parrydise - arts hudson · spring a watercolour, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of...

p a g e 1

Parrydise by James ParryThe Art of Stained Glass, The Art of Farm to Table, The Art of Global Warmingand more.

To parryphrase celebrated andinspirational American writer andpoet, Stanley Horowitz, ‘Winter inHudson and environs is an etching,spring a watercolour, summer an oilpainting, and autumn a mosaic ofthem all.’ How simplistic, yet sovisually stunning!

In the coming months andstarting officially on December 21when winter makes its debut, ourlandscape will have been trans-formed from an artist’s vibrantpalette of reds, golds, burnishedorange, and crimsons to white.Which, according to physicists isn’tartually a colour at all because itdoes not have a specific wavelength.Whatever that means. And yetcheck out any paint store and youwill find a mind-boggling choice ofoptions. Go figure!

But it is a time when MotherNature will sleep for yet anotherhopefully never-ending cycle.Snowbirds, and I’m not just talkingabout our feathered friends and ifthey haven’t already, are headingsouth to Trump Land albeit indecreasing numbers. And non-skiers, snowshoers, andsnowmobilers alike and such asmyself will tend to hunker down forthe seemingly-endless woeful wintermonths to come. Ah, but life surelygoes on in this wonderful communityof ours with so much to see and doand with so many positive peoplewho help make it happen all yearround.

THE ART OF STAINED GLASS

People like Father RolandDemers, the beloved priest of Hud-son’s St. Thomas Aquinas Churchsince 1985 who has nothing but praisefor all those from throughout theregion and many of them non-Catho-lics who converged on Reid Hall inthe basement there recently for awine and cheese reception to sponsora window. Yup, a window!

You see, all 29 windows in the132 year-old church and two of themincorporating stained glass are inurgent need of replacement andrepair. Well, guess what? Even before

the evening was over, some $201,000was raised for the cause. And that’s inaddition to $175,000 donated this pastAugust at a very special golf tourna-ment at Whitlock Golf and CountryClub in Hudson and all going to payfor excavation and renovations to thebasement hit by severe flooding, anew kitchen, new wiring, and repairsto the rectory roof.

Do the math folks. That’s anincredible total of $376,000 raised injust one year for this beautiful land-mark building on Main Road in theheart of Hudson! And with enough leftover this time around to install asophisticated liturgy screen in thechurch as well as completely updatethe rectory kitchen.

Says Father Demers, who priorto being appointed to St. Thomas forthe Parish of Vaudreuil was Chap-lain at nearby La Cité des JeunesHigh School for 16 years and Pastorat St. Patrick of the IslandChurch in Pincourt from 1979 to1985, “Words simply cannot describehow I feel about this wonderfuloutpouring of love and concern forour church. At both events, thegenerosity and sense of caring onthe part of so many was so evidentand spontaneous. And I really dobelieve that Hudson is the perfectexample of the perfect Canada withits acceptance of different culturesand faiths for the good of all in thecommunity.”

Adds Father Demers, whose‘flock’ comprises some 2,000 familiesfrom throughout the immediateregion, “And what particularly movedme was the fact that so many whocame and contributed were not ofthe Catholic faith but who wanted tosupport St. Thomas Church and helpensure that it will still be here forgenerations to come. And now with acompletely refurbished basementand, come next year, great win-dows!”

Two of those windows, inciden-tally, are being dedicated to FatherDemers himself and, in my humbleopinion, rightly so. For I was fasci-nated to learn that at the age of 83he still conducts an average of 100baptisms a year in addition to nu-merous weddings and funeral serv-

ices, holds Mass seven days a week,regularly visits the infirm and elderlyand their families, while all the timeattending meetings that are all part ofhis role as Parish Priest in our commu-nity.

A sentiment shared for sure byall those on the Window SponsoringBuilding Fundraiser Phase 11 commit-tee which first met in May, 2018,comprising Roberta & Greg Yeldon,Manny & Maxine Perra, Louise &David McAleer, Donald & LouiseThevenot, Carol & Dick LaRonde,Christine & Mark Serre, Claudia &Anthony Snell, and CarolynSchooner.

(continued on page 2)

Father Roland Demerswith stained glass window

Photograph by James Parry

a r t s h u d s o n, w i n t e r 2 0 1 8

p a g e 2

(continued from page 1)

A big bravo to them and every-one who contributed to the campaignsin whatever manner and, in the wordsof Father Demers himself, “God blessyou all.” Truly a cause for celebration!

THE ART OF FARM TO TABLE

Speaking of celebrations, Irecently attended a very specialevening in convivial company at anexquisite little restaurant in Rigaudcalled Ferme Champêtre de la Riveon the banks of the river there andwhat a wonderful couple and story Idiscovered. Courtesy of owners,Shelley Edwards and her hubbyBruce De Waele, who started a small3-acre all-organic vegetable familyfarm there back in 2006 supportingcommunity shares of weekly basketsand selling at local farmers’’ markets.

Six years later, and now with fullaccreditation as an official field-to-table restaurant, they added pigs,chickens, hens, and turkeys to theirproduct line and converted a section oftheir house - the oldest part datingback to 1900 - into a large diningroom serving dinners once a weekonly. And the rest, as they say, ishistory!

Today, this exquisite jewel of a24-seat restaurant that serves dishesmostly of produce from their farm -with the exception of dairy, spices andcooking oils and if they don’t grow itthey try to source it locally - is usuallybooked four to six weeks in advance.Hardly surprising, I must say, given

my first experience thereand subsequent conversa-tions with other localresidents who had alsovisited on other occasionsand who had nothing butrave reviews to share!

The pre-determinedsix-course menu is both adelight for the eye and thepalate served up in inimi-table style by De Waelewhile Edwards, who gradu-ated in 1990 from theCulinary Institute ofCanada, Prince EdwardIsland, and who worked inseveral different restaurants andhotels before opening Herb’s in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, is busy in thekitchen cooking up her most creativeconcoctions and ensuring that all flowsseamlessly.

