mariposa and lakehead team up for artsu
june 23, 2011
mariposa and lakehead team up for artsu, bobbleu and more!
over the past few months, a group of artists and volunteers from the community and lakehead university have been getting together for lots of fun, creative brainstorming. what they've come up with is an artsu program that offers participants all kinds of opportunities to explore, learn, experiment, and have fun.
artsu is a series of creative workshops offered by the mariposa folk foundation in cooperation with 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 during the week preceding the mariposa folk festival. the program has become more popular each year, as new ideas and instructors are added. over a dozen courses are offered this summer from july 6 - 8 at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 's downtown orillia campus.
this year, for the first time, participants can learn about home recording or how to choreograph through dance and movement. workshops are also offered in watercolour painting, drawing, printmaking, songwriting, guitar theory, singing, photography, puppetry, and performance art.
"what's special about artsu is our instructors," says susan braedley, one of the community organizers. "they are not only working artists, but are all excellent teachers and facilitators." braedley explains that the "fun factor" is also important. "they have to be fun! our classes are small, interactive, and very hands-on, so it's important that our instructors are approachable."
based on participant feedback from last year, the 2011 program offers more course offerings at different times, including evening and full-day workshops. local artist juliana hawke will present two full-day workshops on watercolour painting and printmaking. puppeteer fransi andersson, of fraggle rock fame, presents a variation on her puppetry workshop with "broadway stars!" (think karaoke!).
"fransi is the kind of instructor who challenges inhibitions in a warm and friendly way," says braedley. "her workshops emphasize improvisation and are useful and fun for anyone interested in acting or performing of any kind."
"artsu is a great way for lakehead - orillia to open its doors and allow people to see what the university has to offer," says linda rodenburg, a faculty member at lakehead and a founding member of the artsu committee. "one of the goals of the mariposa folk foundation is to offer educational experiences to the community - especially in a hands-on, workshop format. at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , we offer access to education that uses an inquiry-based learning approach that promotes active participation," explains rodenburg. "artsu is a great partnership for us."
this year, artsu continues at the mariposa folk festival over the july 8 - 10 weekend. this is where "bobbleu" comes in. one of the artsu instructors, photographer peter stranks, has come up with an innovative way of shooting portraits. at the artsu tent at the festival, peter will "bobbleu" by taking photos and turning the portrait into a "bobblehead." for a $2.00 fee, festival goers will get their own bobbleu print and have the opportunity to contribute to the bobbleu collage that will become part of the festival archives.
peter stranks: in real life and as a bobblehead!
the artsu tent will also feature a display of student art produced at the artsu workshops and an interesting program of conversations, storytelling, and demonstrations. 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 orillia professors thamara laredo and chris murray have teamed up for a program called, "mix it up!", a conversation and demonstration about the science of art. 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 will also be part of the community village, for those looking for information about the orillia campus and its programs.
for a full listing of artsu programs, visit the mariposa folk festival website. to register, contact the mariposa folk foundation office at 705-326-3655 or drop in at 37 mississaga street west.