News Archives

---

  

   March 12 2008

LooseCanon has continued to try and find and show young emerging artists. There are many artists out there looking for a venue for their work and the gallery hopes to be that place. By giving these young people the opportunity necessary to begin their artistic careers.

This month the galllery is showing three young artists currently wrapping up their time at Sheridan College. Their respective styles are infused with a exciting energy that needs to be seen in person.

The Artist Inc will be gearing up to demolish the middle structure. It should be an interesting summer.

March 12 2008

Preparations are underway for Gosh Darn Cowboys. For those interested submissions are still being accepted.

February 14 2008

The new year is upon LooseCanon and its been brisk so far. Over the holidays the gallery played host to some musicians. The night can be found on youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zy8H7RxpKQ

You can see the rest of the night from there (searching loose, cannon, hamilton).

As usual the WinterSalon was recieved quite well and wrapped up in January. This months ArtCrawl persevered despite the valiant efforts of Spectator reporter Susan Clairmont hilariously ridiculous article which you can read here

http://www.thespec.com:80/article/320624

This month has a beautiful retrospective of Mirela Zdjelaric work. She is preparing to commence research on her new project, to be expected 2009/10.

February 13, 2008
Funny thing happened on the ArtCrawl. The city seemed to take a moment away from destroying beautiful buildings and paving over wildlife to make the sure snow was cleared up. Now you may wonder when exactly they chose to do this? Well 8pm, on the night of the ArtCrawl of course. Nothing like hearing from guests that they were almost hit by a bobcat! You here that Miss Clairmount there are bobcats downtown too! Scary...

September 27, 2007
It may have seemed that the gallery has been not open recently. Well, that is very astute because it has not been open. I have been upstairs working on one of the apartments, so I have not been keeping gallery hours. Once October rolls around it will be back to business.

September 5/07

I hope to be adding new content all month to get the a years worth of images up here. This site is pretty easy to update so it'll be very relevant for all things going on at the gallery as well as all around Hamilton.

April 2/07
I just realized I have no show for May...
On the bright side God damn robots is this month. I gots me a couple pieces in this spectacular along side the very coolest of the cool.

March 14/07
For those that happen to check out this website, I would like to let it be known that October 2007 is now open and available for a show. Please email your proposal to dane@loosecanongallery.com.

February 13/07
Arrgh... I just found that there is another Loose Cannon Gallery. Apparently, it is the last name of the owner. http://www.southeasttennessee.com/www/docs/718.1661/

February 7/07
Wow it is amazingly cold. The Winter Salon was a big hit this year. With it being part of two Artcrawls there was well over 300 people that went through the show. The diversity of work really resonated with people and the quantity forced them to really engage each piece. With the show's end came some minor renovations to the gallery to set things up for the eventual acquisition of a projector. That should happen next month in time for Vedi Djovich's Lurid Lens.

Right now at the moment the gallery has a group of still life and abstracted drawings by Ram Samocha. Ram is currently at the University of Waterloo working on his MFA. Being a native of Israel, Ram brings an interesting perspective on how we live here in Canada. I know that I am very interested to see people's response to his work.

December 2/06
Well the submissions for the Winter Salon have been rolling in over the past couple days and I can't really imagine what the result is going to end up being. With the hanging starting on Monday, the Salon will be up and ready by Wednesday (hopefully)... (fingers crossed). The calm before the storm will be Wednesday night's Arts Dinner, which I have been telling every person that crosses my path about. Of course there is my make-shift contest for two tickets too. See, I'm putting my money where my mouth is on this event.

October 19/06
Not just any gallery can get described as having not only some "lively art, but a DJ spinning tunes and mirrors hung up near the ceiling. Hey you just felt like dancing ...". An interesting View article about the art crawl, if not that you wont get shot on James. There was a very large crowd out for this past crawl and they were definitely having a good time.

Just so all those artist out there that are dying to show at LooseCanon, the gallery is booked up next year. I will not be booking into 2008. I have neither the ambition nor the organizational skills to manage that sort of adventure. However, fret not, there are 3 group shows and 2 curated shows (could be grp shows) in 2007. All will be detailed in the submission page, which will hopefully look awesome when the site's redesign hits next year.

