Mark Monahan
Executive/artistic director of the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest and the Ottawa Folk Festival 

Why I came to Ottawa: I was born here and never left.

First Ottawa job: Working a Crown and Anchor game for the Ottawa Ex at the age of 14.

My neighbourhood: The Glebe.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Political junkies obsessed with The Weather Channel.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Sleepy government town.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Private parking spot at the Greyhound bus station (Bluesfest is housed inside the bus station).

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Scenic, safe, energizing, green, interesting.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Scenic, safe, energizing, green, interesting.

Favourite spot: Any golf club on a sunny day.

Josie Geuer, a.k.a. Josie and The City
Program director and entertainment reporter for The New Hot 89.9

Why I came to Ottawa: I made the big move from Almonte after high school. I was buying time and taking acting lessons because I wasn’t sure about my future plans.

First Ottawa job: Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s. I played with toys all day and listened to children’s music on repeat.

My neighbourhood: Depends on my mood: Funhaven/Farhaven/Barrhaven/The Burbs.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: It’s flippin’ freezing! At least that applies to this past winter.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Stuffy government town. We know how to get down.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: I haven’t. Waiting on the bronze statue.

Favourite spot: Along the canal, especially at night when those people who live in the mansions keep their blinds open. I love seeing how other people live.

Pierre Brault 
Actor, playwright, comedian 

Why I came to Ottawa: After the company I was working for in Montreal went bankrupt, I was given the choice of termination or a transfer to Ottawa. I took the transfer thinking I would stay in O-Town for maybe a couple of years, then leave. That was in 1990. Still happily here.

First Ottawa job: I was a corporate video producer for Pizza Pizza. I would write, act in, direct, and edit training videos with such notable titles as Cleaning Your Pizza Oven and The Art of Pizza Delivery. While it may seem mundane, the job did allow me to train myself in all aspects of production, which helped my career enormously.

My neighbourhood: Old Ottawa East.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Cold winters.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Officious, boring civil servants who stay at home dreaming of advancing in the civil service.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Seeing my face on a giant banner hanging off the NAC. It was an ad for my solo show Blood on the Moon, which ran for three summers.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Dynamic, livable, breathable, friendly, scenic.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: The best city in Canada.

Favourite spot: The path along the Ottawa River behind Parliament. A perfect spot for serenity and peace. I get a lot of inspiration there.

Vinod Rajasekaran
Executive director of HUB Ottawa

Why I came to Ottawa: To become a rocket scientist (seriously, I studied aerospace engineering at Carleton University).

First Ottawa job: Selling floppy drives and PalmPilots at Staples. Yes, it was 10 years ago.

My neighbourhood: South Keys.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Ottawans love the outdoors.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Ottawa is boring and has nothing interesting going on (if you’re in this boat, stop by The Hub).

Five words that describe Ottawa now: A city realizing its creative talent/innovation potential.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Best G20 capital to kick-start solutions that change the world.

Favourite spot: The O-train. Trains help me problem-solve — I sometimes ride it back and forth many times. Looking forward to an expanded offering.

Lucy van Oldenbarneveld
Anchor, CBC News Ottawa

Why I came to Ottawa: I came here permanently in 2002 to take a job as the field reporter for CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning.

First Ottawa job: Working at Harlow’s bar and restaurant in the Market as a summer job when I was 21.

My neighbourhood: Centretown.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Bad drivers. Holy mackerel, don’t get me started!

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Having people recognize me as “that woman with the long name.”

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Best-kept secret in Canada.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Creative, green, livable, affordable, innovative.

Favourite spot: Dundonald Park in my neighbourhood. It’s so vibrant and always filled with a wonderful assortment of characters. People love their area green spot. Centretown movies are there, too, in the summer.

The post ASK A LOCAL: 5 Ottawa notables discuss political junkies, canal spying, bad drivers, and other city stereotypes appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

The Ottawa Rock Lottery is a big ol’ love-in for the local music scene. It’s the community cup of spontaneous music-making that happens annually with proceeds going to charity. The fifth edition takes place this weekend with 25 musicians participating.

Daniel Spence, centre, of The Pelts will participate in the fifth annual Rock Lottery.

It works like this: on Friday night, organizers put the names of individual musicians into a hat. They draw out five names at a time and put those people together to form an insta-band. Over the next 24 hours, those five new bands create a half-hour set of original music to be performed on Saturday night for all to see.

