Ladies and gentlemen, The White Stripes

this pic, of Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes, is by the ultra-famous rock n' roll and cultural photographer Annie Leibovitz.

thoughts?

Breakfast Club

Here is a soon to be historical photo of the first participants in the "A Label for Artists" redesign breakfast meeting. Of course we spent more time redesigning breakfast than the Label due to the fact that the pitcher of coffee was art. Or was it?

some souped up computer drawings

These are from the earlier excercise. I think the idea here was to have solid colours and remove the tile. In the new idea we use the tile to help grid squares. As for the sam/label figure. i think it is important because if it were not for Sam's AlfA would not have a home. We are also looking at having our mandate and a short history on the stage side window. thanks for your imput guys

new store front

This morning over breakfast Jenni, Lorne and I worked on this design. We saw a building in T bay with squares painted on it. It loked kinda cool, like an 80's video game. Now we are working on colour combos and fonts for the new sign. I am asking for your opinions.

TheSell

Excellence

TheView

Jump!

TheWarriors

The Lessons of Colleagiality

And thus spoke the Pale Greendom

one last thunder bay pic

i think this statue is one of those places in canada that al most everyone has a photograph of (right up there w/ lake louise, CN tower, etc).

it's the Sasquatch statue, on the edge of Vermillion Bay, ON. apparently there's been a few sightings around there?

Poetry is emotional masterbation

Closure
another story told
a tidy home
setting soul

a touch of frost
on the flowers pot
before fall

a holy end
of windswept roads
praise, know

minnows dart
to and fro
sunflight specks in shallows

figs and poppyseeds
i have them all

Foobles the Clown Merchandise

My uncle found this gumball machine at Saskatoon`s dump.
His alter-ego Foobles was even
a lil` spooked by the similarities.

one busy day around here

Thursday's Free Press says...

every thursday, in the Tab section of the Free Press, the music critic (Rob Williams) lists the "Top 7" shows to see each weekend. even in the midst of Jazz Fest, we made the list.

pics from dangerman to follow re the label's busiest day ever, perhaps? (TV interviews with Jenni and Claire re the textiles show, DJ workshops, and an all ages show with 180 people in attendance)

here's the Tab thingy:

Sick City

Tonight, Label Gallery. Local emo quintet and a slew of out-of-town acts -- Australia's Wish for Wings, Saskatchewan's Holly Springs Disaster, Edmonton's Ten Second Epic and Burlington's Sydney -- play downtown art gallery. Admission is $8. All ages.

thunder bay, etc.

these pics are from the "horray we're done working let's celebrate" part of the trip. in the group shot, the great darkness you see behind us is Lake Superior, which is (of course) the world's largest body of fresh water.

the other pic, i call "pre-hangover".

on the road, etc.

here are some pics from our thunder bay excursion...

Eminence Grise

Wild Times on the Road to Thunder Bay

this morning's free press says...

this was part of morley walker's article today... even with the small name error, it's still great!!!

Label hits the big 5-0

A Label for Artists, that plucky gallery across the street from the University of Winnipeg, recently opened its 50th exhibition.
That's Going to Require Stitches is a textile show featuring the contribution of more than 20 local artists.
The curators are Jen Reeder and Claire Morrison, who have even produced a catalogue to accompany the exhibition.
Label opened its doors in 2002 at 510 Portage Ave., the site of the former Sam the Cameraman. Indeed, it's a descendant of the Sam clan, Lee Saidman, who is Label's driving force.

Spider-like Things, Anyone?

Here's a link to a very short story (500 words) I wrote this afternoon when I couldn't find duct tape. (NB: Jo-Mills provided inspiration in the form of some fine herb, an open ear, and a few helpful comments.)

The Incredible Spider-like Things No One Has Ever Seen

where is joe?

has anyone seen krahn
he is about 58 with blond hair
he plays the blues, smokes
and will rip you with a good joke

he has been missing for a couple weeks now

from the "please god let anyone but the oilers (or leafs) win the cup" files

and yet, as walt whitman pointed out: “Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall, and that battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won”

Musical Names

I've been trying to think of names for songs/albums/bands, for some things I've been working on/towards... and I thought what better way to come up with some interesting ideas than putting the word out on this blog!

Please leave me any suggestions in the comments. I will happily give credit where credit is due, but if you leave your suggestion here please know that it may be used irresponsibly!

It's quiet in here. Where am I? How did I get here?

we are the champions!!!

before i start posting images from our recent excursion to thunder bay to set up our tree planting art show, here is a nostalgia moment--

this is a polaroid taken by our good friend ryan land, last year in our planting camp. it was right after myself, joe and jenni (note the eye in the bottom left corner) were awarded a trophy for keeping the party going when the stereo died.

how did we keep the party going? well, i sang "du du du du du du du du..." (think of the trumpet from "ring of fire") while josey spoke the words ("love... is a burning thing..." etc) and jenni danced, wearing sunglasses even though it was night.

here we are celebrating our award.

I`ll start it in my back yard.....

I just got this one back
from Trio Restaurant. I`m
about to further abstract the background.
I`ll post the "after" and see if I should`ve
let it be.

My Comic Book

The other day, over on the Great Melée, Dave suggested that ALfA should create it's own comic book. That reminded me of my quest to have my comic book (a 32 page full-colour exposé of the life of a couple of underachieving green critters of unknown species) posted on the web. I have finally discovered a site that will host this rather large file (6.8 MB), and invite anyone with a high-speed connection, and a taste for juvenile humour (you know who you are) to click on the image below. If you have a laptop you can even read the comic where it was intended to be read--on the john.

Ol'Jo

What are you in my life?

You are the only true chalice
as I snake and admire
having the having of not having
and half of the other

You placate the violence
as I stumble as I stutter
the living acceptance of rainbows
disguised in a languorous summer

You are the only true chalice
as I rage as I shine
the balance to a demon
of having and not mine

art = ?

"Art is a kind of innate drive that seizes a human being and makes him its instrument. To perform this difficult task it is sometimes necessary for him to sacrifice happiness and everything that makes life worth living for the ordinary human being."

— C. G. Jung

The New Look

I know that you must all be sick of hearing me beg for you to come down and visit, but the thing is we have been working really hard to make the place look great and can't wait to share it with you. We painted all last weekend and moved tons of stuff around, so that's it, no more excuses, no more begging (plus if you ask, you can play with Photo Booth).

as an aside/comment on macro's nonsense poem on the melee blog, here is a classic of the genre...

JABBERWOCKY

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.