

Laura Brown Bowers, 1,2,3,4,-Shut the Door

Ann Fales, New Hope Every Year

Robert Rodney Brown, SodaPopLinen

Iryna Molodecky, Sunflower Soldier

Angela Jane, Lavender Aura

The power of inclusive language

By Janet Jarrell

Luisé Cisneros (ze, hir)

is a non-binary Mexican-Canadian artist born in Mexico City who resides in Belleville and Toronto, is earning a bachelor of fine arts degree in Sculpture and Installation at OCAD University.

The QAC team sat down with Cisneros to discuss an installation by hir at the QAC gallery and cultural hub. The installation was entitled “¿Cuano se Acaba?/When

is it Over? Part II.” Cisneros created it in the style of papel picado; a decorative art form popular in Mexico made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. Ze said the tissue paper symbolises “the fragility of a life and the fragility of the LGBTQ+ community.”

According to the LGTBQ+ Danger Index for 2022, Canada is ranked number one as the safest country for people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to live in and visit. Mexico ranks 50th on the danger index. Cisneros said the goal in crafting the installation was to draw upon Mexican imagery and culture, personal experience, and issues facing the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to raise awareness of those issues. “Mexico occupies second place in the world for the most homicides against trans or gender-diverse people. In Mexico, the LGBTQ+ community is protected by human rights bills, the constitution, and provincial policies – but the government hasn’t done a great job of implementing systems that change the way of thinking of the majority of society.” says Cisneros.

The installation was made entirely of red tissue paper (red representing blood and life), containing some violent imagery and slurs in multiple languages. In showing those words, said Cisneros, “I’m questioning what harms more: the physical acts or the words?”

Cisneros says that the thing about language is that you learn so much about people and culture. Spanish has two grammatical genders; just as words can be singular or plural, words are either masculine or feminine. “Language has always been a fascination for me,” says Cisneros.

The power and importance of inclusive language, especially within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, is one of the reasons Cisneros changed hir name. Luisa is feminine. Luis is masculine. Luisé is gender neutral. By adding the é (pronounced “eh”) or the x, as is sometimes the practice, it removes the gender from the noun. Another example is latina (f), latino (m), and latinx (neutral).

Noun genders “have connotations, something that I actually explore in my practice, the power of language… it has always been a fascination of mine, to learn about culture through language. I like that exploration; like, how does language affect you.”

Words with grammatical genders have different meanings in different cultures, and do not always translate to have the same meaning in another language. When we hear those words, we associate them with our own learned influences. Creating a neutral language challenges some of those old perceptions and how they control history. We can find weaknesses in society, something to improve on - we can learn from our mistakes.

Through hir art, Cisneros explores language, being an immigrant, being a non-binary person, and cultures both in Mexico and Canada. “When you travel to different places, you get to see the cracks - you see through those perspectives. They are difficult conversations to have when you criticise something [without creating damage]. A critique sometimes can hurt - from the hurt comes healingfrom the healing, it creates something new and better.”

A celebration of student documentaries

By Kodie Trahan-Guay

The Quinte Arts Cou-

ncil, in collaboration with Loyalist College, held the second annual Docs, Dinner & Drinks event in April.

This event is a fundraiser that showcases the works of talented students in the Loyalist College Television Filmmaking and Digital Content Creation program.

The films came together over five-weeks, which is incredibly fast for film production and were presented to a crowd of local dignitaries including Tweed Mayor Don Degenova, Deputy Mayor of Quinte West Duncan Armstrong, local filmmakers, Loyalist College faculty, and the arts community. The subjects of the films were also in attendance including

Matt Simpson, aka Jeebs, Diane Woodward, Victor Cooper, Steven Loney and Doug Comeau.

Paul Papdopoulos, QAC board member and Professor of Television, Filmmaking and Digital Content Creation at Loyalist College emceed the event and introduced Loyalist College President, Mark Kirkpatrick who opened the evening.

