ALBERTA HOUSE ARTS CENTER

217 FERRIS STREET

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI 49783

906-635-1312

Wednesday 2 — LE SAULT ARTISTS GUILD MEETS at noon for a pot-luck at the home of Mary Jane Bernier, 6101 W. Six Mile Road in Brimley (Minnow Lake Campground on the south side of the road). Call Mary Jane at 906-632-6980 for more information,

Thursday 3—EVENING OF GERSHWIN with Mike Dempsey, pianist; Karen Hughes Beacom, soprano; Trish Well, mezzo-soprano; Eric Shaw, tenor; and John Young, baritone. Soo Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Adults $15, seniors and students $12 and children five and under, $5. See page 14 for more information. www.sootheatre.org.

Friday 4 — MEET-THE-ARTIST RECEPTION for Ingrid Blixt. Alberta House, 7 to 9 p.m. Everybody welcome. See p. 3.

Saturday 5 — ART ON THE LAKE FESTIVAL. Curtis. 10 to 6. Lions’ breakfast, 7 to 11. Live entertainment 11 to 6. See “CURTIS”, p. 5, for details.

Tuesday 8 —MARK TWAIN PRESENTATION. Free half hour program by downstate actor Clifton Helms, who is recreating Mark Twain’s 1895 speaking tour in northern Michigan. 7 p.m. in the Bayliss Library.

Thursday 10—BEATLEMANIA. The cast features former members who starred in the Broadway production and have performed in all fifty states and over twenty foreign countries. They faithfully re-create a live stage show that reproduces the sights and sounds of the original Beatles. Soo Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $20.

FILM@Bayliss—Somers Town (comedy/United Kingdom). Free to adult audiences. 6:30 p.m. Two teenagers, a runaway from Nottingham and a Polish immigrant, newcomers to London, form an unlikely friend-ship during a hot summer.

Saturday 12—KLASSIC COMEDY MOVIE SERIES: 1 p.m. at the Bay-liss. Call for title (632-9331).

SYLVAN CIRCLE TOUR, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Self-guided artisan tour beginning in Echo Bay. See p. 5 for details.

(Continued on page 2)

ALBERTA HOUSE NEWS

September 2009 Volume 2009 Issue 9

EVENTS 1 to 3

EXHIBITS 3 to 6

ARTISTIC OP-PORTUNITIES

7

2009 SAULT SUM-MER ARTS FESTI-VAL

7 to 11

FEATURED ART-IST

11 & 12

NEWS & NOTES 13 & 14

SUBSCRIPTION Back cover

HONORS & ACCO-LADES

6

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

6 & 7

Inside this issue:

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Website: http://www.saultarts.org e-mail: saac@saultarts.org

Crow—ink drawing on barn wood by Ingrid Blixt. See p. 3.

Volume 2009 Issue 9

Thursday 17—TORONTO SYMPHONY OR-CHESTRA, with Peter Oundjian, conductor and James Gardiner, trumpet soloist. Ki-wanis Community Theater Center in Sault, Ont., 7:30 p.m. A joint presentation of the Sault Symphony, Algoma Conservatory Con-certs and the Algoma Fall Festival. $30/12.

Saturday 19—Keeping the Piece FLYING GEESE QUILT SHOW. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sault Middle School. $5 at the door. See p. 14 for details on workshop, tea room, quilt raffle etc.

FAMILY MOVIES@Bayliss. Call for title (632-9331).

6th ANNUAL HAPPY APPLE DAY FES-TIVAL in DeTour. See p. 5 for details.

LINNEA GOOD IN CONCERT. 8 p.m., Willow Grove Church, 55 Tilly in Sault, Ont. $12 at the door.

JEN PORTER, LIVE, at the Water Tower Inn Pub. 9 p.m. No cover charge.

GROUP OF SEVEN TRAIN EVENT. See “NEWS & NOTES”, p. 14.

Sunday 20—FLYING GEESE QUILT SHOW, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See Sept. 19.

Saturday 26—SAULT SYMPHONY: Baroque

(Continued from page 1)

Page 2 Alberta House News

EVENTS—CONTINUED

WORDS FROM SAAC

1. Mark you calendar. The Annual Arts Auction is Saturday, Novem-ber 7, at the Cisler Center.

2. You can advertise in Alberta House News by c a l l i n g 4 37- 5463 o r e -ma i l i n g saac@saultarts.org.

3. The Alberta House Shop is bursting with beautiful, original work by area artists.

BAYLISS LIBRARY — 541 Library Drive (906) 632-9331.

www.baylisslibrary.org. Open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday from 9

to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 to 4. The Visually Im-paired Support Group will hold its first public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Chippewa County Genealogical Society holds its annual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. Arts events are scheduled for Sept. 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, 22 and 29. See Date listings for details.

UtçÄ|áá _|uÜtÜç TÜà|áà Éy à{x `ÉÇà{M `tÜztÜxà _t cÉÇá|x Old Barn Lockhart Road

Favorites. St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, 8 p.m. OKTOBERFEST. DowntownSault Ste.