October 10/06
Ten points goes to anyone that can tell me what praeclarus flamma means without looking it up. But if you are curious, you can come an ask the artists Irena Komadinic and Garth Tweedie this Friday the 13th. Irena and Garth are the first chapter 2 artists in LooseCanon history. In this show they have chosen to collaborate, melding their differing styles.

Great news rolled in a couple weeks ago in that the Lister Block wont be torn down. My faith in the political system was a little shaken after witnessing some initial discussion a while back. In now sounds like the rehabilitation of the Block will be an eloquent direction. That news along with the fancy-pancy Ballet company moving in makes me glad I got down here when I did.

Finally, the elections are coming up and I hope folks have been paying enough attention over the last couple years to realize it would be a good idea to cast their vote in November.

August 27/06
Coming up this September is Mirela Z and Lonely Days or a Cigarette and Wine. This show will also have an informal Artist discussion on the 15th, where you will be able to ask Mirela questions about her art and being an artist. This is an excellent opportunity for any aspiring artist to grab some valuable information.

The September ARTcrawl will be running on the 8th. Come out and enjoy whats becoming a big favorite for many hamiltonians.

August sometime in 2006
I just wanted to say that I love the godamninja show and it is hilariously fun and everyone involved is awesome. If you haven't seen it your missing a moment in history.

Secondly, if anyone wants to redo my site, I will pay you well. You can consider this a tender for this project. Keys to success: make it sleek and cool (less like a bordello for vampire plumbers), make it user friendly for me to update all the cool stuff I have. Do these things and I will sing your praises to everyone. Don't under estimate the influence I don't have.

Thirdly, go see Gary Buttrum DJ ... anywhere. He's really good. He plays most of my openings.

Fourthly, since when did real estate agents consult star charts or look at chicken bones when dreaming up property prices on James North. If anyone can explain this phenomenon that'd be super.

Fifthly, whoever is robbing people I know, stop. We don't have shit worth stealing. Go west dear sir, go west.

May 17/06
LooseCanon is gearing up to exhibit this years crop of very emerging artists. This June The more the merrier will include the work of Ancaster, Highland, Parkside and Westdale high school senior students. The show will run from June 7 - 30. The June 9 reception will feature music from Red Rockets.

May 15/06
It can be really hard to frame one's opinion of art. When considering that very framework it can be easy to slide into a complacent presentation of your thoughts and opinions. I truly believe that to have that not happen, one has to reconsider their presentation and frame in a way that works for the viewer. Frames.

May 2/06
The reception for JD Howells we live where you live will take place Friday May 12 at 7pm. featuring 52 photographs from a blockparentcommunity's very own JD Howell. Not only will the amount of images definitely leave an impression in the gallery but the intriguing and eclectic range of images will definitely raise your curiosity.

This Friday May 5th is an opportunity to get a look at a bunch of openings on James St N and elsewhere. Print Studio, Mixed Media and you me gallery are all having receptions.

March 22/06
April is LooseCanon's first year anniversary and features Amy Reader's Perceptional Truths. The reception will be Friday April 7th. To properly celebrate such a momentous event such as a gallery making it past a year, there will be a gathering at Backstreet (its a bar literally seconds away from the gallery)on Saturday with DJ Buttrum handling the music chores. Any more details will come later. Of course in true LooseCanon fashion Backstreet is in no way involved in this event and will be continuing its regular scheduled kareoke as soon as we leave. Oh do I ever have connections...

February 27/05
It crazy to think that Hamilton is entering March Madness, except that it doesn't involve basketball or pandemically huge american crowds and gratuitous amounts of gambling. Actually there's no reason for March to even be describe that way. So that's where Mentalpiece can fill the void. The show, as they always do, will start the first Friday of the month. A week later will be the opening on March 10th at 8pm. The artists, Brigitte and Jon (see Feb 16), will be showing a collection of new paintings and photography.

Word has come in from the boys at GCPRO that a new user friendly (=dumbed down for dane) version of this website is on the way. This will mean that I will do my very best to increase the visuals on the site. So look for that as the gallery approaches its one year anniversary.

