International Women's Day 2010 - Part Two

My little cutie, Emmanuelle

To continue where I left off in the last post about this past Monday, I had to leave the wonderful YWCA luncheon at about 12:55 PM so I could get Emmanuelle to the Banff Elementary School. We are part of an incredible program called Roots of Empathy. I have been wanting to write a post about it since October.


Roots of Empathy was founded by educator Mary Gordon in Canada in 1996. It is an "evidence-based classroom program, its mission is to build caring, peaceful, and civil societies – child by child – through the development of empathy in children." The goal of the program is to raise a generation of more empathetic children and to reduce bullying and aggression while teaching respect and caring. This is done by introducing a baby to classroom of children, in our case a first grade class. The mom and/or dad bring the child to the classroom so that the students can watch the baby develop over the course of a school year. There are pre and post baby visits with the instructor and the class so they can talk about how they think the baby has changed and then to assess the changes. There are topics each visit, such as what is in a diaper bag, how to keep a baby safe, or how parents communicate with their child. We sit on a green blanket in the middle of the children and they ask me questions and watch Emmanuelle. We volunteered to take part in ROE this summer when a friend of mine who works for the school asked us if we would be interested. I had read about it in the local newspaper and thought it was a great program and that I would like to be a part of it. As luck would have it, Emmanuelle was born at the right time of the year for her to be the right age when the school year began. The program started in Alberta in 2008. It has reached more than 270,000 children in 11,000 classrooms worldwide. It is really fun to go each month and to see how the kids react to Emmanuelle and she reacts to them. If you ever hear of this program in your area and have a child who could participate, it is really a wonderful program. I would have more images to share with you, but I want to respect the privacy of the school kids. If you want to know more, go to the Roots of Empathy site or leave me a comment.



We arrived at the school about 1:05 PM and were done about 1:30 PM, then headed off to meet up with Quin at her World Dance class. Thanks to Dominique, she was happily dancing when I arrived, and Emmanuelle and I joined her. My good friend, Kim, teaches the class, which is filled with moms and cuties who learn about dance and music. I have a background in dance, so I love it just as much as Quin. By 2 PM, all was over and it was time to relax. We ended my busy day with a nice relaxing snack at Wild Flours Bakery as the first snow in weeks fell softly outside. A great day!

International Women's Day 2010 - Part One

Images by Tiffany Teske

Monday was a wonderful day. It was International Women's Day. It was also the first time as a mother of two that I needed to figure out a way to be three places at approximately the same time. Another mother, my friend, Dominique, came to the rescue. She has THREE kids. I would probably not have asked her to help me but she was already going to be bringing her kids to the third place I needed to be. So, this is how it played out.

11:15 AM, drop Q off outside of Dom's son's preschool. Dom (who from now on will be D) arrived, with her two daughters in the Chariot (very large stroller). She had just been on a two hour run with them! They all pick up her son, then head back to her mother's to get their bikes. Q rides on the back of D's bike with D's baby in the Chariot, to their house. Back at her house she feeds them all lunch.


In the meantime, I go to my first commitment which starts at 11:30 AM. It is an invitation only mentoring luncheon at the YWCA for International Women's Day. It is for community women and 11th grade girls from Banff High School. When I RSVPed I asked if it was okay to bring my 9 month old daughter. She is very very good at being with me (or shall I say on me) in her carrier and she is part of my everyday reality, which I feel is good for a high school student to see. Plus, we are celebrating women, and I am a woman with small children... They graciously and whole-heartedly accepted both Emmanuelle and I at the luncheon. The theme of the day centered around tea. We learned that in the time it takes to steep a cup of tea three women have been assaulted by their partners. We had tea with our dessert. And we were given favors of a herbal fruit blend of rooibos tea called African Indulgence, from the Banff Tea Co, which is amongst my favorite shops in Banff.


This Photo from the Bridal Blog

They also got crafty and made felt fortune cookies, something I have always wanted to make. I will do a post here when I do. The fortune inside read, "A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water. -Eleanor Roosevelt".

It was fun to meet the students and to talk with them about being in high school. And to meet other women from the community. One woman at the table was born and raised in Banff. Another is from Orleans, where my husband was born and raised. The student I was paired with is the daughter of a woman who is friends with a good friend of mine. Just the other day I had asked my friend if her friend has children and she had talked about this girl, who was friendly, outgoing, and seems to have a really good head on her shoulders. The food was great, they even made sure vegetarians and people with dairy issues were covered, which as a veggie for 23 years, I appreciate. The speaker was a local woman, Karen McDiarmid, who made a film about Tibet called Shining Spirit. It is going to be playing at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. I would like to go and see it because I was not able to stay for the trailer she showed, since I was off to stop number two, which you will hear more about in Part Two...

