Calgary artist’s house could become heritage site, Saskatchewan local places second in World Championship, Edmonton gets a taste of Ireland, and Winnipeg director’s Japanese arcade experience.
Calgary recognizes artist John Snow’s house as heritage site.
Calgary has proposed a bylaw to see that the house of their homegrown, acclaimed artist John Snow becomes a heritage site. Snow was a navigator in the Second World War and while he was a banker by trade, for nearly half a century this house served as a studio for his paintings and sculptures. In 1959 the studio became an addition to his home by good friend and salient architect Maxwell Bates.
Nancy Townsend, local author and art historian says, “When you think about foundational Modernism in Calgary, you most certainly think of John Snow.”
Snow’s home was built in 1911 in Lower Mount Royal. The committee responsible for urban planning and development feels that with its character and community appeal, it would make a great tourist attraction. A year before Snow’s death in 2003, the government recognized his home as a provincial historic resource. It is a great representative of the first pre-First World War boom that belonged not only to a local man known for his visual art but also for founding the Calgary Film Society in the late 1940s.
Red Bull Crashed Ice 2012 in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Jumps, bumps, and insane speed down a 535-metre urban ice track; this is Red Bull Crashed Ice and was born in 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden. Local Saskatchewan girl, 19 year-old Danielle Bergen, competed in this event held in Niagara Falls over the weekend and had a dream come true by placing second.
“To represent Saskatchewan, competing against world athletes, it’s a pretty awesome feeling, “ she said. “People were texting me . . . and telling me congrats and stuff like that. And to know that I have that support from people back in Saskatchewan and back home—it makes it all the more fun and all the more worthwhile.”
While this sport like many can have its dangers, Bergen feels safe and confident dressed in full hockey gear when she takes on the slick track. Her results this weekend will have her compete in another Red Bull Crashed Ice event held in Quebec City in March 2013.
Red Bull Crushed Ice 2012 link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inw-NGscNZM
Beoga set to play Festival Place in Edmonton on Monday
Beoga is Gaelic for “lively” and it suits the band from the northeast edge of Ireland near Belfast just fine. Eamon Murray (percussionist) and Sean Og Graham (multi-instrumentalist) proposed forming the band while they were still in college in 2002 with already pro musicians accordionist Damon McKee and keyboardist Liam Bradley. After the four put out their debut album A Lovely Madness in 2004 they morphed from a quartet to a quintet when Niamh Dunne’s sweet vocals were drafted to Beoga.
Beoga will take the stage Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. Tickets can still be bought at the box office and range from $28-$32.
Beoga link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IatVSDg5zt4
100 Yen The Japanese Arcade Experience
100 Yen may not be money in the bank or enough to coin a high score for the second gaming culture documentary to emerge out of Winnipeg. The first, being Indie Game, which was released in early 2012. 100 Yen tells the interesting but pithy history of the arcade marvel, starting with the invention of Space Invaders.
Winnipeg director Brad Crawford traveled to Japan to shoot his documentary. Crawford opens the eyes of gaming enthusiasts and his audience to how arcades are still a thriving business in Japan. However, this is not the case in North America, compared to the large boom it once saw in the 1980s.
Christopher LaPorte, a Las Vegas impresario is one of the key interview subjects in this documentary. His take is that Arcades didn’t necessarily die, they just didn’t grow up. While there are certain nuances that may score points in this doc for gamers, critics still feels it falls short.
100 Yen trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQtixYVhRs
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Chadd Cawson is an intern at Spectator Tribune. Follow him at: @ChaddCawson
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