Gospel as Kids Musical and Revelation Choir

Plant Life...come touch & hear/ Caleb & Aaron Speller

Showing at The Ministry of Casual Living

1442 Haultain, Feb. 20th - 28th

Closing party with black and green tea,

Sat. Feb. 28th 10am - noon




Plant Life



We reserve places to walk through nature, and reserve places to destroy it. We inherently protect bits and pieces of it while we naturally battle against its confines. Our relationship with plants enlivens our senses by creating endless experiences and questions. We connect with their textures, patterns, and fragrances; we are shaded from the sun by them, while we eat their leaves.



Plant Life gives the viewer a physical, visual and, auditory connection with nature. A pathway made of dirt leads the viewer to a few drawings, the first of which are lushly exaggerated representations of nature. Further along the path lies a portrait of Dede, an Indonesian who has been dubbed Tree-man due to his curse of having bark-like warts grow all over his body. Individual soundscapes, reworked from Stevie Wonders Album Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, spread throughout the space and pay tribute to natures persistent melodic hum.



Plant Life is an art show which can be seen, felt, and listened to.



ART BY

caleb speller



SOUNDSCAPES BY

aaron speller



Check these for more!

www.calebshows.blogspot.com
www.calebart.blogspot.com
www.calebceramics.blogspot.comler

street poet...The Mustard Seed, more than a food bank

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough.

And more!

It turns denial into acceptance.

Chaos into order.

Confusion into clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast.

A stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past.

It brings peace for today,

and creates a vision,

For a better tomorrow.

by Al Kirkwood...poet, dumpster diver, Victoria BC.

Most will not even heard of the name Al Kirkwood, let alone even seen his face. Like his poetry, Al is unrefined, rough around the edges. The lines in his face look like they have been etched with a chisel, a road map revealing the many years of living rough on the street. Rough on the street, is an alley way, a storefront door way, under the blue bridge...your bag of earthly belongings your pillow, the sidewalk your bed mat. Al does have a routine to his life, he dumpster dives, recycles, sells what he finds and unbelievable, manages to even give some away to those in worse shape.

Al's a saint, with a love for Jesus...and alcohol. He does walk a narrow path, with deep ditches on each side that he tends to fall into from time to time. He is one of the most spiritual people I've met, he practices a kind of monasticism that baffles me.

The first time I met Al was down at The Seed. As our conversation unraveled, Al talked about writing and pulled open his back pack. It was filled with his life, not things...but words. There were note pads of all sizes, scraps of paper, napkins, pencils and pens. They were filled words, the mind, the heart and spirit of Al Kirkwood. Al spends literally most of his day writing poetry and short stories about life on the street, Jesus, God...alcohol, drugs, poverty...very raw. You might even call them, the Street Psalms, as there is dispair, sin, betrayal, pain, suffering, but there is also grace, redemption and hope.

Over the past year, with the help of friends, they've been typing out Al's words, trying to leave them as close to his as possible, with the hope they might be published.

Anyways we're hoping ( fingers crossed ) that Al will come to read his poetry for the benefit Sunday evening for the Mustard Seed. I say, fingers crossed because, remember the path with big ditches on each side...one never knows. Anyways, if Al doesn't show the honor falls upon me to read his words, and I don't say that lightly. To read the words of a poet, is read something that is deeply apart of them...most of Al's words come from a place I've never been.

So as I said above, there is a Mustard Seed benefit fundraiser this Sunday...here's the details.

The Mustard Seed...more than a food bank

Sunday February 22nd from 6:30pm til 8:30pm

Saanichton Bible Fellowship

( church ph.#- (250)-652-6311 or 652-6344 )

2159 Mt. Newton X-Rd.

Saanichton, BC

( Map )

For contact info: John and Gail Bones (250)-652-4002

The Mustard Seed...more than a Food Bank " An evening on awareness of what the Mustard Seed is all about. Stories, faces and places around the many diverse ministries of The Mustard Seed Church, an inner city church in the heart of Victoria. Into the evening we’ll weave the blues, alternative folk, poetry and more.

Cost: donation, all proceeds to the Mustard Seed Ministries

Concert at Knox Presbyterian

Steve Sturgess from Knox presbyterian sent this invite out:

Paul Rumbolt (IN CONCERT)

Saturday, November 15th 7:30$15 adults / $10 students / $5 child 12 and under
Tickets are available at the church office,2964 Richmond Road, Victoria,
Tues to Fri from 9am to 1pm or call 250-592-6323or at the door.


Paul is an accomplished musician and arranger, gifted songwriter, and captivating performer. When writing songs for his new album, SongSmith, Paul traveled coast to coast and south of the border in search of experiences that would ultimately become songs. A native of Newfoundland and a 15-year resident of the Alberta Foothills area, Paul has performed on large stages, in intimate coffee houses, churches and house concerts alike in his travels across the country.Paul spent 20 years as an ordained United Church minister in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Paul’s worship music is used extensively in congregations and can be found in More Voices, the supplement to the United Church hymnbook, Voices United.If you have yet to hear Paul's music, or know him well but haven't heard the new album, we would encourage you to visit www.paulrumbolt.com for samples of his music.Visit our website, www.knoxpcvictoria.org for more information.

Steve Bell on music and community worship

Steve Bell, award winning singer/songwriter/storyteller, grass roots theologian and all around beautiful soul is coming to Lambrick Park Church this Saturday, Oct 4th. Doors open around 6:45. Concert starts at 7:30.

Tickets in advance from LPC, Christian Book and Music Store, or at the door (all are $20 b ut purchasing in advance gets you in the door quicker to find a seat).