Nice Article About the Women's Art Show

Max Elliot and eight-year-old Darmody O'Donnell show off their piece, Lady Luck, at the Women's Art Show opening reception at the Banff Public Library. The art show, put on by the library in conjunction with the YWCA, is on display until the end of March.

Women celebrated in art
Shawn Slaght/Banff Crag & Canyon

To celebrate International Women's Day, the Banff Public Library in conjunction with the Banff YWCA held an opening reception Saturday night for their fifth annual Women's Art Show.

The show brought 13 local female artists together to display everything from mixed media artwork, to paintings, to poetry.

This year's theme was equality and this show was loosely based on that theme.

Artist Jane Newman is a regular at the Women's Art Show but had never put in a piece that followed the theme until this year.

"Usually I don't overly consider the theme when I am creating work," Newman said. "I just create work, but this year I had something very specific that I thought fit in that theme of equality."

Newman's piece, Rumi, is a poem that reads "Out beyond ideas of right and wrong doing there is a meadow, I'll meet you there."

She felt that idea of a meadow was a great place for equality, where there is no right and wrongdoing. This is Newman's fourth time showing work at this event out of the five years.

"I love the Banff Public Library," she said. "It is such a generous space for emerging artists and artists that have been well established in the community."

Tiffany Teske said she didn't necessarily work towards the theme of equality, but it still came across in her collage when it comes to human rights.

Teske went to Haiti twice as a photographer for a sponsorship program. She changed them into black and white and sewed them together in a quilt by hand.

"There are some words on how people are the same and are human," she said.

After the earthquake that rocked Haiti in January leaving hundreds of thousands dead, the quilt took on a special meaning to Teske.

"Last year I had three black and white photographs of women from Haiti," Teske said. "So this year I decided to do Haiti again. It was after those events but I had thought about it prior to that. It was just serendipity that it ended up getting more relevant."

Teske said overall that the show is a lot of fun. As an artist it is something that she looks forward to every year and enjoys being a part of a group show.

One of the more powerful pieces at the art show was entitled Freedom Denied, No Voice. It was a collage of photographs by Pam Knott.

Knott had visited Afghanistan in 1977 and all of the photographs were of Afghan women.

"It is something that I had been thinking about for a long, long time," Knott said. "I think these women's lives are supposed to be getting better and they aren't."

The concept of her piece was to give the Afghan women a voice to how they are suffering. She remembered taking a bus and thinking she was the only woman on the bus. She didn't realize there were two women because they were shrouded and never got off the bus.

She said with the current war in Afghanistan Knott figures a lot of the landmarks in the photographs are destroyed and she can only imagine the fate of the women in the photographs.

The Women's Art Show will be on display at the Banff Public Library until March 31.

Shawn@thecrag.ca

An Art Filled Weekend...

...gotta love those! Back to back art openings, yippee!

BANFF TOWN HALL


Friday night was the annual Homegrown Show at the Banff Town Hall. This show is always well attended with lots of great food and fun conversation. This year there was also live music. I can't believe that this Quin's third time at both of the show this weekend!





"See" 12.2 x 12.25"
$200
Mixed Media by Tiffany Teske (Record album jacket, embroidery thread, original Polaroid transfer, vintage photograph copy, map, game piece, acrylic paint, stones, not shown in this photograph)
Collage from the series "Wanderlust"

BANFF PUBLIC LIBRARY/YWCA WOMEN'S ART SHOW


The Women's Art Show at the Banff Public Library was the best ever! It has always been well attended by the participating artists but this year the public turned out in droves. It may have had something to do with this article, although the pre-press is always good. I was thrilled that my friend, Kim, who usually hosted the show for the library, participated this year with a beautiful poem about her daughter (our pieces are behind us). Last year we both had big bellies but now look at our lovely babes!


Here is a candid group shot of all the talented artists. Thanks to the YWCA & The Banff Public Library for hosting this important event centered around International Women's Day.


