ACWB Blog

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Many people in Fort McMurray will recognize, if not already have it on their walls, the wood cut resin art in the shape of Alberta with a heart on Fort McMurray. Kim Blatchford, the artist behind the creations, has lived in Fort McMurray since 2006 and although Kim enjoyed painting throughout her life, she didn’t actively pursue Art until 2016. Once she started Kim says, “painting was something that was just flooding out of me, I could do 3 pieces in one night. I wanted to do it all day, every day.”

It all started when she noticed resin “Flow Art” online. She was instantly hooked and decided to order epoxy resin to give it a try. Kim recalls “I fell in love with my first pour. It was kind of like a science experiment, every time I created an art piece, I learned something about the medium and how things mix with it. I would run into problems and have to learn from my experience.”

Kim did not pursue resin art with the intention of making a business from it. “I can’t believe how far I have come. My art was simply something that I enjoyed, but people liked it. They were offering to buy my pieces and commission me for specialty ones. So it kind of just took off. I would create a piece and post it online and somebody wanted it or wanted one like it. It literally just flowed. I enjoyed doing it and people enjoyed having my art, so I kept going with it.”

It hasn’t been hard for Kim to find her place in the Arts Community in Wood Buffalo as her experience has been nothing but supportive. “I feel that it is really unique experience being an artist in Fort McMurray, because it is a small community but a big city with so many opportunities,” she says. “I feel like in a city like Edmonton I would have to fight for space at a market or compete against other artists, but in Fort McMurray, I feel encouraged and welcomed.”

This summer Kim attended Arts Council Wood Buffalo’s Arts Match, a speed networking event for artists, where she got to talk to other local artists and collaborate on ideas or future pieces. The support has continued, as she states, “the local art community has been excellent and very supportive. Everyone is so willing to share their time, ideas and experiences. I have had locals cut my wood, photograph my art, share market tables with me, etc.”

View Kim Blatchford’s artworks on her Instagram and Facebook pages @kimblatchford.art. To learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo and our programming, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca and find out how you can be involved in the vibrant Wood Buffalo arts community! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates and news.

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Interview with Twisted Gears Studios for our monthly snapd Wood Buffalo artist feature Centre Stage with Arts Council Wood Buffalo!

Twisted Gears Studios is an Audio/Video Production Company that specializes in Role Play Game (RPG) content, run by Zachary Barrett and Derek Snow, and they are celebrating their one-year anniversary of producing content! “Twisted Gears Studios is a brain-child of mine and Derek’s,” explains Zachary. “We both love tabletop RPGs, like Dungeons and Dragons, and board games. The thing we both loved about them was the improvised narrative aspect of it, where players make snap decisions that can (and often do) go horribly awry.”

Zachary was born and raised in Fort McMurray, and first became involved in the arts through theatre in high school, both as an actor and on the technical side. He left home to pursue film school and acting, but moved back after finishing his degree. He is currently the Stage Manager at Keyano Theatre, and spends a lot of his time producing Audio Video content. “In high school I played a game that had an awesome story,” Zach says. “It inspired me to go to film school and make something like that a reality.  When Derek and I got to talking about recording our own games, it seemed to be a perfect blend of all of the things I had been doing the past two decade, and Derek’s even longer experience, running games.”

Twisted Gears Studios is currently running two live cast RPG shows, and is working towards expanding the operation: “We are hoping to get a consistently streamed game on the go,” says Zachary, “and we are creating more video content. Over the summer, we put together two competition pieces that are available online.  We would love to organize RPG events, which is a great opportunity to get involved in the arts. I want to reach the people who are the age that I was when I first discovered acting and Dungeons and Dragons. Having those artistic outlets available at that age helped me a lot socially.”

As they are beginning their second year, Zachary reflects on the process: “It is an interesting thing starting an arts business in Wood Buffalo. Returning on the tail end of the boom allowed me to save up to purchase the equipment we needed. What has proven difficult is the work schedules; both from a broadcasting and a recording point of view.” Something that has stuck with him is the versatility of the Wood Buffalo arts: “I personally think the arts community here is insane!” he muses. “The amount of work opportunities once you start looking is huge. When I got back from school, I had one non-arts related job, but since then I have only been working in arts-related fields since. It was a goal I set out for myself when I was younger, and I feel like I have accomplished that here in Wood Buffalo.”