The hilarity, camaraderie, rivalry, shining moments, and flubs are what make the show interesting, particularly to those who see live music often and are familiar with the city’s band-folk. The Ottawa Rock Lottery deck-shuffling allows those people to display talents that may be hidden in their other bands — or perhaps the deadline pressures will be evident. As organizers promise on their Facebook page: “It could be great. It could be awful.”

Sarah Bradley of The Fevers. Photo by Mélanie Broguet.

It is all in the name of charity. Proceeds go to the Ottawa Food Bank and the goal is to raise $1,500 for 10 emergency food baskets. Participating bands also get a chance to win a record session with Steve Foley at Audio Valley Recording Studio — though the best bait, for some, is the chance for creative growth.

Songwriter Kalle Mattson is participating for the first time this year. “I’ve been asked to play in the past, but my band and I have been on tour each time, so I’m really excited to be playing this year,” he says. “I’m usually the guy who writes the songs and sings them, so it’ll be really awesome to play in more of a supporting role.”

Singer Sarah Bradley of Fevers says the rock lottery requires a lot of effort and compromise in order to churn out a half-hour set in less than 24 hours. “You have to combine your different song writing processes, styles, and tastes to create music together. It’s a mega challenge, but it’s also kind of a bonding experience,” she says.

Singer Daniel Spence says he’s looking forward to a change of scenery after nearly five years of being “locked down with my dear lads,” in reference to his band mates in The Pelts. “There’s nothing like having a peek out into the world to make you appreciate what you’ve got back home, and maybe I can even bring back something new.”

Kalle Mattson

Bradley’s soft vocal touch is a big part of her band’s sound. In Fevers she sings contemporary indie-pop tunes, but is looking forward to branching out at the rock lottery.

“I learned how to sing by covering Destiny’s Child and Mariah Carey, and I feel like that says something significant about me,” she says. “I see the Ottawa Rock Lottery as an opportunity to unleash my repressed diva. I suppress some of my inner-sass with Fevers, but I am really excited to let my freak flags fly this weekend.”

Spence of The Pelts also hopes to loosen up this weekend. He says he’s not much for restrictions, despite having the stage name of Revered D. Spanx.

“I’m flexible, multi-instrumental, and not burdened with any particular notion of musical theory. I just play by gut and by ear, so my role will depend on the strengths and interests of my other rock lottery band mates and the chemistry we develop,” he says.

“My normal approach to song writing involves a great deal of solitary crafting on the guitar before introducing a nascent song to the band, where we re-work it for weeks until it starts to feel mature enough for our live show. With the ORL, I look forward to experimenting with pretty much the exact opposite way of writing music, relying on the talent and creativity of my fellow lottery winners to help make something beautiful crawl out of our little petri dish after 24 hours.”

Ottawa Rock Lottery. $10 or $9 with canned food donation. Saturday, May 18. Mavericks, 221 Rideau St. Doors at 8p.m. 19+. 

ALSO ALSO ALSO
On the subject of possible train wrecks, we bring you to the phenomenon that is Hip Hop Karaoke — that’s where people dress up and imitate their favourite rap tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It started up in Ottawa last summer and it’s been a hoot to watch. The evening’s hosts are MC Atherton and DJ So Nice and they are gracious. Before an evening of hip-hop karaoke, they instruct the crowd with some ground rules. The first of them being that “everyone is a star at hip-hop karaoke,” meaning you can’t boo the tuneless ones off stage. There is also a no N-bomb rule. They suggest using the word “ninja” or “neighbour” in place of that word. (Think “Neighbours With Attitude” or “Sucka Ninja.”) The event happens monthly throughout the year. The summer schedule sees HHK go down on the third Friday of every month in the Mugshots Courtyard of the Ottawa Hostel.

The post SOUND SEEKERS: Fame! Fortune! Creativity! Revealing the secret desires of Rock Lottery participants appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Curators from the National Gallery of Canada began scouring the globe a few years ago to find, in the words of one of them, “great” contemporary art.

Richard Bell Life on a Mission, 2009 Acrylic on canvas National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Purchased 2011 © Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery Photo © NGC

The only other ingredient beyond “greatness,” according to the gallery’s chief aboriginal curator Greg Hill, was that the artists had to be “indigenous,” a term generally referring to the original people of a particular geographic area who, over the centuries, have been swamped by colonists to the point of becoming a minority.

