John Thackara doesn’t carry a rulebook. When the British-born sustainable design expert visits a city, he looks for people already working on innovative projects, or who have ideas worth exploring. The “guest provocateur” is here for 4 Days, an “unconference” organized by local design firm Breakhouse Inc., intended to open up community conversations about sustainable […]
Sue Carter Flinn
Posted inArts + Music
Bust a move: flash mob in the Halifax Shopping Centre
So I’ve been begging people to start a Michael Jackson flash mob, but I guess Young MC is sort of close enough, and this is definitely for a good cause. A group of ladies on a mission interrupted the stone cold munchin’ at the Halifax Shopping Centre today, as a sneak preview of an upcoming […]
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Photos: ArtRising takes off
Last night, after the Sobey Art Award, the party moved onto ArtRising, a fundraiser for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Hosted in the gutted Dooly’s space in the Roy Building on Barrington, the industrial feel—the peeling walls, the concrete floor—made you feel as if you were transported to another place (or decade, actually, minus […]
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David Altmejd wins the Sobey Award
The white wine was flowing as hundreds of artists, politicians, men in suits and other well-wishers crowded into a large tent, in the courtyard of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia last night for the Sobey Art Award reception. Hosted by Seamus O’Regan, wearing his arty face, and Laura Regan (which had Mad Men fans […]
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Give us your favourite Halifax song
In celebration of Halifax Pop Explosion, which starts next Tuesday, give us your favourite all-time Halifax song. What is the best track to come out of the city? Is it Buck 65’s “Wicked & Weird”? Sloan’s “Underwhelmed”? Piggy’s “Homeless Song”? Dog Day’s “Lydia”? C’mon, we know you have an opinion… Give us your favourites in […]
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Holding Still For As Long As Possible, Zoe Whittall (Anansi)
Zoe Whittall is a championing voice of outsiders and outcasts, of surviving your 20s and all their hangovers, in a polyamorous-leaning generation unencumbered by traditional gender labels. Whereas her first novel Bottle Rocket Hearts updated Mordecai’s Montreal, Holding Still stars contemporary Toronto: first kisses on Now newspaper boxes, gentrifying Parkdale, parties at the Gladstone. Mortality […]
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Book Launch: take a trip with Mike Holmes
Before Coast cartoonist Mike Holmes started turning all your stories into comic gold, he drew his own true story, This American Drive. The serial comic about Holmes’ road trip with his now ex-girlfriend Jodi first appeared in The Coast in 2007 and is now available in graphic novel form, through Invisible Publishing. The Halifax book […]
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More Ellen Page: actor to write “hipster comedy” for HBO
No doubt Ellen Page will be calling in a few editing favours from Diablo Cody when she writes Stitch N’ Bitch, a single-camera comedy for HBO. Page will be co-writing with fellow actors Sean Tillmann and Alia “Maebe” Shawkat, who co-starred in Whip It with Ellen Page, and also had a great performance in Amreeka, which screened at the Atlantic Film Festlval. Jezebel recently ran clips of an interview with Page and Shawkat, suggesting the two are convincing real-life best friends, so there must be some truth to that. According to reports, “The trio will executive produce the project,
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Influential artist Gerry Ferguson dies
From the Dalhousie Art Gallery: Gerald Ferguson, 9 Drain Covers, 2006. Acrylic enamel on canvas Photo: Steve Farmer Retired NSCAD prof and influential conceptual artist Gerald Ferguson passed away at the age of 72. For almost 40 years, up until 2006, Ferguson taught at the art university, staying true to the conceptual spirit, while maintaining […]
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Star-studded Rage too awesome for your cellphone
Sally Potter’s new film Rage is promoted as the world’s first feature-length film shot for mobile phones (currently only in the UK, but available on babelgum.com as online chapters, updated every Thursday), but technology is the last reason to watch this experiment. Shot as a series of one-sided interviews in front of glorious-hued backdrops, Potter […]