TGS comes out with a new podcast every Tuesday. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram: @TheTwistedGear and on their Facebook Page.  You can search their shows on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and YouTube. Do not forget to leave a comment or review!

To learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo and our programming, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca and find out how you can be involved in the vibrant Wood Buffalo arts community, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Midnight Coffeehouse: A Showcase of Wood Buffalo Talent

(Fort McMurray, AB – October 21, 2019) Saturday October 19 marked the annual Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards presented by Arts Council Wood Buffalo; a cool and classy evening that celebrates local artists and showcases the diversity of the arts community in our region. Artists, art groups, supporters and – of course – those nominated for an award, gathered at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, which was transformed into the weird and wonderful artistic era of the Beat Generation.

The 2019 Arts Awards, also known as the Buffys, were once again a showcase of the arts, celebrating almost 70 nominees through 14 award presentations, and presenting several live performances, taking place in two locations within SECPA. The black box theatre, renamed “The Club” and decorated to be more intimate, hosted the pre- and post-show performances and festivities, while the gymnasium was transformed into “The Coffeehouse”, a place where great minds came together to connect and share. Everywhere you looked, the space was alive and buzzing with things to see, hear, and eat. Guests even dressed in the funky style of the beatniks, berets included!

“We are so pleased with this year’s awards! The Buffys are an awareness program as much as they recognize the incredible impact the arts have in our community, and we’re proud to have showcased the variety of artists and creative professionals that live and work right here in Wood Buffalo,” says ACWB Executive Director Liana Wheeldon.

Throughout the evening, guests were treated to the abundance of talent present in our community. The diverse and uniquely collaborative performances included dance, comedy, flow arts, spoken word, pantomime, and multiple musical genres. Special behind-the-scenes video shorts gave guests a glimpse into the artistic process of getting ready for the awards event. The Buffys continue to be a place for artists to experiment and perform in ways you often can’t see anywhere else.

The awards themselves were beautifully handcrafted dolls, created by local artist Sedef Uzer Prakash. The awards were handknitted in the Japanese amigurumi style of small, stuffed yarn creatures. They were a whimsical tribute to the contributions of our arts community. There were fourteen awards handed out altogether, including the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Valerie Gondek and the Arts Champion Award presented to Rick Kirschner.

“It’s so inspiring to organize the Buffys each year. Learning about all the nominees, seeing the artists showcase their talents, and watching the delighted reactions of the audience makes the long hours of preparations all worthwhile” says Diana Moser, the ACWB Programs Manager.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners for making the 2019 Buffys possible! Thank you to our Midnight Sponsor Fort McMurray International Airport; Presenting Sponsors Suncor, Syncrude, Wood Buffalo Economic Development Corporation, and the Friends of the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts; Media Sponsors Country 93.3 and 100. 5 Cruz FM and Mix 103.7; Arts Supporter MLA Tany Yao; and Supporting Sponsors Boston Pizza, Campbell’s Music, LaPrairie Crane, Staples, and UNIFOR.

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Interview with All Imaginary for our monthly snapd Wood Buffalo artist feature Centre Stage with Arts Council Wood Buffalo!

All Imaginary is a group that writes and performs something a little bit different; they create spoken word art. This is structured music with spoken poetry written from personal experiences and emotions to create a song that sounds beautiful, yet packs a punch with its lyrics. All Imaginary consists of Xach Edward, Meghan Whitmore and Ruben Rotar, three friends who decided to try something new. “Our group kind of came out of nowhere” Meghan explains. “One day Ruben and Xach suggested that we add music to my poems to make it less slam poetry, and instead more spoken word art. That was in early 2018, and it just grew from there. We like to joke and call this our passion project but in reality, that is exactly what it is!” Their artistic backgrounds are rather different. Ruben plays a slew of different instruments, Xach plays guitar, while Meghan is the one behind the lyrics.

