Phoenix Community Works Foundation

Stephen
Bulger Gallery is pleased to present Vernacular Moments, an exhibition of photographs by Galen Kuellmer, which will be featured in the
gallery’s project room.

Galen Kuellmer
Vernacular Moments

November 1st – 17th,
2007
Opening Reception: November 1st, 5 – 8pm

“vernacular moments” – an exhibition of photographs by Galen Kuellmer, BFA
1997, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, will be shown at the Stephen
Bulger Gallery, Toronto, from November 1st to 17th with an opening reception
on Thursday Nov.1st, 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

This exhibition shows Kuellmer’s interest “in vernacular architectural
juxtapositions and moments that together create the space of the city”. In
the spring of 2004, Kuellmer, a talented and inspiring young artist, was
creating this series of work when he died in a bicycle accident. This
exhibition is a small portion of this series and has been brought together by
Kuellmer’s family, mentors and friends to honour his life and work. The
proceeds from this exhibition will go to the Young Artists Trust Fund created
in Galen Kuellmer’s name, which gives non juried awards to emerging artists.

About The Chapbook Award

In memory of bpNichol, a prize of $2,000 is offered for the best poetry chapbook written in English and published in Canada. The chapbook should be between 10 and 48 pages long. This annual award is sponsored by the Phoenix Community Works Foundation. The poet or publisher should submit three copies (not returnable) and a brief curriculum vitae to:
The bpNichol Chapbook Award
Attn: Philip McKenna
316 Dupont Street
Toronto, Ontario M5R 1V9
T: 416-964-7919
F: 416-964-6941

Deadline
is March 30th of each year.

Help Support This Project: 
Through donations and fundraising events, we have increased the amount of the annual award to aspiring poets from $1,000 to $2,000.  We have also established a bpNichol Coordinating Committee which overseas the award and will participate in the selection of a bpNichol Literary Committee for the seleciton of Judges.  The Committee members are:

Dane Swan, Rocco Di Giacomo, Sandra Kasturi and Philip McKenna.  We are currently looking for 1 more volunteer to join the bpNichol Coordinating Committee. If you are interested, please contact Natalie at (416) 964-3380 x 203.

In the works, we would like to establish a 2nd and 3rd prize. If you would like to support this project through a contribution, grant or donation, please contact us or make a donation online.

Also new this year is our very own page on a new site dedicated to bpNichol and his work.  For the most uptodate information on the bpNichol Chapbook Poetry Award, please visit, www.bpNichol.ca.

Previous Winners

2008 – two winners shared the award for 2008, Jay Millar, Toronto poet, editor,
publisher and virtual bookseller for Lack Lyrics and Clara Benson with
her entry Quantum Chaos & Poems. Clara lives in New York City, but
is published in Canada by BookThug, which coincidentally is owned and
operated by award winner, Jay Millar.

2007 – Jake Kennedy for Hazard, published by BookThug, Jay Millar

• 2006 winners of the bpNichol Chapbook Award:
  Steven Ross Smith & Hilary Clark (writers),
  Betsy Rosenwald (art and design)
  for
  Pliny’s Knickers
  Published by,
  JackPine Press (2006)
  804 Idywyld Cresc.
  Saskatoon, Sask.
  Canada S7M 0B2

  www.JackPinePress.comThe judges, Bev Daurio and Richard Truhlar, wished to include the artist/designer in the award as her work was integral to the finished chapbook.

  • 2005 winner:
    Lisa Robertson’s “ROUSSEAU’S BOAT” has been selected as the winner of this year’s Chapbook Award.
    It is published by
    Nomados, P.O.Box 4031
    349 West Georgia St.
    Vancouver,B.C., V6B 3Z4
    The following excerpt is published with permission:
    “It was only half past eight, but the month was April.
    With greeny pleasure I wrote.
    This is the melodic contour of the cry of a kind of fruitdove.
    People emerged.
    My body became apparition in the hot, thin air.
    I wrote a story of beginnings, of beginnings, of meat, of words.
    I wanted to realize gender as a form of tactile thought.
    I intended to be nourished.”
  • Co-winners for 2004:
    Susan Clark, as lit x:the syntax of adoration: published by Friends of Runcible Mountain, Vancouver, BC
    Barry McKinnon, Bolivia/Peru:published by Gorse Press,Prince Geroge, BC
  • Co-winners for 2003:
    Allan Brown, Imagines Lantzville, B.C.: Leaf Press
    Stan Dragland, 12 Bars (St. John’s, Nfld.: Running the Goat Books)
  • 2002 Robert Kroetsch The New World and Finding It Mother Tongue Press
  • 2001 M.W. Field The Sapphire Morpho
  • 2000 Hilary Mosher Buri Frau Rontgen’s Hand (Published by Outlaw Editions – 2829 Dysart Road, Victoria B.C. V9A 2J7)
  • 1999 P.K.Page Alphabetical
  • 1998 Nicole Marcotic More Excess
  • 1997 Lance Blomgren Liner and Manual for Beginners
  • 1996 Janice Williamson A Boy Named
  • 1995 Barry McKinnon Arrythmia
  • 1994 Mathew Remski Organon Vocis Organalis:bk.II of Aerial Sonography
  • 1993 George Bowering Do Sink
  • 1992 George Bowering Quarters & Theresa Kishkan Morning Glory
  • 1991 Susan Musgrave In The Small Hours of The Rain
  • 1990 Mary Howes Q H S
  • 1989 Paul Dutton Additives
  • 1988 Robin Blaser The Faerie Queen and the Park & Nicole Brossard Sous La Langue/Under Tongue
  • 1987 David Donnell The Natural History of Water
  • 1986 Mark Laba The Mac Bolan Poems

  Related Links:

  • Coach House Press is the online home to all things related to this Canadian poet, novelist, playwright, screenwriter
  • abebooks.com
  • Talon Books
  • The Four Horsemen
  • Light and Dust Books
  • Sharp Facts

In memory of the noted Canadian poet, bp Nichol, this fund is used to promote and encourage the work of Canadian writers through publishing, editing, sound production, etc.
 
