NARIA performs in Artbeats Gala

MISSISSAUGAarts
MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL FALL NEWSLETTER ‘11
ARTBEATS
COMMUNITY
BRACES ITSELF FOR
MAC’S SIGNATURE
GALA EVENT
Free Your Mind
with poet Kofi Sankofa
NARIA:
OPERA POP GROUP
ON THE RISE
MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL
300 CITY CENTRE DR, SUITE 1055
MISSISSAUGA ON L5B 3C9
TEL: 905-615-4278
HOURS: MON-FRI 9-4:30
INFO@MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM
WWW.MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM
CHARITABLE REGISTRATION
NO. BN13127-5711-RR0001
THE MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL IS A NOTFOR-PROFIT, REGISTERED CHARITY THAT EXISTS
TO FOSTER AND DEVELOP, SUPPORT AND CHAMPION A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC ARTS COMMUNITY IN
THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA THROUGH SERVICES
TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF ITS CITIZENS. THE ARTS
COUNCIL RELIES ON MEMBERSHIPS, PUBLIC FUNDING, PRIVATE AND CORPORATE DONATIONS FOR
SURVIVAL. PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING.
EDITOR: HEATHER BRISSENDEN
LAYOUT/DESIGN: HEATHER BRISSENDEN
CONTRIBUTORS: LINDA THOMAS, BOHDAN SHULAKEWYCH, SONYA POWESKA, STEFANIE MARTIN
AND HEATHER BRISSENDEN.
MAC STAFF:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: LINDA THOMAS
COMMUNICATIONS: HEATHER BRISSENDEN
FUND DEVELOPMENT: SONYA POWESKA
MEMBERSHIP/OFFICE MANAGER:
SANDRA CINA
DATES & DEADLINES:
NEXT ISSUE IS VOLUME 4 ISSUE #1
COVERING SEPT TO DEC 2011.
FREE MEMBER CALENDAR LISTINGS
DEADLINE
FEB 15, MAY 15, AUG 15 & NOV 15
905-615-4212
INFO@MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM
President’s Message
I
t may have been a quiet summer for
some, but it was a busy one for us at
the Mississauga Arts Council. We have
been very busy preparing for ARTBEATS,
our yearly fundraiser among numerous
other events.
The Fall season is the time of the Galas – a
time to bring people together in support of
the Arts. A good example is our featured
winner of the Hazel McCallion Volunteer
of the year award, Kofi Sankofa, who
uses art to pursue a greater good.
ARTBEATS is our opportunity to raise
funds for our programs which we provide
to the youth, to our members and to the
community at large.
It is extremely important that you help us
in support of our cause and we welcome
you in contacting us for tickets. Should
our staff contact you, please respond
positively and show your continued
support either by attendance at the Gala
or with a donation.
Performers this year will be Naria, a group
of four young opera singers, Michael
Ciufo, a well-known tenor, and Can Afric
Theatre Group.
Amongst the many auction items, there
will be a live auction of a 2011 Jaguar
XJ for the use of a weekend, graciously
donated by Robert Jaguar.
2
Finally, our 30th anniversary shall be
forthcoming after the 2011 ARTBEATS.
We have quite the program that shall be
disclosed in the New Year. Again, we
urge your participation, contribution and
support to make our 30th anniversary a
success.
The Mississauga Arts Council thanks you
in advance and looks forward to seeing
you at the ARTBEATS Gala.
Bohdan A Shulakewych
President
BLACK & WHITE AD DEADLINE
MAR 1, JUN 1, SEP 1 & DEC 1
905-615-4278
INFO@MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM
CIRCULATION:
THE MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL’S
NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED 4 TIMES A YEAR IN
JANUARY, APRIL, JULY AND OCTOBER AND DISTRIBUTED TO MORE THAN 6,000
ARTS-FRIENDLY HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES
ELECTRONICALLY. ALL MAC NEWSLETTERS CAN
BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM.
President Bohdan Shulakewych at the MARTYS
MAC Board of Directors
Bohdan Shulakewych - President
Brian Crombie - Vice President
Adnan Raja
Asma Arshad Mahmood
David Capek - Treasurer
Deta Constantine - Secretary
Christine Nalborczyk
Linden King
Paul Fulton
Vishal Misra
Executive Director’s Report
The grips, light and sound
folk, assistant directors and
gophers all knew Joe—the
guy that would do anything.
Everybody liked Joe.
Throughout the day, Joe did
more than play his role. At
lunch, he cleared the tables.
On breaks, he brought coffee.
From time to time, fellow actors
talked behind Joe’s back.
“What a brown-noser” they
accused, or words to that
effect. “He spends all day
kissing up to the director.”
Executive Director Linda Thomas
I
would like to share a story
taken from an e-newsletter I
received called ‘A View From
The Ridge’ ...enjoy!
Joe’s Secret…...
IN THIS ISSUE
As always, Joe made himself
busy around the set. He arrived
with the crew and helped in any
way he could, carrying gear,
holding doors open, guarding
coveted
parking
spaces.
When catering showed up,
he pitched in to arrange the
breakfast buffet. No other
actors appeared before their
call times. Only Joe.
Fall 2011
4
ARTBEATS
Gala
Most comments fell on deaf
ears. After all, Joe looked out
for the actors as well, lending
out his perfectly organized
make-up box, offering to give
rides or borrow his cell phone.
Joe never discriminated.
Inevitably, with little left to
criticize, someone would bash
Joe’s craft. “He’s really not
that good,” they said. “I mean,
he prepares well, but he sure
isn’t Oscar material.”
“Even so, the guy works
constantly. What’s up with
that?”
Joe heard the comments and
let them slide by, like water
off a duck’s back. Joe didn’t
pay attention to what others
8
Gratitude
for Artists
thought. Joe had a secret.
