17 minute read
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Troy Cook
Music has always been a binding art form that has informed and influenced other forms of art, especially the work of painters. Whether it is used as a vehicle in the production of art or directly applied as subject matter, music has been synonymous with a great variety of art and creation. English painter David Hockney would choreograph an intense drive that he timed out to Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries.” He would drive a windy road at different speeds, with the song exploding from his car stereo until he found the perfect length of road that would allow him to drive up to his seaside home as the song came to its dramatic end. I too put together different pairings of music and roads, generally dirt roads, in attempts to master this exercise. It is truly rewarding to plan one of these experiments and pull into the driveway and have a song perfectly end as you put your car into park. Matching music with the act of driving also releases an emotional response to the entire moment which can become notable, a new memory and greater appreciation of a piece of music. Jean-Michel Basquiat would paint to music, as many creative people do, when making art. His interaction with the music often ended up in his paintings and as word play in his work. His stark works often depicted musicians and conveyed the rhythms of what he was listening to while creating.
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In my recent group of paintings entitled Night Rambles in Shadows with Liquor Store Blues, I used a combination of these techniques to draw out a show that would reflect the influence music and travel has had on what I create. I researched several songs and
pulled lyrics from these songs that had an impact on me in various ways at various times.
Songs often lay a marker for me of a specific moment. Once I had chosen a lyric and drew out a memory of that lyric, I let the creative process take over assembling the visual and emotional work. The art became primitive or demanded more detail. Planning also took into account colour, canvas dimension and the construct of the room I would be showing the work.
To accompany the work, I created a Spotify playlist people attending the show could access on their phones and listen to while viewing the exhibit. This also became a vehicle to sharing music with the viewer they may not have known about, or music that they were familiar which drew on their own connections to the songs. Troy Cook’s collection Night Rambles in Shadows with Liquor Store Blues is on exhibit at the Fernie Museum gallery this summer. Admission is free for members, $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for youth ages 17 and under. ferniemuseum.com
Words and Wonder at the Library
by JESSICA BOZOKY
Feeling the heat this summer? Cool off at the Fernie Heritage Library. Bask in our air-conditioning while browsing the shelves for a book, magazine or movie, or just surfing online on a public computer. Sit in the shade of our tents in the Library garden and connect to the Wi-Fi or bring along a table-top game to play. We even have a giant chess set in the garden.
For our younger patrons, Storytimes are moving outside (virtual Storytime will be posted to our social media if the weather on the day isn’t amenable). Watch our social media for all details.
The Fernie Youth Action Network will also be hosting an array of fun programmes for teens in the Library garden and around town, follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date information.
There is also still time to participate in the Summer Reading Club this month. Patrons must register weekly for activities and crafts, so head to our website for more information.
The Library will be closed the first week of August 3-7, so our staff can enjoy a few blissful summer days before jumping into programming and preparations for the new school year. Fear not, fellow bookworms, for our digital library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You can even carry it around in your back pocket. Access our digital collection of books, audiobooks and magazines by downloading Libby by Overdrive and logging in with your Library card details.
Some whimsical adult fiction to enjoy this summer:
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker The Midnight Library by Matt Haig All the Birds in The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish by David Rakoff The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime by Mark Haddon Mostly Void, Partially Stars Welcome to Night Vale Volume 1 by Joseph Fink Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Adult Non-Fiction
Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson Don’t Think Twice: Adventure and Healing At 100 Miles Per Hour by Barbara Schoichet Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard
Young Adult
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Manhurin Frankly in Love by David Yoon The Upside of Falling by Alex Light The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessin Kings, Queens, in Betweens by Tanya Boteju Illustration By Pruthvi Harshan Visit ferniefix.com to find tthe full size black and white illiustration to colour in!
Share The Nuggets
Take your books on an adventure with you this summer and get someone to take a photo of you reading in the great outdoors. FHL will be sharing submitted photos on our social media platforms, with prizes for staff favourites. Photos can be submitted to: fhlprogrammer@gmail. com
A Deliberate Sound in the Right Direction
by MICHAEL HEPHER
Painting by Michael Hepher
I’m not what you would call a whimsical guy. I know I can come off somewhat pensive, though I do love a good laugh. I’m prone to silliness on occasion, especially when word puns are involved, but whimsey is another thing altogether. I am jealous of people who can pull off whimsey. I admire it—I wish for it even—but it just doesn’t flow from me. My attempts at whimsey typically come off as stiff, forced, and not very whimsical at all.
