Arts awards are nice, I guess. Especially if they come with a bit of cash attached. Because Lord knows, artists and arts organizations are perpetually short of dough. Just how short? Well, Sept. 23 our annual Fall Arts & Culture Guide hits the streets. In it, there’ll be a feature article surveying local arts organizations on their infrastructure needs.
While sports and recreation infrastructure in the city/province is funded up the wazoo, you’ll learn if you read the piece, arts organizations more or less go begging. Crumbling or grossly inadequate facilities, no money for staff to carry out existing and develop new programming, virtually no ability to market and promote themselves outside of Facebook. It is not a pretty picture.
Still, as I noted before, awards are nice. These are hosted by the Saskatchewan Arts Board on behalf of the Lt. Governor. There’s six categories, some geared to individual artists, others to arts groups. Here’s a link to the SAB’s list of nominees.
The awards are at Conexus Arts Centre at 6 p.m. Tix were supposed to have been purchased by Sept. 15, so it’s likely too late to think about going now. Call 384-6044 to see. $100.
Pictured above, by the way, is a wood sculpture by the recipent of the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Michael Hosaluk.
Also on tonight, there’s a forum on the Politics of Health from 6-9 p.m. at Selam Restaurant that features a presentation by Saskatoon physician Ryan Meili. Tix are $25. Call 525-2949 for more info. And at O’Hanlon’s Pub, Toronto folk rockers Whale Tooth are playing backed up by Zerben. Here’s video of the former doing “Hibernation Song”.
And returning for a moment to the issue of cultural infrastructure. Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. a Cultural Mapping Event is being held at City Hall at 7 p.m. You’ll learn more about it if you read my Sept. 23 article, but what it boils down to is the city is interested in getting a solid inventory of our cultural resources to assist in future planning and the promotion of partnerships between individuals and organizations. It’s open to the public, and anyone who is interested in the state of culture in Regina is invited to attend.
