The image has inspired Lawrence and Needoba to get political, and so they have launched a petition to stop the trophy hunt of grizzly bears in British Columbia, in response to an offer by MLA Michelle Mungall to introduce one in the Legislature.  “Online petitions are inadmissible in the Legislature, so hard copies of names and signatures are required, making collecting hundreds of thousands of them a formidable task!” says Needoba.  So the artists are calling on BC residents, businesses and organizations alike to also get involved, and download and print out copies of the petition and collect signatures and send them in.  The petition can be downloaded at www.smalltownfilms.com [Click here for pdf:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY copy ] Or call 250 352 5905 to arrange to have some sent to you.

Trophy hunting is a gratuitous practice whereby the carcass is never used, the head or pelt may be taken but the meat is not eaten.  It is also in conflict with the laws of nature where by the largest, most robust animals are targeted by the trophy hunter, and thus removed from the gene pool in spite of a hereditary lineage that would otherwise make them dominate.  Recent uproar over the killing of Cecil the lion has shown that public consensus is against trophy hunting, and according to Needoba, “You don’t have to be from Zimbabwe to see that the economic value of multitudes of wildlife-watching tourists is far greater than that of one trophy-hunting dentist from America.“

Lawrence and Needoba while on a regional tour have been engaging audiences in a conversation about wildlife and their habitat.  Lawrence often cites a London Zoological Society report (ZSL) that suggests species populations have halved in the last 40 years!  Here in the Kootenays an audience member recalls how fifty years ago he remembers seeing porcupines everywhere, but he has not even seen one in recent years.  Large carnivores such as grizzly bears are particularly susceptible to the impacts of human activity, especially through loss of habitat and the obvious difficulties co-existing with humans, and that is not even including the impacts of climate change.   “With so much to contend with already, banning trophy hunting of grizzly bears just seems like one small step in the right direction,” says Needoba.  “According to polls, around 90% of British Columbians oppose the trophy hunt.  So it shouldn’t be that hard to get enough signatures on this petition to make change.  If you oppose the trophy hunt please sign this petition!

Photo credit: Jim Lawrence

ACTION ALERT – BC RESIDENTS! PETITION to End the Trophy Hunt of Grizzly BC

Are you a resident of British Columbia?  Do you oppose the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia?  Then please add your name and signature to this hard copy petition and send it in!  Currently, only paper-based petitions with original signatures can be brought forward in the B.C. Legislature so please follow instructions below and help spread the word and lobby for ending this practice!

 PETITION to End the Trophy Hunt of Grizzly Bears in BC

-       Trophy hunting of grizzly bears has no place in modern wildlife management practices and policies.

-       Eco-tourism and bear viewing is a growth industry that encourages sustainable practices and benefits local economies, and can provide more revenues than trophy hunting. These animals should be protected not hunted and their habitat conserved, so that future generations will be able to experience these magnificent creatures.

STEP 1:

Download the petition document here:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY copy

STEP 2:.

Print out petition document and fill in your name and community and sign the document.  If possible find 14 or more other people who are opposed to the trophy hunting of grizzly bears to sign the petition to complete the form(s).

STEP 3:.

Post in the completed form(s) to:

Small Town Films, P.O. Box 506, Nelson, BC V1L 5R3

SHARE ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/412293962312742/

_

NOT A RESIDENT OF BC?  WANT TO DO MORE?

Join Pacific Wild’s online petition here:

 http://pacificwild.org/endthetrophyhunt

Air Canada and WestJet have banned the transport of big game out of Africa, but continue to allow the transport of Canadian animal ‘trophies’, such as black bears, grizzly bears, polar bears and wolves.

Sign and share this petition to tell Air Canada and WestJet they should be taking a stand against trophy hunting in their own backyard.

Join Bears Matter online petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-grizzly-bears-by-banning-the-trophy-hunt-in-bc

MORE?

It’s time to end the grisly trophy hunt – David Suzuki Foundation

BC residents download the petition document here:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY

Are you a resident of British Columbia?  Do you oppose the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia?  Then please add your name and signature to this hard copy petition and send it in!  Currently, only paper-based petitions with original signatures can be brought forward in the B.C. Legislature so please follow instructions below and help spread the word and lobby for ending this practice!

