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Wood Buffalo Named Feature Celebration Site

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.

September 24, 2019

2019 Buffy tickets now on sale!

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.

September 19, 2019

August 2019’s Centre Stage with Luay Eljamal

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 FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedIn and YouTube.

August 1, 2019

ACWB Gains Charitable Status

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 FacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTube and Twitter.

July 23, 2019

July 2019’s Centre Stage with Noize

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 FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedIn and YouTube.

July 1, 2019

June 2019’s Centre Stage with Alex Durocher

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.

June 1, 2019

MOU to foster growth of community culture, arts, heritage

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.

May 20, 2019

Council passes Wood Buffalo Culture Plan

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.

May 14, 2019

May 2019’s Centre Stage with Nerdvana: The Web Series & Erin Schwab

Written by Hanna Fridhed, Engagement Coordinator

 

This month, for the very first time, Fort McMurray will host Tri-Level Meetings. These quarterly meetings, typically held in Edmonton or Calgary, bring together different levels of government related to arts funding- municipal, provincial and federal. May 8 through 10, ACWB is proud to welcome the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council and Calgary Arts Development to Fort McMurray as part of these meetings. The visitors will have the opportunity to see: ‘Suddenly Mommy’ which is a one-woman show at Keyano’s Recital Theatre, view We Heal: An Exhibition in the Keyano gallery and meet with local artists, heritage, and arts organizations from around our region. Also, Canada Council will host one-on-one sessions with artists from any discipline to discuss the organization’s grant opportunities and best practices to utilize while applying for grants. These sessions are a continuation from the information session and artist one-on-ones Canada Council held last month. This is a great opportunity for local artists to learn more about obtaining funding, provincial level grants and how they can help further their artistic development and bring visions to life.
The evening of May 8, residents will have an opportunity for informal discussions with representatives from the different areas during the Meet and Greet Event held from 5:30pm-8:30pm in the Keyano Rehearsal Hall, hosted in partnership between ACWB and Keyano Theatre & Arts Centre.

 

Learning opportunities such as these are valuable to artists to further their practice. Even if an artist feels they are not ready to apply for a grant, having made connections to different organizations and hearing first-hand some ‘tips and tricks’ for successful application is a great to have when the time comes.

 

Erin Schwab, a visual and woodwork artist in Fort McMurray, received funding for her professional art practice from Alberta Foundation for the Arts grants and local municipal grants that helped cover the cost of workshops for her students. “Without access to the funding the work would not happen or be substantially reduced in scope and access for participants,” says Erin. “Artists often bear the financial burden to start projects that can reach far into the community and have continuing impact for years, with only the hope of recovering costs, let alone making a profit. Grants allow the artist to make choices not burdened by personal affordability but what will have the greatest impact on their work and participants.”

 

Local artist group NERDVANA has also benefitted from receiving grants. NERDVANA: The Web Series, which was made possible through the Telus STORYHIVE program, has been nominated for the Miami Web Series Awards, and has prompted the group to begin writing Season 2. The group behind NERDVANA has applied for and received funding on several occasions, culminating in 2017 when they received $100,000 to create NERDVANA: The Web Series Season 1. “The funding was a tremendous help that allowed us to compensate all the artists involved in our projects. It literally saved us from dying from exposure as we were able to rent generators to keep us warm during the cold Fort McMurray shoots,” says director Tito Guillen.

 

Learning how to write grant proposals can be an arduous process: “It’s not fun. The process varies between funding bodies, but they often ask for many of the same things,” explains Schwab. “Budget, project proposals, statements about the work, resume, portfolio, and then the final reporting once the project is complete. The more you do it the easier it gets, and you begin to build relationships with the funding bodies which is important.”

 

If you are interested in learning more about Canada Council and their New and Aspiring Artist program, visit www.canadacouncil.ca.

May 2, 2019

April 2019’s Centre Stage with Sedef Uzer Prakash

Written by Hanna Fridhed, Engagement Coordinator

 

Sedef Uzer Prakash is a graphic designer hailing from Turkey, Istanbul. After moving to Vancouver, BC in 2001 as an ESL student, she came to Fort McMurray in 2012 with her husband. Sedef is the Art Exhibit Coordinator with Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo at the Kirschner Family Art Gallery at MacDonald Island Park. An artistic person with thirteen years’ experience as a professional graphic designer, Sedef has always been interested in the arts and design, and expresses it through multiple disciplines, including music.

 

“Creating is my method of release. I am able to release all my emotions, thoughts and feelings by creating art or craft projects,” says Sedef. “Especially living in a place like Fort McMurray (and by that, I mean living with temperatures below minus 20), I would recommend everyone to pick up a hobby in visual arts and add some more meaning to their life other than working and watching TV. I would like to encourage hidden artists in town to come out from their houses, attend gallery receptions, and socialize with artists and art lovers in town.”

 

On April 11, 2019, the 8th Annual Timeraiser auction event will be at the Kirschner Family Art Gallery. This is a program by FuseSocial in partnership with Arts Council Wood Buffalo and the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo.

 

“Timeraiser is a silent auction with a twist. Instead of bidding with art, participants bid with volunteer hours,” explains Sedef. “It’s always a well-attended event by the local arts community, volunteers and the social profit sector. Everyone interested in attending can get free tickets on Eventbrite.”

