2019 Summer Concert Series
Orchestras, Bands, and Solo Artists take the Stage this Summer
Upcoming Events
KIRA offers a wide range of concerts, courses, workshops, and artist interaction experiences.
Apply to be an Artist at KIRA
Introducing Canada’s Newest World Class Centre For the Arts
Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA) was established in February 2016 in an effort to support the creativity of artists. It hopes to promote excellence in the arts both here in Canada as well as in the International scene, all the while benefitting the local community of St Andrews by becoming a cultural destination. A residency at KIRA creates a rewarding and stimulating experience for any participant seeking to advance their artistic journey.
f
Artist in Residence Program
Each year KIRA awards fifteen artists with a one month residency in St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. Artists are provided with individual studio space, comfortable housing, up to two prepared meals each day and a stipend. Artists live on a historic property in a beautiful seaside town and work in studios located on the property. The residence is within walking distance of the down town, however artists should bring all materials needed for their creative process when they arrive, to ensure availability of required supplies and provisions. As part of the residency, artists will be asked to engage with the community for up to six hours a week. These engagements for each artist will vary based on skills and interest and can include a partnership with Kingsbrae Garden which is located steps away from the residence and studios. Applications are open to a range of disciplines and types of artists including but not limited to the visual arts, music/composition, new media, and interdisciplinary arts. Artists from all levels in their career who exhibit a strong professional work ethic and a collaborative attitude are encouraged to apply.
Program Period
- June to August 2019
Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts
2019 Summer Concert Series at the KIRA Amphitheatre
May 19th – Bill and Joel Plaskett & William Prince
Tickets $40 available at paddlefestnb.ca
June 8th (2pm) – New Brunswick Youth Orchestra with Special Guests Troiselle
Entrance By Donation for Sistema NB
July 1st (4pm) – Jimmy Rankin
East Coast Legend Jimmy Rankin will make St. Andrews the place to be for Canada Day! A short tribute ceremony will commence the concert with recognition for our Canadian Armed Forces through the history of our Country.
Entrance by Donation with Proceeds to Wounded Warrior Canada.
July 13th – James Mullinger Live
Tickets available at Kingsbrae Garden Visitor Centre or:
JAMES MULLINGER LIVE AT KINGSBRAE AMPHITHEATRE | JULY 13 2019
August 2nd – Port Cities & Dave Sampson
Entrance by Donation
August 10th – Lisa Ramey
The KIRA Amphitheatre is pleased to present, from this Season of NBC’s The Voice, Lisa Ramey in concert on Saturday, August 10th at 7:30pm. Along with her band, Lisa is pleased to play in St. Andrews to help raise money for the restoration of Katy’s Cove!
August 24th – David Myles Trio
The only returning artist from 2018, David Myles brought the Amphitheatre to life last year. We are pleased to welcome him back for a 7pm Showtime.
f
.
Meet our Past Artists
k
June
j
Susan Neilson, Kelowna, British Columbia (CA) – Painter & Mixed Media Artist Media Artist
Canadian artist Susan Neilson creates figurative, botanical and lyrical paintings, integrating realism in details with abstraction, intuition, and symbolism in compositions. In her BC studio at the edge of a forest, her focus is on conservation, ecology, life cycles and biophilic connections with nature.
Meet Heather Vollans, Brantford, Ontario (CA) – Mosaicist and Mixed Media Artist.
For the past fifteen years, all Heather’s pursuits in art have been about bringing, often discarded, materials together to create art.
“Materials speak and have their own voice – sometimes loud, sometimes soft, but always strong. The unexpected find, the playing with materials on a board and the execution of the work all hold equal pleasure for me. Often there is a gap in time between these three activities and all the whole my mind is mulling over possibilities. Process is everything!”
Melanie Miller, Middlesex (UK) – Painter
You can find Melanie’s studio on Eel Pie Island, in the middle of the Thames, right outside of London. It is a rare haven alongside a working boatyard and where the overgrown is a testament to the tenacity of nature. Melanie is keen to develop work that explores subjects outside of her own environment and to develop interaction with an audience to explore unfamiliar narratives from nature. “I paint from life and natural ‘found’ objects such as plants, flowers, animals and insects. My work up to now has dealt with the known, from my local environment. This residency would allow me, away from my usual routine and obligations, to have precious time to concentrate, to explore, research and respond to entirely new surroundings.”
