The call for award submissions was put out in early September. The DATCA committee received many submissions from local artists for the commission of the statue design. Falkenberg was selected by a committee of volunteers from the arts community in Durham Region as the successful artist to design the awards statue.

Falkenberg, an honours graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, has lived in Claremont, a hamlet of Pickering, with his wife since 1968. For more than 40 years, he has been producing art for public spaces around the world, including the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the prestigious Bretton Place Apartments in Toronto; the Pickering Town Centre mall in Pickering; and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) campus in Oshawa.

The DATCA statue will be the second award statue in Durham Region designed by Falkenberg—he is commissioned annually by the Rouge Valley Health System to produce an original sculpture for the recipient of the Howard Sokolowsky Award for outstanding support of the Ajax-Pickering Hospital.

An active member of the arts and culture scene in Durham Region, Falkenberg initiated the development of a public art centre in west Durham Region. This concept grew into the Durham West Arts Centre, which opened in 2004.

DATCA statues will be engraved with the recipient’s name, award category and year, and are being manufactured by Omachron Science Inc.

AWARD SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

CREATIVE SPONSORS

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

The DATCA honour people and businesses that promote creativity, innovation and collaboration in Durham Region. Four DATCA statues will be awarded to winners in the following categories:

• Best collaboration among business, the arts and the community.
• Best story about Durham Region in any medium.
• Best entertainment in any medium.
• Best use of art and artists to advance social and environmental sustainability.

Statues will be engraved with the recipient’s name, award category and year. The DATCA is a community-driven initiative to celebrate and promote the creative economy in Durham Region, led by a committee of community members.

For more information about DATCA, please visit www.artoftransition.ca.

IAN ROSS

Chief Executive Officer, Whitby Public Library

DAVID PRUSINSKI

Vice President, U.S. Sales Complete Innovations Inc.

JOANNE BURGHARDT

Editor-in-Chief, Metroland Durham Region Media Group

SHARON KENNEDY

Executive Director, Central Counties Tourism

DON TERRY

Director, Nuclear Public Affairs, Ontario Power Generation

WAYNE CONRAD

Chief Scientist, Omachron Founder, Planet Earth Initiative

JONATHON KOTSOPOULOS

Grade 11 Student, J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate

The response was overwhelming, with members of the community coming together and displaying their passion and creativity during a number of events and initiatives over the past two years. These initiatives—such as the inaugural Art of Transition Symposium featuring Dr. Richard Florida, several creativity think tanks, the introduction of the Art of Transition Culture Fund, and community engagement via social media and Transitions ‘zine—demonstrate that Durham Region is truly in transition.

At the Durham Tourism Summit and Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards (DATCA), we continue this momentum with a jam-packed day, which is all about putting Durham Region—and its creative people and places—in the spotlight!

The Durham Tourism Summit kicks off with a keynote presentation by Robin Sharma, a best-selling author and expert on leadership, change management and personal mastery. Tickets for Robin Sharma’s presentation are $30 and include an autographed copy of his new book, Letters From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, compliments of Dagmar Ski Resort. Order your tickets online at www.artoftransition.ca.

We are also proud to present a free speaker series featuring industry experts, who are leaders in their field, presenting on topics ranging from culinary and cycling tourism to social media marketing and customer service excellence. We hope these dynamic speakers will inspire you to continue to develop and grow with the ever-changing tourism industry here in Durham Region. For a full list of speakers and presentations taking place throughout the day, please flip to page 6.

Meanwhile, the marketplace will be abuzz with tradeshow booths displaying the many facets of Durham’s tourism industry. You’ll learn about Durham Region’s world-class attractions, fantastic recreation facilities, and the many businesses and people that make our community unique, see page 14. The centre of the tradeshow floor is home to Creative Marketplace – where Durham’s fantastic artists will have their work on display. Don’t forget to stop by the Savour the Season area of the marketplace, where some of Durham Region’s finest restaurants will be serving up culinary samplings featuring local food. You can find a full list of Creative Marketplace artisans on page 12.

The day will culminate with the presentation of the inaugural Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards (DATCA), where four individuals will be celebrated for their contribution to making Durham Region a creative, thriving community. Winners will be presented with a DATCA statue, designed by local artist Edward Falkenberg. You can learn more about Edward’s work on page 18.

Congratulations to all of our nominees (which you can find listed on page 20). Each and every one of you play an important role in developing the arts and culture sector as the heart and soul of our community, as well as a driving force in the economy. Our judges (who are listed on page 21) had a difficult decision to make.

I’d like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of our event sponsors (page 23) and DATCA committee members for shaping this event, which will celebrate, promote, and continue to develop Durham Region’s economy. With your help, we continue to create a map that shows the roads leading to Durham Region’s vibrant future!

Warmest regards,
Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

Durham Region is a firm believer in the power of our creative sector to help fuel a vibrant economy and thriving tourism industry. Our cultural, artistic, culinary and heritage resources are also a vital foundation for the remarkable quality of community life we enjoy.

The day’s program is designed to inform, inspire and invite you to get involved. It will showcase our diverse creative economy and the many cultural resources at our fingertips, highlighting opportunities for innovation and collaboration. At the interactive marketplace you can, literally, get a taste of great things produced in Durham.

The evening will recognize and celebrate the outstanding creative partnerships and artistic minds of this Region with our first annual awards presentation.

We would be delighted if you could join us!

Yours truly,
Roger Anderson
Regional Chair and CEO
905-668-7711

Creative Marketplace will feature a wide variety of hand made, one of a kind creative goods: Painted and drawn wall-hung work, eco-friendly, up-cycled wares, clothing, jewelry, stained glass, accessories, and knitted wares, silk-screened T-shirts and hoodies, clothing, books, toys, the gift of music and more!

Here is just a sampling of the artisans you can expect to meet:

• Alana McClure: Photography
• Albert Mueller: Abstract landscape painter
• Antony’s Gallery: Fine Art Originals and picture framing
• Anne Labelle-Johnson & Tony Johnson Blue: Willow Studios
• Catherine Mills
• Erin Elliott: ‘OshaWhat’ NEW alternative magazine
• J & C Stained Glass
• Jeanetteka: Art Glass Jewels
• Kirsty Naray: Handmade glass beads and jewelry
• Green House: Home of Kniterary, Hedgehog Stitchery and Soul Xpression
• Lianne Snow: Up-cycled jewelry and accessories
• Marilyn Whitbread: Fibre Artist
• McGowan: Art Watercolour and Acrylic works
• Monique Ra Brent: Acrylic, oil and wood burning
• Pamela Meacher: Painter and award-winning author
• Sally Grande: Creative Carrot Fine Art
• Sandra B. Saunders: Mixed Media Artist
• Sexy Lady Finery: Hand-painted T-Shirts, fine art, buttons and more.
• Steven Joseph Brown: Author of ‘Window Pain’, ‘A Living Prayer’, ‘Seasons of the Soul’, and ‘By a Cat’s Whisker’
• Tom Conaty: Utopia Woodturning

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a widely respected leadership development firm that has helped over four million people in 50 countries, along with clients such as Nike, FedEx, IBM, GM, Microsoft, Kraft Foods, KPMG and Panasonic, and organizations such as NASA and YPO get to their next level of world-class.

Robin is one of the most in-demand speakers in the world, frequently sharing the stage with individuals such as Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Deepak Chopra and Dr. Phil.

A former litigation lawyer, holding two law degrees including a Masters of Law, Robin is also a leading executive coach, having worked with billionaires, major CEOs and celebrity entrepreneurs.

As CEO of Robin Sharma Films Inc., Robin has also become a filmmaker. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is being made into a major motion picture.

A former lawyer, he quit his job and self-published a book at a Kinko’s copy shop. Robin’s first seminar was attended by 23 people — 21 of whom were his family members. His second book, Letters From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, was also originally self-published until former Harper Collins president Ed Carson discovered Robin in a bookstore.

The book, and the series has become one of Canada’s most successful publishing franchises as sales near 250,000 copies sold in Canada alone. Robin’s books are read by CEOs, political leaders, homemakers, movie stars, pop stars, sports celebrities and people from all walks of life.

Please click here to purchase tickets – $30 +hst.

Sponsored by Central Counties Tourism
Emcee: Kerri King, Tourism Manager, Region of Durham
Welcome: Mayor John Henry, City of Oshawa
Opening Remarks: Kathy Weiss, Director, Economic Development & Tourism, Region of Durham

Bill is an original thinker and doer. His presentation takes us on a humorous autobiographical journey that deals with overcoming disabilities, with creativity, problem solving, team work, risk management and above all the human relationship with the planet . His Presentation includes images and descriptions of how several works of art came to be – from his first landscape sculpture, a replica of the Lunar lander that Neil Armstrong used to land on the moon … to a full-scale replica of Stonehenge from crushed cars and the larger-than-life Iron buffalo created for the 3D IMAX film the last Buffalo. It’s not so hard to believe that this is the same man who designed and built a 2700 square foot, 21st century earth-integrated domed home, located in southern Ontario, which has been featured in many media stories for its innovative earth ethical design.

Bill finally tells the incredible story of how he earned the name “Father Goose” by imprinting a flock of Canada geese to follow the ultralight plane he designed and built. He reviews how this process, has led to the restoration of an easterly flock the highly endangered Whooping crane, Jeff Daniels who plays Lishman in the Columbia pictures 1996 feature film Fly Away Home says, “with Lishman idea is a verb”.

A graduate of Guelph University, Michael obtained a BS. In zoology and a MSc in Animal Science specialization elephant nutrition.

Having trained hundreds of animals from ants to elephants,
Michael has provided zoological expertise for film productions, television and the entertainment industry world wide.

A member of the World Wildlife Fund’s 200 Canadians, Michael is an ardent conservationist. He lives at the zoo with his wife and veterinarian Wendy and two teenage boys, Kurt and Dirk.

Donna Zuchlinski is Manager of Film and Film Commissioner with the Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture that supports the province’s creative media industries, which include film and television, books, interactive digital media, magazines and music. One of the busiest film and television production centres in North America, this industry contributed almost one billion dollars in direct expenditures to the provincial economy in 2010.

Donna is responsible for the operations of the Provincial Film Commission, which provides location scouting and facilitation services to productions, both domestic and foreign, interested in filming in Ontario. She also leads the marketing efforts for the Toronto and Ontario film industry at home and abroad. A key marketing tool for the Commission is the award-winning Digital Locations Database, an on-line searchable database containing digital photographic files for over 9,000 filming locations representing 200,000 individual images, including many popular filming sites in Durham Region.

