Bluesfest scales down plans for former Westboro church
Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — A 98-year-old church in Westboro might be converted into a Bluesfest office space and a community centre, but the project would not include a 400-seat music hall that was presented in previous plans.
Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan said the concept for the former Westboro United Church has changed.
“We actually did all of the drawings and costed it out, and it just in our opinion was too ambitious a project,” Monahan said on Tuesday.
“It wasn’t clear to me that it would be viable or sustainable.”
Council’s planning committee is to discuss on Monday a zoning amendment that would allow the church to be used by the Ottawa Music Foundation as office space for Bluesfest and other music organizations, as well as for a community centre and community health and resource centre.
The church, at 450 Churchill Ave. North, near Byron Avenue, was built in 1913. Under the plans, additions at the back of the church building would be demolished and the rest of the site filled with 16 three-storey townhouse units and four “live-work/office/townhouse units” in a three-storey building, says a staff report to go to the committee.
And a Nuit Blanche for Ottawa is born . . .
Peter Simpson, The Ottawa Citizen
The truest thing said at La Nouvelle Scene on Tuesday night was this: “Ottawa deserves a Nuit Blanche.”
And it does. Ottawa is all grown up now when it comes to visual arts, not as grown up as New York City or Paris or Florence, admittedly, but grown up nonetheless. It has a base of national institutions – the National Gallery, the Museum of Civilization, the War Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery (ha! Just kidding, Stephen Harper, go back to your cutting).
Ottawa has a determined if ill-housed city art gallery, and – this perhaps most significant – it now has at least three clearly defined art districts, those cluster of smaller, private galleries that have popped up organically wherever the growing conditions are best; the Byward Market, Wellington-Westboro, and Bank Street in Centretown.
Ottawa also has established, annual events that draw attention to visual arts of various types, most notably Festival X, the photography biennial. There are smaller events, such as Chinatown Remixed, the weekend of art installations in that neighbourhood, or the monthly “First Thursdays” gallery hop in Wellington West, or the formerly named Art in the Park in the Glebe (a neighbourhood that, despite all its affluence and education, has seen all of its art galleries/shops close in the past two years).
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: And a Nuit Blanche for Ottawa is born…
Bif Naked heads Westfest lineup
Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen
When you hear that Westfest plans to get naked this year, try not to jump to any conclusions. It’s intended to draw your attention to the fact that Bif Naked is headlining the eighth annual edition of the free Westboro festival that bills itself as a celebration of music, art and life. It takes place June 10 to 12. Clothing is required.
Bif Naked anchors the Saturday night lineup at Westfest, while Mighty Popo will do the honours Sunday. To kick off the festival Friday night, Martin has assembled an all-star bill representing the best of the Inuit arts scene, including rocker Lucie Idlout, the breakdance troupe Kaiva, throat-singing artist Tanya Tagaq and writer Taqralik Partridge, to name a few.
“It’s going to be an intimate, amazing night,” says Martin, who’s working hard to attract the Inuit community in Ottawa. The co-hosts will perform in English and Inuktitut and shuttle buses will serve the Inuit community centres in the city. “This isn’t just about teaching white people the Inuit culture, but it’s also about celebrating the Inuit in Ottawa. We’re working really hard to make this night very, very special.”
Full story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Bif Naked heads Westfest lineup
Westfest’s Domicile Main Stage Moves to Bigger Space
In its eighth year running, Westfest, Westboro Village’s Festival of Music, Art and Life, is making a few changes that will ensure this year’s experience is one to remember.
This spring, from June 10-12, Westfest’s Domicile main stage will return to the eastern end of Westboro Village, at the corner of Byron and Kirkwood Avenues. The Domicile main stage will open each day of the festival at 5 pm, leaving the daytime for families to enjoy the many “On The Street” features of Westfest. As street activities wind down, the party will start on the main stage with an excellent line-up of artists performing each night.
For years, the community greenspace at the corner of Byron and Kirkwood Avenues has been left unused, waiting for an event like Westfest to bring it back to life. This space, which features a grassy hill for naturally elevated seating, was reserved for community use when the nearby Real Canadian Superstore was built. Until now, it has remained virtually unused.
Westfest Founder and Producer Elaina Martin says the new location will provide an audience area four times the size of the previous location, making the festival experience safer and more comfortable for everyone. In addition, she said the entire audience area at this year’s Domicile main stage will be fully licensed. “The new Domicile main stage space will give attendees a truly full festival experience; the comfort of having a drink while still experiencing an intimate show in a safe setting – all while also not having to peek around trees or buildings to do so!”” Elaina said. Last year saw more than 5,000 music fans attend Westfest’s Domicile main stage area; while the audience continued to grow, the space became too small.
After a year of searching for the right candidate, a new Executive Director, Natalie Hanson, has been named to the Westboro Village BIA, leaving past executive director Elaina Martin free to focus on Westfest. This will be the second year that the festival has operated with full autonomy from the Westboro Village BIA. The Westfest team looks forward to a continued relationship with the BIA, and Ms. Hanson.
