MC KIN // PAISLEY SIM
Photo Credit: Gillian Kennedy
It certainly is a gift when you come across someone like Paisley Sim from Sled Island. The perfect balance of brains, ability, work ethic, and beauty, this wonderful woman is sure to turn heads. Market Collective had a chance to pick Paisley’s brain on her life, her work, and the passion she brings to this city.
MC: you recently moved back to Calgary to once again contribute to the growing success of Sled Island. Can you tell us a little bit about this music festival and the role you play within it?
Sled Island was founded in 2007 and is now going into its seventh year. The 2013 edition of the festival runs June 19-22nd. Each year we feature hundreds of bands and artists (my last count was 290!) on 35+ stages in addition to visual art, comedy, film, and panel programming. The Sled Island main site is at Olympic Plaza in the centre of downtown Calgary, and we program shows everywhere in the core from cathedrals to bar basements to parking lots and Legion halls. What I do for the festival has changed since I first got involved in in 2009. Currently I’m the Artist Logistics Coordinator which means I spend most of my day trying to break out of email jail, surrounded by contracts, deep in immigration document despair. For whatever reason, I truly enjoy dense reads and lean towards intensity when it comes to organization. I also love humour and performance events, and help coordinate Comedy at Sled Island each year. Outside of festival season I’ve written a number of grants for the Sled Island Arts Fellowship, we’re a registered not-for-profit group run by a board of director. I’m a member of a small staff and work collaboratively on a range of ongoing projects.
Photo Credit: Crystal Sujata
MC: You have been with Sled Island for five years now. What are some ways that you have changed within your role? What are some things that have remained the same for you?
I helped organize the 2009 festival kick-off party (3 stage, Andrew WK, a mess of art installations and performance) and have moved around within the organization since. I’ve worked in the Sled offices for the past four years, initially coordinating venue logistics and production documents. In 2011 and 2012, in addition to overseeing venues I contributed to curating the visual art program in partnership with ACAD and a host of talented artists and community partners. Recently I’ve focused more on production implementation and logistics. In our offices on 4th street I’ve been working to create an environment that’s hospitable to many different creative working styles, while being highly organized and open – sexy stuff, really.
MC: Leading up to Sled Island is a busy time for the whole Sled team, and you all do an amazing job year after year. What are some things that Calgarians can look forward to this June 2013 Festival?
This is going to be our best year yet. We have a solid line-up of local, national, and international headliners and are working with some cool new venues – the Alexandra Centre, the Golden Age Club to name a few – and community partners. Swans will be playing their only Canadian (2.5 hour long) show at the festival this year, the Film component has grown exponentially and will be presenting the Canadian premiere of Matt Porterfield’s ‘I Used To Be Darker’. I’m especially looking forward to Tim Hecker’s showcase at Vertigo Theatre with noisemakers Pete Swanson and Rene Hell.
Photo Credit : Chris Tait
MC: We at the MC have noticed an increase of Comedy at Sled Island. Not only is Sled one of Canada’s favourite music festivals, but it is now being put on the map for its Comedy component as well. Can you tell us a bit more about that, and what artists you have lined up so far?
Comedy has been a part of the festival since the beginning, but it’s only been in the last few years that we’ve seen a huge boost in audiences. This year we’ll be featuring Eric Andre (The Eric Andre Show), Brett Gelman (Adult Swim’s Eagelheart), and Pat Kelly (CBC’s This is That) amongst others in two dedicated comedy venues. I’m firm in the belief that if something isn’t funny, it’s hard to care about.
MC: your travels within the last year have included France, the Netherlands and Hungary, as well as your experience studying and living in Montreal, Quebec. Can you tell us a little bit about those experiences, and what inspirations you have brought back with you that you would like to see mirrored in our Calgary streets?
I followed a very nerdy pursuit and studied Technical Theatre (thinking I wanted to be an electrician), after which I moved to Montreal to enroll in an equally obscure program studying theories behind community engaged art practices in theatre. In addition to art school, I minored in marketing and recently studied finance in Europe. Again with the passion for dense reads, I think my insatiable curiosity regarding how things are constructed has grown the more I travel, and this fuels much of what I bring to Sled Island.
MC: Bonfires, BBQs, River beers, and patios…Calgary has some amazing ways to lounge away the sunny days. What are you looking forward to most this Calgary summer?
