Last REC 348 Class

On Monday, July 25th it was my last lecture for my REC 348 class with Professor Brayham. In our class my team presented our research project recommendations for the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. Tony Chau, Craig Dumart, and I came up with two long term plans to attract new populations to the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery.

Our first idea was to implement an arts night which would occur bi-weekly with attractions that are appropriate for all demographic groups. For example, restaurant owners and musicians could promote both their food and music outside the gallery.

The second plan was to create a viral marketing campaign, which would feature pieces of clay that come together to construct vases. A piece of clay would be sent to local residents in the Waterloo Region by mail. Residents will be able to take their piece of clay they received from the mail and attempt to reconstruct a vase with their received piece. If the piece fits, the resident would receive the vase as a prize.

I really enjoyed working with my two group members and coming up with different ideas to attract people back to the gallery.

Summary: "Recontextualizing the experiences of the volunteer" Bryan Smale & Susan Arai

Summary

In the article we learn about the true meaning of volunteering inside a community. People are able to be part of a community where they are able to express, to understand, and to experience themselves. Many organizations and governments today require volunteers to help provide key services and support in the culture, recreation, and social services. In today's society, volunteers have to deal with policy and politics, social issues, and the structure of community and family.

The article also focuses on leisure and questions how volunteering can also be a form of leisure. The central question for volunteers is to attempt to understand their motivation and benefits of volunteering. The personal meaning and experience you gain from volunteering is what makes it important. In today's society the study of volunteers is a multidisciplinary study beyond sociology and psychology.



My Experience as a Volunteer

This term I am enrolled in REC 356: Rec & Community Development. During the first half of the term, each student had to volunteer at a certain location. I ended up volunteering for the City of Waterloo Recreational Department where I was a research assistant. I helped review Waterloo's Outdoor Sports Facility Strategy and also reviewed other cities strategies (Oakville and London). We made recommendations from our readings to our supervisor. However, there were weaknesses that I found when working as a research assistant. I found that there was too much research, reading and report writing and lack of actual hands on work. In the end, I had a great experience and gained a good understanding of the behind the scene work that goes into creating safe active and healthy communities.

Turkish Festival at Waterloo Square

So today I decided to head down to Waterloo Park Square to have lunch and there happened to be a Turkish Festival going on in the square.  Lots of booths were set up for both food and souvenirs. Bands and young folk dancers in their traditional dresses could be seen performing. I was able to try the shish kabob, which was chunks of chicken wrapped inside a pita with veggies. It atmosphere was quite interesting because it made me feel like I was in a Turkish market. The people were helpful in explaining what each type of food was from dessert to sandwiches.

I think the idea of having a Turkish festival is important to the Waterloo Region. What brings people together is that waterloo has a lot of cultural variety. It is important to help both students and the community smooth out their transition to the Waterloo community. Also, the people not familiar with the Turkish culture will become familiar with the culture. It would be a better idea to better promote these festivals since I had no idea it was going on. The two universities should have volunteers who promote these events within their school.

Canada Day - Toronto Ribfest Festival

Ribfest Crowd

This past Friday, I had the experience to enjoy my first ever Canada Day long weekend celebration at the 12th annual Ribfest festival held at Centennial Park. I had no idea of such a event until my friends brought me there. The event turned out to be free and there was at least thousands of people. Basically barbecue specialists from all over North America come and compete against each other for the best ribs. Other than food the festival also provided rides, carnival games, musical performances, and family entertainment. It was a nice sunny day on Friday, so I saw lots and lots of families have the time to hang out with each other. It made me miss my family because they are all the way across the world.

Different Rib Stands

I would highly recommend the Ribfest festival to anyone who not only enjoys food but wants to have a good time. The only issue I had with the festival was that it took way too long for my friends and I to get our foods. The wait was at least 20 minutes minimum for each stand. I was able to try the ribs from last year's champion, Camp 31. I am not a big ribs fan but I did enjoy the ribs with their signature special sauce which had a distinct barbecue and smokey flavor. Thankfully, this years Canada took place on a Friday, allowing families to have a extra day off to spend with their families. Festivals are important towards recreation and community development. It allows for people to get together and have fun.

