Writing Contest

ARE YOU A WRITER?  Well, here’s a wonderful opportunity or York Region residents!  WriteNow@King writer’s group is inviting you to submit a work of prose or poetry (no more than 1500 words) with prizes being awarded.  BUT you have to jump on this.  The deadline is February 29, 2012.  Submissions and requests for more information from doritapeer@bell.net.

Art and Music Wars

Are you an artist or musician ready to battle it out?  This is a great event being organized in Newmarket. It’s the Northtown Music and Art Wars – starting March 10.   Contact them at northtownwars@gmail.com    for an application.

Covernotes will be exhibiting the winners of each round at the Newmarket location

AWESOME NEW ART

John Kokkinos’ wonderful new abstract paintings are on display in Covernotes-Richmond Hill through February.  These pieces, while large, are not at all overwhelming or intimidating – instead they invite you in to explore their rich textures and colours.

They deal with the need to belong to both nature and the urban society – with the sky being the only real common element.

These are paintings I’d love to live with.

Come and check them out.

Winterfest Newmarket

We’re celebrating the great Canadian winter in Newmarket this weekend! Go to newmarket.ca for a list of events and stop in to see us for a delicious hot chocolate!

Digital Tools for Book Lovers

If you’re an avid reader like me, you have a reading list longer than your arm. There are so many ways to get good book recommendations: friends, bookstores, magazines and newspapers, and there are also lots of great resources online. Websites and blogs about books are popular, and now you can add podcasts to the list.

A podcast is a recorded audio or video file that you can download and listen to or watch on an iPod, Smartphone or other mp3 device. Even better, you can subscribe to podcasts through a service like iTunes so you’re guaranteed to never miss an episode.

This short video from the people at Common Craft will show you how easy it is to find and listen to podcasts on virtually any topic. (Click to view)

Podcasts have re-invigorated my daily exercise routine. Now instead of being tied to a computer desk (or radio or television), I can take the program with me and listen on the go. As mentioned in the video, there are podcasts for almost every interest. Book lovers have so many great shows to choose from. One of my favourite new ways to hear about new books is through the Books on the Nightstand podcast. 

 Books on the Nightstand is the pet project of Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness, both of whom work in the publishing business. Their enthusiasm for books and knowledge of the book industry make the podcasts enjoyable and informative.  

Each show is chock-a-block with books new, discussion topics about aspects of the book world, and my favourite segment: Two Books I Can’t Wait for You to Read, where Michael and Ann share a personal recommendation with their listeners. And speaking of listeners, their fan base is pretty strong. Last Spring, BOTN hosted a retreat which brought 9 authors, including Chris Bohjalian and Matthew Dicks, together with their readers for a weekend of book talk. By all accounts it was a huge success. They’ve already begun planning next year’s event.

I hope you take a moment to check out the BOTN website, blog, podcasts and Goodreads group. And also, that you’ll head over to our Facebook page and share your favourite online book resources.

September Art Exhibit by Césan

Acclaimed artist and local resident, Cesan, has installed a selection of her richly textured, vibrant paintings in a new exhibit at Covernotes in Richmond Hill. She recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Aurora Cultural Centre’s Juried Group Exhibition and will again participate in the 9th Annual Richmond Hill Studio Tour on October 15-16, 2011.

Césan d’Ornellas Levine

Contemporary Canadian Expressionism

Artist Biography

Césan is a self trained painter with over 20 years of studio practice. Formal study has focussed on development of artistic intuition and creativity development and includes a BA in Religious Studies and Art History from McMaster University, and a diploma from the Anna Wise Institute, San Francisco in Biofeedback MeditationExtensive travel, from prehistoric sacred sites of the East, to contemporary museums of the West, and especially the site of the Peterborough Petroglyphs near where I group up, is an ongoing foundational pedagogy.

Notable exhibitions include solo shows at Toronto Centre for the Arts, The Gordon Harrison Gallery Ottawa, The Petroff Gallery, and the Lanes Gallery in Hazelton Lanes, Group exhibitions at Galerie Arteconte in Paris, Edgar Modern in Bath, The URJ World Headquarters in New York City and The Amsterdam Art Fair, represented by Edgar Modern and also solo, 2 person and group exhibitions at various public galleries throughout Ontario.

Césanʼs annual Open Studio, Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16, is a popular event. She and her husband Mark Levine are gracious hosts providing a feast of yummy amuse bouches all weekend, live music, lots of art and there is always the possibility to go for an autumn stroll through the nature trails behind their beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright inspired studio/residence.

The studio is open to the public anytime by appointment.

An extensive gallery of her work, writings, press articles and exhibition history can be found online at www.cesan.ca.

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

• Featured Live Painter, Opening Gala, Wordstock Literary Festival, Friday Sept. 9 2011, Collingwood
• Under the Jerusalem Sky, juried group exhibition for the Jerusalem Foundation, Nicola Rukaj Gallery, Toronto. September 14-18, 2011
• Recent Work from the Judaica Series, The Petroff Gallery, 1016 Eglinton Ave. West, Toronto, September 19 – October 1
• Life Of Tree, Artist Talk + Wine and Cheese Opening, Friday Sept 23 at 7:00pm, The Gordon Harrison Gallery, 495 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
• 8th Annual Open Studio, part of the Richmond Hill Studio Tour, Césan’s Studio/Residence, October 15 and 16, 2011
• Ongoing Representation, The Village Gallery, 171 Lakeshore Rd. E, Port Credit

Derek Christie 2nd Outdoor Concert

Songs Under the Stars

Join us on Monday, August 29th, 2011 for a very special Acoustic Monday concert. Presented by Covernotes, the free, all ages concert by Derek Christie and friends will feature original songs from his new CD, Secrets, as well as some familiar favourites. All the fun happens in the courtyard between our cafe and the Centre for Performing Arts (Yonge and Wright Sts.). The show is set to start a little earlier than our regular time. There is plenty of seating available but you may also wish to bring your lawn chair.

Derek Christie

The Montreal-born singer-songwriter, who now lives in Richmond Hill, has roots in the Toronto indie and folk scenes in the 80s and 90s.  He recently appeared along with his band on Rogers TV Daytime to perform prior to the release of Secrets. You can watch the video here.

Derek Christie’s CD, Secrets, is available for purchase in stores, on iTunes or through his website.