Happy New Year

Starting over with a monthly collage, a life update, and a call for participants

As usual, I made this piece, shared it publicly on Instagram, and then wondered what it meant. I’ve gotten used to doing that with collages, making myself vulnerable in a way that I’ve avoided with poems. With poetry, for better or worse, I’ve taught myself to withhold the poem until (I think) I know what it’s doing.

When I came back to the image, I immediately identified with the knight. Why was that? Technically, I noticed, it is not a knight, just the armour. And why did it feel right to put the armour in this scene, facing the strange figure of the stunted and snow-laden tree with its brain-like clutch of yarn?

A juxtaposition of wool and metal. Two ways of being in this season? Or two parts of the self, trying to be in conversation? Trying to integrate?

I made this in the season of resolutions, but it doesn’t feel like a resolution. More like a recognition that getting through these times requires both strength and vulnerability, courage and comfort, structure and creativity.

I am not sure I know how to do all that, do you?

Life/substack update

Perhaps the two-ness of this collage also has to do with my new role in public life. I ran for local government this fall and got elected!

Here I am at the swearing in on November 12:

In the process of campaigning and getting oriented to council, I have neglected my commitment to publish on substack monthly… For my few paid subscribers, I will be offering a $20 discount on a book or a collage print to make up for it.

I have been slowly finding my way to being both a councillor and an artist and in the past month, I have gotten back to collaging regularly, so I don’t anticipate another interruption. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Call for participants

For local readers, I want to share that I have organized an information session with Arts Nova Scotia on their Artists in Communities grant program. You can read more about this program, launched in 2022, and its first funded projects here.

The primary goal of this session is to give local artists the opportunity to meet a program officer from Arts NS and ask questions about the grant process. The deadlines for this programs are March 1/October 1. Organizations who might want to partner with artists on grant applications are also welcome to attend. There will also be a representative present from Lunenburg Foundation for the Arts, and the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Department of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. They will be available to chat about other funding and/or programming opportunities.

Please let me know if you need more information about the session. You don’t have to RSVP, but if you have a minute to let me know that you are coming (or that you want to be on the list for another arts-related event), you can email me at alison.smith@modl.ca.

Artists in Communities Information Session

Maple Creek Centre

5169 Nova Scotia Trunk 10, New Germany

January 29 (storm date January 31)

1-4pm

A reminder for Lunenburg County folks, if you need a drive, consider booking transportation through Lunenburg County Wheels! Just remember to book at least one week in advance.

That’s all the news from me for now.

With best wishes for 2025,

Alison