In the Americas, indigenous refers generally to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. But there are indigenous minorities in Scandinavia, Taiwan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and other countries.

Once examples of “great” indigenous contemporary art were identified, Hill and his team selected the best of the best and created the newly opened exhibition Sakahan, the largest show ever staged by the National Gallery in its history. Sakahan fills the usual prime temporary exhibition space on the main floor, expands into rooms in the contemporary wing of the building and fills the second floor exhibition space normally displaying temporary shows of prints, photographs or drawings.

There is no overall theme to the show. That gave the curators the freedom to concentrate on the truly “great” and not feel restricted to selecting art that fit into a particular thematic box.

That tactic was wise. The show is indeed great. The “wow factor” is higher than anything the gallery has done since Diana Nemiroff stopped curating contemporary shows there many years ago.

Rebecca Belmore's Fringe is part of the new exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 2011 Photo © NGC

Among the Canadian highlights is Rebecca Belmore’s photograph called Fringe. A nude aboriginal woman lies on a mat. On her back, a horrific looking scar travels from her left shoulder to her right hip. Blood-red lines (beaded strings, actually) drip from the scar.

In this one scene, Belmore has encapsulated the history of violence against aboriginal people, especially aboriginal women. The beadwork is a nod to traditional aboriginal handicraft but the medium – photography – is very much a contemporary, Western form of expression.

Similar themes related to violence and colonialism and marginalization do run through many of the artworks from around the world, from Australia to Lapland.

The wow factor is also high with the photographs by Maori artist Fiona Pardington from New Zealand. She has photographed the life-casts of the heads of some Maori and other South Pacific indigenous men that were created between 1837 and 1840 under the orders of French explorer Jules-Sebastien-Cesar Dumont d’Urville.

By chance, the artist discovered a trove of these heads — some of her own ancestors — at a Paris museum in 2007. The resulting photographs of these heads are simultaneously horrifying and hypnotic and definitely a reminder of the colonial era when indigenous peoples were treated more like wild animal specimens than humans.

Two Ottawa artists are in the exhibition. There is a Jeff Thomas photograph from a series he did spoofing the statue of Samuel de Champlain on Nepean Point. And there are two drawings by Ottawa-based Inuit artist Annie Pootoogook, one a self-portrait lying down and another unusually large one for her (about 3 metres by 1.5 metres) showing a scene in Cape Dorset of Inuit shoppers peering into a large freezer in a grocery store. That scene naturally makes one think of that old joke about a salesman who was so skilled he could sell “a refrigerator to an Eskimo.” These drawings are two of the most technically skilled I have seen Pootoogook do. She has had a rough patch the last few years, basically living on the street. Let’s hope she gets back to a stable life and lots of drawing.

Sakahan continues at the National Gallery until Sept. 2.

The post ARTFUL BLOGGER: “Wow factor” is high at the National Gallery’s new international indigenous exhibition appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

CHINATOWN REMIXED (FREE!)
The fifth annual arts festival on Somerset Street West, aka Chinatown Remixed, launches this weekend. This unique month-long event includes exhibits of visual and performance art of all kinds located in various establishments from restaurants to hair salons. Take a stroll through Ottawa’s vibrant Chinatown to experience over 40 artists’ works in unconventional locations. One of many displays is Christine Mockett’s The Machine Project, a video installation presented at Tang Coin Laundry. Live music, workshops, and local foods are all part of this one-of-a-kind celebration. Takes place on Somerset Street between Bay and Preston streets. Grand opening and vernissage from 1:30-5:30, May 18. Exhibits continue until June 18th. www.chinatownremixed.ca

Get to know Star Wars on a whole new level at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.

STAR WARS™ IDENTITIES
See the characters of Star Wars like you’ve never seen them before at the traveling exhibition currently at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. This weekend, discover how Luke and Anakin turned out to be such different people, view the vast collection of over 200 iconic props, and engage in a multi-media identity quest to see what you would look like as a Star Wars character. $24, teens and senior $20, children (3-12) $13.25. Friday, May 10 to Monday, September 2. See website for hours of operation. Canada Aviation and Space Museum, 11 Aviation Pkwy. www.aviation.technomuses.ca

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS DAY (FREE!)
Thanks to the International Council of Museums, we have International Museums Day on Saturday, May 18. In Ottawa, two museums are opening their doors to the public, free of charge – Museum of Nature and Bytown Museum. Educational, fun, and free! The Canadian Museum of Nature is at 240 McLeod St.; find Bytown Museum below the locks at 1 Canal Lane.

