CALL FOR ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL ALBUM COLLABORATION – NEHEMIAH RECORDS HAITI //APPEL AUX ARTISTES INTERNATIONAUX / COLLABORATION ALBUM / DOSSIERS NEHEMIAH HAÏTI

CALL FOR ARTISTS // LARCHE VANCOUVER

The Art of Being Together

Be sure to submit your art piece, the deadline is January 15, 2012!

Saturday, March 10 2012
1:00 – 5:00 pm
National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre
6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby
“Like” The Art of Being Together on facebook and stay up to date!

Click here for the submission form.

We are currently seeking an artist to help create a piece of collaborative artwork during the Third Annual Art of Being Together. Please click here to read the request for proposal.

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Tags: CALL FOR ARTISTS VANCOUVER, LARCHE VANCOUVER

a piece of andy warhol lives on the golf islands of canada

face-book and evil and glorious invention i find my self utilizing it to share information & data that can change the world, or rot the mind..today i am utilizing social media for beauty and art that is created by hannah stone. i noticed some thing she wrote on face-book & clicked on her page . i remembered that we met through an art show we were both in at some time ago…but the point is i saw her colourful pop art again… which is awesome because now i get to share it with you …….

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New Zealand-born Hannah Stone’s work harkens back to an era of solid cars, curvy women, and guilt-free cupcakes.Working in acrylics and glitter, her first show was in Nantucket in 2004, and she has shown in Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. A diver and world traveller, she’s been around the world and stopped in India six times, instilling her with an appetite for vibrant colour.  Her work – an urban blend of pinups, cholo culture and old-school tattoos – lends itself beyond the canvas to fashion and architecture. Her paintings are brash and nostalgic, playful and provocative, fast and sexy www.gohannahstone.com

HELP-PORTRAIT DTES // CALL FOR GENERAL VOLUNTEERS

HELP-PORTRAIT DTES  // CALL FOR GENERAL VOLUNTEERS  SATURDAY DECEMBER 3rd 2011

Help-Portrait DTES 2011 is approaching fast and we still have a need for general volunteer positions to be filled in the following areas

• Security
• Greeter
• Community Outreach
• Set up/Tear Down
• PA

If you are interested in registering to Volunteer in one of these areas you can sign up by clicking here :http://bit.ly/hpv-2011-volunteer-signup

or you can email info@nehemiahvancity.com

**NOTE** We are no longer accepting applications for Volunteer Photographers as we are at a whopping 50 this year!

Help Portrait is a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season.

In brief, here are the details:In unity we have created a dynamic environment to steward our artistic services to the low income single parent families & residents of the Down Town East Side of Vancouver. This has been made possible with support of other Not for Profit Organizations in the Down Town East Side Such as

The Nehemiah Arts Foundation Vancouver, Union Gospel Mission, The Salvation Army , Artisan Vancouver & the YWCA Vancouver. You can check out our promo video here http://youtu.be/BsI7kYOXCcQ

This years Help Portrait event will take place on Saturday December the 3rd 2011 at the Union Gospel Mission ( UGM ) 601 East Hastings Street Vancouver, BC in the Down Town East Side where over 30 + local photographers will be shooting 300+ families/individuals on December 3rd with the help of our amazing volunteer team!

We will be providing onsite photo printing and also a postage station so the families are able to send the photos to their loved ones this holiday season at no cost to them. Each year we provide complimentary hair & makeup services & we will be offering these services again this year.We will also have live musical performances throughout the day both indoors & outdoors thanks to Artisan Vancouver & Nehemiah Records.

We also will be doing a clothing outreach with Clothes on Wheels during the event for families & individuals . Last year we also did a toy drive & will be setting one up again for this year so stay tuned for that as it was such a great addition last year.

We want to encourage you to spread the word about this exciting movement of artists who are uniting globally in December 2011 http://www.help-portrait.com/

This is an Open Community Event, All are welcome.

For any other inquiries or media requests please email info@nehemiahvancity.com

Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

Tags: Artisan Church Vancouver, DTES, Help-Portrait Vancouver, Ian Sheh, Nehemiah Records, Photography, Steph Forster, Steph Leigh Limage, UGM

