Calling all pop art fans! Toronto’s gallerywest will showcase local artist/director/writer Jeff Campagna‘s pop-art poetry beginning tonight, November 22nd. The gallery will display five art pieces that were derived from his first two paperback volumes of “A Writer Under the Influence.”

Campagna wrote, directed and produced the 2008 film, Six Reasons Why, which starred Colm Feore (The Borgias, 24, Thor) and is currently working on his full-length novel, The Money Machine.

A Writer Under The Influence runs until November 30th. The opening reception will take place this Thursday, November 24th (from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and will feature live music from The FranDiscos.

gallerywest is located at 1172 Queen Street West. For more information, click here.

Seen on the fence of a condo construction site on Sherbourne St. just south of Queen St. E. - Photo by R. Jeanette Martin

Move over, Rob Ford: The Opera. Toronto’s controversial mayor is inspiring a grittier kind of art.

On the day Ford raised the ire of critics by dismissing a transit report as biased “hogwash” before even reading it, it seems apt to share with you this kick ass album of Rob Ford inspired graffiti.

You’ve probably spotted some of these clever, irreverent and downright rude images of His Worship throughout the city. They certainly make more of a statement than the oh-so-boring tags that usually litter Toronto’s walls.

If you don’t have time hunt for these gems, Toronto photographer and blogger R. Jeanette Martin has you covered. She’s chronicled the Ford-tastic graffiti on her blog, Shutterjet.

Some might say that ‘Bad times inspire great art’, Martin writes.

…Rob Ford declared a ‘War on Graffiti’ and local graffitists and artists declared war back. The mayor and a lot of the decisions coming out of Toronto City Hall are now being satirized on our streets and in our back alleys….

Infamous Toronto graffitists Spud and Deadboy have also taken up the cause. Spud’s cackling Rob Ford heads adorn the city at every turn and Deadboy’s depiction of Ford and his brother, City Councillor Doug Ford, as Tweedledee and Tweedledum has become infamous.

Two Berlin art students have put the life of a lamb in the hands of the internet. At least that’s what their art statement says.

Iman Rezai and Rouven Materne, students at the Berlin University of the Arts, have created a site where users can vote on whether a lamb will live or die.

But will they really kill it if the votes tilt to yes?

A spokesperson for the university told Reuters that the art piece is all about “provocation” and that the artists have no plans to actually kill the lamb.

Rezai and Materne have assembled a brightly coloured guillotine and posted a video of its construction on YouTube.

In the video Materne says, “There were people who wanted to forbid us to do this. There were people who celebrated the idea from day one. And there were some people who were afraid of us.”

So far “No” is leading the poll with almost 600,000 votes.

Imagine this is your living room. Boring right? Okay, it’s a stock image, but it’s a good example of how soulless a space can be, even with nice furniture. When you’re decorating a space, much time is spent laboring over flooring choices, wall colour and big-ticket furnishings, like the sofa and coffee table. You might even spend a lot of time thinking about the orientation of the room – deciding whether to group seating around the fireplace, coffee table or TV…

Related: Gallery – Affordable artwork

All that might get you to the point of the image above. But that’s not yet a space most of us could feel warm and fuzzy about. The difference between this stock image and “home” is all the stuff that’s added after those bigger decorating decisions have been made. And because these are smaller decisions, smaller objects, they’re often overlooked.

When it comes to accessories, the sky is the limit. You can hit stores like HomeSense and do it on a dime. You can invest in top tier artwork. You may also already have sentimental pieces to incorporate. Most of us hit a mix of all of these. Low-end items are easily elevated when they’re put alongside pieces with more provenance. An affordable print can look a million bucks in the right frame.

Let’s focus on art – something this space is sorely missing. There are many options here. A salon style hanging always makes a place look instantly inhabited and creative. Etsy and sites like 20×200 and Mammoth & Company are a treasure trove of affordable prints. Find frames at Ikea, West Elm and Pottery Barn in standard widths (if your prints are limited editions, look for acid-free mats.) Selecting the same frame style for each artwork will unify the collection.

1. Salon-style

In terms of planning a salon style hanging, it takes a brave (or very experienced) soul to just start hammering nails into the wall. Some stores (like Pottery Barn) offer easy “Gallery in a Box” solutions you can fill with your own images. Alternatively, you could cut templates from kraft paper and tape them to the wall to see how your arrangement lines up. Also, consider using hooks like 3M’s Command Hooks which can be moved around without damaging your walls.

Artwork shown above: Assorted prints from 20×200 (specifically 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

2. Classic grouping

If you find a salon-style hanging too haphazard and chaotic, consider instead hanging a symmetrical grouping. Always go for odd numbers on the horizontal – 3 or five wide. Depending on the space you’re working with and the size, orientation of your images, you can have multiple rows. Symmetry always sets a classic, formal tone, so a trio of complementary prints really reinforces a formal living or dining space. Botanicals and architectural drawings always work well.

Artwork shown above: Botanical prints from the Royal Horticultural Society (specifically 1, 2, 3)

3. Large scale

A third choice would be a single large artwork. In art, for the most part, size really matters and the bigger the art the higher the price-tag. While smaller, standard sized art can easily be swapped around in frames, a large scale artwork really is a more permanent addition. That said, artwork can be a great investment and if there’s an artist you love, this is a true lifetime purchase. With large artwork comes large impact – people will really notice the image itself, not just the form. And so you can really set a tone, creating a mood that complements existing decor (as shown here) or, alternatively, adding a jarring but successful juxtaposition (like dramatic contemporary art hanging in a traditional home).

Artwork shown above: Lights from Capiz print by Aeropagita Prints on Etsy

From the Canadian Press today, we learn that a Kingston, Ontario artist has taken the bold move of painting our Prime Minister in the buff.

“Emperor Haute Couture” is the painting shown above, and it’s by artist Margaret Sutherland,  who has also painted a demonlike close-up of Pope Benedict’s face and a few other nude portraits besides this one.

With a dog at his heels and a supplicant offering him a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee, Sutherland’s Harper looks like something between a Roman emperor and Hedonism Bot from the television show Futurama.