MISS CALEDONIA AT THE NAC
Written and performed by Melody A. Johnson, this 70-minute play set in 1955 tells the true story of a woman desperate to escape her dull life by setting out to win the local beauty pageant in hopes of getting closer to Hollywood fame. The hilarious story of Peggy Ann Douglas’ quest to obtain the tiara at Miss Caledonia is surely to be one entertaining adventure. Tickets starting at $30. Tuesday, May 14 to Saturday, May 25. See website for show times. National Arts Centre, 53 Elgin St. www.nac-can.ca

KON-TIKI AT THE (NEWLY RENOVATED) BYTOWNE THEATRE
Check out the newly renovated and historic ByTowne Cinema as it re-opens this weekend, May 17. The makeover includes installations of 435 brand new seats that are wider and more comfortable with greater legroom than what was previously in place. (Unlike before, you now have the option to raise the armrest if you want to get extra cozy with that special someone.) Premiering on May 17 for the re-opening are Canadian drama, Still Mine and the Oscar-nominated adventure, Kon-Tiki. See website for ticket information and show times. ByTowne Cinema, 325 Rideau St. www.bytowne.ca

VICTORIA DAY FESTIVAL (FREE!)
Take advantage of the long weekend and head over to this family-fun event right by Dow’s Lake. With plenty to do and see, such as rides, musical and bandshell entertainment, a petting zoo, face painting, concessions, and fireworks, this is a guaranteed good time. With the Canadian Tulip Festival just steps away, the gardens can serve as a getaway from the crowds. Wednesday, May 8 to Friday, May 24. Victoria Day Festival, Queen Juliana Park near Carling and Preston.

The post WEEKENDER: Chinatown Remixed, International Museums Day, Star Wars, and four more ways to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Urban Hippie by Jen Lahey is published every second Tuesday at OttawaMagazine.com. Follow Jen on Twitter ‏@Jen_Lahey.

Organic cotton collection by Feral Childe

The stereotype of eco-friendly clothes (the hemp-heavy, crunchy-granola kind of stuff worn by the hacky sack crowd) is something that Sarah Barr is out to change.

She’s the owner of Green Tree Eco Fashion,(358 Richmond Rd.) a boutique for those with a bent for both the environmentally friendly and the fashion-fierce.

The passionate fashionista, who has worked at Chanel and Holt Renfew, amongst other notable companies, describes the clothes at her store as “edgy, modern, current, and funky,” and one gets the sense that she wants customers to feel that way, too, when they’re done shopping at Green Tree.

Barr clearly wants women and men to look outside their pre-conceived notions. She encourages people to dress for their body type — which often results, she says, in customers having a new, more positive, perspective on how they look.

Barr, who grew up sewing, and still does the tailoring for the shop, says that fit is key when it comes to clothes. “Tailoring is very important,” she explains. “If it doesn’t fit perfectly, it’s just a piece of fabric.” She often fine-tunes items for customers so they fit just so.

Sparkle shift dress by Sugarbum

Barr even encourages customers to bring in clothing items they already own so that she can help clients see what new items will work best with they already own. “A lot of customers will bring in a piece from their place, and we’ll tweak what they have,” says Barr.

But why emphasis on environmentally friendly wares? Barr says she “want(ed) to have a store that could be sweatshop-free, fair trade, with natural fabrics, and that doesn’t leave a footprint on the earth.” In keeping with this, the store carries only natural fabrics such as bamboo, cotton, lyocell, modal, wool, and silk, and the store’s cosmetics are organic and paraben-free. Barr’s big on supporting local and Canadian designers, but also brings in items from New York, Spain, California, France, and Italy.

So what are the trends in eco-fashion for this season? According to Barr, it’s all about colour. “If you’re not wearing bright colours, you may as well be living under a rock,” she laughs. “Bright, beautiful, vibrant colours, and that’s going to continue right into the fall.” Think corals, teals, cobalt blue, and even hot pink. Also de rigour? Maxi-dresses, which Barr says make everyone look long and lean, and are scandalously comfortable.

The post URBAN HIPPIE: A trip to Green Tree Eco Fashion in Westboro — enviro-friendly and fashion fierce appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Jim Bryson 
Singer-songwriter

Why I came to Ottawa: I was born into Ottawa.

First Ottawa job: As a youth, I was an Ottawa Citizen paperboy.