Finally there is one month left in 2006 for a submission for a show. That would be August. What I am looking for is something fun and exciting and maybe a little unusual.

February 16/06
Its really sort of bizarre how much displeasure there is for Valentines Day. It seems to cause no end to people's frustration. The exception is that sappy bunch who chose to drop to a knee. Regardless of all that though, Pam Carson's Launder your good apron continues its month long run alongside the RevolutionWear of Sapphire Singh. These two young women are essentially where everyones focus should be this month.

Don't let yourself forget that next month LooseCanon continues with figurative forms in Mentalpiece (March 3-25) a show curated by Ola Wlusek and starring the works of Jon Ankrett and Brigitte Huard. You will be able to see all three on March 10 at 8pm for their opening reception at the gallery. There is a little sneak preview that Ola provided for last months opening at the gallery if anyone is interested in seeing what is upcoming.

Another ArtJam-Party-Nite-whatever is in the works with the main goal of really making some art this time... It should be downtown again and in a bigger area. Also, there may be a more multi-media and film opportunity available. I'll try to keep updates going in this news section as things get confirmed.

February 3/06
UPDATE: Let us all rejoice in the fact, I say fact that the Art History program is not and will not be shutting down. This comes straight out of the mouth of the Dean. Now for those who might share a modest amount of skepticism, I believe this is a moment of exception where we can put aside the foreboding feelings of mistrust and that we can finally absolutely trust a position of authority...

More importantly, it was great to see the concern from past and present students. I hope that that passion can be directed towards the general public, so that they will have a shared interest in seeing the arts continue to become an integral part of Hamilton. It will be interesting to watch events unfold surrounding Humanities place at McMaster University.

January 31/06
This Friday begins Pam Carson's Launder your good apron with her opening reception to be held on February 10th (7-10). That friday will also see opening receptions at you me gallery, The Print Studio and Blue Angel. So it looks as James St North will have another of its gallery hops.

On the 9th, RevolutionWear will be debuting at McMaster but will be having a reception in conjunction with Pam Carson show on Friday February 10th.

If you're needing plans the following evening, there will be the 2nd Annual Saints and Sinners semi-formal Prom Party at Absinthe. Sounds like it will be a great way to ignore Valentines Day and get dressed all fancy-like.

January 24/06
Before I get into the ARTjam, I would like to bring to everyone's attention the bizarre and disappointing direction McMaster University is considering. They are looking at phasing out the Art History and many language studies from Humanities. This is just unbelievable. With the surge in the arts in Hamilton it is really counter-productive to remove the very people that will take the arts in to the future. There will be a protest at Mills Library this Thursday at 1:30pm.

The ARTjam transpired over the this past weekend much to the delight of those in attendance. The floor in the gallery is definitely evidence of a fun and ... colorful evening. The website is under some work to make it more dane-friendly to update, so I am holding off on uploading pictures. The next date to be ready for is February 10th, which will not only be a new show at loosecanon but also a few other galleries on James St N.

January 4/06
Well the new year is upon us in all its bitter sweetness. The Winter Salon is still up to the end of the month. It has been a very well received show. The diversity and amount of work has meant that many visitors have had to come back a second time. There was a good deal of foot traffic over the holidays and many folks were able to see the work, even with the galleries irregular hours. But, now everything will hopefully go back to some normal rhythm. The gallery will be closing at 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays for the next couple of weeks until some family obligations clear up.

There will be an ArtNite at the gallery on Saturday January 21, email me for details. Upcoming Shows include Pam Carson's paintings of women with dogs. You might have seen the writings of Ms Carson in MadDay Magazine, as she is a regular contributor. Also, in February will be Revolutionware, clothing by Sapphire Singh, which will coincide with happenings on McMaster campus.

Otherwise, I am having an AARRrgghhHahaa month with no end in sight ... cause mostly I am me and am the bearer of my own problems. it sucks when theres no one else to blame.

December 9/05
Last night was the dinner for the arts. I would guess that about 50 people were at Ventura's. Not only is this restaurant a phenomenal venue that served some incredible food, it was attended by a nicely diverse crowd of people that got to share their excitement about the arts. Even some local officials stop to grab a bite, councilor Bob Bratina and the campaigning, David Christopherson.

