ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Van Colden

I grew up in Cape-Breton, Nova Scotia on a small island known as Isle Madame. There were no ski hills and I did not love the winters. But I did love art.

When I was a kid, I submitted entries to just about every art contest I could, often taking the top prize. I absolutely loved drawing and colouring and was certain that one day, I would go to art school and become an artist.

But that was not in the cards.

When I left for university, reality set in. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for university, so if I was going to go, it would have to be funded solely by student loans. I knew that I would be accruing large debt load, and that eventually I would have to pay for it. I wasn’t confident that I could do that in a competitive art world, especially one known for its “starving” members. My dream of becoming an artist was curbed. Instead, I studied science and eventually became a physiotherapist.

I practiced at a sports clinic for several years. That’s where I met my future husband. Maybe I would have found my way back to the arts, but he was a key player in accelerating this journey. When we started dating, he learned that I loved art, so he bought me an easel that he gifted to me our first Christmas in Fernie. For the very first time, I dabbled with paints. I started with acrylics, and a few years later when we got married in Fernie, I painted a piece for him, of him and his buddies, ski touring in the Bonnington Range of the Selkirks. His wedding present was my first fully completed work with paints.

Life got busy. I learned how to ski, worked at a busy practice, had babies, left the practice, did some health promotions, and pursuing art was pushed to the very back burner. I did, however, take sporadic art courses here and there, including figure drawing and an introduction to oils. I found that I absolutely loved working with oils, but like most busy moms, finding time for my craft was my biggest challenge.

It was a few months before COVID, that I really started to paint. I painted a few paintings that I shared on social media,

the paintings were scooped up, and people reached out for commissions. That support provided confidence in my abilities. When COVID hit, my health promotion contracts were wrapping up, and suddenly I had more time. My kids were at an age that I could manage doing more of what I loved. And so, in COVID, I painted just about every day.

Over the years, I also learned to love the winters. We have been coming to Fernie for the past 20+ years. It is where I learned to ski and where I watched my kids learn to ski. As a family, we have had so many great experiences in Fernie, and it has heavily influenced what I create. I am drawn to paintings with thick brush strokes, bright colours, and whimsical scenes that elicit happiness. I love seeing girls in sports, particularly confident and fierce on their skis, and that shows in my pieces. I also like to add some “funny” in my work because I think we could all use laughs in our lives. With the explosion of digital art, I believe that there is value in one of a kind original art, where you can find perfection in the imperfections.

Every day, when I pick up my brushes, I feel this immense gratitude for the support I have received from friends, family, and clients, but also for organizations like the Fernie Arts Station. The Arts Station, a true gem in Fernie, supports emerging artists, by providing a venue for exposure. I cannot think of a better way to kickstart 2022 than having my pieces displayed there, diving into this new art world, and enjoying everything about the ride. To learn more about Van Colden, visit vancoldenart.com. Her exhibit, Shredding with the Littles opens at the Arts Station on December 20, 2021 and will be on display most of January.

Show a Little Leg: 3rd Annual #FernieArtStreak

by MICHAEL HEPHER

I’m not naturally a gregarious* person and as such I do love my alone time, but we are built as social creatures so even the most reclusive of us need to find connection to survive. In my 20s I discovered how important connection was to me by setting out on a long solo trip in my VW bus. By the second week I would make my morning coffee and just wander into random campsites where the people looked friendly, just to talk to someone— just to feel human.

The Fernie Art Streak started right here three years ago as a bit of a lark. It grew out of my frustration with the sportiness of Fernie. Don’t get me wrong: I love sports. I’m an avid mountain biker, I love a good hike, and I’ve played hockey most of my life. I also believe we live our best lives when we work towards balance, so the Fernie Art Streak is about finding equilibrium by encouraging everyone to take some time for creativity in their lives.

This Art Streak is absolutely not about making high-level art. It’s also not about professionals making all the art. When I look at Strava times on my favourite MTB trails I see that there are teenagers who are WAY faster than me. When I show up for Beer League, I’m the functional winger with no flashy moves. Neither of those things prevent me from enjoying those activities. I look for places to improve and I start from there to make some progress. It’s about enjoying the process of learning, not about making something refined.

Over the last three years, the Arts Station has taken on the Art Streak and grown it into a great way of connecting with other people. In the first year we had weekly meetups at the pub. Last year, sadly, we had to hunker down and use our digital tools to connect. This year, we can have our cake and eat it too! The Arts Station is planning regular Art Streak meetups as well as a Facebook group to make sure everyone has a chance to show their arty side.

If you’re feeling like you need a bit of creativity or connection in your life, I encourage you to join this growing community! No experience is necessary— just a willingness to show a little leg. It’s good to exercise our creative muscles, and now that we can meet up in person it will be good to connect with other makers in our community. It might feel a little scary, but like streaking (you know, running through a crowd in your birthday suit), it’s invigorating because there is some risk, and some personal exposure. Art is about vulnerability, but vulnerability builds connection, and connection improves our emotional balance. Ready? Go.

“If you’re feeling like you need a bit of creativity or connection in your life, I encourage you to join this growing community!”

Here’s how it works:

1. Download, tear out (there is a tear out prompt list located on page 53 of this issue), or copy and paste the Prompt

List. You can also pick up a FREE sketchbook at the Arts Station with the prompt list tucked inside.