I’m looking forward to biking everywhere, reading for my book club, planting a garden with my roommate, and getting a tan.
MC: want to contact Paisley and tell her how awesome she is? Do it!
paisley@sledisland.com
Crossroads Highlight // Courtney Townsend
Courtney Townsend is a photographer specializing in equestrian and landscape photography. She attempts to capture the spirit she believes lies in those places, to offer a world to people that they don’t normally see.
Courtney has been with the MC for many years, and we are continually impressed by each of her awe-inspiring photographs.
Be sure to stop by her booth at the Crossroads Market Collaboration for a taste of the power of animals and nature.
Crossroads Market Collaboration
Date: Saturday, June 22nd
Location: Crossroads Market // 1235 26 Ave SE
Hours: 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Crossroads Highlight // Katy Drijber
Katy Drijber makes handmade functional ceramics. She is a local ACAD student, and her work is made at the ACAD studios. In form and surface, her work is inspired by the flora and fauna of the prairies and nearby mountains.
She has a beautiful selection of pottery that is sure to blow your mind! Be sure to visit her booth at the Crossroads Market Collaboration!
Crossroads Market Collaboration
Date: Saturday, June 22nd
Location: Crossroads Market // 1235 26 Ave SE
Hours: 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Crossroads Market Spotlight // STASH Needle Art Lounge
Stash Needle Art Lounge is a local yarn shop in Inglewood that specializes in classes for knitting, sewing, crochet and other awesome crafts! They want everyone to get their craft on!
STASH will be at the Crossroads MC Collaboration letting people know about their summer classes!
STASH will also be featuring yarn accessories made by local Calgarian artists. They will have yarn bowls, buttons, and woolygigs/yarn spindles!
STASH will be selling a small selection of yarns made by indie dyers and spinners from Alberta and British Columbia!
Be sure to check out their booth! Their collective work is very beautiful!
Crossroads Market Collaboration
Date: Saturday, June 22nd
Location: Crossroads Market // 1235 26 Ave SE
Hours: 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Artist Spotlight // Heather Buchanan
Heather Buchanan does amazing work. With each piece being created in her apartment in Kensington, Heather lovingly paints things that make her swoon or giggle!
Heather will be at the Sled Island Collaboration and the Crossroads Collaboration this June! Be sure to check her out her booth for a few of your own swoons and giggles!
Sled Island Block Party Collaboration
Date: Thursday, June 20th
Location: River Walk Plaza // 5th Street & Confluence Way SE
Hours: 4pm-10pm
Admission: Free
Crossroads Market Collaboration
Date: Saturday, June 22nd
Location: Crossroads Market // 1235 26 Ave SE
Hours: 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Sled Island Artist Spotlight // Mumble Tease and 6Streets
Mumble Tease and 6Streets will both be set up at the Sled Island East Village Block Party on June 20th! They each offer unique t-shirt designs, and will have a lot of styles to choose from!
Mumble Tease is a company directed by Heather Reindhart. Heather was born and raised in Calgary, and single-handedly designs and silk-screens all of her lovely shirts! All of her designs start out as doodles in one of her many sketchbooks! Often beginning with just a few random lines or shapes, the doodles are stream-of-consciousness drawings in which she lets her imagination form. So, with that in mind, she claims that the designs “all come from somewhere inside my crazy head!”
6Streets designs men’s urban and active lifestyle wear ranging from graphic tees to limited edition headwear. They design everything here in Calgary and as a brand they also put a lot of passion into promoting local artists in town through their website and collaborations. In their words…”We love the local scene!”
Sled Island Block Party Collaboration
Date: Thursday, June 20th
Location: River Walk Plaza // 5th Street & Confluence Way SE
Hours: 4pm-10pm
Admission: Free
Community Spotlight // Hannah Poon with Art Bike
Hannah Poon is an amazing woman! With a huge passion for social justice through the arts, she has been part of a lot of social endeavors that have brought accessible art to a wide demographic of people in Calgary. Her newest endeavor is part of her thesis for her M.A. in Arts and Community Development. For this, Hannah created Art Bike.
Art Bike is a mobile art studio that brings art supplies and programming into diverse communities around Calgary. Following the theme of “The environment and how it affects social relationships and involvement”, Art Bike will offer weekly art projects related to that theme for community members of all ages to participate in.