The bp Nichol Memorial Fund was established in 1988. bp Nichol was one of the founding members of PCWF in 1973.
 
The fund is used to promote and encourage the work of Canadian writers through publishing, editing, sound production, etc.
 
The most recent project was a book of poems by Anne F. Walker, INTO THE PECULIAR DARK, published by Mercury Press in 1998.
 
For more information regarding projects or funding
please e-mail Ellie Nichol at enichol@total.net
or call (416) 654-6639

Aqua Vitae is a sponsored PCWF project that offers high quality live musical performances free of charge to worthy charitable events and cash-strapped community groups. Aqua Vitae was established to meet the need for community groups and charities that require live entertainment at special events at a low cost. Secondly, support those in our community who need live music, thereby enriching their lives in countless ways , and to suppport the arts, especially musicians, who make this music possible.

Organisations simply apply to Aqua Vitae requesting for the services. Once Aqua Vitae approves the event a selection of the musical ensemble that suits the needs of the event is put together. For more information on how your organization can get more information on how Aqua Vitae can be part of your organisation’s event contact PCWF at [416] 964-3380.

This project has been designed to help develop confidence and leadership skills in the youth of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) through a series of athletic, social and educational activities.

Project Goals

1. To increase opportunities for youth to participate in a learning-centered environment.
2. To increase access to a wide range of recreational, educational, social and cultural forms.
3. To improve intellectual activity and emotional and physical well-being.

An overall physical fitness regime will be offered together with a healthy lifestyles educational component. The innovative program THE CONNECTING KIDS provides free internet and email access to members of the 3T Program. Users of this service include youth, adults, low-income families or individuals and students. A mentoring program with a supportive approach to learning and communication is offered.

For more information

please contact PCWF or
Rob Rogers at 416-267-1238 or visit www.3tprogram.org

Here is a recent article on The End of Suburbia from Straight Goods.

The goal of this project is to provide refurbished computer equipment to people on limited incomes; to overcome barriers that prevent universal access to on-line resources by deploying, at minimal cost, networked computers for people in need.

Cognizant of the fact that the poor have generally been left out of the network arena, PCs 4 All is finding homes for re-usable older equipment for people who are interested in exploring the on-line world but lack the resources to buy their own equipment.

The process would:

a) Identify households that could benefit (i.e. low-income urban households/neighbourhoods, isolated rural communities, marginalized communities);

b) Do a needs assessment based on input from the target community;

c) Investigate ways to access funding and direct in-kind sources for the needed technologies, including collection and re-deployment of used equipment and materials.

Criteria for the target community would include: people living on low incomes – social assistance clients, single parents, the underemployed, students, artists, refugee claimants.

Some examples of possible eligible recipients may be:

1) immigrant and refugee households with employment seekers and/or social service needs;

2) households living at or below the poverty line.

We do most of our work with volunteers. The volunteers disassemble the donated equipment and test the components, which are either recycled as electronic scrap or recycled into refurbished systems. Any computer equipment, working or not, can be donated; we will repair and reuse what computers we can. Non-functioning computers and scrap will be recycled responsibly. Computers that are deemed obsolete or broken are de-manufactured and separated into their basic components. We then find a local industrial recycler to process the materials.

At a later stage of the project, recipients of the equipment would be welcome to participate in the testing and repair of the donated computer technology. This would enable them to learn such tasks as collection, recycling, testing, building and refurbishing computers.

For further information contact Phoenix Community Works Foundation at 416-964-3380.

Phoenix Community Works Foundation wishes to encourage an appreciation for South Asian culture and in particular South Asian theatre and writers. This projects is an attempt to foster an appreciation of cultural differences, open up inter-cultural communication, challenge racial stereotypes and increase the profile of South Asian performers.This will be done with the cooperation of Rasik Arts (www.rasikarts.com) which will be presenting a series of productions.
 
Contact Rasik Aarts at 416-654-9231 or email rasik@rasikats.com.

Capacity Building for the Voluntary Sector might be another name for this project given that assistance with “Capacity Building” is vital to the survival of many smaller voluntary sector (VS) groups and organizations.
 
Since 1985 PCWF has attempted to meet this need. It has been involved with supporting the VS through a variety of projects including VolNet and the Information Management and Information Technology Projects.
 
Continuing this commitment, PCWF has contracted with Idea Nation to develop a website, workshops, forums and events for organizations, community groups and individuals wanting to improve their effectiveness.
 
As these various endeavours are developed more information will be posted on our website.
 
In the interim for more information contact Larry Rooney @ 416-964-3380

PCWF is pleased to support this project aimed at having a Francophone radio station located in Toronto.

For the benefit of Ontario’s Francophone community, especially those living in the GTA. PCWF has as its focus strengthening communities of kind or of common interest, and this project is one of several projects that supports diverse cultural and ethnic communities.

For more information

please contact PCWF or visit the website at www.radiotoronto.coop (en Français)