Public art just isn't what it used to be ... apparently

Knee slappers from Paolo Cortesi - 1520

Can't see the humour?? Just go to the Saint John Renaissance Faire on Aug 25 at Sheldon's Point Park, Sand Cove Road.

Repurposing Canada Post (boxes)

We've all seen old shipping containers used for various purposes, housing seems to be one most often cited,
but what can we do with old Canada Post mail boxes? It was inevitable that they'd be / will be, phased out.  Can't you just see them dotting rural roads- being used to store garbage instead of old freezers?

Everyone's an artist

Sunday was a great day for a stroll on Saint's Rest beach. I happened upon the remains of some sweet artwork left for all to enjoy.  Here's an example below.

Park at Reversing Falls Bridge

Here's a shot (poor quality - taken from the car) of workers installing what looks like a piece of sculpture at the small park overlooking the Reversing Falls on the east side of the bridge.  This area was the site of an Irving gas station and in 1974 an explosion occurred and tragically lives were lost.  I have heard over the years that a memorial was going to be installed on the site.

I must admit that after all this time I haven't visited the area. It would provide a great  view, no doubt.

Newcomers to the Westside

Welcome to New Brunswick and to the Westside Big Tub Botanicals.  I visited their booth at the Queen's Sq. Farmers' Market.  So glad to see a new business moving in.
 Nice products!

Ye Old Renaissance Faire

The fog added a bit of atmosphere to the Saint John Renaissance Faire today at the Sheldon Point Barn on Sand Cove Road.  I couldn't stay for the Shield Throwing, but it looked like everyone was having a merry time.

Westside View meet the Westside View

I got a kick reading Tuesday's T-J about the painting by Lynn Wigginton entitled Westside View (View from Martello Tower).  It was selected as the final Saint John 225 legacy piece. I'd like to think it was named after this blog, alas it wasn't.

According to Wigginton:

she entered Westside View (View from Martello Tower) in the competition because "I really felt it was specifically Saint John and it was a site that had a lot of history going back to when the city was first settled. You can see Fort Dufferin and Partridge Island ... And it's a view that will very likely change in the foreseeable future because of Canaport LNG, housing developments and any number of projects in the works."

The plan is to have the piece displayed permanently in an area easily accessed by the public. Nice.

What more can I say?

Record Store Day

I ventured uptown yesterday for Record Store Day activities at Backstreet Records.

Despite the cold, an enthusiastic crowd gathered for great music by Riot River, Rose Cousins,The  Telecasts, Haunted Heart, and the Wooden Wives.

Good times.

Pick a winner

If you haven't already voted in the Best of Saint John Music Poll, time is running out (has it already run out?) The 3rd annual awards will be held at the Blue Olive May 14th.
 

Amazon / Schmamazon! 

Yer not done yet! More Voting.

The Bay of Fundy has made it to the finals of the New 7 Wonders of the World / New 7 Wonders of Nature. It's the only Canadian finalist.   Be sure to visit the website and vote for the Bay of Fundy;  the competition is impressive, and we want to put an end to the "drive-through tourist" syndrome in NB.

Art Gallery?

At a recent city council meeting (according to the August 17th agenda) Councillor Snook presented a motion to explore costs associated with a "graffiti management plan", and council members received information on Halifax's anti-graffiti program.

Graffiti can be a big problem. Defacing public and private property, and costs associated with clean-up, are serious considerations. I read recently about a two different approaches to controlling graffiti.

In Calgary this past weekend Urbanburn2 - an outdoor youth and art festival - addressed "artistic expression through vandalism" in a positive way. Artists exhibited their work and explored "non-destructive" means of graffiti. They were taught about public art and community involvement.

Meanwhile, according to a recent CBC article, the City of Calgary has given a "legal zone" to graffiti artists. From the article:

Dawn Ford, with the City of Calgary, said the project carries a positive message. "One of our goals is to visually animate our city and make it much more vibrant, and in a space like Shaw Millennium Park we're looking at targeting the art ... to the community that uses that park," Ford said.

On the other end of the spectrum, the city of Los Angeles is taking a very serious tone regarding graffiti. I read a story in the LA Times that reports the city's Attorney wants to give police the power to arrest taggers who congregate, they don't have to be caught doing anything illegal.

Not surprisingly there are many vocal critics to this proposal, ranging from representatives of civil liberties organizations to law enforcement officials.

How does this relate to the West Side? I am posting pictures of graffiti found on the west side. It is very impressive, and I would consider it to be non-destructive as it is found on an abandoned foundation near the water.