He remembered the day he
sat with the film producer who
went to high school with his
uncle, barely a month after
he landed in Los Angeles.
His college drama minor
didn’t count for much. He
had no agent, no connections
and not enough money to
hire a publicist.
Like most
Hollywood wannabes, Joe
claimed a heart full of desire
and not much else.
“I’ve been here a long time,”
the man said. “I’ve made a lot
of movies. At the end of the
day, this business—it’s not
so complicated. I’ll give you
the guaranteed formula to
success.”
Joe listened intently.
“Four components will drive
you to the top. I’ll share
them with you, in order of
importance:
Third—and this is the big one
that most artists ignore—you
can never get on anyone’s
‘life’s-too-short’ list. Show up,
do your job, be kind and go
the extra mile, wherever you
can.
The last part, and it’s a distant
fourth, is talent. This town
is full of it. So what? People
work with who they know and
no one works with jerks.”
“Sounds like that formula
applies to most anything in
life,” Joe responded. The old
producer paused.
“You know, son,” he smiled. “I
believe you’re right.”
Joe overheard the wardrobe
person mention that she
felt tired. He hopped up
and headed for the coffee
machine…….
First, perseverance.
You
have to know where you’re
going and not stop until you
get there.
Second, you have to build a
network. Get out and meet
everyone you can and keep a
rolodex.
12
Spotlight on Kofi
Sankofa
Linda Thomas,
Executive Director,
Mississauga Arts Council
14
MAC Celebrates 3
Culture Days
ARTBEATS
GALA
MAC Dishes Up Sensational Evening of Glamour at Annual Fundraising Gala
T
ickets are now on sale for the hottest
gala event of the year, the Mississauga Arts Council’s ARTBEATS Gala
and Reception on October 14, 2011.
Don’t miss out on this exciting event
featuring spectacular performances,
culinary delights, entertainment, fine
art and auctions. ARTBEATS will begin
at 6 p.m. at the Red Rose Convention
Centre located at 1233 Derry Rd. E.
Arts lovers won’t want to miss this opportunity to enjoy the best of Mississauga’s thriving arts community at this red
carpet event. All proceeds from MAC’s
ARTBEATS fundraiser will help to raise
funds to support Mississauga’s growing
arts community. The general public is
welcome to come out and indulge their
senses at this evening filled with food,
wine, music and rhythms from around
the world.
Above: CanAfric Theatre, Below: Tenor Michael Ciufo
Guests are in for a treat as leading
performers light up the stage. MAC is
pleased to announce there will be performances by Mississauga’s star tenor
Michael Ciufo, Opera Pop Group Naria
as well as the celebrated theatre group
CanAfric Theatre. Set to release his
anticipated sophomore album, Michael
Ciufo is known for his charismatic stage
presence and beautiful voice. A permanent fixture on the local arts scene, Michael has performed for thousands of
fans across the G.T.A. and was pleased
to open for Howie Mandell at the Mayor’s Gala in 2009. Following Michael,
the city’s newest Opera Pop girl group
Naria will take the stage. Naria features
Katya, Annaliese, Michelle, Anna; four
brilliant voices whose vocal prowess
and original choreographed compositions feature Opera, Pop, Techno and
World music with classical high notes
while exhibiting their intimate personal
style. Lastly, CanAfric Theatre will invigorate audiences as they present
a high-spirited routine featuring a traditional mixture of African drum and
beats.
Tickets are now on sale at $125/individual, $200/couple and $800/table of 8.
The dress code for the event is formal
business attire. All benefits from the
ARTBEATS Gala and Reception will directly benefit the community at large as
MAC continues to make Mississauga
one of Canada’s most creative cities.
Please call 905-615-4278 to purchase
your tickets today!
Below: Naria
WITH
FEEL THE ENERGY. EXPERIENCE THE ARTS.
OCTOBER 14, 2011
Michael Ciufo
Enjoy culinary delights, entertainment, fine art & auctions.
With performances by Tenor Michael Ciufo, Opera Pop Group Naria
& CanAfric Theatre.
Red Rose Convention Centre, 1233 Derry Rd. E. @ 6 p.m.
Tickets $125 or $200/couple. Call 905-615-4278.
www.mississaugaartscouncil.com
The Mississauga Arts Council is supported with funds from:
Opera Pop Naria
Introducing
Sandra
Cina
MAC welcomes new Membership Co-ordinator!
T
he Mississauga Arts Council is proud to welcome its new
Membership Co-ordinator Sandra Cina. Sandra has worked
in the arts since 2003 and most recently was the Membership
and Communications Coordinator at both Opera.ca and Orchestras Canada. During this time, Sandra was also a member
of the Canadian Arts Coalition’s Communications Committee.
Sandra has held administrative positions with The Canadian
Stage Company, Creative Trust for Arts and Culture, and The
National Ballet of Canada. She holds an HBA in Equity Studies, Anthropology and English from the University of Toronto.
She is a trained opera singer and has been singing for over
ten years. Sandra is excited to work with the arts community in
Mississauga.
Around
the
Office
Big changes at the Mississauga Arts Council office
Sandra Cina
to her hard work with development, Sonya has lead monthly
Media Arts Mash-Ups with great success as well as worked
tirelessly to produce the Mississauga Youth World Arts Event
and our ARTBEATS Gala. Way to go Sonya!
This fall we also said a fond farewell to our beloved membership
Coordinator Grace Donati. For all of those who knew Grace,
she is a passionately talented hair designer, ceramics artist and
an all-around amazing gal. Grace has left MAC to become the
new membership co-ordinator for the Ontario Crafts Council as
well as pursue her own arts career. We miss our Grace dearly
and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
The MAC staff from left : Sonya, Linda Heather and Grace
F
all is the season of gratitude and truth be told, we have so
much to be grateful for here at the Mississauga Arts Council!