The painting is currently displayed at the Kingston Library as part of an art competition until the end of the month. Chief Librarian Patricia Enright told the Canadian Press that some people find the portrait disrespectful, while others enjoy seeing it on display.

Gallery owner Mary Sue Rankin, meanwhile, says the painting is meant to suggest that Harper is not living up to his promises as prime minister.

Reaction across Canada has been swift, and sarcastic. Liberal MP Scott Brison told CBC that this is “one Conservative coverup” that we need, while Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Andrew MacDougall Tweeted as follows:

On the Sutherland painting: we're not impressed. Everyone knows the PM is a cat person.

—
Andrew MacDougall (@PMO_MacDougall) May 18, 2012

There’s no word yet from the prime minister himself, but it’s hard to believe he’ll ever look at a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee the same way.

With wedding season upon us, maybe you’re searching for the perfect gift idea. Or perhaps it’s not a wedding at all, but a house-warming present or birthday gift. Whatever the gift-giving occasion, something for the home is always a meaningful gift.

Some of our all time favourite gifts have been more special iterations of everyday objects. Think of a favourite mug made by a local potter. Or a wooden utensil hand-turned with care. Simple objects that elevate the every day. And when they’re made in Canada and you can tell a story about the artisan behind the product, that just adds another layer of special meaning. Here are some more ideas…

1. Artwork by Alanna Cavanagh
“An Empty Belly” ($125) by Toronto artist Alanna Cavanagh would make a fantastic piece for a kitchen or informal dining nook. Cavanagh’s clients include The New York Times, Penguin Books and The Hudson’s Bay Co. (where you can pick up one of her limited edition tea towels.)

2. Ceramics by Ceramik B.
Ceramik B. is a Montreal based ceramic studio that produces refined porcelain pieces. We love the modern lines, organic form and muted palette of their collection. Pieces start at $26.

3. Charcuterie board from On Our Table
Geoffrey Lilge’s charcuterie boards (from $150) are made in Canada from solid FSC-certified walnut. A beautiful alternative to a ceramic serving plate, these serving pieces are finished with a natural oil/beeswax mixture to show a rich patina. More shapes and sizes available here.

4. A set of table linens
Table linens are one of those things that are difficult to fork out on for yourself but a gorgeous thing to receive. There are many amazing options from Canadian designers, like Schoolyard Studio, Pehr Designs and, the ones shown here (set of 6, $75), from Freshly Printed.

5. Dalhaus Art striped bottle vase
How about a trio of these striped bottle vases ($44 each) by Vancouver’s Heather Braun-Dahl. We love the idea of mix-and-matching three complementary colours to display on a table or mantle.

6. MacCausland blanket
MacAusland’s Woollen Mills is the only mill in Atlantic Canada still producing traditional blankets ($88 for a Queen size) of 100% virgin wool. The Prince Edward Island mill still uses old fashioned machinery to produce a top quality product woven with old fashioned charm. Image via.

7. Berry Bowl by Kosoy & Bouchard
Toronto-based Kosoy & Bouchard‘s berry bowl ($120) is an ideal gift for a summer wedding. Who could resist a crop of local berries presented in this gorgeous and practical piece? The couple behind this creation were recently featured on a H&H TV video where you can see inside their studio and learn more about their processes and philosophy.

8. Brenda Watts rolling pin
Hand-turned in Prince Edward Island, Brenda Watts‘ rolling pins (from $50) are a must-have for an domestic god or goddess. Whether it’s a French pin or a classic old-fashioned, hers are those baking tools anybody will want to keep on proud display.

9. Nicole Tarasick Great Lakes pillow
For some modern Canadiana, check out Toronto-based Nicole Tarasick’s screenprinted pillows (from $45) – we love these graphic pillows… perfect for either modern condo or country cabin!

10. Pottery by JustWork
JustPotters is one of the innovative social enterprises of JustWork Economic Initiative. They employ individuals in our Vancouver Pottery studio who have barriers to traditional employment. An assortment of their beautiful pottery (honey pot $43, butter dish $43) would complement most informal dining sets.

One hot and steamy night this week, we found ourselves on the couch watching Global B.C.’s News Hour Final. As is often the case, we were enjoying a tall glass of Baja Rosa on ice and the witty repartee between broadcasters Randene Neill and Squire Barnes. While the dynamic duo discussed summertime fashion dos and don’ts, something caught our eye and stopped us dead in our dairy-and-tequila-induced intoxication. Up on the screen flashed an image of a shirtless, muscle-bound man wearing nothing but a midnight black Speedo, or “banana hammock” as it’s known in the scientific community—only the man’s head had been replaced with the sizable noggin of News Hour anchor Chris Gailus. It was a cheap and crude bit of Photoshop trickery that immediately struck a chord with us for some reason, and then we realized why. We were the ones who had crudely affixed Gailus’s mountainous skull atop a bodybuilder wearing a skimpy pair of Speedos for that very image.

We had written about Gailus in K&K way back in May 2009, after we spotted him at Whole Foods and were taken aback by how ripped a dude he was. Seriously, the man is a tree. We then speculated on how he’d fare in a fight with various Global News personalities at the time. We figured he could take human tortoise Tony Parsons, but might have his hands full with wily Deb Hope. To bring the entire piece home, we found a picture of a bodybuilder mid-pose and ineptly cut and pasted Gailus’s meat mask atop the model’s diced torso. It was not our finest Photoshop creation, but it suited our purposes.

We had all but forgotten about our buff muscle collage until it appeared on News Hour Final a few days ago. Did K&K get any credit for our portrait of Gailus in a Speedo (which really should be the title of a Smiths’ song)? No. But then again, we didn’t credit where we found the original photos of the bodybuilder or Gailus, nor do we remember. We’re just happy our artistic vision has reached a new audience and, much like Gailus’s Clydesdale thighs and cannon-like biceps, continues to grow.

Art lovers have their choice of museums to visit in their travels, but some of them stand head and shoulders above the rest.

The Art Newspaper recently compiled attendance figures for the world’s greatest art museums and here are the ones that topped the list. How many have you visited?

1. Louvre – Paris, France

Perennially at the top of the list, the Louvre drew a million more visitors last year thanks to the opening of a new wing dedicated to Islamic art.
Number of visitors in 2012: 9.7 million

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York City, USA

Visitor numbers were boosted in 2012 due to the opening of galleries dedicated to Islamic and American art. Pictured here is a work by Pablo Picasso.
Number of visitors in 2012: 6.1 million

3. British Museum – London, U.K.

While not exclusively an art museum, the venerable London institution of the British Museum has more than its share of art works to qualify as one. These paintings are part of a past exhibit of Iranian art.
Number of visitors in 2012: 5.6 million

4. Tate Modern – London, U.K.

A Damien Hirst retrospective helped push the Tate up the charts ahead of its National Gallery competitor. Here, a visitor admires a work by Roy Lichtenstein.
Number of visitors in 2012: 5.3 million

5. National Gallery – London, U.K.

London’s best show of pre-20th century art in 2012 was Leonardo which ran at the National Gallery, helping boost its visitor numbers for the year.  Here a visitor studies Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens when it was on display at the museum.
Number of visitors in 2012: 5.1 million

“Its all about the light,” said my inn hostess, “Once you walk around town, you’ll begin to understand.”

Located 40 kilometres northeast of Boston, the town of Rockport is a popular summer destination for those living in the Northeast. In less than two hours visitors will leave the big city to be confronted with the wild landscape of coastal Massachusetts and a town of less than 7,000 residents year-round, but welcomes more than three times that number durinh the summer.

Perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Rockport has all the worthy characteristics of a small town – gift-laden boutiques, one main street, a few restaurants and diners – and a distinct lack of slick, chain-style establishments.

Wandering downtown Rockport, its easy to see a local fisherman bringing in the daily catch for tonight’s dinner.

It’s that quaint quality that has made this port an artistic destination. For the past 160 years Rockport has attracted painters to document its landscape – from the harbour’s docks to the numerous wood buildings and clapboard houses that make up the town.

And what’s all the fuss all about?  It’s all because of a red fishing shack better known as Motif #1. This unassuming building located on Bradley Wharf has become the one of the most painted and photographed buildings in America.

All year-long, but especially in the summer months, hordes of artists arrive in Rockport, eager to add their interpretation to the thousands of sketches, watercolours, oil paintings, sculptures and photographs of the town’s landscape and architecture. As locals will repeat to any visitor, it really is all about the light – and the views are a constant inspiration.

Although a fishing shack is the most popular lure to Rockport, the town has many other ways to keep a visitor entertained. Exploring the Bearskin Neck area near the harbour is a laid-back excursion for those who want to find that perfect marine souvenir, whether it’s a local arts and craft objet, a t-shirt with a funny saying or a place to watch the harbour activity.

There several art galleries in town, from the Rockport Art Association galleries to the individual shops found along Main Street, each showcasing every possible medium from traditional oil to photography – all for sale to bring home your own sample of the Rockport creative spirit if the impetus to take up a brush doesn’t strike.

There’s the town beach and several walking paths, and the ability to find some space, take in the sea air and contemplate why the light is so unique in this Massachusetts town.

Visiting Rockport:

Marine souvenirs and local crafts are easily found in Rockport’s Bearskin Neck neighbourhood.

Getting here: Travellers from Eastern Canada, direct flights to Boston are available from most major Canadian cities – the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) offers daily train service from the airport to its main downtown hub to connect to daily train service to Rockport.

Accommodation: There are numerous inns, like the Seventh South Street Inn, furnished with local antiques, ceramics and Americana and offering a hearty homemade breakfast every morning. Perched on the hill, the Inn provides a map of walks around town, to explore the art galleries, Bearskin Neck shopping area or to get away from the crowds to find a quiet spot by the sea. Check out Inns of Rockport for more options.

Dining:  For tasty local fish and seafood options, pick a window table at Ellen’s Harborside, with a view of the boats bringing in the daily catch and enjoy house specialities like a Lobster BLT , Lobster Roll or classic fish and chips. For a romantic dinner, Emerson Inn by the Sea offers a historic ambience with classic Massachusetts cuisine on the menu.

Attractions: In addition to the plethora of visual art, this small town boasts an amazing music venue – the Shalin Liu Performance Centre, which hosts musical performances and movie nights in a contemporary wood design with an unique feature – behind the stage is a window with a view of the sea.

Weather: May to September temperature averages from 24-27C

What did Ke$ha do to piss off the Directioners — aka One Direction fans? Well, technically nothing, but the starlet says that she’s afraid that the British boy band’s legion of fans are going to go after her.

File that under #FirstWorldProblems.

Yes, for realsies, Ke$ha recently told LOOK magazine that she struck up a friendship with Taylor Swift’s ex, Harry Styles, and, of course, the dating rumours began to fly.

According to the mag, Ke$ha admitted to having a teensy crush on him but insists that they’re “just friends.”

“I hope they don’t want to beat me up, I’m just a fan too,” she told the mag.

“He and I are just friends. Actually we started texting a long time ago and we’re just friendly, it’s not sexy,” she assured Directioner fans of the magazine.

The glitter gal also opened up about her girl crush, too! It turns out, just like everyone else that eats, breathes, and lives that, she too, has a crush on Beyoncé.

“I think she might actually be perfect. I show my flaws – they’re real,” she said.

“I don’t have a perfect body. It’s important for girls to see that you don’t have to be perfect.”

Related articles

• Ke$ha’s Lip Tat Hater Message (starpittsburgh.cbslocal.com)
• Ke$ha made own clothes as a teen (contactmusic.com)

The annual Art Basel has put Miami on the international map for visual arts, attracting fans and collectors from around the globe.

For those seeking up and coming contemporary artists, take to the streets of the Wynwood Arts District and be prepared for a unbelievable discovery of hundreds of examples of graffiti.

This district is championed by the Wyndwood Arts District Association (WADA), a local organization that highlights all things happening in this area, which is bordered on the edge of the Design District and Miami Beach, between Highway 95 and Biscayne Boulevard, from 37^th Street NW to 20^th Street NW.

An area once known best as the home of the police impound yard, wholesale fashion warehouses and auto-body shops has become the go-to place for urban artists, many of which are only known by their style or character, and has now begun to attract the well-known names like Shepard Fairey and Banksy.

There are endless examples of unique graffiti styles in the Wynwood Arts District.

Unlike many cities that want to avoid graffiti or don’t have the space for dedicated areas, the Wynwood area has welcomed the urban artists, with many buildings encouraging the creative expressions once relegated to abandoned buildings and train yards.

Slap on the walking shoes, pick an intersection and start wandering – from the traditional neon scripts and tags to political statements about poverty and housing to the bold interpretations of people and pop culture icons, the murals reflect the changes in the urban areas of this city as well as a sense of humour and observations of daily life.

Don’t be shy to wander down side streets to see graffiti on loading dock doors, on the side of warehouses and in the nooks and crannies between buildings. In the fashion wholesale warehouse area of Wynwood, there are murals lining North Miami Avenue, with graffiti found on the side streets.

One of the unique participants to this district is Primary Flight, a mural creation company, who host 250 international artists every year during Art Basel to create collaborative murals on the streets of the Wynwood Arts District.

Mural company Primary Flight invites artists every year to create unique pieces in the Wynwood Arts District.

For those who want to see modern art that may not exist tomorrow, let alone next month, the Wynwood Arts District, with a growing collection of cool restaurants and contemporary galleries, is an amazing place to see graffiti right now.

And it won’t cost you one penny – all these murals and graffiti are easily spotted from the sidewalk and the street.

Visiting Wynwood Arts District:

Getting there – Visitors to Miami are best-served to come by rollerblade, bicycle or car to traverse this vast area.

Attractions – the district may be dominated by the urban art forms, but there are several galleries, performance spaces, studios and alternative art spaces offering a wealth of art experiences, including Second Saturday each month from 7-10pm for the monthly art walk. The annual Art Wynwood festival happens every February to showcase the art scene of this neighbourhood.

Dining: Joey’s Italian Café  is a laid-back placeoffering Italian faves – and is open for breakfast early and until late for cocktails on weekends. If you have a craving for street food, but don’t want to find the food trucks, take a seat at Bloom, serving Latin American and Asian tapas.

Canada’s national poet has warned that the taxpayer-funded position risks becoming “homogenized and diluted” and expressed frustration that during his two-year term in Ottawa he’s been asked to produce just one work — a “mediocre” poem about Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee — while many more serious, controversial subjects have escaped the official attention of the parliamentary poet laureate.

“I wish that my government had asked me to write poetry about immigration policy, about Idle No More, about Canada’s complicity in the Middle East, the Enbridge pipeline,” Vancouver-based Fred Wah, a Saskatchewan-born poet who won the 1985 Governor General’s Award, recently told an audience at an Edmonton literary festival. “I haven’t been asked to do any of those things.”

Wah’s comments and those of a dozen other Canadian provincial or municipal poets laureate — as well as Scotland’s official “Makar”, or national poet, Liz Lochhead — were recorded in April at Edmonton’s Word Nation poetry festival and broadcast Monday on the CBC Radio program Ideas.

The festival discussion and the Ideas documentary explored the challenges facing Wah and other such “public poets,” who are typically appointed to promote a love of literature in their respective jurisdictions but also to produce occasional poems celebrating significant events or milestones.

Wah, in words reminiscent of TV’s never-needed Maytag repairman, lamented parliamentarians’ apparent lack of interest in tapping their official poet to illuminate more “difficult” issues facing Canadians.

“I detect sometimes — particularly in the role of poet laureate — the notion that poetry is going to be of some relief to the difficulties of the world, it’s going to provide . . . that quiet place,” Wah said. “But I don’t want to see it simplified and homogenized and diluted, so that we use it as something that’s going to avoid what is difficult.”

Quoting 19th century British poet John Keats’ famous line from Ode on a Grecian Urn — “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” — Wah called the idea “great,” then quickly added: “But where did it get us? We’re in a real shitty place in our world right now. It’s difficult. I’m confused. My poetry is one way that I address my confusion. It’s difficult — it’s not easy poetry. But that’s where I feel I have to work with language — because poetry is also work.”

Wah then offered his list of what would have been more worthy topics for Canada’s national poet to tackle under the laureate’s mandate, apparently taking aim at the Conservative government’s controversial immigration reforms, its protest-sparking legislative agenda on aboriginal issues, its strong backing for Israel, and its openness to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

Wah, who was travelling Tuesday, couldn’t be reached for further comment. But he suggested in the panel discussion that while he remains free to write about such issues in his personal poetry, the only formal request made of him since being named laureate in December 2011 was to compose some lines on the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign, which took place in February 2012.

“I’m not a royalist, but I took it on,” said Wah. “And I wrote a mediocre poem. It was OK; it worked, and some people liked it.”

That poem, titled The Snowflake Age, begins with an epigraph drawn from a 1952 Nelson, B.C., newspaper article quoting the young Queen’s famous pledge — made following the death of her father, King George VI — that, ‘My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”

Wah’s poem, notable for its autobiographical references (he was 13 at the time and living near Nelson) and italicized pronouns, begins:

She said looking through the monarchy of pronouns Her halftone face profiles the moment/ On our kitchen table headlines mourn the proper Object of our common vale of memory and becoming

The Parliamentary Poet Laureate position was created in 2002 and Wah is the fifth to hold the post. Each laureate receives a $20,000 stipend each year, along with a $13,000 annual travel budget and $20,000 annual programming budget to pay for special events, initiatives, translations and other costs.

Over the course of each two-year appointment, the total allocation amounts to $106,000. There are no specific expectations about how many poems are to be produced during each laureate’s tenure.

Benoit Morin, the Library of Parliament’s director of public education and the administrator of the poet laureate program, confirmed with Postmedia News that Wah has received just one “official” request to produce a poem since assuming the post. That came, through Morin, from Senate Speaker Noel Kinsella, who asked Wah to write the Queen’s Jubilee poem.

Morin indicated that there’s no constraint on the poet laureate about what he or she writes other than a general understanding about the general fairness expected of an Officer of Parliament.