nehemiah guest blogger mike soltis // listen

mike soltis art http://www.soltisart.com/

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Listen.  You have to really, really listen. The world is noisy and add to that the noise we have in our own heads and it’s a wonder we hear anything at all. As I was approaching my 40th year, I decided to take a look at how I was spending the bulk of my time.  Turns out it was doing work that neither inspired or challenged me.  So I decided to do something about it.  I would quit. Problem was, this work gave me a pretty good paycheque, a really great group of people to work with and very little worries in terms of being able to afford the life my family and I enjoy.  But I could not shake the voice inside me that was telling me to quit.  To do the things I wanted to do.  To spend my time pursuing the creative gifts I’ve been given and not waste them in an office job that left me feeling unfulfilled. Listen. So I took a good 6 months to discern.  To think.  To pray. Paying attention to what I was hearing and seeing around me, what others were saying, what was brining me life, what seemed to be generating life and energy in the world and what I felt in my core was resonating the most. I talked to trusted people in my life, talked a lot to God, started pursuing my passions more diligently and welcomed and encouraged creative opportunities in my life. The answer soon became incredibly clear to me. Quit my job. Listen. Actually making the decision was difficult.  For me and for my family.  Letting go of a secure branch without another one to grab on to is . . . challenging to say the least.  But I knew, we knew, that it had to be done. Listen. So I did.  And it felt . . . exhilarating.  And freeing.  And like anything is possible.  Because it is.  It’s really cliché but absolutely true. Listen. If we listen we can hear the person inside us that the world wants to know.  That the world needs to know.  Because that person was created with a purpose and  fulfilling it will drive out fear, ignite passion and release you into the freedom of being.  You. I’m a 40 year old painter/actor/creator with a wife, two kids, lots of bills and no steady income. But I will keep listening. And things will be fine. And I will love and be loved. And no matter what happens, I will passionately pursue the life I believe I’m meant to live and trust that it will matter. Because the world needs to know me. And the world needs to know you too.

Featured Artist // Mike Soltis

Michael Soltis is an emerging artist who loves paint. He throws it, drips it, layers it, sprays it and gets messy until the canvass tells a story that often surprises even him. People seem to be responding to the energy and sense of motion inherent in his work, what he calls, “industrial art made for big walls.” After years spent acting, doing graphic and interior design, Michael has found a new playground in which to make a mess.

You can check out his work & get in touch with him by clicking  here http://www.soltisart.com/

You can purchase his work by clicking here http://www.etsy.com/shop/soltisart?ref=seller_info

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Facebook & The Creation Of An Unsocial Generation – By Steph Forster

Topic: Facebook & The Creation Of An Unsocial Generation – By Steph Forster

Today’s generation is reared on self-serve check outs & relies on receiving their news from the home page of their facebook account. When I was a kid I would ask my mom if I could pick up the phone and call a friend to come over and play and she would reply  “no just go knock on their door and go there in person to call on them”. Knocking on a door seems like a foreign concept in today’s society, why would you go out and play when you can just sit inside and facebook? The following is information is  based upon the statistics of facebook  users in the USA in 2011 that I researched from a few cited sources as seen below.

1) Facebook.com average user figures and facts:

• Average user has 130 friends on the site
• Average user sends 8 friend requests per month
• Average user spends an average 15 hours and 33 minutes on Facebook per month
• Average user visits the site 40 times per month
• Average user spends an 23 minutes (23:20 to be precise) on each visit
• Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
• Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month
• 200 million people access Facebook via a mobile device each day
• More than 30 billion pieces of content are shared each day
• Users that access Facebook on mobile devices are twice as active on Facebook compared to non-mobile users
• Facebook generates a staggering 770 billion page views per month

2) Breakdown by country: More than 70% of Facebook users come from outside the United States

Global User Population: 629,982,480

Source: facebook.com, pingdom.com, checkfacebook.com and facebook.com

3) Global User Demographics: The global breakdown of users on Facebook by gender and age

Sources: insidefacebook.com

4) Breakdown of US users (gender and age):

As the chart above illustrates, the total US Facebook population is made up of millions of people across a range of ages groups. While young adults (18-25) lead the way with a combined ~50 million users (almost double the size from a year ago), the 26-34 group is now well behind with ~29 million users. According to the data from Facebook there a combined ~28 million people over the age of 45 active on Facebook. These are impressive user numbers from an older demographic that continue to grow. It’s important to note that the 55-64 age group is almost the size of the 13-17 group, further evidence that Facebook isn’t limited to “young” people.

A visual look at the US users by age (using data from above):

Sources: facebook.com

5) Facebook.com – a top destination site for the majority of online Americans, but some states more so than others.

Source: Socialbakers

The most important takeaway from the list above is probably the degree of penetration Facebook has relative to the population of each state. Over 50% for many. What does all of this mean for our generation? How has this impacted the way we interact with each other and will anyone ever play outside again ? What role do ethics play in this virtual world and who sets the bar? Here is a short video that sheds a humorous light on the topic of facebook ethics.