We asked the universe to “show us the money” and it certainly
did! Over the summer months we were thrilled receive the positive news that we received two large grants. Our hardworking
Development and Events Coordinator Sonya Poweska wrote
two incredible grant applications that were approved by both
the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council.
Our Ontario Trillium grant of $90,600 has enabled us to hire a
Youth Program Coordinator and our Ontario Arts Council grant
of $20,000 will go towards general MAC operations. In addition
6
MAC is thrilled to welcome the smiling face of our new membership co-ordinator Sandra Cina. Sandra is an accomplished
vocalist with years of experience at Opera.ca and Orchestras
Canada. We are positive that Sandra will be a great addition
to the MAC team. Don’t be shy, drop by the MAC office at any
point to say hello to our new staff member.
MAC has also been lucky to be joined by our social media savvy
Public Relations Intern Stefanie Martin. Working to complete a
post-graduate certificate program at Humber College, Stefanie
has been hard at work giving MAC a major amplification of its
social networking strategy.
As for Linda and myself, we have been hard at work preparing
for numerous events as well as our ARTBEATS Gala. We hope
you can join us at this unforgettable event and celebrate all that
our fabulous arts community has to offer! See you at the gala!
Applause
Please!
Give a round of applause to MAC members who are making dreams come true!
Hallie Dixon. The show spotlights influential leaders and
volunteers in the local community. Tune in to catch the
program airing on Wednesday
at 11:00PM EST on Rogers TV
Cable 10 and 63. Please visit
www.keepintheloop.com
for
more.
MAC remembers the fabulous
Elton “Smokey” John who
passed away peacefully on
June 23rd, 2011. Elton was
the founder of the Mississauga Steelpan Academy and
an award-winning musician.
Originally born in Trinidad, Elton was devoted to training
and developing young players
to become experts of the art of
playing the steelpan. Rest in
peace Smokey, you are dearly
missed!
T
he Mississauga arts scene
proudly welcomes Mimo’s
Kids, a fabulous new Latin
American inspired art centre offering arts classes for children
and teens. Classes include music lessons, drama, crafts, painting and so much more! Painting
and craft classes are taught by
leading artist/educator Carla
Casanova. Classes are appropriate for kids aged 2 to 18. Sign
your children up today! For a
full schedule of classes beginning this fall, please visit www.
mimoskidsart.com. Mimo’s is located at 1607 Eglinton Ave. W.
Please call 416-858-9384 for
additional details.
Big news for the local arts world!
Congrats goes out to Ron Lenyk who was hired as the new
CEO at the Living Arts Centre. A
longtime volunteer in the community, Ron recently served on
the MAC Board for over a year.
With decades of experience as
the former publisher of the Mis-
Fall 2011
sissauga News, we’re positive
Ron will do an excellent job as
the new CEO of Mississauga’s
beautiful arts centre.
The Canadian music scene has
a new dazzling girl band on the
rise! Lookout for Naria, the new
Opera Pop Supernova. NARIA
contains 4 brilliant voices whose
vocal prowess and original choreographed compositions feature Opera, Pop, Techno and
World Music with classical high
notes while exhibiting their intimate personal style. Don’t miss
them! Having recently released
their debut album, the girls are
set to dazzle audiences as they
perform at MAC’s ARTBEATS
Celebration on October 14,
2011. For more information,
please check out the girls at
www.naria.ca.
Tune in to Rogers TV to check
out the new show “In the Loop”
hosted by MAC member, Nina
A big set of congrats goes out
to Jeff Campagna! While living in Panama, Jeff recently
published his latest book, “A
Writer Under the Influence,
Vol. II.” Jeff is an award-winning blogger, screenwriter, poet,
magazine publisher, filmmaker
and founder (with brother Matt)
of the Mississauga Independent
Film Festival. Way to go Jeff!
Johnny Max is taking his music
to the max! Johnny is pleased
to announce that he recently
traveled to Europe to perform at
the Copenhagen Blues Festival
and at the Belle Isle Festival in
Brest, France. Johnny is taking
his career to the next level and
we only wish we could go along
for the ride!
com for more on this passionate artist.
MAC extends its congratulations to local member Ian Stout
who recently published his latest book, “Missing in Paradise.”
The new mystery book chronicles an enthusiastic group of
seniors who travel to Grenada
to solve a challenging mystery.
Please visit www.writerstout.
com for additional details.
Award-winning Smooth Jazz
Guitarist Rob Tardik is back on
the scene! Rob’s new Contemporary Jazz CD... “Balance.Energy.Laughter.Love” (B.E.L.L)
is now pre-released! Listen to
track samples and order online
at www.robtardik.com. Rob’s
latest track “East meets WES”
(featuring Grammy winner Paul
Brown) is now available for purchase for $1 on his website.
Way to go Rob!
Congratulations and best of
luck to MAC photographer Michael Sheeh who has moved
to Stuttgart in Germany to work
as a commercial photographer.
Michael has been hired by the
Kleiber Studio to use his incredible photography skills. Way to
go Michael!
The inspiring South Asian vocalist Vandana Vishwas is pleased
to announce that she won the
Vox-Pop Award at the IMA Independent Music Awards in July
2011 for her song, “Badara Re”
in the World Tradition Song Category. For more on this talented
artist, please visit www.vandanavishwas.com.
Stir your soul with the inspirational lyrics and music of local singer/songwriter Abeena Samm.
The popular Reggae/Folk and
Roots artist is proud to release
her latest album “Boy You So
Rude.” Check out the new track
online at http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=6kmrd4QG1rM.
Please visit www.abeenasamm.
7
Gratitude
for
Artists
Using the power of a simple “thank you” to enhance your creativity
T
he fall season is a time for giving thanks for our
many blessings…but what does that mean to us
as artists? As Canadians at Thanksgiving we give
thanks for living in our beautiful country, for having
a healthy water supply, free health care, the right to
freedom and a million other positive things. But how
does this affect us as artists? How can we live in a
constant state of gratitude? As artistic individuals, the
more we are thankful for the good in our lives, the
more this will help us to produce more creative abundance and positivity in future.
Many artists are familiar with the popular book and
documentary “The Secret” which explores the concept of the “Law of Attraction.” The Law of Attraction
is a metaphysical New Thought belief that “like attracts like,” that positive and negative thinking bring
about positive and negative physical results, respectively. According to the Law of Attraction, the phrase
“I need more money” allows the subject to continue
to “need more money”. If the subject wants to change
this they would focus their thoughts on the goal (having more money) rather than the problem (needing
more money).
The law of attraction has been passed down through
the ages... coveted, hidden, lost, stolen, bought for
vast sums of money, and known by some of the most
exceptional people who ever lived: Plato, Galileo, Da
Vinci, Beethoven, Edison, and Einstein, to name but
a few. The Secret book claims that you can turn any
weakness or suffering into strength, power, unlimited
abundance, health and joy.
So what does this mean to you as an artist? How can
you utilize this powerful source in your own life? You
can begin right now, wherever you are to create the
life of your dreams with more abundance, prosperity
and creativity. Try it tonight! Before you go to bed,
write down ten things you are grateful for. You will feel
happiness start to sink right in.
Better yet, you can begin to construct a detailed vision of the life of your dreams. What is your ideal job?
Where do you want to live? What kind of environment do you want to work in? What kind of people are
around you? Create a vision board for the life of your
dreams. Cut out pictures from magazines and paste
them up on your vision board so you have something
positive and motivational to inspire you to grow. A
positive outlook on life will help to get you moving forward in the right direction and motivate you to stay on
course when the going gets tough.
Better yet, when you find yourself falling back into any
negative mental patterns, focus on gratitude and you
will find yourself feeling more positive instantly. This
fall, make a promise to yourself to focus on all that
is good and lovely and step by step, day by day, you
will find yourself becoming more and more positive,
grateful and creative. So don’t delay. This gratitude
thing really works! For more information, please visit
www.thesecret.tv for more details.
8
Robin Hollingdrake: “People know what they like, and they are liking what
I’m painting this year. New collectors include McMaster University DeGroote
School of Business. I’m also very grateful to my drawing group, we donated
paintings to the little black dress event.ca auction in London and helped
them to raise almost $3000 for the London area Wellspring Charity. All of
this in the last two weeks, my head is spinning! “ Robin is pictured above.
THE iDENTiTY CRiSiS : “Rock & Roll and I have a love/hate relationship, but
I’m grateful that I’m able to do what I love, and love what I do.” Visit www.
theidentitycrisis.com
Eileen Oswald: “I’m thankful for so many things. First of all, for good
health, my faith, and family. Thankful for an inquisitive mind, and the ability to see the beauty in the world, then being able to share this in my art.”
www.eileenoswald.com.
Peter Jailall: “We are very fortunate to live in a fair, beautiful green city like
Mississauga.”
Arlene Paculan: “I’m am thankful for support and encouragement from
family, friends and fans across Mississauga, especially from the MAC team,
who continues to support local talent!”
Mississauga Arts Council
5 Quick Tips for Grant Writing
MAC’s Development Director Sonya Poweska dishes out top advice for scoring funds
1.Don’t ask for more money
than you need
Be reasonable about your requests.
Grant monies, whether they are through
a government agency or through a private foundation, are there to support
artists as we work to create art, tell a
story, help build and support the Canadian national identity, and develop
communities. Because we are all drawing from the same pool of funders, the
people who read your grants are
going to measure your proposal
against others. Be sure that
when you apply, you are being
realistic about the amount of dollars that you need, what you will
be using the funds for, and how
your project will help develop or
enhance the greater community
at large.
3.If you aren’t ready to write a 4.Include reverence letters from
grant, don’t – but if you are ready, supporters, project partners, and
stop talking about it and actually
write one! While some of us think we people who matter
are all super stars (I am not denying the
fact that we all are), some of us aren’t
actually ready to apply for grants. As
an artist, you have to be showing your
work, performing publicly, working to
get published, and making a valid effort to share your talents with the world.
2.Contact the program office to go over the details
of your application before
you write it
I have said it time and time
again… Contacting your program officer is perhaps the
smallest, but most important part
of the grant application process.
Before you call, make sure you are well
versed on your project, you know what
you hope to accomplish, and that you
have looked at the actual application.
When talking to your program officer,
be sure to introduce yourself, describe
your project in 100 words or less (granting officers are very busy people!), and
ask if your project is viable.
Fall 2011
While some grants ask for it specifically, others don’t—I always like to include
letters of support from previous project
partners, people who have participated
in a program before, guest artists, local politicians, and organizations like
the Mississauga Arts Council who can
speak about your artistic
skills and success as an
artist. These documents
can be included as support materials and go a
long way to show that you
are serious about your skill
and that you have been an
active participant of the local, provincial, and national arts community.
5.Solicit the
support of project
The more professional you are, the better. Keep good track of your artistic activities and make sure your are active
before you apply. This goes a long way
when juries and panels are looking at
your applications as it shows your commitment to your discipline and practice.