Specifically asked if there are rules against creating “partisan poetry,” Morin said: “No. We hope that the poet laureate will keep in mind that he or she is an officer of Parliament — technically an officer of the Library of Parliament — and act accordingly. But that’s it.”

He added that Wah is “actually a pretty engaged poet laureate. He doesn’t necessarily talk about partisan politics or anything like that, but there are definitely some political opinions in his works, that’s for sure” — though Morin was referring to poetry published by Wah over many decades.

Other poets laureate attending the Edmonton festival discussed the special challenge of producing “public” as opposed to “personal” poetry.

The City of Calgary’s first and current poet laureate, Kris Demeanor, mentioned that one of his first commissions was to produce a poem marking last year’s 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.

“It’s an interesting question,” he said. “How can you be subversive, how can you bring that revolutionary spirit into your work, while still doing something that supposedly celebrates an event? It’s a tall order.”

Demeanor said he was drawn to writing about the “hundreds of prostitutes that come up to Calgary during the Stampede to service the hundreds of roughnecks who come down with tons of disposable income,” but “they didn’t tell me there’d be a bunch of kids there. And I didn’t get asked to do it again.”

Bruce Meyer, the poet laureate of Barrie, Ont., described how he has been asked to write poems about the city’s farmer’s market and the installation of a new police chief.

The challenge, he said, is to “fire the public’s imagination” about the power of poetry.

In his role as the parliamentary poet laureate, Wah has regularly appeared at various events — including the Word Nation festival and a recent forum in Ottawa titled The Political Poem — and serves as a kind of cultural “ambassador,” said Morin.

He also noted that Wah is using part of his funding as poet laureate to create a YouTube channel devoted to celebrating Canadian poetry through readings by some of the country’s top poets.

The Library of Parliament recently invited applications from Canadian poets, hoping to become the country’s next parliamentary laureate. In keeping with one of the provisions of the program, the next laureate will be a French-Canadian poet.

Although Wah has received only one request and produced only one official poem during his 18 months as laureate, the position is not being targeted by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a spokesman told Postmedia News on Tuesday.

“Many nations have a poet laureate or official national poet,” said Gregory Thomas, federal director of the watchdog organization. “You know, $20,000 a year — well, we’re still paying (Sen.) Mike Duffy $132,000 a year.

“By all accounts, this gentleman (Fred Wah) is an accomplished poet of longstanding, and keeps up a very busy schedule. . . . It’s hard to quibble with his $20,000 stipend or his $13,000 expense allowance. There are much bigger fish to fry than the poet laureate of Canada, I would say.”

rboswell@postmedia.com

Fred Wah, Canada’s current parliamentary poet laureate, says he’s so far been asked to write just one poem during his two-year term as the country’s official verse-maker, which ends in December. In 2012, Senate Speaker Noel Kinsella asked him to produce a poem about Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee — the 60th anniversary of her reign. Wah’s “mediocre” poem, as he describes it, is titled The Snowflake Age, and is reproduced in full below. It can also be found at the parliamentary poet laureate website:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/Poet/index.asp?language=E&param=0

THE SNOWFLAKE AGE

“My whole life, whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service…but I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me as I now invite you to do. God help me to make good my vow.” Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Daily News, February 7, 1952

She said looking through the monarchy of pronouns Her halftone face profiles the moment

On our kitchen table headlines mourn the proper Object of our common vale of memory and becoming

Dots of quiet morning snow outside the window 724 Victoria Street then Kootenay Lake the mountain

Mist-hackled town’s companion traced as Elephant You take on the words new news so we too

Mark our time momentarily collected public Memory longs for its own kind of peacefulness

All day soft snow hushes the valley but For the truck chains clanking up Stanley

The sovereign We “… seemed for a moment As though the heartbeat of a nation stopped”

That day your other you as white as the snow Fell over the town and drifted into the bank

Of memory just like the city bus I always needs Another pronoun for the we is speaking middle

Voice Dominion over CKLN radio’s hourly news Sanding in progress up Josephine all clear tonight

My Tenderfoot to King’s Scout posing who
 Is the many might be the mercy of whose light

Or how to function as the subject of what long Moment caught within each sentence

Let’s not forget – between – the words the traces We’ll line them up for their long parade

The street’s been plowed for their cavalcade I Me You

Your They My We

this rime of snowy faces

Walking the streets of Quebec’s largest city, visitors will sense the unmistakeable mix of European historical influences and a contemporary dash of Québécois style in Montreal.

A pedestrian-friendly city as well as being bike-positive thanks to the Bixi bicycle-rental program, Montreal welcomes travellers to come get a taste – whether its art, cuisine, festivals or pop culture.

For those wanting to visit for a weekend or a week this summer, Montreal has many lures:

1. Chihuly: Utterly Breathtaking at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts – a fiery yellow explosion of glass greets visitors to the exhibition of American glass artist Dale Chihuly. Inspired by the museum galleries now displaying his nature-influenced works, Chihuly’s eight installations of brilliantly-coloured glass resemble gardens, forests and flowers. Spend time in the installation ‘Plafond persan’, with a ceiling adorned with glass creations and beanbag chairs to encourage the best view.  On exhibit until October 20.

Montreal’s streets are now welcoming food trucks, such as Grumman ’78 to bring local cuisine streetside.

2. Just for Laughs Festival – one of the largest comedy festivals of North America, there’s plenty of places to get you chuckling in both official languages. Whether it’s the comedic stylings of Amy Shumer, Danny Bhoy or well-known duo Colin and Bob or themed shows such as Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody or Date Night: The Relationship Show, prepare for endless bellyaching side effects. Performances until July 28.

3. Mosaïcultures Internationales at Jardin Botanique – the lush gardens that face the Olympic Stadium that was host to the 1976 Summer Olympics are now displaying a unique sculpture exhibition created from plant materials. Realistic wild boar and buffalo, whimsical lemurs and elegant Mother Earth are some of the creatures and fairy-tale inspired displays showcasing a wide variety of modern horticultural arts from Canadian and international artists. On exhibit until September 29.

