Projects
2008 May
Art Keeps Us Together
HUVAC & CHAC group exhibition
Throughout history and in all cultures visual artists have played a major role in reflecting the world in which they live. In Canada, some artists of Hungarian origin have given expression to their immigrant experience, others have so completely integrated into the Canadian art scene that one might be surprised to discover that they hail from Hungary. Many Canadian artists are attempting to enrich their art through explorations of their Hungar-ian roots.
The Canadian Hungarian Artists Collective(CHAC) of Montreal and the Hungaian Visual Artists of Canada (HUVAC) of Toronto have attempted to bring together a number of artists.The ice has been broken finally, and the two art groups had a joint exhibition in Toronto at the:
Hungarian Canadian Cultural
840 St. Clair Avenue West
From May 3rd to 11th, 2008
Hungarian TV clip
2008 March
Canadian Landscapes
Photography Exhibition in Budapest
A new exhibition of photographs exploring the Canadian Landscape will be sent to Budapest where they will be exhibited at the REGNUM MARIANUM.
The 11 photographers represented in the exhibition are: Alex Brzezinski, Gwylan Goddard, Geza Hermann, Victor Kapas, Anne Kmetyko, Emilia Kun, Rose Szasz, Attila Szell, Gabor Szilasi, Vivian Tors, Steve Zoni. Images include both black and white and colour, digital colour images as well as traditional black and white silver prints.
The nineteen photographs traveling to Budapest celebrate the variety of seasons we all experience in Canada. There are images depicting the natural beauty of snow, rocks, lakes, and sunsets. There are also images showing the intervention by humans in the landscape. The rural towns and hayfields along the St. Lawrence River, the houses and churches, roads, and bridges built over the years to enable people to move around in the landscape. Most of the photographs were made within the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick since more than half of the photographers had taken part in the Tantramar Photography Workshop directed by Gabor Szilasi in New Brunswick this past summer. One image depicts the newly named territory of Nunavut.
This exhibition of Canadian Landscape Photographs was curated by Anne Kmetyko for the Canadian Hungarian Artists Collective (CHAC) based in Montreal under the direction of Andrea Blanar. Jury members Alex Brzezinski, Anne Kmetyko, and Gabor Szilasi made the selection of nineteen photographs for the exhibition. Forty photographs had been submitted. The REGNUM MARIANUM had requested between fifteen and twenty for their space.
CHAC wishes to thank the director of REGNUM MARIANUM in Budapest for inviting them to organize an exhibition of Canadian images. CHAC also thanks the photographers for their enthusiastic participation and the jury members for their experienced selection duties.
2007 August
Tantramar Art Symposium, organized by The Canadian Hungarian Artists Collective (CHAC) was Coordinated by its President, Andrea Blanar.. The seven day event featured professional workshops lead by internationally recognized Canadian artists as well as gallery exhibits, a speaker series, film sreenings, book signings, studio days, and many socials with “meet-the-artists in residence” receptions.
The Location:
CHAC chose the Tantramar region f New Brunswick for the event because of its untouched coastal beauty, the support received from local residents and the existence of a highly diverse cultural community. CHAC members have settled there. Andrea Blanar owns a Church Studio in Point de Bute, close by, Anna Torma and Istvan Zsako own a seaside farm and Studio in Baie Verte. The area has a high number of artisans and artists. The area attracts many young artists because of the Fine Arts program at Mount Allison University and the presence of Owens Gallery, Struts Artist Run Center, Faucett Media Centre, Fog Forest Gallery and local Theatres. In fact, Sackville has been designated as one of Canada’s most active cultural communities.
Program
The backbone of the Symposium is a series of professional workshops conducted by leading Canadian artists. Workshop topics include multimedia painting, relief printing, clay, fibre art, photography, documentary filmmaking, and digital photoshop. Participants pay a workshop fee that includes their participation in all Symposium events. Workshop participants include artists and supporters of the arts. There were also workshop spaces for young people. CHAC increased the number of workshops to eight in 2007. The workshop leaders were all artists well recognized in their specific expertise. The Symposium was honored by the collaboration of so many artists who had national and international reputations.
