CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FOR LITERARY NON-FICTION FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT

2010 INVITATION TO THE CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FOR LITERARY NON-FICTION FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation requests the honour of your presence at a press conference to announce the finalists for the 2010 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - 10:00 a.m. sharp
Consort Bar. Main Level. Le Meridien King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East. Toronto. Ontario

Media Contact:
Stephen Weir 416-489-5868, 416-801-3101
stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane 905-257-6033
cranepr@cogeco.ca
PRIZE CONTACT: June Dickenson 647-477-6000
junedickenson@cogeco.ca

FACT SHEET: MOOD ON DEMAND

Mood on Demand Fact Sheet

On December 1, Canadian television will change radically with the debut of Mood on Demand: a new and groundbreaking addition to Rogers’ Video on Demand (VOD)-Channel 100. Mood on Demand offers exclusive, high quality ambient content for flat-screen High Definition television- content that transforms a flat-panel TV into an art gallery.
Mood on Demand offers an art content stream. This is a unique only-for-HDTV exhibition of Canadian masterworks from The McMichael Canadian Art Collection. For .99 cents a day viewers can ‘hang’ two dozen paintings from the masters who captured the heart and soul of Canada. Among the works are:

• Lawren S. Harris- Pic Island (c.1924)
• Clarence Gagnon- The Chapdelaine Farm (1928-1933)
• Arthur Lismer- My Garden, Thornhill (c.1916)
• Tom Thomson- Snow Shadows (1916)
• A. Y. Jackson- Bent Pine (1948)
• Franklin Carmichael- Farm, Haliburton (1940)
• J.E.H. MacDonald-Snow, Lake O’Hara (1927)
• A.J. Casson- Fisherman's Point (c.1948)
• A.Y. Jackson Road to Baie St. Paul (1933)
The art lover has three viewing choices: a gallery-like slide-show presentation where all the work can be viewed and compared; a travel through each picture as the camera takes us seemingly inside each painting; a brilliantly engaging view of a single image at a time.
Mood on Demand represents new thinking about art; it is an innovative, compelling way to expand the art experience for the Canadian public.
Mood on Demand’s partnership with Rogers’s Cable VOD system is a global first that puts Canada at the fore of an exciting, revolutionary mood enhancing dimension of HDTV and Video on Demand. The new service launches December 1st.
Mood on Demand redefines the art experience by bringing the visual arts directly into the Canadian home. HDTV technology creates a lush cinematic viewing experience where spatial details and clarity result from an enhanced pixel count creating a previously unattainable level of pictorial quality. This intersection of cutting-edge TV technology and high art creates the possibility of an at-home art gallery. Some new HDTV sets units even come complete with actual picture frames.
Mood on Demand allows museums and art galleries to reach new audiences while answering HDTV owners’ demand for compelling HD content that goes beyond sports.
The remarkably robust market for flat-screen TV with Flat Panel Plasma and LCD televisions is poised to account for 100% of all television sales by 2010, compared to a mere 6% in 2004. Larger flat-screen sets are experiencing the most dramatic growth. Mood on Demand is perfectly positioned in terms of the current major transition to larger flat screens by offering unique content for the enhanced HD experience. These consumers are interested in higher-end HD content to showcase their televisions.

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CONTACT
Mood on Demand / Good Earth Productions
Bob Mackowycz: macko@sympatico.ca 647 808-4399
Mitch Azaria: azaria@goodearthproductions.com 416 766-4114

Hang a Tom Thomson or an AY Jackson at your next dinner party for 99 cents!

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PRESS RELEASE
Masterpieces from the McMichael Collection of Art now available on High Definition on Rogers’ Video on Demand

November 30, 2009
For immediate release

November 27, 2009 KLEINBURG, ON — Selected masterpiece paintings from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection are now available for viewing in high definition for Ontario and New Brunswick subscribers of Rogers Cable Television services. Images from the Group of Seven can be displayed on hi-def television sets with the December 1st debut of Mood on Demand: a new and groundbreaking addition to Rogers’ Video on Demand (VOD)-Channel 100.
Mood on Demand offers exclusive, high quality ambient content for flat-screen High Definition television- content that transforms a flat-panel TV into an art gallery. The McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg is making available paintings by members of the Group of Seven, Tom Thomas and Québécois painter Clarence Gagnon. Television viewers who subscribed to Rogers will be able to view these paintings in 24-hour rental blocks.
For .99 cents a day viewers can ‘hang’ the McMichael Collection of Art high def photographs of their paintings. Among the works available are:


· Lawren S. Harris- Pic Island (c.1924)
· Clarence Gagnon- The Chapdelaine Farm (1928-1933)
· Arthur Lismer- My Garden, Thornhill (c.1916)
· Tom Thomson- Snow Shadows (1916)
· A. Y. Jackson- Bent Pine (1948)
· A.Y. Jackson Road to Baie St. Paul (1933)
· Franklin Carmichael- Farm, Haliburton (1940)
· J.E.H. MacDonald-Snow, Lake O’Hara (1927)
· A.J. Casson- Fisherman's Point (c.1948)

"It's wonderful that we are able to share treasures from the fabulous McMichael Collection to an even wider audience in this innovative manner,” said Thomas Smart, the Executive Director & CEO of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
Mood on Demand, a Toronto based company, redefines the art experience by bringing the visual arts directly into the Canadian home. HDTV technology creates a lush cinematic viewing experience where spatial details and clarity result from an enhanced pixel count creating a previously unattainable level of pictorial quality. This intersection of cutting-edge TV technology and high art creates the possibility of an at-home art gallery.

About the Gallery

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists.
The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery visit www.mcmichael.com.

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For further information or to receive high resolution photographs, contact:

Stephen Weir, Publicist
Gallery: 905.893.1121 ext. 2529
Toronto Office: 416.489.5868
Cell: 416.801.3101
stephenweir@mcmichael.com

CREDIT LINE:
A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974), Road to Baie St. Paul, 1933, oil on canvas, 64.4 x 82.2 cm, Purchase 1968, Courtesy of the Estate of the late Naomi Jackson Groves, McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Scotiabank Caribana 2010 - Event Calender issued by Stephen Weir & Associates

The official Caribana 2010 event schedule has been released. The current schedule does not include any new events but that could change in the coming months.

CARIBANA™ 2010 OFFICIAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Calypso Tents Music Series
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from June 5 - July 4, 2010; 8:00 pm - Midnight
This is an exciting annual showcase of Canada's best Calypso and Soca original music for the Caribana Festival. The series runs three nights each week (Friday Sunday) at various venues in Toronto, each night featuring a different cast of singers and 'live' bands performing Calypso in its best storytelling tradition: social and political commentary, humor and wit.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Official Launch
Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall
Tuesday July 13, 2010; Noon - 2:00 pm
This official ceremony launches the activities for the 2009 Caribana Festival Season. Patrons can meet and mingle with Federal, Provincial and Municipal officials, Caribana representatives and sponsors while sampling Caribbean and international cuisine. It is a snapshot of what's in store over the coming weeks.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Junior Carnival
Shoreham Drive | Yorkgate Mall
Saturday, July 17, 2010; 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Junior Carnival provides festival-goers and the surrounding community the opportunity to experience the thrills and joys as young masqueraders participate in their early festival years.

Art Exhibition
Royal Ontario Museum
Thursday July 22 – Monday Aug 2, 2010; Noon - 9:00 pm
The Association of African Canadian Artists presents original paintings and sculptures that have been influenced by the diversity of our people.

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Caribana Gala
Liberty Grand – Exhibition Place
Friday July 23, 2010; 6:30 pm – 1:00 am
An elegant evening of style and glamour, celebrating Caribana and paying tribute to its pioneers.

Kaiso 365 (Calypso Monarch Finals)
Venue TBA
Saturday July 24 - 7pm - Midnight
This is where the Calypso Monarch is crowned. Come and see the best and biggest Canadian Calypsonians battle for the crown. From the topical to the lyrical, the sweet soca rhythms will lift you out of your seat and get you moving.

King & Queen Competition
Lamport Stadium
Thursday July 29, 2010; 7:00 pm - Midnight
On the Thursday evening before Caribana Day the Kings and Queens of the Bands meet to do battle. Like peacocks they will primp and preen, eliciting “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience. It is an honour for any participant to be enthroned the King or Queen of Scotiabank Caribana 2009. The King and Queen symbolically have the keys to the city, freedom of the streets. Their movements are supposed to be uninhibited. Band members and onlookers alike are to give them the respect, even if mockingly, usually accorded to real-life royalty
(Admission: $27 in advance. $35 at the door)

Pan Alive
Lamport Stadium
Friday July 30, 2010; 7:00 pm - Midnight
A thrilling evening showcasing the musical and tonal qualities of the steelpan as members of the Ontario Steelband Association compete before a panel of judges. This Panorama of the North is the biggest opportunity to hear this wonderful instrument in all its glory. The evening is devoted entirely to the capturing rhythms of the steelpan.
(Admission: $20 in advance)

Scotiabank CARIBANA™ Parade
Exhibition Place (Lake Shore Blvd)
Saturday July 31st, 2010; 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
This showcase event features an incredible display of colour and pageantry, commencing at Exhibition Place and proceeding west along Lake Shore Boulevard. Exhibition Place and Lake Shore Boulevard will come alive with the sights and sounds of Carnival!
(Admission: $18)