4. Mural Festival – the city’s inaugural street art festival debuted in June and visitors for the next year can walk to view the outdoor gallery, found along a two-kilometre stretch of The Main on Boulevard Saint-Laurent. The two- and three-storey murals showcase a wide variety of influences from social to political from 20 muralists including Jason Botkin, Phlegm, Chris Dyer, Reka One and Christina Angelina.

5. Streetfood MTL via Cuisine de Rue – 17 food trucks are now luring diners for street-side tasty eats, a new pilot program of the downtown borough of Ville-Marie. Long lineups are tell-tale signs of the popularity of the vendors, especially with each truck related to a bricks and mortar local restaurant. Every day food trucks such as Grumman ’78, Le Tuck Tuck and Crepe Moi! are found at one of nine designated spots or at different summer festivals. Pilot program until September 29.

6. Music – Major music festivals such as Les FrancoFolies and the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal may be better known, but they’re part of a long line up of summer music festivals which encompass a wide range of styles including electronica, reggae and blues. Contemporary music fans of Coachella or Bonnaroo now add Osheaga to their must-attend list, while those looking for the next big thing make sure to wander the multiple venues during POP Montreal.

Visiting Montreal:

Marche Jean Talon offers shoppers the best of Quebec’s locally-grown and produced ingredients, seven days a week.

Getting here – all major airlines have multiple daily flights to Montreal’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport, but another option is leisurely VIA Rail, with complimentary Wi-Fi for all passengers.

Accommodation – the iconic Marriott Montreal Chateau Champlain, locally referred to as the ‘cheese-grater’ due to its unique 1960s architectural style, is an elegant respite from the busy streets of Ville Marie. Centrally located and connected by underground to the VIA Rail station as well as the local Métro, the hotel’s friendly and savvy staff are great resources for local tips on navigating the city.

Dining – visitors MUST try locally-made bagels and smoked meat, intrinsic to the gastronomy of Montreal, as this city is well-known for its fixation on cuisine from classic French to contemporary trends. Make tracks to Marché Jean Talon, to revel in the locally-grown and produced ingredients. Food Lab, found within avante-garde music and art venue of the SAT (Société des arts technologique) features a different menu each week celebrating a different global cuisine, with a dash of Montreal style, while for an old world Italian dining experience, Restaurant D’Emma in Old Montreal offers classic Roman dishes such as burrata, marinated artichokes, gnocchi or roast lamb, all done under the loving eye of co-owner Emma Risa and her impeccably detailed staff.

Weather – average temperatures for July-August are 25-30C

Known by its moniker Steeltown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a tough city. It has weathered the effects of decades of industry, became a haven for waves of immigration and is now a city that celebrates its historical past as well as its art-filled future. For visitors in the 21st century, Pittsburgh is a destination of the art world thanks to three key people.

It started with two men of industry whose careers started here – Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. These two men, whose work and lives were linked intrinsically with Pittsburgh, both moved to New York City, not unlike native son Andy Warhol, who benefitted from the old school patronage to take his artistic sensibilities and became one of the 20th century’s best known artists.

Carnegie and Frick’s art devotion was fueled in Pittsburgh where they established private collections in their homes which are now the core of public art galleries and museums. The Frick Art & Historical Center and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, including The Warhol Museum, continue their patronage of arts and sciences – alongside modern additions to the city such as The Mattress Factory of Art and The Westmoreland @30. 

From parking garage murals to iron floral sculptures in downtown green spaces, Pittsburgh showcases public art.

The art-obsessed can also benefit from festivals such as Art all Night in the Lawrenceville neighbourhood, the 10-day Three Rivers Arts Festival held every June and the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival in July, all celebrating the plethora of visual and performing arts.

This city features the only bridge in the United States named for a visual artist: the Seventh Street Bridge was renamed in 2005, on the 10^th anniversary of the opening of the Andy Warhol Museum, located on the north shore at the end of this bridge. And its Warhol who requested his personal collection be transformed into a gallery in his hometown, which has helped spotlight the growing contemporary art scene.

But one bridge, a few galleries and annual festivals aren’t the only key to this city’s artistic soul: Pittsburgh streets are a gallery of sculptures, distinct architecture, colourful murals and installations thanks to several local programs and patrons.

Bronze sculptures of popular players from the city’s team The Pirates surround PNC Park, a popular mural – the Two Andys by Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro showcase Carnegie and Warhol downtown, while  an LED installation lights up the Convention Center, all modern examples of the city’s commitment to art. It’s easy to find art in Pittsburgh – just start walking around.

Visiting Pittsburgh:

Robert Clemente is permanently on display at PNC Park while the Liberty Avenue Musicians are entertaining in the Cultural District of downtown.

Getting here – located in the western part of Pennsylvania, the city is easily reached through all major airlines, and for roadtrippers is a popular summer destination in the northeast.

Accommodation – the easily-spotted Renaissance Hotel, is the former Fulton Building, originally constructed in 1906  and has been an office building, WWII hospital and nightclub. Located steps from PNC Park and the Theatre District, guests should request a room overlooking the river, to see the action on the baseball diamond.

Dining – head to the Strip District Market to wander for local cuisine, produce and unique local gifts and crafts or consider taking a tour with Burghs & Bites Food Tour – a multicultural tour option to taste your way through Brookline, a neighbourhood that welcomes the waves of immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Culture tip – Visitors should pick up a complimentary copy of Pittsburgh Art in Public Places - a series of self-guided walking tours of downtown Pittsburgh to find art at your own pace.

Weather – temperatures range from 25-30C in July and August

This historic New England city may be known for its prominent role in American history and for its devoted sports fans, but for those who love visual arts, Boston has many options to indulge in everything from medieval to modern.

For art-obsessed travellers, Beantown offers a wide variety of styles and time periods, and a visit to to three neighbourhoods is a way to indulge in visual offerings and partake in local culture.