Explained Edwards over a postcafé, “When I first opened the restau-rant, I wanted the atmosphere to behomey with country charm and I liketo think that the food is unique, freshand flavourful.”

Added De Waele, who grew upon a farm in the region whose fatheronce raised hogs - about 1,200 attheir busiest time - and who studiedagriculture at McGill University,“Although my career path did not leadto full time work in agriculture, I amnow so pleased to be the waiter-hostat our Table Champêtre and sharingthat vision with Shelley.”

For the record, the res-taurant, 112 Chemin du Bas de laRivière, is open only on Saturdaynights although it is available forgroups of 12 to 24 sometimes onother occasions upon request.

Reservations are a must and thefixed-price menu varies every weekdepending upon what inspires Edwardsat the time. And oh yes, did I mentionthat it is also BYOB and is believed tobe one of only about 20 true TableChampêtres in Quebec and the onlyone in all of Vaudreuil-Soulanges!

For further info, check out theirFacebook page at table champetre dela rive or call (450) 451-6087. Andbon appetit. Farm to table style!

THE ART OF GLOBAL WARMING

And now getting back to MotherNature who - or should that be which?- I mentioned at the beginning of this

column, for many years people pass-ing his former Hudson home on CôteSt. Charles between Windcrest andRoute Harwood and myself included- would stop and stare in wonder atthe outdoor sculptures in what LeoSchimanszky transformed into averitable art gallery of his very own.

Well, for the past year sincedownsizing and moving to Vaudreuiland in this era of ever-conflictingcontroversy over climate change andglobal warming, this Austrian-bornmulti-faceted artist has been workingon an incredible multi-media paintingtitled Smog City that has to be seen tobe believed. Check it out on page 11of this issue!

And that’s a wrap!

Leo Schimanszkyworking in his studio

Photograph courtesy of LeoSchimanszky(continued on page 11)

p a g e 3

Dean Patrick Fleming considershimself a lifelong storyteller. In fact,he lives to tell stories both as an actorand a director. And Hudson VillageTheatre’s new Artistic Director lovesHudson as well. He first worked hereas an actor, when theatre was stillbeing performed under a tent next toMon Village Restaurant.

Dean’s most recent involvementhere was as director of last summer’sproduction of Art, which earned twonominations at this year’s META(Montreal English Language Theatre)awards. He came out for a chat withArts Hudson on a cold Novemberafternoon accompanied by his dogMiley.

Dean has acted or directed inmore than fifty productions in hislengthy career, for organizations suchas Concordia, the National TheatreSchool and more recently, GeordieProductions, where hisimaginative and beautifullystaged versions of Alice’sAdventures in Wonderland,The Jungle Book and theLittle Prince (among oth-ers) reached young audi-ences that would neverotherwise have had accessto live theatre. Hudsonfans will remember hisproductions of ChapterTwo, Apple. The Affectionsof May, and Sylvia.

Dean understandsthat audiences in Hudsonreally love live theatre.They come with the expec-tation that somethingexciting is about to hap-pen. So how do you speakto a really broad audience -both to encourage peoplewho have always supportedyou and yet attract newviewers?

The story must havea wide scope, he says, andhumour is key. Accordingto Dean. humour is at thecore of everything in thetheatre. Once people

laugh, then the drama can begin!

In Dean’s view, actors anddirectors inform each other, and toattract good actors, it is important tobe able to get teams together in goodtime. The story needs to be told sowell that we get past the story andinto simply caring about the charac-ters. Actors, if they are good, reallylose themselves in their roles. The factthat the actors often come out of theirlives to work in Hudson can giveadded focus to their work.

Next summer’s calendar is notyet finalized, but Dean confesses thathe is hoping for a slightly longerseason - (maybe four plays!) as wellas the musical productions that roundout the schedule. Three out of fourmight hopefully be Canadian.

When a play is well written, heexplains, it draws great actors, and he

wants us to know that we can counton the quality of the plays. Livetheatre fails if you try to put televisionon stage.

On a personal note, our newartistic director lives in Montreal withhis partner, who is also involved intheatre, and two sons, neither ofwhom have, thus far, expressed adesire to go on stage. He continues tomentor two projects at the NationalTheatre School.

Two years ago, as a soloendeavor, he undertook the arduousCamino pilgrimage to St Juan deCompostela in northern Spain.

And Dean is very excited to beworking with the Village Theatreboard, and to be part of the upcomingrenovation plans that will soon betransforming our theatre. Stay tunedfor further developments!

Interview with Dean Patrick Fleming,New Artistic Director of Village Theatreby Kathryn Lamb

Dean Patrick Fleming is the new artistic director of Village Theatre,seen at Hudson Gallery Plus with his rescue dog Miley.

Photograph by Heather Markgraf

p a g e 4


The Film and Opera Series Continue at Village TheatreFilm screenings – 2.00 pm and 7.30 pm - are held at the Hudson Village Theatre, 28 WharfRoad, on the 3rd Monday of the month from September to April. Opera and Beyond is pre-sented one Saturday a month from October to April at 2:00 pm. Tickets are by subscriptionor at the door, subject to availability.

January 19, 2.00 pm. Il trovatore,Verdi’s Masterpiece of superlative music and action

January 21, 3.00 pm and 7.30 pm, Transit,Nominee for Best Film at the 2018 Berlin Interna-

tional Film Festival.

p a g e 5

Hudson Film FestivalStart with a Celebration, End with a Warningby Clint Ward

And in between, enjoy the bestof Canadian Cinema that the HudsonFilm Festival – number 4 – will deliver.

The opening day will be a celebra-tion of human kindness, compassion andhospitality. On February 27 at 2.00 pmand 7.30 pm, the poignant new 84-minute documentary, You Are here:The Come From Away Story tells ofhow the small community of Gander,Newfoundland welcomed more than6,500 ‘Come From Aways’ on Septem-ber 11, 2001.

