Arts

Peter Bates sketches model Kimberly Lawday with pastels at the Village Art Studio on Front St. Belleville on Feb. 18. Photo by Kaitlin Balogh.

By Tiffany J. LeBlanc

With his debut recital under his belt and a provincial music award in hand, 17-year-old pianist Luke Bell has big dreams for his future.

On Feb. 6, Bell performed live at St. Matthew's United Church, in Belleville. In order to raise money for an upcoming class trip to Paris over March break to explore French culture, the Bell family co-ordinated this event and raised almost half of the money needed.

By Jessica Mulholland

Music for Haiti: Katie Shannon shares her talent in support of a fundraiser for Haiti. Photo by Jessica MulhollandMusical talent and helping hands filled the inside of the Picton United Church this past weekend.
The focus of the fundraiser was the current tragedy in Haiti. Jeanette Arsenault, Kim Inch and Renie Thompson of musical trio Trinity, worked hard in gathering local talent to donate their time to aid in the Haitian relief. The event, titled Songs of Hope for Haiti, raised a total of $8,000, that was then matched by the federal government.
Diane Hickling has been volunteering with the group for a total of 40 years.
“We didn’t have much notice, but we’re here, and glad to be here.”
Hickling and other volunteers from the Save the Children Canada Foundation came together to accept donations. All funds raised went to Save the Children Canada and Gospel Crusade Canada.
Picton Mayor Leo Finnegan and his wife, Maureen, also helped the cause.
“It’s good to band as one, to come together as one,” said Maureen Finnegan.

By Jessica Stoneburgh

Loyalist College students can get a little romantic with an upcoming Quinte Symphony concert on Valentine’s Day.
Guest artist and violin virtuoso Mark Fewer will be performing for the MasterWorks III concert.
Students and youth can get into the concert for $5; tickets are available at the symphony boutique and the concert will be held at the Bridge Street United Church at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s a romantic concert for students to take their sweethearts to,” says Mary-Lynn Morgan, secretary for the Quinte Symphony.
Classical music cannot only be a romantic outing, but it has also been known to have positive effects on the brain such as improvement in concentration, listening skills and one’s memory.

By Corrie Williams

Art students at Centennial Secondary School in Belleville are giving up their lunch hours to help raise money for the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
Within the first few days of hearing of the tragic event, six students and their teacher sent $500 off to the Red Cross for medical supplies. Bake sales, fundraising, and raffles, were done within a week. The amount of money raised was more than expected, but the students wanted to help more, so they decided to auction off some of their artwork and prints.

By Britania Tremblay

Young artist: Nicolas Menzies, 18, is a first-year architecture student at Loyalist College. Menzies visited the Belleville Library a month ago and had the gallery curator look at some of his work and was asked to bring more in.For some, art is a hobby, but for others, it’s a career. But what exactly does it take to be an artist?
Robert Kranendonk, co-ordinator of the art and design foundation program at Loyalist College explains that there are two different kinds of art: applied art and fine art. A fine artist will see a landscape and decide to paint it.
“Our program is set up to be one year where people can expose themselves to the world. It’s 50 per cent fine art and 50 per cent applied art. And what we’re really designed for is students who identify themselves as creative but really don’t know what they want to do with it,” says Kranendonk.
The fine art component of the program “could be for themselves or maybe they’re being commissioned for it. But typically, the art just stands for itself and whether or not it stands for itself,” says Kranendonk.
On the other side, applied art is seen as a career— a set of skills that can be used to earn income.

The Quine Mohawk Dancers perform a traditional dance called "The Fancy Shall Dance", in full regalia at the Native Arts Festival held at Loyalist College on Nov. 7
Photo by Meagen Leanord

By Tim McKay

When he was in elementary school, Loyalist graduate John Pigeau was told he spent too much time in the writer's corner. Pigeau, now a "writer of sorts," will soon see the second printing of his first novel, The Nothing Waltz, and has begun working on his second novel, as well as a book of poetry.
Pigeau's first published novel, published on Sept. 10, has sold out its first printing. He said he was "blown away," but happy the second printing created an opportunity for changes and corrections.

By Britania Tremblay

Crystal clear: Christal White, a third-year business student, had her first live-audience experience at the Media Mash-Up. White entertained the crowd with original music and songs by Marilyn Manson and Stone Temple Pilots. Photo by Britania Tremblay.The lights were burning hot on the face, the crowd was a mix of chatter, laughter and silence all at once, then Christal White plugged in her guitar to show them what she’s made of.
“When you play songs for an audience, you can put out any message that you want, which was the part I was nervous about. I knew I was doing something a little different than the others, but I stuck with what I love to play and say,” she said.
White played and sang three songs, an original song titled Can’t Stop, Creep by Stone Temple Pilots and Leave a Scar by Marilyn Manson.
White, a third-year business student at Loyalist College, attended Media Mash-Up event that took place on Oct. 21. At the Shark Tank Pub. Media Mash-Up is a social night aimed toward media students, when students and faculty mingle over food and live music.

Christal White, a third-year business student, had her first live-audience experience at the Media Mash-Up.

By Matthew Burt

Display: Laura Somerville (left) and Natasha Maracle, co-ordinators for the Native Arts Festival are pictured outside the Aboriginal Resource Centre. Photo by Steve Pettibone.Quinte area residents can enjoy a taste of a different, ancient and proud culture as the 14th annual Native Arts Festival begins at Loyalist College.
The festival, being hosted by the Aboriginal Centre at Loyalist, will open its doors at 10 a.m on Nov. 7, with venders and participants coming from as close as Tyendinaga and as far away as Six Nations, near Brantford, Ont. The event will feature a strong representation of traditional Native culture, says festival coordinator Natasha Maracle.
Running until 8 p.m. that evening, festival goers will be able to enjoy the ancient traditions of native people, as well as foods, crafts, dance and singing.
“Venders sell all types of crafts. Including rock paintings, and dreamcatchers,” Maracle said.

Laura Somerville (left) and Natasha Maracle, co-ordinators for the Native Arts Festival are pictured outside the Aboriginal Resource Centre. Photo by Steve Pettibone.

Esmond Skidmore, 92, played for patrons and recipients of the Quinte Arts Council awards on Thursday, Oct. 15.

By Bill Samuel

Music: Esmond Skidmore, 92, played for patrons and recipients of the Quinte Arts Council awards on Thursday, Oct. 15.Quinte Arts Council presented their Arts Recognition Award to two individuals and an organization Thursday.
Receiving the honours this year will be Bob Long, from the Belleville Theatre Guild, local artist, Don Pinder and the Quinte Symphony Orchestra.
“I was totally surprised when I got the call from Carol Feeney, executive director of the Theatre Guild,” said Long.
“I've been involved in doing sets, administrative and even co-chaired the Theatre Ontario Festival in 2005,” he said. “My interests are stage management and lighting design.”
Long's experience goes back to his high school days, when he did what ever the director asked him to do. He returned to the Theatre Guild in the 1981 when his employer transferred him to Belleville at the time.
“The quality of our actors and productions have greatly improved over the years, due to the dedication of all the people involved.” said Long.

Artist Sandi Warren-Marrow shows a sketch entitled "Reluctant River Nymph" to juror Caroline Marshall. She was one of dozens of artist who came to have her work critiqued on Sept.