ASK Summer Festival has arrived

June 23, 2015 · 0 Comments

The ASK Summer Festival is here again!
This year’s festival, planned for Saturday, June 27 through Thursday, July 9, is celebrating 10 years of arts and culture in King, with activities and entertainment for the entire family; kids, teens, parents and grandparents.
The Festival begins on Saturday with a gala evening showcasing King’s internationally renowned sculpture, SHIFT, by artist Richard Serra. The event takes place at the elegant Kingbridge Conference Centre beginning at 6 p.m. with appetizers and a cash bar, followed by Simone Estrin’s short documentary film, “A Shift In the Landscape,” and a panel of experts from art galleries in Hamilton, Kleinburg and Toronto as they discuss “The Role of Sculpture in Public and Private Spaces.”
During the two-week festival there are lots of offerings for all ages and interests.
As a warm-up for the Pan Am Equestrian games coming to nearby Caledon, there are a number of horse-related activities. Adults and teenagers can learn to photograph horses with a professional photographer, or draw horses with a professional artist. Or come to a lecture and find out from expert John Rumble exactly why King Township is called the “Kentucky of Canada.”
This year the festival events will be held at some new venues. At the recently renamed and renovated King Heritage and Cultural Centre, kids can attend free art programs on two Saturday mornings, and there is a series of talks on subjects like bees, boat-building and antique appraisals, which will appeal to adults. Some events are held in partnership with local arts-related businesses where skills such as flower arranging, sushi-making and furniture refinishing will be taught on site. And participants from past years can sign up for popular sold-out events such as abstract collage painting with Karola Steinbrecher, and a tour with lunch at the McMichael.
The Festival closes with a live concert “Canadian Songbook,” highlighting a program inspired by Canadian legends, and will be held on Thursday, July 9 at the fabulous Country Day School Performance Centre. Featured will be performers John Ebata with the King Studio House Band; singer Siobhan Duffy; the Smith and Dragoman Band, and instrumentalist Waleed Abdulhamid. Folks are invited to come early to meet fellow music lovers over a pre-concert glass of wine, and enjoy intermission refreshments in the light-filled atrium of this first-class venue. This concert will be a truly memorable finale to a summer celebration of the arts in King.
Some activities are free but most require pre-registration. For further details call 905-939-9357 or go to the ASK website at ArtsSocietyKing.ca.