Glebe Report

Before school was out in June, the Glebe Report got in touch with local high schools to see if there were any fledgling writers willing to take their first flight of fancy with us. We asked them to write a short story of any kind, on any theme, as long as it relates in some way to the Glebe – as setting, character, plot, whatever.

The following four stories were submitted by Grade 12 students in Debra Palmer’s Writers’ Craft class at Glebe Collegiate Institute.

Summer 2015 marks the fifth anniversary of the revival of the Glebe Art in Our Gardens and Studio Tour, which will be held on the weekend of July 4 and 5. Momentum has been building over the past five years, bringing attention to local artists and attracting many visitors to our neighbourhood for this highly anticipated event. Although there are many art tours in our region, it is always special to meet your talented neighbours and support their work.

Modern art will go nowhere if everyone insists on supporting dead artists. Forget the gallery, go for a walk in the park, support the arts industry by buying art from an artist who is breathing, an artist who might just create something next week thinking about the conversation they had with you in the grass. Bring the kids, bring the dog, run around, don’t be afraid to touch things, pretend it’s not the gallery, because it’s not. These are real artists in the real world, to whom you can talk, not just read about on plaques. And it’s not just for grown-ups, because kids can learn about art too.

Eats, beats and grilled meats. That’s what will be cooking up at TD Place July 11 when Canadian DJ Skratch Bastid rolls into town with a busload of beats, burgers and big name DJs for an all-day outdoor dance party. There are also tons of local shows happening at music joints in the Glebe this summer.

Irene’s Pub has music every Thursday through Sunday with bands like Ottawa rockers Small Black Dog hitting the pub July 3. Ottawa soft rock kings PleasureCraft will be bringing all the “yacht rock” the Glebe can handle when they cruise into the pub July 11. So pick up a pair of festival shoes, a decent backpack, a good water bottle and just spend your time strolling through the Glebe this summer; there will be lots to see – and hear.

February may be the coldest month, but duck into Roast’n Brew to warm up and take a look at Bhat Boy’s new series Nuns Having Fun and Sylvia Williams’ first solo show North of 49 with Antlers. The Glebe Community Centre is also showing “Four Legs Good … II,” an exhibit of paintings by Gwendolyn Best and Ellen Schowalter. Be sure to check out this awesome timelapse of Glebe painter MaryAnn Camps producing her work large-scale triptych “Saturday Night” (the video is in the article), and don’t miss out on the 10th annual Great Bowls of Fire, a fundraising event for the Ottawa Food Bank, organized by the Ottawa Guild of Potters.

Our community is home to numerous artists, practicing in a multitude of mediums. There are wonderful studios, cafes, galleries, and gardens that showcase these creations. Art events are happening well into autumn — read about the upcoming Art of Imagination Day and Glebe Fine Art Show — and don’t forget to check out photos from this summer’s Garden & Studio Tour and New Art Festival.

Summer festivals are still happening in Ottawa! Don’t miss out on the awesome lineup at the Arboretum Festival (August 18-23), and be sure to check out the 11th annual House of PainT celebrations. Punk rock has a new home in the Glebe at the House of Targ, where you can also indulge in perogies and play a little pinball. It’s not too late to pick up a new skill (or polish up an old one) — St Giles Presbyterian Church is hosting “sight-singing” classes, which resume in September, so sign up soon!