Chance to indulge in culture throughout weekend
Culture Days are coming to Niagara this weekend.
Culture Days is a free, Canadawide event aimed at getting the public involved in the art and culture of their city. Various workshops are hosted throughout the city by artists with the public encouraged to participate.
The three-day event began on Friday, but most of the activities will be happening this weekend.
“The St. Catharines Cultural Investment program offered grants this year for artists to actually be paid to do this because everything has to be free,” explains Laurie Sadowski, arts in medicine program coordinator. “In their grant they could apply to be paid as an artist but also for their materials and sometimes their location.” One Friday event was the Leave Your Mark: A Community Painting Project, the brain child of arts Helen Michlik.
Michlik regularly volunteers at the hospital, area schools and runs workshops at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“I’ll volunteer once a month,” said Michlik. “I will sit in a waiting room and do a demonstration and try to encourage the patients to participate.” “I have scared a few off,” laughs Michlik.
Patients, staff and visitors to the Walker Family Cancer Centre are welcome to make their mark on an abstract mural that will then hopefully be displayed in the hospital.
“We’re trying to hang it up here somewhere,” said Sadowski. “Because of infection control everything always has to be wipeable, because we are using canvas, we just have to figure out cost. Chances are, we’ll make it happen.” All participants’ names will then be written on the back of the mural.
The mural will also be available for people to make their mark on on Saturday.
There are a variety of events happening throughout the region and the city this weekend. Art, dance and music workshops are happening at various locations including Rodman Hall which is offering art and sculpture workshops and tours, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is hosting a dance and music workshops, a play production workshop where participants will write their own play from scratch, the Pumphouse Arts Centre in Niagara-onthe-Lake is hosting hands-on and collaborative activities throughout the weekend and various locations around the downtown are hosting events about poetry, music and art.The Niagara Falls History Museum will once again offer behind the scene tours of its vast collection on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Tours will be 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. all three days.
Details of all events, times and locations for Niagara are available online at www.culturedays. ca jjocsak@postmedia.com @JJ_Standard