Arts Days had more of an online presence this year due to Covid, however there were art aficionados out and about for the gallery stroll and for live music outside of casa on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27.
Mortar and Bricks’ “UnMasked” exhibit was among the new art exhibits opening during Arts Days. Local folk singer/ songwriter Karen Romanchuk played outside as visitors trickled into the gallery. The group exhibit features a variety of different artworks by 20 different artists inspired and created during isolation during the Covid pandemic.
A lot of the works were incorporated pastoral scenes of home, while others featured dreamlike images reflecting isolation.
The Sept. 26 grand opening coincided with Mortar and Bricks’ second anniversary celebrations.
Unmasked runs until Oct. 23.
I missed Bailey Kate and the Atomicos at Theoretically Brewing on Friday, so made a point of catching her show at casa on Sept. 26.
So While I was waiting for them to set up, I checked out a few of the new exhibits at Casa.
One of the stand outs was Fall or Fell, Shanell Papp‘s gigantic knitted skeleton in the main gallery. The other exhibits include “Gimmie More,” a found object exhibit by Danin Lawrence.
In the Passage Gallery, Len Komenac has “How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Art,” an Lichtenstein inspired exhibit primarily featuring images of Marilyn Monroe in a mask.
I didn't make it upstairs for the Guerrilla Art Collective’s new exhibit, featuring the works of local artists Amy Arsene, Oshan Ford, Dave Bullied, Heidi Sherman, Russell Jensen, Keeley Kulcsar, Brandy Kulcsar.
I also didn’t make it to Felicit
y Hart’s “Hartfield Cemetery in the Project Space, which explores the taboo of death. The exhibits are at casa until Oct. 24.
Outside, Bailey Kate and her band played a laid back set of appealing indie alternative rock.
Here set included heartfelt originals as well as covers of Feist’s “Fog” and Fleetwood Mac’s “ Rhiannon.”
Bands and dance troupe were playing outside casa throughout the weekend, but I only caught a couple. I enjoyed a trimmed down, the band formerly known as Karen, Lewis and Pam, sans Pam on Sept. 27.
But Karen (Jillian Bracken) and Lewis (Gabriel Thaine) enjoyed a laid back, informal set of mostly covers of popular children’s trio Sharon Lewis and Pam. 
But Thaine got to show off some of his best Delta blues/jazz style guitar chops, while trying to crack up bracken, who happily returned the favour.
She played keyboards, accordion and percussion before bringing out a few animal hand puppets for Thaine to improvise lyrics to the tune of kid’s classic “How Much is that Doggie in the Window,” except incorporating a crab, walrus, turtle and of course a dog puppet.
There are also new exhibits at the SAAG, which i never made it too.