Perri Howard, Twisp, Washington (US) – Painter and Mixed Media Artist
“As an artist, my goal is to remain sensitive to my surroundings. I have always been inspired by the natural world. It is within this connection between perception and place that the patterns, textures, and subtle qualities of landscape emerge. This “raw material” combined with symbols, maps, and icons is the foundation of my creative practice.”
“My process combines deep observation with field recording, drawing, painting and collage. This multi-disciplinary approach allows me to investigate and convey multiple aspects of a place simultaneously.”
Evelyn Austin, Toronto, ON (CA) – Painter, Sculpturist and Installation Artist
Evelyn is a young emerging artist who spends her summers here in St Andrews. “My work has often focused on living surrealist imagery, addressing themes of metamorphosis and change; however I have recently shifted focus to more concept-based installation works.” Her sculpture ‘The Dandelion’ is on display in our sculpture garden at Kingsbrae.
Chuck Bowie, Fredericton, New Brunswick (CA)- Writer
Originally from Miramichi, Chuck continues to live on the East Coast of Canada. Growing up as an “air force brat”, his writing is influenced by the study of human nature and how people behave, habits he picked up as his family moved nineteen times in his first twenty-one years. Chuck loves food, wine, music and travel and all play a role in his work. His writing will often draw upon elements of these experiences to round out his characters and plotlines. Chuck is involved in the world of music, supporting local musicians, occasionally playing with them and always celebrating their successes.
Julyg
g
Karen Gustafson, Minneapolis, Minnesota (US) – Embroidered Drawing.
Karen uses thread, translucent organza, and a sewing machine to stitch intricate drawings of medicinal plants from the Vienna Dioscorides, an ancient herbal from 512 AD. Several of these plants are still known to us today, linking past to present. She is fascinated with their animated qualities and seeks to keep their original spirit alive. Suspended away from the wall, the drawings create a secondary cast shadow drawing. While the gardens at Kingsbrae will provide immersive inspiration, Karen aims to create an enveloping experience for the viewer, “as if they are walking through a garden, discovering plants along the way.”
Wynn Yarrow, Elmira, NY (US) – Painter
Through natural curiosity and captivating use of colour, Yarrow draws on memory, imagination and intuition to paint landscapes that resonate with the spirit of place.Wynn is a versatile art workshop leader as well and helps individuals strengthen their voice and groups strengthen their sense of community. “Insightful questions from art enthusiasts help propel my own art journey and theirs.”
bd
Heather Browne, Fredericton, NB (CA) – Writer
A native New Brunswicker, Heather recently moved back to her roots after spending thirteen years in Ontario. Honouring the voices of nature, stone and water, her prose writings and short stories are image driven, while her poetry leans to the tragic. Engaging others in story-creation is a big part of her identity as an artist. “Art has always been a conversation. I sense a great need for the human voice today in our digital climate. In a time of disconnectedness, story becomes the most honourable way to reconnect with ourselves and with others.”
Mitchell Hung Kit Mei (Seeyu), Hong Kong – Painter
Striving to seek the universal language of Chinese painting with an east-meets-west ideology, Seeyu’s work is inspired by landscapes and its elements as a metaphor for memory and history. “Chinese landscape painting focuses on the inner spirit of temperament, whereas Western painting emphasizes the external form. Taoism embraces the principles of nature and the convergence of heaven and mankind. I believe that this philosophy can be applied across the globe.” Aside from drawing and painting, Seeyu uses a variety of media, including seal carving and calligraphy.
Pierre Poussin, Toronto, ON (CA) – Installation Artist
Pierre’s artistic approach joins abstract concepts with practical functionality. He believes art should be tailor-made for the public space it inhabits, and for the community that it serves. His work examines a series of inherent juxtapositions in our environments: natural vs. industrial, history vs. future and dynamic vs. static. “It is from these core mandates that I will create ‘mortalité’. My interest on working on a piece about life, joys and mortality on a residency feels completely apt, as the spacious time, intensity of schedule and complete freedom to play and explore would allow me the possibility of discovering new articulations in my art.”