I Need Your Kindness 17x19"
$250
Mixed Media by Tiffany Teske (black & white photographs, embroidery thread, vintage dictionary text, fabric, handmade paper, rick rack trim, vintage ribbon)
Proceeds to go to help build a home for orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti

February 26th - Finished Piece, Using Portraits from Haiti, for the Women's Art Show

Well, I have always been able to work best with a deadline. I tend to wander off to other projects if I have all the time in the world. So, just in the nick of time, I finished my piece for the Women's Art Show at the Banff Public Library. I worked on it for about a week. I am really happy with how it turned out. I start with a basic plan but am not really one to lay out a project before beginning. I tend to have the best results when I just jump in. I know that seems strange but the minute I get hung up on something being perfectly straight or perfectly anything, it goes awry. This all went so well I am thrilled. You can see yesterday's post for the progression of this piece. Here are the photos of the finally step and the finished piece. It will be on display at the Banff Public Library for the month of March. All proceeds in the sale of this piece will go to His Hands for Haiti to build a home for orphaned and abandoned children.

Still Catching Up...

This ran in the Banff Crag & Canyon, just after the opening of the Women's Art Show on March 7th, 2009. I wish I had a link to it online, but alas there is none. So, I took a photo to commemorate it here. I must say once again that I am so happy to have been part of this show. I currently have some new friendships blossoming because of it.

Women's Day Annual Art Show at the Banff Public Library

Today was a big day in many ways. Quin and I baked up a mess of Amish Friendship Bread (more on this in another post), delivered the t-shirts to and attended the friendly rally in support of keeping obstetrics at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital (more on this in tomorrow's post), and to top it off, we attended the opening of the Women's Art Show at the Banff Public Library.


This is a great show to be a part of. This year there are 9 pieces, created by 9 different women, all local. Quin & I arrived with rosy cheeks from our two hours outside at the rally. Barbara, the head librarian, was kind enough to get Quin out of all her outdoor clothes, while I removed my rally t-shirt and put out our bread and non-alcoholic wine (it is just not the same, but I am pregnant...). Then, people started to arrive, each with more and more delicious offerings. The table soon held everything from grapes, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and baby honey oranges, to hummus, guacamole with three colors of chips, cheese & crackers, and spanakopita, to decadent bars, and TONS of chocolate donated by local chocolatier, Bernard Callebaut.


My Little Cindy Who enjoys some guac...

Quin got to work eating, and everyone complimented her on her wonderful behavior. Soon a couple of kids arrived and she hung out with them and their grandparents in the little book room for kids. She and I just spent a lovely hour alone there the other day, she loves the library, like her mom. She is such a good girl, happy to be anywhere for the most part.


There was good public attendance, as well as a reporter, Hagen Hopkins, from the local newspaper, The Crag and Canyon. Last year I left this show disappointed that I had not really mingled with and met the other artists, but this year was great. I met Max Elliot, Cindy Gibson, & Jane Newman. I really enjoyed talking with them. And Max arranged a group photo, which was fun. I didn't get a good one on my camera but I think it will appear in the newspaper. All is all, it was a wonderful event. Thanks to Barbara and the Banff Public Library, and Yosh and the YWCA!!

Rocky Mountain Outlook Feature

I was pleasantly surprised when Michelle Macullo of the Rocky Mountain Outlook called to interview me for the upcoming Banff Public Library Art Show. The exhibit will feature the art of local women during the month of March. It is the third year of this exhibit, which is inspired by International Women's Day on March 8th. It is the second year I have participated in the show.

I had a nice time chatting with Michelle about my work and how I am excited to be in this show with so many other talented artists. Then, I forgot about it, and was told by two people on the same day that my work was in the Rocky Mountain Outlook. I have not gotten my hand on a copy but I did find it online here. I will also post the article here below along with the image they printed in both the paper and have posted online. Thank you!


Global Women—March 2009 BPL show
Published: February 26, 2009 11:00 AM
Updated: February 26, 2009 11:40 AM

MICHELLE MACULLO BANFF

March 8 marks International Women’s Day – a commemoration of female spirit and achievement.

The day, first celebrated in 1911, also serves as a reminder that the days of female inequality are not entirely behind us.

In some instances, social, economic and political equality, both in the developed and developing world, are hard to come by. Gender equality, as outlined in the United Nations’ Charter, is a fundamental human right.

So it is with this in mind that the day serves as a reminder that all should be treated equal.

During the month of March, a colourful tapestry of local female artists, along with the Banff Public Library and the YWCA, are gathering to embrace female power, promise, contribution and worth through art.

Global Women: Bridging the Gap, an exhibition of original artwork, will be featured at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery. An opening reception with a number of the artists in attendance takes place on Saturday, March 7 from 7-9 p.m.

