Umbrella Summer 2020 Vol. 29 No. 2
Art In Isolation: The COVID-19 Issue Visual VisualI Performance I PerformanceI Literary I LiteraryI Arts I Heritage Calendar I Education I Education
A publication of the
A publication of the
TEAM Janet Jarrell, Executive Director janet@quinteartscouncil.org Adam Gray, Creative Director qac@quinteartscouncil.org Fiona Campbell, Communications & Outreach Director communications@quinteartscouncil.org Andrew Gray, Graphic Designer drewgraymatters@gmail.com Kim Lidstone, Bookkeeper accounting@quinteartscouncil.org Darren Moore, Poetry Editor BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Andrea Kerr Past chair Jenny Woods Treasurer Maury Flunder Director Dan Atkinson Director Debbie McKinney Director Rick Moulton Director Taylor Pender Honorary Director Lise Lindenberg MISSION STATEMENT to stimulate the arts in the Bay of Quinte region to support and foster the artistic endeavours of our members to offer annual grants and awards to create awareness of the arts through various media to advocate for the arts at all levels of government to work with other arts groups on long-range planning to avoid duplication * to act as a resource centre * * * * * *
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 36 Bridge St. E., P.O. Box 22113, Belleville, Ont. K8N 2Z5 Printed by: Mr. Print, Belleville, Ont. Deadline for the fall issue: August 23, 2020
Umbrella welcomes articles (500 words max.) on or about the arts in the Quinte region, poetry or prose, illustrations and photographs. Material may be reprinted only with permission. Umbrella reserves the right to edit, crop and editorialize all submissions. Members are given space priority. Umbrella is mailed to members and delivered to distribution points throughout Quinte, Prince Edward County, Bancroft, Napanee and Brighton. 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. Subscription rates: Members – included in your annual membership fee ($12.00 per year). Non-members: 1 year $19.99, 2 years $35.99, 3 years $50.99. International subscription $39.99 per year (all prices include HST).
QAC programs are funded in part by:
The John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation
Adam Gray, Janet Jarrell, Fiona Campbell MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Art is a crucial part of any conversation about defining who we are as a community. It inspires us to think about how we build bridges within our communities and how we will live together, safely, sustainably and equitably. In response to COVID-19, this issue of Umbrella is dedicated to this challenging time in history and how our artists have been surviving Art in Isolation. On those first few days after lockdown began, the world was crippled with the shock of the news of COVID-19. But artists were quick to create and share their art from the safety of their living rooms, studios or their balconies. We watched and it was healing. It was a reminder of the power of art to unite and connect us in a time of crisis. This crisis has meant a new normal, one that changes every week. We have gone through hoarding, dry hands, baking bread, Zoom, PPE, news updates 24/7, calling family and friends (yes, actual phone calls!), boredom, loneliness, social distancing, quarantine fatigue -- but then to take a break you listen to music, watch Netflix, read a book… You turn to art. Quinte is fortunate to have a vibrant, talented and dedicated art community producing work that makes us think about the world around us. This community has been developing ways to cultivate the arts and make them accessible and exciting during this pandemic. More than ever, the artists and art groups in Quinte are offering unique experiences that inspire their audiences to participate and take action. The stories told through art live on, forcing us to see deeper truths and encouraging empathy. Learning and sharing one another’s stories helps us understand each other better, bringing us closer together in a time when we are forced to stay apart. For this issue, we invited artists to share with us their experiences since COVID-19 hit: their challenges and success, their fears and their hopes. This issue is a thought provoking look into the private lives of our art community. We thank all of you for sharing. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate a concert together, go to the theatre again and just gather to celebrate the works of our artists. At the QAC we must take it slow, be safe and smart about our reopening. Art will be there waiting for you. Art will make this community stronger. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR, ANDREA KERR On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to thank our incredible staff at the QAC for recalibrating quickly, continuing the important work of the Quinte Arts Council (including this issue) from home and creating innovative ways to connect with our members. Thank you to our members and to you, the reader. Your support of the arts is a tribute to the artists, musicians, performers and writers that have provided us with a restorative dose of humanity during this pandemic. Please do not let their work go unpaid. We believe, appreciate and amplify the fact that arts and culture in our community drives economic growth. This issue is evidence that we will always and especially in crisis need to see, hear and experience something beautiful. Cover: Concrete Head Farley Avenue, by Larry Tayler
Table of Contents Photo by Mark Hopper
Stephanie Trattner
Shatterbox Theatre
Westben Theatre
Glanmore House
Capturing Art in Isolation: Umbrella Cover Art Contest
3
Photography Stephanie Trattner Ash Murrell Mark Hopper
4 6 8
Theatre River & Main Theatre Shatterbox Theatre Women on the Verge Tweed & Company
9 10 12 13
Film The Regent Theatre The Mustang Drive-In (PEC) Lot48 Film Co.
14 15 16
Music Supporting artists through #QuintePerforms Instant Rivalry Westben Getting back to gigging Cultivating creativity while coping with COVID-19
17 18 20 22 24
Fine Art Perry Poupore Lori Meeboer Heart in the Community The John M Parrott Art Gallery Baxter Arts Centre Art By Us 613
25 26 28 30 31 32
Literary The A-Frame Residency Program Invisible Publishing
33 34
Heritage Glanmore House
36
Art Education Awarding student excellence and creativity QAC Donors, Business Members, Member Groups
37 38
Capturing Art in Isolation: The COVID -19 Issue T his
special edition of Umbrella Arts
Magazine is dedicated to the amazing artists who stepped up to heal us during this unprecedented time in history. Your personal stories are touching, your resilience is inspiring, your passion for the arts makes us all better people -- we thank you!
About the cover: For this issue of Umbrella we invited applicants to submit images that reflected their experience during this time of social distancing and widespread lockdowns. The entry by Larry Tayler (LarryTayler.com) entitled Concrete Head Farley Avenue is on our cover. He writes: “I photographed this sculpture on May 7, 2020, when life was still very isolated in Belleville. The sculpture lives in the front garden of a house on Farley Avenue. Part of my coping strategy during isolation has been to take our Basset Hound, Edna, for long walks in our east end neighbourhood… This photo is richly ambiguous and more than a little creepy. There are no resolved narratives. It raises questions but doesn't answer them, which is why I thought it would make a visually arresting magazine cover.” In response to publishing the winner of the cover contest, we heard from Jason Rees, owner of the concrete head who writes: “This bust was created by my wife Michele Seraphim Rees when we were in makeup school in Toronto in 2000. We've been lugging this thing around for 20 years, putting it in various gardens we've owned. The weather has aged it nicely [and] we are pleased to see it used like this!” The “Runners-up” are featured on the facing page. All entries and their artist statements can be found @ quinteartscouncil.org/cover-art-contest
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Eye, by Sabrina Jovic
Yes there is light at the end of the tunnel, by Sarah Winn
Social Bubble, by Eric Todd Price
San Gimignano, Italy Pre-COVID-19, by Stewart Hood
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Stephanie Trattner Commercial & portrait photographer Belleville, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? While sharing my love of art [with my six-year-old daughter] has been rewarding, I am nervous about how the pandemic will affect my business. The spring is typically my busy season and having the studio shut down at this time will definitely have an impact on my bottomline for the year. But more importantly, I’m afraid people won’t come back, won’t see the value in portraits, or won’t be able to fit portraits in their budget after this ends. However, perhaps people will rush back to the studio to have portraits done not only as an opportunity to get dressed up and feel fabulous, but so that they have an updated headshot for their online presence or so that they can give it to everyone they love just in case we get split up again... who knows? Only time will tell!
