October 20, 2008
Six public art projects for Surrey profiled in Open House
Every great city in the world has wonderful public artworks in its parks and along its streetscapes. Thanks to Surrey’s Cultural Capitals of Canada designation the City will soon add six public art installations to its collection.
These six projects referred to, as “Catalysts, Connections and Intersections” will be profiled at this public Open House. The artist teams will be on hand with models representing their proposals. Site maps will identify the locations for the artworks including: Surrey's City Centre, Bear Creek Park, the Green Timbers Greenway, the Serpentine Greenway, and streetscapes in South Surrey and Cloverdale. Displays will include the inspiration behind the artwork, the designs and images of the works in progress.
Each artwork carefully considers the neighbourhood where it will be sited, with some artists actively involving local citizens in the development of these concepts. Visitors will learn about the contemporary materials and technology the artists plan to use. There's something for everyone from a cowgirl carved in granite, planned for Cloverdale, to a digital sculpture that tells stories in many languages, proposed for Bear Creek Park. Please join us and discover how these new artworks demonstrate pride in the history and diversity of Surrey's communities.
The Surrey Arts Centre is located in Bear Creek Park, at the corner of 88thAvenue and King George Highway (13750-88thAvenue).
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For more information contact:
Sandra Dent
Public and Community Art Coordinator
sdent@surrey.ca
604-501-5561
September 12, 2008
City of Surrey Recognizes 12 Civic Treasures
From left: Stan Clarke, Stephen Horning, Nadine Gagne, Marc Pelech, Mary Michelson, Jarnail Singh, Jim Adams, Carol Girardi, , Robert Davidson, Dawn Govier Lorne Pearson, and Steven Chitty.
The City of Surrey, as a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2008, was proud to recognize 12 individuals at the inaugural recipients of the Civic Treasures Award. The award ceremony took place last night at the Business and the Arts Reception at the Surrey Art Gallery.
Over 40 nominations were received for consideration of the award.
Each recipient received a ceramic medallion designed by local artist, Joseph Chiang. Mr. Chiang has been interested and involved in sculpture, logo design, inventing, music, and other fine arts since childhood. He was born in Taiwan and moved to Canada in 1997, where he is now a Surrey resident.
“The City of Surrey is proud to be a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2008”, stated Mayor Dianne Watts. “These individuals being recognized as Civic Treasures have been instrumental in providing their knowledge, expertise, and guidance to City staff, emerging artists, and the community at large. This award highlights their significant achievements in the arts, heritage, and cultural sectors.”
“Surrey is proud to have these individuals as the inaugural Civic Treasures recipients”, stated Councillor Linda Hepner, Chair of the City’s Parks and Community Services Committee. “Each person, in their own way, has been instrumental in the development of arts and culture in Surrey. These talented individuals reflect the unique character and history of the City.”
The purpose of the Civic Treasure Award is to recognize the recipients and honour their contributions to the cultural sector of Surrey. These individuals have provided a positive profile for the City of Surrey in relation to advancing cultural development, being positive role models for emerging cultural leaders in the community, and have helped to generate a greater awareness, interest and support for arts and culture in Surrey.
For more information on the Civic Treasure Award, and the City of Surrey’s Cultural Capitals of Canada Program, please visit www.culturalcapital.surrey.ca
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For more information please contact:
Sheila McKinnon
Manager of Arts
Surrey Parks, Recreation & Culture
604-501-5127
scmckinnon@surrey.ca
June 24, 2008
Surrey Artists off to Ottawa for Canada Day Celebrations
Left to right: Deborah Putman, Councillor Linda Hepner, Murray Sanders, Mayor Dianne Watts, Norah Cantin, Simon Cantin, Jeremy Turner
Missing: Duniya Bhangra Dance team Photo: Rick Chapman
Six artists from the City of Surrey will be demonstrating their talents at Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa. As Surrey is a 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada the artists were invited by Ottawa to demonstrate their talents at the Canada Day Celebrations.
The artists attending the event are:
Simon Cantin – Stone Sculptor
Norah Cantin – Jewelry Designer
Deborah Putman – Dream Art Expressions
Murray Sanders - Potter
Jeremy Turner – GLOCAL Digital Media project
Duniya Bhangra Dance Team
The City of Surrey has been designated a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2008. The Department of Canadian Heritage awards the designation. To celebrate, the City has developed eight unique projects to raise awareness and promote the value of arts and culture in our community. The projects include the upcoming Fusion Festival, a three-day celebration of food, music and culture happening at Holland Park from July 18 – 20th. To learn more about the Fusion Festival and the other Cultural Capitals of Canada projects visit http://www.culturalcapital.surrey.ca/
“The City of Surrey is proud to be a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2008.” said Mayor Dianne Watts “It is great to see these artists having a chance to showcase their talents at the Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa. The artists truly show the diversity of talent that exists in Surrey.”
