CARNEGIEDAYS2010
A festival of art and language
September 16 to 19, 2010
Launch: Wednesday, September 15, 7 to 9 pm
Organized by the MacLarenArtCentre, Barrie
Presented in conjunction with Doors Open Barrie (September 19)

From September 16 through September 19, the MacLarenArtCentre in Barrie presents Carnegie Days, an annual four-day festival of art and language that celebrates the building’s origins as Barrie’s public library with great events for visitors of all ages. Exhibitions, public art projects, performances, talks and tours, authors’ readings, film and video screenings and workshops take place at the gallery and across the city. This year’s festival includes over 100 contributors at 40 different locations in Barrie. Many events are free or admission is nominal.

Festival exhibitions feature the work of internationally acclaimed artists Arnaud Maggs and Andrew Hunter, a public art project in city bus shelters by award-winning artists Lisa Steele and Kim Tomczak, bookworks by seventy artists, designers and architects in the 7th installment of Titles and a site work by Ed Pien in conjunction with his solo show at Georgian College’s Campus Gallery.

Other festival highlights include: a performance by artist Andrew Hunter at the festival launch (September 15); a talk by Giller Prize-winning author Dr. Vincent Lam at the MacLaren Legacy Dinner (September 16); an artist talk by Lisa Steele and Kim Tomczak at Georgian College (September 16); a curators’ tour of Titles 7 in downtown Barrie by Yam Lau and Sunny Kerr (September 16); youth workshops led by Ed Pien (September 17) and Steve Manale and Ben Shannon (September 18); an evening of authors’ readings and open mic poetry at a downtown café (September 18); a performance of Tales of an Urban Indian on a Barrie city bus by Talk is Free Theatre (September 18); a screening of The Last Station by the Barrie Film Festival (September 18); and a screening of The Many Faces of Arnaud Maggs (September 16). On September 19 during Doors Open Barrie, Carnegie Days activities at the MacLaren include exhibition and building tours from 10 am to 5 pm, artist-led family workshops, story-telling by Susan Charters and a transformed shuttle bus by the Barrie artist collective Ear to the Ground, with readings by authors Damian Lopes, Bruce Meyer and Trudee Romanek, which will tour visitors to select Doors Open sites.

On Saturday, September 18, seven Barrie restaurants will feature Carnegie Days themed menus as part of Dinner and a Book: At the Five, Groovy Tuesday’s Bistro, Michael & Marion’s, the North Restaurant; Oscar’s Restaurant, Painter’s Hall Bistro and Pie–Wood Fired Pizza Joint. Out-of-town visitors, please ask about special MacLaren rates at these participating hotels: Travelodge on Hart Drive, Harbour View Inn and Days Inn Barrie.

Carnegie Days draws on the origins of the MacLaren’s building as a 1917 Carnegie public library, and celebrates the legacy of Scottish-born American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), who spent over $56 million to build 2,509 libraries throughout the English-speaking world. Programmed during Doors Open Barrie, it encourages visitors to Doors Open to stay in Barrie for an extended weekend, stimulating interest in our cultural and heritage attractions, the natural beauty of Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe, and the vitality of downtown Barrie.

The MacLarenArtCentre gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of its members, benefactors, partners, donors and sponsors, the City of Barrie, Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts; the Government of Ontario through Celebrate Ontario 2010, David and Doris Blevins, BDO, Ian S. Malcolm Architects, Michael W. McKnight Architects Inc., Southmedic and the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) for Carnegie Days 2010; and our Carnegie Days 2010 community partners including Doors Open Barrie, Tourism Barrie, the Barrie Public Library, Talk is Free Theatre, The Barrie Film Festival, Georgian College’s Campus Gallery, Society of the Spoken Word, and the many participating Barrie retailers, hoteliers and restaurateurs.

For festival details, visit www.maclarenart.com or call 705-721-9696.