Photography
What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? Despite the challenges I am grateful for this pause, as it has allowed me the time and space I needed to really reflect on why I became a photographer to begin with and what I want my career and work to look like going forward, something I had been grappling with prior to the pandemic. I have plans to push myself professionally and creatively just as soon as I can be around people again! If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? Photographer Lola Reid Allin and I put together the Photos for BGH fundraiser, which was a limited time photographic print sale to raise money for Belleville General Hospital to help fight COVID-19. I got the idea from a group of artists out of New York City who got the idea from a group in Milan, Italy. Lola and I created the site and reached out to our photographer networks. I am ashamed to say that before that my local photographer network was embarrassingly small... not anymore! Throughout the run of the fundraiser we kept getting more and more submissions, which was beautiful. In the end, we ended up with 30 photographers all thanks to “a friend telling a friend telling a friend” and social media exposure. The project was all done online so we didn’t have to worry about social distancing restrictions. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? I’ve enjoyed the creative ways performing artists have been sharing their gifts with the world. The at home ballet performances, domestic discos and catalogues of performances from around the world becoming accessible has been great. However, it isn’t the same as going to the real thing. Something bigger happens when you share a cultural experience with other people. It makes you feel part of something that streaming can't give you. I think going forward, if anything, this will push me to take advantage of any and all opportunities for cultural experiences and I hope that others feel the same way. stephanietrattnerphotography.com Portrait by Stephanie Trattner
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Photography 29 Artists Selling Photographs for BGH o Lola Reid Allin o Stephanie Trattner o Nick Pujic o Bob House o Randy Googe o Shannon Scott o Mike Gaudaur o Janet Googe o JC Allin o Rebecca Reeves o Robert Bates o Melissa Anthony o Robert Bailey o Nicole Pettipas o David McKnight o Martin LabbĂŠ o Rene Fisher o Adam Tilley o Shane Featherstone o William Smith o BradDenoon o Arlene Repar o Jessica Linday-Sonkin o Darren Bonter o Juliet deWal o Randall Andrews o Julie Drummond o Tina Sawicki o Jenna Faye
BGH Fundraiser photos
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Ash Murrell Experimenting with CGI imagery
Photography
Commercial lifestyle photographer, Creative Belleville, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? This is a big question. Initially, during the early stages of the pandemic, I was in pure hunter-gatherer mode. Creativity and art took a back seat. Very quickly all new work dried up. Since a lot of my work has been working closely with clients, showing their brands products in the hands of their potential clients and helping to develop a sense of intent with those brands, being isolated makes this impossible. As I'm someone who enjoys a good challenge, I decided to spend some time learning a new form of art: CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). This will continue as we go through these strange times. I have also re-geared my business, changing the overall focus to product photography. After building an inhome studio, and setting up specific drop-off instructions, this has been made possible. Product photography is a different direction to what I used to create, but I plan to merge the two mediums when life returns to normal. How has life changed? What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? Life has shifted for everyone now. I've worked from home for the last 10 years and still tout the benefits of learning to work more efficiently. People will be getting on board with this, and even some larger companies might start making this a norm. I’m really worried about the art space currently as it's really divided. We will probably see a few years of turmoil as people seek quick cheap fixes for their companies, rather than thinking long-term and investing in quality.
If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? I've mainly coached a few artists through these weird times. Teaching people how to pivot fast if the business looks like it may not work well, or how to refine their existing works. I've steered clear of actual collaborations, just being careful and protective of my family till this is over. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? My perception hasn't changed a ton. I still believe that art has an instrumental way of helping everyone to appreciate life and the weirdness that is to be human. Its ability to distract, to disarm or even dismantle beliefs is one thing I feel we'll see more and more in the upcoming years. We (humans) have a lot to learn, and we really need to start to understand and listen better. C19 has shown us that even experts are evolving, and our trust in them shouldn't waiver based on that. What this means for artists is more heartfelt work needs to be created: Be playful, be different and love your fellow creators. This world in lockdown without artists would have been a terrible, lonely, disheartening place. Artists, are essentially creators at heart, need the audacity to continue to create works that speak volumes of their souls.
Umbrella, Summer 2020 - 06
ashmurrell.com
Photography Umbrella, Summer 2020 - 07
Photography
Mark Hopper Photographic Art Belleville, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? The pandemic has heightened my sense to beauty. When things start going crazy fast, you have to take a step out and find your art and stay focused on the things you do well. What has brought you joy during this time? I have been able to share my artwork on two levels: one is online puzzles, which I have been doing since the start of this pandemic. There have been over 70 puzzles done to date and I have many more to share. It’s a winning feeling when I have people asking for more. Secondly, I have been able to drop off over 200 frameable posters at some of our local nursing homes for the residents. They really appreciate these and have sent me messages of thanks. It has brought me joy. @hoptheshark
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River & Main Theatre When veteran stage
actor Rick Zimmerman
moved to Belleville from the County a few years ago, he was hoping to find a permanent home for the non-profit River & Main Theatre Company he had founded along with theatre partners Peter Paylor and Lisa Morris. A storefront performance space seemed like a perfect fit for Belleville’s revitalized downtown core, a space to support local talent and the local economy as well. Finding empty space wasn’t a problem, but finding the right space was. The trio was giving up hope when they were approached by a downtown landlord who had heard about their vision through Marijo Cuerrier from the Downtown District BIA. “It’s getting hard to remember now if it was our vision or if it was Paul’s,” says Zimmerman. Paul is Paul Dinkel, of restaurants Paulo’s and Dinkels, who owns the building at 30 Bridge Street East, the one with the rainbow wings. “Paul was way ahead
of us when it came to understanding the value a space like this can create towards bringing life back into the core. He’s a visionary who’s done this before.”
coming together as an audience and laughing and crying and applauding – and standing at the end if it moves us. When the time is right, we’ll be ready.”
Soon plans were drawn up and the city issued a permit. Work got started on the theatre “In the Wings” -- a storefront performance space for small theatre productions and live music with an occupancy of 50 people.
In the meantime, Zimmerman has been hosting weekly Zoom chats with members of the theatre community: “This region has no shortage of talented actors and directors and writers and musicians, and they’re bringing great ideas to the table.”
Then COVID-19 hit and occupancy was out of the question. It looked like their hopes were dashed. “It’s hard to even plan now,” says Zimmerman. But the virus hasn’t stopped Paul Dinkel. It hasn’t even slowed him down. Since construction has been allowed to continue, he’s been going ahead with the plan. The theatre is still being built.
