Sakkarah
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt which features the world’s oldest step pyramid. Artist Victor Tolgesy used this idea to name his large scale sculpture found on Queen’s campus. The work was commissioned in 1971 by the Department of Mathematics and was originally placed in the sunken courtyard on the east side of the building.
Tolgesy, who was born in Hungary and emigrated to Canada in 1951, chose to make the work in the form of a pyramid to avoid any potential distortion of perspective when viewed from the building above. Sakkarah illustrates the intersection of the sphere and the pyramid and does so with a lyrical visual flow. The steel work, commonly referred to by students as “the big orange triangle” can now be found on the plaza west of Jeffery Hall, kiddie corner to Harrison-LeCaine and Mac-Corry. I have yet to see it from above myself but will certainly have a look when I one day check to see if Harrison-LeCaine really does look like a piano from above.
Memories of PAB08
From June 20th until the 22nd, podcasters and new media folks converged on Kingston for the third annual Podcasters Across Boarders. PAB08 consisted of seminars on everything ranging from how to develop your own audio drama, to creating cell phone movies, and even how we can learn to podcast from The Beatles. During the course of the weekend, our friend, Saltwater Rob, got a chance to sit down with various attendees and discuss the phenomena known as podcasting. With a cast of characters including: Mark Blevis, Jack Ward, Christopher Penn, and many more, it’s both entertaining and educational. Give it a listen! As the file is large, it might take a bit to load.
Standard Podcast [59:32m]: A Little Urban Renewal
Back in February ‘08, I wrote about Urban Outfitters who had just announced that they would be taking up residence in the old Royal Bank location just up from Montreal Street on Princess. Throughout the summer, the building has undergone a spiffy makeover as there’s been a flurry of activity both inside and out. The hard work has clearly paid off, as the scaffolding was peeled off last week to reveal a clean storefront that perfectly blends the old with the new. Considering the uber-cool reputation of the Urban Outfitters brand, it’s a pleasant surprise that so much consideration was given to harmonize the façade and deviate away from some corporate cookie cutter design. Read more
Weekender Bender
Greetings reader! I am pleased to announce the worthwhile events going on around the Limestone City this weekend. How do you think this summer compares to last year? I recently heard the Marketing Manager for Fort Henry on the CBC who stated that attendance is up a slight 7%. That said, I’ve had a few conversations with cab drivers over the summer who’ve complained that this is one of the poorest on record. Is the high price of gas, and therefore everything else, impacting your vacation plans? Are you instead opting for local staycations instead of adventures in a far away land? We want to know what you’re up to and why, so drop us a comment. Read more
Thataway Again
Henry Saxe is an internationally recognized sculptor whose works are in the collections of every major gallery and museum in Canada. Born in Montreal, he lives and works in Tamworth, ON. His works have been displayed in Kingston on numerous occasions but one work that is a constant is his sculpture Thataway Again which sits on Queen’s campus just outside Harrison-LeCaine Hall on Queen’s Crescent.
As a music student who spent most of my undergrad in Harrison-LeCaine, I remember walking past the strange steel sculpture many times and wondering what it was all about. Henry Saxe’s main inspiration comes from scrap materials that give the suggestion of something bigger. Although his works are generally quite methodical and orderly, Thataway Again has a more haphazard quality and gives the feeling of folding or breaking down.
Created in 1979, Thataway Again came out of a series of works by Saxe from the late 1970s and early 1980s and was purchased by Queen’s with Canada Council and Gallery Association matching funds in 1982. So go for a stroll past this sculpture and then make your way over to the Etherington Art Centre to take a look at two other Saxe pieces, Log 2 and Three is a Number of One.
Does Kingston Need a Batman?