 PETITION to End the Trophy Hunt of Grizzly Bears in BC

-       Trophy hunting of grizzly bears has no place in modern wildlife management practices and policies.

-       Eco-tourism and bear viewing is a growth industry that encourages sustainable practices and benefits local economies, and can provide more revenues than trophy hunting. These animals should be protected not hunted and their habitat conserved, so that future generations will be able to experience these magnificent creatures.

STEP 1:

Download the petition document here:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY copy

STEP 2:.

Print out petition document and fill in your name and community and sign the document.  If possible find 14 or more other people who are opposed to the trophy hunting of grizzly bears to sign the petition to complete the form(s).

STEP 3:.

Post in the completed form(s) to:

Small Town Films, P.O. Box 506, Nelson, BC V1L 5R3

SHARE ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/412293962312742/

_

NOT A RESIDENT OF BC?  WANT TO DO MORE?

Join Pacific Wild’s online petition here:

 http://pacificwild.org/endthetrophyhunt

Air Canada and WestJet have banned the transport of big game out of Africa, but continue to allow the transport of Canadian animal ‘trophies’, such as black bears, grizzly bears, polar bears and wolves.

Sign and share this petition to tell Air Canada and WestJet they should be taking a stand against trophy hunting in their own backyard.

Join Bears Matter online petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-grizzly-bears-by-banning-the-trophy-hunt-in-bc

MORE?

It’s time to end the grisly trophy hunt – David Suzuki Foundation

BC residents download the petition document here:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY

Photo credit: Jim Lawrence

Media Release: Stop the trophy hunt of grizzly bears petition launched by Kootenay artists

Many people became familiar with photographer Jim Lawrence’s image of the grizzly bear standing on its hind legs and looking through a camera, when it went viral and caught the attention of the press.  “The photo is like the poster child for a stop the trophy hunt of grizzly bears campaign,” says filmmaker Miriam Needoba whose short film Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence is on a regional tour of the Kootenays this fall.  “The image encapsulates our love of the wild and watching wildlife,” says Needoba “The bear looks like a wildlife photographer mirroring our own fascination, and its marvellous intelligence and curiosity is revealed.”

The image has inspired Lawrence and Needoba to get political, and so they have launched a petition to stop the trophy hunt of grizzly bears in British Columbia, in response to an offer by MLA Michelle Mungall to introduce one in the Legislature.  “Online petitions are inadmissible in the Legislature, so hard copies of names and signatures are required, making collecting hundreds of thousands of them a formidable task!” says Needoba.  So the artists are calling on BC residents, businesses and organizations alike to also get involved, and download and print out copies of the petition and collect signatures and send them in.  The petition can be downloaded at www.smalltownfilms.com [Click here for pdf:  Grizzly Bear petition_HARD_COPY copy ]  Or call 250 352 5905 to arrange to have some sent to you.

Trophy hunting is a gratuitous practice whereby the carcass is never used, the head or pelt may be taken but the meat is not eaten.  It is also in conflict with the laws of nature where by the largest, most robust animals are targeted by the trophy hunter, and thus removed from the gene pool in spite of a hereditary lineage that would otherwise make them dominate.  Recent uproar over the killing of Cecil the lion has shown that public consensus is against trophy hunting, and according to Needoba, “You don’t have to be from Zimbabwe to see that the economic value of multitudes of wildlife-watching tourists is far greater than that of one trophy-hunting dentist from America.“

Lawrence and Needoba while on a regional tour have been engaging audiences in a conversation about wildlife and their habitat.  Lawrence often cites a London Zoological Society report (ZSL) that suggests species populations have halved in the last 40 years!  Here in the Kootenays an audience member recalls how fifty years ago he remembers seeing porcupines everywhere, but he has not even seen one in recent years.  Large carnivores such as grizzly bears are particularly susceptible to the impacts of human activity, especially through loss of habitat and the obvious difficulties co-existing with humans, and that is not even including the impacts of climate change.   “With so much to contend with already, banning trophy hunting of grizzly bears just seems like one small step in the right direction,” says Needoba.  “According to polls, around 90% of British Columbians oppose the trophy hunt.  So it shouldn’t be that hard to get enough signatures on this petition to make change.  If you oppose the trophy hunt please sign this petition!