The film travels deep within thisunique tale to shine a light on the ac-tual Newfoundlanders and passengers.This includes the mayors of Gander andAppleton, community workers, policeofficers, TV reporters, and more – allreal-life people who worked tirelesslyalongside countless others to comfortand care for their unexpected guests.

When U.S. airspace was com-pletely shut down in the hours followingthe terrorist attacks on 9/11, and all ci-

vilian airliners within reach of the U.S.were ordered to land at the nearest air-port, 38 wide-body planes arrived at theGander airport. With no warning andwith no time to prepare, a city of only9,000 residents played host to morethan 6,500 frightened, exhausted, andhungry passengers who “came fromaway.”

The documentary highlights thereal-life passengers who were looked af-ter during those five unforgettable days,including a couple who met, fell in love,

and ultimately honey-mooned in Gander;the pilot of an Ameri-can Airlines jet whoselife was turned upsidedown; and a U.S.businessman who wasso touched by hishosts’ generosity thathe went on to createGood Samaritan initia-tives in cities such asAustin, Texas.

You Are Here: ACome From AwayStory Focuses On The9/11 Heroes Who In-spired a Hit Musical.The remarkable storyof how Gander sup-ported the ‘ComeFrom Aways’ wasbrought to life as theoriginal Canadian mu-sical Come FromAway in 2013. It be-came one of the mosttalked-about openingson Broadway in 2017and was nominatedfor seven Tony

Awards. Come From Away is currentlyon stage in Toronto at the RoyalAlexandra Theatre and is slated to be atOttawa’s National Arts Centre from Au-gust 20 to September 1.

A major highlight of the Festivalwill occur on Thursday night, the lastday of February, as young filmmakersdisplay their offerings during the eveningwhich honours the life of young film-maker, Ben McKinnon and is aptly titledBen’s Night. During the event last year

there was an incredible buzz and en-ergy as many short films were intro-duced by their young auteurs, eachawarded with rounds of applause. Aballot for films of the evening will beavailable and a winner will be announcedduring a closing reception.

The Organizing Committee is busystudying a long list of great Canadianfilms that have been released in the pastyear and remaining selections will beannounced in January and February.These will fill Friday, Saturday and Sun-day. This year a new 5 Film Pass will beintroduced enabling the pass holder toselect from the program of up to 10films, offering choice flexibility. The Fes-tival adventure program will lead to theclosing Sunday film which bears thewarning.

Anthropocene: The HumanEpoch is a Canadian documentary film,which premiered at the 2018 Toronto In-ternational Film Festival. The third filmin a series of collaborations betweenaward winning filmmakers JenniferBaichwal and Nicholas de Pencier withphotographer Edward Burtynsky, follow-ing Manufactured Landscapes (HVT2007) and Watermark (HVT 2014), thefilm explores the emerging concept of ageological epoch called theAnthropocene.

An asteroid slams into Earth andcatalyzes the extinction of roughly 75percent of the plants and animals at thetime, including all of the dinosaurs be-sides birds. A gang of ice sheets thatsprawled across the planet begins torecede, leaving behind massive changeson Earth’s continents. Events like theseare classic boundary markers in the geo-logic record, a shift from one time pe-riod to another marked by a pronouncedphysical change to the Earth. The as-teroid crash 65.5 million years agomarks the boundary between the LateCretaceous and Paleogene periods; theretreat of the glaciers kicks off our cur-rent epoch, the Holocene.

A group of scientists believes thatthe next big boundary marker betweenepochs is happening right now. Causednot by a giant rock from space or scour-ing ice sheets — but by people. Rightnow, people are melting the last great

p a g e 6


glaciers of the Holocene; people are cre-ating deposits of plastic, metal alloys,even plutonium that will leave a markbasically forever; and meanwhile,thanks to agriculture, appetites and evenfashion, people may drive the sixthmass extinction in Earth’s history.

So in August 2016, after 10 yearsof study, this mixed group of scientistsannounced in Cape Town that, like theasteroid and glaciers before us, peopledeserve their own new epoch in the of-ficial rock record. They’re calling it theAnthropocene - meaning, “new age ofman” - and recommending its adoptioninto official geologic time, like theHolocene or the Paleogene.

Anthropocene: The HumanEpoch is a cinematic meditation on hu-

manity’s massive re-engineering of theplanet, and was fouryears in the making.From concrete seawallsin China that nowcover 60% of themainland coast, to thebiggest terrestrial ma-chines ever built inGermany, to psych-edelic potash mines inRussia’s Ural Moun-tains, to metal festivalsin the closed city of

Norilsk, to the devastated Great BarrierReef in Australia and surreal lithiumevaporation ponds in the Atacamadesert, the filmmak-ers have traversed theglobe using state ofthe art camera tech-niques to documentevidence of humanplanetary domination,showing a provocativeand unforgettable re-sult of our species’breadth and impact.

While it’s onething to be apprised ofthe alarming fact thathumans move moresediment than all of

the world’s rivers combined, it’s anotherproposition entirely to lay eyes on whatthat actually entails through the gracesof Burtynsky’s trademark aerial tab-leaux. The staggering images capturedhere are at once surreal and sobering:Anthropocene will forever change theway you see the world.

“Both shocking and beautiful, thefilm impresses itself on the viewer withthe awesome scale of the imagery - andwith the urgency behind it. We haveentered an epoch in which human ac-tivity is shaping the planet more thanany natural force. Anthropocene bearswitness that something’s got to give.”—Kate Taylor, Globe & Mail.

p a g e 7

A world premiere does not occurtoo frequently in Hudson, no matterhow wonderful we consider our townand our theatre to be. But this pastNovember, the latest play by award-winning playwright David Fennarioopened at the Hudson Village Theatreto very excited audiences. FessendenFollies, A Steampunk Revue,directed by Glen Robinson was avisually gorgeous production thatpaired professional actors with localtalent in an original and ambitiousproject.

