Roundup: Q in Oshawa Campaign

With just an hour or so to go in the Q in Oshawa campaign, we thought now would be a good time to reflect on what we’ve achieved in an incredibly short window of time. Oshawa’s spirit for arts and culture is electric and we’re thrilled to be part of it. Here’s some links to things that have been suggested as reasons for Q to come to Oshawa. Win or lose, we’ve had so much fun working on this campaign and we are so proud of all of the supporters and friends we’ve made along the way.

Thanks Oshawa!

The Durham Theatre Festival is “in the queue to get Q to Oshawa!”

Our friends in Whitby the Station Gallery offered their vote of support. Thanks SG!

The Durham Shoestring Performers community theatre group.

The Get Bent Records Summer Solstice concert series

Oshawa saxophonist Matthew James

Our very own collection of works by Painters Eleven, the largest in the world.

The Ontario Philharmonic, based out of the historic Regent Theatre, Oshawa

Patrick Dorie‘s Hope in High Places kept us motivated….

World’s Collide Spiderman Comic Cover!

Isabella’s Chocolate Cafe loves Jian

Mad Cafe loves Jian (and so does Momma Mad Cafe!)

The Patty Shack offered Jian his very own namesake burger…

The Geek Freaks, Oshawa’s award-winning hip-hop dance crew, two time OUCH champs!

Fiesta Week, the best week-long multicultural festival in Ontario

The Oshawa Express printed a story about the campaign

OCVI alumni ...Shalom Harlow, Ed Broadbent, John Donabie & Olympic figure skater Donald Jackson and Isla Craig, among many others…

Neil Pashrica, author of 1000 Awesome Things grew up here.

Forest City Lovers supported the campaign, and offered to sing back up for The Stellas if they got to perform this:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1l0M4TsgsE?wmode=transparent]

The Oshawa Art Association would love it if Jian came!

Durham College Journalism Students created this roundup of Arts & Culture stories students have collected!! How awesome is it? Super awesome. SHWASOME.

We collected Q Portraits at First Fridays!

Durham Tourism jumped on board…and shared through their Art of Transition campaign

Randy Boyagoda was born and raised here, wouldn’t he be an interesting guest?

Will McGuirk’s love for Star Records, Oshawa’s independant vinyl shop shone through

We’d love to hear supporters Cuff the Duke and The Stables play together again…an ode to Oshawa, “Rossland Square”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jq5qnmOQZg?wmode=transparent]

Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers, writers for the CBC and the Tonight Show heard about the campaign all the way in Los Angeles!

Durham College/UOIT Campus’ famous O became a Q!

The Ontario Association of Art Galleries tweeted us with support, thanks OAAG!

We found out that Moxy Früvous once played the Moon Room. Thanks Kerri!!

Steppenwolf? Two members, totally from Oshawa. Born to be Wild!

Our popular blog post “Top Ten Reasons Jian should visit Oshawa” helped get things rolling.

Oshawhat Magazine, a new alternative publication set to launch jumped on board the first day.

Oshawa’s Mayor John Henry was the first notable to offer his support. Thanks John and the City of Oshawa for all of your support!

The Facebook page continues to buzz with posts as we type this. We’ve probably missed some friends and supporters!

Our storied institutions Parkwood Estate, Oshawa Community Museums, the Canadian Automotive Museum, UOIT, Durham College, Trent University Oshawa, and of course all of us here at the RMG look forward to welcoming you to Oshawa Jian!

See the full gallery on Posterous

The Stellas support the Q in Oshawa Campaign with a Song

Friday night the RMG played host to a buzzing crowd for First Fridays. On the 4th floor committee members from the Art of Transition mingled, on the main floor the Gillian Margot Trio performed, while Marina Osmond snapped pictures in a photobooth. Artist Susan Dobson was in attendance, having travelled from Guelph to welcome Oshawa’s crowd to see her exhibition By Design. On the lower level the AIDS Committee of Durham Region hosted POZitive Portrayals, an exhibition of works by HIV positive artists from the region. The atmosphere was electric, and so many people took photos with our big red Q in support of the Q Live in Oshawa Campaign! We’re excited to share those with you in the morning.

The event had the kind of eclectic crowd you might expect, with mohawked teens seated next to seniors, mothers with babies in arms next to twenty-somethings on dates. Art has a way of bringing people of all stripes together. It is always a joy to see. February is the one year anniversary of First Fridays and so we think it would be a great time for Jian Ghomeshi and his show Q to come and check out Oshawa and see what we’re all about.