(Connect to FaceBook event:

Tour schedule:

September 10 @ 7pm – Creston Public Library:  531-16th Ave, S (P: 250-428-4141)
September 11 @ 7pm – Sparwood Public Library: 110 Pine Ave (250-425-2299)
September 16 @ 7pm – Cranbrook History Centre (formerly the Railway Museum): 57 Van Horne St, S (250-489-3918)
September 17 @ 7.30pm – Kimberley – Centre 64 (hosted by Kimberley Public Library): 64 Deer Park Ave (250)-427-4919
September 19 @ 2pm – Invermere Public Library: 201-7th Ave (250-342-6416)
October 23 @ 7pm – Crawford Bay School for the Movies with Meaning Series (*door $10): 16150 Walkley Rd
November 17 @ 6pm – Penticton Public Library:785 Main St (250-770-7784)
November 18 @ 6.30pm – Greenwood Public Library: 346 South Copper St (250-445-6111)
November 19 @ 7pm – Rossland Public Library: 2180 Columbia Ave(250-362-7611)
November 20 @ 7pm – Nakusp Public Library: 92 – 6thAve NW (250-265-3363)

For more information about “Eyes in the Forest: The Potratiture of Jim Lawrence” click here

DVD is now available for purchase online for $15 (includes shipping and handling)

Synopsis: Follow experimental filmmaker Miriam Needoba in this rare view of British Columbia’s remote Selkirk Mountains as seen through the eyes of wildlife photographer Jim Lawrence. Interweaving the startling imagery of Lawrence’s still photography with Needoba’s sublime cinematography, Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence is both a restrained study of landscape and wildlife, and a conversation between two artists and their art forms.

Lawrence is as much a part of the landscape as the grizzly bears, eagles, caribou and squirrels he captures on film. Combining the engaging soundscapes of the environment with Lawrence’s gentle narration, this short documentary transports the audience deep into this wild and beautiful world.

“I wanted to provide an experience – an intimate view of this world that is often hidden from sight but is deeply impacted by human action,” says Needoba. “I hoped that representing their world, and Jim’s experience of it, would inspire greater empathy and understanding for the wildlife we so admire.”

This film was produced with the support of the National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker Assistance Program and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369005/

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

Jan 2014, Fernie’s 6th Annual Reel Canadian Film Fest, Fernie, British Columbia

Jan 2014, Knowledge Network in British Columbia have acquired the film for broadcast over the next five years.

Jan 2014, CMS VATAVARAN, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, New Delhi, India (Eyes In the Forest’s film poster image is being used as the poster image for this film festival!)

Dec 2013, Fall 2013 Wildsight Series, Creston, British Columbia

Sep 2013 – DOCUTAH, in competition (Short Films), Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, Utah

Aug 2013 – Celebrate BC Day, Victoria, British Columbia

Jul 2013 – Art & Activism Event Series, Touchstones Nelson, British Columbia

May 2013 – Green Film Festival, Seoul, Korea

Apr 2013 – Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma, California

Apr 2013 – American Documentary Film Festival, Palm Springs, California

Apr 2013 – The Langham Cultural Centre, Kaslo, British Columbia

Mar 2013 – West Virginia Mountaineer Short FiIlm Festival, Morgantown, West Virginia