We sat down with Hannah to see where the Art Bike will be this summer, and what you can expect!
MC: How did you come up with the idea of Art Bike?
It started with my work at the Mustard Seed where I organized and facilitated the art program. I saw how effective art was in connecting people, relieving stress and building new skills. When I left my position at the Mustard Seed I thought about how I could continue that work in connecting people through art. I was also really inspired by the fast growing movement of food trucks in North America and I wondered if art programming could also be as mobile.
It all came together when I was traveling in Bogota, Colombia and saw various bike trailers-ones that transported food and others that transported people. Thus Art Bike was formed.
MC: Did you build the bike and trailor?
The bike was given to me from a friend and the trailer I bought from a nice couple on kiijiji for $25. I then took the bike and trailer completely apart and spray painted them and put them back together again. So in some ways, yes I built the bike and trailer.
MC: What do you hope that endeavors like Art Bike will do for the communities you visit?
I hope that it will not only get more people participating in creative projects but that it will also connect people that would have not otherwise met through a shared experience.
MC: Where are you currently working?
I am currently working at Prospect Human Services as one of the artist facilitators for the Community Axis program. I’m responsible for facilitating programming for adults with disabilities.
MC: How does Art Bike tie into this particular field of work?
Art Bike is another extension of the work I do and the work I’m passionate about. One of the classes I run at Prospect is a collaborative mural group. The premise behind that group is to give my clients an opportunity to give back to their communities and also to meet people from other communities and create art together. The shared experience of collaborating over a mural is not only for beautification purposes, but for people to meet new people and form new friendships.
MC: Where can people find you this summer?
Art Bike will be at the Lifecycle Community Bike Shop in Bowness every other Saturday starting June 1st and at Ramsey Community Association’s Farmer’s Market every other Tuesday starting June 4th. Art Bike will also be running a class at Studio C in Art Central in their summer session and will be seen on Stephen’s Ave over the summer.
MC: What is the best way for people to stay connected with you?
For the latest news follow Art Bike on Twitter
Check us out on Facebook
Or send me an Email: hpoon@eastern.edu
Sled Island Block Party // Jewelry Spotlight
We have 3 wonderful jewelry artists who will be at the Sled Island Block Party! Come and visit them on Thursday, June 20th, from 4pm – 10pm on the East Village RiverWalk!
Lindsay Saunders of Cinder & Sage
Cinder & Sage is vintage and vintage inspired jewelry and accessories including many one of a kind pieces, all created in Calgary.
Dorian Kitsch of CoutuKitsch
Coutukitch jewelry is made using a variety of unique vintage supplies and natural gemstones. The jewelry line includes rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and hair accessories, and is all very feminine.
Jenny Campbell of Tink.
Tink. is a fun and flirty line of handmade vintage inspired jewelry with spunky and feminine motifs. Using a variety of locally found upcycled vintage items and natural elements, Tink. is comprised of quarky collections for the light-hearted and free spirited.
Thank you Calgary for voting for us in FFWD’s Best Of!
Hey YYC!
Thanks for voting us Best Place to Find Cool Jewelry, and runner up for Best Kept Calgary Secret!
You guys are the best and your support is amazing!!!
Work in Progress….
Local artists Kai Cabunoc-Boettcher, Ivan Ostapenko and Daniel J. Kirk have been commissioned to create new public art pieces in East Village!
Each of these artists is bringing their own personal flair to the project. Kai is one of the founding members of Light & Soul and an integral part of the Leaf Ninjas, and his love of nature is evident in his work. Ivan is a artistic mastermind with a backbone in architecture, and has been able to bring an amazing three dimensional aspect to the pieces. And finally, with yet another YYC mural project under his belt, Daniel is continuing to take Calgary by storm with his breathtaking paintings.
The trio is taking mixed media to a whole new level by innovatively combining wheat paste, painting, digital work, sculptures and photography to create unique and beautiful murals. They have a few friends helping out in the process, including Cody Thompson, Katie Green and Bill Aitken to name a few.
They are currently working on this project on site, and are aiming to have the art installation done within 2 weeks. If you are interested in observing the process or chatting with the artists…make your way down to the East Village RiverWalk to watch these local artisans create their magic!
Photos on location taken by Jennifer Kornfeld.