They started out by performing poetry in the park and at open mic nights. They then took a leap and performed at last year’s Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards (the Buffys). This proved a thrilling venture for the newly formed group: “performing at the 2018 Buffys was the scariest thing we have ever done,” says Meghan. “It was the first time we were doing a show that wasn’t at a bar, or in a field with our friends. We spent more time on the one song we performed than we had on anything else at that point. It was terrifying and the most soul filling moment at the same time.”

One of the goals with the Buffys awards and showcase is to give local artists a new venue to perform, and encourage new artwork, collaboration and artistic innovation. “When we were chosen to perform last year, it meant that we were able to share our vision with more people,” Meghan explains. “We got to show people that music is about how you feel it, not just using your ears. When we were asked to return this year, we were over the moon! Trust me, you’re in for an adventure this year!”

The art of spoken word is still a fairly new addition to the Wood Buffalo art scene, but All Imaginary has had a good experience. “Being an artist here is a different experience for sure, especially when you do something like we do,” says Meghan. “The art community has been very inviting to us, and it is a great feeling to be a part of something that is always growing and changing.”

When looking to the future, the group aims to reach an even wider audience with their art. “Our goal is to share what we create with others. We would like to release an album, and perform as much as we can. Some of us have goals to be openers for spoken word bands all over the world, and some of us have goals to just touch people with the songs we create.”

All Imaginary will be performing a brand new piece at the 2019 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards on October 19, 2019. Follow the group on social media: @allimaginaryymm and check out their recordings at allimaginary.bandcamp.com/releases. Get your tickets to the 2019 Buffys at buffys2019.eventbrite.ca. Don’t forget to check out Ruben’s band Olorin and Xach’s band Zero Loss. To learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo and our programming, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca and find out how you can be involved in the vibrant Wood Buffalo arts community, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

• Arts Council Wood Buffalo
• Arts Community

Wood Buffalo is proudly named a Feature Celebration Site for the 2019 Alberta Culture Days! 

“This is an honour for our region,” says ACWB Executive Director Liana Wheeldon. “We take a truly collaborative approach to the planning and execution of events for this initiative, as is the hallmark of the Arts, Culture, and Heritage champions in our community. Showcasing our breadth of talent through creative programming, along with highlighting the history and multiculturalism of our region, allows us to demonstrate that the arts are essential in creating a balanced, happy, and healthy community.” 

Thank you to MLA Laila Goodridge, RMWB Acting Mayor Mike Allen, Deputy Mayor Jane Stroud, Keyano College President and CEO Trent Keough and Vice President, Academic Fred Russell, Sheri Donovan with Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, Alan Roberts, Director of Keyano Theatre & Arts Centre, along with members of the Alberta Culture Days in Wood Buffalo Planning Committee for joining us for the Feature Celebration Site placard presentation. The Divine Group of India invited participants to try their hand at a Rangoli art demonstration.

• Arts Council Wood Buffalo

2019 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards: Midnight Coffeehouse tickets for sale!

(Fort McMurray, AB – September 19, 2019) Each year Arts Council Wood Buffalo highlights the richness of our growing arts scene and celebrates the achievements of local artists through the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards (or the “Buffys” for short). Over the past 4 years, the awards have established a signature midnight themed event drawing inspiration from different art movements. This year, we will revive the 1950s Beat Generation, a time defined by performance art, major shifts in poetry and fiction writing, small ensemble experimental jazz, and abstract expressionism in visual art.

An awards show unlike any other in the region, the Buffys will be filled with extraordinary performances, food and drinks, and a spectacular awards showcase celebrating our local artists and arts organizations.

This year’s Buffys takes place on October 19 at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts. Guests will be treated to works of art by local artists in all artistic disciplines, the always expanding candy bar will be making an appearance, there will be never-seen before acts, and – of course – the highly anticipated award presentations. There is never a dull moment at the Buffys!

The Buffys builds awareness of the incredible contribution artists make to Wood Buffalo, and invest in the future of our growing arts community by supporting our most exceptional artists. The recognition received by each nominee and award recipient will raise their profile, build their portfolio, and allow them to compete and thrive as an artist within our community and beyond the borders of Wood Buffalo.