Kalina Winska, Valdosta, GA (US) – Mixed Media Artist
Kalina grew up in Poland. She earned her MFA from The Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw in 2009 and The University of Florida, Gainesville in 2012. Through her art, Kalina bridges the gap between the analytical nature of scientific data, and the evocative and ambiguous nature of contemporary drawing. While at KIRA, she will use the gardens’ dedication to species conservancy and the proximity of St. Andrews to the sea as her inspirations as she continues her exploration of human impact on natural resources and climate.
August
gG
b
b
Kristofer Parley, Victoria, BC (CA) – Painter
The world around him is portrayed in his work; from his watercolour paintings to the detailed pen and ink pieces. “By focusing on unique angles and perspectives, some that most people will never see, affords me the ability to show the viewer something new from something old.” Kristofer’s art possesses both a sense of realism and whimsy that has been known to create, at times, an unnerving feeling with the viewer. “I believe my unique style of art will catch the essence of New Brunswick and St. Andrews in a new and exciting way and show the vivid colours and vibrancy of the area.”
Chantal Houle, Palm Springs, CA (US) – Painter
In celebration of her retirement from the advertising world, Chantal started painting and had no idea how this belated artistic incursion would change her world. Her paintings illustrate people, places and cultures. The images emanate from her travels, studies and everyday life experience. “At times, my paintings may expose the harsher side of our humanity. However, in every instance, it exemplifies my own bursts of insecurity, resolve, elation and joy. I always return to painting to study, grow and flourish. This is just the beginning.”
Ginger Marcinkowski, Panama City Beach, FL (US) – Writer
Ginger’s stories often celebrate the setting of her youth, where her grandfather made a living lumbering the forests of New Brunswick. She is grateful for the ability to retain the sights, the scents, and the sounds of that setting and transform those memories into provocative backdrops for her stories. The specific goal of Ginger’s writing is to encourage readers to consider life’s elusiveness. “I want readers to treasure whatever conveys caring —the simple, the ordinary, the local — a handshake, a nod of respect, acceptance—and then challenge it.”
bEric Hibit, Queens, NY (US) – Visual Artist
Eric’s multidisciplinary art practice includes acrylic paintings, sculptural paintings, ink paintings, public art and murals. His artistic style includes applying dots of acrylic colour to render the image. In this approach, the creative drive is sublimated through a methodical and meditative process. “Freedom is an important part of my practice. My subject matter is unlimited: flowers, shells, animals, bodies, human-made objects, and more. My art practice is intrinsically related to my work as an art educator. I find meaning in the relationships between my studio work and my teaching; each informs the other.”
Wim Schermer, Rotterdam, the Netherlands – Installation Artist
Inspired by the beauty of everyday life, Wim’s work finds its origin in the ordinary and making others aware of what is usually unnoticed. “I study a phenomenon in detail, to see what exactly takes place. Then I explore alternative ways to visualize this part of reality as something extraordinary. After developing a fulfilling concept, I explore how it can tell a story that relates to and finds its origin in the context of the location.” At Kingsbrae Wim is hoping to unveil stories that are hidden in the surroundings.
b
Nadine Flagel, Vancouver, BC (CA) – Rug Hooking Artist
Nadine is a self-taught textile artist from Vancouver, BC. Her mission is making art out of “making do.” Trained as a literary academic, she focuses on the repurposing of both texts and textiles. Both rely on cutting up existing text(ile)s, on aesthetic and sensual appeal, on thrift, and on putting old things into new combinations, thereby intensifying and multiplying meanings. Nadine creates public and private commissions, writes articles on craft, teaches rug hooking at Maiwa School of Textiles, and has received grants to make art with youth. She is a member of CARFAC, and BC’s Craft Council and lives and works on unceded land of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam peoples.
b
b
To find out more about our previous artists please click on the below year:
Upcoming Events
Artist Open Studios
Meet the June KIRA Artists! Find out more about their exciting work while in Saint Andrews!