The mixed medium show features a potpourri of creations ranging from mosaic to photography to painting. Many of this year’s participants are easily recognizable women known throughout the Valley for their generosity, kindness and creativity – Jane Newman, Max Elliott and Tiffany Teske, to name a few.

Photographer Teske’s contribution to the exhibit are black and white images of women taken in Haiti.

“All of the women have a beautiful smile,” she shares. “Photography is powerful. Mother and National Geographic photographer Annie Griffins Belt captured it best when she said, ‘And I have learned that even without a shared language, it’s easy to let people know that their children are beautiful, their homes are lovely, their tea is delicious, and their stories are worth sharing with the world.’ She was right. I like to show humanity – the similarities and connections.”

As a mother and a wife, Teske says she’s spent a lot of time mulling over what it means to be female.

“I’m especially interested in how we got here,” she says. “It’s something I think about all of the time. When I think about all of the women that came before me, I’m thinking about my daughter. I’m going to encourage her to do whatever she wants to.”

Teske says her family played a vital role in giving her the confidence and poise to follow her dreams.

“My dad said I could be anything I wanted to be,” Teske said. ”And my grandma was one of the early Betty Crockers. She was working as an executive for the company before women really started working in those roles.”

A number of pieces in the show are available for sale. Additional information about the artists and their works is available at the library.

Global Women: Bridging the Gap runs until the end of the month at the Banff Public Library Art Gallery

Upcoming Art Show at the Banff Public Library

Today, I matted and framed three of my photographs for the upcoming show at the Banff Public Library. It will run for the month of March, and is inspired by International Women's Day on March 8th.


All of the participating artists are women, working in a variety of mediums, and the theme of the show is "Global Women, Bridging the Gap". This is the third year that the Library has hosted the show, and the second year I have participated.


I love to come together with other artists to exhibit and I am looking forward to the opening on March 7th. My images were shot in Terrier Rouge, Haiti. I chose three images of women who are wearing vibrant smiles, which is not necessarily the usual tone of my documentary work. As a photographer, capturing emotions is an important way to communicate universally with an image. A smile can speak volumes, where language may not. The images together are titled, ""Our Smiles Can Speak to the World".


I selected the following quote to be displayed with the images...
"And I have learned that even without a shared language, it's easy to let people know that their children are beautiful, their homes are lovely, their tea is delicious, and their stories are worth sharing with the world." Annie Griffins Belt, National Geographic Photographer & Mother


The other thing I did today was start a class on writing memoir. I am really excited about it. Memory is the inspiration behind a lot of my mixed media work and I am looking forward to learning to write more eloquently about my life experiences.

Photo Session & Lining Up Some Exhibitions

Yesterday, I had a mini photo shoot with my friend, Kim, and her husband, Kevin. They are expecting their first child in March. One of my best friends, Jeanne, who lives in Maine, is a marketing consultant for a hospital birthing centre, and every couple years she asks me for some maternity and baby photographs for their brochure. Most of my maternity images are black and white, and generally bare bellied, but this year they specifically asked for color and no skin. That was easy for the baby photos but I needed to shoot a couple images of a headless couple with all their clothes on, with the man behind the woman, both holding the belly, for the pregnancy shot. No problem. Kim and Kevin were happy to oblige and while I offered them a complete photo session as a gift for being willing to be models, they are such kind people they would not accept it. I must admit it did bum me out a bit, because I like them so much, and I love to make photographs. Above is one of the photos I was able to sneak that includes their heads, so I can make them some copies...

I got to see Kim again later in the day when I went to the library to return some books and to talk with her about openings for exhibits at the library in 2009. She takes care of arranging for the artists and having an opening for them, but she will be leaving in late February for mat leave, so I wanted to get in now. In 2008, I had an exhibit in October. This time I chose November. With my own babe on the way, this gives me extra time. I LOVE to have exhibit opportunities lined up, because when life is busy, some times art making is the first thing to go. When I have some pressure, a deadline, an opportunity, I continue to work at making art. I will probably keep the schedule light this year, although I hope to submit to some publications. I am excited for this exhibit. I have something up my sleeve that I hoped to do last year, but then ended up doing the double exposure Polaroid show instead. Stay tuned...

Additionally, I have been asked, for the second year, to take part in the Women's Art Show, at the Banff Library. It takes place in March, because of International Women's Day. This exhibit showcases the work of local women artists. Once piece per artist. It was a great success last year and I hope to talk with more of the local women this year. I am not sure what I will exhibit yet, but will probably make a new piece for it.

International Women's Day

On Friday I was lucky enough to be part of a local art show for International Women's Day! Here is the PR for the show...

