Tie dye was the big request form our brainstorming ideas together. We tracked down t-shirts from a local merchant and loaded up the bike trailers with amazing colours, buckets, and t-shirts. A great creative time that continues Friday, August 4th 12-4pm. We are planning a celebratory parade!
A busy day with approximately 30 folks joining us at Bayers Westwood!
The Art Bikers visited Westwood Park Playground, located at 3315 Romans Avenue on Tuesday. We will be back again Thursday and Friday from 12-4 to have some fun with fabric and dye as suggested by the kids.
Making some masks on Tuesday!
We had lots of participants come and hang out in the shade with us.
Some excellent masks.
It was a delight meeting families and making cyanotype prints at the 2017 Africville Reunion! Here are some photos from our day together:
Water rinses away chemicals masked by leaves, flowers, found objects to reveal sun saturated cyanotype prints!
These cyanotype prints were from natural materials found in Africville!
Many prints were created throughout the day!
This week Art Bikers are looking forward to returning to the community of Bayers Westwood!
Here is the schedule:
Tuesday, August 1st 12-4pm - On site: brainstorming! coming up with ideas together for an art project!
Wednesday, August 2nd - Prep day for us in the studio.
Thursday, August 3rd 12-4pm - On site: working with you!
Friday, August 4th 12-4pm - On site: working with you and celebrating our time together.
Join Art Bikers on Saturday, July 29 from 11am-3pm in celebration of Africville! Collect natural and curious objects to create stunning cyanotype prints!
Art Bikers had a great day at Point Pleasant Park! Thanks to everyone who joined them. Thursday, July 27 from 12-4pm they will be at the Commons in Halifax, near the playground. Join them for giant bubbles and secret messages in bottles, also POTIONS and storytelling!!!
Join the Art Bikers at Black Rock Beach (Point Pleasant Park) today from 12-4pm! Look for giant bubbles, messages in bottles, and brightly coloured art biker bins... !
Tomorrow, join Art Bikers at the Commons, near the playground, from 12-4pm.
Art Bikers will be filling their trailers with colourful supplies for a day with participants of The Youth Project.
Together on Friday, July 21/17 from 12-4, we will be helping create Halifax Pride Parade float art. To see the big reveal, check out the Pride Parade on Saturday, July 22!
POP UP DAY! Join us Wednesday, July 19 from 12-4pm at Ardmore Park! Awesome wooden shapes and colourful paint will be among the supplies on hand to add to and repair the Silly Faces Fence. All ages, free art making in the community: hooray!
Children and grown ups had a fun creating all kinds of fun headwear at the Mad Hatter Tea Party for Mad Pride this past Sunday on the Commons!
What a fabulous finale to a week of Cranky Theatre at the Green! Thanks for a great week of artmaking and performance!
Art Biker schedule for the week of July 11-16:
July 11,13-15 at 'the Green' in Fairview, 12-4 pm:
'Cranky" theatre animation with hand drawn and collaged story pictures and musical accompaniment.
July 16, 12-3 pm at the Commons Triangle, west of the Pavillion:
We'll be participating in the Schizophrenia Society of NS's Mindful Art Project's MadHatterTea Party and Mad Pride ... making hats! Come join us!
What a fantastic week of costume making and performance at Ardmore Park last week. Fun fur was flying, songs were sung, and there was a lot of personality on display! Thanks everyone!
This week we will be at Ardmore Park.
Today (July 4) we will be brainstorming project ideas (and saying hi!) from 1-3. Then we will return on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12-4.
Looking forward to seeing everyone!
We had a great afternoon making paper at the Hope Blooms garden launch last week. Congratulations on 10 years!
The season is getting started. Here is some information with more details to follow:
June 29: Hope Blooms Garden Opening! 4-6pm
July 4 - 8: Ardmore ParkJuly 11 - 15: "The Green" off Randall Crt in Fairview
Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone. Come join us and get creative!
We are excited to introduce the Art Bikers for 2017. Two familiar faces, Merle Harley and Eric Diolola on either end. In the middle, we welcome Devon Pennick-Reilly and Jessica MacDonald. This is a great team who are very enthusiastic and excited to be making art with you this summer.
For much of June the team is in training, sharing information about the community and community arts, and improving our skills while continuing our learning in arts-based community development, anti-oppression, working with children and community to refine our program for you.
Merle, Devon, Jessica and Eric
In the studio at Wonder'neath Art Society- our home for the summer!
The Art Bikers participated in SWITCH Dartmouth last weekend. (Photos to come.) and this Saturday will be on the Halifax Commons from 5:30 - 7:30 providing some creative fun before the movie starts as part of Bike Week 2017. (More information on that here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1267001686745904/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2222%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&pnref=story )
Then on June 21st, we will be at the annual North End BBQ at Isleville Park - always one of our favourite events. Hope to see you there!