Marie. Sunday 27—SOO THEATRE BENEFIT RE-

VUE—Rotary Show of Shows. The very best performers from Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area will join forces onstage for a benefit variety show at the Soo Theatre in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. 2 p.m. $10/5.

ALGOMA FALL CRAFT SHOW. Water-front Inn (former Holiday Inn) Ballroom. Noon to 5 p.m.

Tuesday 29—MUSTARD’S RETREAT in con-cert at the Bayliss. “Mustard's Retreat repre-sents everything that is best about folk music. Their music is community music.” 7 p.m.

INGRID BLIXT, INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION

The best way to get a feel for the work of Ingrid Blixt is to visit her web site: www.ingridartstudio.com. Blixt is a multi-media artist in the fullest sense of the term, exhibiting paintings, prints, drawings, jewelry, installa-tions, mixed media, tiles, clay, posters and photography. If there is a recur-ring theme, it is crows. If there is a recurring color pattern, it is black and white. The body of her work is both starkly modern—surrealistic even—and medieval, with a hint of Breugel. The drawings seem to be the key, un-derlying all her work and giving it a distinctive framework and definition. Blixt has exhibited widely, most re-cently at the Waterfront Art Festival, and in a solo exhibition at the Bonifas

September 1 to 28 OLIVE CRAIG GALLERY: Ingrid Blixt, Invitational,

Multi-Media Exhibition MINI GALLERY: Work from

the O.C. Gallery’s Perma-nent Collection

Fine Arts Center in Escanaba. Originally from Romania, she holds a Bachelors Degree in Fine and Graphic Arts from the University of Art and Design in Cluj Napoca, Ro-mania. Now living in Escanaba, her work first appeared in the U. S. in the 2001 Northern Exposure VIII at the Bonifas Arts Center. She has been in every Northern Expo-sure Show since, earning a First Place Award in 2001, a Third Place and a Purchase Award in 2004, a Second Place and Purchase Award in 2005, an Honorable Mention in 2006 and a Fourth Place and Pur-

chase Award in 2007. She took the Best of Show in the Artists of the U. P. exhibit in the DeVos Museum at Northern in 2007. Meet Ingrid Blixt at her re-ception in Alberta House on Friday, September 4, from 7 to 9 p.m.

SAULT, MICHIGAN EXHIBITS

Page 3 Alberta House News

217 Ferris Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783—906/635-1 3 1 2 . E - m a i l : saac@saultarts.org. Website: www.saultarts.org. Open Tues-day through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ALBERTA HOUSE

ART S

CE N T E R

Left from top: Photo composite of crows. “New Orleans An-gel”—photograph. “Angel”—charcoal with gold leaf, avail-able as note card and print.

Below: “Crucifixion”—graphite drawing.

LSSU LIBRARY GALLERY

THROUGH SEPTEMBER:

c{ÉàÉ}ÉâÜÇtÄ|áÅ VÄtáá EEC VÄtáá cÉÜàyÉÄ|É

CLASS TAUGHT BY JOHN SHIBLEY AND MIKE LUSSIER.

BRIMLEY

Page 4 Alberta House News

MINI GALLERY Work from the Olive Craig Gallery Gallery’s Permanent Collec-tion fills the Mini Gallery during September, from Mary Dem-roske’s “Katmai Bay” (left), the gallery’s newest acquisition, to work of artists no longer with us, but fondly remembered—Olive Craig, Elvira Shouldice, Marion Burnett and Mary Wright, to name a few—this multi-media exhibit represents the best of this area. The collection is wide-ranging, containing both two and three dimensional work.

Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 4

This is the “Katmai Bay”, by Mary Demroske, the Gallery’s lat-est acquisition for the Permanent Collection

The Wheels of History Train Museum on M-221 in downtown Brimley. Open

Wed. through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Labor Day (Sept. 7); then Sat. & Sun. only, until Oct. 15.

IROQUOIS POINTLIGHTHOUSE Located 7 miles west of Brimley on Lakeshore Drive, the museum and gift shop are open from May 15th through October 15. Usual hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, but may vary, so call (906)

437-5272 for a current schedule. The 65-foot tower is also open to the pub-lic during those times.

SAULT, MICHIGAN EXHIBITS

Kyung Hatfield—from her “Sky Series”

EUP

Next Month in Alberta House, October 1 to 30

Olive Craig Gallery: EUP Craftsmen and the Le Sault Artists Guild Annual Joint Exhibition

Mini Gallery: Auction Preview Exhibition

to Sept. 13: Shar-ron Rogers

to Sept. 12: Raven—Carl Beam. One of Canada’s leading pioneers in multi-media printmaking and painting, merging the language of contemporary art with Native cultural traditions. From the gallery’s Permanent Collection.

Northern Ontario Art Asso-ciation 52nd Annual Juried Exhibition.

SAULT

t o O c t o b e r 1 7 t h : “Ornamenting the Or-dinary – Crafts of South Asia” – An ex-hibit from the Royal On-tario Museum featuring the artistic styles, crafts-manship and traditions of South Asia’s many cul-turally diverse regions.

SAULT STE. MARIE MU-SEUM, corner of Queen and East Streets. 705/759-7278. Mon. thru Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. from 1 to 5. www,saultmuseum.com.

heritage@saultmuseum.com.

ARTSPACE in the Station

Mall ART GALLERY OF ALGOMA, 10 East Street, 705/949-9067. Hours: Wed. thru Sun. 11 to 6. Admission

$3. Children under 12, free. e-mail: aga@shaw.ca. website:

www.artgalleryofalgoma.on.ca

Sat., Sept. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Art on the Lake Festival. Erickson Center Park. Food, music, art vendors, silent auction, children’s art pro-ject and children’s parade. Lions pancake breakfast in the Community building from 7 to 11. 9 Mile Smile Performing from 11 to 2. Copper Box from 2:20 to 6 p.m. First Annual Photo Contest. Ewe-per Spinners and & Weavers drawing for a shawl. Free admission. Collectible “Art on the Lake” buttons available for $3.

Sat., Sept. 19, 7 p.m.: An Evening of Musical Reminisence”. Erickson Center for the Arts. Vocal, piano and keyboard selections by Ruth Hill and Hunter Buckingham. $10 adults/$5 students.

Fri., Sept. 25, 6 to 8 p.m.: Sled dog Symposium with Ed and Tash Stielstra—Pulling To-gether—Lessons from Sled Dogs and Adven-tures along the Iditarod Trail. Slide presenta-tion, sled dogs and question and answer ses-sion.

Page 5 Alberta House News

EUP

Saturday, Sept. 19: Happy Apple Day Scarecrow and Antique Festival The 6th Annual DeTour Village Happy Apple Day

Scarecrow Festival and 2nd annual Antique Fair sponsored by the DeTour Museum and DeTour Botanical Garden is scheduled for Saturday, September 19. Events include:

Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 5 Page 5

CURTIS Eric kson Center for the Ar ts . www.ericksoncenter.org. info@ericksoncenter.org P.O. Box 255 N9246 Saw-Wa-Quato Street C u r t i s , M I 4 9 8 2 0 Phone: 1 906-586-9974 .

DETOUR VILLAGE

ECHO BAY AREA

Sylvan Circle Art and Artisan Tour - Sept 12, 2009, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Self guided gorgeous country tour. Starting in Echo Bay, the tour extends around Highway 638, through Leeburn and Rydal Bank to Bruce Mines and back along Highway 17, approximately 100 kilome-tres. Over 40 artists at country halls and stu-dios. Lunch and refreshments can be purchased at various locations along the route. For infor-m a t i o n c o n t a c t 7 0 5 - 7 8 5 - 3 8 6 8 o r www.sylvancircle.ca.

WATERFRONT INN BALLROOM (former

Holiday Inn)

Sun., Sept. 27, noon to 5 p.m.: ALGOMA F A L L C R A F T SHOW

“Antique Road Show” type an-tique appraisal

Apple dessert contest and lunch-eon

Antiques and collectibles show and sale

Heritage craft demonstrations Apple Art displays by area stu-

dents (DeTour School) Farmers market (9 a.m. to 1

p.m.) Artists, crafters and vendors

Horseshow tournament Entertainment Food Kids Scarecrow contest build-

ing Games and contests—all at

the Chamber of Com-merce pavilion and Vil-lage court. Except for the farmer’s market the above events are from 10 to 4.

Community auction of new and gently used items and gift certifi-cates, raffle drawings, announcement of contest winners and a sloppy joe dinner follow at the Cultural Center. Proceeds go to help support the DeTour museum Fresnel Lens repair project and artifact maintenance.

ONTARIO EXHIBITS

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

MARQUETTE /NMU ART MU-SEUM. Hours: Mon. thru Fri.

between 10 & 5 (Thurs. to 8 p.m.). Sat. and Sun. between 1 & 4.

906/227-1481.

STARS Soo Theatre/STARS is pleased to announce the expansion of its dance program with a new studio across the street for STARS. The north side of Aus-

tin’s Oak at 539 Ashmun has been transformed into a large, modern dance space know as STARS Studio E. This addi-tional instruction space allows STARS to increase its offerings to 45 dance classes. In addition to a full program of movement, pre-ballet and ballet classes, STARS will be offering tap, lyrical, jazz, modern, hip hop, acrobatics, ballroom and Scottish Country Dance. Joining Dianna George, Director of Dance, will be instruc-tors Courtney Bailey, Caroline Behling, Lea Cilluffo and Martina Vollman. Fall classes in music include Tunes for Toddlers, Elementary Mu-sical Theater, Voice Performance Class and Beginning Piano Classes. Performing groups are Youth Chorus for middle and high school students, Intermediate and Senior Youth Orchestra, Flute Choir, “Nor Quite Ready for Prime Time” string ensemble and Re-corder Consort. Acting, Handmade Book Workshops and Creative Writing offer opportunities for young people to explore their creative side. Yoga classes for teens and adults will meet at morning, lunch and eve-ning times. A new class, Chair Yoga, is designed for seniors and other adults with limited mobility. Registration is open now for the 14 week fall term which begins September 14—in person from 10 to 6 weekdays at the

MARY FIRACK WINS HAPPY APPLE DAY LOGO CONTEST

Mary Firack, a ninth grade student, won the Happy Apple Day logo contest, sponsored by the EUP Fine Arts Council, for art students in grades 4 through 12. Her winning design is on the buttons promoting the events, now being sold at events and businesses throughout DeTour Village. Buttons are $2 each and half the pro-ceeds from the sale will go to the Art Department at the DeTour School. The rest of the proceeds will be used to defray event advertising and startup costs. See p. 5, for details of Happy Ap-ple Day events.

