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Mayworks 2008
The Arts form an essential part of all Mayworks celebrations. Part of our overall concept for Mayworks Festivals is a month long visual art exhibit which serves to introduce and set the tone for the Festival as a whole. This year's exhibit is titled Water and the Human Condition.

Mayworks festivals traditionally open on May Day - May 1st. This date is recognized worldwide as a time to celebrate the struggles, accomplishments and culture of working people.

May Day's roots in North America go back to Chicago, Illinois, in 1884, with the struggle of trade unions to establish an 8-hour work day. In Canada, Mayworks Festivals are held annually in Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, occasionally Vancouver, and for four consecutive years now in Parksville, Vancouver Island. And this year we congratulate the Comox Valley Mayworks Festival on its first year of participation.

Mayworks is built on the premise that workers and artists (who are also workers) are major contributors to society and share a common interest in decent wages and safe working conditions. Mayworks' goal is to promote these interests and bring an awareness of workers in all areas to public consciousness.

As artists, we feel strongly that the concept of "work" should be construed as broadly as possible, to include non-organized workers and the ongoing struggle for survival waged by marginalized persons and groups such as the poor, the homeless, domestic workers, migrant workers, women, minorities, and artists themselves. We feel that increased familiarity with the many ways in which people earn a living results in growth of understanding and respect between us all.

This year's main gallery exhibit highlights the work of 17 BC artists (see list in schedule below). Their excellent works cover a wide range of media, in both two and three dimensions, including both audio sculpture and video presentations.

For 2008 we decided to narrow our focus to a specific topic, and asked artists to address issues involved with Water and the Human Condition. The world's response to the impending scarcity of this precious resource will have major economic and social consequences for the human community. Mayworks '08 is pleased to provide a vehicle for artists and other socially conscious workers to raise public awareness about an issue of critical common concern. The result we feel is a provocative exhibit which makes a varied and challenging contribution to a public debate of great consequence.

Curatorial Statement by Marci Katz, Co-Curator of Mayworks

Mayworks 2008 Event Schedule

Monday April 28th
Workers' Mourning Day • Ceremonies begin at 5:00 pm at the bandstand in Parksville's Community Park.

Thursday May 1st
Annual Bean Dinner
Cumberland Free Masons' Hall, opposite the Museum.
Doors open 6:00 pm, dinner at 6:30; Tickets: $8
Reservations: 250.336.2445
Cumberland Museum & Archives hosts this event in honour of International Workers Day.

Friday May 2nd
Mayworks Arts Exhibition, Opening Reception 7:30 -9:30 pm, Free Admission
Music by The Kyla Campbell Trio
Oceanside Arts Centre, 133 McMillan Street, Parksville

Water and the Human Condition • In the Oceanside Gallery, an invitational, multi-media exhibition featuring work by 17 BC artists. Participating Artists: Barbara Bickel, Laurie Broadhurst, Rod Corraini, Anita Friesen, Jeff Hartbower, Patrick Hughes, Martha Jablonski-Jones, Bonnie Laird, Virginia Moon, Lynn Orriss, Vicky Paradice, Donna Polos, Dale Roberts, Amy Rubin, Peter Stoddart, Ed Varney.

Work: Evolution and Revolution • In the Arrowsmith Gallery, an international Mail Art exhibition on the theme of work, curated by Ed Varney.

Weapons of Mess Destruction • In the Nemeth Gallery, photographs by Adele Campbell.

Wednesday Evenings, 7:00 pm - Free Film Nights
Arrowsmith Gallery, Oceanside Arts Centre
Featuring a "healthy snack" concession and free trade coffee.
May 7th: Smoke From His Fire by Kim Recalma-Clutesi;
May 14th: The Cats of Mirikitani by Linda Hattendorf;
May 21st: Flow (for the Love of Water) by Irena Salina.

Friday May 9th, 8:00 pm
The Ballad of Jim Pane
Tickets: $15
Ballenas School, 135 N. Pym Road, Parksville
A one-man musical theatre performance starring Zach Stevenson.

Saturday May 17th
Empty Bowl Soup Kitchen
Tickets: $15; 1st Sitting: 4:00-5:00 pm; 2nd Sitting: 5:00-6:00 pm
Parksville Community Centre, 132 E. Jensen Street, Parksville
Silent Auction; Music by Goofus Marimba Band. Hosted by the Arrowsmith Potters? Guild; proceeds to the food bank.

Sunday May 25th
An Afternoon with George Sawchuk
2:00 -6:00 pm, Free Admission
372 Bates, Ship's Point, Fanny Bay (maps at OCAC office)
Explore George's backwoods scupture garden; a joint event with Comox Valley Mayworks. Music by Gordon Carter. Food and entertainment on site throughout the afternoon.

Saturday May 24th
Puppet Workshop
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Free Admission, OCAC Classroom
Make puppets to represent a family member at work. For kids age 12 yrs. and under pre-registration required - call the OCAC office at 248.8185. Bring a bag lunch.

Saturday May 31st
Poetry Slam
11:00 am - 8:00 pm, Free Admission, Oceanside Arts Centre
A new event for creative teens. In the Arrowsmith Gallery. Bring a bag lunch. Participants must pre-register - call the OCAC office at 248.8185.

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The Oceanside Community Arts Council acknowledges the financial assistance of the City of Parksville, The Regional District
of Nanaimo, the Vancouver Foundation, the British Columbia Arts Council and the Province of British Columbia.

Site last updated April 26, 2008. Images of artwork © 2008 by the respective artists