2007 Workshops
• Andrea Blanar | Multimedia Paintings | Point de Bute Church Studio
• Géza Hermann | Site Specific Installation | Cape Jourimain
• Istvan Kantor | Multimedia Performance | Strutts Artist Run Centre
• Judith Klugerman | Relief Printing | Point de Bute Community may
• Ghita Levin | Clay | Baie Verte Studio
• Danielle Ouellette | Fibre Art | Point de Bute Community Hall
• Gabor Szilasi | Photography | Baie Verte
• Tamas Wormser | Documentary Filmmaking | Faucet Media Arts Centre
• David Zsako | Digital Photoshop | Faucet Media Arts Centre
Public Program; An extensive public program was offered in the areas' establishments:
The exhibits:
1. A Multi media exhibition at Struts Gallery in Sackville of the workshop leaders works of art, curated by Doreen Lindsay.
2. An exhibition of the participants’ works at the Point de Bute Art Centre.
3. A Fiber art Exhibit at the Point de Bute Community Center that included a retrospective by Danielle Ouellette as well as an exhibition of the works that the fiber art participants produced during the symposium.
4. Site Specific Installations: The daily site specific Installations at cape Jourimain were open to the public.
Speakers Conferences and performances were open to the Public;
1.Istvan Kantor Multi Media Performance: The highlight of the symposium was a frenetically charged and visually challenging multimedia performance by Istvan Kantor and his team of artists, presented at Struts Artist Run Centre.
2. Dr. Jacques Drouin, professor emeritus, psychiatrist and an artist musician, presented a conference on Vincent Van Gogh’s art, as influenced by the deterioration of his serious psychiatric illness.
3. Deanne Fitzpatrick, Nova Scotia’s top fiber artist, .presented a retrospective on her life and work, with a particular emphasis on her childhood growing up in Newfoundland.
4. Tom Kapas The Saturday morning was oriented for children and featured Tom Kapas, illustrator of children´s book. Tom read his The Cowboy Kid. Book and described the artistic process as a children’s book illustrator.
Film Festival:
Daily film screenings at Struts Gallery featured films by Attilla Bertalan, Sophie Fekete, Peter Horvath, Istvan Kantor and Tamas Wormser.
Participants
The number of participants doubled since the 2005 Symposium, and attracted over 90 participants from Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Boston, New York and many Acadians from Moncton, Shediac and up the coast. This created wonderful spirited exchanges. Most of our workshop leaders were trilingual thus the many languages resounded in all the workshops. Sing songs and Tintammares exploded nightly by the campfires and in the farmhouse. While many of the participants had a connection to CHAC, the Symposium gave discounts to attract local artists.
Biologist’s Tour: Led by Marine Biologist, Christopher Blanar, surveyed the marshes and coastal area mudflats, and the interesting local sites. Participants were encouraged to shop locally. As part of their orientation to the region, the tour included bakers, farmer’s roadside, markets, wineries, and other local produce. This created friendships with local farmers and rural merchants who delighted in the Hungarian invasion.
Financing:
Subsidized by the benevolence of the organizers and workshop leaders, the participant’s fee covered many of the costs of facilities. The generous donation of CHEF, Elizabeth and Andrew Gorzo, George Szabo and Maria Leriche allowed us to give a modest remuneration to our workshop leaders.
The Symposium fee of $ 350 included not only the workshop registration fees, but also included the campsite accommodation in Baie Verte , the social program that included 3 suppers and a breakfast. Participants were responsible for their transportation to the Tantramar area and for their other meals.. Many car pooled and shared their kitchen duties. More mature participants filled the several B&B’s in the area.
Most appreciated by the local citizens was the Production of the Documentary Film by Tamas Wormser and his students on the effects of the Confederation Bridge to PEI and how it has impacted on the coastal communities who had thrived on the industries created by the ferry crossings. This film was shown subsequently at arts festivals in CapeJjourimain.
2006 November
“Les Hongrois a Montreal – un heritage partage” a project initiated by CHAC and held at City Hall in Montreal.
2006 October
“Reflections Canada Hungary” traveled to Pier 21 in Halifax, commemorating the arrival of Hungarian immigrants to Canada after the Hungarian Revolution.