PETOSKEY: CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER. 231/347-4337.

Open Mon. thru Sat., 10 to 5. www.crookedtree.org .

Page 6 Alberta House News

Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 p.m.: Hot Club of Cowtown. Western Swing Trio, sponsored by WCMU Public Radio. $20/5.

Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 6 Page 6

LSSU STUDENT PUBLISHES CHILDREN’S BOOK

“The Horrible Huckleberry”, a book by LSSU Communications major Alani Michel Weathers, will be published by Ingram Books. Weathers, a senior, is a public relations intern under Dr. Gary Balfanz, Dean of Arts, Letters and Social Science.

OUTSTATE EXHIBITS

September: Michigan Watercolor Society Show continues

CHEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE, 231/627-5841 & 1-800/357-9408.

www.theoperahouse.org/

to Sept. 26: Margot Berman—Dancing with an Unknown Partner

Philip Hanson—The Oper-atic Canvas

Two Chicago based artists in separate solo exhibits

Looking In, Looking Out—Works from the Gallery’s Per-manent Collection

HONORS & ACCOLADES

ESCANABA: Wm. Bonifas Fine Arts Center. 700 1st Avenue South.

786/3833. www.bonifasarts.org.

to Sept. 10: Secret World: Art & Adventure on America’s Inland Seas. Photography and Paintings by Christopher winters.

Sept. 17 to Oct. 29: Distant Thun-der. Contemporary Native American Artwork

TRAVERSE CITY: A R T CEN-TER, 720 Elmwood, 49684.

www.artcentertraversecity.com. 231-941-9488. Gallery Hours, Mon. thru. Fri., 9 to 5, & Sat. noon to 6.

to Nov. 11: Juried Fine Art Ex-hibition 2009

Chip Duncan Photography Exhibition

Page 7

HEALTHY BODY IMAGE DOLL WORKSHOP

Join Anny Hubbard, Charla Gordon and Betty Noland in making your own little leather doll and discussing body image, healthy eating and traditional foods. The leather dolls are made in the traditional Ojibwa-style, such as children played with long ago. Four 2-hour sessions: Wednesdays, 10:00 to noon, September 9, 16, 23, 30, 2009. Site to be announced. Class size limited to 10. Pre-registration is required. Please register by calling Charla Gordon a t 9 0 6 - 6 3 0 - 0 7 9 2 o r e m a i l charla.rd2008@yahoo.com. Cost: $75 –basic materials included. Access to Re-covery Tier 2 Providers – Access to Recov-ery Eligible.

Page 7 Alberta House News Alberta House News Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 7 Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 7

DE TOUR HAPPY APPLE

DAYS Art is ts and craftsmen inter-ested in vendor table space at DeTour’s Happy Apple Day Sep-t e m b e r 1 9 , should call 906-297-3231 or 297-8051. Happy Apple Day de-tails are on page .

ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES

DAVID BIGELOW WATERCOLOR JOURNALING WORKSHOP AT THE

PERSONAL TOUCH David Bigelow will conduct a watercolor journaling workshop at the Personal Touch, 414 Ashmun, September 12, 19 and 26, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The class is open to all levels of experience. Class fee is $50. $20 deposit required. Call the Personal Touch at 906-632-7435 for more information.

Soo Theatre office, 534 Ashmun. Bro-chures listing class times and tuition fees are available on the web (www. oothea-tre.org). For more information call 906-632-1930.

37th ANNUAL SAULT SUMMER ARTS

FESTIVAL

The 2009 Sault Summer Arts Festival took place Tuesday, August 4, on the spacious lawns of the soon-to-be Sault City Hall on East Portage, in a strong wind under mostly black skies, but Sault people turned out anyway, and it never did actually rain. The winner of the three hundred dollar Olive Craig Best of Show Award, given by the Olive Craig Gallery, was Adrian glass blower Craig Weatherby. Judge William Morrison was especially impressed with Craig’s mastery of in-novative and difficult techniques. This was Weatherby’s third year in the festival. He took the Glass Award last year. His booth was located on the curb side of Bingham Street, toward the middle of the row.

