MARSHALL STOKES, genius pyrographic artist, opens @ Incite + Concyse, 2514 Douglas, 7 pm, February 1st 2008, for 1 month expo

+++  Just met Marshall Stokes, the genius pyrographic artist from Portland Oregon who is hanging his work at Incite & Concyse, 2514 Douglas Street, next door to the 50/50 Gallery, opening February 1, tonight at 7:00 pm for a one month show.  I found my way there after noticing unusual 20 cm. x 15 cm. miniposters for the show nailed to telephone poles in Fernwood.  These are screen printed with black ink on thin cedar board, showing Koi fish in a design that owes a debt to Japonisme and Art Nouveau.  As I had not arranged for an interview, I didn’t want to interupt, as Marshall was still busy this afternoon hanging his show, so I just introduced myself as a fellow artist who is amazed at his genius after visiting his website.  That site, which is found at popicon1.com, and here to the right in our CCC Weblog blogroll under ‘MARSHALL STOKES,’ gives the viewer-reader a comprehensive catalogue of works by this very talented young man, his bio, contact info, history of expos, gallery of work in different media, etc.  I encourage viewers to visit the  site to get a better understanding of Marshall Stokes’ work, pyrography, and the link between Asian art, particularly that of Japan, and the contemporary skateboard design and screen print scene in Victoria, Portland and throughout Pacifica.  ++   Like FMR, or the CCC site, if I may be so bold, even though we are still very much in the primitive stages of blog development and don’t have pix here yet, the Pop Icon site is premised on the essential design fact that the colours of pictures exhibited on black backgrounds are seemingly visually enhanced as a result.  I left a copy of the January number of Island Catholic News showing my colour art with Marshall, and referred him to Jack Wise’s work, which I think he would appreciate.  He carefully wrote Wise’s name down in a notebook before giving me one of his beautiful little cedar posters.  I was honoured by the gesture, and said that I would tell all my friends about his one man show that will have a couple of local music groups playing for the opening party tonight.  I neglected  to note the names of the groups, however.  +++ 

Plans for ‘Schu-huum’ 1322 Rockland historic mansion still concern Rockland Neighbourhood Association

+++  Development plans for 1322 Rockland Avenue, an important heritage mansion known as ‘Schu-huum,’ are still matters of concern for members of the Rockland Neighbourhood Association.  About a half dozen development proposals have been brought before the Victoria City Council for the property.  The RNA Annual General Meeting will be held February 13 at the Victoria Truth Centre.  Information about the RNA, and their positions over the years pertaining to this property and others in the Rockland neighbourhood is available at the RNA website: www.rockland.bc.ca/, which is found in the blogroll of the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition Weblog under the heading ‘Rockland Neighbourhood Association,’ in the tags, or under the category header ‘VICTORIA CONSERVATION HISTORY.’  There is also an article which I started at another website which is found at the following address:  vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/archive/index.php/t-2279.html  +++

MOUNT SAINT MARY HOSPITAL CRISIS by Anne Ray, Island Catholic News, February 2008