On Sunday evening, I made my way to the theatre to take in one of the most anticipated summer blockbuster films in recent history. The Dark Knight is the follow up to Batman Begins (2005), a Christopher Nolan film which portrayed a much darker version of Batman and Gotham City than we’ve ever seen before. The newest episode of the Batman franchise masterfully combines comic book pulp and modern cinematography as it continues on down the sinister path with a frightening portrayal of the Joker by the late Heath Ledger. When I exited the theatre, my Batman-induced mania gave me the impression that Kingston was a bit safer now that the Dark Knight is at large. This got me thinking, does Kingston need a Batman? Read more
Save the Cats
Some of my funniest childhood memories stem from my experience with pets including fish, cats and a dog. I can still recall how mad my father was when our dog chewed threw a bi-fold door, and also when my goldfish met his untimely demise by jumping out of his bowl and into a frying pan. Why we situated the fishbowl next to the stove, I’ll never know. When it came time for me to depart for my first year at Queen’s, I left my cat at home, where he died a short time later. Although I’d dealt with the loss of a pet before, the death of my cat; a kitten I adopted when I was 6 years old, was heartbreaking. Even so, a few years later my girlfriend and I adopted another kitten who is such a big part of the family that he even appears on our Christmas cards. The thought of losing him makes me sick. So you can imagine my outrage and utter disgust when I discovered that someone in Kingston was killing cats. Read more
Wondering About the Weekend?
Friday, July 18th
There is only one thing you should be doing tonight, and that’s heading out to the CD release party for Ianspotting. Dubbed Kingston’s Reggae sensation by CBC Radio’s Allan Neil, the group is a past winner of 105.7’s famed Bandslam. With an opening performance by one of our other favorite local bands, Slaves of Spanky, the Ianspotting CD release kicks off around 10pm at the Elixr.
Saturday, July 19th
Choosing what to do today might prove a little more difficult…
The Kingston Symphony plays its annual concert at Fort Henry at 8pm. The symphony will be joined by Kingston’s Country sensation, The Abrams Brothers as well as the Fort Henry Guard who will be firing cannons during Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The concert will come to a close with a fireworks finale. Tickets are still available through the Grand Theatre box office.
Starting Saturday and ending at 4pm on Sunday is the Red Roof Women’s Festival. The event itself occurs in Marlbank. I know it’s not quite Kingston but the festival boasts the talents of numerous Kingston bands and solo artists including Jenica Rayne, Lynne Hanson, Get in the Car, and Girls’ Night Out.
The Artel will be wrapping up its current exhibit this Sunday. Banalyze This is a collaborative exhibition of drawings by Former Kingston Artist Kyle Bishop and the Gestalt Collective (artists Loretta Walz and Andrea Hunter). The installation looks for meaning in human interdependence and need. The gallery is open from 11am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday, July 20th
Not a whole lot going on on Sunday, save for the Market. With the weather forecast we’re having, it might be a good day to check out a movie, or tending to the growing list of chores around the house.
City Landmarks Vol III
I’m back with the third installment of my mini history lesson, helping you to better understand the city we live in. Steps away from the controversial LVEC site, is a small, zigzagging strip of crumbling limestone, which looks like the remains of an ancient civilization. This structure “may” be part of the original facade of Fort Frontenac, which was constructed after the Governor of New France, the Comte de Frontenac, arrived at the mouth of the Cataraqui River. In 1956, The Kingston Historical Society erected a plaque to celebrate the landmark, which reads: Count Frontenac erected a Fort here in 1673 with LaSalle as Commandant. It was partially destroyed in 1758. In 1783 Major Ross built barracks (later called tete de pont) on the site. The original name was restored to the buildings opposite in 1938.” Read more
Death of the Drive Thru
On my way walking to work this morning, I listened to a debate on CBC regarding whether or not cities should restrict, ban or do nothing about drive thru’s. For many people they are the ultimate convenience, while other health-minded folks see them as the scourge of the urban landscape. Although this debate is more prevalent in larger cities, it is still relevant in Kingston, and is one that I feel quite strongly about. I can appreciate the necessity of drive thru’s for disabled and elderly people, and even sympathize with parent’s who would rather not park their vehicles and unbuckle 3 kids just to get a double double, but something has to be done. Read more
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