3RD REPORT OF THE CREATIVE CITY COMMITTEE Meeting held on June 29, 2011, commencing at 12:15 p.m PRESENT: Councillor J. P. Bryant (Chair), Councillor D. Brown, K. Holman and P. lngram and H. Lysynski (Secretary). ALSO PRESENT: R. Armistead, B. Benedict, J. Binder, A. Hallam, A. Halwa, S. Jones, S. Merritt, D. Pollock and K. Van Lierop. REGRETS: Mayor J. Fontana, Councillors J. L. Baechler, P. Hubert and H. L. Usher, L. Da Silva, S. Hubbard Krimmer, R. Muhoz-Castiblanco, C. Nurse and P. Seale. I YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS: Meeting with 1. MPs and (Add) That the the matter of cultural funding BE INCLUDED on the agenda of MPPs the next Committee of the Whole meeting with the local Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the Members of Parliament. II YOUR COMMITTEE REPORTS: Eldon House 2, (5) That the Creative City Committee received the Eldon House 2010 2010 Annual Report Annual Report from B. Meehan, Executive Director, Museum London. LondonArls 3, (6) That the Creative City Committee received the London Arts Council Council 2010 Annual 2010 Annual Report from A. Halwa, Executive Director, London Arts Council. Report London 4. (7) That the Creative City Committee received the London Heritage Heritage 20,0 Council 201 0 Annual Report from A. Hallam, Executive Director, London Heritage Annual Council. Report Community 5, That the Creative City Committee was advised of the following: Events . the 201 1 Creative City Summit; the attached information with respect to the Pride London Festival; the attached information with respect to Ben Benedict's The Thames Revisited; . the attached upcoming events at the Eldon House; . July festivals including Caliente, Sunfest, Home County Folk Festival and Ribfest; DO London, presented by the London Heritage Council; . Culture Days presented by the London Arts Council; successful past events including Car Free Day, Nuit Blanche, the Fringe Festival and the organization of a culture bus to commute passengers through the downtown during the Fringe Festival; . the Western Fair Association is in the process of being branded as a District; cultural mapping is being undertaken in the Old East Village; . the Old East Area is creating a food artisan district; it being noted that Members were reminded that all arts and heritage events are listed on the London Arts Council and London Heritage Council websites. Palace 6. (Add) That the Creative City Committee (CCC) expressed its appreciation to Theatre P. lngram for arranging for the CCC to meet at the Palace Theatre and for the informative tour. September 7. (Add) That the Creative City Committee (CCC) asked its Committee Agenda Secretary to invite J. Shelley to its September meeting to discuss the possibility of holding a City Symposium. a. That the Creative City Committee received and noted the following: Cultural (a) (i) That the Creative City Committee received an information report from Prosperity Plan Sub- the Chief Administrative Officer and a Municipal Council resolution adopted at its committee meeting held on May 30,2011 with respect to the development of a Cultural Prosperity Plan; Honouring (b) (ii) That the Creative City Committee received a Municipal Council Prominent Citizens Sub- resolution adopted at its meeting held on May 30, 2011 with respect to the Committee establishment of a Council policy to honour prominent citizens; 2nd Report of (c) (1) the 2nd Report of the Creative City Committee from its meeting held on the CCC April 20, 201 1 ; Revised a communication dated June 10,2011 from the City Clerk with respect Proposed (d) (2) Governance to the revised proposed governance structure; Structure 2011 Creative (e) (3) an information report, dated June 29, 2011, from the Chief City Fund Allocation Administrative Officer with respect to the 201 1 Creative City Fund Allocation Process; Process and. City of (9 (4) an information report, dated June 29, 2011, from the Chief London - Public Art Administrative Officer with respect to the current status of the City of London Public Art Program Program. Current Status Next Meeting 9. That the Creative City Committee will hold its next meeting on September 21,2011. The meeting adjourned at 1:lO p.m. BENEDICTCREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS WWW.BCREATIVE.CA 188 John Street, London, ON, N6A 1P1 P 519-4332-5089; F: 519-432-1872 Ben Benedict, Curator Deb Al-Hamza, President Sandra DeSalvo, Executive Director Benedict Creative Communications Pride London Festival The Arts Project E [email protected] P: 519-642-2167 P: 519-432-5089 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] www.pridelondon.ca BENEDICTCREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS WWW.BCREATIVE.CA 188 John Street, London, ON, N6A 1P1 P: 519-4332-5089; F 519-432-1872 For Immediate Release - June 27,201 1 The hers011 Creative Arts Centre is please to present London visual artist Ben Benedict’s The Thames Revisited from July 10 to August 28, 2011. The hgerSOl1 Creative Arts