The women are celebrating!

 Diana Dabinett, Shoe Cove, Newfoundland • "Saltfish"

 Audrey Feltham, Deer Lake, Newfoundland • "Stories of Restraint"

 Anna Horsnell Wade, Halifax, Nova Scotia • "Sisterhood"

 Padmaja Madhu, Bangalore, India • "Motherhood"

 Jeanette Obbink, Paris, Ontario • "Standing Tall"

 Kim Rempel, Beamsville, Ontario • "Impetus"

Jennifer Walden, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories • "A Mother's Journey"

Hi Ladies of International Women Celebrate!

We are pleased to have the electronic images and narratives of your works sent to us until Monday January 3, 2011. As requested by you, our collaborators, we are posting a few examples of the works submitted to date. Those selected represent a range of content and culture and we appreciate the time each of you have invested in creating your beautiful works.
Kim, Jeanette and Jill

Happy Holidays to you all!

Hi Ladies:

Have a wonderful holiday!

A couple of reminders:

1. We are working on a 24"x 24" or 60 x 60 cm format - preferably on canvas but clayboard and russian birch board with a 1/2" - 3" profiles are acceptable
2. Please do not embed your electronic image in the submission email - a high resolution jpeg will assure we do not need to contact you again and ask you to reshoot. Send your narrative along at the same time.
3. Shipping instructions will be discussed in the new year.

The sizing is standard and so are the hanging specs but your works are anything but!

Hi Ladies:

Whether you are just starting your work or it has been complete for a couple of weeks more questions have come up. The most recent question is about wiring your work. So off I sent again to Jeanette Obbink who often works on huge canvases.


From Jeanette:

Screw in eyes to the inside of the wooden frame (so the piece can still lay flat against a surface), roughly 6 inches from the top of the work,  use a metal wire with enough slack so that if you hold it in the middle the centre of the wire is about 3 inches from the top – it will require a bit of tweaking no doubt, but that should make it as even as possible and as ‘easy’ to hang all 100+ of them in an even manner.

If you gals follow this we will be thrilled on the other end.

 

Don't stress about shipping yet...I don't want them here until February!

From November 22nd post

The electronic submission - preparing for our book!

Hello all:

Just a reminder that you are all working on a 24"x 24" CANVAS on stretcher.

The electronic submissions due Monday December 27th- Monday January 3rd instructions are:

• A high resolution image 
• The image needs to be 3”x3” = 216pt x 216pt with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch)
• the size of the image will be roughly 2.3MB, but when you send the file you can zip the document by: right click (or for apple users Control click): ‘compress file’. Files can be in the following formats: .jpg, .tif, or .ps.

We cannot accept images that are placed in a word or publisher document – I need the original image file.
Clearly state in the email the title of the piece (keep it short) and your name as you want it to appear in the book.

The written submission tell your story!  In a MS Word document but text in the email is fine.

· Introduce yourself in 30-40 words
· Comment on what being a woman means to you 30-40 words
· Provide a narrative of your response (your work) to International Women Celebrate! 50-75 words

Using your digital camera for IWC! Book image ready!

From Jeanette Obbink and Leslie Leong-

·      Photograph your artwork on an overcast (but bright) day, a hazy day is excellent. Photograph it out in the open, not behind a building or tree. At the edge of your artwork (centre bottom - but not on your art), include a little piece of white photocopy paper. It is better to underexpose the image. 

·      Photograph as vertical as possible to avoid distortion

·      Using your camera – set to the highest resolution on your menu settings – go back your manual if need be (most are online) –

·      High resolution will indicate fewer photographs accommodated on your photo card

·      Your photograph should be close to 2 MB – this should produce an image that is high enough in quality for us – we’ll size it to suit the book

·      If need be you can use Google Picasa or a similar tool to send your photo

·      Please use your name on your file – i.e. Jane_Smith.jpg

Please also refer to the November 22, 2010 posting

Hello Ladies!