In Class Lecture (June 27)

In today's class lecture, Professor Brayham went over the concept of programming


Programming
-Interface that exists between the institution and the public

Arts programming consists of personal and collection meanings. There are different types of activities that can be considered programming such as: readings, films, lectures, and school visits. Programming is a balancing act because you have to take the publics interest. The staff and board of directors decide on the programming.

Staff                                                   Board of Directors
-Curator                                             -Program Committee
-Artistic Director                                -Exhibition Commitee
-General Director
-Executive Director
-Education / Interpretation
-Marketing

There are different ways of measuring performance:

-Critical Reviews (people who write for papers that review programming, a good review helps ticket sales)
-Honours and Awards (quality of programming, its the people in the field who are handing out awards)
-Reputation of institution (you have star performers in the field)
-Attendance (you need an audience)
-Number of exhibition / performances (number doesn't always reflect quality but people look at what you do)

-Number of new productions / exhibitions (better measure than actual number, want to be innovative and having new artists and exhibitions)

-Funding (

Programming Planning Cycle
-Most new exhibitions are brought out in September. Not a lot of summer programs.
-Programming takes a lot of time
-Small organizations do their own programming to expensive to rent

The Clay and Glass Gallery Visit

Swounds Exhibition

On Monday, June 20 our class had the chance to visit the 'Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery'  in the City of Waterloo. We also had Christian Singer, who is the curator of gallery show us around and have him talk to us about the artists work.

We were introduced to Julie Oakes Swounds Exhibtion which featured over 100 glass sparrows being suspended from the Gallery's ceiling. There was another piece of art known as 'Noahs Ark' which consisted of 50 pairs of hand-painted clay feet. The 50 hand-painted clay feet are used to depict the various species that were taken onto Noahs Ark. According to our curator Christian, he explained to us that Julie's exhibition is based on life and death. Julie had 3 friends who passed away and she tries to explain how everyone is unique. On Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday a sparrow falls from the ceiling and shatters on the floor. Before each sparrow is shattered a song is played.

An ark and 50 pairs of hand-painted clay

The typical visitors to the gallery have been people from the region. When I saw the exhibition I was surprised because I suspected just pots and sculptures. Instead I was amazed by the detail of the glass design of the sparrows.

The current gallery space is architecturally sound. It is very important to know where to place each item, as well as color. I know that I have not been to many art galleries, but the Swounds Exhibition really amazed me because of all the thinking that went into the process of creating the gallery.





Below is a video of Julie Oakes Swounds Exhibition:
(video courtesy of Youtube)

(all images courtesy of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery)

Ice Hockey at CIF ARENA

This afternoon I decided to play some ice hockey for my third/fourth time in my life. My friend Craig invited seven of his friends to come play at the CIF arena. He rented out the ice for a hour so we ended up playing some 4 on 4 ice hockey. I am not a very good skater but I had help from 'Dan Kelly' who was a NHL player drafted from the New Jersey Devils. Since I have been living in Canada for more than half my life, I believe that it is essential to play hockey since it is Canada's national sport.

June 13th Lecture

Today in class, we went over our blog, e-portfolio, and research project assignments.

We also talked about "Mission vs Vision" principles.

Mission        
-Talks about the present
-List broad goals upon which the organization is formed

Vision:
-Talks about the future
-Where does the organization want to be

In most projects that we take on, planning is a very important function of management. Because, I am in the planning program at the University of Waterloo, I understand what needs to be done in order to accomplish something. When you plan to take on a project, goals and steps have to be set up early in advance to make sure you are on topic. If you are in a group with other members, it is important to set up a time table for completion of tasks to make sure everyone stays on track.