Centre is open to the public Ffiday, Saturday, and Sunday from 2 to 4 pm, except July 30 to August 1 holiday weekend. Mr. Benedict will be on site each Saturday afternoon painting ‘en plein air’ or live in gallery proving an opportunity to not only meet the &st but watch his creative process unfold. An opening reception will be held Sunday, July IO from 2 to 4 pm. The exhibit features works of art on canvas, board and paper developed over the past four years based on a trip down the Thames River in 2007 funded in part through the Philip Aziz Foundation of Art to recreate a trip that London artists Paul Peel and William Lees Judson did in 1877, traveling by canoe from the Forks of the Thames River in London to Lighthouse Cove on the shores of Lake St. Clair over a nine day period. Ben Benedict graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts (English) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1993 and since has worked predominantly in mixed media, collage, painting, and sculpture. His creativity focused on figurative works in gender roles and on issues of masculinity, memory, and object relations theories including the use of found objects and deconstructed materials. This outdoors experience lead to an exploration of non-figurative works including landscape, minimalism, and hard edge works while including components of materialism and found objects as a way to stay true to his artistic practice. These works marked an exploration of acrylics and a return to constructing frames and canvases as well as using found materials and objects. Landscape then become a way of exploring idealize memory and finding moments of man’s intrusion or footprint in nature (bridges, power lines, etc.), speaking to a particular time in place while exploring a variety of materials and painterly techniques to achieve the desired narrative that has a meaningful and emotive response in the viewer, reminiscent of his works on masculinity. MI. Benedict’s artistic practice also includes palette paintings, created spontaneously from the left over paint from larger works on paper, wood, and canvas, forming another integral component of his artistic practice. As an active and engaged member of London, ON’S arts community Mr. Benedict sits on the City of London’s Creative City Committee and is recognized as one of London’s leading cultural workers. In 2010 as a participant in Culture Days Canada, Mr. Benedict received extensive local media recognition and national exposure as the only artist mentioned by name in the Culture Days Canada’s final media release. Ben Benedict is also owner of Benedict Creative Communications, a writing and public relations consulting firm developed in 2005. Mr. Benedict is an experienced writededitor and noted interviewer with over 1,000 publishing credits with extensive experience in media including writing for magazine, newspaper, and radio where he currently host a monthly hour long talk show on CHRW Radio Western 94.9FM called Inside the Arts. We is recognized by the Professional Writers’ Association of Canada (PWAC) London Chapter as on of London’s leading freelance writers. He also is an experienced community development worker in the area of culture and diversity, a cultural consultant and activist, practicing visual artist, and seasoned public relations and business communications professional who Can be reached at www.bcreative.ca. Mr. Benedict also wishes to acknowledge the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council having received an Exhibition Assistance Grant in 2010 ensuring the successful development Ofthis exhibition. For More Information Contact: Heather MacIntosh, Gallery Administrator Ben Benedict, Visual Artist Ingersoll Creative Arts Centre (in Victoria Park) Benedict Creative COmmUniCations 125 Centennial Lane, Ingersoll, ON, N5C 3v3 188 John Street, London, ON, N6A 1Pl P: 519-485-4691 P: 519-432-5089 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W. www.creativeartscentre.com w: www.benbenedict.ca - coming Soon! Attached Images: 1. BigBendAAemoon~BenBenedict~Watercolo~~aper~7~9wInches~2007 2. EveningBridgeThamesRiver~BenBenedict~AcrylicO~aper~l5~5~ches~2OO9 V. ,"-- 50th Anniversary Exhibition: SPECIAL EVENTS Key Chamcfers Croquet Anyone? July 201 1 Saturdays and Sundays, July and August 1 :00 to 4:OO pm This exhibition focuses on the people associated with the museum in the past50years. From the first curator, Enjoy a family game of croquet on the lawns of Eldon historical interpreters, artists-in-residence to the friends of House. Rules will be available. Eldon House, visitors will learn about those who cared for and dedicated their time to this heritagesite. Canada Day Garden Party Friday, July 1,ll:OO am to 4:OO pm WORKSHOP SERIES Whaf a Bee Sees Celebrate Canada Day at Eldon House with an old- fashioned garden party. Enjoy puppet performances, musical Sunday, July 17 entertainment, outdoor games and activities, in addition to 1 :00 to 3:OO pm touring the historic home and its grounds.