Anyone interested in getting involved with River & Main Theatre Company or the new theatre “In the Wings” should get in touch with Rick or Peter or Lisa at riverandmaintheatre@gmail.com. riverandmain.ca
“We have no idea when it will be, but when the time is right, the space will be open – whether it’s for an audience of 10 people or 20 or 40,” says Zimmerman. “People are missing the magic of live performance, be it theatre or music or dance. It’s that particular sense of wonderment that only comes from sharing a space in community, Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 09
Photo by Imagine Photography/Sarah Kirby
Theatre
Belleville, Ontario
Theatre
Shatterbox Theatre Georgia Papanicolaou Artistic director, Founder Picton, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? Theatre is such a huge part of my life. I spend many months and hours every day planning, rehearsing and producing theatrical works with my creative team. When the pandemic hit and public spaces shut down overnight, all of that came to a sudden halt. I was extremely anxious, nervous and sad. This was going to be Shatterbox’s biggest season yet, featuring incredibly talented young people that we had been mentoring for almost a year. All the rights for our season had already been paid for and we were almost finished putting our opening musical show together and now we weren’t sure
if we were going to be able to proceed with it. We had just put a sponsorship program together to approach potential supporters. As a non-profit we rely on ticket sales and sponsorships and without [these] it will be extremely difficult for us to continue. We have postponed the show and have plans to produce it when the time is right, and are hoping that our patrons and sponsors will step up and support the work we do for our community and young people in the arts. How have you made technology work for you? Technology has allowed us to not only stay connected and rehearse, but to delve deeper into the material we are exploring and producing. We have been able to develop characters and themes further than we have before. It is very exciting to see the evolution of the show. I’ve also taken the opportunity to create a new video series while in quarantine for youtube called Shattercast. I wanted to highlight the actors, musicians, artists and tech crew in depth that create the Shatterbox experience. This is a unique opportunity for our community to not only get to know the faces behind the scenes that produce the shows they see but to see what goes into putting a production together. Where have you found inspiration? What has brought me the most joy and inspiration is the continued dedication and support of the Shatterbox team. We’ve learned so much more about each other as people and just how resilient we can be. We share our thoughts, our hopes, our fears and our stories with each other at least twice a week when we get together online. I’m very proud of the cast &
Georgia speaks with photographer Sean Ferguson on Shattercast
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 10
Shatterbox Theatre cast takes a bow
Theatre
crew for staying connected and positive, for choosing to continue to work on the show during these difficult times and keeping the art of theatre alive. When we finally get to grace the stage again, it is going to be magical! How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? The arts have always helped us get through adversity. Artists document our history, our stories, they spark important conversations and empower those in our communities by giving them a voice. The arts are cathartic and healing. They bring communities together during difficult times. We saw that first hand during this pandemic with the theatrical streams online, families playing music together and creating videos to share with the world, the art created in isolation shared in online exhibits, the at home concerts from musicians that we can all tune into online to connect and bring a moment of joy and hope in our lives. Art is more important now than it has ever been and it will always have a place in our communities. We may have an uphill climb to get back to where we were before this all started, but I have faith we will get there and it will be glorious! shatterboxtheatre.com
Spring Awakening, delayed poster
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 11
Women on the Verge
Theatre
Kathryn Tremills, Elizabeth McDonald, Emily Martin
Elizabeth McDonald Classical singer, trio member, voice teacher at the U of T Consecon, Ontario
What has brought you joy during this time? So many things have brought me joy – this bonus time with my family (husband Steve and two teenagers!); extra time with my trio Women on the Verge to really dig into some of the non-performing projects we have wanted to do for a long time; baking sourdough bread; gardening - I tore out a fence row and built raised vegetable beds with the split rail fence! As restrictions begin to ease, what are you looking forward to? I can’t wait to get my hair cut! I thought it was a good idea to dye my hair BRIGHT RED as a fun mother/ daughter activity since I wasn’t going to see anyone…now it’s a terrible shade of pink and I have to start recording conference videos - yikes! How has life changed? What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future?
Now there is a moral responsibility and economic imperative to be actively working on new ways to keep our industry thriving. How have you made technology work for you? The transition to musical collaboration for opera singers over a meeting platform meant to flatten the sound waves is less than ideal. Add to that the terrible internet connection available in Prince Edward County and I have been often frustrated! On the flip side, my trio has time now to flesh out ideas we have been sitting on for years. We are launching a podcast in July called “Get the Song Out” where we will interview Canadian female classical composers and highlight their work for solo voice and piano. We are also hosting a series of webinars focussed on training the classical singer post COVID-19. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? It took me about a month before I could listen to music after we went into quarantine. I just couldn’t do it….people kept saying it was keeping them alive and sane. For me it was doing the opposite. It was only after I moved through the grief of what my students had lost and what my own children and husband had lost that I was able to really “hear” again. This has always been my process for grief – music can be painful for me until …it isn’t.
At first, it looked like life wasn’t really changing – it felt like I was on summer vacation at home in the County except in March and with terrible weather. As we now move forward into this new “normal” future, I am working on generating This experience just reminds me that our visceral response discussion in my professional teaching community about to music, which has the power to change us, will be lasting how we train classical singers. So many of my friends and regardless of the time we are in. History shows us that art colleagues who rely on singing as their full time “gig” are and music and dance will always serve as the non-verbal without work for the foreseeable future. How can we support expression of our time. our younger singers to create resilient and flexible artist womenontheverge.ca entrepreneurs? This conversation was happening prior to the pandemic but without much reason to change our programs. Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 12
Tweed & Company Tricia Black, Danielle Leger, Mark Lesage and Mike Lee
Tweed, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? I had four musical theatre performance contracts this year that have all been cancelled, and our company, Tweed & Company Theatre had to cancel the entirety of our season, including a touring production of our smash hit musical HASTINGS! to six cities across Ontario. What has brought you joy during this time? I have taken great joy in spending the majority of my time renovating an original home to Tweed, built in 1887, which has a large addition on the back specifically designed for use by the theatre company. The idea of finally having our own shop/storage/rehearsal/storefront space is incredibly exciting, and will lead to big changes with the company in future.
marginalized peoples and performers. It is a difficult time, and hard to wrap your head around how quickly the world is evolving, but we are excited and hopeful to see a more progressive and functional society evolve from all of this. How have you made technology work for you? We are currently working with some of our regular performers, and some of our shows that we were bringing in this season to collaborate on virtual performances, and still stay present and active for our audience. These collaborations have been new and exciting, and it's an adventure just like any live performance. We don't plan on making a future of virtual performances (by definition live theatre doesn't happen on a screen, and we need that audience as our final character in a show), but it has been a fresh opportunity to engage with our artists and our audiences in a different way. tweedandcompany.com
What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? Hard to say at this point. My hope is that I will be able to return to some semblance of my life as a professional performer in the coming years, but the industry is so up in the air. We have had many fantastic discussions as an organization about how this could actually inspire future work, or push our boundaries to more immersive performance, possibly socially distanced performance, new venues, etc. We are also particularly inspired by the huge drive for change in our society that is surrounding this pandemic, and are making renewed efforts to provide more opportunities for black identifying artists of Cast of Hastings! during their 2018 tour colour, our indigenous communities, and all underserved and Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 13
Theatre
Tim Porter Artistic director, performer
Film
The Regent Theatre Alexandra Seay Theatre Manager Picton, Ontario Who is The Regent? The Regent Theatre is a cinema and live performance venue located in the heart of Prince Edward County. Known as the entertainment heartbeat of the County, the Regent has been a landmark on Main Street Picton since its inception in 1918. How has the pandemic affected you? On March 16 we closed our doors ‘until further notice’ due to COVID-19 and expect to be closed through the summer. When we are permitted to open as part of Phase Three of the provincial rollout, it will be with limited capacity for the foreseeable future. It is impossible to break even, much less make up the lost 80% of our revenue potential with 50 people in the house per show. This reality forced The Regent to re-examine who we are and what we bring to our community. COVID has accelerated a timeline that otherwise would have taken many months of strategic planning to arrive at a new hybrid programming model that will allow us to weather this pandemic and flourish in the post-COVID future.
A hybrid programming model creates the capability for the Regent to livestream content from our stage (with or without an audience). This will provide access to affordable entertainment to the entire County and beyond. With the option of streaming content to satellite partner venues, like the Mustang Drive-In, there will also be opportunities to gather and engage with the performing arts presented by the Regent outside our walls. In addition to providing us with an alternate revenue stream, a hybrid programming model allows us to give back to our community by spotlighting local artists and providing equipment resources and expertise to community members interested in streaming or creating video content. As the first step in a broader fundraising campaign, on June 9 we requested funding from the City Council to begin the process of changing our entire business model. We see Council’s recent decision to grant us funds as an investment in the future of the arts in PEC. Without the support of Council for our programming pivot the consequences to the Regent would have been dire. We are grateful for their support and for the outpouring of goodwill from our community. theregenttheatre.org
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 14
Peter Blendell Publicist Milford, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? Cinefest normally screens movies at the Regent Theatre. Because of COVID-19 we have begun to make our programming available online. What has brought you joy during this time? Some joy comes from people’s willingness to make sacrifices for the health and safety of their community. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? This experience hasn’t changed our perception, but rather strengthened it— that artists provide stimulus and connection.
Mustang Drive-In (PEC) Picton, Ontario
which dampens the whole experience. We can't wait for the time when patrons can walk freely, engage with their drive-in neighbours and take in all our space has to offer. Building a business that can help fight quarantine fatigue really makes us feel like we can help our new community during this time.
Where have you found inspiration?
themustangpec.ca
Prior to taking on this project, we took a van trip through the southwest USA and lived out of an Econoline Van for three weeks. We moved at a slower pace, a simpler pace, as well as visited towns that have the retro and artful flair we crave. Not a day goes by on our Drive-In project that we forget about that time and how it felt. We want to bring art, film and community to this drive-in in a whole new way. But for year one, it's all about operations, sanitization and popcorn making! What is the biggest challenge of taking over/opening the drive in during COVID? Extra hands and access to materials. We took on the drive-in in April 2020 (but purchased it in the fall of 2019). Everyone was just adjusting to lockdown and all the new rules, so it meant some slow downs on our side. Another challenge was turning away help. We have had so many friends and family offer to help and lend a hand but with social distancing in place we have had to decline for the most part, which has been hard because we have so many talented folks in our lives who would have been such a huge help to getting us up and running faster. As restrictions begin to ease, what are you looking forward to? The nostalgic drive-in experience includes enjoying the space around your car, engaging with your community, saying hello to your neighbour and making a new friend. With COVID restrictions, things feel so fearful and closed. Drive-In restrictions (to date) force folks to stay within the confines of their cars Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 15
Dawn Laing & Drew Downs
Film
Dawn Laing & Drew Downs Owners
Film
Lot48 Film Co. Aaron & Angela Bell Documentary filmmakers, video creators Belleville, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? Our video production business for clients basically ended overnight in March. We knew that our business plan was going to need to change for us to be successful during the pandemic and in the new world after. On the plus side, it gave us the opportunity to share some of our work online in ways that we hadn’t done before. We shared all of our films during a twoweek film fest live on Facebook and used the opportunity to reconnect with people that we had made films about in the past. As restrictions begin to ease, what are you looking forward to? Travelling again. After meeting people online and collaborating with others from all of Canada, the U.S. and other parts of the world, we are looking forward to being able to visit and learn more in person.
How have you made technology work for you? Technology definitely worked in our favour during this time. We used Zoom and other online tools to video chat and connect with people from around the world. We built working relationships with people that we have never met in person. We also used the time to learn more about creating and sharing videos. In the past, we were almost always behind the camera but during this time, we have learned to get more comfortable in front of the camera as well. We believe that will help us create better films down the road. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? We were very inspired by artists - especially musicians - who were sharing live concerts from home, especially in the first couple of weeks of lockdown. We looked forward to hearing some of our favourite artists perform stripped-down sets to audiences tuning in from around the world at home. It was a very different shared experience than live music, but one that we found very powerful.
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 16
lot48films.com
Supporting artists through #QuintePeforms
The relationship between
profession-
al artists and their audience is an intimate one. But COVID-19 threatened that relationship as venues, galleries and non-essential businesses were forced to close indefinitely. Artists and arts organizations are familiar with being adaptable and resilient, but this lockdown has been undeniably tough. Inspired by #CanadaPerforms, a short-term relief fund launched by the National Arts Centre and Facebook Canada that pays professional Canadian artists for online performances to help ease the financial strain due to cancelled gigs and shows, the QAC launched our own local contest: #QuintePerforms.
The idea was simple: upload an arts video to Facebook and the one with the most likes and shares within the Facebook group at the end of each voting period (there were two) wins $500. The response was greater than we could have imagined. We were thrilled to receive submissions from almost two dozen area artists – musicians, singers, visual artists, short filmmakers and poets. The winner of the first round was Michael Faulkner: an accomplished and passionate musician and teacher through the Belleville-based Michael Faulkner School of Music. He submitted one of the first videos – a solo rendition of “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. Now meet Danielle Edwards: a student at Queen's University heading into her second year of Concurrent Education, majoring in geography. She won the second round of #QuintePerforms with her soul-stirring rendition of Rise Up by Andra Day, which held a special place in her heart especially in this time of COVID-19. We checked in with Danielle, or Danni, to see how she’s been doing, and she replied has been going through quite the journey of adjusting to life back at home as well as physical and mental challenges: “I tend to be an overachiever and overwork, so this time has kind of forced me to take a real break. Community through technology has brought me joy in this time as well as the opportunities to use my gifts, such as music, to help others who may be touched by it. I am looking forward to putting out some new original music in the near future.” She added: “The arts are a way for many to express their gifts, talents and emotions. Many arts have been lost over generations, but I am in awe with the arts in our community. They are an important representation of self and culture."
Photo by Robbie Garden
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 17
Music
Photo by Robbie Garden
Music
Instant Rivalry Siblings Megan & Caleb Hutton Singer/songwriters, producers, owners of Back Forty Productions Picton, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? Instant Rivalry released their debut country album, Whiskey and Lead, in December 2019, with two sold-out album release concerts at The Regent Theatre and The Old Church Theatre. Early in 2020 we were selling out venues. Our debut single Ho Down had been picked up by 36 radio stations in North America and was beginning to get rotation in Europe. As we geared up for their first tour to support Whiskey and Lead, COVID-19 happened. It was a mental shock at first. We had invested in ourselves by independently recording, producing, releasing and promoting this album and tour and by the end of March, everything was canceled.
Where have you found inspiration? It was a love of our community that made us accept what we couldn’t change, stay strong and want to give back to the region. On March 17, we hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Party live stream with The Frere Brothers at our recording studio Back Forty Productions. Typically, on a St. Patrick’s Day, you could find us and the Freres at the Waring House Barley Room Pub, performing to a packed house. Due to restaurant closures, this couldn’t happen, so we livestreamed. That livestream had over 11,000 views and kick started two livestreams a week with Instant Rivalry LIVE from the Back Forty. How did you manage your collaboration(s)? We had an existing partnership with Tri-Canadian Energy, a solar company based in the County, and had exciting plans for summer touring, music videos and more. Knowing we wouldn’t be able to do those things during the pandemic, TCE partnered with us to power our livestreams. With their help, Back Forty Productions has become one of the only solar powered recording studios in the world with one of the only solar powered livestreams.
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 18
Music TCE and Instant Rivalry decided instead of putting up a virtual tip jar, we would instead give back to the community with cash prizes and other giveaways. We’ve had some teary moments when we get messages from prize winners who tell us that the cash prize allowed them to buy groceries that week, or it made them happy, but the most touching was the story of a little girl with alopecia areata who got her first human hair wig with the prize money.
On Canada Day we safely broadcasted multiple local bands and events with Back Forty Productions to provide a sense of normalcy and patriotism for the community. Depending on how this virus evolves or dissipates, we will be ready to provide art virtually or in person.
Outside of livestreaming, we volunteered to help 99.3 County FM in Picton, Ontario produce our sixth annual radiothon in a COVID-19 safe manner. We also recorded and created a music video for Jason McCoy’s We Are One challenge, which included 20 local musicians and raised money for the COVID-19 Relief.
It is important to us to be leaders during a time like this and offer inspiration to other artists and people. We knew from the beginning we wanted to offer an artistic getaway for people to get relief from the state of the world in the news. We can’t help but think of the 60’s and how musicians became the voice of a revolution.
We have taken part in two Unison Benevolent Fund fundraisers through The Next Country Music Star and Kansas Stone’s Together We’re Strong music videos and have been mixing music for other artists, providing advice and helping other artists get their livestreams up and running. During the summer months we will continue to livestream and broadcast.
How has this affected your perception of the importance of art and artists?
This time has given us even more of an appreciation of the artistic community and widened our perception of just how cherished art is by everyone.
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 19
instantrivalry.com
Music
Westben Donna Bennet & Brian Finley
Donna Bennet & Brian Finley Co-Founders Campbellford, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? This pandemic has caused all of us at Westben to pivot, rethink and reimagine what we do and what we can offer our community. Westben is not able to present the summer Concerts at The Barn festival as planned, which means the cancellation or postponement of 30 concerts, 200 artists and 19 community partner programs. To keep connected with our community and hopefully meet new communities, we have launched a new digital program called Sunshine Ahead!. This includes Musical Moments, featuring music with relaxing and soothing images, Music for a While Podcasts designed for the curious, interactive videos and programs with Westben Kids, Westben Rewind, Postcards to Westben and the new Digital Concerts at The Barn series. What has brought you joy during this time? The Westben team has been incredibly inspiring. Everyone rallied to come together to keep Westben going and to reimagine what to do. Westben members, ticket buyers, Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 20
The Barn
Music
Westben Trio
volunteers and the Board of Directors have been really supportive with words of support or donating their tickets or keeping them on account for 2021. The testimonials on social media and interaction with new people has been incredibly inspiring. Also the birds are still singing and The Barn looks as beautiful as ever, so it will be here next summer for all to enjoy. What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? Part of Westben’s strategic plan was to disseminate Westben programs and music out into the world digitally so this pandemic has forced us to do it sooner. It is opening ideas such as livestreaming of concerts and creative interactive learning.
How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? Art is central to the wellbeing of everyone, whether they acknowledge it or not. During times of crisis it becomes even more meaningful and obvious. I’ve always wanted music to inspire and soothe, open and release the hearts and minds of the listener and the participant. Now more than ever we need to support art and artists. Artists and arts organizations bring economic development to communities and this is vital to all.
If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? Westben’s Performer-Composer Residency normally accepts 11 participants from around the world to reside and create new music at Westben for one week each summer. This year we moved it all online and all 80 participants were invited to collaborate and create new music ensembles and new music. There are musicians from around the globe and they meet on Zoom and the app Discord. We will be sharing their public workshops and new music performances starting July 6 on westben.ca Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 21
westben.ca
Getting back to gigging
Music
The Empire Theatre. Photo by Bob House
Andy Forgie Entertainer, singer, guitarist Belleville, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? What I have missed most is my weekly visits, performing musical therapy at various nursing homes throughout Belleville & region.� And, my regular solo shows at local pubs and wineries. What has brought you joy during this time? The responses and correspondence from those that I have touched, or inspired with my music has absolutely filled my heart! andyforgie.com
Photo by Tammy Tischbein
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Belleville, Ontario
Tim Hunt Singer,songwriter,liveentertainer, producer, recording artist Belleville, Ontario
What has brought you joy during this time? Where do you find inspiration?
How has the pandemic affected you?
I find it pleasurable to think that nature has had a brief break from human impact. Although I love entertaining, and know I have been lucky to have the opportunities that I have had in life, this has been an artistically freeing period.
As most working musicians, I have lost gig opportunities but have found many ways to stay creative and busy in my studio and working with Tim Campbell producing live streams from Keynote Studios in Belleville. I spend so much time in my studio now and that has kept me going and my creativity is off the charts!
As restrictions begin to ease, what are you looking forward to?
How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists?
I am excited to see how music culture will look as we relax restrictions, and look forward to any changes.
I truly believe this time we are living through is giving rise to organic grassroots music. People are playing and singing all over the internet and people are watching. I think people are realizing like never before how critical all arts are: they feed our souls, lift our spirits, fill us with joy, hope and purpose! The arts have saved many from despair throughout this pandemic.
All in all, I am grateful to have music and family in my life, and [ed note: after 31 years as a professional musician!] to feel that I still continue on a path of learning! FB: smithpickins
FB: timhuntsolitaryman
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 23
Music
Matt Smith Guitarist, vocalist, mandolinist
Music
Tom Leighton
Suzanne Pasternak
Fraser Hardman
Janet Kellough
Cultivating creativity while coping with COVID -19 By Jeanette Arsenault
JAMS
Canada is an emerging
Quinte business designed to “Help Musicians Help Themselves". As part of the JAMS Canada PRO Series “Here’s What I Know” published on social media every week, several artists were asked to share how they are managing during isolation.
Fraser Hardman Musician, songwriter Probably my greatest musical satisfaction comes through playing live; obviously that has ground to a halt and shows no sign of improving any time soon. However, I have had more focused time to write, and have practiced more than I normally do. Also, I have learned some new technical skills in the area of video and audio recording.
Here are some excerpts: Tom Leighton Musician, arranger, orchestrator, conductor With the general absence of most deadlines, we have had a very easy time coping with isolation. When not looking out the window at my beautiful surroundings, I have been blessed with being able to wander from instrument to instrument playing whatever comes to mind, plus time to develop music sketches that I keep in various notebooks. I have also set up a modest recording set up in a room to myself and have been working daily on a new collection of tunes and some songs. Normally finding time to do this has been difficult, as doing projects for others takes priority. Suzanne Pasternak Singer, songwriter, writer, documentary filmmaker Creators of large works spend a lot of time alone. Due to the fact that I am currently researching and writing a documentary there is no shift in my work habits. That being said, I had a booming career as a lecturer which crashed with COVID-19, so that hurts financially. Being socially isolated from friends is very lonely for a single person.
And with one of the bands I play with we have learned a completely new song to performance level complete with harmonies and instrumental arrangement, solely through sharing audio files - we have never been in the same room together and played it! Lastly I have some ideas for a couple of other projects that could be worked on at this time. Boredom is one thing that I have definitely not experienced through this self-isolation. Janet Kellough Crime and mystery novelist Writers only look like they’re alone. In fact, they’re interacting with their characters, who sometimes seem more real to them than real people, so we’ve probably handled the stay at home thing better than most. Even so, things like book signings, launches, conventions and guest speakerages make up a large part of a writer’s life, and those have gone by the board. There is also a great deal of uncertainty in the publishing world right now: releases have been delayed, publishing houses are pulling back on the number of titles they’re willing to invest in, many of the standard marketing approaches are very difficult right now. But it’s okay. It’s like I’ve been given permission to go slow and in some ways it’s almost a relief. Instead of trying to be more productive I’ve let myself slack off a little. We’ll see what the upshot is, but for right now I’m oddly quite happy. jamscanada.ca
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Fine Arts
Perry Poupore Potter
Belleville, Ontario What are you going through right now? It has been a quiet time that has allowed me to experiment. It has been good because I have had lots of time to work on new ideas without any looming deadlines. I have been able to focus and not worry about distractions. What are you looking forward to? I am looking forward to having successful outcomes to my new experiments. I have been creating new flowers using different techniques, and different colour combinations. I have spent lots of time observing the shapes of flowers, and looking at the way the petals are shaped and coloured. claygardener.blogspot.com
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 25
Fine Arts
Lori Meeboer
Last Night
Painter
Corbyville, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? As the pandemic hit, I was preparing for a show in downtown Belleville. I had approximately 25 pieces ready for the show, sitting in my studio. The investment in canvas and paint, as well as advertising, meant that I had a lot of money tied up in product that had nowhere to be seen or to be sold. I decided to go ahead with my show in a virtual setting and have now sold 14 of those pieces via @LoriMeeboerArt on Instagram. I’ve attracted buyers from all over North America and it’s been a great experience. I also teach classes in my studio and in the community as Back Porch Originals. Since the beginning of the pandemic I have lost thousands of dollars in revenue from not being able to host classes. This has been tough, but what has been harder is not being able to connect with students in classes. I was trying to think of what I could do and how I could find a way to connect. I noticed a lot of parents were struggling with their children and schoolwork, so I created a few short instructional videos for pencil drawings. There was an overwhelming response, and it indicated to me that there was a need for people to find some semblance of normalcy. I hosted a Free Live FB class on Back Porch Originals and we had thousands of participants. The classes are live but the videos remain up and people can do them at their leisure. We have now hosted Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 26
For the First Time in My Life
Come a Little Bit Closer
three free classes and plan to continue to find ways to provide this service to the community. How has life changed? The in-person interaction in selling my art is gone. Everything is done electronically. I find that difficult. Not teaching classes in person is hard for me as well. One positive side effect is that in teaching virtually, people from anywhere can participate. That is a lovely coincidence. If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? I am involved in a collaboration with Oak Bridge Academy (a school for children with learning exceptions in Waterloo, Ont.) to do an online fundraising paint class for their school. Nonprofits are suffering right now. Fundraising is close to impossible. Anything I can do to collaborate with community organizations is a win win. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? I have really noticed when I am posting my paintings and classes on social media, people see it as a break from the bad news of the day. I really appreciate the fact that I can bring light and beauty into people’s lives during such a scary time. That matters to me. And I’m going to keep doing it. lorimeeboer.com Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 27
Fine Arts
You'd Better Be Home Soon
What Goes Around Comes Around, by Ella Wagner
Mystical Town, by David Alexander
Fine Arts
Heart in the Community During this strange and confusing
time of social isolation, the arts community stepped up to infuse the Downtown District with creativity, colour and love. The 1’ x 1’ Heart of Community District Art Project was inspired by global community initiatives such as A World Of Hearts that encouraged people to decorate their windows with displays of hearts as messages of hope, happiness and support. Local arts organizations – the Belleville Art Association, Gallery 121 and the Parrott Gallery – along with the Quinte Arts Council, with support from the Belleville Downtown District BIA, hosted a call for submissions and Quinte-area artists were encouraged to open their minds, hearts and palettes to what the theme “Heart of Community” meant to them. The 1X1 format mirrors many of the social media platforms (think Instagram) used on a daily basis.
A Monarch Butterfly #2, by Joyce Empey Smith
The 1’ x1’ art has been on display throughout various windows in the downtown district since mid-June and later in the summer the art will be moved to an outdoor installation for all to enjoy, in accordance with social distancing guidelines. The pandemic has negatively impacted artists and arts organizations across the board, but we’ve also learned about the power of creation and collaboration to bring joy, cultivate community and foster hope and positivity. downtownbelleville.ca/heart-of-community
Light, by Joan A. Crawford
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Hope, by Terry Hart
Quinte at Night, by Dayana Porter
Heart of the City, by Sarah Winn
Missing the Music, by Margaret Ruttan
Fine Arts
Evening Breeze, by Emily Schraeder
I Love Downtown, by Penny Thompson Big Heart, by Wendy Rayson-Kerr Change in Time, by Lorraine Huebner
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2020, by Lise Lindenberg
Virtual Hug by Joanne Chalmers from Faces & Places online exhibit
The John M Parrott Art Gallery Fine Arts
Wendy Rayson-Kerr Acting Curator Belleville, Ontario
How has the pandemic affected you? I started working at the Parrott Gallery in early March, stepping into the very big shoes of Susan Holland. Within two weeks we had closed the building because of COVID 19. We didn’t stop working though; we decided to extend the Parrott Gallery into a virtual exhibition space. How have you made technology work for you? Nothing can replace viewing art in person – period. Right now however, it isn’t possible to visit the Parrott Gallery, so we have found a way to bring it to the community through our online shows. Our online gallery is open all day, every day: 24/7. Technology works in reaching more people too; we are hoping to have virtual artist talks that anyone with a smartphone and a little bit of know-how can access anywhere across the country and even the world. This pandemic has forced us to use technology even more than ever, so why not make it work for the better? How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? I obviously already think art is important to society and to our community specifically. If I didn’t, I shouldn’t be working as a curator. I can say that almost 4,000 people logged in to view our first online exhibition, and many people took the time to thank us for sharing the art online. This says to me that we should continue bringing art to our community any way we can! bellevillelibrary.ca Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 30
Baxter Arts Centre Bloomfield, Ontario
Where have you found inspiration? Several Board members attended an excellent webinar that addressed the need to be adaptive while encouraging collaboration among the artists. We clearly saw it was time to re-engage. The Board meeting in early May further motivated us to activate Baxter. We had been quiet for two months and our financial situation was bleak.
How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? The news we are consuming today is critical for our society to be well informed but it does not promote joy. Art and art making is important as it is a chance for us to focus on the beautiful and to interpret and process our feelings in these complex times. It has been wonderful to see all the art our community is producing and sharing online as they spend more time at home and create. baxterartscentre.org
How has life changed? What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? [We see] more online learning, and stronger development of the lecture series and online classes. One of the benefits of our new normal is we are able to offer our classes and programs to a wider audience due to Online@Baxter. Those of us interested in the arts can access our talented teachers from the comfort of our own homes. If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? We have been talking to our community a lot. It has been interesting and inspiring how we have all been forced to think outside the box. As artists and students of art it allows us to grow in so many directions all at once.
Baxter fundraiser to collect loose change
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 31
Fine Arts
Community space for arts, education and creativity
Art By Us 613 Melissa Brant & Jesse McFaul Painter, illusion body painter, mixed medium, canvas art, wall murals Belleville, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? We definitely have lost revenue. All of her face and body painting bookings were cancelled for the year unfortunately. But our portrait canvas art has been selling well, and it has given us time to start learning a new creative path: Tattooing. As restrictions begin to ease, what are you looking forward to?