The only thing I’ve made that has really captured an authentic lightheartedness is that big, bright mural I painted back in 2019 on the side of the Beanpod. The success of that piece was entirely dependent on having a subject matter I truly believe in - you, my community.
July 1, 2021 was the 10th anniversary of our move to Fernie. If you had seen us rolling into town, it would have been quite a sight: a line of scruffy vans and trucks loaded down with instruments, kids, paints, furniture, and printing presses. Over these ten years we’ve slowly found our people and come to be familiar with the ups and downs of this little mountain hamlet.
We were here when the first pride sidewalk was painted, and when it was defaced. We live up the street from the tragedy at the Memorial Arena, and we felt the kindness of strangers as we were stuck in a hotel for a week. We’ve witnessed the growth of the Wednesday Socials from 30 stragglers to 600 plus, and felt the ache of missing those connections through the months of Covid. We’ve seen our kids grow, face hard times, find friends, learn, change and take giant steps to becoming their adult selves. We’ve heard hurtful words and felt overwhelming support. We’ve railed and bucked and made mistakes. We’ve laughed and cried and fell in and out of love with this town over and over again. We’ve tried to make space and time for important things and frivolous things. Through it all we’ve discovered and lost and rediscovered ourselves, and not much of it feels like whimsey to me.
It truly is a time that’s hard to find the lightness in. I know we need it, but with fires raging around BC, the monster of a pandemic year full of anxieties still clutching at our ankles, and life/work balance that has gone from cricket sounds to hair-straight-back almost overnight, it’s feeling hard to find energy for silliness.
Hearing all this, you may wonder why I pitched a grant application to the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance that takes the mural project all over the Columbia Basin in the form of a solo exhibition of paintings and prints— basically a room full of whimsical portraits of life in the Basin. Honestly, at this moment I’m wondering the same thing myself. I was awarded the grant, and now I’m pushing hard towards an opening date of October 2021.
The result of the grant colliding with the times is that I’m struggling to feel like these new pieces have any authenticity. Of course, they do, but authenticity is the hill I die on and that inner artist’s voice— normally so good at pushing me forward— is currently berating me for painting all this fluff. Where is the meaning? Where is the depth? it says. And still I push on, searching.
What is emerging is that it’s you again, my community, that allows me to see the depth. This little town, the greater Kootenay community, the rugged mountains and cold lakes, and all the people in it. The history, the rivers, the miners and the hippies. Together we make one strange parade—and yet if we can somehow see what we have in common we can make this all work. Like a high school marching band, what we make is not exactly music, but it’s a deliberate sound in the right direction, and it’s here I find the meaning in my works in progress.
Way back in January 2020 I somewhat prophetically titled my grant application “In This Together.” Defining what ‘together’ means to us will define how gracefully we live, and I want to know what that means to you so I can capture it authentically. If you want to join my whimsical journey, you can follow along on Instagram at @ michaelhepher or tag your photos with #BasInThisTogether so I can see what this place, and these people, mean to you.
French Bakery
Open Wednesday to Sunday 7.45AM to 5.00PM Homemade Bread - Croissants - Pain au Chocolat - Almond Croissants and more!
All made with organic flour and lots of love
792B- 3rd Avenue, Fernie, BC / 250-278-0109
@lebonpainfernie Lebonpainc’estlavie
Keep The Adventure Going!
Lifejackets, Backpacks, Hiking Gear + Everything You Need To Fuel Your Outdoor Adventure
Open 7 Days A Week
791 A 2nd Ave, Fernie 250-423-4332 www.barkside.com
HAVE YOU HEARD?