For those of you who are practicing and
active artists, you know who you are,
APPLY for a grant already! Stop talking
about it and actually do it!! Come and
talk to me if you need some additional
support or the added push. I would love
to help you as you enter the grant writing world.
partners or other artists. Partnerships with like minded
organizations, other artists, and other people in
the community show your
ability to adapt and reach
multiple segments of the
community. In addition,
they add credibility to your project and
show that you are reinvesting in the
community by supporting other artists
with your own project.
9
New & Returining
MAC Members
Norhan Abdul Rahman
Maha Arshad
Samantha D’Agostino
DMCExpo
Kyla Dorey
Savannah Fakih
Vanessa Francone
Elizabeth Groskorth
Inspired Arts Resources
Thomas Joseph
Ravneet Kaur Gupta
Brittni Kenny
Iremsha Khan
Ibrahim Khudhair
Donna King
Eric Dave King
Tatyana Leksikova
Pamela Levi
Lavelle Lindo
Jenn Mann
Matt Miller
Mimos Kids Arts
Mississauga Waterfront Festival
Nicole Monteiro
Aramik Moosakhanian
Rehab Nazzal
Tatiana Pastor
Shanaya Patel
Mara Pinder
Ishrat Raza Suhrwardy
Rumi Galleries
Soul Melody Records
Tatiana Stewart-Haas
Milind Swany
Jerzy Szechynski
Katya Tchoubar
Swapnali Thakar
The Sound of Change
United Way of Peel Region
Michael Ursini
Laurie Usypchuk
Joshua Varda
Justine Vickery
Michael D. Williams
Intern
@
MAC
Stefanie Martin enhances MAC’s social media presence
H
aving only been with the Mississauga Arts Council for a few weeks
I have already seen how much the arts
community appreciates their hard work.
Visits from members, appreciative
emails and successful events prove
without a doubt that MAC is a crucial
element in keeping Mississauga’s arts
community thriving. As a communications intern it is greatly rewarding to attend an event I helped to promote or
meet an artist who has benefited from
our endorsement. These experiences
provide an alternative view of the communications field; one that is incapable
of being presented in a classroom.
Keeping this in mind I am looking forward to the remainder of my time here
at MAC. Getting hands on experience
while promoting local artists is a gratifying stepping stone into my communications career.
Check out Stefanie’s work on MAC’s
Facebook and Twitter sites. We’re
at
www.facebook.com/mississaugaartscouncil or on Twitter @MissArtsCouncil.
MAC’s new PR intern Stefanie Martin
Mississauga Arts Council
7HowTwitter
Tips
for
New
Users
to get social networking working for you!
T
witter is a social networking site that
encourages the exchange of ideas and
information. Just like any community there
is a code of conduct that, if followed, will
enhance not only your experience but also
your acceptance into that community. Here
are a few tips to help get you started:
1
.Upload a photo: Users who keep the
egg avatar are seen as lazy, not committed or even as spam accounts. This will
deter followers.
2
. Write a bio: Don’t have one? This will
also discourage followers. Twitter is
about networking, users want to know who
you are and what you’re about (hobbies, interests, experience).
3
.Share Something of Value: A quote,
question, fact, tip, idea, opinion, link,
picture, video or event. Before posting your
tweet, ask yourself: will people gain something from this? The Twitterverse will not
gain from hearing about how you just got
out of the shower.
4
.Use # (Hashtags): Indicators of key
words or topics in your tweet. This allows users to easily search for tweets on a
specific topic. For example, if you’re sharing an article about an upcoming exhibit in
Mississauga, you may want to use #Mississauga or #art.
5
.Use @mentions: Used to give credit to
a user, to respond to a question or to
simply mention that user in the tweet. Do
not use @mentions to carry on a discussion
with another user; this is what direct messaging is for.
6
.Frequency: Tweeting a few times a day
will ensure a solid Twitter presence. Not
tweeting for weeks on end will cause you
to lose followers just as quickly as tweeting every minute of every day. Have a presence, but don’t overwhelm your followers.
7
.Following: Who you follow is entirely up
to you; just make sure that you do it. Following is crucial to the Twitter experience
and will also help to get your name out into
the Twitterverse.
Stefanie Martin.
Follow me @stef_anie_
Local Artists Rock Open Mic Night!
Open Mic Nights are going strong as ever! Over the past few months, MAC has seen numerous local singer/songwriters volunteer
their time and talents to host our Open Mic Nights.The Mississauga Arts Council wishes to thank these individuals for contributing
to the community of artists.
Arlene Paculan
Original songs, smooth vocals & empowering lyrics. Beautiful!
www.arlenepaculan.com.
Sean Sroka
Hard driving rhythms and catchy melodies. Definitely a young artist to watch out
for. www.seammusic.com.
Jenikz
Conscious folk filled with inspiring lyrics
and heart-melting hooks. Sublime!
www.jenikz.com.
Spotlight
on
Kofi
Sankofa
Award-winning spoken word artist engages and inspires with the power of the pen
compared to his struggles in Canada. After a few difficult years learning to adjust
to this new foreign land, through the pen
Sankofa found his true calling. After graduating from Seneca College and Ryerson
University, he cites education as his tool
for self-empowerment. “Education is selfesteem. Education is self-reliance, development and freedom.”
In addition to empowering people of all nations, Sankofa is determined to help African people heal from the effects of years
of oppression and slavery. Sankofa is
motivated to encourage a cultural renaissance for African people and dreams of
opening a healing centre to assist in the
emotional recovery of this traumatic past.
In addition to this important work, Kofi also
wants to reach out to artists and help them
discover their own inner strength and creativity.