Justin Shalitis

Ella Chapman

Elliott Sheppard Cage King

We also heard from Kathleen Bazkur, Senior Dean, School of Media, Business & Access “Small College, great students with big impact! Your stories may start in this community, but don’t forget, they can have a worldwide impact.”

“It feels incredible to have your work shown to the community,” says Justin Shalitis, Director of The Right Side of Life. “You are able to get real feedback from the audience and are able to see how they respond to what you have created. This is very insightful to find out what works and what doesn't. It seemed like the crowd really enjoyed what I had to offer, which is an absolute pleasure.”

Cathryn Paul, Director of Drawn to Life expressed that having her work shown at the event confirmed for her that this is the path she is meant to be on.

“It feels amazing to share with the community something that I helped create. It definitely gives me more confidence in my abilities as a filmmaker, and it reaffirms that this is what I want to do in life.”

The Quinte region has a fast growing film and television industry. Located only two hours outside of Toronto and within a days drive of every major city on the Eastern Seaboard, the Quinte region is well positioned for this booming industry. The students in Filmmaking, Television & Digital Content Creation won’t have to look far in order to find career paths after graduation. Many of the student documentarians are returning to Loyalist College in the fall to take Advanced Filmmaking - Digital Content Creation, a one-year post graduate program.

“I plan to return to Loyalist to finish my studies in the Advanced Filmmaking program while doing what I can behind

the scenes for the community,” says Paige O'Brien, Editor of Written in Stone. “Whether that be YourTV Quinte or more, I don't plan to leave anytime soon.”

Film

Drawn to Life

Adam Miller

Cathryn Paul

Paige O'Brien

Written in Stone

No film too small for Forest City

By Kodie Trahan-Guay Belleville

F orest City Films

is a production company led by two Loyalist College graduates. Based out of Oshawa, they work across southern Ontario to generate creative assets for brands, helping them grow through branded content and commercials.

Founded by Brandon Zambonelli and Mauricio De Souza in 2020, they didn’t see the pandemic as a hurdle, they had been in the planning stages for a long time and wanted to become their own bosses. To them the pandemic showed that anything can survive if you have enough drive.

“We constantly use this as a reminder, even during a world pandemic,” says Zambonelli. “If you truly are passionate and love what you do, you can achieve any goals you set.”

“The pandemic really gave everyone an eye opener. For myself in an industry like sports and entertainment that you would have never imagined to shut down, took a huge pause and was completely halted,” says De Souza. “It made me realize that this was an opportunity to either relax and wait it out, or I could sit down and take the time to build this business that I was always too busy to bring to fruition.”

Zambonelli began creating content in high school with comtech projects and went on to create skits on Youtube. De Souza had an interest in how sports were broadcasted. A neighbour, whose brother was Maestro Fresh West, helped introduce him into the film and audio industry; from there he began working for Rogers TV and then with the Toronto Blue Jays, which helped open doors for him.

They both love creating. Zambonelli thinks of it as part of his identity.

“Being creative is what drives me as a person. Coming up with ideas in my head and putting them onto paper to ultimately create through film or video, has quickly become who I am as a human being.”

Filmmaking fuels creative connections and that’s something De Souza loves.

“I love building connections and working with other people to share knowledge and bring each other’s visions to reality. Working with different individ -

uals on new projects is super exciting and makes every day exciting and definitely keeps us on our toes with challenges we face.”

The Quinte region offers Forest City Films many opportunities for work. They’ve been working on creating tourism films to promote the area alongside Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board. They’ve also been filming a campaign for the Quinte Arts Council. Zambonelli has worked with Victor Cooper of Eighty Twenty Studios on Stoney Lonesome and with Brady Rogers and Ash Murrell, owners of Mind Fusion Visuals and AMP Visual Media.

Zambonelli believes the Quinte region is a great place to be if you’re looking to start filmmaking.

“Being in a smaller town allows you to be more noticeable as opposed to being in a much higher density area where there are 100 other companies. The Quinte region has so much to offer and we've been fortunate enough to not only graduate film school here but also return as professionals and use Quinte as a backdrop to some of our productions.”

