July Art Challenge

“if these walls could talk …”

The walls have spoken! Come and see..

Judging is complete. Who won?

The Queen’s Hotel which has marked the intersection of Manitoba and Taylor in Bracebridge since ‘area settlement’, has 125 years of memories and stories to tell for countless individuals and families.

Seventeen talented resident artists, designers and creative thinkers chose from pieces of the original tin ceiling from the Dining Room, Muskoka hemlock studs and hand forged nails, to create a striking variety of submissions.

The task of selecting seven anonymous pieces which stood out in an Artistic, Historic and Introspective manner was given to the judging panel of Kevan Murray, John Reynolds, Don Smith, Tim Lum and Ken Veitch.

And the winners are …

“Best in Show” was awarded to Tammy Gravina’s “Echo’s of our Footsteps”; a mixed-media piece which strongly evoked all three criteria. Her inspiration was drawn from the farewell banquet held in 1917 in the Queen’s Dining Room for the Boys of the 122nd Battalion of which her grandfather was a member.

Judge’s Choice awards:
Artistic: Leslie Howchin for her delicate Queen’s rose with tin petals
Historic: Susan Hill Halliday for her dining room scene painted from the ceilings perspective
Introspective: Nathan Jensen for his working hemlock pinhole camera.

Honourable Mention awards:
Artistic: Kelly Ford for her whimsical school of tin fish
Historic: Maja Eades’ for her painted daily scene outside the hotel by
Introspective: Normajean Fahey and Martin Kupferschmidt’s for their stained glass trillium embedded within tin.

A MacBook, 3 iPads and 3 iPods, or cash equivalent, were presented at the Awards and Opening Reception held June 29 at Six Degrees.

What is the exhibit about?

We are very interested in documenting, understanding and celebrating our built heritage. In our current work at the historic “Queen’s Hotel”, we have been removing, collecting and cataloguing building materials from aspects of the structure that date as far back as 1885.

Hemlock wall studs cut and milled on the shores of Muskoka; hand forged square nails and tin ceiling panels from the dining room in which the farewell banquet for the boys of the 122nd Battalion was held in 1917. When possible, we strive to re-use materials in unexpected ways and locations and this time is no different – except that we are asking others to participate, too.

Building materials salvaged from the Queen’s Hotel, will be available for artistic minds from Muskoka to re-interpret. Work created using these materials, will be exhibited during the time frame of the G8 in June and beyond, space permitting.

Elements of the past, given a second opportunity to tell a new story.

So … what’s the carrot?

(Other than a chance to be inspired, show your work in a great space, have it seen by locals, summer shoppers and G8 visitors …)

How ’bout a whole bunch of iCarrots!

1st Place: One, MacBook
2nd Place: Two, iPads
3rd Place: Three, iPods

That’s right, 1/2 a dozen, cool, high-tech, prizes! (or cash equivalent.) Winning entries are added to the permanent collection of Six Degrees Muskoka and the rights are retained by them to publish, giving credit to the author, in online formats, newspaper, magazine, book, booklet, etc.

Important Info:

Interested? Predominately, we have 2 x 4 hemlock studs; the availability of tin (in various sizes) and square nails is more limited in quantity. To help manage the distribution of parts, email art@sixdegreesmuskoka.com by May 24th and let us know what quantity of materials you would like to pick up (wood, nails and/or tin) so that we have a better idea of ‘spoken for’ interest. We may need to limit quantities. First email, first served, so get thinking!

Pick up “parts”: Thursday, May 27th from 10–6, at Six Degrees.

Drop off Completed Entries: Friday, June 18th from 10–6, at Six Degrees.

On Display: Starting June 24th throughout the summer, depending on size of exhibition.

To be included with your entry:

One 8 ½ x 11 page with NO reference made to your identity with your Artistic Statement, describing your approach, inspiration, process and interpretation of the materials provided. This anonymous page will be shown during both the judging and exhibition time.

To be included on a second page:

One 8 1/2 x 11 page with your name, studio, biography, web site, contact information and images of your other work. Once judging is completed, this will be shown with your entry and Artistic Statement. Include business cards.

You may have other materials in your entry; however, the majority and dominant materials must be those supplied from the Queen’s Hotel, ‘kit of historical parts’.

Keep an eye on our web site for any updates, answers to questions and other cool stuff.

The exhibit of these Design Challenge entries will be our ART focus for this summer. Although we enjoyed the ‘gallery approach’ of 2009, due to time demands of other exciting projects we have underway, we will not be selling artists work, cards, CDs, books, etc. this summer.

6 Degrees Muskoka

Summer Exhibits