North Coal is a Canadian resource company based in Sparwood. We are committed to developing the Michel Coal project, providing a long-term source of steel-making coal for export to global markets, bringing sensible economic opportunity to the Elk Valley region. We live in the Elk Valley and we understand the unique challenges and opportunities it offers. Our innovative approach includes using globally proven technologies for protecting the integrity of water, ensuring dust control, and delivering progressive reclamation.
We are committed to keeping you informed about our project and its progress.
MONTHLY EVENTS
Tuesday 3.8.2021
Council Meeting @ City of Sparwood, 6pm
Wednesday 4.8.2021
Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors
Monday 9.8.2021
FMBC Shredder Series @ Sparwood Lunch Loop, 6pm Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm
Wednesday 11.8.2021
Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors
Thursday 12.8.2021
Tony Servello Sr. Open @ Fernie Golf Club
Sunday 15.8.2021 to 21.8.2021
Fernie Writers Conference @ Downtown Fernie, a week of writing workshops, panel discussions and performances
Monday 16.8.2021
Committee of the Whole Meeting @ City Hall, 4pm
Tuesday 17.8.2021
Council Meeting @ City of Sparwood, 6pm
Wednesday 18.8.2021
Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors
Monday 23.8.2021
Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm
Wednesday 25.8.2021
Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors
Thursday 26.8.2021
Transrockies Gravel Royale Finish @ Annex Park, Fernie BC Kevin Frank Exhibit Opening @ The Arts Station
Friday 27.8.2021 Beyond Single-Use: A Weekend of Action
@ Wildsight Elk Valley Online
Saturday 28.8.2021 Beyond Single-Use: A Weekend of Action
@ Wildsight Elk Valley Online
Wednesday 1.9.2021
Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors
Many events are subject to COVID-19 restrictions. As things change and evolve, additional events may be added to the calendar. Make sure to stay up to date by visiting FernieFix.com/events Do you have an event to share? Send it to krista@clarismedia.com for inclusion!
WEEKLY EVENTS
Mondays
Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Les Tiguidous @ AFRosFernie, outdoor activities with songs, stories in French ages 0-5. 10:15am Club Cr8 @ The Arts Station Le Club Baguette Junior @ Rotary Park, outdoor activities and games in French ages 7-12, 3:30pm Plein Air Pod @ The Arts Station, 2-4pm Date Night @ Island Lake Lodge
Tuesdays
Storytime (ages 3-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Try it at Home @ Fernie Heritage Library, weekly STEM/DIY for kids Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station, 6pm Ladies’ League @ Fernie Golf Club
Fernie Options for Sexual Health Clinic
Open @ Elk Valley Hospital, 6:30-8:30pm by appointment Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Burger and Beer Night @ The Northern Wing Night @ The Pub
Wednesdays
Curbside Craft @ Fernie Heritage Library, pick up between 12-4pm, Tuesday through Friday Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Team Trivia @ The Fernie Men’s League @ Fernie Golf Club Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station, 1pm or 7pm
Scott Downhill Race Series: Kids and Youth Race presented by Fox and
Legends @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4:30pm Wednesday Social @ Station Square, 5:30pm Women on Wheels Ride @ Fernie Bike Park, 6:30pm Wine Tasting Wednesday @ Island Lake Lodge
Thursdays
Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station, 1pm Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm Seniors’ League @ Fernie Golf Club
Club Baguette Adultes - Practice
Speaking French @ AFRos Fernie via Zoom, 7pm Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub
Scott Downhill Race Series: Adults and Masters Race presented by Fox and
Legends @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 6:30pm Fernie Trails Alliance Work Party @ Fernie Bike Park Art in the Eve @ The Arts Station, 7pm
Fridays
Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Women on Wheels Ride @ Fernie Bike Park, 9:30am Spring Fling Scavenger Hunts @ Fernie Heritage Library, 10am Fish and Chips @ The Pub Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Fernie Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station
Saturdays
Farmers Market @ Baynes Lake, 9am Shawarma Take Out @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Legion Historical Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum, 11am The Great Fire, 1pm Fernie at War, 3pm RumRunners
Sundays
Fernie Mountain Market @ Rotary Park, 10am-2pm Historical Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum, 11am The Great Fire, 1pm Fernie at War, 3pm RumRunners
Mind Flush
by Sadie Rosgen and the SHINE Performing Arts Camp
When I am most displaced by vivid whimsy, I am transported to the theatre. Black stage, black walls, heavy lights, thick curtains, the delicate veil of magic and the suspension of disbelief. If I’m lucky, I’m at the Arts Station teaching SHINE performing arts camp, a camp Rachel Behan and I founded years ago out of our love for the performing arts. SHINE camp offers all things fun and diverse for kids in the performing arts. We have taught hundreds of performers through singing, dance, scene study, mask, movement, and writing the value of storytelling and the importance of one’s voice. This summer we came together and we worked hard, felt all the feelings, and performed together again, connecting like never before. Here’s a poem depicting our small fragments of whimsy, wild and powerful, from the mouths of babes...