Alexandra Schildknecht

Pride season is upon us!

Pride month serves as a platform for promoting self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility for 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. A time to embrace their identities, express their authentic selves, advocate for equal rights, and raise awareness about the challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

It is an opportunity to promote love, acceptance, and equality for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or

5th Annual Everyone Under the Rainbow

gender identity. This year marks the 5th annual Everyone Under the Rainbow show. The show is dedicated to celebrating everyone with a focus on those who identify as 2SLGTBQIA+. The show opened June 8th from 4-6 PM and was part of the arts walk in the Gallery District Downtown Belleville.

“The arts are for everyone. This is an inclusive show open to the entire community. It’s a time to celebrate identity and coming together,” says Janet Jarrell, Executive Director of the Quinte Arts Council. “The QAC Community Hub is a safe space for everyone to gather in order to enjoy arts and culture. We want everyone to know they can see themselves represented in our space and in our Umbrella magazine.”

The Bay of Quinte Pride theme for 2023 is “The Next Generation, Our Future” which is a way to let youth know that it’s ok to be their true selves. One of the artists participating in this year’s Everyone Under the Rainbow show, Bill Stearman, is a quiltmaker who has a series of gender neutral baby quilts (#ItsNotAboutTheirBits).

One of the quilts they have entered into Everyone Under the Rainbow represents the power people have to fight for their rights.

“As I observed the loss of what I see as basic human rights and freedoms south of the border, I became filled with terror at the thought that this trend might spread to Canada. In the midst of this feeling of terror, I watched a video of Patti Smith singing, PeopleHavethePower. This song reminded me that stopping the trend; protecting our Canadian values, is up to us all! We have the power. Let’s use it!”

Sarah Palmer, Coming Out

Quinte Arts Council

Larry Tayler, DefyingtheElements

Stearman has created Safe With Me, a program selling pins that allies can wear to demonstrate that they are safe people who will be ready to offer a safe space or help “step in to walk with us, or sit with us, or just be with us if necessary” Stearman hopes to donate the funds to a local charity.

Larry Tayler is another artist who is featured in the show. Earlier this year Tayler spoke at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Picton to present Jesus For the Embarrassed: A Queer-Eyed Journey Into Christianity. The presentation focused on Tayler’s journey with religion and trying to understand how some

people use religion as a means for hate instead of acceptance

Quinte Arts Council

Bev Shepherd, I'll Stand With You

Have Yourself a Whale of a Time

By Ardith Racey Trenton

If you are like the 18,000 people who visited the dinosaur exhibit last year at The Quinte Museum of Natural History, located in Trenton, Ontario, you may be wondering where the dinosaurs have gone, and why they’ve been replaced by whales. In fact, there’s been a merger, of sorts: the museum now boasts local fossils, T-Rex skeletons, and awe-inspiring, life-sized whale skeletons and bones.

The exhibits are organized in several spaces - the first area (it’s new) is called ‘Fossilized Quinte’ - a space for kids (and adults) to touch real rocks and fossils from the Quinte area, which also adds “an element of home,” says Deanna Way, Executive Director. “The museum also got to keep three T-Rex’s –two skulls and one juvenile full-size skeleton,” says Way. “This year, the focus of this mini exhibit is on T-Rex in film and how the science has changed.”

However, it’s Diving Deep: A Tale of Whales Though Time that is the signature exhibit for 2023. The first area explores the evolutionary journey of the whale, originally a land creature. Several of the smaller skeletons have legs and feet!

But it’s the ‘Modern Whale’ exhibit that is the star of the show. The large, cast skeletons of toothed and baling whales are truly majestic, and ‘two

Large, colourful text panels and storylines provide a wealth of information about whales, past and present.

real’ skeletons of an Orca and Sperm whale are also impressive (it’s the first time the museum has had authentic exhibits on display). The cast Humpback Whale skull is already a favourite spot for photo ops, given its massive size. Large, colourful text panels and storylines provide a wealth of information about whales, past and present.