Mar 2013 – North Valley Mountain Film Festival, New Denver, British Columbia

Feb 2013 – Fernie Mountain Film Festival, Fernie, British Columbia

Feb – October 2013 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival Tour: Allegheny Defense Project – Bradford, PA 4/21/2013 + Environmental Learning Center- Vero Beach 4/21/2013 + Friends of the Kaw – Stilwell, KS 10/13/13 + Hawaiian Island Land Trust – Waimea, Kauai 4/7/2013 + Land Trust of the Treasure Valley – Boise, ID 3/9/2013 + Montana Wilderness Association – Kalispell, MT 10/26/2013 + Orcas Center – Eastsound, WA 11/15/2013 + Powder River Basin Resource Council - Sherdan, WY 4/17/2013 + Rocky Mountain Wild – Denver, CO 9/19/2013 + Sierra Nevada Alliance – South Lake Tahoe, CA 3/8/2013 + Trail Creek Outfitters – West Chester, PA 2/27/2013 + Ventana Wilderness Alliance – Big Sur, CA 8/26/2013 + Vulcan Mountain Preservation Society – Julian, CA 5/17/2013 + Western Environmental Law Center- Taos, NM 4 & 5/4/2013 + Western North Carolina Alliance - Boone, NC 6/29/2013 and Collowee, NC 4/25/2013 + Wild Virginia – Harrisonburg, VA 4/18/2013 + Wildlife Rescue Center – Ballwin, MO 10/11/2013

Jan 2013 – Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Nevada City, California

Dec 2012 – Thinking Mountains Conference, University of Alberta, Edmonton

Nov 2012 – Teck Rossland Mountain Film Festival, Teck Mountain Gala Screening, Rossland, British Columbia

Nov 2012 – Aesthetica Short Film Festival, York, England

Oct 2012 – Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario

ARTICLES AND REVIEWS:

Review of North Valley Mountain Film Festival Screening in New Denver, by Art Joyce published in Valley Voice / March 20, 2013

Article on film and filmmaker , By Sam Van Schie – Nelson Star / Published: October 18, 2012

Review of Planet in Focus Festival Screening in Toronto, posted on the Leaf blog byPosted by Matthew Higginson / October 17, 2012

Article on film and filmmaker by Margaret Tessman, in ARTiculate magazine – a twice yearly publication that covers heritage and cultural stories and events throughout the Columbia Basin. Issue FALL/WINTER 2012-2013

PRESS RELEASE:

(Updated December 2012)

Small Town Film’s latest production Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence premiered in Toronto at the Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival on Sunday, October 14 at 4:00 PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The film’s director, Miriam Needoba, was in attendance for the screening, and was also able attend the Creative Documentary workshop put on by the festival with award winning filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who’s film Manufactured Landscapes about Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky was very influential in the research for this film. Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting Needoba’s attendance at these events.

IMDb (Link here)

CONTACT US (Link here)

Safe, stable, affordable

HOUSING

at Ward Street Place

The Issue

Nelson CARES operates Ward Street Place on behalf of the community. It is a unique commercial/residential social enterprise that houses an emergency homeless shelter, 35 single occupancy rooms and three apartments. The building is 100 years old and without improvements is fast approaching the end of its usable life.

The Challenge

To preserve this stock of safe, stable and affordable housing for another half century. We have invested $2.2 million to complete health and safety improvements and purchase and renovate a new site for the emergency shelter. It’s now time to focus on the residents and their homes.

The Solution

Refurbish each room and the common living spaces, install energy efficient windows and doors, and fund a long term maintenance reserve that will make the rooms available for the next fifty years. The cost is $690,000.

To read more about this valuable initiative click here.

On October 8, 2014, Deconstructing Dinner welcomed British Columbia publishing pioneer, Judith Plant – the co-founder and publisher of New Society Publishers (NSP). The event was called Gathering the Threads of Social Change – The Story of New Society Publishers.

Chances are, if your personal or professional interests revolve around food, gardening or permaculture, natural building & alternative energy, parenting, education & community building, or environmental & sustainability issues, you probably already have an NSP book on your bookshelf.

Presented by the Kootenay Co-op, Otter Books and Deconstructing Dinner, this event was a rare opportunity to hear from a leader of our time who has been instrumental in empowering people and communities around the world to be their own leaders in building more ecologically sustainable and equitable societies. NSPs mission really has been to publish books that can change the world.

http://www.newsociety.com

Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence – 12:36 minutes, HDV, Colour, Stereo

Synopsis: Follow experimental filmmaker Miriam Needoba in this rare view of British Columbia’s remote Selkirk Mountains as seen through the eyes of wildlife photographer Jim Lawrence. Interweaving the startling imagery of Lawrence’s still photography with Needoba’s sublime cinematography, Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence is both a restrained study of landscape and wildlife, and a conversation between two artists and their art forms.