+++  Mount Saint Mary Hospital and other long-term care facilities have been much in the news recently.  My mother resides there.  ++  Mount Saint Mary Hospital is owned and operated by the Marie Esther Society (Sisters of St. Ann) and is a  not-for-profit charitable organization with a governing Board.  The Hospital is of particular interest to Catholics, although the issue of long-term care in general is a concern to those of us who already have family members in care, or who realize that we, or someone close to us, may one day need to be a resident of such a long-term care facility.  ++  Currently two parallel campaigns are under way – the first is to protest Vancouver Island Health Authority’s (VIHA) funding cuts which affect the operational (or resident care) side of Mount St. Mary Hospital.  The second campaign, conducted by the Mount St. Mary Foundation, is to raise funds for resident activities, pastoral care, music therapy, volunteer recruitment, and staff and  volunteer education in palliative care and practical nursing.  ++  Letters and articles in the local press have focused on operational cuts proposed by VIHA.  Last summer Mount Saint Mary’s had a shortfall of $1,100,000 in  operational funding; and over the next three years the budget is to be reduced by $900,000.  Cuts to facilities which fall in line with the new model of care of 3.24 hours of care per resident are also planned at Kiwanis Pavilion and Broadmead Lodge long-term care facilities.  ++  STAFF REDUCTION  ++  Last year Mount Saint Mary Hospital was forced to let go 22 staff on the operational side, seriously impacting the quality of care as witnessed by a letter signed by seven practicing doctors at Mount Saint Mary.  Their letter decried the decreasing standard of care at the Hospital and stated that any budget cuts would be intolerable for residents.  ++  If further cuts are made, without question more staff will be cut in the future: an estimated 20 positions.  Reducing staffing levels in an already overstretched situation will cause elderly and frail residents to suffer further loss of comfort and dignity; as a result we could see an increase in illness and possibly premature death in some cases.  ++  VIHA’s response to date has been to deny that the proposed funding model will be detrimental to residents’ care, and also to deny that in a hospital which has already lost essential staff and is expecting further cuts (to comply with the model of 3.24 hours of care per resident) the safety, as well as the quality, of residents’ care will be affected.  ++  To obtain more information about the campaign protesting the cuts or to be involved in the protest contact campaign chair Jinx Barber – email: savesaintmarys@gmail.com.  ++  PETER AND PAUL  ++  I believe that ultimately the decision about operational funding levels should be guided by the citizens of British Columbia, who have expressed their wishes through numerous letters to the local media.  The recommendations of doctors and health professionals should carry more weight than ‘targeted care hours per resident numbers’ produced by VIHA.  ++  Standards in other care factilities should be raised if needed, but robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to go.  If revenue needs to be increased for standards to be maintained, the government needs to let the public know that.  Money certainly seems to be available for cost overruns for the Vancouver Convention Centre and other projects.  ++  The second campaign relates to the programs supported by the Mount Saint Mary Foundation, which are a vital part of residents’ spiritual and psychological well-being.  The goal of the Foundation is to have residents live every day to the fullest extent possible.  When this happens residents suffer less stress and are less vulnerable to depression.  To support the Foundation programs, the long-term goal is to raise $5,000,000 over 5 years to fund programs during that period and to create an Endowment Fund, which would be self-sustaining in the future.  ++  This campaign is being supported by the Catholic Bishop of Victoria and will be promoted in local parishes in the near future.  Already $1,000,000 has been raised in pledges and donations.  ++  More details about programs and the fundraising campaign and how to donate can be found at the Foundation website: www.msmfoundation.ca/.  Questions about the campaign can be directed to Mandy Parker, Executive Director, email address: MParker@msmfoundation.ca.  +++   

ALEX CUBA @ University of Calgary, Alberta, Dec. 12, 2007, CBC Concerts on Demand @ CCC Weblog

+++  Goyo de la Rosa writes:  Peter Cook from CBC’s Concerts on Demand alerted us to ALEX CUBA playing solo at the University of Calgary late last year.  The concert is available here at the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition Weblog in our blogroll under ‘ALEX CUBA.’  ALEX CUBA is the new moniker of Alexis Puentes, late of the celebrated Puentes Brothers son duo with his blood brother Adonis, both from Cuba.  I appreciate the notice from Mr. Cook at CBC, and refer listeners of fine music to their wonderful on demand concert listening service with enthusiasm.  +++

Pattie Boyd, George Harrison’s ex-wife, writes in ‘Wonderful Tonight’: Bob Dylan “turned them on to marijuana”

+++  Pattie Boyd puts a  page reference to an episode with Bob Dylan as the first item in ‘Wonderful Tonight’s’ index under ‘Beatles and drugs.’ It’s hard to believe that the Beatles hadn’t smoked mota earlier in their career as black-jacketed rockers in seedy Hamburg clubs, but Patti Boyd, widow of the late Beatle George Harrison, says in her memoir ‘Wonderful Tonight’ that Bob Dylan ‘had turned them on to marijuana.’  ++  The English Catholic convent-educated Boyd, tells her fascinating story with Penny Junor, in a book that was published by Harmony in hardcover just before Christmas last year.  Here’s the quote from the chapter entitled ‘George’ on page 73:  ++   ‘On the last leg of their marathon American tour, the Beatles had met Bob Dylan in New York.  They had been thrilled – Dylan was their hero and mine – and George couldn’t wait to tell us about him and how he had turned them on to marijuana.  A mutual friend, Al Aronowitz, who worked for the Saturday Evening Post, had brought Dylan to their hotel.  He had apparently misheard a line in their song “I Want to Hold Your Hand”: where they sang, “I can’t hide,” he had heard, “I get high,” and had assumed they were seasoned drug users.  ”Right, guys” he said, as he walked into their suite.  ”I’ve got some really good grass.”  So Dylan had rolled a joint, they had opened a few bottles of wine and had a very jolly party.  George was full of it; they had laughed all night.’  +++  As I received  a recorded message this morning from a robot at the Greater Victoria Library saying that this book is now overdue, we will reluctantly have to return it, as there is a long list of others waiting for it.  +++ 

