A Wonderful Week of Artist Lead Workshops

The Wood Buffalo Artist in Residency (AIR) program is now in its fourth week and this year’s mentors, Alma Louise Visscher and Kritsana Naowakhun, have already hosted two community artist workshops.  This week, the mentors will host three more artist workshops that are open to all ages and abilities, and all supplies will be provided for the participants.   From Aug. 8^th – Aug. 10^th the mentors will visit the communities of Anzac, Conklin, and Fort Chipewyan.  Please note that children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.  Please visit the AIR website for more information on the program, and to register for workshops.

 www.rmwb.ca/air

Monday’s workshop will be held in Anzac at the Community Hall, and the focus will be on painting winter wonderlands. Participants will discover the basics of painting snow covered hills, bare trees, and other winter elements.

One of Wednesday’s workshop will be held in Conklin at the Community Centre, and the focus will be on painting fall landscapes. Participants will discover color and brush stroke movements.

The other Wednesday workshop will be in Fort Chipewyan, at the MaMawi Community Centre. It will explore themes of community, flags, fabric dying and painting.

All workshops will have both thematic or conceptual components, as well as a technical component.

Cultural Mapping

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is in the process of developing an interactive cultural map that will showcase the Municipality's local cultural assets, such as community cultural organizations, cultural facilities & spaces, cultural events & festivals, cultural industries, heritage plaques & monuments, heritage sites, public art, and places of religious assembly.

In partnership with Millier Dickinson Blais, one of North America’s largest specialist development consultancies, the Municipality will be traveling to several rural communities to meet with residents and collect information about the various cultural assets throughout our region.
If you live in a rural community and are interested in being part of these conversations, please feel free to meet with us!

Monday, October 27       Janvier Municipal Office                          1 pm to 3 pm

              Nakewin Hall (Conklin)                                   4:30 to 7:30 pm

Tuesday, October 28      Fort McKay                                  1 pm to 3 pm

Wednesday, October 29     Fort Chipewyan Municipal Office                          11 am to 3 pm

Thursday, October 30    Anzac Recreation Centre                                7 pm to 9:30 pm

What are the Key Messages of Cultural Mapping?

The Importance of Cultural Resources 

• The Municipality recognizes the importance of cultural resources to enhancing quality of life for all residents, generating economic benefit, and facilitating the attraction and retention of newcomers and their families. 

The Wood Buffalo Cultural Mapping Project 

• Developing a Cultural Map is an essential tool to support planning and decision-making, to supporting effective cultural resource management, and to build understanding and raising the profile of cultural resources for residents and visitors.

What Do We Mean by Cultural Resources?

• The Cultural Mapping Project will embrace a broad definition of cultural resources that will include both tangible and intangible cultural resources. 
• Tangible cultural resources are understood to include not-for-profit arts and heritage organizations, cultural businesses or industries, cultural heritage, natural heritage, festivals and events, cultural facilities and spaces, places of religious assembly, and public art. Other categories of tangible resources will emerge in the course of the project. 
• Equally important to the Cultural Mapping Project will be mapping intangible cultural resources such as community stories, traditions and defining moments in community history. This work will actively involve the community itself in helping to map these resources.