A
wakening unconscious minds has become the passionate mission of the
MARTY Award winning artist Kofi Sankofa. The self-proclaimed “edu-tainer” is the
proud recipient of the 2011 Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year Award for his tireless work in the community. After the great
success of his previous spoken word/dub
poetry recording “The Diary of a Son,”
Sankofa released his highly anticipated
full length CD tiled, “Sankofa: Ancestral
Callin.” Also the popular host of York University’s CHRY York University community radio station 105.5 FM, Kofi can be
heard on Friday evenings spreading his
message of empowerment, education and
inspiration. With a daytime career as a
Toronto District School Board community
support worker, Kofi is motivated to inspire
people and help them to feel empowered
to effect change.
We had a chance to catch-up with this talented artist on a bright and crisp Fall day
in early September. Over coffee, Kofi revealed his passion for life, his secrets to
success and his gratitude for the opportunities that have come into his life.
Kofi explained, “When you do what is
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true to you, you help humanity. When I
tell the truth, everybody benefits. I am a
humanitarian who is working towards recorrecting history.”
Having recently returned from Trinidad
and Haiti, where he was working with underprivileged children, Sankofa confessed
that the secret behind his true motivation
is honoring his need to help others. “Once
you find your purpose, even with the ups
and downs, you will persevere because
you know your mission in life.”
Although Kofi is now a leading artist in our
community, he confessed that his life was
not always on track. After immigrating
to Canada in the late ‘80s from Jamaica,
Sankofa revealed that his first few years in
Canada were difficult and ‘cold.’ Not that
living in Jamaica was perfection either.
Kofi revealed that while living in the Caribbean he learned to survive on the streets.
There were times in his youth when he
was starving and would have to catch a
fish from the lake to cook for dinner. Although experiences such as these were
difficult to imagine for those in Canada,
Sankofa’s life in Jamaica was a dream
He explains, “the first thing artists need to
do is look inward at themselves…artists
must learn who they are. I encourage people to know thy-self. Artists must question
things and look for another source. Artists
must be inquisitive and troublesome. Most
importantly, have confidence in yourself.
When things get tough, be resilient. Artists
must have a willingness to grow into themselves. Artists must become conscious.”
Lastly, and most importantly Kofi encourages artists to, “discover what is your purpose. Your level of purpose will determine
your level of consciousness. Artists must
be true to self. Reclaim yourself, be yourself but grow.”
So what’s next for Sankofa? In addition to
opening a healing centre for African people, Sankofa dreams of building a school
in Haiti outside of Port of Prince. A lover of
travel, Sankofa plans to travel to Ghana
for a full month of study. Without a doubt
he explains, the next part of his life will be
devoted to writing books and creating recordings to inspire people from around the
world.
For more on this inspiring individual,
please visit www.sankofaincipher.com.
Mississauga Arts Council
TorQ Percussion Quartet
“People are disjointed from their spirit. If
you don’t know yourself you die from a
spiritual death. You can be alive but dead
inside.” - Kofi Sankofa
“WHEN YOU DO WHAT IS TRUE FOR YOU, YOU HELP HUMANITY. WHEN I TELL THE TRUTH, EVERYBODY
BENEFITS.” Kofi Sankofa
“ONCE YOU FIND YOUR PURPOSE, EVEN WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS, YOU WILL PERSEVERE BECAUSE
YOU KNOW YOUR MISSION IN LIFE.” - Kofi Sankofa
“EDUCATION IS SELF-ESTEEM. EDUCATION IS SELF-RELIANCE, DEVELOPMENT AND FREEDOM.” Kofi Sankofa
Inspiration To-Go!
THE FIVE TRUTHS ABOUT FEAR
strength develops. You begin feeling stronger and stronger and
stronger.
Taken from www.susanjeffers.com
FEAR TRUTH #1
The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow! Every
time you take a step into the unknown, you experience fear. There
is no point in saying, “When I am no longer afraid, then I will do it.”
You’ll be waiting for a long time. The fear is part of the package.
FEAR TRUTH #2
The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out
and…do it! When you do it often enough, you will no longer be
afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown
and you will have handled it. Then new challenges await you, which
certainly add to the excitement in living.
FEAR TRUTH #3
Fall
The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and…do it!
With each little step you take into unknown territory, a pattern of
FEAR TRUTH #4
Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone
else! This should be a relief. You are not the only one out there feeling fear. Everyone feels fear when taking a step into the unknown.
Yes, all those people who have succeeded in doing what they have
wanted to do in life have felt the fear - and did it anyway. So can
you!
FEAR TRUTH #5
Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger
underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness!
This is the one truth that some people have difficulty understanding.
When you push through the fear, you will feel such a sense of relief
as you feeling of helplessness subsides. You will wonder why you
did not take action sooner. You will become more and more aware
that you can truly handle anything that life hands you.
13
MAC
Celebrates
Culture
Days
2011
MAC Commemorates National Day of Culture with Mississauga Youth World Arts Event
I
t was a day filled with colour, kids and creativity at Culture Days 2011! T.L. Kennedy Secondary School was
filled with positive energy as crowds of happy children and
teens explored their passion for the creative arts at the Mississauga Youth World Arts Event on October 1. Presented
as part of Culture Days 2011, Canada’s national celebration of arts and culture, the Mississauga Youth World Arts
Event included free activities and workshops hosted by top
artist educators from the community.
Kids from ages 11 to 18 experimented with dance, theatre, art, media and sound at
this fabulous day of free events. MAC’s leading artists hosted the workshops including
visual artist and singer Carla Casanova, actor Bradley Gordon (Word Made Flesh Productions), filmmaker Marco Veltri, musician and producer Vikas Kohli and Marcelino da
Costa aka “Frost Flow” from the Ground illusionz Hip-Hop Collective. The day of creativity ended off with an Open Mic and performance hosted by local singer/songwriter
Joel Martin. Always a hit with audiences, our Open Mic featured performances by local
artists Selyne Maia, THE iDENTiTY CRiSiS, rapper Sugar Maria and many more!