Tickets are $40 for ACWB members and $50 for the general public, available at https://buffys2019.eventbrite.ca. The pre-show begins at 7:30 PM, with the main awards showcase at 9:00 PM, followed by an after-party. Celebrate our local artists, enjoy thrilling new performances and exhibitions, and be a part of an award show unlike any other in the region! For more information about ACWB and the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts program, visit http://bit.ly/buffys2019.

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Interview with Luay Eljamal for our monthly snapd Wood Buffalo artist feature Centre Stage with Arts Council Wood Buffalo!

Theatre has been a prominent part of Luay Eljamal’s life since the tender age of 12, when he first performed in elementary and high school productions. He viewed his theatre practice as a hobby, but after gaining provincial acclaim directing a one-act play, Luay was encouraged to pursue the arts into his post-secondary degree studies. In 2015, he moved to London, UK to complete his Master of Arts in Contemporary Performance Making, remained in London, working with various theatre artists as an assistant director, audiovisual designer, as well as general managing an independent theatre. Luay is now bringing his wealth of theatre experience to the stages of Wood Buffalo, launching his new theatre company called Symmetree Theatre.

“To start my own theatre company has been a dream of mine for 9 years now. I have always felt that the beauty in theatre is that it shows the world through a lens that looks beyond what we can or have already achieved in reality,” he says. “It has the power to show us what a more inclusive world would look like and inspires audiences across the world to work towards achieving and celebrating those ideals. I also think it’s important to empower audiences to think and feel.”

Symmetree Theatre’s debut performance is a new play called Freeing Heaven’s Secrets, written and directed by Luay. This immersive audio theatre performance follows Scheherazade, a young blind girl on her deathbed, who promises her father that she will visit him in his dreams and let him know what her heaven is like. On her journey to the other side, Scheherazade passes her blindness onto the audience, and gifts herself with sight, inviting the audience to experience her heaven through the element of sound alone, and allowing them to experience her heaven the way she would have experienced our earth.

“A lot of the time, theatre operates showing us the hardships that marginalized groups have had to endure in order to thrive in our society,” explains Luay. “This is important—plays such as Rent, and Angels in America exposed audiences to new groups of people and the hardships that the struggles that they were fighting to overcome. While it is important to shine a light on these issues, I also felt it was important to show people what the world would look like should these people be seen in stories that are not about those hardships. Stories where, despite their differences, they fight to overcome issues that plague us all as humans.”

When first arriving in Fort McMurray, Luay was surprised to learn that this small town had a state-of-the-art theatre, and expresses pride to see our arts community continue to grow: “I have always felt fortunate to be exposed to the theatre world through the Wood Buffalo arts community” he says. “We have been blessed to have the support of the oil and gas industry here, which has given a lot of our artists the agency to explore their own skills and talents, whatever their medium may be.”

Freeing Heaven’s Secrets will be performed on November 1st and 2nd, 2019, at the Suncor Energy Centre for Performing Arts. For more information on Freeing Heaven’s Secrets and Symmetree Theatre, visit www.symmetreetheatre.com. If you would like to learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo, our programs and events, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

• Arts Council Wood Buffalo

Arts Council Wood Buffalo is proud to announce the change of our status to a registered charity under the Income Tax Act. Working with the Canada Revenue Agency, Corporate Registry Alberta, and the ACWB Board, Staff, and Membership through the application process has made this change possible.

Arts Council Executive Director Liana Wheeldon says: “We are so excited at the opportunities that achieving charitable status will bring to our organization and our arts community. This opens granting streams to ACWB that will ultimately allow us to serve the region and its artists even more meaningfully.”

Becoming a registered charity will allow for more opportunities for individuals and groups to share their support of the arts in our community and a greater impact on the community as a whole. The arts are a crucial component for a well-balanced and thriving region, and ACWB works to provide support to all facets of the arts community.

Board Chair Dave Boutilier had this to say: “We started this initiative after the Wood Buffalo arts community first described the future to us: one where artists are free to create and grow without being forced to relocate. This, in turn, solidifies a community healing from a disaster. This change is a huge step in moving ACWB towards that future, allowing us to diversify our funding, and providing more education and opportunities to the regions’ artists.