2006 May
On this occasion, a photography exhibition and Contest featured the works produced at the Symposium.
2006 Spring Film Screening
“Tantramar Art Symposium 2005” , a CHAC Documentary Film on the Tantramar Art Symposium, filmed and produced by Sophie Fekete.
2006 April
“Mediations on Hyphenated Identities”, a panel discussion at the Stewart Hall Art Gallery moderated by Dr Loren Lerner, head of Art History at Concordia University, Montreal. Panelists were Andrea Blanar, Vera David, Sophie Fekete, Judith Klugerman, John A Schweitzer, Yvonne Singer, Andrea Szilasi and Gabor Szilasi.
2006 March
“Reflections: Hongrie-Canada-Hungary”, the exhibition commemorated the 50 Year Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. Curated by Joyce Millar, this exhibition began at the Stewart Hall Art Gallery in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, and will travel to other venues. The exhibition features the works of 14 CHAC artists from Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.
2005 October
“WINDOWS”, an exhibition at the public gallery, Maison de la Culture Notre Dame de Grace” in Montreal, featured the works of 39 CHAC artists from across Canada. Curated by Judith Klugerman, this exhibition had a performance segment that included Hungarian descent poets, musicians and video artists. The opening reception welcomed over 300 guests, the largest numbers ever recorded at this public gallery.
2005 August
"CHAC TANTRAMAR ART SYMPOSIUM 2005”, held over a 8 day period in New Brunswick, was attended by over 60 participants from Canada and the US. This multifaceted event included workshops, conferences, panel discussions, exhibitions and socials that encouraged cross Canada networking and the exchange of relevant professional information.
2005 Workshops:
Andrea Blanar, “Creating a multimedia shrine that celebrates Nature” took place at her summer studio in Point de Bute ( the former United Wesley Church).
Andrea Blanar “Initiation to multimedia constructions for emerging artists and or artists suffering from creative paralysis.
Geza Hermann “Ode to the Land-Site Specific Installations” at Cape Jourimain Eco Centre.
Victor Kapas “Digital Photography Photoshop” at the Fawcett Media Centre, Sackville.
Ghita Levin’s pottery workshop, held in her Baie Verte studios, focused on creating pottery derived from objects in nature.
Gabor Szilasi “ The Aesthetics of Photography” at the Cape Jourimain Eco Centre.
Anna Torma “ Fiber Arts” held at the Point de Bute Community Center.
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
The public was invited to the exhibitions, the daily evening conferences and to the workshops on “Open House” Days.
EXHIBITIONS:
CHAC organized 4 exhibitions for the symposium. These were held in Sackville at the Owens Art Gallery, at the Struts Artist Run Center and at the Fog Forest Art Gallery and at the Cape Jourimain Ecocentre. The exhibitions were curated by Janet Crawford, Anna Torma and Ghita Levin.
CONFERENCES:
Evening lectures and panel discussions were open to the public and held at the Owens Art Gallery, at the Struts Gallery and at the Cape Jourimain Eco centre.
The following artists presented:
• Keynote Speaker and Panel Moderator, Doreen Lindsay-Szilasi at the Owens Gallery
and Eve Mc Bride from Chicago
• Elsa Kolansky from New York
• Emilia Kun from Toronto
• Mary Keczan-Ebos from Burlington, Ontario
• Vivian Tors from Ottawa
• Sophie Fekete from Montreal
2003 October
“MAGYART 2003”, curated by Doreen Lindsay-Szilasi and held at “Espace Adagio” in the Montreal Delta Hotel, the exhibition featured the works of 32 CHAC artists from Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. The month long exhibition included artists’ demonstrations and guided tours. A CHAC Benefit supper held in conjunction with the exhibition showcased Hungarian performers and musicians. The exhibition attracted hundreds of visitors.
2002 September
“CONNECTING” , a group exhibition of CHAC members in Quebec and Ontario, held at the Trinity Galleries in Saint John, New Brunswick, curated by Beth McGloan.
2002 April
“ESTUARIES OF THE DANUBE”, a group exhibition of CHAC members residing in Ontario, held at the Gallery on the Bay in Hamilton curated by Marlaise Cahill and Dr David Dawson.