MARGARET PATRICIA HARRIS 1923-2007 by Patrick Jamieson, Island Catholic News, February 2008, Vol 22, No 1

+++  ICN FEB 2008:  MOURNING MARGARET: ONE YEAR ON…One year after the death of his dear mother Margaret Patricia Harris (1923-2007), ICN Founding Editor and former Concerned Citizens’ Coalition  candidate Patrick Jamieson writes about the mourning process in these excerpts from the original longer piece printed in the latest February 2008 number of the Island Catholic News in a full page article, on page three.  The article is accompanied by a black and white photo of the author’s late mother with his father James Jamieson, with the accompanying caption: ‘Margaret and Jim Jamieson circa 1951 in Edmonton.  At that point they had two sons with four more children to follow in the decade of the 50s.’  +++  It will be a year February 8th since my mother died and seems time to remember a few more significant aspects of her personality, life and dynamics in our collective family.  ++  We are all having a very difficult time, I would say, in integrating her physical disappearance.  ++  My sister Christine and I wrote tributes and eulogies a year ago at the time of the death which were printed in Island Catholic News.  ++  Mourning, it seems to me, requires self-conscious processing if we are to truly grow through it.  If we are to reap the benefits mourning grants to us as a grace.  ++  Too often the funeral itself is seen as a sour imposition upon family and friends and perhaps should be done without.  As Christians and Catholics my family feel they have no real choice.  It is spiritually too important to say goodbye properly and start the process of living beyond.  ++  The funeral and the year following were a critically important period of growth for those left behind, a gift just as much as the ones granted when she was alive.  ++  For my mother was someone who in her being granted gifts by her mere presence.  It was always a pleasure as a youth to introduce my close friends to her, knowing her charm would work on them.  I enjoyed watching how they reacted as it would reveal something about them, their character.  ++  She was hospitable and graceful in her loving way.  Personally what I miss most is just being able to sit in her presence and connect.  Chat about the day.  Bring her up to date on what is going on in the community, with the newspaper and often within the petty world of politics within the Catholic church.  That connection was a metaphysical compass bearing which gave meaning and direction to the deeper regions of my life.  ++ II.  She went to Saint Anne’s Academy, graduating in 1940, so her roots were in the region, although she travelled away with my father’s military postings until 1977 when they could return upon retirement to help care for her mother who lived on the Island from 1920, coming from Northern England at Darlington, a Quaker town.  ++  My father, after sixty-five years of married life together, it must be said, misses her the most acutely.  Although some of her children are close behind.  She was one of those people with a sort of personality that insinuates itself deeply and permanently into your psyche.  She was not to be denied.  In a good sense, as they say.  ++  My father, I would say, has had a very hard time filling in the gap.  He still lives in their condominium apartment but finds it haunted.  Wanting to move out of its confines but realizing it is much too soon.  Their apartment represents physically what we have left of her in a way.  A sort of permanent shrine, none of her children wish to see it sold yet.  ++  Christmas was interesting that way.  The feelings from the years when she constructed and reconstructed the traditions that had grown up through the years.  Because we were a rootless military family sort of group; Vancouver, Edmonton,  Whitehorse, Ottawa and Oromocto, New Brunswick as well as Chilliwack, Winnipeg and finally Victoria all added their dimensions.  It always seemed like it would go on forever with her mystically at the helm.  ++  My father has kept up his refugee work but with an obvious lessening of intensity at age 86.  But of course he realizes that it is all largely a distraction from this gaping maw at the centre of our collective life created by her passing.  His challenge, and ours, is to symbolically let her go again and again over these next few years.  ++  Just before my mother passed, a great grandson, Jamie, was born who she was able to hold two months before her death.  Now within the year of her passing a great granddaughter, Poppy, is born in Winnipeg and my father looks forward to meeting her soon.  ++  My sister, Rita, who lives in Winnipeg has drawn the connection already in her visiting with the baby and feels it helps in some small if concrete way.  The tangible experience of healing through mourning.  ++  … IV.  My mother’s creativity was how she created a whole phenomenal universe for her family.  Physically and emotionally.  It was a power she took for granted yet tempered with an alluring charm and graciousness.  She  rarely had to threaten.  He method of discipline was largely that of charm.  One never wished to disappoint her or go against her best values.  It lent itself to great difficulty when it was time to leave the emotional security of the family nest.  ++  She could be fiercely aggressive and highly articulate in defending and explaining her values, particularly in the earlier years when it was key to our earliest and permanent formation.  ++  This whole way of life she wove, converged at a central point in the values and spiritual principles that guided us out through its cone at the end and into weaving similar patterns in our own lives, ones that we had all but unconsciously learned.  ++  As my sister wrote in her eulogy, such a richly symbolic figure when she dies leave a huge gap.  The temptation is to try to fill that gap with another person, frenzied activity or some other false substitution.  ++  But as Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: “Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love, and it would be wrong to try to find a kind of substitute: we must simply hold out and see it through.  This sounds very hard at first, but at the same time it is a great consolation, for the gap, as long as it remains unfilled, preserves the bonds between us.  It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap: he doesn’t fill it, but on the contrary He keeps it empty and so helps us keep alive our communion with each other.”  +++ 