As always, there will be many ways to get to the new site of the Domicile main stage. For attendees using OC Transpo, the nearby Westboro Transitway Station is a short walk south to the stage. A secure bike park will be available, and on-street parking is available where designated on nearby streets.
Fast-growing Westfest gains ‘giant’ new home
Westfest will expand to a new part of the neighbourhood this year. The organizer of the free music festival that takes place in Westboro has found a new location for the main stage that gives more space for the audience to stretch out.
The stage will be set up in the strip of community green space at Byron and Kirkwood avenues, immediately south of the Real Canadian Superstore parking lot. Westfest director Elaina Martin says the grassy site will accommodate 15,000 people, tripling the capacity of the previous main-stage area, which was a strip of parkland several blocks west.
Describing it as a “new, giant, beautiful, safe, glorious home,” Martin says the festival will now be able to license the entire area, instead of having to separate the beer-drinkers from the rest of the concertgoers. “You won’t have to wave at your friends over the fence anymore,” she said. Popular Vankleek Hill-based microbrewery, Beau’s, is returning as the beer sponsor.
Westfest, which began in 2004, has been growing every year. Billed as a community celebration of music, visual art and literary pursuits, last year’s event attracted more than 100,000 people during one June weekend. Richmond Road was closed to traffic between Golden and McRae avenues, and programming filled the street. The main stage at the western end of the 14-block stretch featured performances by Sloan, Dala and Ottawa blues trio MonkeyJunk. Up to 5,000 people crammed in front of the stage for the headlining shows.
Read more at ottawacitizen.com
O Ottawa. When did you get so hip? Discovering Canada’s cool capital
Michael Kaminer, Special to The Washington Post
In fact, if anything now characterizes the city, I’d say it’s an unselfconscious cool. There’s a proudly indie aesthetic in its neighborhoods, but without the hipster posturing of Toronto. Unlike language-obsessed Montreal, the city has a relaxed attitude toward bilingualism — everything here comes in both official languages — that lends Ottawa an easy cosmopolitanism.
Oh, yes: Ottawa also boasts Canada’s Parliament, along with the National Gallery, the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian War Museum, Rideau Hall, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. They’re all gleaming, serious attractions, with collections often lauded as some of the world’s best.
They used to be the reason for a visit to Ottawa, with restaurants and shopping an afterthought. These days, don’t be surprised if you find the opposite to be true.
Read the full article in the Washington Post: O Ottawa. When did you get so hip?
Bluesfest group vying for Church
Phil Ambroziak | EMC
Mark Monahan, executive director of Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, recently confirmed his group’s interest in purchasing the former Westboro United Church building located at 450 Churchill Ave. N. The congregation at Kitchissippi United which was formed in 2008 when Westboro United amalgamated with Kingsway and Northwestern united churches to address the issue of small congregations – originally planned to rent space in the 97-year-old Westboro United building to various community groups, but ultimately decided the put the building up for sale earlier this year.
“The church went through the traditional process, received a number of bids, reviewed them and narrowed them down and eventually chose one,” explained Arnold Midgley, a lifelong member of the Westboro congregation. “The successful group has three principle players – developer David Spillenear of Springcrest Properties, architect Barry Hobin and the Ottawa Bluesfest people who plan to make the church building available to community users as a rentable space.”
“We have a conditional agreement to buy the church and turn it into a music hall,” Mr. Monahan said. “Essentially, we’re hoping to create a 500-seat community music hall that can also be used by other festivals and community groups throughout the year.”
Full story: Bluesfest group vying for Church
Westfest promises three days of free, family-friendly fun in June
Phil Ambroziak, EMC Events
Westfest opens Friday, June 11 with a night devoted to “Rootsy Women.” Among those to take to the stage will be headliners Dala, the Inuit throat singers Nukariik, Madison Violet, the Marigolds, Peggy White and DJ Jas Nasty. The following night will feature a “Westfest Pop Explosion” headlined by the ever-popular Sloan. Other performances will be provided by Will Currie and the Country French, the Balconies, the High Dials and Bloomistry. The festival comes to a close Sunday, June 13 with “Ottawa Night.” This night will feature performances by Ottawa artists of all genres. Among those scheduled to perform are MonkeyJunk, the White Wires, TokyoSexWhale, GOOD2GO, the Kingmakers, Ken Workman and the Union and Autumns Canon. Also on hand will be Mi’kmaq dancer Thomas Clair among others.
“Westfest has evolved into what is now 14 city blocks of festival site,” she said. “This 100 % Canadian, multidisciplinary art festival’s focus still remains on accessibility and the community. I’m pleased to welcome everyone from the National Capital and the Gatineau Region to Westfest 2010.”
Read the full article at EMC online: Westfest promises three days of free, family-friendly fun in June