Just wanted to check in and send good wishes as you all finish your works. I am currently finishing grading papers for this semester.

Jeanette Obbink and I are meeting Monday to go over upcoming details for the electronic submission. We will post instructions to help you get the correct size and dpi for your image. Remember when sending your electronic image and narrative to use your full name i.e.  Jane_Smith.doc.

Also on the agenda for next week will be Canada customs instructions for those of you out of the country. For those in the US there will be an option to UPS your work domestically (an opening and closing date will be posted) to the depot of one of our partners and they will bring it across the border.

For all concerned - please do not ship anything until into the new year.  We are still trying to help those outside of North America with arrangements.

Best of holiday preparation...
Jill

100 Women and about 10%

Well ladies:

Over one hundred women have answered the call via social network to be part of an initiative to observe the centenary of International Women's Day for the exhibition known as International Women Celebrate!

A collaborative effort indeed - thank you all taking the first step in this journey with us! Over the next few days I will be refining the list, adding your websites and blogs to my matrix and tying up any loose ends associated with our collective recruitment.

There are other items I will be attending to away from the exhibit so if I don't get back to you right away please know I will be on it shortly.

A few items that have come up:

1. The electronic submission. I will touch base with collaborator Jeanette Obbink for specific step by step instructions to achieve the digital specifications for the image of your work that she will need for the book. The instructions will be posted in next week or two.
2. For you international ladies - a sample Canada Customs form is being drafted and will be discussed on this blog. 
3. The book will be for sale. There will be an opportunity to pre-order the book of International Women Celebrate!  Details will be on the AyrSpace website.
4. Please do not ship works until the new year. We request works be at AyrSpace by Monday February 21, 2010.

All for now - thank you again.  Please join the blog!
Jill

Welcome the Northwest Territories and artist number 97!

And counting gals!

Jill

South Africa is with us and we are 90 strong!

Hello All:

What an exciting process - getting to chat with scores of multi-cultural women from across our great Canadian expanse and women from further afield - in North America, Asia, Europe and now South Africa.

When I review the names of our group of collaborators - the range of cultures they represent is truly exciting.

Looking forward to adding another 10 names to the list in the next 24 to 36 hours. If you can help that would be great.

A big thank you to Kim Rempel and Jeanette Obbink for all their energies!
Jill

Now 81 women and counting!

And better still gals - we have Quebec! Now onto the PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavet, the Yukon and Northwest Territories! We need Africa, South and Central America and Australia and New Zealand!

Thank you for all your collaboration! 
100 practicing women artists by December 1st!

Welcome to women from the Netherlands and New Brunswick!

Hi Ladies:

As the final responses to the call come in from all over out great country and from our global outreach I ask one more time for you collaboration.

If you could each take 5 minutes. Think of a woman artist you know and admire and please send her the link to our blog and call. We have to hear from just over twenty woman to make our goal of 100. I say twenty-something because you are not committed to the list until we receive your confirmation to participate by email. Let's reach 100 women by December 1st!

When responding please give your name, location and a link to your website or blog.

Many thanks for your collaboration,
Jill (and Kim)

Responding to the theme with an original work and the size of the canvas

Hello Ladies:

Close your eyes...think of the theme...  
International Women Celebrate!  Now what will you create?

Just to clarify for all of you who work consistently in metric the size of the canvas on stretcher is 60x60 cm and in American terms 24"x 24".

Any further questions feel free to email me at art@ayrspace.ca .

The electronic submission - preparing for our book!

Hello all:

Just a reminder that you are all working on a 24"x 24" CANVAS on stretcher.

The electronic submissions due Monday December 27th- Monday January 3rd instructions are:

• The image needs to be 3”x3” = 216pt x 216pt with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch)
• the size of the image will be roughly 2.3MB, but when you send the file you can zip the document by: right click (or for apple users Control click): ‘compress file’. Files can be in the following formats: .jpg, .tif, or .ps.