In order to fully appreciate thisendeavor, but without wanting to betoo pedantic, I found myself in need ofa few definitions. First of all,“Steampunk “, a word I had heard butdidn’t quite know the meaning of, is a“subgenre of science fiction that has ahistorical setting and typically featuressteam-powered mechanical machin-ery, rather than current technology,and employs an aesthetic inspired bynineteenth century Victorian industrialculture”. Steampunk harkens back toauthors such as Jules Verne, H.G.Wells and Mary Shelley. Secondly, arevue, (as opposed to a play!) is “lighttheatrical entertainmentconsisting of a series ofshort sketches, songs ordances typically dealingsatirically with topicalissues”. This work isstructured as a review.

Reginald AubreyFessenden (played byDavid Anderson), born theson of an Anglican ministerin East Bolton Quebec in1866, was an inventor whodesigned the first wirelesstransmission of humanspeech. It had been hischildhood dream to dothis, and it led him to workwith Thomas Edison, whohimself believed such athing was impossible.Nevertheless, on Decem-ber 23, 1900 Fessendensucceeded in transmittingthe human voice a dis-tance of one mile. For thenext six years, he contin-ued to work on his inven-tion, until in 1906, he

succeeded in transmitting a voicemessage, a piece of music by Handel,and a Bible reading to sailors at sea.Nevertheless, Guglielmo Marconi, hisgreat rival, was given the credit, andFessenden’s later life was spentstruggling to gain recognition andpatents for his numerous discoveries.

This production is a series ofsketches highlighting different mo-ments in Fessenden’s career. It was alush, richly textured show that fea-tured costumes by Tina Struthers thatwere intricate and elegant. LeaDurocher’s set design filled the stagewith huge gears and pulleys, dividingit vertically and horizontally intodifferent areas. This allowed the actionto occur simultaneously on differentlevels, and made possible the wonder-fully syncopated typing pool that wasthe rhythm section backing up the on-stage band. In authentic Steampunkfashion, the action felt like it washappening inside a giant pocketwatch.

The play proceeds in a busy and(appropriately) mechanical way,prodded along by a live broadcaster.

Other contemporary scientists includ-ing Edison, Rutherford, Osler andFleming all make appearances andhave their say, as well as Fessenden’sarch-rival, Marconi. Sometimes theaction is a bit hard to follow, and noteverything was clearly heard, but myattention was held from beginning toend

Talking to cast members after-wards, the experience of being a partof this production was not only anexceptional one, but great fun as well.From the initial audition process to theluxury of working on stage with a liveband (J. P. Vialard, musical director)),to the countless choreographictouches that accompanied each role(Kerwin Barrington, choreography), itwas a labour of love for all involved.

Fessenden Follies is the firstproduction of Clock Master Produc-tions, an independent arts companybased in Hudson, Quebec and foundedby Glen Robinson. It is a community-driven company that hires professionalartists to work alongside volunteers.We look forward to future productions.

The Fessenden Follies - A Steampunk Reviewby David Fennario, Directed by Glen Robinson, Produced by Clock Master ProductionsReview by Kathryn Lamb

p a g e 8


HudsonGaleriePlus

448 Maingalerieplus.ca450.458.1319

Original Artat

AffordablePrices

p a g e 9

We often talk about ‘faith,’ and‘birth,’ and ‘joy’ while celebrating thefestive season which is upon us. Webegin to hear choir rehearsals as we plodalong village streets. The capitalist re-minders of ‘pre-boxing day sales,’ andthe barrage of tinselled social mediabegin to pop up everywhere. ‘Sip andshop’ are common, as are open houses,craft fairs, and an array of other lovelyevents to cater and attend.

It can be the craziest, busiesttime of the year, before the true poetryof winter actually sets in as we are calledto hibernate – like bears. Allowing thesullenness of January and February helpus restore some sanity, and sensibilityto our lives. For in the dead of winterthere is solitude. As there is in everyother season, day, hour…moment even.But somehow the hush of winter makesit sometimes a little easier to sink intothe welcome of silence.

For one moment – pause. Stopactually. And listen deeply. For in thestillness, speaks truth. For myself, thebreath of the silent mind is truly para-dise. Reminds me of the infamous “Si-lent Night.” For…It is a silent place, aholy place. A space that is “calm andbright.” I would wish this peaceful joyfor everyone. Peace of mind leads topeace.

The imagery of a baby born in amanger seems to have more impact onme this year, as we face the largest massexodus in history. With refugees andmigrants fleeing worlds of turmoil andhell. As to the people sleeping outside,with no lodging, food or promise of whattomorrow may bring, looking for signsof hope in a starry sky doesn’t seem tobe so far fetched either. Children wishon stars. And we definitely could usesome wise men, wise and kind men, andloving men to come to help shift thepatriarchal and colonizing paradigms.And we would definitely benefit frommothers named ‘Mary.’ Who stand tallwith courage in the face of corruptionand extreme adversity, as we watchmany of those suffering in the worldbeing crucified.

A good atheist friend of mine re-minded me that Holy Scripture has nomore relevance. And yet, we endear our-selves to the many other forms of so-liloquies and poetry that speak to thehuman condition, that regardless ofpast, seems to find a way of repeatingitself.

Yes, there are troves of injusticeswritten in black and white, and thereare the voices of angels that speak be-tween the lines. Sometimes we takethings for granted, and forget what read-ing between the lines really means. Welose ourselves in attachment, and in atime of year such as this, in shopping.

Maybe Linus had it right as herecites judiciously his take of ‘whatChristmas is all about,’ in the favouredtale of “Charlie Brown’s Christmas.”Though not for everyone, as he is afterall speaking about ‘Christmas.’ And yetwe know other faiths also extoll suchwisdom in the context of their own faithand beliefs. Even scientists are in aweof the stars, and for some, an occasionalmiracle.

