Art Worship at the Cherch

One thing. It seems that many great artists--in fact, great people of every discipline--have achieved excellence in their art or work by focusing on ONE THING and refining and practicing and honing and experimenting and putting all their energy into that one thing.

I've thought about that one thing alot. As a musician, it could be a particular style or sound or song. Frida Kahlo had her one thing--her self-portraits appeared in many of her works (though I say this after only seeing one exhibition of her work and some random studying of her life and art). In architecture, it's hard not to recognize the aesthetic of Frank Gehry.

Sometimes it takes awhile to find it. It's harder than it sounds, really. That one thing can be elusive. And we can get distracted from it. Sidetracked.

So I continue to consider: what is my one thing? I'm continually refining my sound, finding my voice, experimenting with different ways to write or perform and let my soul sing out. I love working with artists from other disciplines--dancers, actors, visual artists--because they inspire and challenge me. And I want to actively cultivate this beautiful, rich cultural community in my city. And in this unassuming little city that I presently occupy, it's easy to reach out and connect with those other artists. I'm really grateful for the support I have in this respect--artists here seem very willing to contribute their time and talent for the sake of an intriguing collaboration

Last Saturday, I held a concert at the Cherch, and very much felt like my one thing was being defined. With the love and support of some amazing artists--Anastasia Winterhalt (opera), Richard Carnegie (symphony bassist), Kiya Leier (dancer), Ryan Leier and his crew of yoga performers, and Sam Mitchell (flute/mandolin/percussion/vocals), I was able to bring together an amazing group of people and friends. At the Cherch, Cathy (www.hornofplenty.ca) brought her ceramic art and jewellry--wearing my new necklace now!! Jack Pine Press brought their poetry books. Adam Finn and Laura Hosaluk hung their art. And Esther Parry brought her fashions.

And then, the audience. The audience came. Unheard of in Saskatoon, over half of the tickets for the show sold in advance. And we packed the Cherch. The chairs were full, the room was hot, people crowded in the doorways and aisles and stood and watched in total rapture. They laughed and applauded and participated and bought art and were so supportive.

And the volunteers--Lynn Nellis, Adam and Theresa Finn, Chandra Pederson selflessly devoted their time and energy to serving and hosting and cleaning and ticket taking, creating order out of chaos and managing the event with beauty and enthusiasm. Amazing folks.

I'm telling you all about this because I'm feeling tremendously grateful for the space and support and collaborations that made the concert at the Cherch happen. I feel like my one thing happened at that show--it was about making art, making music, while creating community and serving a neighborhood--Riversdale in Saskatoon--which is riddled with social issues. I continue to think about how art communities can change the world, and I'm very focused on Riversdale as the first site that needs our attention.