Mayor's Celebration of the Arts - A Whole Lotta Art Going on...

Last week I took in the Mayor's Celebration of the Arts at the Winspear Centre.  It was a terrific evening showcasing many wonderful local artists and it was kind of cool to move outside my usual as the evening celebrated not only theatre artists, but also dance, spoken word, music and visual art. The nominees and winners for the awards similarly came from a wide-range of artistic pursuits and it was wonderful to be in the room as the energy was so overwhelming supportive. It was also fun to watch Mayor Don Iveson show off his silly side as he danced with The Wet Secrets in the closing number. My favorite piece was the collaboration of Spoken Word Poet Mary Pinkowski, guitarist and singer Eva Foote and dancers Jeanie and Jodie Vandekerkhove.  I also have fallen in love with Jason Carter's artwork which was animated by Matt Schuurman and served as a backdrop for the evening's entertainment.  If you're looking for a gift for me, you can buy me one of his prints!

I'm hoping to return next year as this was a terrific evening celebrating what I think is one of the best things about Edmonton - it's community of artists!