We’ve reached the end… or have we?

Wow! The past 5 weeks has just been a whirlwind of excitement!

We have:

• Successfully launched six new commissions
• Witnessed four performances (one of which is ongoing and will continue until May 23)
• Enjoyed three receptions
• Welcomed a TON of visitors, some of whom experienced Video Pool programming for the very first time.

… And that was just for our 25th Anniversary programming! We also hosted a performance lecture by Jeanne Randolph on May 8, which involved an enjoyable reception.

Everything has worked out wonderfully and, in about a month, we'll have a ton of photos, and maybe even some video documentation to share.

Thanks are owed to…

The artists: Sharon Alward, Daniel Barrow, Peter Courtemanche & Lori Weidenhammer, Richard Dyck, Jeanne Randolph, Steven Loft, and Victoria Prince.

The curators: Sigrid Dahle and Grant Guy.

Our presentation partners: aceartinc., ADHERE+DENY, The Duke of Kent Legion, PLATFORM, Plug in ICA, the Rachel Browne Theatre (formerly Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers Studio), and the Winnipeg Film Group.

Our technicians: Ian August, Daniel Ellingsen, Rick Fisher, Mike Germaine, and Ken Gregory.

Our hospitality sponsor: The Line Up

And most importantly, thank you to our generous funders: The Winnipeg Arts Council through the New Creations Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Foundation, On Screen Manitoba, and the W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation.

Thank you!

On that note, we want to let you know that it’s not over yet!

Through a very generous contribution of the Manitoba Arts Council, beginning in the fall, we will host a series of four artist talks that will give a history of media arts on the prairies in a setting that will, most importantly help to forge new connections between Video Pool’s senior members and our growing generation of new practitioners. Stay tuned for more information!

Coming up next… Robert Hengeveld’s media installation, Staging the Gap. More info coming soon!

Special Thanks to Our Very Generous Local Supporters

Video Pool is extremely grateful to have received such generous support from so many local friends including merchants, arts organizations, an art collective, and a band.

Enormous thanks are owed to:

Advance Electronics
American Flamewhip
L’Atelier national du Manitoba
Aqua Books
Bikram Yoga Winnipeg
Blue Earth Organics
BorderCrossings Magazine
Cinematheque
The Fyxx
Hooper’s Bazaar
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Manitoba
Into the Music
Kustom Kulture
The Line Up
Mac Helper
MAWA
Mondragon
Mother’s Music/The Drum Store
Olympia Ski and Cycle
Orange Poppy
Out of the Blue
Pastry Castle
Platform Gallery
Plug In ICA
Prairie Fire
Pure Essence Spa Salon
Red River Books
Urban Shaman
Winnipeg Folk Festival + King's Head Pub



The contributions of these organizations truly helped to make Art's Birthday a success! Thank you!

[Art's Birthday 2008]

Happy Day After Art's Birthday!

Hello and Happy [day after] Art’s Bday!!

We enjoyed a wonderful night of celebrations in honour of Art’s Birthday, and we hope that you did, too!! Ryan Stec’s remix of video works by Stacey Abramson, Clint Enns, Simon Hughes, and Dominique Rey offered a tantalizing audiovisual experience, and his eye candy tricks and treats also factored deliciously well into the sets of our other performers. We’re still breathless over Venetian Snares’ paying of IDM puppet master to our dancing bodies and breakcore minstrel to our minds, and we’re still floating over Mama Cutsworth’s soulful delivery of vinyl delights that transported us through time and space! Thank you to these incredible talents for helping us set the pace for a fantastic night!

We are also grateful to John Kendle, Tracey Koga, and Morley Walker for their expertise and good humor participating in our real and surreal cake competition. Because, well, what’s a birthday party without cake? And, further to that very important thought, thank you to Pastry Castle for contributing a beautiful, creamy, chocolatey-goodness, icing smothered treat that was shared among many!

Thanks are also due to Shawna Dempsey for her role as an MC, the many video makers who contributed work to our reel, and the many volunteers who worked tech, decorated, worked the door and sold raffle tickets. Special thanks are also due to Jaymez and Big Mama for their “tasty” contribution to the evening. Also, thank you very much to Ragpickers Anti-Fashion Emporium for setting up a fabulous costume rental depot... awesome!

We are also extremely grateful to the many local merchants and galleries who contributed sensational items to our raffle! We will soon be posting a special thank you mentioning all of them. Thank you!!

Thanks also to the staff at Club Desire for giving us a place to party and for helping the night run so smoothly.

We also want to thank Charles, Michael and Thor for capturing the night in still and moving image... those pics and vids will be coming soon! We can’t wait to share them. Oh, and that reminds us... if YOU have pics, please send them to us!! We’ll post them, with credit, of course!

So, until then... we hope you enjoy another wonderful year of art!

[Art's Birthday 2008]