This milestone isn’t just for us, but for the whole community, so celebrate and enjoy!”

Arts Council Wood Buffalo looks forward to continuing to support the growth and success of the arts in support of our vision that the arts are integral to a remarkable quality of life. Changes to our donation procedure and sponsorship opportunities will be available in the coming months. Stay tuned! For more information about Arts Council Wood Buffalo, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.

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Interview with Shane Carbery aka Noize for our monthly snapd Wood Buffalo artist feature Centre Stage with Arts Council Wood Buffalo!

Growing up in Fort McMurray with his uncle and grandfather as his first musical inspirations, rapper Shane Carbery, also known as JustNoize, is taking his career to the next level this year. His debut album, Trouble, was released in April, with his second album, Problem Solver, set to come out in July. JustNoize’s third album, Trouble’d, is already scheduled for release in October. This summer, he is opening for the underground group Twiztid on their The Generation Nightmare Tour.

Carbery has been a musician and lyricist all his life, but it is only for the past year that he has been taking his music career seriously: “I had a few jam bands with my good friend Tyler Brown,” he says. “We played all original songs in a punk rock/hip-hop hybrid band. I paint and dabble in many different art mediums, but music is my one love and main focus. I set deadlines for myself and try to work harder than anyone else, telling myself that ‘no one wants this more than me’ or ‘it’s do or die, and we don’t die’. My focus is on being successful, strengthening my craft, and accomplishing my goals.”

Growing up as an artist in Wood Buffalo was not always easy, but Carbery has found great support and opportunity as well: “Being an artist here is to be an oddity, but also to believe in your dreams. If you are interesting enough the community will take notice and support you. I have been encouraged by so many different people, and it is possible to reach a wide demographic thanks to the diversity of the community. With businesses like Tavern on Main, Campbell’s Music, and Wood Buffalo Media Group, it is not hard to find support and resources to help artists grow in both talent and recognition.”

Finding inspiration has never been an issue for Carbery: “Everything is inspiration for me, as I can’t turn my brain off. Being able to occupy myself with lyrics and melodies is almost a natural coping mechanism. A bad day becomes a three verse, no- chorus song that hits like a Black Sabbath riff, a beautiful walk in the summer time becomes a ballad, and a break up with a girlfriend becomes a country song. Life is inspiration. We are all just experiencing a moment in time, and if you don’t create in that moment, you might let it go by while you are busy thinking about the future.”

For artists out there, who are dreaming of making it in the music industry, Carbery encourages: “try until you can’t try anymore, then keep going! Many people might not understand your drive, but you are not alone. Seek like-minded people and build your name into a brand. Create a team of people who believe in your passion as much as you do. If you can make people believe in you as you believe in yourself, you will succeed!”

Find JustNoize on YouTube (Justnoize) and on Instagram (@justnoize.shane). His album Trouble is now available on all digital streaming platforms. If you would like to learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo, our programs and events, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Interview with Alexandra Durocher for the monthly snapd Wood Buffalo artist feature; Center Stage with Arts Council Wood Buffalo! To view the full article online visit snapd Wood Buffalo’s website.

Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alexandra Durocher was exposed to a variety of performing arts experiences that jump-started her own artistic career. Alexandra started dancing when she was twelve years old and also found her way onto the Keyano Theatre stage as a young actor. She fell in love with all of it and pursued her development in the arts as she grew older. Alexandra studied Visual and Performing Arts – Drama at Keyano College, and then went to Edmonton to study Arts and Cultural Management at Grant MacEwan University. She returned to Fort McMurray and joined the inaugural team that opened the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts (SECPA), where she is currently the Assistant Manager. Alexandra was also instrumental in opening UpTown! Music & Dance Studio at SECPA, where she now teaches dance part-time.

Alexandra joined the ACWB Board of Directors in 2018, something she says has been a learning experience: “Being on the board has allowed me to see that all of the Arts have the same needs, and that we all need to come together to make them happen. I decided to become involved because I wanted to make a difference in my discipline but have learned that we all need to work together to make a difference everywhere.”

