Sunday, July 10, 2022

Hi, art lovers!

Back in 2018, CBC Arts ran this short doc about Montreal musician Nadia Monczak. At the time, Nadia was in Greece, teaching violin to children living in a refugee camp, and though it was just a two-week trip, the experience had a life-changing effect. As she says at one point in the video, “The work that I’ve done here is inspiring me to continue doing this kind of work.” In this week’s top featured story, we catch up with Nadia, who’s recently returned from another humanitarian mission, this time on the Polish-Ukrainian border. The journey was captured by filmmaker Thomas Szacka-Marier, who also produced the story in Greece. Find that piece (plus a Q&A with Thomas) after the jump.

And because we promised you eye candy ...

Paul Heyer

Cooling Off by Paul Heyer.

Jess Stanley

Keeping the pool party going with this drawing by Vancouver’s Jess Stanley.

Tracey Lynne/National Arts Centre

The National Arts Centre in Ottawa recently unveiled a new sculpture by Rebecca Belmore. This is just a detail from the large-scale piece, which is now on permanent display. (There are a couple more pics on the NAC’s Instagram.)

Danaé Brissonnet

Is it a mural? A puppet? The most incredible thing Danaé Brissonnet has ever done? (I think it might be all three … and it’s on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal!)

You've got to see this

CBC Arts

A Montreal artist’s journey to Lviv

Follow violinist Nadia Monczak as she joins relief efforts on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

@shefalipani/TikTok

Singing in 9 different languages earned her 9 million likes

Get to know Shefali Panicker, a TikTok sensation from London, Ont.

Andrew Rowat

This artistic director ditched the city for a new life in small-town Ontario

In the middle of the pandemic, Rob Kempson left Toronto for Port Hope, Ont. He’s now running the community’s Capitol Theatre, and as Rob writes for CBC Arts, the move has been “something of a dream come true.”

Follow this artist

Krystle Silverfox

@krystlesilverfox

Krystle Silverfox

Now in the running for this year’s Sobey Art Award, Krystle recently Instagrammed this piece of hers from 2013 (Reconcile This!). As she writes in the post, her artistic journey really started when she made this work: “I may have been the artist behind this painting, but really this painting made me.” (Read a Q&A with her here.)

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And if that’s still not enough content to fill your Sunday morning, here are a few choice items from my browser history: Should you go to art school? Don’t ask me, but Miranda July, Ai Weiwei (and a bunch of other art stars) have some thoughts. Twitter: not just for trolls anymore. (Is it actually the perfect social platform for artists?) Indigenous art knock-offs are everywhere, but could changes to Canadian copyright law put a stop to it? Welcome to the Stolen Gallery of Art. (Don’t get too excited. It’s just an app.) As It Happens made whatever sense could be made of #GentleMinions. Watch this year’s Prism Prize-winning music video. Why does absolutely everyone cover the same Leonard Cohen song? (You know the one.) A very popular profile of Nathan Fielder, whose work I enjoy far too much.

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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time!