Our class also analyzed the different types of plans:

-short, intermediate and long-range plans
-strategic & operational plans
-single-use and standing-use plans
-contingency & crisis planning

(June 6) In Class Lecture - Professor Angela Brayham

Our professor, Angela Brayham, decided today to talk to us about the 'Creative City Movement'.


A lot of people within Waterloo do not experience the culture of the Waterloo Region. The majority of people are here for school and nothing else. Like other classmates have said, they only go uptown for food.  Most classmates would agree that uptown would need more shopping, recreational leisure activities, transportation, and free events.


In terms of Canadian culture, the Stanley Cup game on Saturday, was the most watched playoff game ever. The game was not just for hockey fans but for a way for people to come together and show national pride.

Professor Brayham also explained to us about the different categories of festivals. In Waterloo we have many festivals but the more important ones are the 'Blues' festival and Oktoberfest. Approximately $1.5 million is raised from Oktoberfest and the money goes back to non-profit organizations.

My classmates came up with other important festivals
-Canada Day                                   -Waterloo Arts Festival
-Elmira Maple Syrup Festival           -Edge Fest
-Chinese New Year                         -Wake Stock
-Art in the Park                               -TIFF

Article-Richard Florida (The Rise of the Creative Class)

In Richard Florida's article, 'The Rise of the Creative Class', he talks about a new type of lifestyle known as the creative class. Florida mentions how many of the students who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University leave for a job in another state. Even though Pittsburgh has redeveloped its downtown and added new sports complexes, people were still leaving the region. Young people now look for great nightlife, cultural diversity, and fabulous outdoor recreation. The goal now is for businesses to try and attract the creative class employees. Florida also tries to investigate how some places become destinations for the creative while others don't. He states that cities should have greater diversity, higher level of quality of place, street-level culture, outdoor recreation, authenticity, and uniqueness.

NHL Finals

Last Thursday night, my friends and i decided to watch game 1 of the finals between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins at FrontRow Mcguiness. To me it was like another Canada versus the United States game where national pride was on the line. Frontrow was really crowded with Vancouver fans cheering all game long. It was actually somewhat of a boring game because there was not a lot of scoring. The final score ended up being 1-0 for Vancouver.  Since this term will be my last before I graduate, nothing beats having all my friends coming out and hanging out together. 

Guest Lecturer - Betty Ann Keller

Today in class, we had Betty Ann Keller who is the manager of arts culture festival and events with City of Waterloo. Keller had graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Arts Degree and has been a concert promoter for 30 years.

Keller mentions how arts and culture is way down the list on the budget for the City. There is no mandate for cities to provide arts and cultures. It is important to work with other organizations to provide money, resources, and office space. Measuring success in arts and culture is a big challenge. Keller is responsible for: public square, City of Waterloo Museum, Princess Cinema & the Twin, etc.

Waterloo is a continuously changing city.

The Power of Policies

Keller mentions how there should be a collection policy, many of the artwork is chosen based on the art/design. Right now there is lots of intensification going on and many of these projects will need a public art master plan. The major project is going on in the area beside RIM park where they plan to provide residence for 4000 citizens. In order for any policy to be approved, the councilor has to make the decision.

Opportunities and Dreams


Keller hopes to have a creativity institute where people can have the chance to express themselves. Also, improving the facilities at Waterloo park would help in bringing more people to the many festivals/events that take place within the city.

Reflection

Betty Ann Keller's lecture was very interesting because it provided her insight on arts and culture in Waterloo for over 30 years. I can tell from her lecture that Betty is very passionate about her work.

Fireworks on Victoria Day

On Monday night around 11pm, my roommates and I decided to head down to the Columbia Icefield to light up some fireworks. This was my first time experiencing Victoria Day for a while, since I am not usually here in Canada for the summer. Our group definitely had the best firework display because looking at the other groups around the field, most of them got their fireworks from the convenience store. We actually drove to a fireworks store to purchase unique types of fireworks.