Home to several colleges, the Fens and Fenway Park, Back Bay is home to:

The Grand Circle Gallery has classic examples of the way we used to travel.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – indulge in French impressionism, art of the Americas, mid-century photography or 19^th century watercolours – and realize that’s just the beginning – how about musical instruments, textiles or jewellery? The extensive permanent collection and touring exhibitions makes for a day well-spent. Must see: Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, housed in a building designed by I.M Pei and featuring art from Betty Goodman, Andy Warhol, Chuck Close and El Anatsui.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – the first American woman art collector, Mrs. Gardner built a four storey Italian palazzo to house her collection which includes Greek and Roman antiquities, Medieval religious iconography, Renaissance paintings, textiles, sculptures, ceramics, watercolours and pen and ink drawings from past centuries. Must see: a portrait Mrs.Gardner done by close friend American painter John Singer Sargent as well as Sargent’s painting El Jaleo.

The up and coming Fort Point neighbourhood is reinventing the Boston waterfront and warehouse district:

The Institute of Contemporary Art – featuring modern artists of many disciplines, visitors can expect to see art from Nan Goldin, Shepard Fairey, Damian Ortega, Cindy Sherman and Thomas Hirschhorn, working in mediums such as mixed media, video, photography and sculpture. Must see: Josiah McElheny’s glass installation Czech Modernism Mirrored and Reflected Infinity (2005).

Even the Boston electrical boxes are taken over by artists.

Grand Circle Gallery – located within Grand Circle Travel Agency, this gallery celebrates the golden age of travel with regular exhibits showing vintage destination posters, 19^th century fashion, historic maps and travel paraphernalia of the past from luggage to travel guides. Must see: aerial mountain photography by Bradford Washburn.

Boston’s South End mixes tree-lined streets, three story brick buildings and a boho spirit:

SoWa Artists Guild – a collective of over 50 artists and 15 galleries, the non-profit guild aims to educate as well as instill a love of the visual art in visitors. Located near the lively Tremont Street shopping strip, visitors will discover their new favourite Boston artists. Must see: First Fridays, to give the curious more insight into the artistic process.

Boston Center for the Arts – featuring visual and performing arts, this center provides access to contemporary artists through its Mills Gallery, Artists in Residence program and over 30 studio artists producing printmaking, painting, sculpture and craftspeople. Must see: The Beehive, a restaurant/club within the centre offering a unique combination of visual art, live music, tasty libations and Mediterranean cuisine.

The intimate lobby area of The Copley Square Hotel is a welcome respite after exploring Boston.

Visiting Boston:

Travelling here: All major airlines fly via Boston’s Logan Airport – and for those Canadians living in eastern Canada, Porter Airlines provides direct flights from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport.

Accommodation: The centrally located Copley Square Hotel makes it easy to head into the Back Bay area, to walk to Beacon Hill or to head into the South End. With its cosy and elegant atmosphere, early-risers are given walking/running maps, water and granola bars while later in the day, there’s cinq a sept complimentary drinks for pre-evening planning.

Cultural tips: Check out the websites of the different galleries as several offer discount admissions or free access on certain days.

Weather: August to September temperatures range from 24-28C.

Moments after Deborah Davidson gave birth, her premature babies — both of whom died post-delivery in the mid-1970s — were brusquely taken away. She never got to see them, to hold them, or even to say goodbye.

Today, the York University sociologist honours their brief lives with two butterfly tattoos on her leg, and is fascinated by the vast number of Canadians who have inked similar tributes on their own flesh. To that end, Davidson is developing what she believes will be the world’s first comprehensive digital archive of memorial tattoos, envisioned as a “cultural heritage site” for the various remembrances — lost loves, deceased pets, and even expired relationships — that literally left their mark on those left behind.

“These tattoos open dialogue about the deceased, and about people’s experiences of love and loss,” said Davidson. “Their loved ones are embodied permanently on them, so they’re permanently with them.”

Currently in the prototype phase, the archive will include photos of memorial tattoos, along with written, audio, and video narratives putting the images in context.

Betty-Lou’s leg ‘sleeves’

A woman identified as Betty-Lou, for instance, sleeved both legs from knee to ankle with a tribute to her son, who died at age 25 after a battle with addiction and mental illness. The memorial’s sheer size is intended to reflect the weight of the woman’s grief, and her 12-year journey toward healing.

Heidi’s tattoo, of attention-grabbing piano notes, is actually the sheet music to her deceased parents’ song. She wanted people to ask about the ink as a gateway to sharing her folks’ story.

Phyllis, meanwhile, has a tattoo of a soccer ball with angel wings as a way of memorializing her daughter — an avid player of the game — whom she lost after the torment of school bullies led the girl to take her own life.

Tattoo artist Nadine Mitchell said memorial ink has become so popular, it accounts for “every second or third” commission at her Winnipeg studio.

“There’s a healing involved in receiving a tattoo that’s a memorial. Sometimes it’s a way of bringing the pain out,” said Mitchell, owner of Metamorphosis Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing. “We get the privilege of being part of people’s grieving process.”

Mitchell said replicas of a loved one’s handwriting or signature are trendy, while other jobs are a slower build — such as the client she worked on earlier this week.

“We started by doing his wife’s name and blood drops for every year she has been passed. It’s been four years and we’re still going through it,” said Mitchell.

Those interested in contributing to York’s forthcoming archive, for which the initial goal is 500 images, are invited to send their name and contact information to yorktattooarchive@gmail.com. Samples are currently displayed in an online gallery (http://bit.ly/13SRF4f), though that site isn’t representative of what the final archive will be.

mharris@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/popcultini

You can retire from TV, but you can never get away from science — especially if you inculcated a lifelong interest in how things work from a young age. Jay Ingram, one of the original hosts of Discovery Canada’s Daily Planet newsmagazine, gets in touch with his inner child with his return-to-TV special You Couldn’t Do This.

Ingram explores the science behind magicians’ death-defying acts, showing how the most dangerous stunts can’t be explained away by illusion, misdirection and sleight-of-hand. Sometimes, what magicians do is real, aided and abetted by the old-fashioned laws of physics. Understanding science can make it possible for a human being to be fired from a cannonball or contort oneself into innumerable different positions and poses, all of them painful. Seeing is believing, they say, but one of the first laws of science is that you can’t always trust your eyesight alone to tell you what’s going on.