Linus reminds us that there areways beyond our fears, and how peace

is possible. We may be naysayers of thelanguage, and the ‘truth’ of history, andyet myth ascribes to the greatest truthof all; their mechanics harbouring theways possible for us to think abstractly,and yet justly in the context and back-drops of our time. Regardless of whatwe believe, or don’t believe, may wecome together and share in the truth ofmaybe what ‘Christmas is all about,’ saysLinus: “And on earth peace, and good-will toward men.” May it be so.

I wish you all as gifts the joy of unex-pected grace, and the sublime depth ofunderstanding, compassion and empa-thy in your own lives. As you extendyour benevolence toward the other, mayyou be reminded of your own spiritualpoverty as the richness of the poor growsyour heart into the shape of the wise.And may you know love.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas,Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, andany other configuration of the festive andjoyful season brings to you and yours.May we all come together in peace aswe strive to bring the Light of Love intothe world.

See you in the New Year!

Along the River’s Edge by Vivianne LaRiviere“’Tis the Season...”


p a g e 1 0

Don’t Forget the PantoWhile many performances are likely to be sold out by the time you read the Arts Hud-

son Winter Issue, there are often a few open seats left for January dates. This year’s Panto,Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, is an original pantoesque take on the traditional story.You will, quite literally, never have seen it done this way before.

Pantomime productions are verypopular in England and there is awhole industry with inexpensive pantoscripts available on line. In the past,directors have often made use of suchscripts and adapated them with localreferences.

This year director John Sheridanis presenting a whole new originalwork which he wrote. As usual, thescript is based on a fairy tale, SnowWhite and the Seven Dwarves, butJohn approaches the tale from aCanadian angle and includes all thestandard panto traditions.

John is himself an actor and aHudson-based graphic designer whohas done extensive work for VillageTheatre and other local clients. He andhis family became Panto fans andeventually moved to Hudson as theygot to know the village and its activecultural scene.

In this panto, look for the cross-dessing, audience interaction andgeneral tomfoolery, or in this case,johnfoolery. Donna Stewart does the

choreography, Christine MCcaffrey isin charge of customes and J C Olivierdesigned the set. The Hudson Village

Theatre Panto runs until January 6thwith a detailed schedule and on lineticket sales at village theatre.ca .

p a g e 1 1 p a g e 1 1

The Art of Global Warming by James ParryLocal internationally-acclaimed artist Leo Schimanszky creates Smog CityTo raise greater awareness of global warmingand its harmful impact on the world for this and future generations

Call it what you will. Climatechange, global warming exacerbatedby man-made use of fossil fuels, orsimply what Mother Nature seem-ingly does naturally every few millenia- if not longer - dramatically trans-forming the face of our fragile blueplanet Earth.

Regardless, what is certain isthe fact that with winter now upon us- and certainly earlier than usual inour neck of the woods - the debateand controversy will continue to blazeon the front burner or around theproverbial office water cooler for yearsto come. Both in the political arenaand in the realm of public opinion.

Canadian Prime Minister, JustinTrudeau, through his carbon dioxide-emission tax controversy, is obviouslyon one side of the fence on globalwarming while his counterpart southof the border, President DonaldTrump is a firm denier on the otherside of the wall, dismissing man-madecontributions as a complete hoax.

This despite the fact that, just acouple of months ago, The Interna-tional Panel for Climate Changereported that the disastrous effects ofglobal warming will hit us muchsooner and harder than previouslyforcast and his own Republicangovernment recently stated unequivo-

cally that it is a reality.

Indeed, the committee ofUnited Nations scientists predictedthat by 2040 we could see risingtemperatures, super storm surges,coastal erosion, widespread flooding,drought, devastating wild fires such asthose recently seen in California,food scarcity, sinking cities such asNew York, Tokyo and London, aswell as increased levels of smogunless the use of fossil fuels is drasti-cally reduced.

All of which brings me to localinternationally-renowned sculptor and



p a g e 1 2


artist, Leo Schimanszky, who untilrecently and for the past 35 yearslived in Hudson before downsizingand moving to Vaudreuil and who ispassionate about the need to combatglobal warming before, in his ownwords, it is too late.

Hence, his latest creation,exactly a year in the making thismonth of December, titled Smog City,a 28 x 36 inches multi- colouredmixed media ( including acrylic, oil,and plaster) painting on a woodenpanel and just reproduced inserigraphy form in a limited editionrun of 100 on acid-free paper, sized 19x 13 inches and each hand- signedand numbered with the fingerprint ofthe artist in a different colour.

Says Schimanszky, whosesculptures and paintings have takenpride of place over the decades inprestigious galleries and exhibitsthroughout Canada, the U.S., andEurope as well as in public and

private collections throughout theworld, “Trump may call global warm-ing a hoax. But it is real. I see it fromthe human perspective, not from achart of mere statistics. We mustreally put the brakes on. For I wantfuture generations including my younggrandson to grow up in a world, or atleast something very much like it, thatwe ourselves have been fortunate toenjoy for most of our lives.”

Adds Schimanszky, a long-timeenvironmentalist who loves walking inthe woods, picking mushrooms,studying nature in all its forms, fish-ing, and who recently celebrated his75th birthday, “The whole eco systemis now off kilter and anyone with ahealthy mind can see what is happen-ing. And while I sometimes secretlyfear that global warming isunstoppable, I remain an optimist, nota pessimist!”

As for Smog City, Schimanszky,who emigrated to Canada some 50years ago from Vienna, Austria, saysit portrays a universal city that could

be anywhere. Encompassingarchitecturally and symbolically oldhistoric parts of town, soaring sky-scrapers, office blocks, traffic, inter-connecting roads and highways,people, and pollution.

It truly is spectacular and formore information on this extraordi-nary and most passionate artist andhis latest work go to his website atschimanszky.site,

call (579) 638-1265, or

e-mail him [email protected]

You will be amazed!

p a g e 1 3

Hudson Chamber Music Series:Park Brothers Guitar Duoby Steve AmblerConcerts take place at St. James Church Hall at 4:00 pm on Sundays. Tickets cost $25.00at the door and $20.00 for seniors. Visit www.hudsonchambermusic.ca/ for more detailsand for the schedule.