SISTER MARY ANGELICA, LOFTUS, GERTRUDE MARY, SSA, June 24, 1908 – January 10, 2008, R. I. P.

+++  LOFTUS, Gertrude Mary (Sr. Mary Anglelica), born June 24, 1908, in Greenwood, B. C., of Irish/Scottish ancestry, died at Saint Anne’s Residence in Victoria, B. C., on January 10, 2008, at 99 years of age.  ++   Having made contact with the Sisters in Kitsilano, she entered the Sisters of Saint Anne on January 10, 1925, and pronounced her vows at Saint Anne’s Academy, Victoria, B. C., on February 2, 1927.  Last February she celebrated her 80th anniversary as a Sister of Saint Anne.  ++  Despite twice being stricken with TB, Sister Mary Anglelica’s years of ministry were many and varied, and brought her to several missions in British Columbia.  Her ministry encompassed cooking, housekeeping, laundry, gardening, assisting the nurses on night duty, serving meals to patients, and stamp collecting, as well as teaching crafts to patients and the handicapped.  ++  She ministered in Campbell River Hospital, St. Augustine’s in Vancouver, Smithers Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and for 24 years at Mount St. Mary Hospital in Victoria, at the sisters’ residences on Johnson Street, Mount Saint Angela, and Begbie Street.  It was while stationed at Mount Saint Mary that, in addition to her other responsibilities, Sister Mary Angelica began making pottery and teaching basket weaving.  She served in volunteer capacity at the Saint Vincent de Paul Store and at Arbutus Crafts, teaching basket weaving for 22 years.  She retired to Saint Ann’s Residence in 1989.  ++  Predeceased by her parents Mary Kennedy and John Patrick Loftus, sister Mrs. Irene Proctor (Leo), and cousin Joe (Marie) Loftus, she is survived by nieces Maureen (Norm) Okerstrom and Sheila (Duncan) Ross; several cousins: Gail Jones, Ann Cole, Bill Loftus, Pat Loftus, Terry Loftus, Joan Uede, Susan Hepburn, Betty Wallace, Mike Loftus, and David Loftus; and her religious community, the Sisters of Saint Anne. ++  Prayers were offered January 14 at Saint Anne’s Residence, 2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, B. C.; where Mass of the Resurrection was offered on January 15.  Interment Hatley Memorial Gardens.  +++  This article was originally published by the B. C. Catholic weekly newspaper, on January 21, 2008 in the OBITUARIES section of the CLASSIFIEDS, on page 14, with a black and white photo.  +++  A link to the Saint Anne’s Residence at Queenswood is found on the blogroll under the heading ‘QUEENSWOOD,’ in the tags, or at this address: http://www.queenswoodcentre.com/newsletter.html +++  B. C. CATHOLIC newspaper website is provided in the CCC WE BLOG blogroll to the right under the heading ‘Catholic, B.C.’  +++   