Panelist: BRIAN MALCOLM, Executive Director, Parkwood – National Historic Site

Brian has been Executive Director at Parkwood for nearly two decades. With a background that includes arts administration, municipal culture & recreation planning, and hospitality, Brian enjoys the challenges of site
conservation and development at one of Canada’s last grand estates.

The estate is owned by The Parkwood Foundation, a not-forprofit charitable organization. Brian has been extensively involved in long-term preservation and fundraising at Parkwood, working with a dedicated corps of staff and volunteers.

Location filming has been an important aspect of operations at Parkwood throughout Brian’s tenure. Filming brings much needed revenue support and generates excitement for the community. Filming impacts can be enormous on a significant heritage site, and Parkwood has built a large base of experience which it shares readily through presentations to organizations like Ontario Media Development Corporation, Ontario Museum Association, National Historic Sites Alliance for Ontario and Conservation Studies at Sir Sanford Fleming College, and through consultations with other museum sites.

He has a degree in Advertising Design from Syracuse and runs a design firm that sells creative services, but Barry hasn’t owned a TV since 2001. He gets his news from sources that require less filtering.

Barry believes brands (and all our endeavors are brands) are increasingly being measured by what people say about them, not what they say about themselves. That brands become more relevant by moving the needle on issues that matter to their communities. That people notice, trust and evangelize for brands that are ON a mission and filter those who simply HAVE a mission. That marketing today means building relationships from within which you will sometimes sell. That, as the best brands have always known, earned word of mouth is more influential than interruptive media. That the speed and convenience with which people share information today is a boon to those who “get it”, and bane to those who don’t. And that all marketing is either social or anti-social.

In her previous role with Taste the County™ – Prince Edward County’s DMO, Rebecca became passionate about agriculture, tourism, arts and culture and their interrelation. During her nine years with Taste the County™, she was instrumental in the development and management of tourism products including the award winning Taste Trail, annual TASTE! a celebration of regional cuisine, the Arts Trail, Countylicious events and the buy-local program Harvestin’ the County.

Rebecca designed and developed several courses for George Brown College’s cutting edge Culinary Tourism Management program which launched in 2009.  She holds positions on the Boards of the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation Town & Country Committee, Terroir Hospitality Conference and Slow Food Canada.

Throughout his career he has gained experience through hotels, fine dining restaurants, institutional kitchens, and private clubs. David has taken several courses through the Culinary Institute of America and when he’s not in the kitchen he enjoys working on his farm, participating in ice carving competitions and building furniture in his wood shop.

Moderator: JEFF BROOKS, Principal Planner Regional Municipality of Durham

LOUISA MURSELL, Project Manager, Welcome Cyclists Network

Louisa has been working on sustainable, green and new tourism initiatives for a number years. Most recently she has been responsible for launching the Welcome Cyclist Network in 2010, workshops series and program administration. Having worked on special projects for Transportation Options since 2008, as the Greenbelt Express and Operations Manager for the Bike Train Initiative and Assistant Coordinator of the Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum, she brings much knowledge of the cycle tourism industry in Ontario to this project. Louisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo.

ELEANOR MCMAHON, President and Founder, Share the Road

Eleanor McMahon has spent most of her career as a communications, government relations and marketing professional. Her work includes senior roles in the private, public and non-for profit sectors. She spent the early part of her career on Parliament Hill in roles of increasing responsibility including that of Press Secretary to the Right Honorable Jean Chrétien.

Most recently, following the death in 2006 of her husband, OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart —who was killed by a motorist who had been convicted five times for driving under suspension. In November 2008, Ms. McMahon was successful in getting “Greg’s Law” tabled in the Ontario legislature as part of a larger Road Safety Bill, Bill 126. The legislation, which passed on April 22nd 2009. Greg’s Law came into force on December 1, 2010. McMahon has been working to engineer legislative change in Ontario and is leading the development of a provincial, grassroots cycling advocacy organization in Ontario — the Share the Road Cycling Coalition. The Coalition was launched in 2008, and since 2010 she has worked as its CEO on a full-time basis.
The Share the Road Cycling Coalition was created to unite cycling organizations from across Ontario and works with and on behalf of municipalities to enhance their ability to make their communities more bicycle-friendly.

MELISSA CLAXTON-OLDFIELD, President, Oshawa Cycling Club

Melissa lives in Clarington and grew up in Bowmanville. Married with two children, she has run a local healthcare business for the last 18 years. Most recently, however, she foudned a cycle touring company which is set to begin tours in 2012.

She’s always had a love for keeping active and travelling, whether it be hiking, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and most of all cycling. In 2006, she joined the Oshawa Cycling club and learned a lot about cycling and the fabulous country roads, villages and hamlets in the Durham Region and with this, the issues that cyclist’s face. She joined joined the executive team of the Oshawa Cycling Club as a Director and most recently in 2009 as President. An active cyclist she clocks nearly 10,000 kilometres a year locally and loves to cycle in Quebec, US and Europe.

Steven has developed cultural tourism strategies for three Canadian provinces: BC, Ontario, and PEI. Most recently he authored, A Tapestry of Place: Whistler’s Cultural Tourism Development Strategy, designed to help North America’s pre-eminent ski destination diversify its tourism offering through place-based cultural tourism. In addition, Steven helped to develop Packaging the Potential – the Canadian Tourism Commission’s national business strategy for cultural heritage tourism.

Committed to cultural tourism education as well as its practice, Steven teaches the course, “Cultural Tourism: Realizing the Opportunity”, offered through the Cultural Resource Management Program at the University of Victoria. In addition, he is the principal author of the 100-page manual, Building Place: Planning & Developing a Creative Cultural Destination, for the course of the same title offered through the Bonavista Institute of Cultural Tourism, in Bonavista, Newfoundland. He is a regular guest lecturer in the Graduate Program in Tourism Policy and Planning at the University of Waterloo.

Steven works independently and in association with Toronto-based TCI Management Consultants and Edinburgh-based TEAM Tourism Consulting.

On March 31, a group of creative leaders in Durham Region got together to brainstorm what the next step for the Art of Transition movement will look like. And so, we are proud to launch our next big event this fall, which will recognize and celebrate the importance of creativity in Durham Region.

“For a sneak peek at what the event will involve, view local artist Dani Crosby’s interpretive illustration. Then, explore our website to find out how to get involved, as our campaign will be in full gear by the time this issue of Transitions hits the street.

With your help, we look forward to creating a cultural map that shows the roads leading to Durham Region’s vibrant future!

Warmest regards,
Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

Art of Transition creative leaders at a think-tank style retreat on March 31. Clockwise from top left: Dave Coffil, Bernard Leroux, Pieter Uiterlinden, Edward Falkenberg, Lisa Hausz, Dani Crosby, Jacquie Severs, Michael Angemeer, Todd Skinner, Joan Forteza, Donna Raetsen-Kemp, Gabrielle Peacock, Sita Gardner, Greg Murphy, Derek Giberson, Kerri King, Nick Boothman, Wendy Boothman, Sue Sutcliffe, Shashi Bhatia, Carey Nicholson.

What was your inspiration behind this piece of artwork?: “The Burst” was inspired by Oshawa’s annual Peony Festival – the beauty of seeing more than 6,000 beautiful peonies of all different colours, all in one place. I look forward to it every year.

How does living in Durham Region inspire you?: I have lived in Durham Region since 1987 and find there is inspiration for any artist living here. I go to Frenchman’s Bay in Pickering almost every day to watch the sunrise and paint.

What does THE ART OF TRANSITION mean to you?: Everything creative is spiritual. Whether it is music, art, or other creative form, it is important to support and expand on it in our community, because it promotes spiritual well being among those who live here. Those who are in tune with their creativity and spirituality will live a good life, making Durham Region a great place to live.

This spring, I had the pleasure of attending the Station Gallery in Whitby for Overlap, an exhibition by Durham Region artist Jane Eccles.

Her art was stunning, and as I browsed the gallery, it got me thinking about how important it is to have creative spaces, such as the Station Gallery, to integrate art and culture into our community.

Art gives our youth an outlet for expression and helps them develop a sense of community. Festivals bring the community together to celebrate our heritage. Music connects the generations to enjoy the talent we have here, from the Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra to The Stables.

All of these things give us, as residents of Durham Region, a high quality of life, which cannot be taken for granted. But there is another important thing that the arts and culture community brings to Durham Region: jobs.

Did you know that Ontario’s creative industry boasts 300,000 jobs? In fact, Ontario is the third largest creative cluster in North America, falling behind only New York and California.

If you’re involved with the Art of Transition movement, you already know that Durham Region is a part of that creative cluster. We have respected galleries, public art, a vibrant music scene and dozens of heritage sites that showcase our culture. We have restaurateurs serving local food furthering the positive economic impact on our local agricultural industry.

We have Durham College’s School of Media, Art & Design, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)’s many digital media programs, which educate thousands of creative people each year. Last year, two UOIT students had the opportunity to work on a video game spawned by one of the most commercially successful movies of all time, Avatar. Durham Region’s creative community is doing big things.

In this issue of Transitions, you will read about how Jonas the tiger, and several other animals from the Bowmanville Zoo, have been featured in Hollywood films. Many popular movies, including X-men and Chicago, as well as countless television shows have been filmed right here in Durham Region. Every $1 million of film and television production in Durham Region generates 24 full-time direct or spin-off jobs; more good news for our local economy.

To tie it all together, we have the Art of Transition (AOT) movement fostering collaboration within Durham Region’s creative economy. This movement made us look at arts and culture in a different way in the midst of an economic downturn. Creative thinkers from all facets of the economy came together to connect and brainstorm new ideas, foster partnerships and welcome new opportunities for transitioning Durham Region into a new, creative economy.

As the economy continues to recover, the AOT movement is evolving into a means to celebrate and promote Durham Region’s creative people and places. By honouring AOT ambassadors, we will continue to promote Durham Region’s innovative culture, and create more good-paying jobs in our community.

Roger Anderson, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer
The Regional Municipality of Durham

The Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra, gracefully conducted by Marco Parisotto, gave a remarkable musical performance, Let’s Tango. Prior to the main event, guests enjoyed a VIP reception to celebrate the launch of the Art of Transition Culture Fund, created by the Durham Community Foundation, in an effort to create a lasting source of support for arts and culture in Durham Region.