Golf on Victoria Day Weekend

So my good buddy Winston and I decided to head to the golf range this morning to hit some golf balls.  It started to rain but that didn't stop us from hitting buckets full of balls. Before I left Taiwan for Spring term here, I would often head to the golf range a lot but now that I am in Waterloo, I do not have the time.

The golf range we went to was right beside St. Jacobs Market so after we finished playing, we went out to look for fireworks for Monday night. We ended up finding a fireworks store inside a trailer.

Creating a e-Portfolio

On May 16, 2011 I finally learned how to create an e-Portfolio for my REC 348: Cultural Management course. In many cases it is like creating a web page, however, it is used for collecting my previous work and showing everyone what I have learned.

So far I have created an introduction about myself and a page on my travels around the world. I will soon be developing a list of objectives, goals, accomplishment, and struggles of the material that we have covered in class.

My e-portfolio can be found here:

http://eport.uwaterloo.ca/html/stitch.php?s=29868622803938&id=32301684778465


If any students at Waterloo are interested, here's the link: http://eport.uwaterloo.ca

About Me

Hi, I'm Robert Huang

Here are some quick facts about me:

-I was born in Taiwan but I came to Toronto, Canada at a very young age.

-I am turning 22 this summer.

-I have visited 10% of the world.

-I am the only one in my family in Canada.

Night Market

I grew up in the York Mills area in Toronto, where I attended high school. Each Summer I would travel back to Taiwan to visit my family. These two countries are important to me because they both mean something to me. When I think of Taiwan the first thing that comes to mind is the food and when I think of Canada, all I can think of is the fresh air / open space.

shaved ice (mango)

'Stinky' Tofu

(all images courtesy of http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com/)

University of Waterloo Art Gallery - Heidi Jahnke & Gary Carlson

This was my first time visiting the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG), located in East Campus Hall. This particular exhibition had two showings: Gallery one by Heidi Jahnke and Gallery two by Gary Carlson. The exhibition was held in two separate, but still spacious rooms. 

Exhibition Hall

Heidi Jahnke's theme, 'weird fiction' captures her view of the world at large. Many of her paintings are unexpected and filled with designs from the unlikely to the absurd. She placed her drawings throughout the exhibition hall but it is at the maroon wall where she specifically designed the layout of the paintings. In many, if not all, of Jahnke's paintings used a large variety of bright colors.

Gallery 1

The image below depicts three painting that have caught my attention.

Towards the left you can see a ballerina who is cut in half. The background colors show a transition from bright to dark which provides a eerie feeling. The shades of pink and purple on the ballerina's dress are done nicely to show depth. In the middle painting, is a sculpture that is made out of hotdogs. You would never imagine someone creating something out of hotdogs. The painting on the top right  shows a pineapple head. The yellow background blends perfectly with the human body and pineapple head because it might be referring to what is inside the pineapple.

 Janhke's Work

I found that the exhibition as a whole was very successful. I loved the design of Jahnke's paintings on the background of the maroon wall. The rest of her work was placed onto the white walls. However, I believe that she could have had more artwork on these areas. It felt like there was large gap between paintings and a lot of the space on the walls were wasted.

Jahnke's other work

The gallery serves an important purpose towards the university community and the general Kitchener / Waterloo community. UWAG provides many artists with a place to both display and promote their work. It is important for the Kitchener and Waterloo community to support local artists.

One of the main issues with the gallery is that not a lot of students know about it. When I asked my roommates if they have ever been to the UWAG, none of them knew what I was talking about. I believe that in order to make the gallery more successful, more people have to know about these exhibitions. UWAG has to find a special way to promote the gallery.



We were told from the curator that most artists' dream was to head to Toronto to work and display their art there. However, due to the shift in the economy, many of these artists cannot afford a place to both sleep and work around such a high-cost living area. Due to the financial constraints artists are considering moving to locations like Kitchener/Guelph which is more feasible for them.




(all images courtesy of the artists and University of Waterloo Art Gallery)