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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-16-004 - 2016 Artist in Residence Appointment REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: February 8, 2016 SUBMITTED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Dev., 519-741-2200 x 7506 PREPARED BY: Emily Robson, Coordinator, Arts/Culture, 519-741-2200 x 7392 WARD (S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: January 18, 2016 REPORT NO.: CAO-16-004 SUBJECT:2016 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE APPOINTMENT __________________________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That Sarah Granskou be appointed as the 2016 City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence as recommended by the Public Art Working Group and Arts and Culture Advisory Committee; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute an agreement, satisfactory to the City Solicitor, with Sarah Granskou outlining the obligations of the Artist-in-Residence appointment. BACKGROUND: Established in 1995 as the first municipal program of its kind, the City of Kitchener Artist-in- Residence program aims to engage the community in the production of contemporary art that reflects our shared identity and supports the development of local artists. The program delivers on the understanding that meaningful engagement in the arts and growth of the creative sector contributes positively to the dynamism, authenticity, attractiveness and overall competitiveness of the City of Kitchener. Link: Learn more about the City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence program The annual program includes community engagement components such as workshops and events, presentations of work in progress and completed works in the Berlin Tower ARTSPACE or other venues, collaboration with City events, programs and facilities, and participation on Public Art Working Group (PAWG), a subcommittee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC). The artist-in-residence is provided with an honorarium for the year. Since 2015, the call has been broadened to include artists working in any discipline, a shift developed in close consultation with PAWG and ACAC. Beyond visual arts, proposals can include performing arts, provided the project includes a high level of community engagement. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** 14 - 1 Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. Activities associated with the artist-in-residence program occur throughout the city over the course of the year. A wide variety of individuals are engaged during the program—from those encountering artwork and the artist at community events, to those interested in workshops on artistic practice. REPORT: The annual call for proposals was advertised in the summer of 2015. Eighteen proposals were submitted by the competition close in November 2015. Members of PAWG assessed the entries based on: Potential for meaningful exchange between the artist and community Artistic excellence Strength of the submission Balance of professional practice and community engagement Feasibility Promotional strategy PAWG reached consensus at their December 14, 2015 meeting, selecting Sarah Granskou as the 2016 City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence. Sarah Granskou is a performance artist integrating song, fiddle, jaw harp, storytelling and puppetry in a fluid narrative, both moving and humourous. Her works are rooted in her Norwegian heritage as well as her Canadian experience. As an educator, she has led extensive performance projects in the community and schools, integratingmusic composition, puppetry and storytelling, and has delivered felting workshops for all ages. Through Sarah Granskou’s residency project (Appendix A) the community will be involved in preparing the required materials for and in the creation of a life-size tree marionette. The project will also include the creation of felted puppets and costume/clothing pieces of local relevance intended for an interactive performance. In addition to puppets, Sarah Granskou will also undertake an arrangement of songs with relevant lyrics in collaboration with local musicians. The project includes the planting and tending of natural dye plants, dyeing and preparing wool, the creation of felted works of art, music composition and rehearsal, and the performance, presentation, and exhibition of the project. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The $10,000 artist honourarium and $2,500 allocation for expenses are supported by Arts/Culture budgets. 14 - 2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. COLLABORATE –An important component of the Artist-in-Residence program is the requirement for meaningful public engagement. City staff works with the artist to identify interesting opportunities for public engagement and develop creative programming to suit these opportunities. Sarah Granskou will engage with the community through the collaborative creation of felted art works. Artists in residence are encouraged to find meaningful way to engaging with the public. City staff works with the artist-in-residence to identify interesting opportunities for public engagement and develop creative programming to suite these opportunities. Engaging advisory committees: In addition to consulting on the Artist-in-Residence call for entry, PAWG serves as the selection committee for the position, as a subcommittee of ACAC. A PAWG motion that ACAC support the selection of Sarah Granskou as the 2016 City of Kitchener Artist-in-residence was considered and supported by ACAC on January 19, 2016. This report will be available to the public on the City’s internet site as part of the standing committee agenda. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO 14 - 3 Appendix A Project Proposal City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence 2016 Sarah Granskou: Felted Fiber Artist, Puppeteer, Singer/Fiddler/Composer The proposed project involves a balanced focus on community engagement, artistic development in practice, and collaboration with other artists. The community will be involved in preparing the materials and in creating a large life size tree marionette using both wet felting and needle felting techniques. In terms of artistic practice, the main focus is on the creation of felted puppets and costume/clothing pieces of local relevance ultimately intended for an interactive performance context, while also standing alone as works in an exhibition. As such, a complimentary aspect involves the musical composition and arrangement of songs with relevant lyrics, involving collaboration with local musicians. Though I have an established career as a storyteller, oral poet, and folk musician, this residency strengthens the other aspects of my multi-arts professional practice as a puppeteer, fiber artist and composer. With a background in textiles and costume design, I have fully immersed myself in the art of needle and wet felting since the onset of my Artist-in-Residency at the Joseph Schneider Haus in 2012/2013. I became immersed in felting as a more portable means of creating puppets for my interactive performances, dedicating the next few years to developing my skills and to facilitating the creation of felted and upcycled puppets in schools and in the community. I now sell felted hats, accessories and apparel at craft shows, including the Christkindl Market. The proposed project is best understood in terms of processes, all of which involve independent practice, community engagement and collaboration. Planting and Tending Natural Dye Plants: Spring and Summer, 2016 While I have already planted natural dye plants in my own garden and will be expanding this next season, the hope is that there would be a public growing space made available. Ideas include acquiring a community plot (though waiting lists are long), or a plot at the Working Centre garden. Plants to be cultivated are those that cannot be harvested at the family woodlot or in appropriate public/wild spaces. Collaboration with gardeners in the community is also a possibility. Dyeing and Preparing Wool: Summer and Fall, 2016 In addition to cultivated plants, other sources of natural dyes include our family woodlot near Erbsville, everyday waste (carrot shavings, black bean soak water) and wood shavings provided by my husband, Trevor Ewert – a bow maker and wood turner. In terms of processing the wool, this is something to be done during the summer of 2016. Wool appropriate for needle felting and for the creation of shoes will be acquired from local farms and finer wool for hats and costumes will be acquired from farms in Western Canada. Community members will engage in natural wool dyeing workshops and in foraging for low impact wild dye sources such as black walnut hulls and goldenrod. Thought will be given to respecting protected spaces and 14 - 4 avoiding toxic plants and substances. Iron, aluminum and copper pots will be used as mordants and colour shifters. Community members and school children will also engage in carding the wool. Creating Works of Art: Spring, Summer and Fall, 2016 Throughout the spring and summer of 2016, I will create puppets and costume pieces using existing wool and silk that I have prepared by the processes described above. The puppets will be in three styles: marionettes, “rod” puppets (with a handle at the back of the head) and hand puppets. Both needle felting and wet felting will be involved, illuminating predominantly the natural/cultural heritage and spaces in Kitchener. Examples of characters include The Grand River, the Huron Natural Area, the Iron Horse Trail and Breithaupt Park. Building upon my focus on “forest inspired felting”, I would continue to study and explore these areas, both independently and involving the public through Nature Connect events (offered by the City of Kitchener). Costume pieces, or “wearable art”, from hats to shoes to dresses and jackets would be created for performance and exhibition, also celebrating the above themes. Full-time hours would be dedicated to this work in the spring, while wool processing and community engagement will share the focus during the summer and fall. Anybody can be part of the felting process, even with extreme physical limitations. During the fall of 2016, the culminating collaborative project will involve the creation of a life-sized “tree troll” marionette, in which community members and school children create thousands of leaves, using the wool processed during the project. We will explore various tree species, allowing participants to wet felt a leaf of their choice, contributing one to the project and taking one home as a fridge magnet. Participants will be invited to contribute strands/threads of fibres from their lives, whether of personal, historic or cultural significance. Venues/contexts for carrying out such creation workshops include but are not limited to: local schools, libraries, fiber guilds, Extend-a-Family, retirement centres, the Joseph Schneider Haus, The Museum, Nature Connect children's programs and drop-in sessions at City Hall and festivals. Additionally there will be multiple drop-in sessions in places such as city hall. Species of insects and birds, as well as diverse faces in the trunk of the tree, will be created at certain venues (e.g. fibre arts guilds) and by the artist. The marionette will be displayed at City Hall in such a way that the branches can be controlled with strings strung over a mounted bar. Music Composition and Rehearsal: Spring, Summer and Fall, 2016 The musical component is to be integrated as relates to the above processes. Not only does the process of felting lend itself to singing, but the means of presenting the work is greatly augmented by song and music. Participants of all ages love to make puppets dance and express emotions, especially when they can hide behind a costume and wear funky shoes! The music will reflect relevant content, from the stories of our natural and cultural heritage to that of the local felt industry, or it will be without words. With input from the community, school children and artistic collaborators, I will build upon my existing repertoire of such works. Performance, Presentation and Exhibition: Spring, Summer and Fall, 2016 14 - 5 Opportunities to demonstrate my art and perform solo or with musical collaborators, Amy Scott (piano), Trevor Ewert (violin), and Allison Marcinni (voice), will include: Earth Day, Summer Lights Festival, KW Multicultural Festival, Kultrun/Latitudes Storytelling Festival, Octoberfest Parade, Festival of Neighbours and the Christkindl Market. Building upon my experience as Artist-in-Residence at the Joseph Schneider Haus, I would collaborate with the Artist-in-Residence committee and PWAG in mounting an exhibition at City Hall of some of the works created. My goal with this residency is to accessibly engage as many community members as possible in the creative process and in observing and learning about our natural environment in an active way. I also aim to develop my skills and expression as a felting artist and musical composer and lyricist, strengthening connections with recent collaborators and opening the doors to others. 14 - 6