November 23, 2005

Ad Astra — Aim High

Ad Astra in Almonte

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.

November 21, 2005

The ABCs of Art and Community

Rainette-Treefrog Gallery

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…

"The ABCs of Art and Community" »