Keep visiting our blog or our Facebook page to stayed up to date on our upcoming schedule and to stay in touch. See you soon!
Art Bikers are awesome and so are YOU!
Art Bikers welcomes two new team members: Devon Pennick-Reilly and Jessica MacDonald join Eric Diolola and Merle Harley (returning Art Bikers).
This year we are pleased to offer Art Bikers through a partnership with Wonder'neath Arts Society http://www.wonderneath.com/ Art Bikers will work out of this wonderful artist and community space located at 2891 Isleville street in Halifax, NS.
Our training starts May 16th with our first public activity on June 4th for SWITCH Dartmouth http://switchhfx.ca/dartmouth/ Hope to see you there!
In the meantime you can join Art Bikers at Wonder'neath Open Studio on May 19, 20, 26 and 27 http://www.wonderneath.com/about-open-studio/
It's that time! We are hiring. DEADLINE for applications is April 21, 2017.
DEADLINE EXTENDED to April 24, 2017 by 5 pm
Be an Art Biker this summer!
We are looking to fill one position on the team. We hire on the basis of merit and are committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply and self-identify.
Riding bicycles and pulling trailers packed with materials and supplies, the Art Bikers travel throughout the HRM engaging children, youth, and neighbourhood residents in free, fun public art activities.
You are highly creative and physically fit, with solid urban bicycling experience. You have strong visual arts and/or crafts skills; excel at working as part of a team; and are available to work irregular hours including weekends and early evenings for the entire season May to end of August.
Strong legs, an open personality, playful spirit, and abundant energy are essential. Experience working with children or camp counsellor experience considered an asset. You own an urban road bicycle in good working condition and are prepared to ride & work outdoors in all types of weather.
DEADLINE for applications is April 21, 2017 extended to April 24th by 5 pm. Late applications will not be considered.
For the 2017 season, Wonder’nearth Art Society http://www.wonderneath.com/ will partner with 4Cs Foundation by providing the coordination and studio location for the Art Bikers program.
FULL Description and Qualifications for Art Biker position
Start Date: May 15, 2017
Last Day: August 26, 2017
35 hours per week at $15.00 per hour, plus $100.00 Bike fee at end of contract.
This is NOT a 9 to 5 Monday to Friday job. You must be available to work weekends, evening hours, early mornings, as well as daytime hours. Your work schedule will change on a week-to-week basis. You can count on working at least one day per weekend. We do try to schedule two days off together each week but these can vary to be at any point in the week depending on the program delivery. You must be available for the entire season - May 15 to August 26, 2017.
Art Biker Qualifications
You are energetic, fun, and creative. You like to meet people, work with children, and be outdoors. You are physically fit. You are committed to teamwork.
Required:
Experience working with children/youth in workshop, classroom, camp, or community-based settings.
Visual art-making and/or craft skills. Additional arts skills (theatre, music, etc.) considered an asset.
Physically fit – able to ride at least 25 km pulling a loaded, heavy trailer and be able to work outdoors in all weather for long periods of the day - also bending, lifting, and sitting on the ground comfortably.
Extensive urban biking experience and a high level of comfort biking in traffic.
Own and ride a hybrid bicycle that is in excellent working condition.
Be comfortable leaving your attachment to your personal art practice and your personal identity as an artist behind in order to facilitate others engagement with art making at a community level.
Be committed to work variable hours. (This is NOT a 9 to 5 Monday to Friday job. You must be available to work weekends and evening hours as well as daytime hours. Your work schedule will change on a week-to-week basis.)
Work for the duration of the contract from May 15 to August 26, inclusive.
Be adaptable, outgoing, quick thinking, and possess excellent judgment.
Able to safely use basic tools like saws, hammers, electric drills, etc.
A playful spirit and a good sense of humour.
Want to learn more about community-based arts and community arts.
Assets:
Knowledge or experience in arts-based community development, community development or Adult Education Principles.
Experience working openly and honestly as part of a close-knit team.
Interdisciplinary art experience.
A second language other than English.
Cross-cultural experience.
Knowledge of bicycle maintenance and repair.
How to Apply:
Please send a cover letter telling us how your personal qualities, experience and education matches what we are looking for, and your current resume. Include any related volunteer experience you may have. We do not need a curriculum vitae, however if you have a website of your artwork, please include the link. Please include three references and their contact information.
Apply by email to artbikers@gmail.com
Subject line: Your Name and Art Biker Application.
Label attachments with your name.
No phone calls please. If you have questions, send us an email to artbikers@gmail.com
Email your cover letter and resume by April 21, 2017. Late applications will not be considered.
Art Bikers are done for the season. We had such a great summer! There were so many amazing community members we had the pleasure to work with and the projects that we created with them continued to surprise and inspire us all summer long. So many talented creative people! We will seriously miss you. Thank you so much! (this picture is from our last day working with Hope Blooms just one of the amazing groups we worked with this summer)