SHINE Camp 2021 Mind Flush
By Rachel Behan, Theo Hepher, Rachel and Penny Lewis, Lily and Scarlett Earl, Max and Kallie McRae, Charlie and Lucy Staples, Liam Lawrence, Asia Gadd, Nova Willems, Anika Jones, Brooklyn Irving, Olivia Cromey, Maeve Green, and Sadie Rosgen
It’s a dreamscape, a white room swirling in pastels,
T R A N S P O R T E D
popping bubbles, blowing clouds, noise echoing from the trees
we see the sky, grateful for what we have
happy excited singing!
patterns of joy
sssssssssssssss shhhhhhhhhhh
S I L E N C E
The wind, beckoning our alternate reality floating and flying overhead
I S L A N D S O F W H I M S E Y
this doesn’t need to make sense
The Outpost
by ANDREW VALLANCE
Jake Tapper is a well respected, American journalist and author, best known for his work as the Washington anchor for CNN. His book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor debuted in 2012, reaching number 10 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Tapper’s book and his reporting on US veterans and troops were cited as reasons for his receiving an award for Excellence in Journalism from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
In 2020 the book was made into a film. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its battle sequences and respectful depiction of soldiers.
The story takes place in 2009 at Kamdesh, one of several U.S. army outposts in Northern Afghanistan. It was situated in a remote valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains, and the troops stationed there faced regular Taliban attacks, culminating in one of the bloodiest battles of the war when 53 soldiers and two military advisors battled hundreds of enemy insurgents. An estimated 150 insurgents were killed, and 27 Americans were wounded and eight died. Two soldiers received Medals of Honor, and 27 Purple Hearts were awarded for wounds sustained in combat, making the unit the most decorated in the war.
The combat in this film is exciting, fast paced and well edited. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the character development which is generally terrible. The main characters are interchangeable, boorish, emotionally stunted frat boys who the audience get to know only on a very superficial level. The Afghan characters in the film are portrayed as either savages or cowards, which is highly insulting to the eight Afghan soldiers who fought and died alongside the Americans.
Director Rod Lurie was a graduate of the West Point Military Academy before starting his foray into filmmaking. He has written and directed such films as
The Contender (2000) and The Last Castle (2001).
The film stars Scott Eastwood, Milo Gibson and Will Attenborough, all of whom have unremarkable filmographies in spite of their connections to the film industry. Eastwood is the son of actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood. He appeared in Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018). Gibson is the son of Mel Gibson. He was in Gangster Land (2017) and will appear in All the Devil’s Men which is to be released in 2021. Attenborough is the son of theatre director Michael Attenborough and grandson of actor-director Richard Attenborough, as well as great-nephew of naturalist David Attenborough. Also appearing in the film is Caleb Landry Jones. In 2017 Jones had supporting roles in Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.
The one character in the film who does stand out is Captain Benjamin Keating, played by Orlando Bloom. Although Bloom doesn’t have a lot to work with, he makes the best of his limited time on screen. Unfortunately for the audience Keating dies in a Humvee accident about half an hour into the film. The role is a comedown for a quality actor like Bloom whose outstanding film credits include The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Troy (2004), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Carnival Row (2019 to present).
Hollywood does love the US military, collaborating with them for decades to produce films such as Top Gun and Platoon, but unfortunately, many of these films are flat and jingoistic. The Outpost is, unfortunately, one of the latter. I urge you to give this one a pass.