Lawrence is as much a part of the landscape as the grizzly bears, eagles, caribou and squirrels he captures on film. Combining the engaging soundscapes of the environment with Lawrence’s gentle narration, this short documentary transports the audience deep into this wild and beautiful world.

“I wanted to provide an experience – an intimate view of this world that is often hidden from sight but is deeply impacted by human action,” says Needoba. “I hoped that representing their world, and Jim’s experience of it, would inspire greater empathy and understanding for the wildlife we so admire.”

This film was produced with the support of the National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker Assistance Program and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369005/

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

Jan 2014, Fernie’s 6th Annual Reel Canadian Film Fest, Fernie, British Columbia

Jan 2014, Knowledge Network in British Columbia have acquired the film for broadcast over the next five years.

Jan 2014, CMS VATAVARAN, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, New Delhi, India (Eyes In the Forest’s film poster image is being used as the poster image for this film festival!)

Dec 2013, Fall 2013 Wildsight Series, Creston, British Columbia

Sep 2013 – DOCUTAH, in competition (Short Films), Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, Utah

Aug 2013 – Celebrate BC Day, Victoria, British Columbia

Jul 2013 – Art & Activism Event Series, Touchstones Nelson, British Columbia

May 2013 – Green Film Festival, Seoul, Korea

Apr 2013 – Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma, California

Apr 2013 – American Documentary Film Festival, Palm Springs, California

Apr 2013 – The Langham Cultural Centre, Kaslo, British Columbia

Mar 2013 – West Virginia Mountaineer Short FiIlm Festival, Morgantown, West Virginia

Mar 2013 – North Valley Mountain Film Festival, New Denver, British Columbia

Feb 2013 – Fernie Mountain Film Festival, Fernie, British Columbia

Feb – October 2013 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival Tour – Allegheny Defense Project – Bradford, PA  4/21/2013 + Environmental Learning Center-  Vero Beach  4/21/2013 + Friends of the Kaw – Stilwell, KS  10/13/13 + Hawaiian Island Land Trust – Waimea, Kauai 4/7/2013 + Land Trust of the Treasure Valley – Boise, ID  3/9/2013 + Montana Wilderness Association – Kalispell, MT  10/26/2013 + Orcas Center – Eastsound, WA  11/15/2013 + Powder River Basin Resource Council - Sherdan, WY  4/17/2013 + Rocky Mountain Wild – Denver, CO  9/19/2013 + Sierra Nevada Alliance – South Lake Tahoe, CA  3/8/2013 + Trail Creek Outfitters – West Chester, PA  2/27/2013 + Ventana Wilderness Alliance – Big Sur, CA  8/26/2013 + Vulcan Mountain Preservation Society – Julian, CA  5/17/2013 + Western Environmental Law Center- Taos, NM  4 & 5/4/2013  + Western North Carolina Alliance - Boone, NC  6/29/2013 and Collowee, NC  4/25/2013 + Wild Virginia -  Harrisonburg, VA  4/18/2013 + Wildlife Rescue Center – Ballwin, MO  10/11/2013

Jan 2013 – Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Nevada City, California

Dec 2012 – Thinking Mountains Conference, University of Alberta, Edmonton

Nov 2012 – Teck Rossland Mountain Film Festival, Teck Mountain Gala Screening, Rossland, British Columbia

Nov 2012 – Aesthetica Short Film Festival, York, England

Oct 2012 – Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario

ARTICLES AND REVIEWS:

Review of North Valley Mountain Film Festival Screening in New Denver, by Art Joyce published in Valley Voice / March 20, 2013

Article on film and filmmaker , By Sam Van Schie – Nelson Star / Published: October 18, 2012

Review of Planet in Focus Festival Screening in Toronto, posted on the Leaf blog byPosted by Matthew Higginson / October 17, 2012

Article on film and filmmaker by Margaret Tessman, in ARTiculate magazine – a twice yearly publication that covers heritage and cultural stories and events throughout the Columbia Basin. Issue FALL/WINTER 2012-2013

PRESS RELEASE:

(Updated December 2012)

Small Town Film’s latest production Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence premiered in Toronto at the Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival on Sunday, October 14 at 4:00 PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.  The film’s director, Miriam Needoba, was in attendance for the screening, and was also able attend the Creative Documentary workshop put on by the festival with award winning filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who’s film Manufactured Landscapes about Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky was very influential in the research for this film.  Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting Needoba’s attendance at these events.

