Art Revolution in Suburbia

Beginning Friday September 30th, I will be residing in Port Moody City Hall to begin my artist in residency. My objective is to answer the question that many seem to ask; what the F^%$ does an artist do anyways.  So until 9:30 pm October 1, my daily creative life will occupy Port Moody City Hall and I will do what an artist does.  People will have a chance to observe my creative process in person as well as on-line

The hashtag #occupypomoartsfest was inspired by the people’s movement in New York #occupywallstreet. A number of the same princples will apply, how it manifests itself is something that we will reveal itself.

Hopefully the internet connection will play nicely and we can live stream, (here http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pomo-arts-fest).  I have some plans including a LIVE CJSF Radio broadcast from 3-4pm on Friday Sept 30th, this can be heard locally on 90.1 FM in Vancouver or online cjsf.ca

FB Invite: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171753246240859&pending

Below are some photos and videos from the occupation and even more here on flickr

Star and I settled in

Filmmaker Ian MacKenzie

As part of this occupation, I will need the following.  I don’t have all of it, thus I would ask if you can bring the following:

Supplies
1) Raw Canvas
2) Drawing Paper
3) Easels
4) Acrylic Paints
5) Sidewalk Chalk
6) Paint Brushes
7) Drop Cloths

Studio
1) Area Rug
2) Folding Table
3) Cot
4) Comfy Bean Bag Chairs
5) Plants
6) Book Case
7) Printer Paper
8) Food
9) Dog Walking Service

VIDEOS

LIVE STREAM ARCHIVE http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pomo-arts-fest

As the Artist in Residence, J will enable creative dialogue and awareness that are of significance to the Society.  September 25, 2011, will see the launch of the Burrard Inlet Paddle Gallery which is a floating art exhibit in Port Moody Arm.   Initial pieces are installed on the hatchery’s floating sea pen located offshore near the Ioco townsite.

“I think as artists we have the opportunity to tell the story in unique and captivating ways.  Bringing creativity outside of the traditional gallery spaces in an experiential way gives the message much more impact.”states J Peachy.

The long term vision is to create an ongoing marine based art gallery in Burrard Inlet.  Plans are to have two art rotations annually.  This will coincide with critical out and in migration periods for the local wild salmon.   The gallery is only accessible by water and ideally by non-motorized craft.   The viewpoints and descriptions of the art work are better seen from close to the waterline.

Ruth Foster, co-founder of the Mossom Creek Hatchery and secretary of BIMES said “J has been using his artistic talent [….] to raise awareness about wild salmon issues on the coast.  I believe he is making a significant and bold contribution to this important cause.  The Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society is very fortunate to have this dedicated and innovative individual at the Mossom Creek Hatchery.  J is a jewel.”

The current exhibition at the Burrard Inlet Paddle Gallery is entitled ‘Making the Point’ and will run from September 25, 2011 to October 31, 2011.

J Peachy is an arts-based advocate for mental health.  His current efforts focus on conserving wild salmon.  He has recently been featured in BC Local News and kickasscanadians.ca.

For more information on the Paddle Art Gallery project go to the artist website and to mossomcreek.org.

for the rings of a tree and the life of me

as an adult our bark winkles, rain on our skin like shower and a sprinkle
lightning strikes nearby but we stand with courage
as those who are nearest succumb to flames that flourish
some may fall in the dead of night
they sacrifice for the young and begin to nurse at first light
for those trees that pass I cannot weep, being a tree upright makes it hard to sleep
my branch of leaves reach out for the sun to see

for the rings of a tree and the life of me

in my own after life will I stand tall like a totem story?… with all its glory
or as stump in a waterfall at the local mall
in all our lives we hope they will remember
just like a Treefest in September
those rings in me and a natural life’s history

J Peachy Gallery is looking for two part time interns to assist in a growing art practice. This position is ideal for an individual who has particular interest in creative projects that relate to Mental Health, Environment and Community based Media.

Description of role: The intern will support the artist in operations of the practice and could include administration, marketing and social media promotions, curatorial assistance, exhibition and events coordination. Essentially this supportive role assists the artist such that he can be focused on creative development.

Skills: The candidate should have good organizational skills, able to multi-task and communicate professionally both written and orally. The Coordinator would be computer literate and be internet saavy. Ideally, candidate would have a valid drivers license or access to a car as some locations are not easily transit accessible.

Knowledge and Education: Arts, Communications, Marketing based interest, background or education, Administrative or business knowledge

Geographic Area. The two internships are focused in two areas in the lower mainland.
(1) Tri Cities
(1) Vancouver/Burnaby

Time Commitment: typically 4 hours per week, but flexible and could be more dependent on special events which may be at night or on weekends.

