PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS.. and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2018 has arrived and my arms are wide and welcoming to the new!  In fact, that might just be my WORD for the year, "New"; new home, new accomplishments, new dance steps, new joyous moment, new floors (to dance on), new windows (to look through), new walls ( to touch) ... all with love and good intentions.  Wishing all the people, places and things in our lives to be directed with loving attitudes, desires and heartfelt progress.

New is a good word.  The feeling you get when a new thing comes your way, especially a gift, is warm and fills one with joy.  It's that feeling that I want to focus on.  This year there will be babies born and experiences a new, or even better, old ones looked at in a new way.  Let's turn the lens onto how life can be positive and loving.  Community comes from appreciating others, what others have to offer, then connecting them to others as well as how it works from a place of togetherness.  That is how amazing things are achieved.  

Looking to New: 

COMMUNITY -- ranting or conducting a public service announcement?

The other day I walked into one of my favourite community locals and the owner, who I've come to know fairly well, jokingly said "oh Mira's daily rant".  That was just after I asked where the 4 benches from the park had gone?  We used to have 8 in that public round about and now "poof" 4 are gone!  I have to laugh as what others call my ranting, even jokingly, I perceive as public service and community surveying;  a research project so to speak. (smile)  Hmmm, wonder how many others experience this too?

Well life beyond benches, or what the city / parks board refers to as "furniture", I find there are more things baffling my brain these days.  Heading over to the building site everyday I find my brain is full of questions, concerns,  intrigue and often joy.  For instance, take a look at this:

What does all that mean, right?  Infrastructure systems, that most people will never see yet take for granted on a daily basis.  I scratch my head in wonderment most of the time.  The concern  being that I'll have no idea where it all is when it's underground and operating at 100% efficiency.  Trying to stay positive when you're a solo show responsible for making decisions you're learning about on a daily basis requires you to stay strong and keep dancing.  

It's reassuring, like going to an excellent doctor, to have professionals like Marianne,  Reece, and their team members help you through the overall overwhelmingness as well as the day to day concerns.  Intuition is also a saviour and it doesn't hurt to do public/community surveys...(even if others  might think it's ranting).

Today there's also new posts for the BIG HOUSE and OCTOPUS (if you're interested to see how they're coming along)!!

PROGRESS... (Footings, to Foundation, to Framing..)

Progress is fun and it feels great to share the changes of this project.  If you ever want to learn about yourself, build something!  My new motto.

When these time lapse images from my ever so generous neighbour come my way ("Ta Ewan!!"), viewing them becomes a learning experience.  Looking at something again and again can draw your attention to things easily missed in the moment or when looking in one place.  One of the things that is enjoyable is re-viewing what is same, same and discover it's different.

This first view is the beginning of footings for the Octopus.  Go Octopus go!!

... and things keep growing.

getting ready to take flight for height!

As the Octopus evolves from footings to foundation to framing the comings and goings are recorded and observed.  What one observes it what makes reality unfold.  Where is your focus?    -- the people, the structure, the colour, the form, the cement, the wood, the lights, the clouds...

ART -- taking off from last art post...

...haha a little throw back to the "Take flight" post a few weeks ago before the Eastside Culture Crawl Society (ECCS), CRAWL event.  I know, I know, there have been a few photos that have snuck in over the weeks but, just can't help myself since this hood is so rich with "artness". Would it be  fair to say,  Caneman, would be quite offended by the non-word/word of "artness"? (last weeks post)    Bob Dylan wrote "the times they are a changing" and that certainly is the case with  language, just in case you haven't noticed.  Having a good grip on grammatically correct intent of language is critical in being able to see how it changes.  Those changes that occur really reflect on what is going on in society as well as where we're going;  language being energy that is  expressed through symbols and how we communicate.  When we pay attention we see where we are and the direction in which we are travelling.

This post started with a reference to the CRAWL event (plus, plus, ... all the ECCS programming),  so to that vein of art originating from this hood it's hard not to look at two significant artists who live here:  Richard Tetrault and Carole Itter.  Both these artists have lived in the hood for over 35 years and contributed to the spirit of community in his or her own way. 

Tetrault is one of the founding members of the Eastside Culture Crawl Society, shown his work locally, across the country and internationally, a master print maker, a painter, a muralist and this is just the short list of his talents.  Recently, I had the good fortune to attend the opening ceremony of a housing project in Richmond where Tetrault was selected, through the public  process, to be the artist for the public art component.   Check it out!  

Richard Tetrault with his public art relief on the new 129 unit Housing Project in Richmond. (photo credit Esther Rausenberg)

I can't help but think it would be pretty amazing to have a Tetrault integrated into the 851 Project!  Wouldn't that be cool?  Now, how do I get  all the $$$$ going to the city on this project to get channelled into that?  Ah, the questions that float around my mind -- hehehe.  I'm happy to know, at least, he's my neighbour!!

Back to the ECCS for a moment and the great programming by Esther Rausenberg, the Executive Director, which leads me to Carole Itter.  The closing program has become a film night featuring an artist and his/her film work.  Carole Itter was selected this year, as mentioned in the previous ART post, and there will be time for others to see the films as the program has been postponed due to the passing of Al Neil, Carole's longtime partner in life. 

Itter, like Tetrault, have lived in the hood for many, many years and been a part of this community.  I recall a few years ago going to to McLean Park (a park just kitty corner to my place now) to watch Itter's  film "Inlet"  and how special it felt to see this work in such a relaxed community environment -- there were a ton of well known artists, neighbours and people who happened by to share that  moment in time,  celebrating Itter's work.  Itter was awarded the 2017 Audain Prize in visual arts by the Vancouver Art Gallery and here are a few images of her acceptance!  (I love her "artness")

Tetrault and Itter are 2 amazing artists in this hood, and like language, it's so important to know the basics to appreciate the evolution.  I look forward to writing about more of these artistic gems that manifest as my neighbours in this rich community.  

Always remember to look up and down and all around on those strolls in your neighbourhood you might be surprised to find what direction you're taking.