Telling Our Stories: a musical revue

Thursday April 3, 7pm

Central Library
John Dutton Theatre

Join us in celebration as we launch our third annual festival! Our opening show features original and popular music performed in spirited collaboration by artists from the homeless community working in concert with musical mentors from the broader Calgary community. 

Inspiration in Our Hands: artwork from the DI

April 3 to 29

Central Library
Art Wall

See a vibrant selection of artwork created at TMC workshops over the last year. The collection features a large colourful ‘yarn painting’ made collaboratively at the Drop-In Centre (the DI) over the last few months under the guidance of artist-mentor Margot van Lindenberg.
 

Every week, artists who volunteer with This is My City Art Society (TMC) bring visual art programming to the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (The DI). Supplies—ranging from paints and pencils to yarns and glue—are laid out on tables in a common area. Residents wander over and join in. Some are regular participants; others try it out for the first time.

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We are pleased to share with you this sampling of art made in TMC workshops at the Drop-In Centre over the last year. We believe all Calgarians can relate to themes and ideas seen in these works. Art has a way of building bridges. Through art, people from all walks of life recognize shared values instead of focusing on differences.

Mutations

Opening reception April 4, 8pm

TRUCK Contemporary Art
2009 – 10 Ave SW

Installation artist José Luis Torres combines and repurposes unlikely items and creates something completely new out of nothing much. His recurring themes include shelter, mobility, and portability. The exhibit continues until May 3.

Mutations evokes a collector’s aesthetic and the idea that something can be created out of nothing. Torres begins with a profusion of randomly chosen objects, creating unexpected and unlikely combinations from reused items, using instability as an artistic means. Through this process, Torres takes objects and makes them look like other “things”, like an illusionist. 

Photo Walk: urban exploration with Cat

April 5, 11am – 12:30pm

Bow Building
6th Ave at Centre St.

Grab your camera and explore sites of displacement and rebuilding in the downtown core. Cat Schick, a photographer and TMC artist-mentor, will share technical and aesthetic tips while creating opportunity for dialogue about life in our city. 

Friends and Mentors: a group exhibit

April 5, 2:30pm – 5pm

TRUCK’s Community Space (Upstairs)
2009 – 10 Ave SW

TMC artist-mentors are professionals who volunteer their time to share their skills and love of art with the homeless and at-risk. Enjoy insightful visual artwork by mentors, clients, and special guest artists. Talent and diversity of expression meet social justice. Exhibit continues to April 19.

Flood Stories: creative flotsam on the edge of high water

April 5, 2:30pm – 5pm

TNG +15 Window, Epcor Centre
205 – 8 Ave SE

Take a look inside the process of creating a limited edition hand-printed book that honours images and words from many contributors. Stories and texts were collected from various sources including the homeless community. The images include relief prints made by youth at Inn from the Cold and photographs by Max , a Drop-In Centre evacuee. Printmaker and TMC artist-mentor Eveline Kolijn leads this project that captures the rawness and diversity of emotions evoked by the 2013 flood.

 

Fly With Us: spring show by MoMo

April 11 to 12, 2pm and  8pm

Vertigo Studio Theatre
115 – 9 Ave SE

MoMo Dance Theatre is Calgary's foremost producer of mixed-ability dance. Now in their 11th season, they have developed works that became fan favourites at the High Performance Rodeo and the University of Calgary's Dance Montage. Fly With Us is based on themes of identity and self/group dynamics.

Six Minute Stories: tales of rebuilding

April 12, 2pm

Central Library
Main Floor

Join us for a fun and fast-paced series of presentations that reflect a diversity of responses to both art making and flood stories. Told against the backdrop of powerful images and followed by questions and discussion, Six Minute Stories will inform and provoke. 

Telling our Stories: the patchwork show

April 16, 7:30pm

Arts Learning Centre, Epcor Centre
205 – 8 Ave SE

As the Festival draws to a close, we celebrate the spirit of creative expression that has enveloped us over the past two weeks. Like a patchwork quilt, this presentation stitches together colourful snippets that reflect patterns and textures of diverse lives. The evening features spoken word performances inspired by contributors from The Alex Youth Health Centre guided by poet and artist-mentor Kirk Miles. Favourite moments from the Festival will be reprised and a few surprises are in store!

Wrap: a conversation in movement

April 17, 12pm – 1pm

City Hall Municipal Plaza
800 Macleod Trail SE

This year, we are wrapping people and you can join in! At past TMC Festivals, artists wrapped benches and doorways with second hand afghans, observing that at times, people call these places home. Now, you can don an afghan to acknowledge those who experience homelessness. We’ll guide the assembled group in movement and document the visual statements we create together. Join us as a participant, an observer, or to take pictures of your own. Inspired by project-based artist Barbara Amos.

Festival Film Night

April 17, 7pm

Lunchbox Theatre
160 – 9 Ave SE

A diverse program of documentary films showing courageous and creative responses to displacement and marginalization, presented in partnership with, and programmed by the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers. City of Dreams (2013) Dir. Sally Truss (19 min), Siksika Strong (2013) Dir. Trevor Solway (12 min), Inocente (2013) Dir. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine (40 min). Q & A with filmmakers to follow the program.