Term: immediately until December 31

Remuneration:
The intern positions are unpaid however, paid work and other related perks could be available on a project by project basis. There are a number of dynamic projects that the organization is involved in which could lead to more permanent part time positions. The artist is willing to provide guidance and mentorship to assist the intern in the development of their own career.

to apply please send a resume and cover letter to coordinator(at)jpeachygallery.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Iris Ip
Email: publicrelations@jpeachygallery.com
Telephone: (647) 919-8662

JAY PEACHY APPOINTED ART DIRECTOR FOR “THE BOUQUET OF HOPE”

Vancouver, BC June 15, 2011 – Jay Peachy, local artist and social activist, has been appointed Art Director for The Canadian Flowers For Food Society’s “Bouquet of Hope Art Exhibit – 2011”. The Canadian Flowers For Food Society will display artwork from local students and artists from June 13 to June 17 at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver. On Friday, June 17, the artwork from over 30 artists including the world renown James Picard will be exhibited at the Evening of Art Gala, benefiting homeless people and marginalized groups.

Through the expression of art, The Canadian Flowers For Food Society hopes more people in Vancouver will recognize the hardships of marginalized people, such as the homeless and the recovering addicts. The great cause behind the exhibit and the gala prompted Jay Peachy to collaborate with The Canadian Flowers For Food Society (http://flowersforfood.com/).

“Their cause strongly resonates with my vision as an artist and an activist, and that’s why I choose to work with them and contribute my time and energy,” said Jay Peachy.

Jay Peachy is an arts-based advocate for mental health. He has recently been featured in BC Local News and Kickasscanadians.ca.

# # #

J Peachy Gallery in collaboration with Mossom Creek Hatchery (Port Moody, BC), guides this half day interactive creative workshop.  Inspired by the author Richard Louv, who coined the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’, this workshop challenges people to escape the ‘urbanity’, re-connect with nature and stimulate one’s creative mind. Louv states “the more technology we have, the more nature we need.”

Workshop participants can expect:

- introduction to the Community run Hatchery
- basics of the local ecology
- hands on interactivity
- and of course some artist freetime
- your own time for peace

Mossom Creek Hatchery was established by former Centennial High School teachers and award winning environmental educators Ruth Foster and Rod MacVicar.   Since its inception over 30 years ago, Mossom Creek has been a place of education for thousands of students, it has restored a once dead creek and is one of the most pristine watersheds in the whole Lower Mainland.

This workshop is not only open to artists of all types, painters, poets, musicians, photographers, but for anyone longing for  afternoon of art activities and soaking up the beauty of a refuge in the woods.  We’re kid friendly, bring the family to a creative escape to nature, right in your own backyard.

Upcoming Dates:

WORKSHOPS HAVE ENDED FOR 2011, dates for 2012 will be announced in Jan 2012. If your organization is interested in a private hosted retreat, please contact jp(at)jpeachygallery.com or mossomcreek(at)gmail.com

WORK WITH NATURE BASED PAINTS !  Mossom Creek Hatchery Volunteer, Ariana has collaborated with Get Outside BC to provide nature based paints for this retreat. Get Outside BC is co-created by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and BC Parks, with additional support from Mountain Equipment Co-op, Parks Canada, and the Child and Nature Alliance.

email jp (at) jpeachygallery.com to reserve your spot. There is limited access to this remote location so only confirmed attendees will be able to participate.

NOTE: Mossom Creek is a SCENT FREE Facility.  Please refrain from using Fragrances and Perfumes when coming to the retreat, some people have severe allergies to chemical scents.  Plus why not take in what nature truly has to give you.

Paragon Casino Development @ BC Place Stadium

The City of Vancouver is voting on whether to allow the expansion of the Edgewater Casino to the lot adjacent to BC Place Stadium.  I created the following piece called ‘Safety Zone’ as my response to the issue. One of the major detractors for Casino expansion is the social problems due to gambling addictions.

‘Safety Zones’ are a concept that relates to the external environment around us that may trigger behaviours.  Safety Zone is also a reference to football and its association as the last line of defence against the opposition.  As Mental Health survivors, we do our best to manage our conditions, whether it is taking medication, modifying our social behaviours and limiting the situations that put at us risk.  The new BC Place Stadium Casino grounds is less than 1 Km away from the Downtown Eastside one of the poorest and most troubled areas in all of North America, rife with Mental Health issues, extreme poverty, drugs and other social problems.

Vancouver Downtown East Side Alley

Within the shadow of BC Place Stadium and Casino Development live families, artists and the working poor facilitated by lower cost of living in the area; there is a delicate balance that exists in that neighbourhood.  However, the temptations of this Casino destination aren’t limited to those with medical addictions to gambling, it will entice others that are in the vicinity, geographically and socially; I call them ‘Sideline Gamblers’.  The Casino is a sparkly fun and exciting place, its like Disneyland with a Wetbar. The casual gambler, including working class residents or students may feel the financial pressure from the high costs of living in Vancouver and would look augment their income through gambling. Maybe they only need to make $200 to cover rent, so they will gamble the money in hand to do so.  The ‘Sideline Gambler’ may have been successful last week, however what if they fail the next time at the poker table?

I lament at all the wasted creativity and knowledge that is just sitting hours on end at tables, flipping poker chips! Imagine if that creative knowledge could be used to create a new green economy or provide new models for eliminating poverty?  Safety Zone is a concept, wider society needs to grasp in order to understand how this may affect people not only with gambling addictions but those struggling with other forms of addiction. BC Lotteries has a campaign that states “Know your limit, Play within in it”.  Do our governments know what its limits are? Does it know what the expansion of a Safety Zone does to the social fabric and what that cost is in the whole business case.