Winner of the one hundred fifty dollar Best of Crafts Award was Ron Paquin. Among his many local (Continued on page 8)

ADRIAN GLASS-

BLOWER CRAIG

WEATHERBY TAKES BEST OF SHOW IN

THE 2009 SAULT SUM-MER ARTS FESTIVAL

David Bigelow, took the one hundred fifty dollar Painting award, given by the Le Sault Artists Guild and the Personal Touch. This is Bigelow’s sixth year in the festival. He won the Painting Award in 2004, the Aarre Lahti Design Award in 2005, the Graphics Award in 2006 and the Judge’s Choice Award in both 2007 and 2008. Dave works in watercolor, pen and ink and pastels and had work in last month’s exhibit of pastel artists in Alberta House. He is our “FEATURED ARTIST’ this

(Continued on page 9)

Page 8 Alberta House News

and national awards are the SSAF Best of Crafts Award in 2007 and the award for Best Display in 2006. The Best of Crafts Award is given by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Craftsmen and National Office Products.

(Continued from page 7)

Ron Paquin accepting award from Jim Halvorsen

In the top photo, David Bige-low accepts the Painting

Award. Below that, Tom Mar-shall accepts the Judge’s

Choice Award—both from Jim Halvorsen, SAAC Treasurer.

She has been in the festival since 2006, when she won the Best of Show Award. Her display of paintings and distinctive note cards was located on the curb side of Bingham (and can be found in the Alberta House Shop.) In the same row was jude McConkey (p. 10) who won the Photography Award, given by Thomas J. Veum,

Leanne Barnes Deuman and Michael T. Veum, Attorneys. jude took the Graphics Award in 2007. An impressive display of turned wood won the Wood Award for festival newcomer Charles Jackson, (p. 10) of Swartz Creek, Michigan. The Wood Award is given by J.A.S. Veneer and Lumber. Jackson’s booth was on Water Street. He left a beautiful bowl for our art auction November 7th.

Drummond Island summer resident Wendy Hunt (p. 10) was in the festi-val for the first time last year, when she took the Jewelry Award. This year she won both the Glass Award and the Award for Best Display. Wendy makes unusual blown glass

jewelry, wrapped with sterling silver, and displayed mosaics as well. She was located on the curb side of Bingham, which proved to be a hotbed of win-ners. Al Dicken, (p. 10) a fes-

(Continued on page 10)

Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 9

month (see pages 11 and 12, and back cover.) The seventy-five dollar Judge’s Choice Award was won by Tom Mar-shall in his second Sault Summer Arts Festival appearance. He and his wife Kathy Marshall took the Best of Show Award in their first appearance in 2006. Tom is a Sault artist and retired art teacher and has also been winning awards right and left. The following awards, with the excep-tion of the twenty-five dollar award for rug hooking, are fifty dollar awards. The Aarre Lahti Design Award, given by the Sault Area Arts Council, was won by Janet Bonnell (below) for her exquisite pine needle baskets, each one unique. This is Janet’s fourth festival appearance. She took Best of Crafts in both 2006

and 2008. More of her work can be s e e n o n h e r w e b s i t e : www.pineywoodbasketart.com. Sergio Barcena won the jewelry award. A festival veteran from Grosse Pointe Farms, he is a two-time Sault Summer Arts Festival Best of Show Winner, having won top prize last year and in 2005. Both he and Bonnell were on Portage Street, on the east end of the site, as were Shirley Harrer and Leif Sporck. Shirley won the Fiber Award for the third time in three festival appear-ances. Using recycled materials she

(Continued from page 8) crafts a menagerie of moose and bears as well as coiled fabric baskets, totes and wearing apparel. Sporck, from Suttons Bay, won the Pottery Award for his distinctive nature tiles. This is his second year in the festival. His tiles took last year’s Design Award. The Jewelry Award is given by Ryan’s Jewelry; the Fiber Award

by Leanne and Gary Deuman and the Pottery Award by Soo Co-op Credit Union. The Graphics Award, given by Kevin Cooper, D.D.S., was won by Zoey Wood-Salomon (above). Zoey, who paints in the Native style, took the Graphics Award last year as well.

Left—Sergio Barcena. Below left—Shirley Harrer—both with

Jim Halvorsen. Below—Lief Sporck with his display of tiles.

tival newcomer from Cross Village who dis-played stone top tables, was on that side as well, as was blacksmith Otto Bacon, both of whom received Honorable Mention awards. Bacon (opposite page), who operates Whiskey River Forge and Fiber in Brimley won the De-sign Award in 2007. A new twenty-five dollar award, for Primitive and Traditional Rug Hooking, has been estab-lished by Rita Dale and was won by Sugar Is-land resident Judy Colein. Judy had work in several different areas, displaying a large vari-ety of soaps and body products, along with some paintings and the rug hooking. The 2009 Sault Summer Arts Festival judge was William Morrison, owner and operator of Spruce Forge on Five and a Quarter Mile Road, who was the Featured Artist in the August newsletter. He put in a long day. Judging is hard work!

(Continued from page 9)

THANK YOU! A fact that is especially hard to convey to peo-ple not intimately involved with the festival is the extent to which the community is involved in this all-volunteer event. It exists year after year, basically, because people want it and are willing to work for it, because very little money changes hands. All the entertainers and work-ers are donating their time and their consider-able expertise and equipment. The City of Sault Ste. Marie furnishes the site, tables, chairs and trash cans and transports them to and from the site. The stage is owned by the city and furnished to us by the Downtown De-velopment Association, which uses the stage during the summer for concerts in the park.