My neighbourhood: Stittsville.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: I dare say we still occasionally live with a small chip on our shoulder regarding other, um, larger Canadian cities.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: The town that fun forgot.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Hopeful, exciting, promising, changing, alive.

Five words you hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: A place we still love.

Favourite spot: My wife would tell me to write the Manx in here, but may I also add Union Local 613, the Wellington Gastropub, and Jon Lomow’s newly renovated house? I don’t get out much, to be honest. My yard at night is pretty special as well.

Bruce White
Owner of ByTowne Cinema

Why I came to Ottawa: It was bigger than my small town, but not too big.

First Ottawa job: Getting the Stokes retail store ready to open in the then brand new Bayshore Shopping Centre, then selling things I knew nothing about.

My neighbourhood: New Edinburgh.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Ottawans like to get to bed early on school nights.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Ottawa’s lacking in arts and culture.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Tourists keep asking me for directions, so I must look as though I know my way around.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: One million potential ByTowne fans.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: One million happy ByTowne fans.

Favourite spot: The theatre, seventh or eighth row from the front, aisle seat, beside my gal Karen.

Measha Brueggergosman
Opera singer

Why I came to Ottawa: My husband is studying at Algonquin College to be a paramedic.

First Ottawa job: Co-hosting the opening of Juno week with the mayor.

My neighbourhood: Prince of Wales and Fisher.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: It’s fricking freezing.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: There’s nothing to do.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: That I’ve stood in line at Service Ontario half a dozen times.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Understated, paradoxical, homegrown, conscious, livable.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Livable, unseasonably warm, construction-free, food mecca, and home to 15-time champions the Ottawa Senators.

Favourite spot: Bikram Yoga Ottawa on Bank Street.

Phil Jenkins
Writer

Why I came to Ottawa: I returned from Liverpool, England, in 1978, having left Ottawa for there in 1961. I came on an extended holiday to visit my roots, and I’m still here.

Current neighbourhood: The Gatineau Hills, halfway between Chelsea and Wakefield, in an observation post overlooking Ottawa. I first lived in Elmvale Acres, where I grew up, then Vanier, New Edinburgh, Sandy Hill, Ottawa East, the Glebe, Ottawa South.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Developers run the town.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: That Ottawa is a city of stereotypes.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Two steps forward, one back.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Greenest mayor in the country.

Favourite spot: The two blocks of Wellington Street between Holland Avenue and Harmer Avenue that contain the GCTC, a vegetarian restaurant, the best St. Vincent de Paul, and a Bridgehead.

Jeff Hunt
President of OSEG Sports

Why I came to Ottawa: I arrived as a teenager when my RCMP father got transferred here.

First Ottawa job: Carpet cleaner.

My neighbourhood: ByWard Market.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Friendly.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Boring.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Being profiled in Ottawa Magazine!

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Exciting, beautiful, diverse, growing, home.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: World-class, more beautiful, more diverse, grown-up, and home.

Favourite spot: Lansdowne Park.

The post ASK A LOCAL: 5 Ottawa personalities gush on favourite spots, biggest beefs, and hopes for the city appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

So there I was at the Bytown Museum savouring local history. I was fascinated by the plaster cast made from the hand of the very dead Thomas D’Arcy McGee after his assassination on Sparks Street April 7, 1868. I marvelled at the brass clock hand, almost a metre in length, that graced the Victoria Tower of Parliament before the original buildings were destroyed by fire Feb. 3, 1916. And then there was the slide show of Mexican Day of the Dead festivities.

©MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM. Photo: G. Iddon.

Now, why, you may wonder, was such a slide show doing at a museum dedicated to celebrating the history of Canada’s capital? Before answering, take note there were more, many more, inappropriate objects, all of them Mexican, mere steps away from displays on Col. John By, engineer of the Rideau Canal, and Joseph Montferrand, the legendary Ottawa River raftsman whose surname was once proposed by Quebec bureaucrats as the moniker for the amalgamated city of Aylmer-Hull-Gatineau.

Along with the slideshow, there was a cornucopia of Mexican trinkets: contemporary knock-offs of masks used in ancient dances, embroidery, textiles, photos of indigenous people and text panels boasting of the increased trade relationship between Canada and Mexico. These words and objects are all part of a new Bytown exhibition, lasting almost a year, called Mexico Fantastico! (The exclamation mark is courtesy of the Bytown, not me.)

