Organized and curated by cj fleury
With: Dr. Carson Becke, Randy Kelly, Chris MacLean, David Perrett, Nadia Ross
STO Union, 100 Mile Arts Network and le Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise
Saturday June 20
from 2 to 4 pm
Kaffe 1870
715 Riverside Wakefield Quebec
SUGGESTED DONATION
AT THE DOOR : $5
Curated by artist cj fleury and co-produced by STO Union and 100 Mile Arts Network, this public interactive discussions brings together artists across disciplines to speak openly about the realities of having a professional creative practice in the Outaouais region. The interactive discussion explores professional pathways, visibility, sustainability, and the specific linguistic, cultural, and economic conditions shaping artistic life here. Intended for artists and the broader community alike, the panel offers an honest, grounded discussion about what it means to create—and live—in this region.
Curator:
cj fleury
cj has explored collaboration with non-arts groups since the early 90s; linking human spirit and aha moments to agency in public space. Her practice has been braided into hives of grief, labour, ecology, education, immigration, feminist law, healthcare, and forestcare. Equally diverse in scale and media; the art has been expressed through flower petals, stone, bronze, performance, video and projected light. Of 20 public commissions, 2 Ottawa monuments are well-known rallying and vigil sites; on violence against women, and anti-poverty activism. In 2020, cj and Dr. Carol Wiebe co-founded Radical Connections, now part of Ottawa Art Gallery; to transform healthcare with all kinds of artists. Her art is held in the Canada Council Art Bank and other public collections. Her SYMBIOSIS project, with Eco Echo, was shown at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Panel:
Dr. Carson Becke – pianist co-director, Pontiac Enchanté Concert series
Canadian pianist and musicologist with a doctorate from the University of Oxford, Carson has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator. He is co-director of the Pontiac Enchanté concert series in Luskville, Quebec, which integrates innovative programming and environmental sustainability into its mission.
Randy Kelly – film and television director, editor and cameraman.
Over the last 30 years, Randy has worked on dramatic and lifestyle series, documentaries, short and feature-length films, cinepoems, and music videos in both English and French, winning many awards. Since 2014, he has also been giving cinepoetry and spoken-word workshops at international schools around the world. Randy is drawn to a variety of subjects, from history and politics to arts and sciences. Based in Gatineau, he loves to travel and collaborate with other artists.
Chris MacLean – singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and Community Choir leader.
Performing contemporary folk, world, and roots music for over 30 years, Chris has also toured internationally. She founded and leads a non-auditioned Song Kitchen Community Choir in Wakefield and Ottawa, and annual VoiceDance retreats in warm places, creating welcoming spaces where people of all abilities can sing and move together. As a circle singing facilitator, Chris brings singers and non-singers together to create collaborative improvised vocal ‘jams’ full of harmony, groove and community spirit.
David Perrett – sculptor
Luskville-based sculptor whose work bridges classical and contemporary processes, integrating stone, metal, wood, and electronics to explore materiality and perception. He holds a BFA from the University of Manitoba and an MFA from York University and has been featured in regional exhibitions and documentaries
Nadia Ross – Artistic Director STO Union and New Light
Founder and Artistic Director of STO Union, a multidisciplinary arts company based in Wakefield, Quebec, established in 1992. She has created over 40 theatre and live art works, many of them have toured internationally to over four continents. She has earned major recognition including the largest prize in Canada for theatre directors, the Siminovitch Prize.
100 Mile Arts Network
100 Mile Arts Network is a not-for-profit organization supporting professional artists across rural West Québec. Through advocacy, networking, and artist-led initiatives, the organization works to strengthen the conditions that allow artists to live, work, and sustain creative practices in the region. As co-producer of the New Light / Nouvelle Lumière panel, 100 Mile Arts Network brings deep knowledge of local artistic realities and a long-standing commitment to amplifying artist voices, fostering visibility, and building resilient cultural ecosystems beyond urban centres.