 

Last year’s event showcased 31 art pieces in the main gallery and 12 budding youth artist’s pieces, with almost 175 guests in attendance to bid their time. An event such as Timeraiser is beneficial for the local artists, the social profit sector, as well as the community: “The art is purchased from local artists for a fair market price and is showcased at the gallery for a month,” she says. “Through the bidding process over 3,000 volunteer hours are being generated that help the local social profit organizations, which provide programs and services to the populations that are in need of support. That’s a great impact and such an amazing initiative by FuseSocial!”

 

Visit the FuseSocial webpage to read more about Timeraiser and their other programs. The 2019 Timeraiser happens on Thursday, April 11, starting at 6:00 PM. To learn more about Arts Council Wood Buffalo follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates and news.

April 2, 2019

March 2019’s Centre Stage with Jennifer Dahl

Written by Hanna Fridhed, Engagement Coordinator

 

Jennifer Dahl has played the piano since she was five years old. Having grown up in Fort
McMurray, she moved away for a few years for school and travel, but returned in 2004 with her
Grade 9 Piano Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music. The Royal Conservatory
Certificate Program provides a recognized national standard and sequenced program for people
studying music, as well as supports independent teachers with innovative, high-quality
resources. Jennifer has also been trained in Kindermusik, and is a Music For Young Children
(MYC) teacher. She now teaches piano in Fort McMurray through her program Music with
Jennifer.

 

“Babies sing, toddlers bounce along with the beat, preschoolers learn with action songs,
children memorize lyrics so quickly, and teenagers find meaning in the musicians of their
generation,” says Jennifer. “Music is integral to our daily life.”

 

An opportunity Jennifer offers her students is participation in the annual Oilsands Rotary Music
Festival. Entering into its 44 th year, this music festival aims to develop amateur musicians in
Wood Buffalo. It is a chance for musicians to hear each other play, to learn from experienced
professionals, and to learn the process of preparation, practice, and performance. “It brings
expert artists into the community,” explains Jennifer, “and it brings together music students from
across various disciplines (speech arts, band, etc.). The students get to meet others who share
the same interests. Art is a fun way to work on memory, logic, research, thinking in categories,
and fine and gross motor development.”

 

The Oilsands Rotary Music Festival, who works to develop and foster love and appreciation of
classical music and speech arts primarily, offers classes in guitar, piano, choral, speech, and
musical theatre. “It takes a lot of work, but I still involve my students because it offers
professional development for me as I hear the adjudicator’s comments, and see the other
wonderful selections performed by students who aren’t my own,” says Jennifer. “It takes many
hands to make the festival come together, but the volunteers and the board are very dedicated.
The awards are donated by local businesses and individuals who support the arts.”

 

As an arts educator, Jennifer has experienced the positive impact of music on children and
youth. She says “understanding music, and other arts, teaches us patterns, systems, how to set
goals and achieve them, continuous improvement, and ultimately how to connect with our
emotions. It connects us with each other. Art is expression of emotion. It connects us from
human to human. Children are naturally emotive and art is a creative outlet for emotional
release.”

 

If you want to get involved in the Oilsands Rotary Music Festival, or would like to make a
donation, visit www.oilsandsmusic.com.

March 2, 2019

February 2019’s Centre Stage with Andre Wilcox

Written by Hanna Fridhed, Engagement Coordinator

 

Many of us recognize his voice from the radio or have seen him at events around town as the energetic
emcee – Andrew Wilcox is the Program Director for Mix 103.7 and 100.5 Cruz FM. Originally from a farm
outside Camrose, Andrew moved to Fort McMurray five years ago. The things that made him fall in love
with the Wood Buffalo region are the strength and diversity, and the welcoming nature of the people
here. In 2018, Andrew launched his new podcast Wander w/ Andrew Wilcox, where he interviews
people who explore unique ways of looking at particular things.

 

“It's a podcast for minds that like to wander,” says Andrew. “The topic can be almost anything, but the
hope is that it creates new perspectives from meaningful conversations. One thing I have always loved
about radio is its ability to have fun, human conversations between the songs, to say things that make
you think and reflect. The podcast format seems like a natural progression of that aspect.”

 

Topics covered on Wandering w/ Andrew Wilcox so far are open-mindedness, self-control, and living
with wildlife. In “How to look back to help moving forward”, an episode about Greek history, philosophy
and democracy, Andrew and Matthew Sears of the University of New Brunswick talked about how
taking a deeper, more well-rounded look at the past can help us approach the future.

 

The podcast ties into his love for radio, both being great mediums for promoting other artists: “My
artistic background is a healthy mix of trying and failing. I’m a huge fan of music and film and I love to be
a part of it any way I can, but it took me a long time to find where I fit in,” he says. “I have attempted
everything from theatre to roadie to stand-up comedy and found the best place for me was professional
fan. I like giving a platform or voice to people more talented than myself.”

 

His love and support for the local music scene, and our community, is evident: “The YMM Music scene is
a close-knit group of incredibly talented musicians who are working very hard to keep live music going in
Fort McMurray. We have many local pubs that are very supportive of having live music in their venue,
which is great. I would love to see more artists come here and experience our great community,” says
Andrew. “I think that Fort McMurray has an incredible arts community that too many people are missing
out on.”

 

There are many ways to be an artist. Sometimes, by being an arts enthusiast, you become an artist
yourself. “What I love about Fort McMurray is that it attracts hard working people who want to create,”
says Andrew. “If you are one of those people, and I believe we all are in our own way, do your thing,
make your art, and get out there.”

 

The podcast Wander w/ Andrew Wilcox is available through iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Tune into
local radio to keep up with what’s going on in your community, for local information and support, and –
of course – music.

February 27, 2019