E019 Shirley Madill Art & Feast for the Senses
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 19
Date: June 17, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guests: Shirley Madill and Brian Peyton
Start times and Segment Segments:
[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: John and Sammy have a conversation about areas of wellness and approaches to wellness, comparing thoughts to the approach John’s working on that involves a wellness check-in.
[0:11:23] Expanding Minds Interview: [Artistic Wellness] We interview the Executive Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Shirley Madill, about a wonderful program she developed – Feast for the Senses. A chef and a sommelier (or mixologist) get inspired by art, then share their creations and stories with guests. It combined three arts: visual arts together with the arts of chefs and sommeliers (or mixologists).
[0:26:26] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron is a proud teacher, with great students.
[0:30:52] Move That Body: Continuing to exercise after retirement, Brian Peyton makes the most of the gym experience. He enjoys the fitness classes the most.
[0:36:00] Running Popup: Second place is a no-so-auspicious contest.
[0:39:22] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila and John disclose why they call the last segment Flipside of the Coin.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
John – A message we’re going to keep reminding people of is, “don’t let it slip”. It’s so much better to include physical wellness, physical exercise as part of your everyday routine, no matter what you do.
[One of John’s favourite quotes]: “Solve the problem yourself or accept a fate you may not like ... from this perspective, the ethic of personal responsibility gains appeal.” Noel M. Tichy
Shirley - Feast for the Senses is an event that combines three art forms, not only the visual arts but that of food and wine, because chef’s and sommeliers can be considered artists in their own right.
Shirley – It’s interesting to me to see the level of interest that comes forward, to combine these three art forms together in an evening that’s really enjoyable. You can gather and connect over the art and the food and the wine.
John – At the last Feast for the Senses I attended I learned something new about the Indigenous community, which was the Three Sisters. There was a three sisters soup. I didn’t know what that was. There are three different plants: corn, squash and beans. What I learned was that if you plant the combination together, they help each other grow in different ways. It created a beautiful soup.
Shirley – [In answer to the question we ask every interview guest: is there an area of wellness that you’re neglecting and if so can you think of one activity to foster wellness in that area] It’s kind of like asking what kind of act of kindness can you give yourself this week.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by John: I felt like I wanted to shrivel up and disappear.
Guest Information: In addition to being Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery’s Executive Director, Shirley Madill held previous positions in other art museums in other Canadian cities – Winnipeg, Hamilton, Victoria and St. Catharines. She was past-president of the Board of Galleries Ontario, and Past-President of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization. She’s currently Vice-President of the Board of ArtsBuild, Ontario. Her publication record is extensive. She's presented papers on photography, performance art, women’s art issues, and First Nations art across Canada and the United States. Her curatorial work included numerous exhibitions. She’s taught courses in 20th Century Canadian and Modern Art, History of Photography and other topics. Her awards include the Ontario Association of Architects award for the Future Cities exhibition in Hamilton, Ontario during her tenure at the Art Gallery of Hamilton showing her interest in the role an art gallery can play in the development of a creative community.
Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery website: https://kwag.ca
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie