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30 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 30, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene · FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 Anticipation building for World of Threads Festival By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER THE GOODNESS OF FIBRE: Grant Co-ordinator Jane Coryell explains how 5x5 (fibre art piece) was created by 15 artists from five separate Oakville guilds for the World of Threads Festival 2005 during the recent press conference for World of Threads Festival 2009 at Joshua Creek Heritage Centre. Fibre artists are not the grandmas of the sewing circle set who fill their days doing an age-old hobby. There's scores of talent in being able to take pieces of bark, thin threads, garbage bags, scrap material or chunks of metal and turn them into practical and whimsical sculpture, tapestry, quilts, lace, rugs and a big wide world of other possibilities that are only limited by the imagination. To prove this to the community, Jane Coryell and a committee of volunteers are bringing The World of Threads Festival to Oakville Sept. 18 to Oct. 4. Funding for this international event that according to Coryell "puts Oakville on the map" was announced Thursday (Jan. 22) at the Mercy Fish Art Gallery. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is contributing $11,900 to cover advertising, promotion, print and signage for the 17-day show. The town is kicking in $10,000 to cover presentation costs, and 14 local individual and business donors added $3,700 to the festival's coffers. "Galleries take a risk in showing fibre art because people think it's for grandmas or think they can do it themselves so that its no big deal," said Coryell. For seventeen days the festival showcases more than 100 established and emerging artists and their traditional and contemporary experimental approaches to fiber, including wall hangings, sculpture, installations, quilting, hooking, lace-making, knitting, weaving, embroidery, crocheting, paper-making, felting, stitched canvas, mixed media, soft sculpture, wearable art, recycling materials, plastics manipulation, basketry, conceptual work and performance," said Coryell. Artist Christine Mockett won the $1,5000 top prize for Best of Show at the last World of Threads Festival in 2007 for her exceptional skill at manipulating bark, yarn, thread and acrylic into a sculpture called Tree Prosthetic. The sixth biennial exhibition is featured at 12 locations throughout town. Mercy Fish Gallery houses the international juried exhibition, Common Thread is on display at Joshua Creek Heritage Studio, Towne Square Gallery hosts Common Thread Salon, Timothy's houses the national invitation show with a feline theme, there's a children focus upstairs at Lollipops: Kid Culture displaying the work of Oakville Stitchery Guild artists and the See Festival page 33 Local soprano appearing in Masterworks Valentine's concert "There's also a couple of pieces we haven't done before, so there will be some OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF variety for the audience," said Demuynck. Masterworks of Oakville is presenting a "I think we're doing the most excellent program of beloved music ideal for those in music from the Baroque period and the love. ones that have withstood the test of time." The local chorus and orchestra is giving The artistic director said he understands two concerts, called Baroque Favorites, on the popularity of Baroque music among Feb. 13 and 14, what is known as people of all ages. Valentine's Day weekend. "There is a steady rhythm to Baroque The 75-member chorus and 27-piece music that people really identify with and orchestra will perform like," he said. "They're very some of the most famous "It's a nice opportunity powerful pieces, but very works of the Baroque era by to go home and sing controlled. Everything is composers like Antonio for everybody." contained and has a certain Vivaldi, George Frideric dignity about it, yet still Handel and Johann Ashleigh Semkiw very moving and powerful. Soprano Sebastian Bach. It is very exciting for every"This is almost a greatbody." est hits of some of the conThe orchestra will certs of larger works that we've been include strings, winds, brass and percusdoing," said Charles Demuynck, artistic sion. It will truly have a Baroque feel with director and conductor. "And we put it on the addition of a harpsichord. Valentine's Day so it is a nice evening out The featured performer of the event is for people." soprano Ashleigh Semkiw. The Oakville Among the many pieces on the program native recently graduated from the master are Bach's ever popular works Air on the G of vocal performance program from String and Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Northwestern University in Chicago. Handel's Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and She said she is looking forward to comexcerpts from Messiah, as well as selections ing home to perform with Masterworks. from Vivaldi's Gloria. "When he asked me if I would come By Tina Depko opportunity to go home and sing for everybody." Semkiw is currently living in Chicago with husband and fellow OT graduate, Giles Sutherland. She said it is a good place for her to be at this point in her career. "There are a lot more opportunities in the states for young singers," said Semkiw. "I fell in love with Chicago and it's a really great place to get started as a young opera singer. I've had a lot of success here so far." The young soprano, who has a passion for singing Mozart and Strauss, will be taking part in Chicago Opera Theatre's young artist program this spring. She currently enjoys a busy performance schedule and teaches two days a week. "It's an amazing company to work with," she said. "I've been pretty lucky so far because I've been working pretty consistently. Right out of school I was able to be hired with different companies and get different opportunities." She does not have a dream company she would like to sing with, saying the company and venue are secondary to just being able to perform. "I would pretty much sing anywhere," she said. "I love it." Ashleigh Semkiw back and do the concert, I thought it would be really great because I have all this family and all kinds of friends in Canada who don't get to make it down to all my shows here," said Semkiw, 25, an Oakville Trafalgar High School graduate. "It's a nice See Baroque page 33