Joe Kerr of Pixels 2.1 Gallery said it he was going to bring it back.  Now, six months later, it is!  All summer he had patrons talking about the exhibit.  Finally, he had an opening and was able make it happen.

We are so excited that Winnipeg has another chance to see this incredible combination of artistry, imagination, and collaboration.  (Rodney says I have a preoccupation with large words).  It’s true.  I must work on that.

So, come out and see what the buzz is about!  Gallery hours are Tues-Sat, 11-5.  Open for First Fridays in the Exchange on October 5th.  (Rodney and Sonya will be there between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.)

Pixels 2.1 Gallery, 217 McDermot Ave.  (west of Main, across from the Mayberry and Ragpickers).  Street parking and Impark.

If I can figure it out, I will download the video of the speech.

For now, here are the links to our charities:

WaterCan

Samaritan’s Purse Canada

CBC – Manitoba Scene

Metro – Winnipeg

Enjoy them, comment on them, and use the facebook/twitter options!

“Airborne” captures the fascinating interplay of motion, flour dust, and light.  It shows until May 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday at Pixels 2.1 Gallery, 217 McDermot Avenue.  Opening Reception this Thursday, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.,is a free event and open to the public.

Braun won “Best Portrait” and “Best Commercial Image” at an awards ceremony held on March 31st, by the Professional Photographers of Canada-Manitoba (PPOC-MB).  He has published two books, “Just As I Am” and “H2Oohhh”, both of which are available at McNally Robinson.

"Best Commercial" Image

"Best Portrait"

Please be sure to sign-up on our homepage if you’re interested in pre-ordering a book.  There’s no money required at this point.  We just want to know when we have 150 books spoken for.

Here is another example of extreme artistry and an incredible story:

Tattoos as Therapy

They say, “One second can change your life forever.”  The day of the crash, my whole life did just that.  In a moment, all I knew was anger, resentment, confusion, depression, frustration and fear.  I needed to find some way to express myself.  So comes the story of my tattoos…

Cross and Heart – symbolizes the doubt in my religion that I believed in my whole life—why had HE chosen this to happen to me?  It also represents the belief I was saved for my daughter Hannah, and fighting to hold on because of her.

Scales of Justice – I know the truth of what happened…this was not the outcome.  All the pain and hurt I was feeling was dismissed as well as the person responsible.

The Monster Inside – Through all of this a monster has grown inside me.  I am constantly trying to heal.  This is my way of slowly letting it out, ripping at my skin to reveal its ugly head and helping free myself of the anger.

Gerard

I think those of us who don’t have tattoos don’t understand the reasoning behind them and we often judge.  I think that’s wrong…understandable, but wrong.  I hope through this project, that people on “both sides” will be brought just a bit closer together.  I love how art can be a catalyst for this.

Two stories, along their images are featured here:  http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/scene/other/2011/12/06/skin-and-soul-exhibit-looks-beyond-the-tattoo/

Here is another.

Strength & Happiness

My tattoo consists of a cherry blossom and two Chinese symbols that represent strength and happiness.  This is a personal gift to me for the many challenges in my life.

Our existence into life was not our choice to make, but we do choose the journey in which we live our lives.

I, like many others, have had rough, enabling, and upsetting experiences that have changed life’s journey and direction.  But it is my choice to either live in the darkness and depression, or have the strength to evolve and overcome my experiences.

It takes great strength and willingness to forgive, but not forget, the past in order to create the direction I choose to follow in life.  With this inner strength and acceptance, I can break free from the past and create a healthier path in life to follow.

We can either live in the darkness or free ourselves from the past and create happiness…what is your journey?

Virginia

I find it interesting to listen to people talk about tattoos.  There are those that are passionate about them and those that are passionately against them.  And maybe a few who are neutral.  I’ve learned a great deal (as usual with our art) about why people get tattoos.  There are some incredible stories waiting to be told.  And we’ve only just begun.

It’s been challenging keeping our focus on getting this project launched, as we are also in the midst of moving out of our beloved studio.  It turns out that we will have our studio a bit longer though, as our buyer fell through.  Rodney has been enjoying the chance to teach at Red River College and I have been enjoying developing as a speaker and writer and singer.

For the winter, our basement is crammed full, as we are mostly moved out.  In the spring, our plan is to build a garage/studio in our backyard.  Until then we will continue to photograph in our studio until a new buyer is found, and then on a smaller scale on-locatio.

Here’s the chorus:

Be but your own good friend
And be good to the other
Cherish those sisters and brothers
Along the road

And to the earth extend
Every reverence and wonder
Tend to the wounds of your blunders
Honour God who formed our home

It’s so important to care for the world in which we live: both the people and the rest of creation.  And when we’ve messed up with either of them, to make sure we tend to those wounds.  For more info on how we can take care of Lake Winnipeg, please visit www.lakewinnipegfoundation.org

A number of different discussions come to my mind when this frustration surfaces for me.  One of them is water conservation.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how conserving water makes a significant difference for our lakes and rivers, and for ensuring that we maintain a good supply of water that we can drink.  I can grasp how all the water we use tends to end up more polluted than it was before.  That I get.  I realize that most of us in Canada take water for granted, and we could be a whole lot more responsible with this precious resource.  I know that if we actually had to collect our own water and deal with our own waste, we would automatically be more responsible.

I guess that’s where cities tend to fall short.  We are disconnected from the consequences of our actions.  We let the responsibility fall on the shoulders of our civic government (and we don’t take kindly to the raising of rates–although maybe if we were given solid rationale for what the additional funds were going to, we would consider the benefits of paying more).  Unfortunately, the water rates are not set up currently to reward people who are conserving water, or encouraging bigger users like businesses to look at using less.  This shouldn’t surprise or outrage us because I’m guessing that water has been treated like a commodity in the past, and bulk pricing is always cheaper for commodities.

But instead of pointing fingers at the city, can we be a positive voice for change?  After all, city policies are often put in place for good reason at the time.  When times change, we need to encourage our governments to change as well, if change will bring greater good for people and the place they live.  As local singer-songwriter, Steve Bell has been pointing out, in all of our conversations and relationships, we need to recognize the kinship we share with every person, and show a little “kin-dness”, even when controversial issues are being discussed.

I started asking questions about conserving water, and ended up talking about dealing with controversy in a compassionate manner.  I guess one never knows where writing will take a person.  Love to hear your comments!