Upcoming Events

Beekeepers Documentary Screening!!

Wondering about the mysterious disappearance of bees? Interested in joining a group passionate about beekeeping, or just curious about the relationship between humans and bees?

The Purple Thistle Beekeepers would love for you to join them for an evening, watching  “Vanishing of the Bees”

Tuesday February 11th, 7:30pm
Purple Thistle Centre- #260-975 Vernon Drive, at Parker St. (ring the buzzer twice)
**Free! ** Friends and family welcome! ** Bring snacks to share if you’d like! **

Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally vanishing from their hives.

Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, this phenomenon has brought beekeepers to crisis in an industry responsible for producing apples, broccoli, watermelon, onions, cherries and a hundred other fruits and vegetables. Commercial honeybee operations pollinate crops that make up one out of every three bites of food on our tables.

Vanishing of the Bees follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capital Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees.

Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss. Conflicting options abound and after years of research, a definitive answer has not been found to this harrowing mystery.

The Thistle is 13 YEARS OLD

Featured

hey Friends!

it was 13 years ago that we first opened our doors! thank you to everyone that every hung out, made art, mentored and shared skillz, ran shifts, made food, donated, was on the collective, caused beautiful trouble and supported us! it’s because of all of you that we keep going, and continue to do rad stuff — THANK YOU!

MUCH LOVE AND LIBERATION!

causing some trouble!

causing some trouble!

Working as an Artist: Talks and Workshops

Hey You! Yeah You!

Have you been making work*?  …but wonder what to do after ?

*By work we’re not just talking painting, We’re talking Music, Gardening, Zines, Blogs and lots of other stuff too!

Working as an Artist is a 3-Part Professional Development Workshop for Artists ages 15-25 AND FREE!  *pre-registration is requested for the workshops* (see below).

Working as an Artist is a 3-part series that will bring in professional national and international artists to facilitate workshops and hopefully inspire you! Whether you are interested in more traditional modes of exhibition, or questioning the whole “Art World” thing and are thinking about radical solutions to pushing back against that market, these workshops will provide open dialogue for you to consider the pros and cons when deciding what is right for your individual (or group) practices. From showing artwork in museums or galleries, to graffiti, public art interventions or subversive performance events these workshops will provide relevant skill training as well as how to price, hang, install, write about, promote and market your work.

Starting in January, the Purple Thistle will be hosting one talk and one workshop a month. All events are free, and only pre-registration is requested for the workshops. Rozzell Medina starts us off with a talk on January 17th from 7-9pm, and a workshop on January 18th, 1-4pm.

During these workshops you’ll get to hang out in a casual environment with some rad artists who have lots of experience exhibiting and sharing their work. You’ll also get to hang out with other like-minded artists participating in the workshop.

Each of the three workshops will always begin and end at the Purple Thistle Centre. However, during the workshop we may venture from the Thistle to off-site locations such as galleries, museums or other relevant but lesser thought of spaces, chosen by the visiting artists. So wear comfy shoes and dress for the weather and for adventure! We’ll make sure to take care of transportation and admission costs, so no need to bring money; just bring yourself.

That’s right, the workshops are FREE. But pre-registration is required.

So… are you interested?

“Hi!” I’m Kristin,  the resident Curator at the Purple Thistle. Registration is super easy! just  e-mail  me here: kristinlantz@gmail.com and send along 3 things:

  1. Your full name
  2. How best to contact you – whether  it be email, phone or facebook,
  3. Tell me a bit about yourself: What kind of maker/artist are you?

*** These workshops are not just for self-identified Artists. They are for anyone thinking about putting their work out into the world. Whatever that work might be, not just art things like painting, drawing or sculpture. ***

THE DEETS FOR THE WORKSHOPS

1. With Rozzell Medina

DATES:

Artist Talk: January 17th 7-9 PM 

WorkshopJanuary 18th 1-4pm

Rozzell has been making visual art since he was a little kid. A few years ago, he became interested in how people can come together to form independent, self-organizing learning communities that improve the quality of participants’ lives and their abilities to co-create an equitable and liberated society. Since 2009, he has been working creatively and collaboratively to nurture these kinds of learning communities.

2. With Hannah Jickling

Artist Talk: Friday February 21st 7-9 pm

Workshop  Saturday Februray 22nd 1-4 

Hannah Jickling is an artist who works in photo, sculpture, printed matter, performance and public intervention.  As part of her art practice, she has shoveled snow, navigated a giant pumpkin boat in the ocean and exhibited kaleidoscopes from inside her trench-coat gallery. Hannah is interested in absurdist-activist tactics and the idea that fantasy can be a quality of life.  For this workshop, we will think through ways to maneuver art ideas inside and outside of art world rules. By looking at CV’s, artist statements and grant applications, we will learn more about how to navigate some of the expectations of a professional art practice.

3. With Harrell Fletcher and Carmen Papalia

Artist Talk:  April 25th 7-9pm

Workshop: April 26th 1-4pm

With the community as a canvas, the possibilities of artwork are endless. Art and Social Practice professor Harrell Fletcher challenges students to think outside the studio in order to create socially engaged art. By forming an experience in a place, rather than producing a final object, this barrier-breaking approach asks artists and their audiences to consider themselves, their community, and their environment as part of their art.

Papalia designs experiences that invite those involved to expand their perceptual mobility and claim access to public and institutional spaces. Often requiring trust and closeness, these engagements disorient the participant while introducing new modes of orientation that allow for perceptual and censorial discovery. As an open-sourcing of his own access, Papalia’s work makes visible the opportunities for learning and knowing that become available through the non-visual senses.

**

Contact Kristin for further information or to register: kristinlantz@gmail.com

RAIN Zine Launch Party

Sunday, April 22 6-9pm, The Prophouse Cafe
issue #5 is hot off the presses! come join us!

we are so excited to share this issue with you all and have fun, dancing, listening to great words, and songs and just seeing you all!

By donation!

**zine’s are 8 bux! **

there will be poets, singers AND
featuring Kim Positive!

DJ su-comandante!! + lots of dancing!

(more deets coming soon!)

Invite all your awesome friends!

this rain is EPIC! cover by Julie Flett!