A large scale development focused on a Casino as its financial keystone to the return on investment to BC Place Stadium improvements, impacts this Safety Zone.  Thus establishes is a direct psychological connection between the casino and the refurbished stadium.  Every person who attends a BC Lions Football game, MLS soccer game, Concert or Convention is directly associated by the proceeds of the casino.  The Paragon Gaming Group which then pays the lease to BC Place stadium.  This direct connection does not exist in the current situation where Edgewater casino exists.  So basically, every man, woman and child that enters through the doors of the new BC place are unknowing advocates for gambling. Spectators are contributing to the erosion of Safety Zones and enabling the temptation of addiction and the resulting affects that it will have on the direct community surrounding it.

Safety Zone

The piece called ‘Safety Zone’ is created with injection needles from InSite.  When I approached them I offered to pay for the unused needles, they wouldn’t take my money but reminded me that the needles are for ‘Harm Reduction’, I said “I know”. Needles in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver have always been symbolic of addictions in the area. When I drove by the new Stadium under construction, the support structures looked like large needles to me.  I began to think that Professional athletes and their high salaries are easy targets for addictions.  Is a casino next door to the locker a high paying athlete good for the win/loss column of the team. In addition to gambling to casinos, there were other themes of addiction that I began to think about; ones which could be associated with the activities in the BC Place Gambling Zone.

Development: There is an addiction to development that seems to be happening in Vancouver and BC, are we building large scale projects just because we want to, is there real need or one based on our delusions of grandeur?  The proponent logic is based entirely on the Economy/GDP, which has no real means of calculating social costs. When more people have cancer, that’s more pharmaceutical drug sales which is good for the economy and GDP. We have an addiction to feed the construction development machine through new and potentially ecologically destructive projects (Damming rivers, Condominiums, Urban Sprawl etc.).  Just like gambling we are living and development for the moment.

Sports:  With the resulting Olympic Fever, our Government seems to associate anything exciting for our community, based entirely on the thrills of corporate sport.  Our government even created a portfolio that linked sport with culture and community . Thus the resulting narrative: Sports makes everyone feel nice inside, lets do it again because everything else sucks. However, there are many people that take their addiction to sports to levels that create tensions in the household. Spending hundreds of dollars on sporting events, plastic trinkets, stuff and sports lotteries vs other household priorities or quality time with our families.  Sports has a place in life, but I don’t think it should be everything.  When the game is over do you feel depressed and lost, or can you just go on with your day to day life? The shredded up casino playing cards using only hearts in the deck symbolize that lost connection with loved ones, when sports or other addictions get out of hand.

Cirdque Du Soleil - Cavalia Tent Across from BC Place

Government Addiction: The Government addiction to Casinos is an unhealthy one.   Casino’s take away money from its own residents, it does not generate a new forms of revenue vs the development of diverse ventures.  For example; Vancouver is blessed with natural beauty, a bounty of resources and amazing creative talent that we can leverage to create diverse sources of opportunity.  Its ironic that Cavalia, a Cirque Du Soliel Experience (born out of Montreal, PQ known for its progressive Arts Funding) is attracting people to watch it in a temporary tent.

I hope that people can find a way to discover their safety zones, it could be geographical, psychological or some other means of health retreat vs a self medicating escape from the realities and problems we face. We need to create mechanisms like escape hatches so that we can quickly retreat to Safety Zones and reflect on what we are doing to ourselves and those around us.

jp

Reason 42: Time is an abstract concept, hours and days are sometimes unrecognizable

Reason 27: You love watching Paint Dry!
Reason 34: You think white dudes with an Afro and Beard are either named Bob or Ross

Reason 111: Someone told me I couldn’t. – Nelly Mills

Reason 47: Things an Artist can say when angry at someone: “Don’t make me mad, or I’ll  paint you right in the face”

Reason 53: Because you tweet at this ungodly hour, fully knowing your art friends will respond.

Spencer told me the value of the Arts in creating dialogue and the contribution to community.  Those words inspired me to include some of the values important to me in my creative works.

I hope you can attend the ‘Get your Art On‘ event on Saturday March 5th.  I have donated the Salmon inspired piece called ‘Burrard Hope’, and added a little spice to the package in collaboration with musician David Blair.

AUCTION PACKAGE (Value $ 2,975)

• Original Painting – ‘Burrard Hope’
• Live Painting by J Peachy at your home or special event
• Live Musical Performance by David Blair

‘Burrard Hope’
36 x 48 Acrylic on Reclaimed Panel.
Value $2,475

A dedication to the Wild Salmon people who walked in the pouring rain on Monday October 25 2010 to raise a voice and show solidarity for the preservation of Wild Salmon.

‘Burrard Hope’ goes to the home of Kelly and Mike Bocking, congratulations!

See more Wild Salmon Series works click on the image below.

David Blair