New Works and New Workers Welcomed in Calgary

Vincenzo Calli, an Italian painter, has brought a collection of his latest work to the Art Gallery of Calgary, where the work and the artist were celebrated on Wednesday April 22. The paintings depict moments between dreaming and awake, and the suspension between heaven and earth. Some of them portray figures in shadow with placid expressions, while those in the sunlight stare forward anxiously. Others feature tarot cards, clouds, wolves on the hunt, and tiny brushstrokes to simulate watery ripples. The exhibit is on display until Saturday, June 27.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada (ICCC) co-hosted the event, attracting a large contingent of guests from the local Italian community. Remarks from the artist, and Marina Mason, vice president of the ICCC, were made in Italian and translated.

Guests included Jean Merriman, executive vice president of White Iron Productions, Omar Channan, founding world president of the World Organization of Building Officials and the president of United Nations Association in Canada-Calgary, Dr. John Lacey, honorary consul-general of Thailand, Jennifer Hames, of CTV Television, Lorenzo Lecce of A Touch of Italy, and Jessica MacLeod of Vendemmia International Wines.

Viable Calgary, a workforce program designed to connect employers and persons with disabilities, launched on Thursday, April 23 with a cocktail reception in Teatro’s Opera Room. A keynote speech was delivered by Elsbeth Mehrer, manager of workforce development at Calgary Economic Development. Other speakers included Lisa Thompson of Bank of Montreal, and Peter Pilarski of the Retail Council of Canada.

“When I went to job interviews,” Thompson recounted, “A lot of people thought I had a cognitive impairment, just because I’m in a wheelchair. I had to fight to show them there’s nothing wrong with my brain. It was very discouraging. Luckily BMO was more than open-minded during the hiring process.”

Viable Calgary offers “integration studies” upon request, showing local business how easy - or how difficult - it would be to welcome an employee with a disability. Other services include staffing support, research, and best practices workshops on hiring disabled workers. Funded by local industry, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada, these services are provided free of charge.

Guests of the event included Pat and Sherrold Moore, Bryce Roblin of Placement Group, Jim McLaughlin of Alberta Employment and Immigration, Robert Hansen of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Jenny Cruickshank of The Home Depot, and Linna Morgan of Calgary Counselling Centre.

Wallace Galleries welcomed the work of two new artists this week, Camrose Ducote and Rachel Ovadia. At the opening on Saturday, April 25, guests wandered in for a sip of wine and a look at the fresh pieces. Abstract, eggshell-coloured mixed media make up Ducote’s work. Ovadia on the other hand, with bold colours on giant canvas, lights up the room. Ode to Mozart is made up of deep, grandiose swirls of red overlaid with broad strokes of orange, pulsing from the centre of an electric blue and green border.

The joint display lasts until May 10.


Published in National Post, May 2 2009

Fiesta and WineFest bring in spring

It may leave like a lamb, but winter in Calgary is still roaring like a lion… or maybe a couple dozen pussy cats. That was the feeling, anyway, at last week’s Mexican fiesta-style fundraiser at the Wallace Galleries which raised money for P.E.A.C.E. (Protection & Education for Animals, Culture & Environment), a non-profit organization dedicated to decreasing the unwanted pet population in Mexico. PEACE also provides work skills and education to underprivileged families in and around Puerto Vallarta.

Dozens of people braved the icy weather for a little taste of the sunny south, and a big dose of reality. Colette Hubner organized the event around her family's pet project, after years of helping to spay and neuter animals around her family’s vacation home. Through a few degrees of separation, her family met Molly Fisher, the president of PEACE and began working with her to bring veterinarians, supplies, and money into the region. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, she says.

Chef Klaus Hubner and friends provided an authentic Mexican feast, with healthy helpings of guacamole, tostadas de polo, ensalada de jimaca, tomates y cebollas y queso fresco, paella, mouthwatering pork tenderloin and a spicy shrimp dish. Little children gleefully crowded around the gallery’s main entrance while a piñata was beaten, spewing treats and toys onto the pavement below. Their noises of delight blended into the chatter and laughter of almost a hundred adults, many holding mini-margaritas and swaying in time to music piped through the sound system.

On the walls of the bright, open space gallery were silent auction items ranging from a set of organic, freshwater pearls from Lotus Lines to a care package for pets, massage certificates, and dinner for two at Divino. Local artists, some friends of gallery owner Heidi Hubner (mother of Colette and wife of Doug), were in attendance to watch as their work was auctioned off for the charity. Julie Meisser’s handcrafted glass bead bracelet fetched a handsome price, as did a painting by Bill Duma. Liberal MLA Kent Hehr was also present and spoke briefly before the live auction began.
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Things were also heating up in Edmonton recently, when a large crowd gathered for WineFest at the Shaw Conference Centre. A complementary Riedel wine glass was handed out to guests who then had the opportunity to taste at least 45 different wines. Hors d’oeuvres and a wide variety of cheeses were also offered.

Votes were collected for the “people’s choice” award, which unanimously claimed a 2007 Kung Fu Girl Riesling the winner for white at both the Calgary and Edmonton events, and the 2004 Reserve Vinoce Cabernet Sauvignon Edmonton’s favorite red wine.

Guests included: Brian Heck, president of Wine Runners Inc, Katherine Fischgrund, principal interior designer for Urban Design Interiors, Dean Wulf, managing partner for Avison Young, Shanna Dorsch, vp of operations for Solutions Workplace Furnishings, Christine Iverson of RBC, Luisa Montgomery of Primerica, Dale Orvis of Charton Hobbs, Erin Honeyman of the RCMP, and detective Patrick Tracy of the Edmonton Police.

Published in National Post, March 28 2009