The Hudson Chamber MusicSeries’ 36th season continues apace inthe new year after two extremelysuccessful concerts in the fall. ThePark Brothers classical guitar duo willgive a recital on March 10.

Like all of our concerts, it willtake place at 4 pm in St. JamesChurch Hall (642 Main Road inHudson). The Hall is an ideal settingfor chamber music with anunparalleled view of the Lake of TwoMountains and acoustics that haveattracted the attention of CBC Radio,which has recorded several of theconcerts.

All concerts are followed by areception where audience memberscan chat with the musicians.Individual tickets will be available atthe door ($25, $20 for seniors).

Both Alex and Wesley Parkbegan their musical studies at an earlyage on the piano, and played togetheras a piano duo. They began playingthe guitar in their teens and studiedthe classical guitar as undergraduates

at Pepperdine University underChristopher Parkening, one of theworld’s preeminent guitar soloists. Thepiano duo became a guitar duo, andthe brothers have gone on to performtogether on several continents.

Competing as a duo in the 2014Pacific Guitar Competition, they werefinalists in the chamber mixed divisioncategory. Alex won the prestigiousThomas Osborn Concerto Competitionin 2016 playing the Concierto deAranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo. Wesleywas a finalist in 2014 in the juniordivision of the Pacific Guitar

Competition.

Alex is currently pursuing hisMaster of Music degree under AndrewYork at Cal State Fullerton. He alsoteaches at the Pangrazio MusicConservatory in Los Angeles.

Wesley is pursuing a Masters inMusic degree at the University ofSouthern California and teaches atMozArt Music Academy in Tarzana,California. Several of theirperformances are available onYouTube, and further information onthe duo can be found at

https://www.parkbrothersguitar.com.

The programme for their recital iseclectic and will have something toplease all tastes, spanning musicalhistory from the Renaissance tocontemporary music via Mozart andDebussy.

The recital starts with threeanonymous pieces from theRenaissance, transcribed by PatrickRuss and Christopher Parkening. Therewill be some Bach favourites includingJesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring and AlexPark’s arrangement of the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria based on the CMajor Prelude from the Well-TemperedClavier.

No classical guitar recital wouldbe complete without exploring theHispanic repertoire, and theprogramme includes works by de Falla(The Miller’s Dance and La VidaBreve), Granados (the Intermezzofrom Goyescas), Mexican composerManuel Ponce (Gigue), Rodrigo (De losalamos vengo, madre) and Tarrega(Recuerdos de la Alhambra).

The duo will also performMozart’s Laudate Dominum andDebussy’s Clair de Lune (the latterarranged by Alex Park). Thecontemporary works are two shorterpieces, Sunburst and Evening Dance,


Alex and Wesley Park


p a g e 1 4


composed by Alex Park’s teacherAndrew York.

Our final concert of the seasonon April 28 will feature Jessica Tong onviolin and Michael Sheppard on piano(replacing pianist Adam Golka due toscheduling conflicts). Stay tuned forfurther details coming in the Springedition of Arts Hudson. More detailedbios of our musicians and a completerundown of our 36th season can befound at

http://www.hudsonchambermusic.ca/.

The Hudson Chamber Music Series isdedicated to bringing world-classchamber music to the Hudson area,without the commute to the city andwithout the big-city prices.

Random ArtWilliam Blake’s The Ancient of Days

Michael Sheppard

Jessica Tong

“I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient ofDays was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hairof His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, itswheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth frombefore Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thou-sand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court wasseated, and the books were opened”

Book of Daniel

p a g e 1 5

Greenwood: The Year in Reviewby Special Contributor Audrey Wall

We have had another busy and productive year atGreenwood - our 22nd season was celebrated with a “HatsOff to Greenwood” theme, honouring volunteers who haveworked so tirelessly to continue the traditions begun overtwo decades ago! Greenwood continues to move forward asan important cultural centre and an integral part of a verydynamic community.

We have now had over 50 artifacts conserved atGreenwood as part of our Adopt-an-Artifact program: theycontribute to the overall improvements made to our his-toric home and showcase diverse elements of the houseand its history. This effort is due to a very special Conser-vation Committee (Jeanna McClintock, Donna Seaman,Margaret Waller and Andrea Johnson).

Our gardens were lovingly cared for by SusanRuddick this year, and her efforts really made our uniquelakeside property look beautiful. We were fortunate to havehad two exceptional summer students, Katie Miller andBailey O’Farrell, for a second season, and they gave arecord number of guided tours to our guests this summer.The house was open from Wednesdays through Sundaysfor tours and tea.

Our regular events - Films, Treasures in the Attic,concerts by the Greenwood Singers, StoryFest for Kids andTheatre on the Lawn, were very well attended. The Vintageshop in our garage, organized by Julia and Rich Curry,continued to attract new visitors to Greenwood. StoryFest,our annual literary festival, had a record number of guests(11) - including hockey legend Ken Dryden and classical

guitarist Liona Boyd - and continues to attract a growinggroup of enthusiastic ticket holders and partners. Ourhardworking StoryFest Committee is already sending outinvitations for our upcoming StoryFest season- our 18thseason!

New events this year included a special play “Lettersto Phoebe”, written by Christine Davet and performed inour garden; a musical afternoon with Karen Cromar, GlenBowser and Dan Gallant, as part of our Members Day; anda very special Pre-StoryFest event with Canada C3’s GeoffGreen. Also new this year were regular Sunday afternoonteas with scones!

As of this writing at the end of November, we areabout to celebrate our final events of the year, the Green-wood Singers Christmas concert and Old Fashioned Christ-mas, popular favourites for all of us.

We are very grateful for the wonderful communitythat continues to embrace us, and for our many volunteers,members, and Board Members who support and maintainthis historical treasure so that future generations cancontinue to experience our rich history.

