This newsletter is devoted to news and events. First we have three cultural events to tell you about. Here they are in date order.
Fertile Choices – March 25, 2010 to March 27, 2010
My friend and colleague, Glynis Wilson-Boultbee has written and directed a new play called Fertile Choices. I know her and her work. I highly recommend you get tickets and go to this production at the Matchbox. It starts next Thursday and runs only until Sunday. We have tickets at the store.
Fertile Choices explores myriad reasons why women choose not to have children and the implications of those choices. The story is told with unflinching honestly and electrifying wit. Fertile Choices is based on the provocative poetry/ceramic show of the same name by Glynis Wilson Boultbee and Michele Dupas.
Fertile Choices launches Ignition Theatre’s inaugural ORIGINAL VOICES series. Each season, Ignition Theatre will accept new scripts from Alberta playwrights, will develop and workshop one, then produce a full limited engagement run. This will assist Ignition Theatre in expanding its mandate to include the support of emerging playwrights.
Robyn Dell ‘Unto and Sean Pinchin – March 28th
On Sunday, March 28th Sunworks will host an intimate acoustic show, featuring Robyn Dell ‘Unto and Sean Pinchin. Gather around 5:00 — the show will start at 6:00. Tickets are $10. Cash wine bar. We appreciate when you buy your tickets in advance at Sunworks, however tickets will also be available at the door. The seating is limited.
ROBYN DELL’UNTO spent new year’s eve 2009 in Niagara Falls, sharing the stage with Styx and Glass Tiger in front of a crowd of over 60,000 people. Robyn is at home on stage, and easily relates to, and wins over, any crowd…she’s just signed a deal with The Orange Lounge label, and her songs have been featured on both CBC and CMT. Melissa Mcclelland & Justin Hines are also with The Orange Label.
The story-telling, Folklore artist, SEAN PINCHIN, is best known for crafting warm and soulful sounds with nothing but his voice, harmonica and slide guitar. Using his music as therapy, every performance has an emotional delivery that any audience can feel and relate to.
Paul Headrick – April 16, 2010
Our next literary event is a reading by author Paul Headrick. His new book is called The Doctrine of Affections and is a collection of eleven stories. Paul Headrick takes us on a fascinating journey into the heart of music. From the perfectly honed decrescendo of a symphony’s string section to the down-home chord progressions at a late-night kitchen party, Headrick’s stories question the subtle differences between hearing and listening, and communicating and understanding. The subjects of this collection are soloists, ensemble players, scholars, collectors, and lovers of music, but their experiences with risk, religion, relief, and often regret make their stories resonate for readers who are hearing their songs for the first time.
A poverty-stricken guitar virtuoso navigates the political landscape of nineteenth-century Parisian society as he comes out of retirement for one final concert. A sessional instructor competing for the prestigious Interdisciplinary Chair in Aretha Franklin studies gets sidetracked by her obsession with a mysterious student in a yellow hat. A dying doo-wop DJ and his wife try to bridge the estrangement wrought by illness as they travel in search of the horns, drums, and vocals of highlife.
It’s going to be a fun and entertaining evening. No tickets are necessary and we have room for 30. Come for wine and cheese and enjoy another excellent writer.
For those of you ‘on Facebook’, and I know there are many, please join our Sunworks group.
What’s new?
It is so hard to say what is new and what has changed. We’ve been enhancing Sunworks for years and since Christmas 2009 we’ve done some major changes that have once again taken the store to the next level. We all are very pleased — come down for a visit soon. See the ever growing music section in the store, the upgrades to the book room, the kitchen product, cards, pottery, glass, and garden statuary. You can always visit through our webcam, sadly you can’t buy through it yet.
Idea Market Moves to Red Deer
We are pleased to announce that the Idea Market team will be moving into the Sunworks Building for May 1. Their new office is #205, 4926 Ross Street. We are so thrilled to be associated with this dynamic and talented group of people. To learn a little more about Idea Market visit their website.
Conscious Evolution
Last month I mentioned my blog and invited you to visit it. Then in an editing faux pas, I neglected to put in the URL…. so here it is. www.paulharris.ca
Conscious Evolution — observations and insights through living on earth in the company of solitary travellers — is my personal website. I’ve been quite active building this site to share my thoughts and insights about life. As a community facilitator, writer, and artist I believe that I’m discovering ideas and ways of thinking that are helping me to make sense of the world and highlight what I think are useful questions to help us create an inspired future. You may find it interesting to read and follow (OR you may not). I share ideas, encourage thinking, promote collaboration and questioning, as well as post simple things like great recipes. I link my site to sites of other thinkers and organizations that I find interesting and thought-provoking. Mostly I have fun.
City Council
I’ve been asked many times to consider running for City Council. I’ve considered it for years and now the time is right. So it’s official, I will run in the next election. The outpouring of support and encouragement has been tremendous. During the next six months I’ll be actively listening to the community. If you have something that you would like to share with me, an idea, a challenge, an insight, please do not hesitate to call me, email me, or drop by. I plan to run this campaign and do my potential work with City Council in a strength-based way. I believe that we will do better if we work from a perspective of what can be rather than what isn’t. We do have areas that need improvement there is no doubt, but we also have great examples and strength in this community to build something amazing for all of us.
Our Happy New Promotional Video
Last month we approved the final version of a video for Sunworks that we have been working on for a few months. As we continue to improve the store, it feels good that we have something that we can share electronically with people that helps to showcase the shop. Click on the link; we hope you enjoy it. Feel free to send it around — there is a spot beside the video to do that very thing. Terry did the voice over for this video and I think that he’s done an outstanding job. He’s says that he wouldn’t give up his day job but he definitely has that sexy radio voice going on.
Clearance Room – More Added
Over the course of every month we have to look at the inventory and determine what needs to go and what should grow. Where we’ll build and where we’ll adjust. We’ve created a sale clearance room for things that we’ll not be carrying again or have minor but repairable damage. There are many interesting and useful things there for you, marked down by 50 – 90 percent.
Harris-Warke Gallery
the geography of things
An assortment of wall reliefs and sculptural pieces by Ellen Dick from Swalwell, Alberta. By rearranging and juxtaposing a variety of recycled common materials in unusual ways, Ellen creates sculptures that open windows “into a bit of magic and mystery. Being evocative of other places and other times, they form their own geographies.” Ellen Dick is originally from northern Ontario but has lived in Alberta for over 40 years. She is also a painter and works in stained glass. “The Geography of Things” opened on Monday, March 1 and runs until April 2, 2010.
Store Hours
Sunworks is opened Friday nights until 8 p.m., and Sundays Noon – 5 p.m. The rest of the week it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Please drop by and explore — enjoy a complimentary Illy coffee and customer service that truly independent retailers can deliver.
If there is something that you would like read about in future issues please email me back. In fact all feedback is welcomed, we actually like to hear back from you and we’ll share your comments with all of the Sunworkers.