To find out more, visit www.durhamcommunityfoundation.ca.

1. Will McGuirk and Sita Gardner, Tourism Co-ordinator, Region of Durham.
2. Janet Georgieff, Executive Director, Durham Community Foundation; Alex Georgieff, Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development, Region of Durham and Mayor John Henry, City of Oshawa.
3. Hi-Sook Barker, artist.
4. Consul General of Argentina, Ambassador Julio Miller; Deputy Consul General of Argentina, Counsellor German Dominguez; Kerri King, Manager of Tourism, Region of Durham and Chuck Byers, wine connoisseur.
5. Paula and Dan Carter, Day of Hope and Leadership.
6. Sue Sutcliffe, A Web That Works and Shirley Heard, artist.
7. Anne Johnson, artist.

“Getting animals used to the presence of humans is at the heart of the art and science of zookeeping.”
Life of Pi – Yann Martel – Knopf Canada

With Durham Region’s creative economy roaring away, it seems appropriate that a tiger is becoming the face of the area. You may not expect big cats to be part of the local fauna, but with several zoos in the region, they are. You also many not expect that the Bowmanville Zoo is nurturing Hollywood stars, but it is—and has been for some time.

Zoo Director Michael Hackenberger says there are five things you need to know about Jonas:

1. He is not a normal tiger.
2. He is sweet, accommodating and decent.
3. He volunteers.
4. He really, really likes to swim.
5. He is remarkably handsome.

Jonas is a film star, with film star looks. He lives at Bowmanville Zoo and recently returned from shooting in Taiwan. Jonas plays Richard Parker in Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s Booker Prize winning novel, Life Of Pi.

Jonas has already had a very interesting life at four years of age. He was born in Toronto, but hand-raised in Bowmanville. Last year he was stolen, along with two camels—Todd and Shawn—en route from Nova Scotia back home to Ontario.

The incident drew international attention, and the animals were eventually found several days later near Drummondville, Quebec. It was a worrisome ordeal as tigers need regular access to water. Jonas in particular has an above average love for a dip, and it was this trait that served him in the filming of Life of Pi.

The Bowmanville Zoo exists in two spheres. For Durham Region residents, it is the little zoo that could: the oldest private zoo in Canada, established in 1919.

It is an important part of the neighbourhood and of the community. Hackenberg sees the zoo’s role as bridging the gap that exist between the modern world and our past, to remind us that we share this planet with other creatures who live independently from us. They exist in their own right and for reasons outside of us.

In Hollywood, the Bowmanville Zoo is so much more. It is considered one of the top sources for trained animals, including Caesar and Bongo, the lions most famously from the Ghost and The Darkness, starring Michael Douglas. Other animals have appeared in Peter Benchley’s Amazon, George Of The Jungle and Animorphs.

That little zoo is in the top three respected animal training outfits in the world for film makers. Hackenberger estimates that, with visitors and movie viewers, up to one third of the planet has seen Bowmanville Zoo residents. The undoubted success of Life of Pi will only add to the numbers, and Jonas is set to become a star in his own right. A superstar, burning bright for Durham.

On June 11 and 12, Durham Region’s finest floral event will take over the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens: The Peony Festival.

The Peony Festival is a great expression of Art of Transition ideals: it brings together garden enthusiasts, visual artists, musicians and heritage programming to celebrate the area’s horticultural and historic resources. The event showcases the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens (OVBG), featuring the largest contemporary peony collection in Canada, and the nearby gardens of Parkwood National Historic Site.

The Peony Festival attracts residents from Durham Region and visitors from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond. It’s one of those events that makes you glad you live here.

Now in its seventh season, the event has also blossomed into a cultural exchange.

The peony is a treasured plant and iconic floral motif for many Asian cultures, and the Peony Festival has been embraced by the Chinese community in Durham Region and around the GTA. These visitors add a special dimension to the event, with a large picnic in the adjacent parkland at OVBG, as well as displays and programming at the festival.

We can be tremendously proud of the event, and its role as a cultural ambassador for Durham Region—perhaps eventually for Canada.

There is increasing interest in developing garden experiences as a tourism force for Ontario. The Ontario Garden Tourism Coalition recently released a new strategy and action plan, and Attractions Ontario is taking a new interest in garden tourism.

Agencies like the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation have targeted the Chinese tourism market for development, including those who travel to visit friends and relatives in the GTA. All of these sound like future opportunities for the Peony Festival, and more importantly, showing off Durham Region’s art, culture and heritage to the world.

For more information about the Peony Festival, please visit www.oshawa.ca.

Since 2008, we’ve focused on building connections in the local community to raise the profile of Ontario Shores. We work in collaboration with Station Gallery and Robert McLaughlin Gallery, O’Neill Secondary School, art councils and artists. These partners, along with volunteers, were instrumental in shaping the program in relation to both community and mental health interests.

Our goal was to raise awareness about mental health and to reduce stigma. Our objectives were to facilitate and support the development of emerging artists; to recognize established artists in Ontario; and to provide our patients, staff, family and visitors with a creative space to visit.

The annual juried art show, held in May, targets contemporary art by presenting artworks of local and emerging artists. This show is also an opportunity for people with mental illness to engage in wider social interaction and showcase their works.

Our other annual juried art show, held in October, helps individuals with mental illness move forward through the medium of visual art in their journey of recovery. We believe having a sense of hope is a cornerstone of recovery from mental illness, and the gallery was created to support the recovery model at Ontario Shores.

The Ontario Shores Gallery sees the connection between art in mental health, and the art shows are paving an important path between Ontario Shores and community support and participation. The gallery encourages participants to see themselves as individuals and artists, rather than people with mental health issues.

The gallery organizes many exhibitions throughout the year. Due to such exhibitions, the general awareness and interest in contemporary art has widely developed in Durham Region. Some of the exhibitions in 2009 and 2010 featured established local artists–works by J.R. Hunter, Allan O’Mara, Ruth Greenlaw, Sheri Gundry, Debbie Larson and Steven Frank.

Our third annual art show, Kaleidoscope, opened on May 7 and closes on August 7. I encourage you to stop by and enjoy the work of talented local artists—gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Culture Days events are free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind the scenes” and discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators and designers at work in their communities.

More than 38 events in Durham Region last year included studio tours and open houses, art exhibitions, heritage tours, concerts, performances, dance workshops, art lessons, a fashion show and more!

Event organizers should register their event on both www.durhamtourism.ca and www.culturedays.ca to be a part of both local and national marketing campaigns, where events will be promoted in the media and online.

Since the launch of the first issue of Transitions, we have enjoyed the opportunity to document and celebrate, in print, the varied activities of Durham’s creative community, from fine art and food, to pop music and poetry.

This magazine is not meant to simply end up as a yearbook. It is meant to connect Durham’s creative community and foster healthy growth as new members are attracted to the energy and momentum. The Art of Transition movement was launched after months of discussions in the community. We heard from various groups and individuals who needed a connection to both each other and the rest of the community at large.

We encourage you to log on to www.artoftransition.ca and get connected with this inclusive, dynamic community. You can post your events, ideas and comments in a forum that generates immediate dialogue and feedback.

Kerri King, Tourism Manager for Durham Region; Melissa Bies, Transitions Editor; Bernie Leroux of Northlight Pictures; and artist/co-op member Sarah Tacoma at the launch of Transitions Vol. 4 at the Cameron Street Co-op Café in Cannington. Read more about the café by clicking the photo above.

It’s all about developing Durham’s creative economy—and it’s working. The Economic Development and Tourism Department was honoured to receive two honourable mentions for the Art of Transition website from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario under the Business Development and Social Media categories. Congratulations to the Art of Transition community for this success!

We are gearing up to do another event, and we want to involve and engage even more creative folks: a coalition of the willing. If you would like to get involved with this movement or have a great idea you’d like to share, please drop me a line.

Warmest regards,
Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

Q. How does living in Durham Region contribute to this inspiration? Being surrounded by the beautiful countryside of rural Durham Region is a constant inspiration. I farm and raise my livestock here, but also have easy access to various galleries, studios, and Durham’s vibrant art community.

Q. What does the Art of Transition mean to you? The Art of Transition is a fantastic collaboration, bringing together different facets of this creative arts community. It encourages residents and visitors alike to participate in an exciting and ever-expanding artistic adventure.

VIP Reception

Friday, March 25, 2011 | 5:30 p.m. | Regent Theatre, Oshawa
Durham Tourism and friends invite you to this special pre-concert reception at the newly renovated historic Regent Theatre. Taste a selection of fine wines, sample appetizing hors d’oeuvres and enjoy an art showcase featuring renowned local artists.

An opportunity to experience this iconic venue and mingle prior to the fabulous Let’s Tango performance with the Ontario Philharmonic.

Proceeds go towards the Art of Transition Culture Fund.
This reception will serve as the official launch for the Art of Transition Culture Fund, presented by Durham Community Foundation.
“Creating a legacy for the future”

Reception Tickets: $35 each

To purchase tickets, please call 905-579-6711

ONTARIO PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS

Let’s tango

Friday, March 25, 2011 | 7:30 p.m. | Regent Theatre, Oshawa
A sizzling program including the music of Argentinean tango legend Astor Piazzolla. Violinist Erika Dobosiewicz will ignite the fiery music of Piazzolla’s masterwork, The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. The OP’s own Leslie Newman performs the sprightly Flute Concerto by Jim McGrath – Genie and Gemini Award winner, renowned composer of music for film and television. With its charming melodies and enticing dance rhythms, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade will come alive with the strings of the OP. International award-winning Music Director Marco Parisotto takes the reins of Durham’s premiere orchestra for the evening.

Concert Tickets:

Section A: $57 Adult or $53 Senior/Student
Section B: $47 Adult or $43 Senior/Student
Section C: $37 Adult or $33 Senior/Student

To purchase concert tickets, please call the Ontario Philharmonic at 905-579-6711 or visit www.ontariophil.ca.

We put out a call for submissions of one-minute jingles about Durham Region. The winner would receive $500 and perform their jingle live at the Songwriters Music Festival in Whitby on Jan. 29.

The result was 27 diverse entries from entrants of all ages and musical styles, uploaded to YouTube and hosted on www.artoftransition.ca. The entries were judged by representatives from The Regional Municipality of Durham, Economic Development and Tourism Department, along with Ron Beer of the Durham Regional Songwriters Group and local music writer Will McGuirk.

