The city is about to be overrun by writers participating in Wordfest which runs from October 14 to 19 in Calgary and Banff. This week’s issue features a handful of the more than 80 writers in the lineup which includes numerous events — some involving readings and one-on-one discussions and others ranging from a PechaKucha-inspired multimedia presentation to dinners and performances at the Ironwood Stage and Grill. Executive director Jo Steffens’ efforts to add more performative live events to last year’s festival proved popular and some of those events — such as Literary Death Match Ryeberg Live and This Really Happened — are back in the lineup along with some different offerings such as a clothing swap with authors Sheila Heti and Leanne Shapton live illustration with Ricardo Siri Liniers set to live music by Andrew Wedderburn and Lorrie Matheson and Wordfest’s first instalmant in the White Noise Talks series. So whether you want to sit back and listen to Governor General literary award nominee Michael Crummey read from Sweetland or witness Mayor Naheed Nenshi judging authors as they duke it out in a Literary Death Match you’re covered. Check out the lineup at wordfest.com.
The second season of Past Your Bedtime begins on Friday October 10 at Loose Moose Theatre (loosemoose.com) hosted by Renée Amber who charmed audiences in Legend Has It at Alberta Theatre Projects last spring and Andrew Phung whose name appeared more than once on Fast Forward Weekly’s Best of Calgary readers survey. The late-night improv show includes surprise guests and “juicy questions” for the audience that will take the show in unexpected directions. The shows runs Friday nights at 10:30 p.m. (yes beer is available) until November 28.
A new exhibition is lighting up the faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS) at the University of Calgary. Neon: Audio Visual by Alberta artists Dick Averns Don Hill and Neil Martin explores the medium of neon and its use in the built environment — how it helps people communicate and navigate. The exhibition is located in the Kasian Gallery located just outside EVDS reception and runs until October 31 (evds.ucalgary.ca).
Two photographic exhibitions have taken over the 7 Window Galleries at the Epcor Centre (epcorcentre.org). Zachary Muldoon presents De Ja Vu an exhibit made up of personal photos manipulated to convey the feeling of the passage of time and perhaps loss of memory and Kyung Hee Hogg presents Gates of Nature an exploration of nature and its effect on self influenced by the philosophies of Buddhism. The artwork is on display across from Max Bell Theatre until January 4 with an artist reception on November 13.