Fine Arts
We are both looking forward to seeing where tattooing can take us, and to be able to use a human canvas again. instagram: @ar t _ by _ us 613
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 32
The Al Purdy A-Frame
The A-Frame Residency Program Ameliasburgh, Ontario
One of Canada’s national
After the death of Al Purdy in April 2000, Jean Baird (wife of poet George Bowering) organized a grassroots movement to restore and preserve the A-Frame with the intention of it being used as a retreat for writers. Today, according to the website, this program provides “a place to stand” for the writers-inresidence who spend some time here. Most of the residents are writers; however, “the residency has also supported songwriters and musicians” says Baird, who we interviewed for this issue. How has COVID-19 affected this program? Argh. So many things have changed. Zoom has become a verb: ‘I'll zoom you for a meeting.’ I fear for independent book sellers and the whole publishing community. But readers will still want to read; the delivery mechanism might need to change.” “In order to comply with health regulations during the pandemic, the residency program has been deferred. Our organization has focused on the new online Alumni Anthology.” [The anthology acts as an archive of sorts. It is a wonderful compilation of photos, thoughts, experiences, tours and written excerpts of poetry from past residents during their time spent in the A-Frame.]
Literary
treasures, poet Al Purdy, has deep roots in the Quinte area. His work spans more than 50 years and he wrote and published 39 books of poetry, a novel, two volumes of memoirs and more. One thing that really stands out about this Canadian legend is the famous company he kept at the A-Frame cottage that he and his wife Eurithe built on Roblin Lake: Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, George Bowering, Margaret Laurence, Milton Acorn just to name a few.
Al Purdy
The stories and writing from our past writers-in-residence have brought us joy, and reminded us of the important opportunity that a residency offers to a writer. Perhaps as well as recognizing the importance to care for our elders, appreciate and properly pay our front-line workers, we will also learn to provide safety nets for those who work in the arts.
To date, six writers have had their residencies postponed: Charmaine Cadeau, Hannah Rahimi, John Barton, Felicity Williams, Madhur Anand and Sophie Edwards.
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alpurdy.ca
Literary
Invisible Publishing Leigh Nash Book publisher and lapsed poet Picton, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? In so many ways! We’re a household with two still-full-time employed adults and one very sociable three-year-old. Every day is a juggling act between work and work meetings and playtime and childcare. Our response to the lack of sleep was to use our daycare savings to buy an espresso maker. It was the right decision. I wish I had time to read more, to write, or to even stare at a wall. We’ve only delayed two books so far, and as we’re set up to work remotely, Invisible’s been business as usual – which is even stranger when everything else is not. What has brought you joy during this time? Aside from the espresso maker? Despite the pandemic, we sent our first full-colour cookbook off to the printer in mid-May. The title is County Heirlooms: Recipes and Reflections from Prince Edward County. It was Nat Wollenberg’s (of 555 Brewing & The County Canteen in Picton) idea; she did all the interviews and took all the photos. Food stylist Ruth Gangbar gussied up the food Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 34
photos, and I wrangled it all into book form. It’s a true labour of love. We’ll have copies in early July, and royalties from all book sales are going to support Food to Share, a PEC-based organization addressing food insecurity. What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future? There’s so much uncertainty about what the publishing industry will look like when everything has reopened permanently. Will Indigo still be around? Will Amazon scoop up even more market share? Or will people who’ve turned to their local bookstores stay loyal, resulting in a renaissance of thriving independent bookstores? Who will be reading, and what will they be reading? It’s like the reset button has been hit, and I’m trying to remain optimistic that this could be really good for us as a small Canadian publisher — people seem much more interested in shopping/reading local right now, which is amazing. If you have been involved in a collaboration, how did you manage that? We’re working with artisanal soda company The County Bounty on POP FICTION: We’ve paired up our books with their soda to give you a perfect small-batch drink to go with a
POP FICTION
perfect small-batch book. Sodas are sold in a four-pack with their paired book. It was super fun to sort out the pairings, and they’re available for delivery across Ontario. How have you made technology work for you? The day Ontario declared a state of emergency was my birthday: March 17. That day, we pulled some levers on our website and switched all of our ebook sales over to a paywhat-you-choose model, with all money received going to our authors instead of our standard royalty. We knew artists were going be among the worst-hit, and wanted to do something tangible to help. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? At the start of the pandemic hitting here, it was heartening to watch people flock to bookstores for entertainment and comfort; now, I’m watching in awe as people flock to bookstores for writing to help them understand racism and the Black experience. That pretty much says it all: books are vital as conduits for both art and knowledge.
Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 35
invisiblepublishing.com
Literary
Photo by Johnny C.Y. Lam
Heritage
What professional opportunities are you seeing for the future?
Glanmore House Flattie Hattie at the Glanmore National Historic Site
Melissa Wakeling Education & Marketing Coordinator Glanmore National Historic Site Belleville, Ontario How has the pandemic affected you? I was gearing up for March Break at the museum, one of our busiest weeks of the year, when suddenly we were temporarily closing the museum. It was a shock to the system. I definitely had a lot of heightened emotions. I still worry about my mom. I am her caretaker and she is in the high risk group so I don’t want to bring the virus home and make her sick. I know how fortunate I am to be able to continue working throughout this time. Professionally we had to react quickly and find creative ways to keep people engaged with the museum during the closure. I worked on and promoted many different ways you can experience Glanmore from home. During a brainstorming session in the first week of the shutdown our team came up with the idea for Flattie Hattie, a Victorian paper doll that explores Glanmore and shares her adventures on our social media channels. Sometimes the simplest idea can have the most impact. Flattie Hattie has been a lot of fun and a welcome distraction for our followers as well as for our staff.
The museum experience is changing dramatically as a result of COVID-19. Following provincial guidelines and consulting with other museum professionals, I am working with our staff to redefine what a visit to Glanmore will be like in the near future. When we reopen it will be very different from what we are used to. There will be timed entries, limited numbers of visitors at one time, constant cleaning, virtual public programs and virtual school visits. Once we know it is safe we start to bring back on-site programs and events, beginning with activities for very small groups and gradually adding to our offerings. How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists? I had a bit of a crisis during the first week I was working from home. I felt like what I was doing was not important. I think I even cried over it. How did I get past this? Well, the media started reporting on virtual cultural activities. Artists, musicians, museums, and galleries were helping to keep us distracted and entertained during a difficult time and people loved it! Suddenly, I had a lot of positive feedback about Glanmore’s virtual experiences from the community. People were thanking me for sharing Flattie Hattie. They were looking forward to seeing what we would do next. This really made a difference and helped me break free from my negative thoughts. Things would have seemed a lot more dismal without these cultural experiences to brighten our period of isolation. I’ll never question this again. Arts and culture workers may not be “essential workers,” but now I know how “vital” we are to society.
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glanmore.ca
Awarding student excellence and creativity The Quinte Arts Council recently awarded six bursaries to Quinte-region graduates to help support their arts career dreams as they head off to post-secondary school this fall.
As students leave the comforts of their home, on to an exciting chapter of growth and independence, they do so in the wake of a global crisis that has changed their lives. Their graduation is a defining moment in history and these inspiring students are going to show us all the true meaning of resilience. Adey Singer: Elaine A. Small and the Quinte Arts Council Student Bursaries Adey graduated from Bayside Secondary School and is off to Concordia University in the fall to pursue Studio Arts. We at the QAC are so very proud of Adey, already an accomplished illustrator and writer with two published graphic novels and a third on the way.
