Culture Days 2016

Beginning on the last Friday of September, every year since 2009, Canada has a three day nation-wide celebration of culture and arts called Culture Days. Regina had all sorts of stuff going on and I got out to as much of it as I could - I'm one of those people who feels a little frantic when there's more than one thing happening at a time. It's hard being only one person. Radio surfing, for example, killlllls me - what if I pause on CBC 1 to listen to Because News and meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, my favourite song is playing on CBC 2? And what if I turn the channel just in time to hear the last note of that song and it's just enough to know exactly what I missed?

I always groan super loud when this happens, and Sully yells from the back seat, "What's wrong, Mom? You ok?"

No. 

This weekend felt a little like radio surfing. I just had to make my choices and hope that something cooler wasn't happening where I wasn't, that I wouldn't arrive somewhere just in time to see a crowd of people walking away going, "That was absolutely the best thing that's ever happened in this city or ever will. No point in even living here anymore. Let's all move to Saskatoon."

That would suck.

Fortunately, I think I made some good choices. I experienced some music, I saw some art, I heard some poetry, and I got to make something too. The whole shebang. I also saw what I was missing on other peoples' Instagram and Twitter feeds, so that helped me to feel a little better about being only one person. Having social media is a little bit like being a thousand people at all once, isn't it?

Highlights & Pictures:

Articulate Ink is an artist-run printmaking centre here in Regina (they have a space up above The Capitol, on Hamilton Street). Their stuff is amazing, and they came out to Vic Park on Sunday with a merch tent, a DIY printmaking tent, and a steamroller (duh).

Articulate Ink worked together with some kids from Regina Open Door to design the artwork on a 4x8 woodblock, which they then pressed onto linen with a steamroller. In the words of I don't know who: Go big or go home. It was really fun to watch, especially since they didn't do a test run. They just went for it, and it worked out.

The steamroller wasn't the only unconventional printing tool there: The other bit of equipment, used in the DIY tent, was an old hand clothes wringer. Barclay's parents showed up just in time to have a little in-law craft time.

I made a sloppy little TV and it's now hanging in my office, like so:

Across the park, there was a graffiti competition going on. The canvas: Saran Wrap - which sounds strange but it was actually awesome, because when the sun started to set, the light shone through the spray paint and the park became this weird, magical graffiti forest. 

(We went ahead and got our family pictures taken in the weird, magical graffiti forest while a DJ played Iron and Wine in the background. Life is beautiful.)

Other things...

We watched a giant guitar jam session on the plaza, a lady showed Sullivan how to make guitar picks, I went on a little historical walking tour of downtown Regina, and I took Sullivan on a date to the RCMP Heritage Centre, where we walked through the museum and watched a pipes and drums band (I really love bagpipes. Like, more than I feel I should). 

Next year, you should come. We should go together. Deal? Deal.

Good.