Street Meet is happy to announce its second year of Saskatoon’s Annual Street, Public and Graffiti Art Festival, a three-day summer festival celebrating new, contemporary public art.
We’ve all driven, cycled or walked past Saskatoon’s wide array of public art, and it may have shaped our ideas of what ‘public art’ means. Many of us expect it to be permanent, durable, heavy, big and sculptural. But are there other possibilities? Between July 4-6, through a series of artworks, workshops and discussions, Street Meet will explore new and exciting ways to make and appreciate public art. Feature artists include Shallom Johnson (Indigo) of Cape Town, South Africa, a street muralist who wheatpastes on alternative surfaces that are sometimes never seen. Laura Hale (Regina, SK) makes ephemeral works in ice and coloured mulch that stand in stark contrast to the permanent public works she’s been known to create. Saskatonian artist Sean Fawcett (Sirvis), is a prolific local graffiti and hip hop artist who has participated in Under Pressure, Montreal and will create a large piece on 20th West. Dex Fernandez (Manila, Philippines) will create a custom vinyl piece based on the subject of his prolific street art practice, the ‘Garapata’. Indigo will conduct a Beginner’s Poster Pasting workshop with introductions to wheatpasting followed by art making and pasting. Peter Gibson, (Roadsworth) of Montreal will Skype in for Q&A at the screening of his 2008 documentary Roadsworth: Crossing the Line. Sterling Downey, Under Pressure graffiti-festival-founder-gone-city-councillor in Montreal, will present a keynote address alongside Melissa Proietti, the international festival’s coordinator. Street Meet’s founder and director, and artist behind the contentious Found Compressions One and Two, Keeley Haftner will lead a panel discussion with these artists and speakers on public art in its sanctioned and unsanctioned forms.
Join us for the festivities, the conversation and the art! For information on the individual artists, check out: https://streetmeetsaskatoon.tumblr.com/
FRIDAY
Keynote Address, 7pm, PAVED Arts
Presented by Sterling Downey and Melissa Proietti
Sterling Downey will talk about his experience founding Under Pressure festival 18 years ago which the world’s longest running graffiti and hip-hop festival and how this led to him becoming an elected official in Montreal. The talk will be co-hosted with Festival Coordinator Melissa Proietti who will discuss the work done with youth to help the younger generations grow into the community, giving them a sense of belonging and ownership of the event.
SATURDAY
Beginner‘s Poster Pasting, 1:00-2:30pm, PAVED Arts- FREE
Hosted by Indigo
Intro to wheatpasting’s origin and highlights, followed by some hands-on pasting of your own creations in the gallery’s surrounding area. Materials provided. No previous experience required. Please email Keeley at streetmeetsaskatoon@gmail.com to register
Back Alley Antics: 7:00pm Corner of Idylwyld and 20th W – By Donation
Hosted by Free Flow Dance
Back Alley Antics 2014 is a site specific traveling show hosted by the Free Flow Dance Theatre Company in collaboration with Street Meet down the back alley ways of Saskatoon.
It features local dance, spoken word and theatre artists. Donations will gratefully accepted at the end of the tour.
Roadsworth: Crossing the Line, 9:30pm, Roxy Theatre – FREE With Peter Gibson (Roadsworth)
The Roxy Theatre and Street Meet present a screening of the Roadswoth’s 2008 documentary on the controversy and celebrity surrounding his practice of stencilling pre-existing painted road lines into seamless, thoughtful designs. Roadsworth will Skype in live to chat with the audience!
SUNDAY
Online Map of City Works: All day, Saskatoon-Wide
Do your own tour of Saskatoon’s wide array of public, graffiti and street art. See: www.findingcity.ca/streetmeet for an interactive online map of these work’s locations, and to add your own!
Panel Discussion, 1:00-2:30pm, SCYAP Gallery, Led by Keeley Haftner
With Sterling Downey, Melissa Proietti, Indigo, Sirvis, and Laura Hale. Refreshments provided.
Street Meet Walking Tour, 7pm, aka artist run
Our feature artists will host a walking tour and discussion of their Street Meet artworks, which include large-scale graffiti, wheat pastes, melting ice, and other surprise media.
New: Street Meet Library Collection
All Weekend, Frances Morrison Library
Curious and inspired by what you’ve seen? Check out this list of suggestions to discover more about the world of Graffiti and Street Art. All are available through Fine Arts at Frances Morrison Central Library or online.
Street Meet would like to thank all of our generous sponsors: SaskCulture and Sask Lotteries, the Hilton Garden Inn, Freedom Fitness, Roxy Theatre, Under Pressure Festival, Fire and Ice Creations, CUPE 2669, Art Placement, SCYAP, Great Western, PAVED Arts, aka artist-run, Riversdale BID, and Free Flow Dance Theatre. Thanks also to Finding City and Saskatoon Public Library.