The Mississauga Arts Council wishes to thank all of the talented artists who participated in the event. Please visit us online at www.mississaugaartscouncil.com for more
details. All photos by Dan Ho.
In the photos: left: two students participate in our theatre workshop. Below left: Hip-hop
educator Marcel DaCosta leading his workshop. Below right: Vikas Kohli.
3
14
Mississauga Arts Council
Members
@
Culture
Days
Artists participate in National Celebration of Arts and Culture across the city
6
While MAC was celebrating Culture Days at T. L. Kennedy Secondary School, other members were around town commemorating the occasion at various events. Check out this sidewalk drawing above by MAC member Claudio Ghirardo
who decorated the streets of Port Credit with his original art. Other members include Naria, the Mississauga Big Band
Jazz Ensemble, the Chamber Music Society, Seam, Vanadana Vishwas and Bridging the Gap who did a live performance at Celebration Square. Visual artists Paul Fulton and Sonja Hidas threw an event for HotBox Mississauga at
Riverwood Park as well. For full coverage of Culture Days 2011, please visit www.culturedays.ca.
Spring 2011
7
8
15
9
Mississauga’s
Media
Arts
Scene
Filmmakers from far and wide flock to MAC’S Media Media Arts Mash-ups
M
ississauga’s underground
film community is growing
stronger every day thanks to the
Mississauga Arts Council’s Media Arts Mash-Ups. Created and
run by MAC’s Development and
Events Co-ordinator Sonya Poweska, these popular networking
events are held on a monthly basis at the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Backed with a Masters
Degree in Film from Carlton University, Poweska saw a need to
help unite the fragmented media
arts community in the City of
Mississauga.
“Our Media Arts Mash-ups investigate the challenges and advantages of being a filmmaker in
Mississauga,” states Poweska.
“It’s a really open and welcoming environment where we share
ideas. We offer constructive
criticism and we help to advance
each others own learning.”
Media Arts Mash-ups feature a
diverse environment of artists
including actors, filmmakers,
sound producers, jingle writers
and photographers. In addition
to a formal discussion, every
session features a screening of
independent film. These events
are an excellent opportunity for
artists to network, showcase
their work and gain support and
knowledge of the arts in Mississauga.
So don’t miss out! All are welcome to attend our next Media
Arts Mash-Up taking place on
Thursday October 27, 2011. The
event will begin at 7 p.m. at the
Art Gallery of Mississauga located at 300 City Centre Dr. Admission is free, please call 905-6154278 for more details.
Above: aspiring screen writer Thomas Joseph. Left
Sonya Poweska, creator of MAC’s Media Arts Mashups. Below: a packed house at the Mash-up held in
July.
Monday Night @ the Movies
Local film group brings the excitement of TIFF to the ‘burbs
Film Circuit. Film Circuit currently screens films across Canada
at more than 174 locations, offering film screenings to communities that would otherwise be unable to access them. The Mississauga Arts Council would like to extend a big thank you for
the support we have received from Monday Night @ The Movies over the past several years.
T
he Mississauga Arts Council would like to recognize our
great member and donor Monday Night @ The Movies! For
those who are unaware of this fantastic group, MNM is a nonprofit group of experienced volunteers working to provide local
residents and film lovers access to the best of both Canadian
and international cinema. Screenings are held at the Winston
Churchill AMC 24. MNM started out as a program created by
the Oakville Arts Council in partnership with a division of TIFF,
If you would like to volunteer with MNM to help with the planning for and screening of these films, make yourself known to
the person collecting e-mail addresses at the door of the next
screening on October 17th - “Life, Above All.” Future screenings also include: October 31 - “Potiche” (France). November
14 - “Page One: Inside the New York Times” (Documentary).
November 28 - “The First Grader.” For all the details visit: http://
mondaynightatthemovies.blogspot.com.
Member
Success!
Award winning artist Ian Greening honoured by Mayor McCallion
C
ongratulations goes out to Ian Greening, owner and operator of Artistic Integrity Tattoo Studio in Port Credit. Ian was recently
honoured with a certificate of recognition on the occasion of Artistic Integrity’s tenth anniversary. The City of Mississauga’s
certificate of recognition was presented to Ian by Mayor Hazel McCallion and Councillor Jim Tovey. Way to go Ian!
