Keri Cronin (photo courtesy Clelia Scala)
Lisa Betts (photo courtesy Clelia Scala)
The Virgin Mary meets filthy lucre -- Organizer and saint Linda Steer
On Wednesday 5 March 2008, in downtown St. Catharines, deep in the throes of a snowstorm, approximately 200 people gathered to celebrate the launch of the Beaver Ball art project and hear readings by Ray Ellenwood, Beatriz Hausner, and Stuart Ross. The event was organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Refus Global, the influential manifesto of les Automatists of Montreal, the avant-garde forerunners of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec.
With support coming from all manner of folk -- from the academic community through Brock University, the English, Visual Arts, Art History, and Drama departments, the Faculty of Humanities, and the HRI; from the corporate community through the Northern Beaver Corp and Niagara's Best beer; and from the art community through the Niagara Artists Centre and local theatre troupe Suitcase in Point (who produced an original representation of Claude Gauvreau's "In the heart of the bulrushes" for the event) -- the event brought together all manner of folks. All reports have come back positive, with lots of lovely stories about people's personal experiences with the evening.
Some photos from the event are included below:
Volunteers Kate Siklosi and Sarah Purdy
Ray Ellenwood
Organizer and Queen of the Beaver Balls, Catherine Heard
Beatriz Hausner
Lisa Betts (sporting an original Clelia Scala mask)
