Sunday, September 23, 2012
Celebrating 11 Years in our Community!
Sean M Puckett
2011 City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sean will be taking portrait photos of visitors to Word On The Street. There is no charge for the portraits. Sean’s project, “A Portrait of Kitchener”, will assemble 1,000 portraits of Kitchener residents for an exhibition in December 2011. Be part of this one-of-a-kind snapshot of our diverse community.
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2:00 :: Doug Larson
Storyteller GuitarTaking readers through the creation of his guitar, Larson describes the various parts along with their particular provenance. Vast varieties of wood were used, including European spruce for the top, sugar maple for the back, red spruce for the cleats, and a rosette of basswood handmade by the author outlined with 45-million year old dawn redwood. Friends and associates offered up small relics of the Guelph area such a small piece of red-painted wooden trim from the original cab of a Northern 6167 locomotive, a nail from a local priory no longer there, and the signature of Guelph brew master John Sleeman overlapping one of his ancestor’s. The various frets on the guitar’s neck feature shards of various regional stone, including a 110-million-year-old fossil. Deer antlers, snapping turtle bone, and mussel shell bring in aspects of the natural world. Even the materials featured in the guitar’s strap and case have significance.
By bringing together the stories behind each piece in the guitar, Storyteller Guitar makes the argument that art, science, and history are part of everybody’s lives and every product of human creativity should be viewed with a sense of joy, wonder, and curiosity. Filled with photographs, maps, and diagrams, Storyteller Guitar is a fascinating look into Doug Larson's quest to unite art and science.
3:00 :: Scott Chantler
Two GeneralsA beautifully illustrated and poignant graphic memoir, Two Generals, tells the story of World War II from an Everyman’s perspective.
In March of 1943, Scott Chantler’s grandfather, Law Chantler, shipped out across the Atlantic for active service with the Highland Light Infantry of Canada, along with his best friend, Jack, a fellow officer. Not long afterward, they would find themselves making a rocky crossing of the English Channel, about to take part in one of the most pivotal and treacherous military operations of World War II: the Allied invasion of Normandy. Two Generals tells the story of what happened there through the eyes of these two young men -- not the celebrated military commanders or politicians we often hear about, but everyday heroes who risked their lives for the Allied cause. Meticulously researched and gorgeously illustrated, Two Generals is a harrowing story of battle and a touching story of friendship --and a vital and vibrant record of unsung heroism.
