A very special exhibit will open on Saturday, November 26 at the Philip K. Wood Gallery (now housed in the Mill Street Gallery) in Almonte. Entitled Ad Astra — Aim High, its goal is to raise awareness about the memorial fund that has been established to build a school in Nepal in memory of Dr. Sean Egan.

Ad Astra will feature a multi-media display and a collection of photos taken during last April’s Kanatek expedition to Everest, during which Dr. Egan attempted to become the oldest person to climb Mount Everest. For details on the expedition itself, please visit www.kanatek.com/everest/diary.htm.
Archival-quality photographs taken by members of the expedition will be for sale during the show, with all proceeds going to the memorial fund. The photos are being printed in Carleton Place at LUX Photography Studio, and framed by Philip Wood. They are organized into three themes: people, scenery, and images of the highest-altitude-ever hockey game that took place during the expedition. All proceeds from photo sales will go towards the building of a new Child Haven International school in Kathmandu.

According to Kanatek’s Terry Kell, this show is just one of the ways in which money and awareness are being raised. “This is part of a larger picture,” he says. “Once the school is built, we plan to carry on Sean’s legacy by promoting fitness and wellness to kids and the general public in Canada.” For more information about the whole campaign or to donate on-line, visit the Ad Astra website.

Ad Astra opens to the public on November 26 and runs from noon–5 daily until December 11 at 79 Mill St. in Almonte. For more information call 256–4007.

Posted on November 23, 2005 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Tonight offers a rare opportunity to see a singer on the cusp of stardom.”
— Brisbane Mail Courier

Armed with a riveting stage presence, powerful three-octave range and songs of intense passion, Peterborough’s Serena Ryder is set to captivate the Perth Performing Arts Committee audience on November 25. Belying her 21 years, Ryder has already sung with the likes of Bobby “Blue” Bland and Texas legend Jimmy LaFave. She has played festivals in every part of Canada, appeared in dozens of alternative music clubs in major cities and been part of the Toronto Women’s Blues revue.

Over the last year, she has toured across Canada (including a stop in McDonalds Corners!), France and Australia, honing her skills and working on a new live CD. Live in Oz is a 6 song ep recorded at the Basement in Sydney, Australia. It includes an incredible duet with Hawksley Workman, and will be available at her Perth show.

Tickets are available from TicketMaster at 755–1111, from their website, or at Hendriks Independent Grocer. The show starts at 8PM on Friday, November 25 at the PDCI auditorium.

Special for Students

On performance nights PPAC is now offering tickets to high school students for only $5 at the door. Student ID is required. What a great way to see wonderful shows on a student budget!

Posted on November 22, 2005 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Early in October, I received by mail an invitation to attend a vernissage. The invitation was intriguing — well designed, bilingual, with a full-colour image of a painting by the gallery’s featured artist, Pierre Ostiguy. I hadn’t heard of Pierre, or of the gallery itself. The name was given as Rainette – Treefrog, and smaller text promised art bread coffee. “How urban,” I’m thinking, “Is this from Montreal, and if so how did theHumm get on their mailing list?” Perfect set-up.

Getting down to the fine print, it turns out that the address of the gallery is in fact 5596 County Rd. 12 in McDonalds Corners, and I’m actually far less surprised than you might think. The tiny hamlet of McDonalds Corners (and the surrounding area that includes Elphin and other small communities in Lanark Highlands) has been well represented in theHumm for years as a hotbed of artistic and community activity, primarily based around the focal point of the MERA Schoolhouse . So in a way, Treefrog is just adding to the already “hopping” downtown McDonalds Corners vibe…

Continue reading "The ABCs of Art and Community" »

Posted on November 21, 2005 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In the two dozen years that it has been producing large cast musicals and operettas, the Perth Community Choir’s annual production has come to belong to the entire area. This year’s presentation, the great 1950’s Lerner and Loewe hit My Fair Lady, comes to the boards of the PDCI Auditorium on November 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19 at 8PM. This is a “must see” for musical fans in the area and beyond; tickets are available from Ticketmaster at 755–111, or from the Ticketmaster outlet at Hendrik’s YIG in the Perth Mall.

The Smiths Falls Community Theatre brings that perennial favourite Arsenic and Old Lace to the stage at Duncan Schoular School. This show also goes up on November 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19 at 8PM. Tickets are $10 in advance from Smolkins, Bands Kiosk and Special Greetings in Smiths Falls and Pauline Aunger Real Estate in Perth, or $12 at the door.