"In honor of International Women's Day, the Banff YMCA and the Banff Public Library are pleased to present a Women's Art Show from March 1st - March 31st. The show features artwork by several local women working in a variety of mediums. Everyone is invited to attend the Opening Reception on Friday, March 7th from 7-9 PM at the Banff Public Library."

The library is located at 101 Bear Street. I was able to see the work when it was first hung last week because my daughter has story time at the library on Tuesdays. It all looks great! There are about 10 pieces from photography to mosaic to painting to mixed media assemblage. I submitted one fibre based black and white photograph that I hand printed in the darkroom (awhile back, I am bummed to say I do not currently have a darkroom) entitled "Heidi, Artist & Muse".



The opening was wonderful!! My friend, Mariana, came with Quin and I. It was race night for Andre at the hill but I was thrilled when he showed up at about 8:45 PM. There was delicious food and wine, including amazing cupcakes from a new local bakery called Cozy Cave. I am so bummed I didn't photograph the cupcakes!! Quin was thrilled that she was allowed to help me eat one. She held it in her two little hands like it was TREASURE :) Cozy Cave has the MOST BEAUTIFUL window displays ever. I will do a feature one day... There was even entertainment; two local women sang and Kim Mayberry, Quin and my belly dance teacher, and a librarian, AND the organizer of this event, DANCED! It was amazing! She is so great at it. She dances at The Balkan, a local Greek restaurant on Tuesday nights, in addition to teaching at the Banff Centre on Thursdays.



AND AND AND the BEST part of the evening (aside from Andre showing up as a surprise!), the icing on the cupcake, or the cherry on the cake, or the pièce de résistance was that MY PIECE SOLD!! Now, I know I am a professional artist but there is nothing like selling your work. I will never tire of it. And it is always amazing to sell it at the opening. It makes the event more memorable and I LOVE that I can meet the buyer. And in this case, I had already wanted to meet the buyer, who is a local photographer, who was also in the show. It is the highest compliment to have a fellow artist, in the same medium, buy your work! So thanks, Kirstie Tweed :) Kirstie is the owner of Orange Girl Photography in Banff. She is Orange Girl, a color we all know I am also a huge fan of! She has a lovely canvas print of a couple, the woman is pregnant, reclining on the bed with their golden retriever. I am happy to meet such a talented local photographer, as well as other artists in the community.

It was a lovely, lovely evening in celebration of women!

"Well, it's 30 below...

...and I don't give a &%@(E%, got a heater in my truck, and off to the rodeo!" I have no idea where this song comes from, or why my hubby sings it everytime it gets this cold, but it does bring a bit of a redneck Alberta flare to a -30 below ( -40 with wind chill) day in Banff. BBBRRRRRRR! It's bloody cold! Not that I would really know. I mean while the poor huband was busy all day being the GM of Norquay Ski, Quin & I stayed inside, warm and dry. We did the same yesterday. It seems it may be a trend because it won't warm up until Thursday. I LOVE days like these. Coffee, tea, blankets, snuggling, we even made Peanut Blossoms this evening.

----------------------------------------
PEANUT BLOSSOMS
----------------------------------------

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour with baking powder and salt. B lend shortening
with peanut butter in mixing bowl. Gradually add brown
sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla
extract; beat well. Blend in sifted dry ingredients
gradually; mix well.

Roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased
cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Top each cookie with
solid milk chocolate kiss.

This recipe is from www.cooks.com. It is NOT the usual recipe I use, which is my Auntie Jackie's recipe. I couldn't find it tonight. These were a bit dry, but good just the same :)



And André (darling hubby) made a new drink. A martini with vodka, Cointreau, fresh lemon and lime juice. Super yummy even if it wasn't exactly a night for a drink shaken with ice.



I will have to venture out tomorrow since I have not gotten the mail since the middle of last week. And we need some groceries... And I need to turn in my paperwork to the library for the Women's Art Show. I get excited to see what will pop up each year as far as art ops centered around International Women's Day. This year I was personal asked by Holly, who runs the kids story hour, to put a piece in the show. I said yes right away but was then doublly pleased because Kim Mayberry, who teaches the Mom and Tot Belly Dance (and all the belly dance classes) at the Banff Center, who is also a librarian, is one of the people in charge. Tomorrow I will get the paperwork to them come rain, sleet, or snow ;)

I made TONS of new transfers over the weekend. I have yet to scan them but here are a couple images I uploaded to Etsy today. Tomorrow I will post some new ones here.