FILM SYNOPSIS & BIO (Link here)

IMDb (Link here)

CONTACT US (Link here)

Film still – Photo Credit: Miriam Needoba

Film still – Photo Credit: Miriam Needoba

Requiem for a Glacier – Paul Walde
Exhibition: January 4 – February 8, 2014
Gallery hour: Wednesday to Saturday from 1-5pm
Opening: Friday, January 3 from 7-9pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, January 4 at 4pm

In this era of environmental transformation, most people now understand that the ravages of global warming pose a real threat to the future of our planet. The sound and video installation Requiem for a Glacier by artist Paul Walde explores the boundaries of a growing national and international movement of art practices produced with consideration for the wider impact of the work and its reception in relationship to its environment, where a representation of nature has been replaced by direct intervention. Because of the physical demands required to access the site-specific glacier location and because of the sheer number of volunteers who participated, this project exemplifies to what extremes a community’s engagement with an issue can lead them and how powerful unified creative expression can be.

Requiem for a Glacier prematurely memorializes BC’s Jumbo Glacier area, an ancient feature of the landscape leftover from the last ice age, now under immediate threat from global warming and resort development. The coordination of the project was lead by local curator, Kiara Lynch and involved the collaboration of roughly 100 people: a team of mountaineers, a 30 piece choir, a 40 piece orchestra, conductor, soloists, film crew, sound recording crew, sherpas, and drivers. According to Walde, “the sheer number of people involved and the political motivation of the collaborators has given the work a dimension of social practice which is entirely new for (his) practice.”

Requiem for a Glacier is a “total work of art” in that it depended on the interconnection of audio, visual and performing arts mediums with scientific fact and community engagement to bring it to fruition. By combining cerebral information with emotional experience this work provides an original platform for engaging with our environment. Information such as temperature records for the area, the name Jumbo, and a Latin translation of the BC government’s press release for the announcement of a year-round resort community at the site in the middle of a nature conservancy, were converted by Walde into music notation and a libretto. It is because of this interconnectedness of science with creativity that works like Requiem for a Glacier not only show us but can make us feel the issues we are dealing with as a society.

The exhibition opens at the Oxygen Art Centre (320 Vernon Street – alley) on Friday, January 3^rd from 7 – 9pm followed by on artist talk on Saturday, January 4^th at 4pm. The exhibition runs until February 8^th.  Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 1-5pm

Oxygen Art Centre gratefully acknowledges the support of Columbia Basin Trust, British Columbia Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of British Columbia.  As well as the creative partnership with The Langham Cultural Centre and business sponsorship from PK Sound, Big Cranium and Business for the Arts, and the generous support from individuals within the community.

Articles and Press:
Canadian Art (online)  - http://www.canadianart.ca/reviews/2014/01/22/paul-walde-requiem-for-a-glacier/

Galleries West  – http://www.gallerieswest.ca/art-reviews/exhibition-reviews/paul-walde%3A-%22requiem-for-a-glacier%2C%22-langham-cultural-centre/

Articulate Magazine- http://www.wkartscouncil.com/articulate/Articulate%20Summer%202013%20web.pdf

CBC’s North by NorthWest - http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/featured-story/2014/01/25/requiem-for-a-glacier/

Vancouver Sun – http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Orchestra+plays+glacier+sorrow/8718868/story.html

CBC (online)- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/07/29/bc-orchestra-glacier-global-warming.html

The Nelson Star  - http://www.nelsonstar.com/entertainment/238513511.html

Classical Lite – http://www.classicalite.com/articles/2200/20130730/canadian-musicians-protest-perform-paul-wades-requiem-glacier-atop-b.htm

Requiem for a Glacier – Paul Walde
Exhibition: January 4 – February 8, 2014
Gallery hour: Wednesday to Saturday from 1-5pm
Opening: Friday, January 3 from 7-9pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, January 4 at 4pm

In this era of environmental transformation, most people now understand that the ravages of global warming pose a real threat to the future of our planet. The sound and video installation Requiem for a Glacier by artist Paul Walde explores the boundaries of a growing national and international movement of art practices produced with consideration for the wider impact of the work and its reception in relationship to its environment, where a representation of nature has been replaced by direct intervention. Because of the physical demands required to access the site-specific glacier location and because of the sheer number of volunteers who participated, this project exemplifies to what extremes a community’s engagement with an issue can lead them and how powerful unified creative expression can be.