The Valley Players of Almonte kick off the run of their fun comedy Lone Star Love Potion with a wine and appetizer gala at Almonte’s old Town Hall on Nov. 17. This bedroom farce tells the story of a wealthy, eccentric businessman who passes away, leaving seven people to congregate at his Texas ranch for the reading of the will. The huge estate and a mysterious love potion are bequeathed to his niece, nephew-in-law, and butler. A rainstorm floods the nearby creek, forcing the group to stay overnight in the mansion. The characters secretly test the love potion, and end up in multiple embraces and rendezvous — all with a comedic flair. The run continues on Nov. 18, 19, 20, 24, 25 and 26, with all shows at 8PM except for a 2PM matinée on the 20th. Tickets are available at The Miller’s Tale or at the door.

Then come the Mississippi Mudds with their English-style panto with a difference! The Story of Snow White by Dave Buchanan is going to appeal to the entire family: for example, did you know that here in Cornucopia the DWARFs are the Dynamic Women Against Restrictive Fairytale Stereotypes? Now you can run with that in your imagination! The Carleton Place Town Hall Auditorium is the place, and show times are November 25 and 26, and December 2 and 3 at 8PM, with 2PM matinées on Nov. 27 and Dec. 3. Tickets are from the Remembrance Gift Shop, at $15, or $10 for children 12 and under.

Coming up next month, Theatre Night in Merrickville’s production of FrUiT CaKeS, and Barn Door Productions’ A Christmas Carol.

— Ian Doig

Posted on November 18, 2005 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out the relatively new and great-looking Arts Carleton Place website. The group describes itself as a “non-profit arts organization dedicated to empowering artists and area residents through the arts.” The site includes detailed information about the organization, descriptions of current activities, and a fledgling artist database featuring photos and artist bios. I’m told that the area artists can join for only $10, and you can contact them directly from their website to find out more.

Posted on November 11, 2005 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

by Sally Hansen

When art goes beyond surface appeal and fancy detail, it is possible to make contact with the true imaginative forces underneath. Hugh Malcolm’s current “Substrata” series of acrylic paintings seduces the viewer into thinking about what is happening below the surface of his landscapes of familiar Ottawa Valley scenes. “It’s all about energy,” he explained. “When I’m ice fishing, I sit up there and wonder what’s going on beneath me.” That same curiosity inspires his creative muse when he’s paddling on a glass-smooth lake or walking on a leaf-strewn path. Each of his evocative landscapes portrays an abstract extension of what is happening on the surface to reveal what is below.

Continue reading "Hugh Malcolm — A Stretch of the Imagination" »

Posted on November 1, 2005 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So glad you asked! theHumm is a free, monthly, independent newspaper covering Arts, Entertainment and Ideas in the small towns and communities of the Ottawa Valley (so far it can be found in Almonte, Arnprior, Balderson, Burnstown, Carleton Place, Carp, Dunrobin, Lanark, Maberly, McDonald’s Corners, Pakenham, Perth, and Westport, with a smattering in Kanata). Circulation ranges from 5000–7000 copies, depending on the season.

The paper is now in its eighth year of publication. It is designed, edited and published by Kris and Rob Riendeau, but its contributors and columnists come from throughout the Valley. They are talented individuals who are dedicated to promoting and enhancing their communities. Here’s a list of names and columns:

• Bill Buttle — Artbeat Cartoon
• Carolyn Ciccoritti — Notes From the Place (Carleton Place)
• Ian Doig — Theatre News in Our Area
• Susan Fisher — theHumm Dispatch
• Sally Hansen — Art and Soul (Artist Profiles)
• Glenda Jones — The Reaver Report
• Euphemia Lark — Arts Council A La Carte (Mississippi Mills)
• Ray Parchelo — The Information Sideroad
• Rob Riendeau — The Green Scene
• Steve Scanlon — Westport Wonders
• Miss Cellaneous — Hanging Around the Valley (Visual Arts)

In addition to the paper version (which is delivered to shops, restaurants, libraries, community hang-outs and visitor attractions in the above-mentioned towns), we also maintain a website (but you know that — you’re already here, you clever thing). If you want any other information about us, feel free to send an email!, or read on…

Continue reading "What's theHumm?" »

Posted on November 1, 2005 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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Posted on November 1, 2005 12:00 PM | Permalink