I thought those of you with Poasis connections might be interested to read these words from Steve on the new album and its deep connection to the worshipping life of St Benedict's Table - Steve's church community. A little less than 1 year ago we were treated to a weekend with Jamie Howison (parish priest for that community) and Gord Johnson (musician and songwriter).

Here's what Steve has to say:

Hello everyone, hope your summer was great and you are getting back into the swing of things. I just wanted to catch you up on my new worship album D E V O T I O N and the fall touring schedule.

This is the first of my recordings that is deliberately and consciously a “worship” album in that most of the songs were written specifically for a worshiping community and with the intention of helping that community find its common voice in praise of God. In the case of this collection, the particular community is my home church in Winnipeg (St. Benedict’s Table) and the author of all but two of the songs is not myself but rather, long time friend Gord Johnson.

For years, Gord has been writing in the singer/songwriter tradition - personal reflections, stories, thoughtful recollections, social and political observations, etc.- with a keen eye for issues of justice. But more recently Gord has been impacted by the Taize community in France whose music has begun to make inroads into worshipping communities all over the world.

Taize music is very simple. Usually it consists of one or two lines of scripture sung slowly, reverently and repeatedly. The idea is for the community to enter into communal contemplation – to get past the melody and words and enter into the mystery of the story of God and God’s people. No rules, no particular form – just worship guided by those goals and entered into through music. Learning as a community to hear and follow the Spirit’s gentle nudging is a beautiful and deepening experience. Examples on this album are “Embrace the Mystery”, “Who Condemns You Now”, “Everything We Need” and “Gone is the Light”.

Other songs on this album have more traditional song form but all have that same reverential, devotional quality.

The sequence of the songs was deliberately chosen to follow an arc of worship that has a liturgical logic. Think of the album in four sections: The first four songs (“Almighty God”, “In the Morning”, “He Will Know” and “Praise the Father”) celebrate the sovereign transcendence and immanence of God, God’s Triune Nature and our loving dependence and gratitude.

“Gone is the Light” marks a shift of focus to a penitential/confessional acknowledgment of sin and brokenness – aligning ourselves with the shattered thief on the Cross.

The next three songs (“Embrace the Mystery, “Jesus Feed Us”, and “Who Condemns You Now”) celebrate the Incarnation - Word becoming flesh (body and blood / bread and wine), uniting to our own, and nourishing us back to health and dignity.

Finally, with “The Lorica”, a joyful reaffirmation of the gift of our relational proximity to the “triune God of Grace” and the host of angelic and saintly luminaries we know as the family of God, and with “Benediction”, we entrust our souls to the care of God whose loving self-donation has won our peace.

This is an enhanced CD and includes lyrics, lead sheets and bonus video. We decided to include lead sheets so individuals and congregations may have ready access to this music. Just pop the CD into your computer to get access to these extras.

I'm pretty excited to hear Steve and get my hands on the new CD. Hope to see many of you there.

Christine

Poetry Workshop - almost free!

Emmanuel Baptist is hosting a poetry workshop with Carla Funk next Saturday am, June 7th.
Cost is only $5, but you MUST pre-register with Joan Dosso before the event. Call 592-2418 for more information.

Music Teaser for the Prodigal Hours

None of the images in this video are actually being used on the night, but all the music is.

Coming May 26th....the Prodigal Hours

May 26th Poasis Presents "Prodigal Hours"

This is a one-time event featuring the following:1. Free-standing visual artwork by several local artists,2. Readings by Victoria's poet laureate Carla Funk3. A soundtrack/audio collage composed and compiled by Matthew Christopher Davidson, local musician.

The theme of the evening is reconciliation. We would love to see you there! There is no cost to come, it is on a Monday night, and refreshments will be available by donation.

There is a 70-minute 'program' of short poetry readings at 10-minute intervals, and music in between, starting at around 7:20 PM, but it is totally informal and so it's OK to just drop in, although you're encouraged to come for the whole program, as it promises to be excellent

a little something interesting from Caleb Speller

check this out..

GROUP SHOW AT SLIDE ROOM!

CASSETTE
April 25 - May 12

Curatorial project by Marlene Bouchard based on the idea that all lines are indicators of movement (such as the spinning line in a cassette tape). All artists will present records of their unique interpretations of what line means to them in their practice as well as participants in Victoria's urban system.
Installation in process (open for viewing) April 25-May 2.

Slide Room Gallery
2549 Quadra St
Victoria, BC V8T 4E1

Opening reception: Friday, May 2 @ 7:30 pm

Caleb Speller
Gedidiah McCaughey
Jeff Morton
Lyle Shultz
Marlaina Buch
Rhonda Usipiuk
Susu Robin
Tyler Hodgins

Check these for more!

www.calebshows.blogspot.com
www.calebart.blogspot.com
www.calebceramics.blogspot.com

Caleb Speller at the Fifty Fifty | March 21-30

Local artist Caleb Speller currently has a show running down at the Fifty Fifty Arts Collective.

The show runs till March 30th, and pictures from the opening night are available here.

From the official invite:

May Gill, (1914 - 2005) tought me how to braid. When i was a kid, I would sneak down into her bedroom early in the morning to make a braclet. She would help me choose three different colours from her thread box, and show me how to connect them. She spent her time knitting sweaters for pretty much the entire extended family and for kids in bad living conditions in Africa. Thread, wool and connecting lines were what her hands spent most of her life creating. This art show is dedicated to the arthritic hands of my Grammy, May Gill. This show is one multicoloured connected line.