Now, I have nothing against Mexico. In fact, I spend part of every year there. I love Mexican art and crafts. A large percentage of my time in Mexico is spent visiting the country’s many wonderful museums, including some specializing in folk art and quality handicrafts. Every visitor to Mexico City should stop at the Museo de Arte Popular. It is a real gem and elevates gaudily painted wooden monsters called alebrijes into fascinating cultural touchstones.

©MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM. Photo: G. Iddon.

Simply put, Mexico Fantastico! is not fantastico. It resembles a low-end souvenir shop at the Mexico City airport or a display at a trade show designed to lure package tourists to Mexican beaches. All that is missing is a draw for a free bottle of tequila.

In a May 3 communique, the Bytown’s executive director, Robin Etherington, seemed to anticipate some head-scratching provoked by the Mexican exhibition: “Etherington explains the reason for this exhibition in a community museum is because the Mexican community is a vibrant part of the Ottawa community that is comprised of a number of significant groups from around the world. Also, Ottawa is the Capital of Canada and its diplomatic centre that brings together international cultures and ideas to enhance the City of Ottawa and enriches the learning opportunities of our young people and deepens our appreciation for Ottawa and Canada’s crucial place in the world.”  She adds that “the Bytown Museum’s mandate is the history of Ottawa and that entails the various ethnic groups and world cultures that make up Ottawa. It is the museum’s distinct honour to partner with the Embassy of Mexico and the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Gatineau to present to our community people and travelling visitors a fun exhibition to enjoy and learn about México and Ottawa.’”

How do you say “long-winded claptrap” in Spanish?

What’s next? An exhibition on ethical manufacturers in Bangladesh? The joys of surfing in Indonesia? How does that all fit with Lady Minto’s 1900-era elegant black gown tucked away in one corner of the museum?

The Bytown Museum, like most small museums, has little money to spend on exhibitions. Ordinarily, the museum does a magnificent job with a tiny budget.
Embassies, even when paying most or all costs, struggle to find venues to showcase exhibitions of art and artifacts from back home. Galerie Montcalm, Gatineau’s leading art gallery, occasionally does so-called “embassy” shows. The Canadian Museum of Civilization has developed close ties with state museums in other countries. But Ottawa’s galleries and museums are generally more reluctant to become part of the embassy circuit. Evidently, not the Bytown Museum.

The Mexican embassy deserves credit for many programs over the years introducing its country’s art, music and other cultural products to Canadians. In fact, the Mexicans are one of the more active embassies in this field. However, Mexico Fantastico! is not what we have come to expect.

Dear old Col. By must be spinning in his grave as he listens to the endless recorded mariachi music playing nearby.

The post ARTFUL BLOGGER: Bytown Museum’s Mexican exhibition must be causing dear old Colonel By to spin in his grave appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the fourth:

The Trekkie

Photography by Luther Caverly

Name: Ryan Rozumniak
Age: 29
Occupation: Seeking employment
Moved to Ottawa from: Edmonton
Affiliation: Crew member of IKV Phoenix, Ottawa’s Klingon/Star Trek Costuming & Role-play Fan Club;

lieutenant in the USS Magellan chapter of Starfleet, an international Star Trek fan association

Series ranking:
1. The Original Series
2. The Next Generation
3. Deep Space Nine
4. Voyager
5. Enterprise
“I had a hate on for Deep Space Nine, actually. But as I watched more and more episodes, I realized it was deep. It had great storylines.”

Favourite Star Trek possession: First-edition (1975) Star Trek Starfleet Technical Manual, purchased last year at Ottawa Comiccon for $10. “I saw it and was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ They were going on eBay for ridiculous prices.”

Wants to get: Dress uniform from Star Trek Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. “It’s all white. It’s really nice and fancy.”

Top websites: startrek.com, roddenberry.com, phasers.net, ex-astris-scientia.org

Best movie: The Wrath of Khan 

Worst movie:
Star Trek: The Motion Picture. “This had a poorly thought out storyline and it was slow paced throughout. The acting was not the best either.”

Little-known fake fact: “I’ll let you in on a little secret. In the show Enterprise, they explain what happened between The Original Series, when Klingons didn’t have ridges on their foreheads, and later on, when they got the ridges. It was a genetic defect.”