MILES LOWRY: GLOBAL ARTIST OF ARTS says GREGORY HARTNELL

+++  I’ve considered Miles Lowry to be the best male artistic painter in Victoria for many years, and put a black and white photo of one of his paintings, ‘Between the Worlds,’ on the cover of my prospectus number zero of LA ROSA in late 1988.  That same painting was reproduced in full colour when it was used in 1995 by Ekstasis Editions when they published Susan McCaslin’s book of poetry ‘Locutions.’  We also have in our CCC Library a number of Ekstasis Editions poetry books with covers illustrated by Miles Lowry, including ‘One Beautiful Day to Come,’ by Robert Lalonde, ‘A hand for the drowned,’ by Mike Schertzer, with a cover painting entitled “Fathoms,” and a very Fernand Khnopff-like painting entitled “Archangel” used for the cover of Richard Stevenson’s ‘From the Mouths of Angels.’ But I must say that of all these, I still prefer our LA ROSA NO. 0 cover choice and that of Susan McCaslin for her poetry book ‘Locutions.’  We both chose the very Leonardesque painting of a single young woman looking very mysterious and Italian, with shut eyes and downcast gaze, withdrawn, yet still attractive, somehow dreamy and yet dignified.  The attention to detail in the folds of the girl’s garment is worthy of Leonardo or Burne Jones.  The atmosphere that surrounds the subject is completely Symbolist or late Renaissance.  Miles produces beautiful work in a mystical Celtic tradition of his own completely unique imagination.  His posters for Suddenly Dance Theatre, Pacific Opera Victoria and others are exquisitely well designed and certainly collectable.  He is multi-talented, working in a wide range of media, including papier mache body casts.  We recently won a small enigmatic papier mache figure by Miles Lowry that looks vaguely Roman, certainly it has suggestions of the antique, when we successfully bid at a fund-raiser for an AIDs charity at Martin Batchelor Gallery.  I will load up pix of these things when I get the hang of it.  In the meantime, viewers can find Miles Lowry’s website listed in the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition Weblog Blogroll to the right under ‘Miles,’ or ‘Lowry.’  +++ http://www.mileslowry.ca/  +++

James Bay Coffee Books in mid winter: great photos on walls, friendly service, soft reggae

+++  I stopped by the James Bay Coffee & Books shop in James Bay the other day at the suggestion of my good friend David Burke (‘Jure’).  We sometimes go there in the afternoon to catch some rays on the sidewalk.  The ashtrays have disappeared, however, which disappoints David, a determined smoker, determined, that is, to quit like all smokers…someday.  David had given me a new paperback entitled ‘Performance Anxiety,’ published by Red Dress Ink, and written by none other than his own sister Betsy Burke, now resident in Firenze, Italia.  While he went over to Thrifty’s to do some grocery shopping, I browsed through the bookshop side of the place.  It’s a bit of a maze, but that is what gives it its funky charm.  I found a book by Stuart Underhill on the old Iron Church, the first Anglican church to be consecrated in British Columbia that predated the present Saint John the Divine church building of today.  There is a quite startlingly fabulous black and white photo of a dramatic fire that gutted the huge building December 9, 1960, taken at 4:30 am early one morning.   We were served by a friendly young woman who sold me the Underhill book while she played the reggae music at a reasonably moderate volume, which better enables conversation, of course.  David was enthralled with the quality of the photographs on display on the cafe’s walls, but I regret to say that I didn’t look at them…  RANT: How on earth is anyone going to take the MASSTER BLOGGER seriously as an art critic when I refuse to exam art on display when others are in the room?  Or, isn’t that GOOD OL’ ROBERT AMOS’ excuse for hardly ever getting out to shows anymore?   HMMM???  I wonder if he went to Roy Green’s show at the Sussex?   HMMM???  If not, he can read about it here, somewhere, I think.  I must be getting tired.  This prose, such as it is, is getting too much like promo..FOR COFFEEE!!!.  The art shows change here regularly, which is good.  There is also going to be an open mic to celebrate Robbie Burns Day tomorrow night, on Friday, I think, but am not sure of the time.  KILTS OPTIONAL, THANK GOD!   +++  

 

The tags refer to links that bring the reader to the Tourism Victoria review of the James Bay Coffee & Books shop, and a link to a Google map address is listed also for the James Bay Coffee & Books shop.  Both are found in the Blogroll under ‘James Bay Coffee & Books’ or under the header BOOK TOUR.   +++ 

 VIC. TOUR.: www.tourismvictoria.com/Content/EN/417.asp?id=A0003295  MAP: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=James+Bay+Books&near=Victoria,+BC,+Canada&fb=1&cid=48414449,-123374907,8476513164021739351&li=lmd&z=14&t=m +++

E. CATHERINE MORONEY: The Chief who Danced, a short note by Gregory Hartnell (‘Goyo’)

+++  Here is a thin curiosity of an illustrated chapbook about the Salish people of southwest British Columbia by a retired Sister of Saint Ann. I remember meeting Sister Catherine at Island Catholic News board meetings in the early 90s, and was always impressed with her keen attention to detail, humilty and wisdom.  The two colour (black and red) illustrations by Art Harrigan are unusual for the way they attempt to fuse traditional Salish native design motifs with Western style caricature.   I imported this item from our Librarything account over here to the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition Weblog @ WordPress, goyodelarosa.wordpress,com/ where it should now be found under ‘Chief…’ or ‘Moroney.’    It is a short review I wrote of it for our CCC Library catalogue @ LibraryThing:  http://www.librarything.com/work/4655700     +++