Busking Enjoyed by a Few…
So I can finally say I’ve been to the Buskers Rendezvous. I enjoyed it. I really did. But it wasn’t quite what I envisioned. For one, I thought there would be way more people there. Now, this was a tricky weekend weather-wise, so unless you have somewhere to hang out during the rain, it might not be your first choice to spend the day downtown. For me it was an easy decision since I live downtown. Read more
Olivea
I can’t recall the exact date, but at least two years ago, a fire destroyed the Greek Village restaurant across the street from Market Square. This prime locale sat vacant with boarded up windows and derelict signage until a glimmer of life was spotted earlier this past Spring. A leased real estate sign along with a banner indicated that Olivea, another restaurant by Stev George, was coming to the limestone city. I considered this a very exciting prospect, as Market Square has undergone a positive transformation since the Greek Village days, and it’s commercial surroundings should reflect positivity rather than stagnation and misfortune. New business in both the charred Greek Village or abandoned TD Bank will liven up the entire area. Read more
Music and jugglers and art, oh my!
It is really hard to find anything else going on this weekend but the Buskers Rendezvous and that’s OK with me. I’ve never been here at this time of year to experience the Busking festival so I’m pretty excited about it. Of course there are some other things to check out between fire breathing and juggling acts. The city seems to be taken over this weekend by art and music so be sure to check some of it out.
Friday, July 11th
PEI’s Polaris Music Prize-nominated group Two Hours Traffic will be playing a free show at the Slip Lounge at The Holiday Inn. The opening act will be Toronto’s The I Spies.
At 8pm Juno Award winner Lynn Miles will make a rare Kingston appearance at The Bookstore Cafe in Camden East. Space is limited so reservations are highly recommended. You can make them by calling 613-378-1102. Tickets are $20.
Yart Sale! Pop in at 286 Queen Street, apartment 3 and help Dimitri get home! This Kingston resident is selling his art to make a trip home. He is selling paintings, photos, prints, shirts, zines and more and a lot for under $5! His studio will be open from 6-9pm Friday and Saturday evening. Check out his site for more info.
Saturday, July 12th
Modern Fuel is holding a reception for the 10th Regional Juried Exhibition which features the work of nine local artists selected by Camilla Singh, curator of The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto. Camilla and several of the artists will be present.
The Amherst Island men’s Society presents an open studio tour from at the Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre. The event is a fundraiser for the museum which tells of the island’s colourful history. Thirty-two artists, photographers and artisans have donated work which will be on sale from 11am-4:30pm. Admission to the event is free.
Ground Outline
This week’s featured outdoor art is a piece that has had Queen’s students and faculty, community members, and tourists baffled for years. I remember when I was at Queen’s and I had no idea this was even a piece of art. Many students just assumed it was left over from some structure that had once been there. It wasn’t until I began this project and spoke with some people about art in Kingston that I understood this strange white box on the front lawn of Theological Hall. Read more
How About This Heat?
Is it any surprise Kingstonist didn’t post anything yesterday? I can’t speak for the rest of the gang, but it was so hot, the last thing I wanted to do was sit at my desk and churn out something fancy for you to read. Sure I have a laptop and could have taken it outside into the comfortable shade of my backyard, but the idea of concentrating on creative endeavors was not appealing. From Friday to Tuesday, the temperature in Kingston steadily crept closer to 30 degrees, which resulted in a perma-haze that sat on top of the Limestone City. Some call it smog, others refer to it as soup, while new minds have dubbed the allergic variety “smollen“, consisting of smog and pollen. Whatever you call it, it’s hot and gross. But are we doing anything to stop it? Read more
The Buskers Are Coming
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Kingston’s “special” event calendar is rather sparse, and during certain parts of the year it is downright embarrassing. To clarify, today’s post won’t focus on the new under-used K-Rock Centre, as I’m more concerned with the other big crowd pleaser’s that attract people to the heart of the city. Shortcomings aside, downtown diamonds in the rough include Feb Fest, the Blues Festival and this weekend’s Buskers Rendezvous. Buskers has been a summer staple for many years, which has allowed it to grow in popularity, and attract a very sizable crowd. Onlookers will descend on the downtown like locusts and devour food in our restaurants, as well as other consumables from local merchants. Read more
Not Another (Insert Funny Here) Weekend
It’s been a busy week for me, as I’ve said goodbye to the world of renting, and hello to a new house. I can’t seem to take three steps inside without tripping over an unpacked box, or project that needs my attention. I am very much looking forward to getting out and about this weekend to take a break from it all. Before I get started, I would like to take the time to bid farewell to our resident podcaster David Bailey, who has now moved abroad to take on a challenging new position in Kosovo. His contributions will be greatly missed. As well, I would also like to officially welcome Oceanaria, a very active/local blogger who will be providing her unique spin on our great city. In the wake of her Canada Day fireworks display, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. Without further adieu, here’s what’s happening around Kingston this weekend. Read more
Five Sculptures on Topological Themes
This week’s featured large scale outdoor art is once again on Queen’s campus. Five Sculptures on Topological Themes is located just south east of Jeffrey Hall on University Avenue (across form Grant Hall).
The work is a group of sculptures made from a combination of materials: terrazzo, portland cement, marble chips and epoxy and created by Alan Dickson, professor of Fine Arts at Queen’s. Dickson emigrated to Canada in 1970 from England to teach at the university and the work was commissioned soon after by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in 1971 as part of an initiative to enhance Jeffrey Hall and its surroundings.
The forms are an investigation of the concept of infinity as represented by the mobius strip - a physical structure that is both three-dimensional and one-sided. In other words, you can run your hand along the entire surface without ever crossing an edge. This can be clearly seen in the above photo with the two large white pieces on pedestals. Go take a closer look!
June Comment Contest Winner
It’s Canada Day, and if you’re like me, you got the day off! Thankfully the weather has been great thus far, and the forecast is looking promising, hence the fireworks display at Confederation Basin will go on as planned! I’ll be watching it from my new backyard. Without further delay, it gives me great pleasure to announce that our June Comment Contest Winner is Musicgrrl. She and a friend will receive free passes for the Confederation Trolley Tour, which departs in front of City Hall on a regular basis. It’s something every resident, new and old, must do at some stage of their Kingston experience. As the summer officially ramps up, we will be taking a bit of a break from our monthly rewards format. That said, we still want to hear what you’ve got to say, and promise that prizes will be coming back, better than ever, in the Fall. We’ll be here all summer long giving you the low down on Kingston. We want to hear from you, so as always, comment ’til your heart’s content.
Happy Canada Day!
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