The post COMICCON WARMUP: Ryan Rozumniak extols the virtues of Star Trek appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

Sound Seekers by Fateema Sayani is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine and follow her on Twitter @fateemasayani

Three years ago, singer-songwriter Sherwood Lumsden rounded up the dads in his Preston Street neighbourhood to form a band. He knew Matt Young and Geoff Paisley for years before that — but he never knew their vocal talents until they started writing songs for their kids as the band Hey Buster.

The new album features cover art by Sherwood Lumsden’s son, Thomas Slaughter, 7.

Between the three dads — plus newest recruit Tom Stewart (Furnaceface, Slo’ Tom) — the band members have nine kids from the ages of two to 9. They write tunes for little ones without the preachy educational elements common to kids’ music. Their style hits somewhere between Junkyard Symphony and Robert Munsch with lyrics about family life that are observational and funny. Hey Buster’s first album called Bing Bang Bong was released in 2010 and includes songs about poo, pee, pink eye, and getting lice.

The song “Lice Twice” is about an experience familiar to parents of grade-schoolers. It rhymes hats with gnats. The chorus of “Pee Dance” describes the contorted moves kids make when they clearly have to go. “Oh no, I don’t have to go. No siree, I don’t have to pee!” goes the chorus.         

“We’re getting away from poo and pee on this second album,” Lumsden says. That album, called Yeti Likes Spaghetti, will be released at the band’s afternoon show on Mother’s Day. The album focuses a lot on routines and everything that gets in the way of those routines. “Without a Hat” is about leaving the house improperly attired, “Monkey Breath” is about getting out of bed, while “Go to Sleep” is a gentle pleading.

The vocalists are almost placid in their acceptance of the bumps of family life. There is no Go the Fuck to Sleep -like exasperation in these tunes, but that’s not to say that they lack energy. There is the same kind of revving excitement one sees in hyperactive toddlers in the driving rockabilly rhythms that make the songs fun for kids and a laugh for the hipster parents who would congregate at the band’s Elmdale Tavern shows. Hey Buster played there regularly when it was still a venue for live music.

Pints with the pint-sized! The band Hey Buster at one of their regular shows at the Elmdale Tavern.

It was a popular gig. “Sellout crowds, I’ve never had that in my life,” Lumsden laughs. He was a singer-songwriter active around Ottawa in the ‘90s. These days he renovates part-time and teaches songwriting at schools. Young is a Grade 2 teacher and also leads the Hey Buster dance numbers for kids in the audience. This summer the band will play a number of community events and a CHEO fundraiser.

Hey Buster’s CD release show on Sunday at the Westboro Legion will feature guest musicians Michael Ball, Al Bragg, Dave Draves, and Dave Kerr. 3 p.m. $7.50. Kids under two are admitted for free.

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With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the third:

I’m dating myself, but I’m one of the very few people in my organization who has been to see every movie at the theatre on original release." Photography by Luther Caverly.

The Jedi

Name: Cindy Harper 
Age: 46
Occupation: Public servant
Moved to Ottawa from: Brockville

Affiliations:

Member of the 501st Legion (bad guys) and the Rebel Legion (good guys), both international Star Wars costuming organizations.

Local group Capital City Garrison is officially part of the 501st, but Rebels are considered “associated” members.

Love at first sight: Watched the first movie with her father in 1977 at the age of 11. “I was awestruck. In a daze. I would have seen it over and over if I could.”

Movie ranking: 1. Revenge of the Sith 2. Attack of the Clones 3. A New Hope 4. Return of the Jedi 5. The Empire Strikes Back 6. The Phantom Menace  

Favourite characters: Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo

Costume in the works for Ottawa Comiccon: Lego Slave Leia and Ewok

Bucket-list costume: Stormtrooper, Darth Maladi, Shaak Ti, Battle Decoy Sabe. “Making a trooper costume will run you $1,000. Minimum.”

Charities supported by Capital City Garrison: Children’s Wish Foundation, Max Keeping Foundation, Make-A-Wish Canada, Ottawa Food Bank, Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation. “The parents who see us have almost as much fun as the kids do.”

Favourite of her 200 or so Star Wars novels: Tatooine Ghost

Memorabilia collection: Voice-activated R2D2, giant Darth Vader Pez dispenser, Wookie coat, Stormtrooper Commander Sideshow Collectible, Darth Vader toaster (burns Vader’s face into bread)

Best thing about fandom: “The friendships. I really threw myself into this whole thing. My best friends are part of it. We work on new costumes and go out for coffee.”

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