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December 2007

Fay Grim - and stuff

What a great film - quirky, funny, some what noir. Parker Posey is fantastic, IMDB lists her as being in 65 films since she started 16 years ago - a career that earned her the title from Time Magazine of Queen of the indies. 

I enjoyed it with dinner and conversation with some friends at their place - and the hostess even stayed awake for most of the evening.

I've a few things I'd meant to blog about:

  • there was an article in The Citizen a few weeks ago about a spirit medium in Zimbabwe who had convinced the government to give her about $3.4 million (Cdn) in return for her solution to the country's ongoing fuel shortage. Her gift, demonstrated to them, was that she could strike a rock with her staff and have oil bubble up out of the ground. Shades of Jed Clampett, but in her case the police claim she also discovered an abandoned tank truck of diesel fuel, abandoned in the civil unrest of the 70's. Made me think of the reports from that continent in the 90's of genital theft.
  • Those cell phone headsets seem to be everywhere now -used for a hands free link to your cell via a Bluetooth link. it's weird though, when then person next to you in a crowd suddenly starts talking as they walk along -letting the world hear their half of a supposedly private conversation. It's fun to start replying right away to them, especially if they look offended and say they are talking to someone else. Then you can look around and ask if they mean they can see ghosts?  But if you are one of those people that often talks to yourself in public, get a headset, it's great cover.
  • Now that the nights are cooler, it seems sound travels further -maybe because the smooth snow surface reflects better. At any rate, it's nice to lie in bed late at night, with the window open a bit for fresh air, and listen to a train whistle on the Gatineau side of the river.    

Urban arts forum

I was pleased to be a guest at an Urban Arts Forum last Wednesday evening (Nov 7), at the SAW Gallery, one of several such forums across Canada that the Governor General's office has coordinated. I was also pleased to be able to add to the ambiance with an exhibition of 28 photos (mine and others) I'd collected on graffiti and our local HoP festival. There were about 200 people there, mostly youth, with some good dialogue on the issues, and some good ideas on solutions. There was a good review of the evening in today's Ottawa Citizen Arts Section.

So - now what? I put in some feedback on the forum blog, sent a note to a number of my local contacts to get their input, and submitted a letter to the editor (Ottawa Citizen). They published it, with a large photo of Her Excellency getting down with Oni the Haitian Sensation. Here's my letter:

Let's channel the energy Governor General sparked - The Ottawa Citizen - Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Re: Jean steps out with street cred, Nov. 10.

Many thanks to Gov. Gen. Michaƫlle Jean for organizing one of a series of urban arts summits across Canada. I was glad to see so much enthusiasm, and hear so many youth and adults speak up on the issues surrounding urban arts in the Ottawa area.

One of the issues raised at the forum that I attended was that the youth do talk, but the adults don't listen.

Former senator Laurier Lapierre spoke of those who live in an "adult ghetto," comfortable within the walls of their own culture and somewhat confused and uncomfortable if they venture outside and encounter things like "hip-hopping."

I admit I was one of those, until eight years ago my eye was caught by a bright spray of graffiti in a back alley.

I started photographing this new (to me) art form, both to preserve and promote these murals to my peers, whether they were neighbours in suburbia or co-workers in office cubicles.

My passion for this led to an expanded interest in other elements of this culture, so that now my circle of peers and friends has been enriched and expanded to include bboys/bgirls (breakdancers), DJs, MCs, and graffiti artists.

I'm glad I ventured out; there are different and interesting ideas outside those walls, and there is also some great art painted on them.

So we had an enthusiastic and well-attended forum in Ottawa. People talked, people listened, there were many valid issues, some creative suggestions -- now what? It's not enough to say that "we" talked, and "they" listened, now "they" fix it. The challenge for everyone is now to build on the momentum, put in some hours, and start making things happen.

Some of the issues raised included poor publicity, Ottawa's conservative risk-averse culture; a lack of communication and disorganization. Perhaps some of those who were calling for action at the forum could start an Ottawa area urban arts committee, with a mission to co-ordinate and guide the development of urban arts here, especially hip-hop culture. Nothing very formal for now, something independent rather than another city committee. This group could channel and encourage enthusiasm and ideas, and add some structure, some funding, some tools, some planning and goals, and pick some objectives for the year.

I'd love to see us all gather next year to celebrate a list of accomplishments, and even be a role model for other cities trying to effect these changes.

If you're interested in more information on urban arts issues, or in taking action, you can contact the Governor General's forum at www.citizenvoices.gg.ca, or e-mail me via my blog at www.ravensview.ca.

We'll see what happens - I'm not interested in this being a one-man show, or a committee of just adults, "official representatives" that are there just to be seen but don't add any real value, that are too busy to commit to some time and deliverables. That may sound cynical, but it happens too often. As I said in my letter, some of us can add structure, help find funding, sort out red tape, but the action needs to be primarily from the urban arts community and youth.