Geeks! Art! In a club?! It might not be what you expect, and that’s exactly why it exists. Wonder Geeks Activate (WGA) is where “the comic book convention meets the nightlife scene.” The endeavor, started by Adam Tupper, is really a way to deconstruct the geek genre while having some fun and supporting the community. Tupper wanted to help support a community that needed it – geeks. He knew they were around, but hadn’t realized “the city was so gung-ho, so excited for shows of a geeky nature” until seeing the... | Continue reading article

Spring is coming – we promise. While the weather might seem otherwise, this leafy green event out at Kichesippi Brewery will prove to you that fresh produce isn’t too far away. At the very least, the food and music and beer will distract you from a snowy reality. Tonight at Babylon, it’s Raw Hip Hop with Blakdenim, hosted by VCX, Precice Kenny Creole and Diamond. Some of you, though, might just want to camp out in Wakefield this weekend – with Jenn Grant tonight, Harlan Pepper tomorrow, and New Country Rehab on... | Continue reading article

Dr. Adam Oliver Brown is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa with an interest in Science Communication.  Last week I went for a trip to the museum to reconnect with nature and was met by a raucous crowd of hundreds of party-goers sipping on cocktails and dancing to the loud beats of a DJ.  This was the third of a now monthly installment of Nature Nocturne, a social evening at the Nature Museum bringing in a new crowd of visitors to reconnect with Nature while they... | Continue reading article

You may have noticed local painter Patrick John Mills on the Mackenzie King Bridge, who is painting outside every day in March.  If you are not familiar with this project, or are aware and want to know more, you can visit his blog where he is documenting his adventure.  (Images of Centretown and The Big Beat have also written about this great undertaking). Mills’ painting endeavour got me thinking about other art-related blogs in the National Capital Region.  While the following list is by no means exhaustive, it will provide a starting point for those... | Continue reading article

Two-shot (ˈtwo-ˌʃɑt ) 1. (Cinema) a medium-range camera shot of two persons: 2. A two shot is a type of shot in which the frame encompasses a view of two people.  The shots are also used to show emotional reactions between the subjects. Local photographer Kym Shumsky has a talent for making strangers feel comfortable.  In her photo-blog Le Mien, she photographed 100 strangers over a 21-month period, culminating in an exhibit and book that raised $2,000 for Operation Rainbow Canada. She is now working on a new artistic endeavour called TwoShot, a... | Continue reading article

Editor’s note: This call was initially posted on Tuesday, February 26. The deadline date for applications has been extended until Monday, April 1st (no foolin’). This year Apartment613 and Artengine continue our endeavor to foster new perspectives on the media arts landscape with an open call for the 2013 Critical Blogging Residency. This residency is for an art critic or cultural journalist from the Ottawa-Gatineau area, who will cross post thought-provoking dialogues on the Artengine and Apartment613 blogs throughout the year. Conceived as a creative space for expression and research into culture, technology and... | Continue reading article

It’s been about a year since Esther Simmonds-MacAdam has shown work in Ottawa. She’s returning today, to install her latest paintings at La Petite Mort Gallery, which opens tomorrow night. If you missed seeing her show last year, it would be well-worth your time to stop by an introduce yourself – she will be at the vernissage (from 7-10pm). Her latest series, it is natural, marks a dramatic shift in terms of how and what she paints. Maintaining a realistic aesthetic, the oil paintings reference specific periods of time and deconstruct... | Continue reading article

Who is responsible for explaining the heavens?  In today’s modern world, our understanding of the universe comes almost exclusively from science, which provides breathtaking images of outer space with such instruments as the Hubble Space Telescope. Local photographer Sanjeev Sivarulrasa, however, wants to change this by having artists also provide insights on galaxies, nebulae and other celestial bodies. “Scientists are the gatekeepers of the sky,” says Sivarulrasa in a phone interview. “(But science) doesn’t tell us much about how we feel about the night sky.” While fully embracing the work... | Continue reading article

A few weeks ago, Ottawa-based artist Deborah Margo unveiled new work at Patrick Mikhail Gallery. Working in various media including sculpture, textile, painting and drawing, Topographies takes knitted installation to new heights. The work evolved from Margo’s recent travels abroad and acts as a record – unique translations of her experiences. If you’ve ever attempted to knit a loved one a scarf, you will appreciate the attention to detail, patterning and repetition evident in the work (the scale alone is impressive). Each hanging contains smaller fragments, much like panels or... | Continue reading article

It’s St. Paddy’s day this weekend, folks, and we’ve got just the burlesque show to celebrate. Need something a little more traditional? Head out to your local pub, Irish or not! Guaranteed they’ll be in a festive mood. Tonight at the NAC, you can catch the hip-hop/rock/soul music of Sound of Lions, while Algoma releases her new album down at the Mercury Lounge. Three local bands will take to the stage at the Lunenburg Pub for their weekly battle of the bands – this week, Go Long (!), Leadfoot Pretty,... | Continue reading article