Fall 2011
Our Fans
The Mississauga Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the support of the City of Mississauga, our
sponsors, our donors and a membership of individuals, arts organizations and businesses
Sponsors
Leader’s Circle
($5,000-$9,999)
Century Audio Visual
KPMG
Pratt & Whitney Canada
Print Three Meadowvale
Inner Circle ($2,500$4,999)
Rehearsal Pro
Square One
Thompson, MacColl &
Stacy
Associate ($1,000$2,499)
Canadian Community
Arts Initiative
Hershey’s
Pellman, Shulakewych,
Macri: Barristers
Venue Sponsor
Art Gallery of Mississauga
Living Arts Centre
Red Rose Convention
Centre
tion for Arts, Culture and
Heritage
Donors
Media Sponsors
My Mississauga Magazine
Rogers TV
The Dixie Discovery
The Epoch Times
The Malton Mirror
The Mississauga News
Wave.fm
WOW Network
Foundations &
Government
Support
Community Foundation of
Mississauga
City of Mississauga
Ontario Arts Council
Ontario Trillium Foundation
Hazel McCallion Founda-
Benefactors ($1,000+)
Monday Night @ the
Movies
Patrons ($500-$999)
Rotary Club of Mississauga West
Mentor ($100-$249)
Peter Rowe
Craig Sifton
Synergy Music
Friend (up to $100)
Norhan Abdul Rahman
Bernice Antaya
Daphne Bradford
Bridging the Gap
Heather Brissenden
Class Productions
Beverley Didur
Ruth Rarquhar
Evelyn Gracey
George Hollands
Lisa Jayne Irvine
Thomas Joseph
Brittni Kenny
Doriel Laind
Lynne Mack
Madelon MacLeod
Kay Matthews
Rose Anna Newlove
Christine O’Reilly
Eileen Oswald
Sonya Poweska
Mike Salisbury
Second Cup
Jerzy Szechynski
Justine Vickery
Robert Widdup
Williams D. Michael
Monthly Donors
Artistic Integrity Tattoo
Benjamin and Stephanie
Thornton
Edward Rosengren
Fay Sproule
Linda Thomas
Marielle Griffths
Sandra Pisani
Hazel McCallion Foundation for
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Volunteer
in
the
Spotlight
MAC celebrates Bruce Kachuk, the voice behind MAC’s weekly Art Scene podcasts
length newspaper and magazine articles
selected from over 600 publications. I read
a variety of VoicePrint shows in addition to
Mississauga’s “Arts Scene”, for instance the
International News (heard each Tuesday at
12:30pm), the Greater Toronto Area News
(each Monday at 3:00pm), and the Toronto
Community Events (as a downloadable
podcast on the AMI website). I also read
other VoicePrint shows as required. VoicePrint can be heard on cable (Rogers Digital
196 locally) and satellite as well as streaming on the AMI website (ami.ca).
H
i I’m Bruce Kachuk. I can be heard reading Heather Brissenden’s “Arts Scene”,
the weekly Arts & Entertainment podcast
on the Mississauga Arts Council’s website.
Some of you may have wondered what other volunteer activities I am engaged in. So,
if I may, I would like to take this opportunity
to outline a few of my additional pursuits.
I currently read “Arts Scene” from the Don
Mills studios of Accessible Media Incorporated (AMI), where I am a regular volunteer reader for a service called VoicePrint.
VoicePrint is a national radio reading service designed to serve the information and
entertainment needs of over 5 million blind,
low-vision, or print restricted Canadians. At
VoicePrint, volunteer readers narrate full-
I also volunteer for a similar organization
in Toronto called PAL Reading Services,
which provides a free recording service for
its clients who have difficulty reading ordinary print. PAL was founded in 1975 to fulfil
a need by print-restricted students to have
educational material recorded in a timely
and accurate manner. I record a variety of
material, mostly related to college and university courses our clients are taking, but I
also read things of a recreational or general
interest. The recordings at PAL are made
into audio CDs in the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) format which permits convenient navigation of the recorded
material in a portable DAISY player.
My interest in assisting people with vision
restrictions also takes me to London, Ontario. There I help with publicity, recording,
and whatever else is needed for a theatrical
group called Out of Sight Productions. The
mission of Out of Sight is to allow participa-
tion in theatrical productions to be accessible to everyone, especially people who
otherwise would not have considered it
because of vision restrictions. Out of Sight
has made some very positive and beneficial
changes in the lives of those who have taken part and I am very pleased to be involved
with such a worthwhile organization. The
Glenvale Players perform a similar function
locally in Toronto, and I am also pleased to
be assisting this theatre troupe by assembling programs for current productions.
Another of my volunteer activities takes me
to the West Coast and a domestic violence
research centre. Operating out of Simon
Fraser University, the FREDA Centre for
Research on Violence against Women and
Children is one of five similar centres set up
across Canada in 1992 to research, raise
awareness of, and seek the elimination of
domestic violence. I currently administer
the incoming email, and until a few years
ago coordinated information resources and
maintained the office and website. Another
worthwhile organization that I am proud to
be associated with.
In closing I would like to mention that my
wife has always given me love, encouragement and inspiration for whatever I wanted
to pursue. Patricia is a retired university
instructor. She is currently enjoying her retirement by working on a second PhD as a
student again at York University. I volunteer
helping her with that too . . . if I can.
Shen Yen Brings its Magic to Mississauga
Internationally celebrated stage show explores the magic of Chinese culture
F
ollowing sold-out performances in Mississauga in January
2010, Shen Yun will make a glorious return to the Living Arts
Centre unveiling an entirely new line-up of dances, songs and musical scores in an all-new 2012 production. Performances will run
from January 19 to 22 at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.
Profound. Sublime. Inspiring. That was the unequivocal response
to Shen Yun’s annual world tour in the past years. It is traditional
Chinese culture as it was meant to be—a study in grace, fluidity,
balance, and inner strength. A program of nearly twenty masterful
dances and songs brings Asia’s celebrated past to life on stage.
Its masterful choreography and graceful routines range from grand
classical processions to ethnic and folk dances, with gorgeously
costumed dancers moving in stunning synchronized patterns.
State-of-the-art backdrops conjure up celestial palaces and blossoming landscapes, while an innovative full orchestra blends both
Western and Chinese instruments in a masterful fusion.
For 5,000 years in China, culture was heralded as a divine gift. Its
glory was long the inspiration of countless artists and poets, until
this heritage was nearly lost…
Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts seeks to revive this
once-majestic tradition by creating a production worthy of this noble
history—something that enriches the lives of audiences in powerful, lasting ways. The company’s rich repertoire is drawn from the
pages of history, universal themes, and the world around us. All the
choreography and music performed are original. “A visually dazzling tour of 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture,” as found
by the San Francisco Chronicle. Dr. Ken Coates, Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, University of Waterloo, also raved: “a passionate
mix of culture, dance and hope… The sublime beauty is timeless.”
For tickets, call 1-888-805-8888 or visit www.ShenYun2012.com.
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MAC’s Development and Events Co-ordinator Sonya Poweska
Mississauga Arts Council