Social media is a powerful tool for any business , organization and marketing in general but there is a way to conduct your self  similar to how one would behave at a dinner table with others. Perhaps the solution is to create “clean book” and have a rating system for different age groups and parental controls and even time limits that are set up by parents or internet junkies who have a hard time with setting up boundaries . For me I feel social media powerful way to reach people and utilize the platform through my iphone 95% of the time. I find more and more people are contacting me for work or work related matters using facebook and I have to tell them to please send me a proper email in my work account or else it gets lost in the vortex of my inbox that is chronically spammed with a copious amount of content which makes it hard to discern a legitimate email from daily spam.

There is also those who feel they have a relationship with you because of facebook but you don’t feel that way about them. You can have people developing unhealthy attachments and it makes it difficult to communicate or lay boundaries when it’s a virtual relationship. When you read text and are in a bad mood what may be a normal friendly email can be interpreted as angry because the tone we hear in our head is negative, perhaps you were upset about being cut off in traffic before  you received the inbox message so you take it completely out of context. Then there is the dilemma to delete or remove a friend or a cyber stalker…the list goes on..

My conclusion is that I feel we need to start teaching facebook /social media etiquette and ethics in public schools/insitutions so we don’t have this virtual generation entering into the workforce with a deranged perspective on ethics. I will try this out as a pilot project in the next few years and measure the results over five years and track a focus group of candidates from different age groups and develop a better understanding of what is happening to this new generation, it seems like a daunting task but I actually find this type of experiment quite easy and enjoy measuring statistics so I am personally looking forward to it and hope you found this information insightful in some way. If we are still in touch in five years check in with me to see how the experiment worked and what type of statistical data I managed to obtain and I would be happy to report .

Cited Works Include Diagrams and Statistical Research From The Following:

facebook.com, pingdom.com, insidefacebook.com, Socialbakers, facebook.com

Tags: social media generation

Indie Film Maker Lighting Solutions // Elipz 10k – By Steph Forster

Indie Film Maker Lighting Solutions // Elipz 10k – By Steph Forster

I have been using the Elipz 10k unit by Anton Bauer for about six months and am very pleased with this product. The full set up includes a battery ( rechargeable and a tad in the heavy side but has an adaptor that slips into your monopod or tripod and the bottom of your Camera so you don’t need a PA to hold it for you).

It also includes a light that mounts on the top of your camera ( on my Canon 5D and T3i it slides in the top where you put your external flash )it also comes with a charger + cables. I really like this unit and had much success shooting with it at night in the jungles of haiti where i had no electricity what so ever & also is handy when your truck breaks down on the road at night.

It is a powerful little unit and the battery life is awesome. The downside is that it can be a bit cumbersome to get rigged up so the entire unit is secured and stable with your sound,camera and monopod .

I would recommend this for film makers on the go who need a fast lighting solution that fits into your lo-pro/gear bag with out any hassles. The light gets a bit hot so you don’t want to leave it resting against a tent or fabric but it serves many purposes ,especially when you have no other alternative lighting sources . It is a great back light for interviews during the day & also isn’t too expensive. The light is a few hundred but the batterie is a bit costly but well worth it and also very durable . I think when it was all said and done I paid around 5 hundred for everything.

I bought my set up at the Camera Store in Calgary ( its actually called the camera store) but I am sure you can find it on ebay no problem & probably score a better deal but make sure it has warranty.

Here is a link to the specs http://www.expandore.com/product/add/AntonBauer/Elipz.htm.

Product Overview:

The innovative ElipZ 10k brings unmatched power density to handheld 7.2 volt battery operated cameras. Using the highest capacity lithium ion cells available, the 75Wh 10k can provide runtimes as much as 2 to 5 times that of the consumer OEM batteries supplied with the cameras. On a 10 watt camera load, the 10k will run over 7 1/2 hours, virtually a full shooting day! State indicator LEDs give a simple and easy to understand and constant indication that the battery has usable capacity (Blue) or requires charge (yellow).

Constructed of high impact polycarbonate the ELIPZ 10K innovative under-camera mounting design allows batteries to be easily mounted and released with one hand. A quick release “shoe” attaches to the camera and the battery attaches directly and securely to the shoe. Lowering the center of gravity of the camera and providing an additional handhold without interfering with the camera operation, the lightweight ElipZ battery actually improves the comfort and handling characteristics of the camera. The appropriate adapter cable connects directly to the camera battery compartment and plugs into the PowerPlug connector on the ElipZ 10K. The ElipZ 10K mounts easily to the EgripZ support, or other camera support using the metal 1/4 20 insert at the bottom of the battery. The unique ElipZ power connector accepts both the camera adapter plug and the ElightZ PowerPlug. The 10k is capable at continuous loads of up to 6 amps – more than enough for a camera and light simultaneously.