Click here to read about our winner

Folks involved are taking charge, making creative decisions and not just thinking outside the box, but refolding the box origami-style until it fits what it needs to carry. Durham Tourism took on the laudable task of re-jigging their promotional jingle. In true Art of Transition spirit, they sought out community artists’ voices and input. They didn’t travel to professional, by-the-hour specialists who could package Durham Region up in a minute-long hook. No sir, no madam.

They went after you, and you, and you.

The result sings of Durham Region like no auto-tuned canned track ever could.

This new jingle is a song. It is intimate, and personal, and connects one to many. One experience reflected upon becomes something shared by all who live, work, play and travel here.

This new jingle is a song written by 19-year-old, Matthew Riches, of the Frenchman’s Bay area of Pickering. This area is industry and water, boats and boredom, factories and freedom—and it all bleeds into the song Here In Durham.

Matthew’s Who-Has-Seen-The-Wind youth and his adult aspirations wind up in it. His sense of the area, the juxtaposition of residential and rural, is expressed in the choice of genre. It’s a country-frayed folk track, a genre almost indigenous to Durham Region. Durham’s music scene is defined by the one-time residencies of Neil Young in the west, Ian Tyson in the east, and Ronnie Hawkins in the north—what I refer to as the “Dude Triangle.” Riches is a dude, and his song abides.

Yet Riches is not a singer/songwriter chap. He’s is a nitty-gritty, hard-rock dude. He has a band. They are hard. His influences are not the Dudes, but the radio hits of Guns ‘n’ Roses, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.

But think again, unfold and fold again—these artists were also inspired by location, of place. The Guns sang of place as jungle. Zeppelin sang of place wrapped in mist and myth. Lennon and McCartney sang of place on the double A-Side, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. Place matters to art. Art gives a voice to place.

Riches saw his place and he listened. He heard Durham not in the rush of the backbeat, but in the gentle unhurried sounds of Frenchman’s Bay. Not in the rush of 401 traffic, but in the almost silent clipping of the windmill by the Pickering power plant.

The song is an original. And it is Riches’ first attempt at such a thing—all the while learning from his influences that true rock ‘n’ roll is not imitative, but inspiring. It is not about ready-made riffs and radio hits, but it is independent thought given independent voice.

Durham Region took a chance on local voices and discovered Matthew Riches, making, creating, playing, and aspiring to grow his passion into a career one day. And that’s what the Art of Transition is all about: growth. Next stops: blossom, bloom, and transition.

HERE IN DURHAM
By Matthew Riches
When the sun has come to rise here on the farmland
And the city has awakened from its sleep
Such a beautiful sight, nature’s lifting with the light
Good Natured, Good Times, Here in Durham
Bring the children to the playground by the bay
Build some castles in the sand, or there’s a park where they can play
We hold festivals every year, there’s always a party here
Good Natured, Good Times, Here in Durham
So if you’re looking for a place to settle in
Or if you’re looking to vacation in a place you’ve never been
We welcome you and hope that you enjoy your stay
Good Natured, Good Times, Here in Durham

1. Sue Reynold’s think tank table

2. Kerri King, Manager of Tourism for Durham Region and Will McGuirk, Transitions contributer
3. David Tuley, Downtown Development Officer for the City of Oshawa

A year ago, The Art of Transition symposium whetted everyone’s appetite for promoting the arts in Durham Region. After the conference, there was a real feeling of, “Well, what now?” and an eagerness to make something happen.

On Nov. 23, I sat in a large open space in the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa at a Creative Spacemaking Workshop. There was a hum in the room; it was full of people, some of whom I recognized from the Art of Transition event last year, some of whom I didn’t know—yet. But we were all there because we share a common enthusiasm: finding hosting space for the arts in Durham Region.

Tim Jones, president and CEO of Artspace, opened the day with an electrifying presentation on pre-project development—and challenged some myths about art spaces. Artspace is currently responsible for 10 arts-based development projects in Toronto—notably the Distillery District and the Wychwood Barns. The energy in the room buzzed as local attendees talked at the break about the buildings in our own Durham neighbourhoods that might become similar vibrant hubs for the arts.

During the day, we also heard other presentations on how to make arts-based development projects a reality. Celia Smith, Executive VP of Artscape, covered the necessary practicalities of finance models, and Jeff Becker, who has come from Kansas City for the day, talked about his work with artists to make the Arts Incubator project happen.

The buzz in the room became a roar, however, when Roscoe Handford, a woman who was instrumental in creating the Wychwood Barn Project, tells stories about what it took to get her community to believe in the project. She talks about the kinds of opposition the project initially faced, and sitting in city council meetings ‘till 3 a.m. She also painted inspiring verbal pictures, telling about neighbours making clandestine skating rinks on the property, about spontaneous gatherings in the community, and about building an outdoor oven so as to host weekly pizza parties. And she talked about how the project created not just an art space, but a vibrant and engaged community.

At the final event of the day, we sat in “think tanks,” made up of 12 individuals; sharing the visions that drew us to participate today. At my table, one participant talked about an abandoned department store in downtown Oshawa; another described a century-old agricultural fair building in Port Perry. Someone from Ottawa shared news of funding possibilities. Plus, our presenters for the day dropped by each table to listen, ask questions, and give us the benefit of their experience.

It’s not a community pizza party—yet. But we left the day with a much clearer idea of what it will take to transform our neglected local spaces into vibrant, arts-based hubs of activity and our own new community
that can help make that happen.

When eight young creative minds from north Durham saw their favourite local coffee shop—Café Rhythm—struggling to stay afloat, they took a page out of the farmers’ book and took action. They pooled their resources together for the mutual economic benefit of the community, and created the only co-operatively owned café in Durham Region.

The Cameron Street Co-op Café, in Cannington, is jointly owned by Caileigh Collins, Kelly Stacey, Sarah Tacoma, Dave Marshak, Chris Arcand, David S., and Becca Bennett-Gosling. There are also three additional employees currently working towards membership at the café (after they work a required amount of hours). Each co-op member has equal ownership of the café; they each have an equal vote when it comes to decision-making. Profits are divvied in accordance to hours worked.

“We’re like a family,” says Stacey. She says each member has their own hobbies, ventures and interests (several are successful artists and photographers), but they work well together because they are passionate about the co-op.

The diversity of the co-op members means there is always something different happening at the café. Open mic night is the second Friday of every month (Chris’ brainchild), and on Tuesdays Sarah Tacoma hosts a “Stitch and Bitch” knitting club. There’s a documentary screening and discussion once a month, and the art displayed on the walls—always the work of a local artist—changes monthly.

Live musical acts are brought in twice a month. The café hosts local as well as high-profile musicians, such as Coco Love Alcorn, to a sold-out crowd of 30.

“Musicians are calling us to ask if they can play,” says Stacey. “We’re booked solid six months in advance. It’s a really personal, intimate venue and the musicians just love the crowd.”

They serve only organic fair-trade coffee, and offer organic beer. They also have a mandate to support the local economy wherever possible—from only serving local, organic food (yes, that means the menu changes with the seasons!), to only hiring local mechanics to fix a broken dishwasher.

Their passion and commitment to their business has meant increased revenue and major success in the small town of Cannington. Co-op members know everyone who comes in to the café by their name and drink of choice.

“People ask, how do we see a profit in a town of 2,500?” says Stacey. “It’s because the local community supports us. They want to see us succeed. This is who they want to give their $2 a day to for their morning coffee.”

So if you’ve never been to Cannington (the heart of Ontario, according to their welcome sign!), take a drive north and experience the Cameron Street Co-op Café first hand.

In addition to a great cup of coffee, you’ll be inspired by this small community. It will make you think about what your $2 a day can do for yours.

The Cameron Street Co-op Café is located at the corner of Cameron and Laidlaw Streets in downtown Cannington (Brock Township), and online at www.cameronstreet.org.

Eccles has been active in Durham Region’s vibrant art community for 37 years, engaging artists, residents and visitors of Durham Region with public performances and gallery exhibits. A significant amount of Eccles’ stories and artwork represent Durham Region and what she experiences, observes and identifies with in this community.

“I want to paint Canadian things, I want to be regional,” Eccles says, noting her dissimilarity to artists who do not wish to represent where they are from. “Some artists get all bunged out with this regional stamp on their head. I say, ‘bring it on!’ I can’t do Africa or Mexico… I don’t know that stuff! I am about this landscape, I am about this feeling, and I am about these people.”

Eccles is a creative self-promoter, engaging local, national and international media to draw attention to the arts community in Durham Region. Shining a light on Durham’s creative community is important to both Eccles’ personal success as an artist and to our local economy. “It’s a total bag; it’s galleries, concerts, restaurants, artists… It’s the whole picture. You have to have it, or your area is not alive,” states Eccles.

For her upcoming exhibition, Overlap, Eccles disseminated several emails to family, friends and fans, and has engaged media from Nova Scotia to Moosejaw, and beyond! Her efforts even earned her a front-page feature in the Toronto Star. “I know that the way I am using the media is pointing it back to Durham Region,” Eccles says.

Eccles has been recognized for her innovative use of the media and is the first artist to be a recipient of the Marshall McLuhan Award for Distinguished Teaching.

“McLuhan knew the artists punctured into the media,” Eccles says, emphasizing the importance of being innovative, not only in the way she uses media, but also in the way she taught and inspired young creative minds as the Head of Visual Art at Bowmanville High School.

Eccles continues to pass along useful words of advice to any young artist attempting to find their way, “You can’t get dislodged by people with authority who tell you that you’re not doing something right. If it is passionate for you, pursue it.”

Overlap showcases the paintings of dresses that Eccles has been creating for five years. These paintings express the struggles of the women who wore them, and tell the story of how each individual pushed through to overcome their obstacles.

“These women have lived through horrendous things and survived, this is a way of honouring their untold stories of strength, elegance and then renewal in Canada,” Eccles says of the exhibition, which will run from
Feb. 26 until April 10 at the Whitby Station Gallery.

By the time you read this, the Second Marsh wetlands, at the foot of Oshawa, will have been invaded for a day by a flash mob of photographers. The gathering, named A Day In The Life, and held on Feb. 26, was conceived by shutterbug Karen Tweedle, with the intention to merely document the land.

But a gang of creative friends couldn’t leave it at that. The cultural warriors started to build and add purpose. The art term is social practise: taking the act of creativity and forming a more immediate connection to the world. Social practise can be an element of a fine arts curriculum, but it’s something more intuitive than instructed. The art is organic, and its growth too is natural.