Page 10 Alberta House News

Above—jude McConkey, Photography Award winner. Top right, Charles Jackson, Wood Award winner.

Above, Wendy Hunt, winner of Glass Award and Award for Best Display. Below, Al Dicken, winner of an Honorable Mention Award for his stone top

tables.

ALL FESTIVAL PHOTOS BY ERIC DEMARAY

DAVID BIGELOW David Bigelow is a Sault High graduate who went on to study art at Flint Community College, DeWaters Art Institute for two years, before switching to law enforcement. He worked in the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department from 1965 to 1973, with the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Immigration Service from 1973 to 1979 and the U.S. Custom Service from 1979 until he retired in 2001. Immediately after retirement he be-gan blazing a trail through the art world. We first became conscious of his work when his pen and ink drawings appeared in the Evening News about eight years ago (before retirement), depicting the houses on Annual House Tour of the Red Cross. He entered the Sault Summer Arts Festival for the first time in 2004, and won the Painting Award. The next year he won the Aarre Lahti Design Award, in 2006 he won the Graphics Award, in both 2007 and 2008 he won the Judge’s Choice Award and this year he, once again, took the painting award. He took Best of Show in De-

(Continued on page 12)

FEATURED ARTIST—DAVID BIGELOW

The generator that runs the P.A. system is borrowed from Parker Hardware. The P.A. system is owned by Grooves Mu-sic. Gary Hatch, owner of Grooves Music, brings it to the site, sets it up, helps run it, plays music in the final set and then takes it down. Food for the entertainers, all of whom volunteer their time and furnish their own transportation, was donated by Har-mony Health Foods, the Pizza Hut, Zorba’s Restaurant and the Soo Co-op Grocery. The Soo Corner Store furnished ice—all day. The awning under which the performers played was lent us by the Sault Chamber of Commerce. And all the entertainment, logistical support and expertise was procured and organized, as it has been for many years now, by Simon Couvier. Edison Sault furnished the power for the food booths. North-woods Land Surveying furnished survey ribbon to mark off

the parking lot for the entertainment support. Men from the New Hope House unloaded, set up, took down and reloaded the tables, chairs and trash cans. The entertainers were Annis George, the one-man band, who also helped run the P.A. system and emceed; Sault singer and song writer Archie Reno; Susan Askwith and Dave Stanaway; poets Frank Blissett, Anny Hub-bard and others; the Tai Chi organization; Joe Menard; Jack Curry; Richard Frank; Lorne Hartwick; Jim Lock-hart; Roland Mayer; Shirley Patrick; John Price and Carl Turnage. Festival veteran Gary Deuman was in charge of assign-ing the exhibitor sites. He was there at 5:30 the night before the festival and at 6:30 a.m. the day of, assisted by Chuck Jones (who put out all the signs and delivered posters and flyers all over the place) and Jeanne Conlin. Jim Halvorsen fetched and set up our display, helped man it, delivered all the prizes to the winners and took down and returned all our paraphernalia. Pat Claxton organized our booth equipment and helped staff it. Mary Barry, Joan Gerrie and Janet Smith also staffed. And with all the names we’ve still probably left some out—there are so many who work together to make the festival happen and allow us to furnish it, free, to the public. We can’t, possibly, thank them enough.

Volume Page 11

Above— Otto Bacon, winner of an Honorable Mention

Above—Judy Colein, winner of the Award for Rug Hooking

PRESENTING THE AWARDS WAS SAAC TREASURER, JIM HALVORSEN

tour’s first Fine Arts Festival and a Purchase Award in the 2008 Northern Exposure show in Escanaba. You’ve seen Dave’s work in juried shows in Alberta House and in other exhibits as well. He works in pen and ink, watercolor and pastels, and has many prints available. Among the pen and ink prints, many in the form of note cards, are drawings of the old Loretto School, St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, the old Sault High, St. James Church and a number of lighthouses. His drawing of the Bayliss Library heads up the library listings on page 3. His watercolor and pastel paintings reflect his travels—landscapes of the Great Lakes Area, rivers and waterfalls, barns and other buildings, Colorado and Arizona, France, England and It-aly. His favorite saying is “The more I paint, the luckier I

become.” In October of 2005, Dave’s work was in an exhibit in the Olive Craig Gal-lery titled “People, Places and Things” with the work of Sue John-son and Jeremy Ripley. In May of 2008, he was one of four artists in the G.A.S.S. exhibit in the Olive Craig Gallery—and that opens up a whole other story. G.A.S.S. is an acronym for “Gentlemen Artists Sketching Society”, consisting of a motley crew—Dave, Tom Marshall, Ken Hatfield, Joel Lake and Carl Forslund, who have been meeting for plein air painting since about 2005. All are enthusiastic pursuers of the pastel medium and members of the Great Lakes Pastel Society, the Upper Peninsula Branch of