We cannot accept images that are placed in a word or publisher document – I need the original image file.
Clearly state in the email the title of the piece (keep it short) and your name as you want it to appear in the book.

The written submission tell your story!  In a MS Word document but text in the email is fine.

· Introduce yourself in 30-40 words
· Comment on what being a woman means to you 30-40 words
· Provide a narrative of your response (your work) to International Women Celebrate! 50-75 words

Grace Luke, Dartmouth Nova Scotia, 89 years and counting...

Our most recent collaborator for International Women Celebrate! is Grace Luke of Nova Scotia. She would say she was old. I would say she is the good stuff that encourages others. Hey, she is both an art and music teacher!

Grace taught music for years - both at the W. Ross MacDonald School for the Blind and Paris District High School in Ontario, Canada. She now lives in Nova Scotia where she has brought music and art to many - and continues to do so at age 89.

Grace, thanks for jumping on board with International Women Celebrate!

An update!

Good morning Women of the World!

Kim Rempel and I (Jill Yuzwa) are thrilled with your generosity. It has been great exchanging missives with all of you!

We still hope to have representation from Atlantic Canada, the Northwestern and Northeastern States, Africa, Australia, Europe and South America - so we hope you will continue to network for International Women Celebrate!

We wanted to touch base with you all for an update.  When we started down this path Kim and I understood that this call was a process – we are asking a lot in a short(er) time frame. The time frame was fashioned by 1) the funding we are shortlisted for  2) the book we are working on to observe the event  International Women Celebrate!

Due Date extended slightly

Graphic designer and painter Jeanette Obbink and I refined critical path for the book this week and as a result found that we could push to due date back a week or so – we’d like to have the electronic images of your work sent between Monday December 27^th and Monday January 3^rd.  We will be posting the requirements for these electronic images. They are to be accompanied by the written material requested. When sending the file please adopt the format: JaneSmithDec27.jpg and JaneSmithDec27.doc – this way we are flagged on who and when!

With 100 gals any formatting assistance will be helpful on our end.

JANUARY – SHIPPING YOUR WORKS – please do not ship anything until we have all information about Canadian Border Services documentation available.

North American Shipping partners in the works

We said we’d try and try we did – Ayr, Ontario is the hub of some of North America’s most sophisticated Transportation companies and large scale expeditors. Hearing that shipping was a barrier to some of you folks we inquired with our neighbours and good corporate citizens in the Transport sector – they said no problem we’d be happy to help!  We have some general information so far but please be patient with us as we iron out the details.

Western Canada

If you can get your works to Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary or Saskatoon it will have a ride to Ayr!

United States

When the problem was posed to our one potential Transportation partner he suggested that artists from the U.S. use UPS to ship to his American depot located in the South. This would be a nominal fee. We would coach you in advance on all the proper customs and Canadian Border Services documentation that you would ship with your works.  Our partner’s company would then bring your work over the border to Ayr!

So please be patient with us – we hope we have eliminated a boundary and that you will collaborate with us and be part of International Women Celebrate!

Update

Just a quick note. We are still accepting artists for the 100 Woman Show. We're in a busy stretch through Saturday, but will respond personally after that time. Thank you!

Letter or note of intent by email is the only item due today!

Answers to your questions...

We jut received this question and thought we'd post it and the answer to our blog. Please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us!

Hello Kim & Jill,

Yes, I would be interested in your exhibit.  I have a couple of questions.

I assume the subject matter and media is open to what the artist would like to create? Are you saying that if the work does not sell, I/we would not have our painting returned?

Thank you.....a wonderful opportunity!

Answer:

The subject and medium are open, absolutely! It is about the individual artist's response to the theme - International Women Celebrate! The material and format that the work is presented on is uniform (24" x 24" canvas). This will provide a poignant contrast of all 100 works. 

The book will be fashioned so it will inform collectors before and after the exhibition. All unsold works will be presented again as part of next years AyrSpace Christmas Market with the same terms as the exhibit. After that we will confer - we do not have the budget to ship back to artists further afield so all participants must be treated equally - perhaps we collectively decide they be hung in Women's Shelters or a similar thought.