In partnership with Research Casting International (RCI), a ‘pre-eminent Canadian dinosaur reconstruction and fossil casting company’, the museum showcases pieces which have been created next door, which is the case with the whale skeletons.

In addition to the amazing skeletons and information about whales, there’s a section devoted to conservation efforts, and a new kids’ area containing books, tables, pillows, and a ‘bone bench’. Way says this additional space has proven to be very popular with both parents and kids.

A Gift Shop has been added, too: you can now find museum t-shirts, and stunning whale figurines designed by artist Robin Ozard, and cast by RCI – perfect gifts for the whale enthusiast on your list.

Way says that the idea of focusing on whales “just kept popping up,” and so in collaboration with RCI, the exhibit was created. Last year, they had 3,000 people view the dinosaur exhibit in July and August (the museum has a cap of 40 people at a time), but it’s gaining momentum as a tourist destination, given tremendous community support and pride, as well as “really beefing up their marketing efforts,” says Way, who expects 22,000 visitors this year.

And if you’re wondering where the dinosaurs have gone, they are currently ‘on tour’ at Science North in Sudbury.

You can find more information about The Quinte Museum of Natural History and order tickets at quintemuseum.org

DIY

By Greg Ceci

Traditionally the music industry has required a record contract to sniff out any scent of success, but things change and now musicians must be the Jack-of-all-trades juggling songwriting, production, performances, bookings, business and promotions. Emerging songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mason Forsey-Mackinnon is already releasing music, performing as much as possible and engaging in radio interviews.

Forsey-Mackinnon has established himself as a staple in the Belleville/Kingston music scenes while attending St. Lawrence College for Music and Digital Media. He says, “So far I’ve learned a lot - I believe by the end, I’ll be a lot more self-sufficient” Forsey-Mackinnon caught the bug listening to tunes in the car on family excursions. Then, at the age of ten, life turned upside-down when his parents divorced.

Grandparents Rick and Penny were instrumental in the transition and were the solid support system vital for a young artist to flourish. “Family has been extremely supportive in my pursuit of music. My grandparents have only missed a few performances and have helped with transportation. Both of my parents are super supportive, as well as my girlfriend and her family.”

He began his journey by beatboxing in grade six, playing in a band in grade seven and emerging as a guitar player in grade eight, rocking an AC/DC medley at a school talent show. Mason recalls, “Guitar became my new reputation and it felt great!”

kind of guy

Belleville

“The idea of being self-sufficient and being able to do that to such a high degree pushed me to learn more than just the guitar and voice.”

Thereafter, he was inspired by an album that Dave Grohl (drummer and co-founder of the Foo Fighters) wrote, recorded and played most of the instruments. That was all the spark Forsey-Mackinnon needed, “The idea of being self-sufficient and being able to do that to such a high degree pushed me to learn more than just the guitar and voice.”

His foray into songwriting began early and he admits the first songs were rough, but with determination and hard work, Forsey-Mackinnon has fast become a seasoned songwriter, earning the respect of the elder tunesmiths in the region. He describes his greatest musical achievement, “Finding comfort in my own voice and finding my sound - over the past few years I've settled into something that I can describe as my own evolving sound.”

Forsey-Mackinnon has also been taking note of what other musicians and songwriters are doing. Thankful for all the opportunities to cut his teeth at open mics and music events, Forsey-Mackinnon adds, “Notable people that were supportive from the start of my journey were Randy Stewart, Norma Jeanne Laurette and Greg Ceci.”

Keep your eye on this talented, thoughtful, soft-spoken young man as he releases more of his music and eventually embarks on his Canadian tour. Follow his socials to keep up. Lastly, Forsey-Mackinnon offers some sagacious advice to young musicians, “Practice a lot, keep working at it, play live, write a lot and

know that most of it at the start won’t be perfect. Through doing it you will find what you like.”know that most of it at the start won’t be perfect. Through doing it you will find what you like.”