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Page 12 Alberta House News

which exhibited last month in the Olive Craig Gallery. Both Dave and Tom are on the Great Lakes Pastel Society’s Board of Directors. Last month the society held its annual weekend paint-out in the Sault area—for the first time, ever, in the U.P. Dave has enjoyed a very busy and pro-lific retirement. In addition to his painting, he has been teaching—drawing for beginners in May and wa-tercolor journaling this month (both at the Personal Touch). He enjoys camp-ing, golfing and participating in art fes-tivals. He says a personal highlight was in September of last year when he and Tom Marshall participated in a Bill Hosner pastel painting landscape work-shop in Suttons Bay. Dave is a member of both the Olive Craig Gallery Board

Clockwise from top left: Dave, painting. Old Sault High (pen & ink), barn (pastel) and Res-

taurant in Sarlat, France (watercolor).

it. It could have been anywhere, but it was in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The book contains priceless photo-graphs and insights into Sault his-tory. There are stories of Sault per-sonalities, many of whom you’ll rec-ognize, whether they are named or not. And there is, running through the book, a subtheme: what it’s like to be raised in the United States with modern expectations, but bound to the culture of a previous generation on another continent. It is obvious, both from the book and from the response to it, that the American Café was more than a place to eat. It was a hangout, in the sense that it was a place where peo-ple could go to meet their friends or to be alone; where they would find warmth and familiarity, food and welcome, a home away from home. And Peter Gianakura is an observer who did more than act as host, take orders and cook. The “reflections from the grill” not only mirror what Peter saw every day—they are im-ages that have been distilled. Peter’s “reflections” are filled with the in-sight of a thoughtful and experienced observer. And here I have to add a personal note. I read the book less than a month ago. Before beginning this review, I picked up the book again—and immediately became hung up, re-reading passages I’d read less than a month before. The book is like that. It is available at Alberta House, at the Chippewa County Historical Society, at Parker’s Ace Hardware, at the Soo Theatre, at local bookstores and from Peter Gi-anakura, 906-635-5133, for $15, plus 90 cents tax. And be selfish with it—don’t give it away when you’re through with it because you’ll be-cause you’ll want to read it again. Look for Peter at a Chippewa County Historical Society book signing in the

CURTIS The Erickson Center for the Arts in Curtis has a new web site and e-mail address: www.ericksoncenter.org. info@ericksoncenter.org P.O. Box 255 N 9 2 4 6 S a w - W a - Q u a t o S t r e e t

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AN AMERICAN CAFÉ: REFLEC-TIONS FROM THE GRILL

Peter and Georgia Gianakura were invitational exhibitors in the August Sault Summer Arts Festival, selling, signing and talking about Peter’s book, An American Café. In between our vain attempts to try to hold things down, we enjoyed watching them both. They were kept busy—greeting a steady stream of visitors, gracious and welcoming, seemingly ignoring the cold wind, and there all day into the evening. An American Café is part Sault history and part a series of vignettes with universal appeal. Patrons of the café will find the appeal overwhelming, but even those who have never even walked by, will find the book both interesting and informative. It’s the story of Greek immigrants who came to a small town in the United States in 1900 and became an integral part of

SHOW TICKET BONANZA The Arts Council of Sault and District in Sault, Ontario has a raffle going. The first place winner receives two tickets to the following Sault, Ontario arts events: Main stage Algoma Conservatory Con-

certs The Algoma Fall Festival Algoma International film series the Chamber Singers of Algoma Family Life Theater (2 dinner and

show tickets) Musical Comedy Guild Northland Barbershop Spring Show Sault Theatre Workshop (2 season tick-

ets) Soothfest 2009 (4 tickets) Sault Symphony (2 season passes) Theatre SMC (4 tickets) White Pines On Stage: Alice in Won-

derland (4 tickets) Tickets are $3 each or two for $5 from the Arts Council (705-945-9756). Draw date is September 14.

Page 13 Alberta House News

NEWS & NOTES

STAR SPANGLED GIRL The Chippewa Theater Guild produc-tion of Neil Simon’s Star Spangled Girl, directed by Peter DeCourcy, plays the Guild Theater, 700 Eureka, Octo-

ber 1 to 4. and 9 to 11. Tickets are

available at the theater. Call

Colleen Lavey at 632-7090 for more information.

and the SAAC Board, is a former SAAC Chairman, and a volunteer in Alberta House. He also volunteers every Thursday afternoon at the Best of Friends Animal Shelter on Killacky Road.

near future. Call the office at 635-7082 for up to date information. J.J.

AN EVENING WITH GERSHWIN

On Thursday, September 3, the Soo Theatre will host a

bonanza fundraiser when Sault na-tive Mike Dempsey returns to direct an extravagant production bursting with both local and imported talent. “An Evening with Gershwin” features Karen Hughes Beacom, soprano; Trish Well, mezzo-soprano; Eric Shaw, tenor; and John Young, bari-tone. Dempsey, born and raised in the Sault, went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MSU. He has been choral director at various downstate high schools and churches and music director for a number of large scale musicals. He is also a composer and leader of “Mike Dempsey & Friends”, a group of sing-ers for whom he is pianist, script writer and arranger. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and $5 for 12 and under, at the Soo Theatre box office (906-632-1932). Also coming up: Beatlemania on Thursday, September 10, and Rotary Show of Shows, a benefit revue, on Sunday, September 27. See date listings for more infor-mation. Take in Soo Theatre events while you can, before the heating season starts. (And the more events you attend, the sooner they’ll be able to install heat.)