De CARIBANA™ Lime
Ontario Place
Sunday August 1, 2010;12:pm am – 8:00 pm
This event features a full day of performances from a variety of artistes, highlighting the diverse cultures of all the Caribbean people. Activities include a food competition, song, dance, theatrical drama and storytelling.
(Admission $14)
For more information please visit www.CaribanaFestival.com or post a comment on this site, and your questions will be answered!
Cutline: Blue stiltwalker at the Scotiabank Caribana Lime 09, Ontario Place. Photograph by Andrew Weir

Big Show for 88-year old George Hunter

He took pictures used on Canadian $5, $10 and $50 and now at the age of 88-year old George Hunter has a new exhibition of photographs that he took over 60 years ago!
A Canadian photography pioneer, George Hunter captured the disappearing nomadic Inuit way of life for the National Film Board in a series entitled, Canadian Inuit 1946. Print images taken from Mr. Hunter’s original negatives add visual clarity and cultural context to this exhibition. Mr. Hunter’s images capture and reflect Canada and its peoples. Many of his iconic photographs are on permanent display in museums and galleries across Canada. Now 88, Mr. Hunter resides in Mississauga.
George Hunter attended the opening of his exhibition at the Kipling Gallery on November 19th in Woodbridge,Ontario.
CUTLINES: George Hunter is interviewed at the Kipling Gallery by Zoomer TV.
Bottom Photo. George Hunter and his partner stand behind a Abraham Rueben carving at the Kipling Gallery opening of the two artists' work.

Successful exhibition opening for Abraham Anghik Ruben

Both Norse and Inuit Spirits inspired famed carver Abraham Anghik Ruben to spend a year carving hundreds of pounds of Brazillian soap stone. The fruits of his labour inspired art buyers who came to the Kipling Gallery in Woodbridge Ontario to see and buy his work. In the space of 4-hours over $750,000 worth of red stickers were placed on purchased work.
These bold pieces transcend boundaries imposed by traditional Inuit art mediums, portraying a fresh and broader perspective of northern cultures. At age 58,the Paulatuk carver now resides in Salt Spring Island, B.C He will be at the gallery until Sunday night.
The Kipling Gallery, 7938 Kipling Avenue, in downtown Woodbridge is open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. www.kiplinggallery.com
CUTLINES: Two top pictures:Inside looking out. Two view of the Kipling Art Gallery on opening night.
Third from top:Abraham Anghik Ruben talks to a guest at the opening of his new exhibition.
Bottom: Abraham Anghik Ruben is interviewed in the Kipling Gallery by Zoomer TV.

Both Norse and Inuit Spirits inspire famed carver Anghik Ruben - Meet 88-year old arctic photographer George Hunter

New Works
by Abraham Anghik Ruben
and introducing George Hunter

Meet master Inuit sculptor Abraham Anghik Ruben and photographer, George Hunter


Thursday, Nov. 19th, 2009
5:30 pm to 11:00 pm • Kipling Gallery, 7938 Kipling Avenue, Woodbridge

WHAT: Media are invited to meet the artists at the opening of the Kipling Gallery’s latest exhibition:
New Works by Abraham Anghik Ruben, and introducing photographer George Hunter.

Abraham Anghik Ruben
The celebrated Paulatuk carver introduces his latest stone carving series, From Thor to Sedna – The Mystical Gods of the North, which draws heavily on myths of both the Inuit and Norse cultures. These bold pieces transcend boundaries imposed by traditional Inuit art mediums, portraying a fresh and broader perspective of northern cultures. At age 58, Mr. Ruben now resides in Salt Spring Island, B.C.

George Hunter
A Canadian photography pioneer, George Hunter captured the disappearing nomadic Inuit way of life for the National Film Board in this series entitled, Canadian Inuit 1946. Print images taken from Mr. Hunter’s original negatives add visual clarity and cultural context to this exhibition. Mr. Hunter’s images capture and reflect Canada and its peoples. Many of his iconic photographs are on permanent display in museums and galleries across Canada. Now 88, Mr. Hunter resides in Mississauga.

WHO: Tour the exhibition with the artists and gallery owner Rocco Pannese

WHY: Mr. Ruben’s mystical images break the mold in terms of Inuit stone carvings. He is one of Canada’s most successful and accomplished living Inuit carvers and rarely travels to Ontario. His earliest arctic work is important, not only because he has recorded a life style that has largely disappeared, but, also because the photographs are outstanding artistic achievements. George Hunter’s photography career spans seven decades. Highlights of his work include images on Bank of Canada $5 & $10 notes, Time Magazine spreads and images for Canadian pavilions at Expo 67.

WHERE: The Kipling Gallery, 7938 Kipling Avenue, in downtown Woodbridge is open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. www.kiplinggallery.com

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Media contacts:

Stephen Weir 416-489-5868 • c. 416-801-3101 • stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane 905-257-6033 • c. 416-727-0112 • cranepr@cogeco.ca

Gallery Contact: Rocco Pannese (905) 265-2192 • info@kiplinggallery.com