Let's cross that bridge when we need to. Please know that we want to act in a manner agreeable to our collaborators.


Some further thoughts:
The theme, International Women Celebrate is aimed at extracting a response from each participant as an individual. 

As women of many different cultures and geographies we are called on to "celebrate" both the joys and sorrows of our lives.

Please provide us with your feedback on this call - we wish to have as many of you represented as possible. 

Call for "International Women Celebrate!"

Please email us at art@ayrspace.ca noting you'd like to participate by November 8!
Hello all you wonderful women:
The first International Women’s Day in 1911 exceeded all expectation according to http://www.internationalwomensday.com, with meetings taking place even in villages and small towns. In order to observe the Centenary of International Women’s Day in 2011 we are inviting you to take part in a month long ‘meeting’, an exhibit by 100 women, in a small village in Ontario, Canada. This ‘meeting’ will feature your voice. We too, aim to exceed all expectations!

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN CELEBRATE!

We ask that 100 visual artists present works in response to what this theme means to you! 

AyrSpace will exhibit the works of 100 women from across the globe for five weeks from Tuesday March 8, 2010 to Sunday April 10, 2011. There are three main objectives: 1) to observe the Centenary 2) to bring together an international artistic response to International Women Celebrate! 3) to contribute to a Haitian charity focusing on women and their children

We will publish a book with your stories and description of your work in response to the theme.

Submissions – the short explanation

Written – tell your story!

· Introduce yourself in 30-40 words

· Comment on what being a woman means to you 30-40 words

· Provide a narrative of your response to International Women Celebrate! 50-75 words

Visual

· Your response presented on 24”x24” canvas

· Send letter of intent to participate by Monday November 8, 2010 by email

· Submit finished image electronically to art@ayrspace.ca by Monday December 19, 2010

· Works delivered to AyrSpace before MONDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2011 (extended from original date)

The works (24”x24”) will be priced at $350. If a work sells the proceeds will be proportioned to: 1) the artist - $200.00 2) AyrSpace - $100.00 3) Haitian relief for women and children - $50.00.

We have made proposal to a local arts fund for a stipend for each artist participating. Although we have been shortlisted, there is no guarantee of success. Many thanks for your consideration in submitting to International Women Celebrate!

Submissions – the longer explanation

Written – tell your story! 

You are inspiring (Kim and I know you). You took the time to participate in this exhibition! We want the public to know about you – overall text will be approximately 150 words.

· Introduce yourself in 40-50 words – age (if you wish), location, influences

· Comment on what being a woman means to you 40-50 words

· Provide a narrative of your response, your work to the theme of International Women Celebrate! 50-75 words

· Please send this narrative in a Microsoft Word document – in a .doc or a .docx – this will help expedite our publication. If you do not have access to MS Word please send your text in the body of your email.

If writing is not your strong suit don’t worry – just write what you feel and we will gently edit the effort with your permission.

Visual

We are looking forward to your individual responses to International Women Celebrate!

· Your response presented on 24”x24” canvas – even if this is not the medium you usually work with getting creative is always liberating

· Send letter of intent to participate by Monday November 8, 2010 by email – please let us know within one week if you are one of our collaborators!

· Submit image of your finished work electronically to art@ayrspace.ca before Monday December 19, 2010 – we have very specific instructions that will be sent to the participants – this is to help with the production of the book

· Works delivered to or received at AyrSpace before Monday January 24, 2011

We know that many of you can demand a good price for your works. Our objective with the submission is that patrons can have access to a work for under $400.00 (this included provincial HST). We would like all the works to be purchased, as we cannot return them. We are trying to engage a shipping partner – if you folks can partner with a company locally or have access to a key decision maker in a large expeditor that would help ship our 100 works to Ayr, Ontario – please let us know.

Looking forward,

Kim Rempel and Jill Yuzwa