Music

Like father like son

By Greg Ceci

Some are born into

their passions and others plain work their tails off. For world class musician Paco Luviano, it's both. Son of the celebrated Mexican musician Macario Luviano, Luviano and his siblings were reared in a household alive with music. His father was a multi-instrumentalist, performer, arranger, bandleader and most importantly, his main mentor.

Raised in a home with a built-in music studio crammed full with numerous instruments, Luviano had the freedom and opportunity to explore the song in his soul before opting on bass as his principal instrument of expression. Luviano notes, “Living in a musician’s home gives you the option to choose that path if you want. There was music every day in my house; my dad was either listening to music, practicing, or lifting music for his bands. We were exposed at an

early age not only to music listening, but also to an array of well-known Latin American artists coming to our house.” Luviano started on drums at four years old and began formal piano lessons around

Stirling

eventually landed in Canada for more formal training with world renowned Oscar Peterson bass player Dave Young, who became another influential mentor. Primarily an upright player, the master once asked the student to show him how to slap on an electric bass. As he demonstrated the basic technique, Luviano recalls thinking, “I can’t believe I am actually doing this.”

nine. By seventeen, he played bass on his Dad's album Macario en su Salsa and at twenty-one, Luviano's mother was instrumental in his venture for new opportunities in the US. Luviano

Luviano has performed and/or recorded with a ton of musicians from all over the globe including, Frankie Vallie, Devine Brown, Liona Boyd, Randy Brecker, Al DiMiola, Steve Morse, John Scofield, Hendrik Meurkens and an impressive list of global musicians from the US, Brazil, Iran, Algeria, Cuba, and Canada.

Drawing upon his vast experience and past mentors, Luviano offers this advice for his students and other aspiring mu-

Luviano eventually landed in Canada for more formal training with world renowned Oscar Peterson bass player Dave Young

sicians, “Get a good musical education and be open-minded to all styles of music. Learn about music production. These days we must know how to record at home.”

When asked about his philosophical and ideological views on music he said, “Always enjoy your performance, avoid doing things that don’t make you musically happy and get involved in the music you are playing.”

When queried specifically about the bass, he gave this sage advice, “Be honest to the groove and find your sonic space in the ensemble no matter what the size, instrumentation, or style.”

Some career highlights include playing the main stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival, winning Prix Du Jazz in 2001, recording with Liona Boyd and playing with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine as well as Cuban Maestros Hilario Duran and Ignacio Berroa.

Station Roads Art Collective – Featuring Roamin’ Theatre Roulant

By Jennifer Shea

C onrad Beaubien

has a way with words and a sharp artistic vision. John Burns has a way with theatrical production and direction. Together, this dynamic duo founded Station Road Arts Collective, a theatre company in Prince Edward County.

Wellington-based Burns was a drama teacher for 30 years. He also co-founded both The County Theatre Company and, later, the Festival Players of Prince Edward County (now County Stage Company). Beaubien’s background is in film, music, and visual arts. He resides in Hillier, and Thunder, the “people-whispering” donkey and Station Arts mascot, lives in Bloomfield.

Beaubien and Burns met at a County social event in 2010. When Burns heard that Beaubien had written an original play (Stringman), Burns asked him to send it over. The two met again over coffee at the Tall Poppy Café in Wellington and a decision was made to stage Beaubien’s play – at the café. They chatted

with the café owner and, as Burns puts it, “Within ten minutes, we had a date, a venue, and a play.” They were even given off-hours access to the café for rehearsals. Four performances were staged in February of the first year, and another four the following February.

“That first play established a style,” says Beaubien. “Number one: We do all original work. Number two: We like to work minimalist in terms of staging and communicating the story. We employ two or three actors and two musicians. It helps us a lot. We can work closely together.”

