Friday, February 5, at The Auburn is your chance to to check out new works by one of Calgary’s emerging artists, Sharie Abramson. She is a very talented artist, with an eye for all things creative.

People may recognize your name from the article about your home in Avenue Magazine last year, but for those who don’t know, who is Sharie Abramson?

I am a artist, designer who loves to transform the landscapes of peoples environments with my vision of the past, present and future. I continually push and develop my work. I want my work to expand as I explore, travel and experience life. I want to create a cultural impact for my clients. Art can tell the world a lot about us and the world we live in.

You are a graphic designer, an interior designer, and a painter. How the hell did you get so creative?

I grew up in the wonderful environment of the Canadian prairies, surrounded by solitude. This gives a gal a lot of time to think and manipulate the world around her. I was fortunate to have very creative people in my life and was always encouraged to find ways to express myself through art.I could never imagine doing anything else.

Could you tell the readers some more about your paintings, and what to expect from your solo show at the The Auburn?

My work is an abstract fusion of the prairies and the fervid lifestyle of an urban designer. Viewers will notice a transition in style in my work as I’ve pushed my self beyond typical boundaries. My work encompasses the techniques of today’s contemporary artists juxtaposed with the aesthetics of mid-century modernism. My palette is at one point dark but then colourful and unimposing.

Other than The Auburn where can people check out your work?

My work is spread out through many business and private residences in Western Canada . To view past and present works please visit my website, www.sharieabramson.com. I can also be reached my phone or e-mail for private viewings. See my website for details and by phone 403.651.2385 for viewings and inquires.

Photograph by Andy Yang (Opening @ Paul Kuhn February 11th)

The month of February is the Exposure photography festival. With over 40 artists participating through out different galleries in Calgary and Banff. Check out Exposure 2010 online for openings, events, & locations.

Head over to The Auburn on Friday, February 5, at 8pm to check out new works by one of Calgary’s emerging artists, Sharie Abramson. Although this is Sharie’s first public exhibit, her works have already been enthusiastically collected by several private collectors in the city. CIA will have more about Sharie and all things creative later in the week.

For those interested in an alternative to traditional physical activity, Capoeira may be just the thing.  Calgary has two Capoeira organizations that I’m aware of.  The one I’m most familiar with is Axé Society for Capoeira.  Not only have I witnessed one of their incredible live performances at World Skills 2009 last September(photos below), but I also see and hear first hand from one of my good friends who’s been a member for the past 2 years.  She sings the praises of Axé almost every day, and I’ve come to appreciate the unique and incredible contributions Axé brings to our city. In their own words:

Axé Capoeira is an organization dedicated the celebration of Brazilian culture in Calgary, through the practice of Capoeira and Brazilian dance as a means of developing self-expression and personal identity.  Since May 2005, the group has been registered as Axé Society for Capoeira and has been performing and offering classes all around the city.  Axé has also provided educational workshops at Calgary schools and community organizations.

Musician and Capoeira Professor Elvio Dos Santos, known in Capoeira as Professor Tigrão, came to Canada from Brazil six years ago in order to work with Calgarians to advance their understanding and practice of diverse forms of Brazilian dance and the art of Capoeira.  With over twenty years of experience performing and teaching both Capoeira and Brazilian dance in his native country,  Professor Tigrão has now developed a creative and motivated group here in Calgary.

Developed over 500 years ago by African slaves in Brazil, Capoeira has its roots in Afro-Brazilian culture and was said to be both a form of cultural expression, and self-defense. During the last two decades Capoeira has grown immensely as an artistic activity that incorporates rhythmic and physical expression, and can now be seen in diverse settings across the globe. Played in the middle of a circle called a roda, Capoeira involves fluid movements that create a dialogue between two people. This dialogue is further influenced by music created by instruments, such as the berimbau, atabaque (drum) and the pandeiro (tambourine) and sung by all people in the circle. All these elements combine to create a Capoeira roda, or circle, in which various forms of communication converge to create improvised and communal expression.

Axé Capoeira currently teaches classes at 6 locations  (SAIT, YMCA Shawnessy, YMCA Crowfoot, BDB Martial Arts, Mount Royal University and Okotoks Recreation). There are separate classes for children (age 4 and up) and adults.Along with the classes, Axé Capoeira also performs at numerous events and fundraisers each year. You may have seen them live at Afrikadey, Canadian Red Cross Bridges of Hope, or World Skills 2009. Axé also hosts an annual Festival of Capoeira and Brazilian Arts at SAIT each year. This year  the festival runs from June 4th – 6th at SAIT and the Vertigo Theatre.

If you’re interested in checking out a class, or perhaps would like to book Axé for your next event, you can learn more by visting http://www.axecalgary.com You can also reach them by email axecapo@gmail.com or telephone 403-210-0269.

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Every year Ad Rodeo celebrates creative excellence in advertising and design.  For all you typophiles, ad enthusiasts, and creative minds, Ad Rodeo is hosting an exclusive screening of Art & Copy.

When: Wednesday January 27th, 5:30 pm
Where: Uptown Stage & Screen at 612 8th Ave SW

Tickets Available at http://www.eventsonline.ca/events/adweek_screenings_calgary/index.html

Take part in a one-of-a-kind urban arts show this weekend with the Converge showcase and party.  Hosted at the Auburn Saloon, the event will feature runway shows and performances by dance crews, emcees, and beatboxers. In addition to the main entertainment, amazing art from various graffiti artists will be on display around the venue. The show runs this Friday, January 22nd starting at 8PM.