“Hats off to Greenwood”Audrey Wall, Audrey Gray and Bill Young

Apple PiesJune Kendall


p a g e 1 6

What’s On this WinterWhile some Arts and Cultural organizations take a break until Spring, many have

started to operate year round. Village Theatre, Le Chenail Cultural Centre in Hawkesburyand the Film and Opera Series all have events during January and February and the HudsonGallery Plus opens again in February after closing early January.

p a g e 1 7

Decemberuntil Sunday January 6th

Le Chenail Cultural Centre Art and Craft MarketIdyllic location in a historic building on an island in the Ottawa River in front of Hawkesbury

Centre Culturel Le Chenail, 613 632 9555, 2 rue John, Hawkesbury ON, K6A 1X3 (Maison de l’île)lechenail1975.com

Wednesday, December 12thCarols for a Mid-Winter Night

Greenwood SingersSt. James Church Hall at 642 Main Road, Hudson QC, from 7:30 pm

Greenwood Centre, 254 Main Road, 450.458.5396greenwood-centre-hudson.org

starting Friday December 14th to Sunday January 6thSnow White and the Seven Dwarves, Annual Pantomime

Queen Elvira against Snow White and friends with a cast of (almost) thousandsHudson Village Theatre, 450.458.5361, 28 Wharf Road, $23 tax and fees included

villagetheatre.ca

Sunday December 16thGreenwood Old Fashioned Christmas

Stories, Poems, Cookies, Christmas DrinksGreenwood Centre, 1:30 and 3:30 pm, 254 Main Road, 450.458.5396

greenwood-centre-hudson.org

Monday December 17thFinding Your Feet

Hudson Film SocietyOlder sister helps sibling through a tough time by joining a community dance group

Hudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, by subscriptionhudsonfilmsociety.ca

Saturday December 15th to Sunday December 23rdChristmas Market

Hudson Gallery PlusArt, Christmas Crafts, Gifts, Cards and Hudson-themed Products

Hudson Gallery Plus, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, 448 Main Road, (450) 458-1319galerieplus.ca

Wednesday December 19thChristmas Party

Arts Hudson and Gallery PlusDrop by for Prosecco and Hors d’Oeuvres448 Main Road, Hudson, 450-458-1319, [email protected]

5:00 pm, to 8:00 pmartshudson.org and galerieplus.ca

(December continued on next page)

January(December continued)

Sunday, December 23rdFestival of Nine Lesson and Carols - St. James Church

642 Main Road, Hudson, Quebec, 450 458 5897; 8:00 pmparishofvaudreuil.com

Monday, December 24thEnglish Family Mass - St. Thomas Aquinas Church

413 Main Road, Hudson, Quebec; 450 458 5322; 7:00 pmst-thomasaquinas.org

Monday, December 24thChristmas Eve Choral Eucharist - St. James Church

261 Main Road, Hudson, Quebec; 10:30 pmparishofvaudreuil.com

January 2019

to Sunday January 6thSnow White and the Seven Dwarves, Annual Pantomime

Queen Elvira against Snow White and friends with a cast of (almost) thousandsHudson Village Theatre, 450.458.5361, 28 Wharf Road, $23 tax and fees included

villagetheatre.ca

Saturday, January 19hIl trovatore

Film Society Opera SeriesVerdi opera “The Troubador” about love, mistaken identity, death and revenge

Hudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm, by subscriptionhudsonfilmsociety.ca

Monday, January 21thTransit

Hudson Film SocietyWar-time drama set in France with unusual twists

Hudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, by subscriptionhudsonfilmsociety.ca

Friday January 25thWhiskey Jazz

Celebrating Robert BurnsIdyllic location in a historic building on an island in the Ottawa River in front of Hawkesbury

Tasting and Music, $60.00, 7:30 pmCentre Culturel Le Chenail, 613 632 9555, 2 rue John, Hawkesbury ON, K6A 1X3 (Maison de l’île)

lechenail1975.com

p a g e 1 8


FebruaryFriday February 1st to Sunday March 31st

Alison Robin Smith - Faces of CanadaThirteen Portraits from across the nation - free admission

Centre Culturel Le Chenail, 613 632 9555, 2 rue John, Hawkesbury ON, K6A 1X3 (Maison de l’île)

Saturday February 2ndGino Durante Live and Special Guests

Village Theatre’s Annual Comedy NightHudson Village Theatre, 450.458.5361, 28 Wharf Road, 8:00 pm, $29.00 plus tax

villagetheatre.ca

Saturday February 9thYoel Diaz Ensemble - Jazz Cubain

Jazz band at the Cite des Jeunes theatre organizedd by the Hudson Music FestivalTheatre Paul Emile Meloche, 400 Ave St. Charles, Vaudreuil-Dorion, 514.295.6017; $30.00, 7:30 pm

Wednesday February 13thVernissage and Re-Opening Gallery PlusNew artists, new prints, new artisanal works, jewelry

Refreshments and Hors d’Oeuvres448 Main Road, Hudson, 450-458-1319, [email protected]

5:00 pm, to 8:00 pmgalerieplus.ca

Saturday, February 16thFilm Society Opera Series - Patience

Gilbert and Sullivan’s musical comedy satire on aestheticsHudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm, by subscription

hudsonfilmsociety.ca

Saturday February 16thKim Richardson - Le Chenail Cultural Centre

Idyllic location in a historic building on an island in the Ottawa River in front of HawkesburyLove Songs, $25.00, 7:30 pm

Centre Culturel Le Chenail, 613 632 9555, 2 rue John, Hawkesbury ON, K6A 1X3 (Maison de l’île)

Monday, February 18thLeave No Trace - Hudson Film Society

A character study of a homeless army veteran and his daughter who live in a public park.Hudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, by subscription


Wednesday, February 27th to Sunday, March 3rdHudson Film Society - The Hudson Film Festival