2. Make something every day that is inspired by the prompt.

3. Join the

Facebook

Group (scan the QR code to find the link) and post it for everyone to see. Hashtag: #fernieartstreak

4. Don’t feel guilty if you miss a day or three. It’s supposed to be fun.

5. Come on out to the weekly meetups at the Arts Station: Saturday 10am12noon.

*A gregarious person is someone who is very sociable and fond of company. I love this word but my family worries that my vocabulary makes people feel inferior—I truly just enjoy finding the perfect word, and if we don’t use them then they get lost. I dare you to say ‘gregarious’ and NOT love the way it rolls off your tongue.

PAY BY DEBIT AND SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY

DURING JANUARY 2022

Fernie Cardlock will donate 4¢ per litre of fuel purchased here by Debit. Each month a community charity or fundraiser is selected for donations.

Fernie Nordic Society

The Fernie Nordic Society aims to provide great crosscountry skiing opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages at an affordable cost. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community. We re-invest all donations into building trails, infrastructure and programs. We are proud of the legacy we are creating together.

Gary & Lila Tomlinson 250-423-7205 or 250-430-1299

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The Kickstarter

by Sadie Rosgen and the FSS Grade 7 English Class

When my friend and bandmate, Barbara Bassett and I discussed me coming into her grade 7 English class at Fernie Secondary School, I was overjoyed. I absolutely love teaching poetry, particularly to young adults. When the fateful day arrived, I couldn’t help but feel nervous and vulnerable in my preparation for the group. Would I know any of the students? How would they treat me? Do they even like poetry? I cast aside my insecurities and forged ahead, knowing that what I have to offer is of value and kickstarted myself into teacher mode and braved the group. No matter how old and experienced we are, no matter how confident and able, that jolt of moving forward is the fuel that propels us into the unknown.

Thank you, Barbara for trusting me with your students and to all of you in class that day, thank you for your vulnerability, your willingness to share your ideas, and to accept that sometimes we all need a little kickstart.

The Kickstarter

By Alba Banman, Lu Boronowski, Drayana Caravetta, Lydia Dopko, Isla Dutton, Maeve Green, Katie Hafke, Tamsin Hicken, Logan Hurley, Rayne Jones, Nick Larsen, Ailish Leith, Caitie McKeown, Taryn Mutcher, Ruby Novecosky, Brennen Peterson, Theron Rome, Natalia Ross, Nyah Shopland, Hailey Stull, Zakk Temrick, Liam Warr, Evie Woodall, and Sadie Rosgen. The beginning…

Big lights, excited motivation!

P E O P L E

nervous proud

The road, gusts of breath, bike wheels turning. F A L L I N G

hope, trying to do something, believing in myself.

F O C U S I N G

I’m going to get this! In it, to win it. In the action, foot, leg, ready, shoot! MY best MY dreams MY self

good for you for finding yourself…

finish line

SLEEP

In 1993, Groundhog Day was released. It was the heartwarming tale of a supremely arrogant Pittsburg weatherman who, after getting stuck in a time loop and enduring a small town’s annual Groundhog Day celebration over and over again, earns the love of a good woman and redeems himself. The film has become a cult classic, so it is no surprise that other filmmakers have taken its basic plot and built their own movies around the theme.

Palm Springs is a film that owes a lot to Groundhog Day. It has the same basic story, but with a somewhat darker, more raunchy 21st century take on the material.

It is directed by Max Barbakow, a writer and director who is clearly very talented, but has very few credits to his name. His previous efforts include The Duke: Based on the Memoir ‘I’m the Duke’ by J.P. Duke (2016), a comedy drama co-written by Andy Siara, about a concussion addled ex-NFL star struggling to adjust to life off the field during Super Bowl Sunday. Palm Springs, his narrative feature debut, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by NEON and Hulu for the price of $22 million, the biggest single-film acquisition ever out of the Festival.

The story of Palm Springs centers around the adventures of Sarah, a reluctant maid of honour and carefree Nyles. They are a pair of slackers who get stuck in a time loop during a Palm Springs wedding. They struggle against otherworldly forces, which hilariously highlight the character flaws which make them unable to escape the venue until they can better themselves. It’s Groundhog Day mixed with When Harry Met Sally. It deals with relationships, the meaning of existence and the psychological toll that reliving the same day over and over would take on a human being.

The screenplay has been cleverly concocted by Andy Siara. The script is hilarious and really makes you care about these two directionless millennials who are trying to make their way in a universe that has stopped making sense.

This is a good movie. The leads are wonderful, and the themes are tackled in a way that is dramatically interesting. Sarah is played by Cristin Milioti, an actress known for her stage performances, winning her awards for roles in Stunning (2010) and Once (2011-2013). She has also appeared in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and the television series A to Z and FX’s Fargo.

Nyles is played by Andy Samberg, a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island, and a cast member on Saturday Night Live (2005-2012). He has had minor roles in a number of films dating from 2007 to 2016, and he was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series in 2013.

Palm Springs also features a deranged villain, played by the incredible, and very frightening, J.K. Simmons, a character not seen in the original Groundhog Day. He is a welcome addition to a film well worth viewing and available now for free on Amazon Prime. I give this movie a very energetic and enthusiastic two thumbs up.

Palm Springs

by ANDREW VALLANCE

“Palm Springs is a film that owes a lot to Groundhog Day. It has the same basic story, but with a somewhat darker, more raunchy 21st century take on the material. ”