Tickets are $20 each and discounts are available for bulk purchases.  As an added benefit, half of the proceeds will be donated to help out the Haiti earthquake victims.

Get your tickets by calling John at 403-617-7074 or by email at john@grimreminder.com.  Tickets are also available at The Gallery on 17th Avenue.

For more information, check out the Facebook event at www.facebook.com/search/?q=converge&init=quick#/event.php?eid=255367732580&index=1

UPDATE:  Advance tickets are now sold out. Admission at the door will be subject to capacity.

Saw this on a Friday wandering around town…

“Wireframe is a site-specific installation that uses photo-luminescent tape to trace the unique architecture of the main gallery at Stride. Inspired by early ’80s science-fiction film sets, video games, and AutoCAD, Wireframe creates tension between real and virtual space, converting the gallery into an immersive three-dimensional drawing. Through this ‘drawing’ process, the individuality of the site is revealed, positioning the gallery as a collaborator in the work. This empathetic turn creates a radical shift of perspective amongst audience members, proposing an inter-subjective relationship; we program the gallery while the gallery simultaneously programs us.
Scott Rogers would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Alberta Creative Development Initiative in the production of this work.” -Stride

Scott Rogers
Wireframe
January 8 – February 13, 2010
Reception at Stride Gallery
Opening reception Friday, January 8, 2010 at 8PM
Artist Talk Thursday,January 14, 2010 at 7PM in Stride’s main space.

More Exhibition Information HERE.

One Yellow Rabbit Presents the 24th Annual High Performance Rodeo starting January 7th, 2010!

The High Performance Rodeo is Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts. Encompassing theatre, music, dance, comedy and interdisciplinary art, the High Performance Rodeo is the largest event of its kind in western Canada.

For four weeks in January, local, national and international performers converge on Calgary to share many of their award winning performances.

In co-operation with many of Calgary’s major arts organizations such as Alberta Ballet, Theatre Calgary and Calgary Opera, the High Performance Rodeo is establishing itself as one of the major cultural events in Calgary.

Having been the last couple of years, I must confide that this is one of the GREATEST events Calgary has going- there is something for everyone, and each performance offers a ton of entertainment and amazing talent that will blow your mind. One of my personal favourite performances is The Freakshow- Part of the 3rd Annual Midway and running January 7th, 8th and 9th at the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts, ‘…embrace the glorious insanity of a fairground gone mad with some of Calgary’s most eccentric emerging artists. Amidst the madness, you’ll meet sideshow vaudevillians, shadow puppets, laptop virtuosos, Wandering Gypsies and the Cutest Kitten Ever, along with an eclectic array of indie musicians on The Hutch stage.’

The Freakshow is a behind the scenes tour of the EPCOR Centre, guided by two hilarious performance artists with various stops along the way-

Freight elevators, parking lots, stairwells: Freak Show will transform even the most mundane setting into an arena for site-specific performances of the outrageous and bizarre. Led by an eccentric pair of tour guides, three distinct tours – Grotesque Delights, Heart of Bedlam and Museum of Oddities and Aberrations – explore the deepest recesses and darkest secrets of the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts and the Glenbow Museum. Delve into downtown’s shadowy corners with some of the freakiest artists Calgary has to offer.

The Midway is a FREE event for all who attend; the Freakshow tour costs $10-$15 per person.

For the full festival line-up, to find out more, or to purchase tickets, please visit the following link: http://www.hprodeo.ca/lineup
And if you know whats good for you, you will come out to a few performances! Enjoy!

Celebrate Calgary’s Olympic Heritage with a free party at Olympic Plaza! Fire and ice collide in this mind-expanding winter showcase. Featuring huge audio from an onslaught of international electronic musicians, including Mr. Scruff (Manchester, UK), Pretty Lights (Denver, CO), Beats Antique (San Francisco, CA) and Calgary’s own Bruno Changkye, alongside blazing fire performances by Thermal Shock Mafia and dazzling mystical light displays by local visual wizards Wrong Electron.

Snowblower

When: Jan. 16, 2010
Time: 5 – 11 p.m.
Where: Olympic Plaza, 222 8th Avenue SE

This event is part of Calgary’s High Performance Rodeo: http://www.hprodeo.ca/

The exhibition “Beyond Printmaking: Images in Objects” offers a snapshot of various artistic trends in studio and experimental printmaking in both Alberta and Western Canada. The exhibition celebrates the distinctive vision and direction of print artists: Karen Dugas (Tofield, Alberta), Marjan Eggermont (Calgary, Alberta), Alexandra Haeseker (Calgary, Alberta), Liz Ingram (Edmonton, Alberta), Davida Kidd, (Burnaby, British Columbia), William Laing (Calgary, Alberta), Ewa Tarsia (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Jill Ho-You (Edmonton, Alberta). Four of the exhibiting artists: Ingram, Haeseker, Tarsia and Laing are members of the prestigious Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Exhibition Curator Jacek Malec provides this description:

The exhibition “Beyond Printmaking” offers a wide panorama of philosophical, stylistic, conceptual, and formalistic directions in contemporary Canadian print art with various approaches to the materials and techniques used, including new digital technologies. Technically, all of the works in this exhibition are ‘prints’, although not in the traditional sense. Instead, each artist has implemented some aspect of traditional printmaking process but has moved beyond these boundaries to create elaborate, labour intensive, stratified images which engage the viewers’ interest and emotions.

This fabulous show runs from January 7th -27th, 2010 at the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts:

http://www.trianglegallery.com/exhibits/2010beyondprintmaking/