Kate is a graduate of Eastside Secondary School and is off to St Lawrence College in the fall studying Media and Arts Fundamentals with a focus on drawing, design, marketing and digital media. A natural leader, she has been a teacher’s aide, a member of the Eastside art council and also the student council. Julia Gorrell: Hugh P. O’Neil Arts Bursary Julia is a graduate of St. Paul Catholic High School and will be attending York University to study Visual Arts. Julia was a member of the St. Paul school band, a dedicated member of the Hasting and Prince Edward Regional Choir and on Student Council.
Hannah Collins: Quinte Arts Council Student Bursary Hannah is a graduate of Centennial Secondary School heading on to Sheridan College to further her passion for Art Fundamentals. She is an active and caring member of her school community contributing to the local food bank, the Christmas Sharing program and a frequent exhibitor in the Catherine Glover Art Gallery at CSS.
Ezra Schel: Susan Richardson Bursary A graduate of North Hastings High School, Ezra will be off to the prestigious Jazz Studies program at the University of Toronto this fall with plans to become a jazz musician. “Ezra is a scholar who could have studied anything after high school. He chose music,” writes nominator Dianne Winmill.
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Arts Education
Kate Roberts: Hugh P. O’Neil Arts Bursary
QAC Business Members and Donors Premier Arts Benefactors
The John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation The City of Belleville McDougall Insurance & Financial Brady Clark Advisory Group – CIBC Wood Gundy – Quinte Branch Clearview Training and Consulting
Premier Supporters Anne Cunningham Maurice Rollins Lynda Wheeler Audrey Williams
Partners
David & Theresa Boyd Elaine A. Small & Richard Haeberlin Janet Jarrell Ray McCoy Ross McDougall Mary-Lynne Morgan Linda and Rowland Tipper
Benefactors
Bob Blanchard Barry Brown & Gary Magarrell Hans &Lenneke Buré Leo & Mary Jo Fortin Linda and Garry Gray Laurel Hoard Suzanne Lowther Paul & Judith Niedermayr Susan Nurse Ron and Betty MacDonald Vera Morton Lola Reid Allin Rick & Elizabeth Rolston Douglas and Mary Wilson Hal and Olive Wilson
Patrons
Dan & Kathy Atkinson Janice Brant Judy Bridle Julie Brown Hale Jennifer Chanter Don DeGenova Kerri Denyes Lois Foster Shirley A. French
Maxwell Gower Claire Grant Marilyn Jackson Brian & Lynn Knudsen Ann Lawrence Peggy Dymond Leavey Judy Lesson Liberty Tax Kim & Glenn Lidstone Lise Lindenberg Suzanne Lowther Ron & Betty MacDonald Troy Maracle Bob and Cathy McCallum Ian McFarlan Judith McKnight Elizabeth Mitchell Linda Mustard Mary O'Flynn Richard Reid Terry Self Dennis Stembridge Christina Taylor Wendy Tice Mary Tubbs Lyle & Sharon Vanclief Tracy Vanslyke Jenny Woods
Business Members
About Framing Advanced Electrolysis LASER Arts on Main Gallery Picton Bathworks Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board Belleville Downtown District Benton Fry Ford sales Brady Clark Advisory Group – CIBC Wood Gundy – Quinte Branch Campbell's Orchards Capers Restaurant Cavan Art Gallery Chisholm Lumber City of Belleville Comedy Country Debbie McKinney Remax Quinte Ltd. Dinkel's Restaurant Earl & Angelo's Steak and Seafood Funk & Gruven A-Z Hastings County Historical Society Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 38
Henderson Williams LLP - Barristers and Solicitors Impacto Protective Products Liberty Tax Service Lions Club of Belleville Malcolm Brothers Ltd. McDougall Insurance Brokers Ltd. Mr Print OENO Gallery Ottawa Valley Models Paulo's Italian Trattoria Peggy deWitt Photography Peter Smith Chev Olds Cadillac Ltd. Quinn's of Tweed Fine Art Gallery Quinte Broadcasting Co. Ltd Quinte Business Accounting Services Quinte Gardens Quinte West Chamber of Commerce RE/MAX Quinte Ltd. Red Ball Radio Ltd. Reid's Dairy Research Casting International Sandra Lee Randle Photography Starboard Communication Stirling Festival Theatre Inc. The Belleville Intelligencer Thomas Estevez Design Tim McKinney ReMax Quinte Tipper Financial Services W.T. Hawkins Inc. (Hawkins Cheezies®) Welch LLP, CA Wilkinson & Company LLP
Member Groups
A Cappella Quinte Art Gallery of Bancroft Arts Quinte West Belleville Art Association Belleville Choral Society Belleville Downtown DocFest Belleville Public Library Belleville Theatre Guild Belleville Weavers and Spinners Bridge Street Church Brighton Barn Theatre CJLX-FM Loyalist College Radio Command Performance Choir Commodores Orchestra & Bay City Band County Art Workshops Festival Players of PEC
QAC Business Members and Donors Gallery One-Twenty-One Glanmore National Historic Site Greater Napanee Arts & Culture Advisory Committee Hastings and Prince Edward Regional Chorus Hastings County Historical Society Hastings Prince Edward District School Board John M. Parrott Gallery (Belleville Public Library) Kingston Symphony Association Later Life Learning Loyalist College Marmora Friends of the Library Moira Mat Makers Prince Edward County Arts Council Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival Prince Edward County Jazz Festival Quinte Ballet School of Canada Quinte Film Alternative Quinte Fibre Artists
Quinte Grannies for Africa Quinte Needlearts Guild Quinte Quilters Guild Quinte Symphony Regent Theatre Shout Sister Choir Stirling Festival Theatre Stirling Musical Instrument Lending Library St. Thomas Anglican Church Trenton Citizens Band Tweed & Area Arts Council Tweed and Area Studio Tour Tweed & Company Theatre Wallbridge House Publishing We Are One Jazz Project Wellington Water Week Westben Arts Festival Theatre
Umbrella is sponsored by
QAC programs are funded in part by:
The John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation Umbrella, Summer, 2020 - 39
In appreciation to our Belleville Arts Community VIBRANT
CREATIVE
with you we are
interesting
lively
happy UNCONVENTIONAL
EXPRESSIVE
UNIQUE
With you we are better - thank you!
enriched attractive
DIVERSE
exciting
FUN
CITY HALL BELLEVILLE.CA
help us keep arts on the table your support helps us invest in the next generation of artists. your donation helps create a more vibrant and resilient community.
you can make a difference. donate now. visit quinteartscouncil.org/donate to learn how
A SELECTION OF FAVOURITES FROM OUR 2019-20 SEASON:
THE EMPIRE THEATRE: 2:00 AND 7:30 PM
Parasite Red Joan Judy Official Secrets
Watch for dates for our 2020 fall season at quintefilmalternative.ca
DINKEL’S RESTAURANT & GARDEN PATIO + PAULO’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA
OUR PATIOS ARE OPEN! 38 & 44 Bridge St. E. • Downtown Belleville
NOW OPEN 7 NIGHTS/WEEK VISIT FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS @paulosdinkels CALL 613.966.2556 FOR RESERVATIONS OR TAKEOUT
YOUR
PRINT & SIGN SHOP