“The City of Surrey is fortunate to have such a diverse group of talented artists.” Councillor Linda Hepner, Chair of the Parks & Community Services Committee stated “Being selected a Cultural Capital of Canada allows us to share this talent with not only Surrey residents but also residents throughout the lower mainland and now Canada!”
For more information on the City of Surrey’s Cultural Capitals of Canada project contact Dan Nielsen, Project Manager, at 604-598-5725 or email dknielsen@surrey.ca
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For more information contact:
Dan Nielsen
Project Manager
604-598-5725
dknielsen@surrey.ca
May 13, 2008
SURREY ANNOUNCES FUSION FESTIVAL LINEUP
www.fusionfestival.surrey.ca
The City of Surrey announced today that Celtic legends, The Chieftains, international Bhangra superstar Jazzy B, and Juno Award winning Universal recording artist, Jully Black, will be headlining the City’s inaugural Fusion Festival. The festival will be held from July 18 to 20, 2008 at Holland Park located at King George Highway and Old Yale Road.
The Fusion Festival is the centrepiece of Surrey’s designation as the 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada. To celebrate this award with the community, the festival will bring together many distinct cultural groups hosting 40 international pavilions, presenting music, food, costume and dance.
This will be the largest multicultural event in Surrey’s history, with over 60,000 people projected to attend this free outdoor festival.
“Surrey is home to people from all over the world,” said Mayor Dianne Watts. “The Fusion Festival will provide a great venue for our residents to get out and celebrate the diversity of our great city.”
“Our city is becoming more diverse every year,” said Coun. Mary Martin, Chair of the Multicultural Advisory Committee. “Being able to experience the music, dance, food and heritage of over 40 distinct cultural groups will provide our residents with an increased understanding and appreciation of our multicultural community.”
Other musical artists include Alex Cuba, KS Makhan, Hayley Sales, Nathan, Pascale Picard, Zaki Ibrahim and many more. Dance presentations will feature some of the world’s best Irish dancers in The Step Crew, entourages from Korea and China, Elite Bhangra and Hip-Hop crews, traditional oriental artistry, historical Persian performances, salsa, sambas, caporeia, calypso and modern tap. Other highlights include the Fusion Chinese Spectacular, with a delegation of artists from China featuring actors, traditional dance and singers, cross talk artists, acrobats, and face change artists, and “Drum as One” featuring hundreds of drummers.
The Fusion Festival is presented in part by Coast Capital Savings.
For Event Details contact:
Mary Rukavina Manager of Filming & Special Events
604-591-4598 | For Mayor & Council Interviews contact:
Norman Van Eeden Petersman Communications Assistant to Mayor Watts 604-591-4192 |
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Surrey was named the winner of the 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada Award this morning at a ceremony at the Surrey Arts Centre.
The award, which was presented by Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda to Mayor Dianne Watts, is accompanied by up to $2 million in funding. Surrey will provide up to $650,000 in matching funding.
As the 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada, Surrey unveiled a number of artistic and cultural projects for the coming year. Surrey's Cultural Capital projects include:
“Winning the Cultural Capitals of Canada Award serves as a national acknowledgement of the City of Surrey as a Canadian leader in art and culture,” said Mayor Dianne Watts. “Through these events, we will be able to bring the entire community together through art said Mayor Dianne Watts.
“Surrey has a diverse and talented arts community that reflects our rich, multicultural heritage,” said Parks and Community Service Chair Coun. Linda Hepner. “The diverse Public Art Projects announced today will leave a lasting artistic legacy in each of our town centres.”
“One of the primary mandates for the Multicultural Advisory Committee was hosting Surrey’s first ever Multicultural Festival,” said Multicultural Advisory Committee Chair Coun. Mary Martin. “Surrey’s Fusion Festival will fulfil this mandate by bringing together the music, food, costumes and dance of all of our diverse communities.”
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For more information contact:
Joel Giebelhaus
Special Assistant to the Mayor
Office: 604-591-4192
Mayor Dianne Watts and Councillors Mary Martin, Marvin Hunt, Linda Hepner and Judy Higginbotham join Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda and Surrey MPs Russ Hiebert and Nina Grewal in a photo with the Suman Sargam Music School Bhangra Dancers at the Cultural Capitals of Canada Award Ceremony.