There was a gift swap too. I nabbed myself an artsy apron made by Meaghan MacGregor. It was fun to see who ended up with your gift. All in all a great evening that was put together by Dave and Teresa at Mixed Media.

December 1/05
The end of the year is quickly approaching and as such LCG has put together the first annual Winter Salon. A call for submissions went out a while back and in answer to that, 30 artists are now miraculously covering the walls of the gallery. It was a daunting task performed by the shows curator, Jessica Vellenga who has put in a lot of time to make the show a reality. The work, as I hope you will be able too see, runs a very wide spectrum. It is a site to behold. I will try and set up a special image section for the Salon, fully accrediting all the work shown. There should also be a bunch of updates coming on the site. I have stockpiled some photos and a video that I want up, so that the site is up to date.

As a reminder the show will run to the end of January. The gallery will be closed, likely, from December 23 - January 2. However, Appointments can be made without question between those dates.

Stay tuned in early January for a couple interesting little evenings in the works.

November 16/05
Its this weekend and it looks to be another great event happening on James St N. Thats Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 12-5.

Just to let anyone who was not on James St last Friday know, everything went incredibly well. All the galleries had loads of people entertaining themselves doing the circuit and many more poured out of the Art BUS later in the evening. It truly brought an exciting and positive vibe downtown. For those that do swing by these events be sure to sign up to the galleries contact list in order to hear about all the activities happening on James.

November 9/05
Loads of stuff is going to be hap penning in November. The month started with the departure of Yobani Elias after a very well received but much too short exhibition of his photography. Next up is Andrea Carvalho's landscapes, which will run until November 26. Her reception will be on Friday November 11 and feature the acoustic sounds of Squirrel Cage.

The following weekend is SHOP on james on Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5. A different kind of "craft" show is coming to downtown Hamilton this
holiday season! SHOP on James North is a weekend show and sale event featuring original, handmade products from local Hamilton artists, designers and crafters. SHOP will be the freshest and most irresistible place to be this year. Fun, eclectic, one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list – this is definitely not your
grandmother's craft show!

SHOP on james will take place at the gallery and "the best art shop in Hamilton", Mixed Media (173 James St N) just down the street.

 

October 26/05
I was told today that I did not specify a deadline for the Winter Salon. Well to all those who check the website regularly, the deadline is NOVEMBER 25. Thus far, the gallery is starting to fill up nicely and at the current rate be filled up just right. I am really excited to see Hamilton artists taking advantage of this kind of show.

Also, Yobani Elias is in Hamilton and will have a reception this Friday. I cannot stress what an excellent opportunity this is for all artists in Hamilton to visit and talk to Yobani.

October 12/05
Notices have started to go out for the 1st Annual Winter Salon.

The show will be curated by Jessica Vellenga and open on December 2nd. The general aim is to get a widely diverse selection of Hamilton area artists as possible. The work should be no larger than 3'x3' and should be ready to hang. The show will last until the end of January, so it will be great exposure for anyone involved. Send jpeg or gif submissions to wintersalon@loosecanongallery.com

October 8/05
Well I decided to get with the program and keep this section updated. This is perhaps the most neglected area of this site but from now on I'll be keeping anyone interested aware of all LooseCanon's happenings. Currently, the gallery has the work of Nick Marquis and recently had his reception. It was an amazing evening as Nick got his friends from The Next Big Thing to play for the folks in attendance. There were many raves about just how enjoyable it made the reception.

LooseCanon has really been on a nice roll. Last month Irena Komadinic's beautifully, striking images made many turn their head and many more stop inside the gallery. Currently, I looking to get her work up around Hamilton because more people got to see it. Look for Lucy Diplopia at Mixed Media, which is just down the street on James North.

The end of the month will see Cuban Yobani Elias (visas permitting) end the month before he takes off to Ottawa. His dramatic photography will be an inspiration to many aspiring artists

Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming issues of the View as Nick should have an article about his current show. Also, the second issue of urbanicity will feature in its Gallery 101 section a selection of Nick's show.