Part of the RMG Fridays Transcending to Convergence Series.
Come join us in the Backyard for an August retreat for some easy vibes with performances from Moonfruits and Cale Crowe. Just hang with some new friends or bring some old ones with you.
Enjoy food from local restaurant, Mathilda’s.
Order of Events:
7PM: Doors Open
7:35PM: Moonfruits performance
8:45PM: Cale Crowe Performance
9:30PM: Performance ends
Moonfruits—led by Ottawa-based partners Alex Millaire and Kaitlin Milroy—craft contemporary folk, organically alternating between French and
English, that addresses our collective humanity with heart, wit, and wonder. This Stingray Rising Star, SOCAN, and Trille Or award-winning group has
toured their transportive live show across Canada, the US, France, Belgium, and Germany.
Moonfruits’ lushly orchestrated sophomore album, Salt (2022), is a 12-song suite that explores what it means to the band to live, dream, and raise a
child in an era of climate change and deepening inequality. It tells the stories of their families and the kinds of communities they hope to help build.
Cale Crowe has been fueled by music since he was a toddler in the back of his dad’s Ford Bronco and has been taking audiences on an emotional journey since he first picked up a guitar at 12 years old. His performance started with an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal and has evolved to implement powerful melodies and moving rhythms for a deep, emotional experience.
Cale describes the songs that make up his discography as “Moments of vulnerability & (sometimes painful) honesty, captured and thinly veiled by upbeat tempos and textured sounds.” These moments have shown his increasing potential and have granted him stages from Nova Scotia to New Mexico and opportunities including sharing stages with Ron Sexsmith, Scott Helman, cleopatrick, Cinzia & The Eclipse, and countless others.
Gathering inspiration from Dermot Kennedy, City & Colour, Ed Sheeran, and the rolling hills of his home territory of Alderville First Nation, Cale seeks to connect listeners to a sense of boundless sincerity and authenticity; “I’ve always wanted my music to be a place in time where & when people might allow themselves to truly feel free.”
Victoria Grant, an esteemed Indigenous artist residing in Durham Region, Ontario, brings over 2 years of experience instructing engaging pyrography workshops suitable for participants aged 12 and above. Each workshop begins with a comprehensive introduction, including an inspiring address and thorough safety protocols to ensure a safe and enriching experience for all.
Participants embark on their creative journey by practicing with the pyrography tools on scrap wood under personalized guidance from Victoria herself. Once participants feel comfortable and confident with the technique, they transition to designing their own mini canoe paddles. This part of the workshop encourages personal expression, allowing each individual to imbue their creation with elements that resonate with their unique identity and creativity.
Throughout the workshop, Victoria provides hands-on assistance and expertise, helping participants refine their designs and execute them to perfection. By the end of the session, each participant will have crafted a personalized pyrography design on a mini canoe paddle that they can proudly take home, showcasing both their newfound skills and personal artistic vision.
Victoria’s workshops not only foster artistic skill development but also celebrate cultural heritage and personal expression, making them an enriching experience for all involved.
Victoria Grant is a Durham Region, Ontario-based Indigenous artist of Anishinaabe, Mi’Kmaq, and Métis heritage, who also acknowledges her non-Indigenous ancestry from France and Scotland. Throughout her life, Victoria has dedicated herself to formal and informal art training across various mediums, ultimately specializing in pyrography. Each piece she creates incorporates natural materials, is ceremonially smudged with sage, and crafted with the intention of bringing positive energy into the homes they adorn.
Dwelling Stains II, 2023. 16″ x 20″. Henna & Ink on Wood.
Guest artist Judith Grace Vijaysenan will be joining us in the backyard. Try your hand at henna art on wood and take home your finished product. No experience required!
About The Artist
Judith Grace Vijayasenan is an Indian-born, Toronto-based visual artist. Her medium styles incorporate oils, acrylics, ink and henna on Wood. Judith likes to base her pieces on memory, land, and small connections that she has to her past and present land (India and Canada).
She is graduated in June 2023 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and minoring in Social Science from OCAD University. Judith’s work has been exhibited in Ada Slaight Gallery: Gathering Divergence (2022), OCAD University’s GRADEX 103 (2023) and The Clarke Center for the Arts in “Marinating in our Surrealistic Land” (2024) group exhibition.
Learn more about the Convergence music and art festival.
This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.
The RMG reserves the right to cancel this event due to circumstances beyond RMG’s control or not reasonably anticipated, including but not limited, to weather, or inability of Facility to host Event.