Second Marsh sits just east of Oshawa Harbour, and combined with the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve and Darlington Conservation Area, adds up almost 400 hectares. It is the largest such waterfront, accessible by the public, in the Greater Toronto Area. It’s truly a natural crown jewel and a wonderful resource.

The outing on Feb. 26 started as an awareness project, to bump up the marsh’s presence in the community’s headspace. But as more creative people came on board, the movement began to grow. A space for exhibition was offered by Rosanna Bruno of Isabella’s Chocolate Cafe. Lisa Weiss facilitated the inclusion of an exhibit of the photographic work at the Regent Theatre, to be held in tandem with the Art of Transtition’s “Let’s Tango” event.

Then, Robert McLaughlin Gallery CEO, Gabrielle Peacock and Communications Manager, Jacquie Severs offered the gallery lobby for exhibition space. Arthur’s On The 4th offered up their space for a launch party.

Local musician Patrick Dorie recently teamed up with sound engineer Nate Beatty, and photographer/videographer Mike Peleshok, to film a music video on Second Marsh’s Beaver Dam Trail. Dorie—who recently released his debut CD, Goodbye Expectations—played his songs as chickadees and woodpeckers flitted and skirted around him. You can see the video at www.myspace.com/pdorie.

This fabulous, generous, talented and kind hearted community is another secret, yet another secret as secret as Camp X, the Painters 11 parties in Thickson Woods, the homes of Timothy Findlay and Lucy Maud Montgomery, or sunrise over wetlands on Lake Ontario.

But not for long, not anymore. Not when artists take ownership, draw inspiration, fuel, muse from place, this place, our place.

A Day In The Life of the Second Marsh photo exhibit will be held March 25 to 31 at Isabella’s Chocolate Cafe at 19 Simcoe St. S. in Oshawa, as well as at Arthur’s On The 4th restaurant in The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 72 Queen St., Oshawa.

To learn more about the Second Marsh, visit secondmarsh.science.uoit.ca.

It is so inspiring to see our community come together to celebrate life, culture and community in such a collaborative way. Your support for culture and creativity has been heard. A special thanks to our community partners who participated in the national Culture Days initiative in September. We hosted over 25 free events in one weekend! Congratulations everyone!

Staff of Durham Region’s Economic Development and Tourism Department at the Culture Days launch party in September. Left to right: Eileen Kennedy, Liisa Ikavalko, Marlene Werry, Melissa Bies and Kerri King.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Transitions. We are excited to include wonderful contributions from many of Durham’s talented community leaders who have been an integral part of The Art of Transition, including former  Township of Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, whose support for arts, culture and heritage has truly made a difference in Durham Region.

We invite you to join us for the Ontario Philharmonic’s “Let’s Tango” on March 25. Durham Tourism and friends are hosting a special pre-concert reception featuring a local food experience and wine tasting hosted by wine aficionado Chuck Byers. The event will also serve as the launch for Durham Community Foundation’s Art of Transition Culture Fund.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a healthy, prosperous new year.

Warmest regards,
Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

Individuals, organizations and venues who submitted their event to Durham Tourism enjoyed free promotion for two months leading up to Culture Days. Along with distributing media relations, an online and print ad campaign, an e-newsletter, handouts and other promotional materials listing Culture Days events, Durham Tourism also hosted a launch party on Thursday, Sept. 23. After being welcomed by a drum circle, guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, a display of local art and musical performances by Jeff Leech and the Pepperbox Choir, Sunbear and Derek Giberson.

Culture is alive in Durham Region every day. Culture Days gave us a special opportunity to put that culture in the spotlight and celebrate it with communities right across Canada. Durham was proud to be a part of this movement and already looking forward to next year’s celebration—Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, 2011.

1. Kerri King and Will McGuirk promoting Transitions Vol. 3 2. Muhtadi Drummers 3. Jeff Leech and the Pepperbox Choir 4. Carmyn Thomas and Jacquie Severs 5. A Gift of Art in Newscastle promotes Culture Days 6. Kate Boothman and her band, Sunbear 7. Derek Giberson 8. Uxbridge street pARTy

By embracing Durham Region’s heritage, two cultural hubs are re-opening this season. Combined more than 220 years of heritage will provide premier venues for arts, culture and celebration.

ST. FRANCIS CENTRE FOR COMUNITY, ARTS and CULTURE

We all know that an investment in a creative community contributes substantially to the overall quality of life and vitality of a town. Municipalities are starting to recognize the importance arts, culture and heritage play in the social well-being of our everyday lives, and the impact it has on enriching our community. To that end, the Town of Ajax has launched a very exciting heritage conservation and cultural development project in historic Pickering Village. The former St. Francis de Sales Church is being transformed into the St. Francis Centre, a multi-use community, arts, cultural and performance venue; the first of its kind in west Durham.

Originally constructed in 1871 by Henry Langley, the former church has been returned to its majestic beauty through a careful restoration and renovation process.

Marrying the facility’s heritage architecture with modern design elements, Ajax is seeking to provide a unique place for the community to meet, learn, celebrate and perform. And with features such as a stage, retractable seating for 150 people, bar, catering kitchen, dressing rooms, theatrical light, sound and audio-visual capabilities, the programming possibilities are endless. From live theatre, art exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, and recitals, to corporate and social receptions, business meetings, lectures and workshop space…the St. Francis Centre is poised to become a dynamic destination for urban living and cultural pursuits in Ajax.

The St. Francis Centre provides a tremendous opportunity to respond to stakeholders while creating a decidedly different cultural destination in Ajax. Our hope is that this facility becomes an incubator for the creative community in Ajax and Durham Region, where networks and relationships are forged and projects developed.

By Robert Gruber
Manager of Community and Cultural Development, Town of Ajax

THE HISTORIC REGENT THEATRE

The Regent Theatre was constructed in 1921 by Norman McLeod Ltd., for the Famous Players theatre chain, at a cost of $100,000. The King Street facade was modelled on Georgian architectural lines and it is one of the few remaining examples in Oshawa of this classically inspired architectural style.

Under the headline Regent Theatre credit to city, a story from the Oshawa Daily Reformer in June 1927 proclaimed: “The Regent Theatre in Oshawa stands as a living memorial to its community spirit, and as one of the finest moving picture theatres in Canada.”

Given its historical and architectural significance to Oshawa, in January 2001 the Regent Theatre was designated a historical property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) acquired the Historic Regent Theatre in November 2009 as part of a plan to expand the downtown Oshawa campus. Now restored to its former glory, the Regent Theatre is a spectacular 600-seat lecture hall by day and a community event and performance venue during the evening and on weekends.

Given the theatre’s history, the role it has played in downtown Oshawa and the special attachment the community continues to have for the Regent, UOIT is pleased to share this local gem with the surrounding community and visitors to Oshawa.

By Lisa Banks
Director of Communications and Marketing, UOIT

So I guess we can put down the tools and go home now. Our work is done. Transition complete, can’t top paradise. Well hold your ponies, we’re not done yet—but we are getting there.

Marco would know paradise. He’s been all over the world. He has appeared with the Philharmonia of London, Tokyo Symphony, Polish National Radio Symphony and the Orchestre Lamoureux at Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris. He has won competitions in France, Italy and Japan, and he was the principal conductor for the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He lived in Paris for years, and he calls Durham paradise. He’s originally from Montreal. His wife, Monica, is from Mexico City. They both live in Ajax by the lake. Water, wildlife, walks, beauty.

For the better part of two decades, Marco has been tenaciously, patiently building the Ontario Philharmonic (OP) into the brilliant orchestra that it is today.

In 1996, Maestro Parisotto was appointed Music Director. At that time, the orchestra was comprised mainly of amateurs. Parisotto immediately began to change that. The first task was creating a full professional membership capable of performing any piece of music. The second task was the search for a home for the company.

The first task is checked off. The Ontario Philharmonic is now recognized on a national level. But a roof seemed elusive. The nomadic journey took many turns, but the idea that the orchestra should be elsewhere was never entertained. It had to be based in Durham Region, its birthplace. And so for 15 years supporters, subscribers, players and personnel set up where possible.

Why would one commit to such a wait? It was the audiences Marco experienced, the enthusiasm, the feedback, the joy delivered and returned that fuelled the hope and dream.

When urban theorist Richard Florida spoke at the first Art of Transition symposium, he spoke about how places that attract the creative class will be the places that will shine economically. Quality of life is important to the artistic set. A market is handy too. An audience that gets it, though, an audience that is exuberant, that celebrates, that wants, desires, needs the arts is a rare resource to find. That makes a decade and a half fly. Each show would carry the orchestra over the next administrative obstacle. The positive responses from the public more than cancelled out the negative ones from the bureaucrats.

Durham is shedding its lunch bucket reputation. It is sophisticated, educated and desirous of such events. Durham residents are no longer satisfied with just ice pads and a Tim’s or a high school reunion with a one-hit wonder. Durham is in transition.

So Marco waited, always building, always focused, always playing, always staying committed to the grassroots support.

Among the supporters was the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) who now owns the Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa. UOIT has offered the Regent to the Ontario Philharmonic.

The OP has a roof and Durham Region has a philharmonic, an aural museum within its borders within which one can hear the great classics, witness live the works of any composer, and experience the masterworks from throughout the ages. It is important to have access to composers beyond YouTube.

Durham Region may never house a Michelangelo or a da Vinci but it now houses Beethoven and Verdi. This partnership between the OP and UOIT means what is presented is presented in the manner that its creators wished. The works are respected and housed accordingly. So who says paradise can’t be improved upon? Paradise is a work in progress, a work in transition. And paradise just got a whole lot better.

It’s hard to believe that what started as a way to bring attention to an economic driver that could assist in diversifying Durham’s economy, the Art of Transition, has grown into a grassroots project to effect change. More than ever, we realize the importance of the small- and medium-sized business and the knowledge-based jobs that will lead us to a well-balanced economy. Now we recognize the value of the arts, culture and the heritage sector in providing that sense of place that attracts the best and brightest thinkers to our Region.

The future ‘wealth and prosperity’ I envisioned last year was not just about the financial aspects of Durham but also on the need to better understand our cultural and creative side. By doing so, we would build a new vision of Durham that will connect our communities by things other than roads, transit and the many other services traditionally offered by Regional governments. By recognizing and building on our cultural development we will all come to realize that it is now part of our “core business,” and it will play an important role in our economic future.

In Scugog, we have created a public arts policy, completed our cultural mapping, sponsored an Arts Resource Centre, re-vitalized our waterfront and designated the downtown as a Heritage District. Culture is now a pillar of the economic sustainability plan for the community.

BROCK
Jay Yerema-Weafer, Magic Door Gallery
“Our society is enriched by art, whether it is in the form of a painting, music, poetry, architecture or even good design principles. When the creative community is empowered, a whole new level of cultural vitality is inspired, socio-economic barriers begin to disappear, uniqueness is celebrated, and new opportunities are created that refine and enhance the quality of life in both urban and rural environments.”

AJAX
Farley Flex, Social Activist and Impresario
“As a resident of Ajax, I am very encouraged by the city’s compatibility with the spirit of the Art of Transition. Ajax’s new Diversity and Community Engagement Plan, “Fostering a Culture of Inclusion,” embraces diversity and inclusiveness in Ajax, an important piece of the Art of Transition. I encourage all residents of Durham to read the plan and see how they can apply its values in their community.”

WHITBY
Donna Raetsen-Kemp, Station Gallery
“There’s a powerful Art of Transition momentum building in Whitby. Important conversations are going on about culture as an untapped economic asset. A cross-sector buzz is building steam. The Art of Transition broke down barriers and opened doors to rev up an exciting new economic engine.”

PICKERING
Don Terry, Ontario Power Generation
“The art of partnerships is an essential component of the Art of Transition. At Ontario Power Generation, we continue partnering and contributing to the momentum. We have the Young Singers rehearsals, as well as Pine Ridge Arts Council and Durham West Arts Council events in our auditorium. We’re also coupling local farm fresh cooking classes with farmers’ markets on our site.”

CLARINGTON
Diane Higgs, Everyday Desktop
“The symposium’s focus on the role of talent and creativity in economic development set in motion a process that has created opportunities for me to collaborate and communicate with a whole new network of artists as contributors to My Durham Desktop. Clarington ambassadors have had the opportunity to brainstorm ideas for future initiatives to both strengthen our artistic community and build the Region’s reputation as a creative hub.”

OSHAWA
Charlotte Hale, Durham College
“The energy for change in Oshawa is amazing one year later! All sectors are taking hold of the opportunity to evolve this city into the dynamic economic and creative engine that it will be. The integration of the educational community into the downtown core is an excellent move, and the cool factor just keeps on growing. Congrats to everyone for their vision and tenacity.”

Left to right: Kristyn Chambers, Kerri King and Marilyn Pearce, former Mayor of the Township of Scugog.

The Art of Transition Symposium received first-place honours at the 2010 Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) Marketing Awards in the Events category. The Art of Transition was chosen as best event from the more than 180 submissions received from across Canada.

Staff of the Regional Municipality of Durham, Economic Development and Tourism department would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of our community leaders for being a part of the Art of Transition. A year after the symposium, the Art of Transition continues to be a collaboration of Durham Region’s creative thinkers dedicated to addressing our current economic challenges and working collaboratively to evolve Durham Region’s economy.

Durham Community Foundation has created the Art of Transition Culture Fund, the first of its kind in Durham Region. The fund is a permanent endowment for charitable initiatives that help culture thrive in our community.

The Art of Transition Culture Fund will be launched on Friday, March 25, 2011 at the “Let’s Tango” pre-concert reception at the historic Regent Theatre. We hope you can join us.

I was ecstatic to see how much interest was generated at the recent AOT Creative Think Tank event in June. More than 120 Durham Region leaders attended the event held at the University of Ontario Institute
of Technology and Durham College campus—a big thank you goes out to both for hosting.

This day long event was exceptional for providing direction on AOT’s next steps. We’ve heard you clearly—the importance of culture, communication and the success of small- and-medium enterprises were identified as major themes at the Creative Think Tank.

Now is the time to put the wheels in motion and incorporate these three major themes into our Economic Development and Tourism five-year strategic plan. The plan will provide clear direction on Durham Region’s future and prosperity, touching upon those three themes as decided by you.

One of our themes, the need to integrate culture more deeply into our community, is being addressed already. In September, we are linking with the national Culture Days initiative that focuses on arts, culture and heritage. From Sept. 24 to 26, we invite all Durham Region residents, their friends and family and visitors from beyond to experience what makes Durham a true collective of music, art, history and culinary experiences.

Participants at the Art of Transition Creative Think Tank held in June.

Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

A good man is how Leech would describe fellow musician Glen Bensley. He would also describe him as a gentleman, and a mentor and of course a friend—a valued friend.

Glen Bensley’s sudden death in 2008 was felt throughout Durham Region’s music community. A week after his second anniversary, that community will celebrate his legacy as Bensley is inducted into Oshawa’s Walk of Fame. Jeff Leech will be among those that will perform at the Gala to be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Bandshell at Memorial Park.

But Leech will be there for other reasons. Leech is also an accomplished painter and has exhibited at the Station Gallery. The Maxwell Heights high school teacher painted the portrait of Bensley, which graces this issue’s cover. It is one is a series of 24 featuring many of the musicians that Leech discovered in the community that grew up around the open mics that Glen held, in particular the Bensley Open Mic at the Velvet Elvis, owned and operated by Liise Whalley.

Portraits, clockwise from top left: Able Renton, Glen Bensley, Trish Robb, Poor Pelly

The Bensley painting was at once the most difficult and the easiest. Difficult because Glen, although a veteran of stage for over two decades, was actually a quiet, shy and reserved character, uneasy before the lens. (Leech needed to photograph first and then work from the picture in his studio.)

Leech was shy too about intruding on the man’s privacy but mustered up the courage to ask him if he would agree to being included in the series. Glen agreed and the two shuffled off. Glen continued to be uncomfortable in the situation as Jeff snapped away until finally he relaxed, gazed at the ceiling and Jeff shot, seeing the image, the portrait, the narrative and the essence of the man simultaneously in the viewfinder and his mind’s eye. He got him. In painting he layered the background with a muted red, symbolic of the red Converse shoes Bensley always wore. The portrait is the one Leech is most proud of.

The collection has only ever been presented complete one time—that was at the Station Gallery in 2009. After the Walk of Fame induction, the Bensley portrait will be given to Glen’s sons.

Jeff Leech will perform with the Pepperbox Choir on Sept. 25 and is also playing as part of the Culture Days Kickoff Celebrations Sept. 23 in downtown Oshawa. He has two albums available and can be heard dueting with Trish Robb on the track Over Seattle from her recently released self-titled debut album, an album that is dedicated to Glen Bensley.

“His humility and encouragement will never be forgotten.”
–Jeff Leech on Glen Bensley

1. Regional Chair and CEO Roger Anderson
2. Audrey Andrews, Tracey Tyner Cavanagh, Pauline Reid
3. Mike Rosenplot, Ryan Howe, Harley Pageot
4. Daniel Knight, Deb Robatille, Ruth Lafarga, Lisa Weiss
5. Joan Bontje, Lesley Kelz, Tammy Gay, Sandy Ravary
6. Dan Carter

More than 120 Durham Region leaders came together on June 22 to explore, share and build on the themes and energy from the November 2009 Art of Transition event.

The “Creative Think Tank” focused on three main areas—small- and medium-sized enterprises, communications and culture.

A few common themes emerged from the discussions, including the need to:

• Engage youth.
• Build on Durham’s current strengths.
• Break down silos.
• Reflect the true nature of Durham.
• Collaborate rather than compete.

Of the three main ideas, specific goals were identified to assist in developing an action plan.
What do small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to remain viable and be innovative?
SME’s need a spirit of inclusion. They need to be connected to each other, to resources and to customers. They also need access to mentors, technology and financing and need to be enabled in order to do what they
do best—create.

How should Durham Region connect and engage its stakeholders?
Successful communications is relevant and effective, two-way and results in unusual and unique partnerships. Effective communications enables many voices.

What will best support a vibrant and sustainable culture within our communities and across Durham Region?
Culture needs to be celebrated and showcased across the Region. People support what they create.

Durham’s Creative Think Tank Mind Map

Developed based on themes and ideas brainstormed at Creative Think Tank. Click here to view a larger version of the image above.

Durham Region Artist, Karen Richardson

Durham Region has joined the ranks of communities ranging from small towns to big cities hosting free, hands-on, interactive arts activities.

Culture Days is a collaborative movement to encourage awareness, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural
life of their communities. Already, we are seeing an amazing response to the campaign with extensive media
coverage, tons of social media buzz and hundreds of volunteers organizing activities. In this first year, there
are more than 500 activities registered across Ontario! Culture Days congratulates Durham Region for the great events scheduled to take place this year, and we look forward to seeing how Culture Days will grow
and flourish in your region.

We invite you to participate in the “behind-the-scenes” world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, designers… all within your own community. Explore your own creativity and discover the inspiring work that goes on in studios, rehearsal halls, community centres, libraries, parks, theatres, museums and galleries, public squares, or on the downtown streets of Durham Region. Please visit www.culturedays.ca to search for activities in Durham or to check out the movement across the country.

Well, this is Portage. This zine. You are Portage. Your friends, family, neighbours are Portage. In fact, any vehicle that carries the message is Portage. Papers, magazines, websites, blogs, voices, music, any mode of communication that builds on that original indigenous mode, is the canoe. That’s Portage.

What’s the message?
The message is our home. This land—Durham Region—and what it has for you, for me, for visitors.

Biking trails, hiking trails, horse racing, car racing, vintage cars and automotive research centres, art galleries and studio tours, waterfront beaches and water parks, steam trains, architecture and small-town streetscapes, Bill Lishman, Vicktor Tinkl, to name a sample. Have you ever been out to Tinkl’s place on a studio tour? It’s Disneyland by Antoni Gaudi. But not. It’s by Tinkl, and its here.

And space, such space, such drives. One can listen to all three sides of Joel Plaskett’s Three and not leave Durham Region.

There is a provincial park and four family friendly zoos, where children can not just see, but smell, touch and run with the animals.

And it’s not such a huge investment like say Toronto Zoo. Durham Region’s zoos are manageable and doable in an afternoon.

What we don’t have is spectacle. No CN Tower, no Statue of Liberty, no Big Ben. There is no single narrative to feed the Cyclopean eye of the media.

Spectacle is hassle, aggravation, its $5 for a bottle of water and no shade. Spectacle leaves us out, and we want in. In Durham Region we know small works. Afternoon trips to the farms, friends playing in the civic square, walking the dogs through glades hearing only the scolding of birds works. Small is stress free and quiet times. It is easy on the body, the ears, the eyes. Small is relaxing. Durham is just about the biggest collection of small, it’s Cullen Park on 1,000-square miles.