SAULT THEATRE WORKSHOP Sault Theatre Workshop’s 2009-2010 Season opens October 14, with David Craig’s Having Hope at Home, directed by George Houston. Cinderella, a “madcap English pan-tomime”, opens December 2, for nine performances. String of Pearls, “a blend of sex, satire, poignancy and absurdism” opens February 17. The last two productions of the sea-son are Norm Foster comedies, both westerns— Outlaw, April 14 to 18, and Jenny’s House of Joy, June 9 to 13. Season tickets are available from the Sault Theatre Workshop, P.O. Box 94, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6A 5L2. Several packages are available. Package #3 offers all five shows (reserved seating) for $75. Package #4 offers three shows of your choice for $48. Per show prices are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $5 for students. Call Sandra at 705-946-4081 or Gail at 705-946-5413 to order by phone, using MasterCard or Visa. Tickets may also be ordered online at www.saulttheatre.com, where you’ll find a more complete description of the upcoming productions.

FLYING GEESE QUILT SHOW The Flying Geese Quilt Show, a bi-annual exhibition of the Keeping the Piece Quilt Guild, will be held Satur-

day and Sunday, Sep-tember 19 and 20, in the Sault Middle School. Show hours are from 9 to 5, on Saturday and from 11 to 4, on Sunday. Attractions include ven-

dors, a boutique, a tea room, a quilt appraiser, demonstrations, door prizes and a quilt raffle. The raffle quilt was made by Roni Israel Weaver and Mary McCready, and the raffle money is used to make quilts for charitable causes and for quilting workshops. Raffle tickets are $1 each, or 6 for $5, and are available at several locations in the Sault area. Quilt appraisals are available for $35 each. Those interested in an ap-praisal are asked to contact June Davis, 906-484-2103.

Algoma Fall Festival Events begin October 2,

with guitar virtuoso Pavlo ($30/29). Singer/songwriter

Sarah Slean is scheduled for October 9 ($30); singer/songwriter Dawn Ty-ler Watson for October 12 ($30); “You Dance”, with the National Bal-let of Canada for October 15 ($30/20); jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky for October 16 ($35/20); “Women

Fully Clothed for October 24 ($39); the Canadian Guitar Quartet ($30/20) for October 28; Leahy—eight musical brothers and sisters— for October 29 ($39/25); and Terrance Simien (Zydeco) October 30 ($35). Tickets are available at the Station Mall Box Office (705-945-7299). More information is available on the Algoma Fall Festival web site (www.algomafallfestival.com).

Volume 2009 Issue 9 Page 14

GROUP OF SEVEN TRAIN EVNT The Group of Seven Train Event be-gins with a trip to Searchmont Resort via the Algoma Central Railway. The day’s activities at the resort include guided nature walks; reproductions of the Group o Seven’s work, narrated by Michael Burtch; live musical en-tertainments; presentations of Frank-lin Carmichael’s work; a photography workshop (Tim Harris); a watercolor workshop (Sheila Currie); an oil painting workshop (Tami Poldmaa) and a gourmet lunch. There are three ticket options: $55 includes everything, plus a bus ride back to the Sault. $45 includes a bus ride to and from Searchmont, all activities and lunch. $35 includes all activities and lunch, but you provide your own transportation. Tickets may be purchased at Berkana Art Studio on Queen, at the Station Mall box office, or by calling Lori at 705-949-2310, ext. 4356. Checks should be made out to “Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains”.

ALGOMA FALL FESTIVAL

C u r t i s , M I 4 9 8 2 0 Phone: 1 906-586-9974. There’s a lot going on in Curtis in September, beginning with their Art on the Lake Festival September 5. Check it out on page 5.

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Home of the Sault Summer Arts Festival

SAULT AREA ARTS COUNCIL

ALBERTA HOUSE ARTS CENTER

217 FERRIS STREET

SAULT STE. MARIE

MI 49783

INFORMATION Alberta House News is published monthly as a public service by the Sault Area Arts Council and may be picked up free of charge at Alberta House Arts Center. Items or ads for Alberta House News are best transferred in written form, either dropped off at Alberta House or mailed there c/o Jean Jones. You may also call 906/437-5463 afternoons or evenings or e-mail saac@saultarts.org. Alberta House News publishes art news of general interest to its readers. There is no charge for inclusion of news. Please include the sponsor of an event with the information.

If you would like to become a member of SAAC and help support arts council services, fill in the form alongside and mail with your check for $25.00 in U.S. funds to the Sault Area Arts Council, Alberta House Arts Center, 217 Ferris Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Members receive a monthly copy of “Alberta House News” as a benefit of membership, on line or by mail.

“Crystal Falls” by this month’s Featured Artist, David Bigelow. See pages 11 and 12.