Arts& culture
A look at upcoming arts and nd entertainment events in the Annnapolis Valley:
Call for submissions at Jack’s Gallery
Jack’s Gallery Wolfville is calling for submissions of 2-D artwork for ‘ Fem- Fest: Freedom Then and Now’ — a multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating the pioneering spirit of suffragettes.
‘Fem-Fest Freedom Then and Now’ examines and articulates the societal changes, advances, and present day challenges that define women’s lives.
The exhibition will run from Sept. 16 to Nov. 4. For more information about ‘ Fem Fest: Freedom Then and Now’ go to www.caravantheatre.ca. Contact jacksgallerywolfville@gmail.com to request a submission form.
Jack’s Gallery is located at 450 Main St., Wolfville, in the JustUs! Café.
Fundy Cinema film screenings
Fundy Cinema screens Chappaquiddick on June 24 at 7 p.m.
In a suspenseful drama recreating the infamous 1969 incident — when Senator Ted Kennedy accidentally drove off a bridge, resulting in the death of campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne — and its aftermath, director John Curran ( Tracks) examines the corrosive effects of power and privilege in America.
All films are screened at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., Wolfville. Tickets are $9 and are available 30 minutes before screening. Go online: fundycinema.ca or facebook.com/FundyCinema-1692183731024542.
New Exhibit at Hardware Gallery
Hardware Gallery’s third exhibit this season, entitled ‘ Shift Focus,’ featuring the work of Meghan Bray and Justine MacDonald, runs until June 27.
This month’s exhibit features two artists and two mediums.
Justine MacDonald Ma is a travel ph photographer and blogger based in Kentville. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and love of photography with others to inspire them to see the world in a new light. An award-winning photographer, MacDonald has participated in several group and solo exhibitions.
Meghan Bray is a native of Saskatchewan and living in Halifax. She has a BFA from NSCAD. Meghan’s work has been shaped by a mixture of influences from across Canada. She works in various media, focusing on expressionism rather than material. Meghan uses line and colour as a guide in her work.
An opening event for the exhibit will be held June 22 at the gallery. Hardware Gallery will also be celebrating its grand opening on June 22 with a variety of arts- and culture-related community events. For more information and updates, visit: www.hardwaregallery.ca.
Hardware Gallery is located at 36 Cornwallis St., Kentville.
Coming up at Evergreen Theatre
A lot of great acts will be at Evergreen Theatre in East Margaretsville over the next month, starting with Museum Pieces June 22 at 8 p.m. for $25 admission.
July 3 it’s Les Voix Humaines, followed on July 14 with Getting to Room Temperature ($3). Madison Violt takes the stage on July 19 ($30). To reserve tickets for any of these shows, visit: www.evergreentheatre.ca.
The Savannah Sipping Society
In this delightful, laugh- aminute comedy, four unique Southern women, all needing to escape the sameness of their day-to-day routines, are drawn together by fate — and an impromptu happy hour —and decide it’s high time to reclaim the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years. The Savannah Sipping Society by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten will have you looking for your own ‘happy hour.’
The featured artists are Jillian MacDonald and Camille Herbin.
Remaining dates are June 22, 23. Front of House opens at 6:45 p.m.
Tickets are: $ 15 for adults; $12 for seniors/students; $5 for children age 12 and under. CentreStage takes cash or cheques only. Reservations are held until 15 minutes before show time.
Call 902-678-8040 for reservations.
Northern Ontario songstress in Kentville June 23
Singer- songwriter Rose- Erin Stokes is on an East Coast tour in support of her recently released album Wherever I Go and is stopping in Kentville on June 23.
Stokes took home Best Songwriter at the 2017 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards and is excited to be bringing the sounds of Northern Ontario to the East Coast. The show is a duo performance with guitarist Andrew Sowka.
The show will be held at T.A.N. Coffee (Kentville) from 3-5 p.m. with admission by donation.
Round Hill Studio exhibit
Round Hill Studio in Annapolis Royal launched the exhibit Paper Nature by Emma Windsor- Liscombe that runs until June 30. Paper Nature is an on- going series seeking to document on paper endangered species, plants, as well as creatures considered ‘pests’ or simply normal and uninteresting.
The studio is located at 280 St-George St., Annapolis Royal. Info: 902-955-0365; www.roundhillstudio.com.