So how can we share this message?
We in Durham Region become our own media, our own message carriers, and our own canoe. Pick up the canoe and Portage.

What I see Portage as is a potluck of conversations, where we residents share the reasons why we live here in this rich corner of this country at the top of the world, at the top of its game.

Portage is carrying that message, your message, from one end of the Region to the other and then to the other. Portage is the means but the message is you.

The arts and culture festival is occurring nationwide and will be celebrated by a number of communities across Canada, including Durham Region. For more information, see the events calendar at www.durhamtourism.ca or visit www.culturedays.ca.

• Sharing a Significant Music
  Pickering Library – Pickering
• Multilingual Gallery Tours
  The Robert McLaughlin Gallery – Oshawa
• Community Textile Tree
  Kniterary – Whitby
• Adrenalin: 40 Hour Arts-a-thon**
  Station Gallery – Whitby
• Pass the Book Gala
  Jubilee Pavilion – Oshawa
• Friday Fashion Show
  Isabella’s Chocolate Café – Oshawa
• The Champion Heartache: Indoor Voices CD Release
  Status Lounge – Oshawa
• The Depth of Art**
  A Gift of Art – Newcastle
• Artist Studio/Gallery Open Door**
  Eteli Art Works – Pickering
• Amateur Photography Contest Exhibition**
  McLean Community Centre – Ajax
• “Celebrating Diversity through Art” exhibit **
  Town Hall, Council Chambers Lobby – Ajax

• Glass Studio Open House*
  839 Greystone Crt. – Oshawa
• Karen Richardson Studio Exhibition*
  Karen Richardson Watercolour Studio – Port Perry
• Karen Richardson Open Studio*
  Karen Richardson Watercolour Studio – Port Perry
• Town Art Party 25 Year Celebration
  Downtown – Uxbridge
• Doors Open Oshawa*
  Various Locations – Oshawa
• Saturday Arts in the Park
  Memorial Park – Oshawa
• Walk On! Glen Bensley
  Memorial Park – Oshawa
• Eleven in Motion – Abstract Expressions in Animation
  The Robert McLaughlin Gallery – Oshawa
• Costumed Life Drawing
  The Robert McLaughlin Gallery – Oshawa
• Grandmothers to Grandmothers / COFAA Arts & Craft Sale*
  Pickering Islamic Centre – Pickering
• School Days and Days of Rebellion
  Pickering Museum Village – Pickering
• Believe in You 2010: Youth Talent Showcase
  J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate Theatre Ajax

• Celebration of the Harvest
  Downtown – Port Perry
• The SCA Boardwalk Art Fair
  Palmer Park – Port Perry
• Dance Workshop
  living. the dance company – Brooklin

Notes:
* This event runs both Saturday and Sunday.
** This event runs all weekend long.

In fact, for almost two decades, he hosted open mics at venues throughout Oshawa. The Bensley Open Stage is where many of today’s young musicians first found their voice, their place.

While Bensley was known for his repertoire of 300-plus songs that included Mississippi blues and murder ballads, Depression-era torch and twang, folk and jumped-up jazz, any genre of musician could join him on stage. He inspired and influenced a diverse range of bands including Cuff the Duke and Cure Gravity.

Glen came to Oshawa via Toronto, England and India. Like many come-from-aways, he found a home here and created one for others. On his stage he shone a light on the vast talent in Durham Region.

He played in the Hokum Runners with Heather Luckhart, whose last show before Bensley’s untimely death in 2008 was on the bandshell stage in Memorial Park as part of The Shwaltz music festival. It’s on that stage that Glen will be inducted into the Oshawa Walk of Fame. Previous inductees include Ed Broadbent, Tonya Lee Williams, Terry Kelly and June Eikhard.

“The first time I ever played songs that I had written, in public, was at one of Glen’s open stage nights at the Dungeon,” says Wayne Petti of Cuff The Duke and backing vocalist for Blue Rodeo. “He was the first person to make me feel like what I was doing was a good idea, that playing music and writing songs was something I should and could do. He gave so many of us a platform to express ourselves in a fun, respectful environment and that’s something that’s not easy to find in the music business.”

Wayne has written and recorded a song for Bensley who always wore red Converse All-Stars. He has given Transitions permission to reprint the lyrics.

When I go home
It’s not the same.
I can still see you
Standing there in your red shoes.
Saying, “go play a song or two.”

In the weeks that followed your songs filled
the air your friends sang for you in the park.
I know you were there with them singing
along just like you’re here right now.

When I go home
It’s not the same.
I can still see you
Standing there in your red shoes.
Saying, “go play a song or two.”

I cannot believe that a year has gone by
without playing on your stage.
You made us all welcome you gave us a voice
so we will keep playing on.

I bid you farewell my friend (repeat)

Q: How does living in Durham Region contribute to this inspiration?
Durham is a wealth of natural beauty. You can drive up north and look at a wonderful landscape, go on the trails and see new life, visit the lake and enjoy the warmth of a sunny day. I have been on a journey on taking my classical Feng Shui practice and integrating this methodology into my paintings. We have to respect Mother Nature as we are all interconnected.

Q: What does the Art of Transition mean to you?
Transition is a shift from one to another, a switch, a move, the evolution to another state. The art, would be how we manage the shift, how we work through the change, how this alteration can be a positive one.

It’s this inclusiveness that expresses the region’s all-encompassing approach to becoming a great place to live, work and play. It translates itself from the art that local artists craft to the innovative businesses that plant their roots in Durham. This is what the Art of Transition (AOT) is all about.

Back Row: Sue Sutcliffe, Todd Skinner, Jason Atkins, Kerri King, Dr. Greg Baeker, Nina Conrad, Wayne Conrad. Front Row: Lisa Weiss, Donna Raetsen-Kemp, Kristyn Chambers.

The aftermath of AOT has reached an important point in determining “the next steps”; an important turning point that will address how we proceed in delivering a strategy to enhance Durham’s cultural flavour. The recently composed Creative Think Tank Advisory Group met for the first time in March to map out a path for Durham to take in its evolutionary journey. I would like to thank all participants of the advisory group for
opening their minds to this task.

• Ambrose Samulski, Planet Earth Initiative
• Bernard Leroux, Northlight Pictures
• David Slabodkin, Canada Protection Plan
• Don Lovisa, Durham College
• Donna Raetsen-Kemp, Whitby Station Gallery
• Dr. Greg Baeker, AuthentiCity
• Dr. Richard Marceau, UOIT
• Geordie Lishman, Artist
• Jason Atkins, 360 Incentives.com
• Kristyn Chambers, The Regional Municipality of Durham
• Lisa Weiss, Parkwood National Historic Site
• Sue Sutcliffe, aWEBthatWORKS
• Todd Skinner, The Growth Coach
• Wayne Conrad, Omachron Science Inc.

We encourage you to also open your mind for this purpose. You can always log onto our website www.artoftransition.ca to contribute your comments in a form that can inspire immediate dialogue and feedback.

With your help, we look forward to creating a cultural map that shows the roads leading to Durham Region’s
vibrant future!

Kerri King, Manager of Tourism

The Regional Municipality of Durham

905-668-7711 ext. 2606

Host and Executive Director of Parkwood Brian Malcolm and Manager of Tourism Kerri King welcomed many special guests including Township of Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce.

The goal of the committee is to establish and foster relationships with and between local arts organizations to build a strong network of cultural talent.

The action team is being chaired by Carey Nicholson, Scugog Council for the Arts, and will meet quarterly, reporting back to Durham Tourism on key matters.

1. Mayor Marilyn Pearce, Nina and Wayne Conrad, Kerri King. | 2. Carey Nicholson, Sue Sutcliffe | 3. Brian Malcolm, George Taylor. | 4. Donna Raetsen-Kemp, Greg Baeker, Olinda Casimiro. | 5. Lisa Weiss, Dr. Richard Marceau. | 6. Mayor Marilyn Pearce. | 7. Shashi Batia, Kerri King, Esther Forde. | 8. Chuck Byers, Greg Rist.

Contact Durham Tourism for more information on the Arts, Culture and Heritage action team.
1-800-413-0017 | tourism@durham.ca

So what is it that still to this day binds us all – that each and every one of us enjoys and celebrates but also does not exclude based on economic condition, race, gender, or to an extent even talent? It is the arts. And by arts I am speaking in that large umbrella term that covers fine arts, music, film, literature.

Stop and think about your daily routine or that of your child. How much time do you or they spend listening to music, drawing, reading literature, watching movies or even singing whether at home or in the car? Those artistic devices touch us constantly throughout the day. And it doesn’t matter what society as a whole thinks of our artistic talents. A small child who depicts their family with crayons is no different than a celebrated painter. Both are equally inspired and gratified by their efforts and both intended audiences are moved because in both cases the child and the artist offered a piece of themselves.

We all have the need to express ourselves. Sometimes when a child falls through the cracks it’s because they haven’t been afforded or found the right creative program that he or she needs to express themselves.

At Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences we see each and every day the need for inclusiveness. We have created an Art Gallery and Exhibition that celebrates art from the community, our patients and staff. We incorporate the arts in programs and we began the Imagine Film Festival, now in its third season, to open society’s eyes to mental illness to eliminate stigma and promote the need for tolerance and equality.

The arts community also needs to collectively find ways to open new opportunities for all citizens; programs which are blind to age, race, and socio-economic status. The Region of Durham, through the Art of Transition, opened the door to this movement. The arts community just needs to hold hands and step inside.

The launch featured a personal story from a newcomer to the region, a demonstration of the portal, and recognition of the more than 60 service providers and community members who collaborated to develop the portal content.

To access the portal, please visit www.durhamimmigration.ca

Pictured: Fibi Assad and Regional Chair and CEO Roger Anderson.

The program runs until Jan. 1, 2011 and promotes studio tours and exhibitions, arts, culture and heritage events, as well as highlighting opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of Durham’s great outdoors.

My Durham Desktop was designed by local business Everyday Desktop and can be downloaded for free by visiting www.durhamtourism.ca.

There is nothing that brings the nation together more than the quest for speed. It’s indicative of the vastness of the country that the national sports are all built around speed and that some of our greatest inventions have been built for the purpose of making quicker connections. Whether it’s RIM’s Blackberry or Bombardier’s ski-doo, the WonderBra or the humble zipper, they were necessitated by a desire to join disparate elements quickly.