Tags: elipz 10k, indie film making, lighting solutions

East Van Hip Hop Shows//Former Gang Member MDK Does a 180

if you like hiphop then you definitely want to be at the wise hall tomorrow night at 8pm to check out MDK & The Co-Op Boyz. MDK is an artist with a crazy redemption story & raps about his time as a former gang member right here on the streets of East Van. Not only does he have a crazy story but he also has talent. MDK has been working with 2x Grammy Award Nominee Fresh IE out of Wpg MB & tomorrow night you can check out his latest tracks from his new self titled EP. the details for the show are as follows

The Wise Hall 1882 Adanac Street, Vancouver, BC

8pm – 10pm

$10.00 at the Door

Facebook Event::http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=243363562369142

a wordpress tutorial for aspiring geeks – by steph forster

so i do these contracts for NGO’s, churches, companies and some times individuals to help them with geeky things & learn a lot my self in the mix because i am asked to explain my processes so here is what i came up with for a client a few weeks ago regarding their blog and utilizing it as i have been managing it for them/posting their posts and it is now time for them to take it back & hopefully run with it effectively but i figured why not give you guys a few tips..that is incase you were wondering…. so here it is..

Creating a new post and having it reach everyone on the planet..”so what do i do steph, i am a wordpress virgin?”

here is what you do

a. login..that is if you have a wp dot com account/blog/website if not stop reading now ….that is unless you are an ultra geek and are just here to critique my instructions…which is cool..so you can stay.

moving on….

b. create content in a separate offline document incase you loose your draft in wp dot com ,your computer crashes or aliens abduct you etc..
c. paste text/content from your offline  document in wp dot com by clicking the tab  CREATE NEW POST and like i said paste your content into the template.

d. congrats you have content.. now before you hit publish & have everyone on the web reading your stuff do you want cool pictures in this post or maybe a sweet you tube video?

e. “yea steph i totally want my sweet you tube video in my post what do i do?”

f. you go to the youtube video that you want online… you then look under the video and see a button that says SHARE you click it..then you see a button that says EMBEDD then a box appears with all sorts of code you then copy that code and then you go back to wp dot com window with your new unpublished post …(having separate windows is really important so you don’t loose your pages and your hard work & it also makes it easier to switch between the frames you are working in……genius).

g.  so now you are looking at your wp post thinking “so where do i put this dang code?” well i will tell you….you first want to click the little button on the top of the new post window that says HTML and has the option of visual mode as well .normally when you login to wp & create a new post it defaults to visual mode which gives you a VISUAL of the posts appearance within the template but not the web  appearance….if you want to see that you  can click preview……… but here is the important part so everyone can see your sweet youtube video ……………. MAKE SURE YOU CLICK HTML and then you switch screens in the post template to the HTML and all this code shows up..don’t freak out and delete this code you need it or else no one can see your content ….so use your common sense and navigate to the place/space in the code where you think you should insert your sweet youtube video then once you do this switch back to visual mode and you will see a big box where your video is embedded ….if you want to test out the video and see how it all looks once its published you can click preview and check it out in a separate window that will open in your browser …if thats all good then you are almost done…”but wait i want that awesome photo of me and my cat wearing matching shirts in this post”….well here is what you do

h. you click on the little button at the top of the post that has a picture of a picture beside the option on the top left that says UPLOAD IMAGE, click the little picture and then select your photo and upload it.. if you want more than one photo upload more than one but here is the trick if you want it to look cool in a slide show when you upload the images they will appear in separate columns in the gallery mode you then need to scroll to the very bottom and click the option INSERT GALLERY!!!! but wait not so fast…you want to link the sweet photo to your website…well look under the options before the insert Gallery option and type in your web address HTTP://myawesomewebsite.com under the option link photo to website etc….but wait you want to add captions on your photos well thats possible…click in the gallery under the photo and insert your captions save all the info and then you are almost done…..

i. “i inserted my photo slide show and it looks stupid because it is in the middle of my post and i wanted it at the bottom ,thanks allot!!!” well relax its just because you forgot to make sure you clicked the area inside the post of where you wanted to insert your slide show..so make sure you do that before you start or it will look silly.

j.  now you are ready to publish this post and have it live on the web….but you want lots of traffic and search engines to find it right? well you need to do a few more things….

k. on the right hand side of your screen to the bottom you will see two boxes one labelled POST TAGS and one labelled CATEGORIES so in the categories box type in your tags it can be what ever you want for example…”news from earth” or “mikes cooking is the best” or”happy  thoughts” then add your categories and then click the little box and you will see a check mark beside it and it will add your tag..and then you are ready to publish !

l. great now you have posted content to the internet…..you can now measure your stats and web traffic by clicking the dashboard option and viewing your site stats and see if anyone out there is actually reading your posts….hopefully they are or you feel like a looser.

m. now you can log out and have a nap

up next youtube……

Tags: geeks