On the screen at King’s Theatre
King’s Theatre presents The Gardener on June 23 at 7 p.m.
The Gardener is a documentary reflecting on the meaning of gardening and its impact on our lives.
Shortly before his passing at the age of 86, influential gardener and horticulturalist Frank Cabot recounts his personal quest for perfection at Les Quatre Vents, his 20- acre English- style garden and summer estate. Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Charlevoix County in Quebec, Les Quatre Vents has become one of the world’s foremost private gardens. Created over three generations, it is an enchanted place of beauty and surprise, a horticultural masterpiece of the 21st century.
This is a King’s Theatre special presentation in partnership with the King’s Film Society and the Annapolis Historic Gardens in celebration of National Garden Week.
Special treats: Velma’s bar and back deck. The Historic Gardens will provide ‘ Garden Baby’ door prizes. The Champlain Garden Club will introduce the film. Check out the garden- themed art in the lobby.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tickets cost: $ 12 for adults, $11 with a film buff card, and $8 for youth. Go online: www.kingstheatre.ca.
Student art exhibit
New Perspectives Student Art Exhibit opened at the Macdonald Museum in Middleton on May 24.
It features senior student art from Middleton Regional High School and Bridgetown Regional Community School, sharing the perspectives of the students on important issues and topics.
There is no admission fee to see this one-of-a-kind exhibit.
The exhibit runs until Aug. 31 at the museum, located at 21 School St.
Carole Ball does one-woman show
Local actress Carole Ball is bringing her one- woman extravaganza Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End to Wolfville. Remaining shows are June 22, and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and June 23 at 2 p.m. at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville.
Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End is an engaging, funny and poignant production about one of America’s most beloved humorists, who captured the frustrations of her generation by asking, “If life is a bowl of cherries, what was I doing in the pits?”
At Wit’s End was written by journalist sisters Allison and Margaret Engel. It premiered at Arena Stage in Washington, DC in 2015. It has since been performed at theatres across America.
The show tours to Lockport for a short run on July 27 at 7:30 p.m. and July 28 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at The Box of Delights Bookshop, 466 Main St., Wolfville, and at the door. Tickets are $10. For the Lockeport venue, visit: www.facebook.com/LockesIslandPlayers/.
Two Planks doing three plays
Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company will celebrate its 27th season with an ambitious three-production outdoor season of new Canadian drama and unique adaptations of cherished classics at the Ross Creek Centre in Canning.
The 2018 season includes the world premiere of Animal Farm by Fire by Allen Cole and Ken Schwartz, a musical drama based on the classic novel by George Orwell; North Moun- tain Vanya, adapted from the Chekhov classic Uncle Vanya by Ken Schwartz; and Elapultiek by shalan joudry, a new work commissioned for the fireside stage about connections.
“This season marks the first time the company has produced a three- show summer season, and we are thrilled to be creating and producing works for the stage that have such contemporary relevance,” said artistic director Ken Schwartz.
“Whether it’s the prophetic fable of George Orwell, the piercing vision of Chekhov, or the challenging contemporary perspective of shalan joudry, our 2018 season speaks powerfully of who and where we are in this moment. Not only does the theatre act as a powerful mirror — it can also provoke us to imagine the world the way it should be.”
The productions begin previews July 4. North Mountain Vanya and Animal Farm by Fire open July 7. Elapultiek opens Aug. 25.
Macbeth at Al Whittle Theatre June 29
Presented by Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co- op, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, filmed live in London, will be shown at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., in Wolfville, on June 29 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door, which opens at 6:30 p.m. The film runs from 7-10:30 p.m.
Smokin’ Blues Fest
If you’re making your summer plans, here’s one that should make your list. The Smokin’ Blues Fest at the Hants County Exhibition Grounds in Windsor July 6 and 7 boasts a lineup of great blues and rockin’ blues talent including the Christine Campbell Band, John Campbelljohn, Beauwater, the Kendra Gale Band, the Dan Doiron Band, Ced, Martyy and Dave, Curtis Matheson, and the Logan Richard Band — and that’s just for starters. More acts are being added.
The event, dubbed ‘A Beacon of East Coast Blues’ is open to all ages, includes and after- hours acoustic jam, has free parking, on-site camping, and food and artisan vendors. Kids 12 and under get in free.
Go to www.smokinbluesfest.ca for day and weekend passes that start at $20.