arts and culture

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November 4, 2007

Local Eco-Shopping: Soul Matters

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, clothing, fair trade, food, organic
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A new store has opened up on Bank Street near Sunnyside in Old Ottawa South: Soul Matters. I had a few minutes to spare so I dropped in to see what they had to offer to the environmentally-conscious consumer.

They have an eclectic mix of books, tapes, dvds, yoga clothes, tea and spiritual accessories (for lack of a better term). They carry a wide variety of caffeine-based and herbal Numi teas, one of my favourite organic and fairtrade tea companies. They also carry Respecterre bamboo yoga clothes, which are designed and made in Canada.

Bamboo is not only easier on the earth to produce than most other clothing fibres but also is reputed to be anti-bacterial, which is always handy in workout wear. Soul Matters also carries gift bags made out of bamboo paper (in case you need anti-microbial gift-bags, just kidding).

Soul Matters, 1093 Bank St. Ottawa 613-730-SOUL (7685)

 

October 23, 2007

Last Week to Visit the Green Exhibit at the Cube Gallery

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, energy, flora and fauna, transportation
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Ottawa’s Cube Gallery has been hosting a group show of art about the environment for the month of October.  Sculpture, photography and paintings by 15 artists exploring the more-than-human world and humans’ place in it are on display until Sunday October 28th.

I managed to catch a glimpse of the Green Exhibit today (though the gallery is not open to the public Mondays or Tuesdays) and liked what I saw: some industrial landscapes, some wilderness landscapes, some provocative and even disturbing pieces, some reverent and even spiritual pieces.  Definitely worth the trip to the Parkdale Market neighbourhood where Cube makes its home.

In related news, Cube Gallery has recently signed on to source all its electricity from Bullfrog Power, making it the only art gallery in Canada to be green powered.  For you bike-commuters, the Cube Gallery also has a first-rate rack out front that will accommodate up to 5 bikes.

Cube Gallery is open Wednesdays to Fridays 11-6pm and Saturdays and Sundays 10-5pm.

Cube Gallery, 7 Hamilton Ave., North, 613-728-1750

 

August 8, 2007

Random Acts of Art: Remic Rapids Stone Sculptures

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, building
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The stone sculptures that emerge each summer out of the shallow waters of Remic Rapids in the Ottawa River were my introduction to the power of random acts of art in public places. Seeming to defy gravity, the rock figures embody the magic that unexpected works of art can bring to places, reminding us to pay attention to our surroundings.

These particular acts of art are now impermanent fixtures along the Ottawa River Parkway. For me, they are as much a sign of summertime in the capital as the ripening of blackberries in my backyard and the whine of cicadas in the afternoon heat. On most weekends the artist, John Félice Ceprano, is there, attending to his figures, good naturedly re-stacking them when some careless tourist ignores the warning signs and sends them tumbling back into a pile of rocks.

The NCC has even installed an official plaque on site. According to the plaque, John Félice Ceprano has been experimenting with ephemeral stone sculptures since 1986. I came across his work sometime in the mid 1990s. That summer, my friends and I were so moved by the visual and physical balance of the figures and by their transient nature that we were inspired to hold a midsummer picnic in their presence, eating strawberries and chocolate on the rocks as the sun went down on the longest day of the year.

For more information about the artist, John Félice Ceprano, and for some gorgeous photos of the sculptures over the years, check out his web-page: www.jfceprano.com

 

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