Being a part of this community her entire life, Alexandra has experienced all the ups and downs. This has only strengthened her belief in the connectedness of the arts and the community: “The arts community here is strong, resilient, and ever-growing, but it can be a struggle at times as there aren’t many readily available opportunities. However, the people of Fort McMurray are always ready to help bring or create different opportunities to our community.”

In addition to her role as an arts administrator, Alexandra is happy to be a working artist in this community: “Being a dancer and choreographer in Wood Buffalo is exhilarating! With Fort McMurray being such a transient town, so many different choreographers have come in and out spreading their knowledge to all they teach. I have been blessed to teach here for many years and learn from many of these different instructors to add to my repertoire, so that the love of dance can be carried on in all that I teach.”

Arts Council Wood Buffalo is hosting their 2019 Annual General Meeting on June 13, 6 PM – 8 PM at The District Recording Studio in Composite High School. There will be light refreshments, live entertainment, and we will be announcing the theme for the 2019 Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards! We will also be electing new Directors to the Board. To find out more about ACWB and our programs, visit www.artscouncilwb.ca.

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• Arts Community

FORT MCMURRAY, AB, May 20, 2019

Wood Buffalo’s Multicultural Association and Arts Council Wood Buffalo sign agreement to work together to increase cultural capacity, celebrate creativity and inclusion

Addressing community cultural issues and providing joint opportunities to foster awareness of culture, arts and heritage in the community of Wood Buffalo is the focus of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo (MCA) and the Arts Council Wood Buffalo (ACWB).

“We are excited to be working with the Arts Council, particularly following the RMWB’s recent adoption of a new Culture Plan for our region,” said Dango Gogo, President of the MCA. “Cultural diversity and inclusion is a major concern for both of our organizations. We are looking forward to collaborating on long-term sustainable approaches to celebrating and nurturing this important aspect of our region.”

“Signing this MOU makes it possible for us to work even more closely together on joint issues of importance,” said Dave Boutilier, President Board Chair of ACWB. “Formalizing our relationship with MCA is the first step in working even more closely together to foster culture, heritage, and arts awareness by building relationships and creating community connections for the short- and long-term benefit of our region.”

The signing of the MOU is the first step in creating a collaborative framework for addressing common issues, which include:

• The building of collaborative, sustainable and long-term relationships that promote the growth of awareness of culture, heritage, and arts;
• The building of institutional capacity with regard to awareness of culture, heritage, and arts;
• Facilitating communication between individuals, groups, industry, businesses and government with respect to culture, heritage, and arts groups within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
• Working collaboratively and proactively to identify the appropriate resources, including but not limited to financial resources, required to address the need to foster awareness of culture, heritage, and arts in Wood Buffalo.

Among the next steps for the groups is to create a joint action plan and to work as members of the implementation committee for the RMWB’s Culture Plan.

For more information about the MOU, contact ACWB Executive Director Liana Wheeldon at liana@artscouncilwb.ca or (587) 674-1625 ext. 100.

• Arts Community

On Tuesday, May 14, Council unanimously passed the Wood Buffalo Culture Plan, which is designed to promote arts and heritage initiatives in Wood Buffalo during the next ten years. ACWB Executive Director Liana Wheeldon has been a part of the WB Culture Plan committee, and says:

“ACWB supports the proposed plan’s stated vision, that ‘Wood Buffalo is a culturally diverse and socially inclusive municipality in which arts and heritage are vital to its social, economic, and environmental well-being.’

We look forward to moving ahead in partnership with key organizations such as Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray Heritage Society, McMurray Métis, and other important community cultural organizations as the RMWB Administration works with the established community-based advisory committee to transition from development to implementation and evaluation of the Culture Plan.”

The plan has five priorities, including promoting the region’s cultural environment, developing cultural facilities and resources, supporting collaboration and innovation, encouraging inclusivity and accessibility, and improving cultural awareness.

Other proposals include a public art plan, supporting rural cultural programming and increasing support for cultural facilities.

“What we want to do is embrace that diversity and ensure that all regions of this municipality are well represented and their definition of culture is showcased,” said Dave Boutilier, Chair of the Arts Council Wood Buffalo. “This plan is the vehicle that will drive that.”

Read the full article in Fort McMurray Today HERE.