Wednesday Evening, Opening Galaand Ben’s Night, in honour of Ben McKinnon

Hudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, (450) 458-5361,festival tickets by subscription online at villagetheatre.ca

or tickets per film at the Village Theatre box office 20 minutes before each showing.hudsonfilmsociety.ca

p a g e 1 9

Marchto Sunday, March 3rd

Hudson Film Society - The Hudson Film FestivalWednesday Evening, Opening Gala

and Ben’s Night, in honour of Ben McKinnonHudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, (450) 458-5361,festival tickets by subscription online at villagetheatre.ca

or tickets per film at the Village Theatre box office 20 minutes before each showing.hudsonfilmsociety.ca

Friday, March 8thLorraine Klaasen

South African songs and musicHudson Village Theatre, 450.458.5361, 28 Wharf Road, 8:00 pm, $39.00 tax and fees included

villagetheatre.ca

Saturday March 9thSally Folk - French Pop Songs

De l’eau dans le vin tour at the Cite des Jeunes theatreorganizedd by the Hudson Music Festival

Theatre Paul Emile Meloche, 400 Ave St. Charles, Vaudreuil-Dorion, 514.295.6017; $30.00, 7:30 pm

Sunday, March 10thHudson Chamber Music Series

The Park Brothers - Guitar DuoSt. James Church Hall, 642 Main Road

4:00 pm, $25.00 at the door or $70 subscription ($20.00 and $55.00 for seniors)hudsonchambermusic.ca

Monday, March 18thTo Be Announced

Hudson Film SocietyHudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, by subscription


Monday March 25thFilm Society Opera Series - L’Elisir d’amore

Bubbly Italian comic operaHudson Village Theatre, 28 Wharf Road, 7:30 pm, by subscription


March 2017St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Organized by the Town of Hudsonand the Hudson Commercial Development Society (SDC Hudson)

Dates to be announcedemaii: [email protected]; hudsonparade.com

sdchudson.com

p a g e 2 0

a r t s h u d s o n, a u t u m n 2 0 1 8

The Back PageIn this 1489 painting of the Annunciation by Sandro Botticelli, the painter tries to imagine what the virginMary’s reaction might have been when the Archangel Gabriel appeared and told her she was to give birth tothe son of God. But there is more to Mary’s story.

Imagine you are a young Jewishgirl living in Nazareth. You’re engagedto a local carpenter boy Joseph butstill live with your parents, Anne andJoachim. One day, there you arerelaxing and looking out over thegarden of the family home and anangel, with wings, appears and tellsyou you’re going to become pregnantwith the son of God, while remaining avirgin. This is the background thatBotticelli imagined when he paintedMary as being shocked and initiallyrefusing to believe this.

Of course Mary was alreadyspecially chosen at that point. While

she was conceived normally by herparents, according to Catholic doctrineGod intervened, lifting from Mary theburden of original sin in what is knownas the Immaculate Conception. Insome accounts, Mary was then raisedin a convent and betrothed to an oldwiddower, Joseph, who already hadseveral other children from a previousmarriage. In this scenario, Mary wouldhave accepted the angel’s appearanceand his proposition, in keeping withother paintings showing the Annuncia-tion. She was already prepared for aholy purpose and may even have beenwaiting for a sign of some kind.

The latter scenario is supportedby the fact that Joseph pretty welldisappears after Jesus grows up.Once Mary gives birth to Jesus in theVirgin Birth, the family flees to Egyptto avoid King Herod’s plan to kill allthe first-born of Bethlehem. Josephbrings the family back after Herod’sdeath but is not mentioned in lateraccounts.

In any case, Mary listened tothe angel and apparently agreed. Oneaccount has her saying what intoday’s slang would translate as, “Ok,bring it.”

Hudson-Related Arts WebsitesRita Shellard’s Paintings - art-inspiration.ca

Hudson Artists Group Paintings - artisteshudsonartists.com

Barbara Farren’s Paintings - barbarafarren.com

Jeweler Louise Seguin - bijouxartlou.ca

Marcel Braitstein’s sculpture - braitstein.com

Daniel Gautier’s Art - danielgautier.ca

Greenwood Centre for Living History - greenwood-centre-hudson.org

Annual Literary Festival Run by Greenwood - greenwoodstoryfest.com

Hudson Galerie Plus, Markgraf Prints and Local Artists - galerieplus.ca

Heather Dubreuil Fibre Art - heatherdubreuil.com and heatherdubreuil.blogspot.ca

Christine Hunt’s Art Classes for Children and Adults - huntartstudio.ca

Sandy Ferguson’s Ballet Classes - hudsonballet.ca

The Hudson Chamber Music Concerts - hudsonchambermusic.ca

Hudson Dance School - hudsondancecenter.com

Monthly Movies at Village Theatre - hudsonfilmsociety.ca

Hudson History and Books - hudsonhistoricalsociety.ca

Hudson Music Festival - hudsonmusicfestival.ca

Hudson Players Club - hudsonplayersclub.com

Artist Joanna Olson - joannaolson.com

Hudson Comedian Lorne Elliott - lorne-elliott.com

Enamel Painter Lorraine Bouchard - lorrainebouchard.com

Mandy Van Aarle Online Gallery - mandyvanaarle.daportfolio.com

Jen Baumeister’s Pottery - mapleleafpottery.ca

Shopping for Art with a Mission - pureart.ca

Robin Grinnell’s Paintings - robingrinnellartist.com

Rosalie Levi, Sculptor and Visual Artist - rosalielevi.com

Christine Davet’s Literary Magazine - sundayat6mag.wordpress.com

Annual Tour of Hudson Area Artists’ Studios - studiotourhudsonandregion.org

Artist Susan Porter - susanporterart.com

Vaudreuil-Soulanges Arts Website - talentsdici.com

Heather Markgraf’s Professional Theatre Company - theatrepanache.ca

Vivianne LaRivière’s Spiritual Website - theartofsoulcare.com

Hudson’s Theatre - villagetheatre.ca

Hudson’s Volunteer-Operated Library - warmemoriallibrary.blogspot.com

parrydise - arts hudson · spring a watercolour, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of...

Documents