Tonight, country/pop duo and hometown favourites The Stellas posted this video to show their support of the campaign! Thanks you two! We are honoured to have your support in this competition, which gets to be more fun with each passing day. Learn more about The Stellas on their website www.thestellasmusic.com and be sure to ‘like’ the Q Live in Oshawa Campaign on facebook.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1l0M4TsgsE?wmode=transparent]

Press Release: RMG Brings Oshawa into CBC Radio 1 Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Oshawa, November 29, 2011

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery brings Oshawa into CBC Radio competition for live broadcast of Jian Ghomeshi’s “Q”.

It all started as a conversation at last week’s successful creative class event the Art of Transition Tourism Summit. With so much happening in Oshawa and Durham’s creative culture scene, the desire to bring attention to the various projects and opportunities in the area has never been greater. Staff from The Robert McLaughlin Gallery suggested this idea on twitter, and the tweet was recognized by CBC Radio 1 personality Jian Ghomeshi. The Q host has recently been promoting a campaign that cities could enter to bring his show to their community.

Never one to back down from a challenge, RMG CEO Gabrielle Peacock took up the cause, issuing more tweets and imploring staff to get on board. “We’ve got a lot happening here, just 35km from the city. Q shines a light on culture: music, art, theatre and more. This is why we want Oshawa selected — it’s not about what people know about us, it’s an opportunity for Jian and the Q listeners to discover some cultural assets in their own backyards. We’re joining the contest later than other cities, but we’ve got a lot of heart and think we have a shot at winning,” Peacock told staff. Staff jumped on board in just a few days a Facebook page has emerged as well as the promise to guests at the RMG’s monthly cultural event series “First Fridays” that this week’s event (December 2, 7pm) will include a way to get involved and show support.

“First Fridays has become a staple in the local culture diet,” says RMG Manager of Communications and Social Media, Jacquie Severs. “It’s the right place to promote this campaign. This week we feature Jazz performers The Gillian Margot Trio, alongside the photography exhibition “Susan Dobson: By Design” and the AIDS Committee of Durham Region’s “POZitive Portrayals” that features work by HIV Positive artists. We’ll have a photo booth with local photographer Marina Osmond. The event shows how diverse our cultural offerings are here. We wish Jian could come and see it for himself, we aren’t just a car town anymore!”

The RMG needs community support to make the campaign more powerful. Having already received votes of confidence from PFLAG Durham and Durham College’s Downtown Oshawa News, the RMG now needs ‘likes’ on its Facebook page, tweets with the hashtag #QinOshawa and community partnerships. Local record label Get Bent Records has offered to bring bands to perform for Q. The RMG hopes other local arts & culture staples will get on board.

Oshawa’s mayor John Henry issued a statement of support, highlighting the RMG as an important asset in the campaign. “With the public’s support we can bring into the light one of Oshawa’s best kept secrets.”

“This is a grassroots effort, we need all the support we can get! The RMG is prepared to donate 20 memberships to community groups and businesses who offer support and services,” says Gabrielle Peacock.

To stay on top of the campaign please visit and like: www.facebook.com/QinOshawa

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___________________________________________________________

THE ROBERT McLAUGHLIN GALLERY

72 Queen Street, Civic Centre, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 3Z3

905-576-3000

www.rmg.on.ca

Q in Oshawa

Yesterday we were at the Art of Transition Tourism Summit and Creative Awards. An electric atmosphere was in that room; it was filled with like-minded individuals, those that care about Durham Region’s transition from a manufacturing economy to a creative economy. Artists, business people, musicians, dancers, chefs, writers, art galleries, museums, crafts people, engineers, students, filmmakers, ski hill operators, sustainability advocates, farmers, designers, communicators and more came together to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our community.

It is appropriate that it was during this event that we decided to lead the charge to bring Jian Ghomeshi and his CBC show Q to Oshawa.

Q is an energetic daily arts, culture and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling the cultural issues that matter.

Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, with his trademark wit and spontaneity, Q covers pop culture and high arts alike with forays into the most provocative and compelling cultural trends.

From music icons like Van Morrison and Neil Young; smart conversations with everyone from Al Gore to Barbara Walters; CNN operas; to the branding of politicians… Q brings you big names, big ideas, and those paving the way on the cultural landscape.

Q is your cultural intervention!

Learn more and get involved!

Join the Facebook Fan Page Q Live in Oshawa Campaign and share it with your friends.

Tweet it! Official hastag #QinOshawa – follow @jianghomeshi and include him on your tweets.

Stay tuned! More updates on how to get involved coming soon!