Burns and Beaubien continued offering original theatrical performances at various County venues for several years on a show-by-show basis. They managed to pull off professional theatre without losing money, thanks to the generosity of their patrons. Last spring, they formalized the structure and incorporated Station Road Arts Collective, enabling greater stability, oversight, and funding opportunities.

Prince Edward County

They are now staging their 5th collaborative production, Rosalia’s Piano, and they have more recently added a unique summer venue: A converted hay wagon (now a travelling playhouse) they call “Roamin’ Theatre Roulant.” This horse-drawn theatre-onwheels was Beaubien’s vision.

“I was driving along past a hay field and saw a hay wagon sitting there. I did a u-turn and walked into (the field). I thought, ‘This isn’t a hay wagon. It’s a rolling theatre.’ So, I bought it and had it delivered to a welding shop. I wanted the curved roof like a caravan. I also wanted the roof to be transparent for lighting. We put a new floor in and replaced the tires.”

They later added four-foot double doors on both front and back sides of the 18-foot-long wagon. A small stage was built to sit on the ground in front of the double-doors and the bed of the wagon acts as a second level.

Beaubien recalls a performance with the wagon at one of the County wineries. “We were doing a play and the sun was starting to set. We had the stage-side doors open. We decided to open the back doors, so the sun was setting (behind the actors) as the story went on.”

“It’s a delight to not only be doing original theatre but doing it in an original way,” says Beaubien. Burns comments that this is the way theatre was performed centuries ago. “The original way is medieval. This is the way they did it in the 800s and 900s. From medieval to modern!”

Theatre

Time Travel Through Toys: Discovering Glanmore’s Toy Making Experience

By Anissa Nielsen

Located in the historic East Hill neighbourhood of Belleville, the Glanmore National Historic Site is steeped in the rich history of the surrounding community and families who helped to form the region. Finished in 1883, the house-turned-museum hosts regular hours for visitors to come in and immerse themselves in the past, as well as numerous programs throughout the year. One of these programs is the ToymakerTimeMachineExperience, which in cooperation with the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board, gives visitors the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the museum and its collections, as well as get some hands-on experience with creating their own keepsake.

Artifacts are used by museums to tell stories, and to help realize life in the past in the visitor's mind. Participants of this program have the opportunity to make a replica of a toy in the museum's collections.

Play has long been a part of learning, and toys give a glimpse into family life of the past. Dave Cox of Glanmore believes, “The program at its core is about giving people a chance to interact with the museum and our objects in a different way; to help them understand how we connect to objects and the importance we give them.”

He believes that the universality of toys both globally and generationally helps participants relate to the lives and experiences of those who come before them. Cox also hopes that the replica toys can become family heirlooms of the participants, and be passed along for many generations to come.

TheToymakerTimeMachineExperience is offered a few times per year, with the next dates being in Fall 2023. This program is pre-register only, but small groups may book the program as a private event. Although this program was primarily designed for adults (or adults with an inner child!), it also works well for intergenerational groups, accommodating children ten years of age and older.

Glanmore National Historic Site helps bring the past to life, not only through this program, but other events as well. Their social media, particularly their TikTok, has gained a lot of interest. To learn more about what Glanmore has to offer, visit their website and social media.

Photos by Christopher Gentile

@glanmorenhs

(IG, Tiktok, Facebook)

Museum

Belleville

Rene Fisher has a love of photography that has taken her around the world. Fisher went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia to pursue her passion and her parents bought her a DSLR camera as a graduation gift. A school sponsored trip to Europe inspired her to capture the beauty of the world. She moved to Belleville in 2015. Following a trip to Greece and Italy for her honeymoon Fisher pursued her love of photography.

“The greatest joy of photography is exploring and sharing. However, my exploration isn’t limited to physical locations and subjects, and my favorite way to explore is to experiment with various elements and principles of design through editing. For me, the image my camera produces is just a starting point to achieve a final image that imitates a painting in its color, balance, and contrast, but still retains the detail and appearance of a photograph.”

@renefisher_photography