The Artists of Arts Commons
On stage at Arts Commons there’s no doubt that you’ll see amazingly talented people. Whether they’re delivering a classic sonnet, challenging your perspectives with a new work, bringing the house down with an evening of soul-energizing music, or sharing their stories of exploration and discovery around the globe, Arts Commons is a building filled to the brim with talent. Few people think about the individuals behind the scenes that make it all happen.
In this multi-part series, we’ll introduce you to some of our staff who have been secretly (some much less secretively) practicing their art in their off-hours. For some it’s a hobby, and for others it’s a separate career fueled by their passion.
MIKKI GARDNER
Mikki Gardner works at Arts Commons in the finance department and has been lending her expertise to the ticketing services team during COVID-19. When she’s not crunching the numbers, she’s creating a different type of fashion in her home studio.
I grew up around sewing as my Mom is a pretty talented seamstress, so many of my clothes when I was a kid were handmade. However, recently I’ve picked it back up more seriously, mostly because I just can’t find the types of clothes or designs I like in stores. It’s also a great way for me to practice sustainability and lessen my reliance on fast fashion – I do my own research on if the fabrics I’m using are sustainably made, and instead of replacing an item in my wardrobe, I make it. Also, pockets! Women’s clothes have awful small pockets. I have few “rules” for my clothes but everything I make has to include nice, big pockets.
I’m a pretty big Disney Parks fan, so I like to call what I make “Parkwear, Anywhere”. They are pieces I can wear to the office, out to dinner here in Calgary, or on a trip to Disneyland. I love working with patterned fabrics, but recently I’ve been moving towards designing my own designs that evoke a favourite character but are a bit more subtle than an all over pattern. For example, I recently completed a Star Wars themed cardigan that would not look out of place at an office, but if you know the reference, you can smile about it together. I also made a Hamilton inspired Angelica dress to wear to the show on a trip to Chicago – my way of celebrating what I love with my art.
I wear most of my creations – the joy of being asked “Where did you get that?” and being able to say “I MADE it” is always a confidence boost. Recently I’ve moved into starting to create for other people – and having them tell me that people have stopped them to ask where they got the item is awesome. It’s an incredible boon for my mental health – when you sew, your focus is always on what you are doing, or else you’ll make a mistake. I find it grounding because it forces me to be present.
Most recently I made a friend of mine a gift – that due to COVID, I could not give her in person. It was one of the first things I’ve designed, and it is her favourite character in a design I knew she’d wear. She was so thrilled, and told me that she wore it grocery shopping only to have someone stop her and ask where she got it. I can be pretty hard on my projects – I’m still very much learning and not everything comes out perfect. But knowing a complete stranger, across the country complemented my work is incredibly rewarding.
You can follow Mikki’s work through her Instragram.
CELINA VIDES
Celina started with us as the Volunteer Coordinator for Arts Commons and Calgary International Children’s Fesitval and now she looks after the roll-out of management information systems which involves the planning and also the training of all users. Her job is often described as "the people side of IT" (or the "user" side of IT).
I got my first camera as a gift when I was 7. I took so many bad pictures for many years, and I made my parents print them all! Later in life when I started travelling alone, I loved taking pictures to hold onto memories. The first trip I remember using my camera in a more intentional way to capture carefully framed scenes was when I went to Mexico City (one of my favourite cities in the world!). I still very much like the pictures I took during that trip.
I live by the mantra “the best camera is the one that’s with you” (which I think was coined by Chase Jarvis as the title of his book. Not sure if it preceded him). Many years back I used to go everywhere with my very heavy DSLR camera. Now, I take a lot of cellphone photography. I have a Google Pixel 4 phone which has one of the best cellphone cameras out there right now, although better cellphones keep coming out every month and no one can keep up. About 3 years ago I decided -on a whim- to take a class on black and white analog photography techniques at SAIT. I learned to develop film and print in the darkroom. Our instructor happened to be the amazing George Webber who is an Alberta legend in the world of photography. I still cannot believe how lucky I was to learn those techniques from the best of the best. Once SAIT reopens, I plan on going back again and continue learning from him. It is truly an honour to have him help you dodge and burn a print or give you his opinion on something you are working on. He once saw a picture I took of my brother and he said it reminded him of a Cartier-Bresson and nothing will top that moment.
I am in love with analog photography right now. Since my first “exposure” to it, I have consistently gone back to the SAIT darkroom for studio time, and I have tried different film types and cameras. I am in the process of setting up my own darkroom too. I love the feeling of developing and printing, it is so relaxing. I love it when you put your paper in a tray to develop and you slowly start to see your print appear; what an exciting feeling! I now really understand all those scenes in a movie when the main character is developing a photo to solve a murder or in the middle of a sequence and the faces appear in the print as the protagonist shakes the tray (you have to shake the chemicals for it to work properly, of course!) and then they know who the killer is or they realize they are in love with the girl. It is indeed magical!
Also, there is something so beautiful in using a camera that was made in the 70s. I love it when you get your hands on a very old camera and it still works! Its mechanical parts stand the passage of time and they were created to last forever, as opposed to the way technology is created now, which is so ephemeral - as I was saying earlier about cellphones.
To see more of Celina’s work, visit her Instragram.
ARRAN FISHER
Arran Fisher, Technical Coordinator of the Engineered Air Theatre in Arts Commons has been taking good care of our intimate venue for just over two years. When he’s not lending his expertise to live performances and events, he’s creating art himself as both a musician and music producer.
I've been musical my whole life, picking up various instruments along the way. I've spent time playing violin, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, drums, piano, bass and theremin. I'm not a superior player at any of them! In my teens I got interested in the craft of making recordings and began doing that for friends and musicians I knew and it took off from there.
Lately, I've been more family-oriented and, as such, bills need to be paid. So, music creation has taken on more of a hobby status. I play drums in a band called Lucky Sonne that performs 10 - 20 times a year. It's a fun band to be in and I record our albums as well. We do all the usual social media promotion when it's time to release an album or play a significant show, but a lot of our gigs are private functions. We get pretty busy around Stampede time (usually!), being a country-folk-rock band. I still mix or master a few albums a year for other bands from as far away as Connecticut and Shanghai, as well as local acts. But it takes a lot to convince me to take on a full recording for an artist these days, since my time is so piecemeal.
Music just hits me emotionally in a very direct way. I'm convinced of its power to bring people together and heal divisions. I love the process of writing songs and recording them - it's like coaxing a cobra out of a basket.
I started writing songs over 30 years ago and began recording them a few years after that. Music is a process of discovery and I'm always working to create the right atmosphere of exploration and anticipation of the unknown. As soon as everything is perfect and as it should be, then you know it's time to shake things up. It's the opposite of doing live sound!!