Requiem for a Glacier prematurely memorializes BC’s Jumbo Glacier area, an ancient feature of the landscape leftover from the last ice age, now under immediate threat from global warming and resort development. The coordination of the project was lead by local curator, Kiara Lynch and involved the collaboration of roughly 100 people: a team of mountaineers, a 30 piece choir, a 40 piece orchestra, conductor, soloists, film crew, sound recording crew, sherpas, and drivers. According to Walde, “the sheer number of people involved and the political motivation of the collaborators has given the work a dimension of social practice which is entirely new for (his) practice.”

Requiem for a Glacier is a “total work of art” in that it depended on the interconnection of audio, visual and performing arts mediums with scientific fact and community engagement to bring it to fruition. By combining cerebral information with emotional experience this work provides an original platform for engaging with our environment. Information such as temperature records for the area, the name Jumbo, and a Latin translation of the BC government’s press release for the announcement of a year-round resort community at the site in the middle of a nature conservancy, were converted by Walde into music notation and a libretto. It is because of this interconnectedness of science with creativity that works like Requiem for a Glacier not only show us but can make us feel the issues we are dealing with as a society.

The exhibition opens at the Oxygen Art Centre (320 Vernon Street – alley) on Friday, January 3^rd from 7 – 9pm followed by on artist talk on Saturday, January 4^th at 4pm. The exhibition runs until February 8^th.  Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 1-5pm

Oxygen Art Centre gratefully acknowledges the support of Columbia Basin Trust, British Columbia Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of British Columbia.  As well as the creative partnership with The Langham Cultural Centre and business sponsorship from PK Sound, Big Cranium and Business for the Arts, and the generous support from individuals within the community.

Articles and Press:
Canadian Art (online)  - http://www.canadianart.ca/reviews/2014/01/22/paul-walde-requiem-for-a-glacier/

Galleries West  – http://www.gallerieswest.ca/art-reviews/exhibition-reviews/paul-walde%3A-%22requiem-for-a-glacier%2C%22-langham-cultural-centre/

Articulate Magazine- http://www.wkartscouncil.com/articulate/Articulate%20Summer%202013%20web.pdf

CBC’s North by NorthWest - http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/featured-story/2014/01/25/requiem-for-a-glacier/

Vancouver Sun – http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Orchestra+plays+glacier+sorrow/8718868/story.html

CBC (online)- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/07/29/bc-orchestra-glacier-global-warming.html

The Nelson Star  - http://www.nelsonstar.com/entertainment/238513511.html

Classical Lite – http://www.classicalite.com/articles/2200/20130730/canadian-musicians-protest-perform-paul-wades-requiem-glacier-atop-b.htm

Small Town Films shot 2nd Unit Photography for the wheat and the one on garlic episodes and webisodes, see them all on http://deconstructingdinner.ichannel.ca/

Deconstructing Dinner: Bringing Home the Bread
 (24min, Canada, 2013)

Worldwide theatrical premiere (and sneak peek!) of Bringing Home the Bread – one of six episodes for the forthcoming series set to air nationwide on ichannel this Summer. Written and hosted by Nelson’s very own Jon Steinman of Kootenay Co-op Radio’s Deconstructing Dinner (2006-2010). Alongside James Beard Award winning producer and former Kootenay resident Declan O’Driscoll (Milk War), this episode features chef John Sundstrom of Lark in Seattle – also a James Beard Award winner! A great line-up of Kootenay residents are also featured including Matt Lowe, Roy Lawrence, Jay Blackmore, Jesse Phillips and Natalka Podstawskj. This episode examines the little known yet significant nutrient declines being documented in wheat following the decades-long evolution of modern wheat varieties. Along with the loss of nutrients, so too has the flavour of wheat all but disappeared. But there are inspiring efforts in the U.S. and Canada which are successfully reversing this trend and bringing the bread back home!