Not surprisingly, Canada has been an early adopter of online social media serving as a means to bridge the enormous gaps between communities. Facebook—and its sort—erase distance.

Now that we can connect in mere moments with anyone anywhere via the cyber-world, there is more time to explore our immediate surroundings, our local culture.

Durham Region, situated between Toronto and Cottage Country, is ideally suited for short day trips but because of its size is really a place that can only be fully realized by spending considerable time here. Durham’s own residents could spend a lifetime exploring the byways and back roads of the area.

There are some truly unique cultural experiences to be found all over the region, but there is no one place that the culture congregates in or around, and therefore no easy narrative to explain us to visitors.

It’s a challenge, but the solution may be staring us all in the face. TVs, laptops, iPhones. Few were lucky enough to be present at that final Olympic gold-winning hockey game, but millions bore witness through live transmission on a variety of screens.

At the Art of Transition symposium, those in attendance were challenged to imagine Durham in a new way. In my mind, I see a Durham Region Art and Music Festival, a place where all voices are heard simultaneously, not as the disharmony that modern life can be, but as a symphony. I see each community with its own stage, filled with its own voices, in a spot unique to its area. All festivals occur on the same day creating one regional gathering. Should one fly over on that day one would see streets, parks, backyards, conservation areas, farms and beaches filled with crowds of folks out enjoying the sounds of their neighbours.

But we can’t all fly over so how do we get a sense of this? The answer is online. Each party broadcasts to a central website. Each concert “Ustreams” its contents. While one enjoys the simple folk sounds in Palmer Park in Port Perry, one can also tune into the heavier sounds of a concert down at Lakeview Park in Oshawa via iPhone or laptop. The audience could also upload and share their views, thoughts, and comments.

The Festival could be called Bridges, or in honour of Durham’s role as a historic trade route, Portage. It would be cool as heck if the festival’s media partner was canoe.ca.

No matter where one is in Durham, one could feel part of the gathering and show off all the wonderful reasons why so many choose to enjoy life here in the region.

On Thursday, March 25, I attended a follow-up session to last November’s The Art of Transition Symposium. This particular afternoon the room was full of artists, gallery administrators, arts association members, city officials and others gathering to learn about the specific results of our cultural mapping process.

The symposium had left us all with a hunger to know what we could do to make the most of our unique creative capital. Curiosity and enthusiasm bubbled in the room. As we went round and introduced ourselves, I was drawn to an elegantly dressed woman who said she was Esther Forde of Cultural Expressions Gallery in the Old Pickering Village in Ajax.

During the reception later on she told me more about what she has been doing to not only capitalize on the artists of Durham Region but to expand our creative consciousness to other cultures and ethnicities. “The make up of our community is changing,” she noted. “I wanted my gallery to reflect this new diversity.”

Her sense that the time had come for this came from her own experience as a woman of colour. “I knew that I wanted to have art in my home that was culturally oriented and reminded me of my heritage. When I tried to find that in local galleries, it didn’t exist there.”

She guessed that if this was an issue for her, it was very likely to be important to others as well. “Consequently, I wanted to include the art of as many cultures as possible.”

"Emerging Spirit" By Passmore Mashaya

And that’s exactly what she has done. Almost three years since opening her gallery, she now represents artists from five continents and over twelve countries—including Canada—through a diverse collection of paintings, sculpture and jewellery.

“I wanted to do more than bring other cultures’ art here,” she declares. “I wanted to be an engaged part of this community as well.” To that end, she has invited local Ajax high school students to the gallery while a sculptor was in residence, hosted a Haiti relief fundraiser, and been an integral part of local Black History Month celebrations. She recognizes that culture comes from within our borders as well as beyond. On June 4 the gallery will be hosting its first First Nations’ celebration as part of the Ajax Arts Festival.

Colour is celebrated in many ways at Cultural Expressions. As we talked about the art she presents, Esther laughed. “If you don’t like vivid colours, this is not the gallery for you.” You can get an idea of the brilliant experience available at Cultural Expressions on her website: www.culturalexpressions.ca.

Q: How does living in Durham Region contribute to this inspiration?
I believe there is a “new breed of seeds” being brought forth in our region – and that one of the ways for that to be communicated to those around us is through the arts.

Q: What does the Art of Transition mean to you?
I think that the effects and outworking of the shift in the times, in our economies, and particularly in our region will be positively influenced by how we are able to engage the creative spirit within us and the people around us.

The day of the AOT symposium crested on a tsunami of interest and excitement. Our speakers all addressed how the arts and culture sector can be the heart and soul of a community, as well as being a driving force in the economy. The research and theory they brought to us provided invaluable background to the work we have to do now.

It’s obvious this message resonated with huge numbers of artists, business people, educators and political players. In the weeks following the event, comments, ideas and visions have continued to flow in from all of
you. Thank you!

Creativity depends in large part on taking formerly separate ideas and combining them to make new and innovative solutions. Everyone who has engaged in dialogue with us since the event has had a unique insight or perspective to contribute. The task now is to take these particular ideas and synthesize them.

At the end of the symposium we developed an initial work plan. In the spirit and practice of creativity, we will be asking for your ongoing engagement, input and effort as we implement this plan. This zine has been developed to keep you informed of our challenges and achievements, as well as your opportunities to contribute.

Tourism Manager for Durham Region, Kerri King, with keynote speaker Dr. Richard Florida and Township of Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, Chair of Durham Region’s Finance & Administration Committee.

With your help, we look forward to creating a cultural map that shows the roads leading to Durham Region’s
vibrant future!

Kerri King, Manager of Tourism
The Regional Municipality of Durham
905-668-7711 ext. 2606

The Art of Transition explored Durham Region’s creative communities and strategies on how to evolve the local economy by leveraging creative talents by taking into account the Region’s existing resources and labour force.

“As a person who survives on creativity, I’m glad I came. My new initiative, the Durham International Festival subscribes to the spirit of this symposium.”
- Farley Flex, Plasma Management and Productions Inc.

“A key to developing a creative economy is inclusiveness. Specifically, it is imperative to consider the potential contributions to economic activity of both the arts as well as science, and the fact that the two may interrelate and complement each other. People involved in both areas of endeavour should be considered a valuable human resource.”
- Steve Edwards, Manager, Town of Whitby

“Thank you for all of the hard work that goes into an event of this calibre. I believe that the Art of Transition was a wild success, not just in terms of numbers and organization, but in terms of what it originally set out to accomplish. It brought together vastly different groups and players to collaborate on some very important issues pertaining to sustainable development of our economy and communities.”
- Chris Fortin, IBM

Dr. Richard Florida’s Four T’s
Keynote speaker Dr. Richard Florida often praised Durham Region for its vibrant community and potential to revitalize its economy. He cited four major factors in the future success of Durham.

General themes included:

(From left): Break dancers, emcee Dan Carter; Township of Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, Chair of Durham Region’s Finance & Administration Committee; Wayne Conrad, Omachron Science Inc.; Ajax Convention Centre filled to capacity. (Above): Keynote speaker Dr. Richard Florida speaks to attendees about creativity and the evolution of our economy.

We live in a vast beautiful landscape with Lake Ontario to the south, the Oak Ridges Moraine halfway, extending to Lake Scugog and Lake Simcoe and into cottage country. It’s a land that appeals to the sportsman and a land that inspires artists. Musicians have begun to sing its praises and it has become the keeper of the Canadian Sound, that folk and country rock tradition associated with these few acres of snow.

While a songwriter such as Timber Timbre of Brooklin will find his muse in the Purple Woods, Cuff The Duke can find her among the factories and suburban streets of Oshawa, and Evening Hymns can meet her on rambles around his hometown of Orono. These three acts are not only considered amongst the finest Durham has to offer, but among the best in Canada. Timber Timbre’s self-titled release is on many Best of 2009 lists. Evening Hymns has been surprising critics with his album Spirit Guides (which includes a five minute recording of a thunderstorm midway) and Wayne Petti of Cuff The Duke has been asked to join Canadian Walk of Famers Blue Rodeo as a vocalist on their current tour.

Durham is well known for the calibre of its talent – Feist has the Baird brothers of Oshawa in her band and the influential Broken Social Scene was co-founded by Brendan Canning of Ajax. Other stars are Sum 41, K-Os, Protest The Hero and of course Neil Young who spent a pivotal part of his youth in Pickering. It was among the fields, woods and distant train sounds of Taunton Road that Young first turned on to music.

But the key element common to too many of Durham Region’s musicians, beyond their affection for the folk tradition, is that they all must be movin’ on as the song goes. There is insufficient reason for them to reside in the area. There is little to no work in their field and with Toronto an hour’s drive away at most they leave and contribute vastly to its position as the centre of the music industry in Canada. According to some studies Toronto is only second to Nashville in its music related infrastructure. In fact, many former Durham residents are the reason for this success.

Yet the proximity of Toronto is both a bane and a balm. Who wouldn’t wish to stay where their inspiration is most potent. Who wouldn’t rather travel trails instead of traffic jams. Who wouldn’t choose to set up shop among such beauty as can be found here in Durham Region. No-one from Durham Region would choose to leave when they have the best of both worlds; a city on the doorstep and the great swaths of the untouched North as a backyard.

This is where the art of transition occurs for this Region. While music is ethereal the transition must be material in the form of support for venues, concert theatres, and studios. A concerted effort by Regional officials to include the area’s artists in public events of all descriptions would set the stage.

Fortunately those folks have taken the first steps and we are now well on the road to fulfilling Durham’s true potential.

A diehard foodie, Rankine’s exotic culinary travels provide inspiration for the ethnic-themed cooking classes she teaches at professional cooking schools throughout Durham Region, Toronto’s GTA, and on-air on Rogers TV’s “Daytime.”

As the proud winner of the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Durham Region Chef Challenge, Rankine is passionate about giving back to her community in healthful, inspiring new ways. This spring, she will be participating in Durham Region’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and will have locally grown produce baskets delivered to her home every other week. The CSA program creates a positive domino effect straight out of the Art of Transition handbook: consumers support their local farmer while reaping the rewards of fresh, local produce and the farmer supports the local economy, causing an undeniable cascade effect for the local community. Follow Rankine as she blogs about her “scores” at www.thefridgewhisperer.com and creates signature recipes from the cornucopia of local offerings that will, ultimately, find their way online and into one of her upcoming Fridge Whisperer cookbooks.