The Art of Writing and the Nature of Creativity
KIRA Boutique Writing Retreats
The Art of Writing and the Nature of Creativity: KIRA Boutique Writing Retreats offer a unique series of small group (maximum 5 residents) artistic encounters within the glorious surroundings of the KIRA Residence. These boutique writing retreats include one-on-one interviews with each of the facilitators, small group workshops (writing, drawing, painting, and general creativity), lively meal time discussions, evening readings, and a daily creative talk. The secret of these unique KIRA Boutique Writing Retreats is the unbeatable ratio of participants to facilitators within a small, welcoming artistic community, combined with their focus on the nature of creativity.
Your KIRA Boutique Writing Retreat will offer you the joys of the award-winning gardens at Kingsbrae, special events at the Kingsbrae Gardens, the beauties of the resort town of St. Andrews, and the outstanding food of the Kingsbrae Garden Café. As a participant, you can enjoy the solitude of your 26’ x 20’ artistic studio in between the artistic discussions and workshops directed by our expert facilitators.
This fall, KIRA will be offering one KIRA Boutique Writing Retreat. The retreat will run from Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning. Additional retreats may be added if there is sufficient demand. These are the Creative Retreat dates we are looking at for 2019:
- October 6 – 12
How to Apply
Applications and enquiries should be directed to KIRA’s Art Program Coordinator, Masha Schenkel, by e-mail; kira@kingsbraegarden.com. An application should include a brief bio (maximum 250 words) and a short writing sample (maximum 500 words).
The KIRA Boutique Writing Retreats cost $1250 for a residency and include:
- A six-night accommodation in the beautiful KIRA residence (one person per room with en suite).
- Two meals a day (breakfast and dinner).
- Creative theory discussions (every morning) and Painting / Drawing and / or Writing Workshops every afternoon (Monday to Friday).
- A private 26’ x 20’ artistic studio for your own creativity.
- One-on-one sessions with the facilitators (by arrangement).
- Round-table artistic discussions at mealtimes.
- Evening talks and open reading sessions from works in progress.Roger Moore [ http://stu-sites.ca/nble/m/moore_roger.html ] Geoff Slater, [ http://www.geoffslater.com/ ] Our vision follows that of Lucinda Flemer, the founder of Kingsbrae Garden and the Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA). It includes the following elements:
- To create an ongoing artistic community in which each participant will explore and develop their creative understanding and techniques through exercises in writing, drawing, and painting.
- The Art of Writing and the Nature of Creativity
- Visual artist, the inventor of line-painting, installation artist, and long time Artistic Director, Kingsbrae and KIRA.
- Roger Moore (PhD, Toronto), Professor Emeritus of St. Thomas University, 3M National Teaching Fellow (2000), and Atlantic Association of Universities Distinguished Teacher (1996), is an award-winning poet and short story writer with 30 books and chapbooks to his name. He was KIRA resident artist in June 2017.
- Facilitators:
-
- To create an ongoing artistic community in which each participant will explore and develop their creative understanding and techniques through exercises in writing, drawing, and painting.
- To explore our views of the natural world around us and discuss the different theoretical and practical ways in which we can see and interpret that world.
- To develop creative artistic techniques (drawing, painting, writing) that will help expand each participant’s vision of reality.
- To move (via automatic writing, surrealism, and meditation) from the imitation of nature to the inner worlds from which we write and to help each participant express their own inner world with its unique vision and voice.
- For us, as the poet Jonathon Swift once wrote, “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”
Note: Participants in the KIRA teaching and learning retreat communities are welcomed at all stages of artistic development, from beginner to expert.
Participant testimonials:
“The mix of talent and style of the course leader was surprisingly excellent. They were knowledgeable, encouraging, and, most importantly, talented.”
“I got more than expected.”
“The facilities were top-notch.”
“What did I like? The welcoming atmosphere, the first-class teaching, the flow of each day, the community growth, the personal sessions, one on one, and the group time.”
“I appreciated the patient, step-by-step teaching … giving each of us a chance to learn and be ‘more’ successful than ever before, in a new creative venue.”
“A complete privilege to be at this event.”
“The time spent here has enriched my life in so many ways.”
“Everything was excellent and brilliantly done.”
“So much knowledge to soak up, so little time.”
“Our facilitators, mentors, guides, and sometimes confidants, were just amazing. I could not have asked for better.”