Great Educational Opportunity – Workshops on Creative Expression at Lakehead University (Orillia) featuring Mariposa Folk Festival Artists

Posted on June 23, 2013

Enhance your Mariposa experience by joining in on the Mariposa Folk Expressions workshops produced by Lakehead University in partnership with Mariposa Folk Festival, and supported through a donation from the estate of Alan Mills, a Canadian folksinger, writer, and actor known for popularizing Canadian folk music.

Artists and performers will share their expertise and knowledge to guide you in your creative expression. Workshops include album cover design, songwriting, dance, guitar, and painting. You will also have the opportunity to learn about artistic direction, and how Mariposa’s artists are chosen.

Date: Friday, July 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (the day the Festival starts)
Location: Lakehead University, Heritage Place at 1 Colborne St. W., Orillia
$25 per session

9:00 to 10:30 am 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 pm
Songwriting Guitar
CD Art Design Painting
Artistic Direction Dance

CD Art Design: Michael Wrycraft
Michael is a Juno award-winning artist whose work has appeared in many galleries. With his impressive artistic talent, along with his great sense of humour, you can expect a totally entertaining workshop! Learn more about Michael here.

Songwriting: Jory Nash
Jory is an award-winning singer-songwriter and storyteller who blends elements of folk, jazz, blues, pop, and soul into his original sound. He has recorded six critically acclaimed albums, is a popular guest on dozens of CBC Radio programs, and makes regular appearances at some of Canada’s most popular folk festivals. Learn more about Jory here.

Guitar: Arthur Renwick
A celebrated photo artist, curator, academic and singer songwriter, Arthur Renwick is a modern day renaissance man. Playing the bottleneck slide on a Dobro and Cigar Box guitar with Robert Johnson-like alacrity, he’s been performing for years at festivals and venues across Canada and Europe, yet waited until 2012 to release his superb debut album, the highly acclaimed The Cigarbox Chronicles. Well worth the long wait, it captures the experiences of love, loss, liquor, hope, faith, birth and death in Kitamaat, the small fishing village where he was born and raised within the Haisla Nation. Arthur’s tunes range from bluesy swagger to county-roots that beckon the spirit of Hank Williams. Listen to his music here.

Dance: Beth McKean
Beth McKean will help you to find freedom and joy by encouraging and coaching your dancer self to shine, manifest and be liberated. It’s not just in some of us – it’s in all of us. Discover your authentic self on the dance floor through the love, compassion, care and passion that Beth brings to the experience. Your playful free spirit is waiting to be expressed and go on a journey of the heart. Beth is a gifted guide who will lead you through a creative exploration of the body, mind, heart and soul.

Painting: Travis Shilling and Will McGarvey
Travis Shilling’s paintings tell a story. A filmmaker and playwright, Travis’ work reflects a rich imagination and exceptional skill. Travis’ recent paintings juxtapose civilization and the animal world in a narrative dreamscape. His short film “Bear Tung”, featuring Gary Farmer, was a selection in the 2011 National Museum of American Indian in NYC as well as the Santa fe independent film festival in October. Travis was born in Rama, Ontario: the second of two artist sons of acclaimed Aboriginal artist Arthur Shilling. Travis has exhibited since age 21 in Canada, Europe and the US. He travels between a studio in Rama and one in Toronto.

Will McGarvey is an Orillia-based artist of national renown. His paintings have hung in a variety of galleries, and are coveted by art aficionados. He also happens to be the son of Pete

Artistic Direction: Mike Hill
Mike Hill is the current Artistic Director of the Mariposa Folk Festival. He has also served as the Festival’s organizing chair and has been working with Mariposa since it returned to Orillia in 2000. He is also a member of the board of directors of Folk Music Canada and has served in varied capacities with the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals and Folk Alliance International. Mike will share his experiences and offer insight into the processes behind organizing a festival, particularly from the artistic side.

A Salute to Mariposa’s Volunteers

Posted on June 16, 2013

saluteVolunteers Mariposa Folk Festival is a volunteer-driven event. Without hundreds of people donating their time, there would be no festival.

We are proud of every one of our volunteers. They represent the organization with pride and provide services to the festival audience with enthusiasm, earning a well-deserved reputation for professionalism and civic contribution.

During the three days of the festival, our volunteers put in a minimum of 12 hours service, usually over three shifts. They are also invited to an Orientation and Training Session the evening before the festival starts (Thursday), to meet fellow volunteers on their team as well as their Crew Chief, and to learn what they need to know about the job they will be doing. This session is especially useful to new volunteers, but those that can’t make it the day before the festival, especially the many out-of-town volunteers, get on-the-job training. Volunteers receive free admission to the festival and a souvenir Mariposa Crew T-Shirt as well as a discount on festival camping.

This year, Mariposa is putting on a special ‘thank you’ concert on the Hootenanny Stage from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 4th, for volunteers attending the Volunteer Orientation and Training Session. This pre-festival concert will feature Jory Nash and Richard Knechtel.

Many of our volunteers come from Orillia and area, but a large proportion of them come from across Ontario, and as far away as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lorain, Ohio, and other locales.

Most of the volunteer positions at Mariposa Folk Festival 2013 are filled, but we are still on the look out for good people for our Access Crew. Shifts require walking and standing for long stretches in any weather, and good judgment and problem solving is required. These volunteers work on teams that monitor the festival gates and grounds, and must be 18 years of age or older.

On top of our army of Festival volunteers, Festival Organizing Group volunteers work year round to plan and coordinate the Festival.

All told, our volunteers are an impressive group of great people, and we think it shows in the fantastic festival they put on every year. When you’re at Mariposa Folk Festival 2013, please take a moment to thank some volunteers for their work and contributions.