Weekend of art, history and paranormal investigation
What do automatic drawing, surrealism, paranormal investigation and a 19th-century waterfront inn have in common? They are all part of “Art and the Unseen,” a weekend of events presented by ARTSPLACE, Paranormal Phenomena Research & Investigation (PPRI), and the Annapolis Heritage Society; from November 13 to 15 in Annapolis Royal.
The idea began when ARTSPLACE gallery director Sophie Paskins attended a PPRI ghost hunt at the Cumberland Museum and Archives in Amherst.
“I was inspired to connect art and paranormal investigation with Annapolis Royal’s rich history, and invited PPRI and the Annapolis Heritage Society to collaborate on the weekend,” said Paskins.
The weekend opens with after-hours paranormal investigations at the O’Dell House Museum, a circa-1869 stagecoach inn and tavern on the Annapolis Royal waterfront. PPRI, Nova Scotia’s oldest registered paranormal society, will lead investigations November 13 and November 14. Both are sold out.
November 14, artist Ashley Wong will lead “Automatic Art,” a 90-minute workshop exploring creative practice without conscious direction. Wong will introduce the history of automatic art and its connection to automatic writing, drawing on family history, personal experiences and examples from her own practice. The workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. upstairs at ARTSPLACE. Registration is $74 and includes all materials (discount available for members of the three organizations).
That afternoon, “Esoteric Art Practices: Art, Intuition & the Unseen” will examine the ways artists have engaged with intuition, spirituality, altered states and the unknown. Ted Lind of ARTSPLACE will discuss the work of Hilma af Klint, Leonora Carrington, Wassily Kandinsky, Ithell Colquhoun and Charles Burchfield. PPRI presenters Elliott van Dusen and Jodi Russell will examine connections between artistic creativity and paranormal experiences. The talks take place upstairs at ARTSPLACE. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested).
The weekend concludes November 15 at 1 p.m., with “Leonora Carrington: The Lost Surrealist,” a 53-minute documentary directed by Teresa Griffiths. The 2017 film examines Carrington’s life, work and place within the surrealist movement. It received the Grierson Best Arts Film Award and an RTS award. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested).
ARTSPLACE is a public art gallery operated by the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, a registered charitable, community organization dedicated to encouraging and promoting the arts; located at 396 St. George Street in Annapolis Royal.