True, by taking a hard, science-based look at the world of illusion, Ingram risks playing the part of party-pooper. Ingram is more science nerd than spoilsport, though, and You Couldn’t Do This is worlds removed from Breaking the Magician’s Code.

(Breaking the Magician’s Code, for those not up on their TV lore, was an infamous — and controversial — series of exposés of magicians’ tricks that aired on the Fox network in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and it ruined magic for a generation of young, would-be believers. The “magician’s code,” similar to the Hippocratic Oath — and about as effective — insists that magicians never reveal the secrets behind their tricks, or else face banishment by their fellow illusionists.)

Ingram risks playing the part of party-pooper.

Ingram is greying and pushing 70 now, but from the outset of You Couldn’t Do This he retains a giddy, boyish enthusiasm for the magic arts. In the opening minutes, he journeys to snowbound Freyung, Germany, where he meets Zlata the Contortionist, real-name Julia Gunthel, whom he can’t spot at first because she’s locked herself inside what looks like an oversized hat box. When he does spot her, she appears normal in every way; physically and facially, she could pass for a younger, leaner, slightly shorter Ivanka Trump.

Through infrared film technology and the expert testimony of real-world scientists like Dr. Alexander Ball, professor of pathology at McMaster University, Ingram shows how it’s physically possible for contortionists, sword-swallowers and fire-eaters to do what they do without causing themselves serious bodily injury.

Ingram has been “at this science stuff” for some years now, having parachuted in for David Suzuki as host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks in the late 1970s — a mere blink ago, in geological time — before handing off to Bob McDonald in 1992.

Daily Planet’s original name was @discovery.ca. The year was 1995, and the Internet was still growing at the time. Popular sci-fi shows of the day included Star Trek: Voyager, Sliders, Goosebumps, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Outer Limits remake and Nowhere Man, starring a young(ish) Bruce Greenwood as a war correspondent whose identity is erased after he takes a controversial photo — back in the day when media organizations were profitable and journalists were considered heroes.

Science doesn’t have to be dry and dull, and Ingram does a nice job of popularizing the laws of physics, biology and body chemistry. You Couldn’t Do This is code for “Don’t try this at home,” but it’s catchy viewing on an otherwise slow TV Friday. (Discovery, 7 ET/4 PT)

Three to See

• Stubble-faced arms dealers, Colombian drug lords, Islamist extremists, Amazon assassins, mad mullahs, aid wankers, liberals, peaceniks, journalists and anyone wearing eyeglasses — all the old enemies are back in a new season of the trashy but peculiarly addictive thriller Strike Back, in which Sullivan Stapleton, Philip Winchester and new hire Robson Green play righteous mercenaries making the world safe from nefarious baddies. Green is one of the good guys — for now — but in shows like Strike Back, one can never tell. He wears a suit and tie, after all, which is a mark against him right there. (HBO, 9 ET/MT, 8 PT)

• In a Shark Tank repeat from March, an enterprising fella from Hawley, Pa., shocks the Sharks with his electro-shock bird feeder that gives an unwanted surprise to invasive squirrels that try to poach food from the birds. Sadly, Kevin O’Leary does not ask if the electro-shock feeder can be adapted to people, but then that would’ve been rude. (CTV, 8 ET/PT, 9 MT; ABC, 9 ET/PT)

• The Fifth Estate repeats a program from earlier in the year, in which correspondent Mark Kelley looks at the second anniversary of the earthquake in Tohoku, Japan, and subsequent tsunami from the point of view of “the second wave” and how it affected the B.C. coast and linked several Canadian and Japanese lives in unexpected ways. (CBC, 9 ET/PT)

Travel photos are a dime a dozen, but travel sketches are a lot rarer.

Instead of snapping off dozens of photos to record his memories of a place he visits, Chandler O’Leary slows down and takes the time to sketch what he sees. Doubtless, this cements these moments even firmer in his memory than any snapshot can.

O’Leary collects his lovely drawings on his website Drawn The Road Again. The drawings are posted in no particular order so each new post is a surprise.

The artist lives in Tacoma, Washington so he has plenty of sketches from the Northwest, but he’s been across North America so you can enjoy drawings from all over the place.

He also has some particular interests, such as roadside attractions, back roads, neon and so on. He tags his sketches with these categories so if you want to browse by category, you can.

If you visit his site, don’t be surprised if you are inspired to bring a sketchbook with you on your next vacation.

http://drawntheroadagain.com

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — The Van Gogh Museum says it has identified a long-lost Vincent Van Gogh painting that spent years in a Norwegian attic because it was thought not to be authentic. It is the first full-size canvas by the Dutch master discovered since 1928.

“Sunset at Montmajour” depicts a dry landscape of oak trees, bushes and sky, painted with Van Gogh’s familiar thick brush strokes. It can be dated to the exact day it was painted because Vincent described it in a letter to his brother, Theo, and said he painted it the previous day — July 4, 1888.

He said the painting was done “on a stony heath where small twisted oaks grow.”

Museum experts said the painting was authenticated by Van Gogh’s letters, the style and the physical materials used, and they had traced its history.

Museum director Axel Rueger described the discovery as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” at an unveiling ceremony.

This is a great painting from what many see as the high point of his artistic achievement

“This is a great painting from what many see as the high point of his artistic achievement, his period in Arles, in southern France,” he said. “In the same period he painted works such as ’Sunflowers,’ ’The Yellow House’ and ’The Bedroom’.”

The museum said the painting now belongs to an unidentified private collector and will be on display at the museum from Sept. 24.

It did not disclose full details of how the painting had been recovered, but said that it had been owned by a Norwegian man who had been told it was not by Van Gogh, so it languished for years in his family’s attic.

Van Gogh Museum director Axel Ruger, left, and a security guard, right, stand next to newly discovered “Sunset at Montmajour” after unveiling the painting by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh during a press conference at the museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday Sept. 9, 2013.

Rueger said the museum had itself rejected the painting’s authenticity once in the 1990s, in part because it was not signed by the artist.

But a new two-year investigation had convinced them, with new techniques of chemical analysis of the pigments showing they were identical to others Van Gogh used on his palette at Arles — including typical discolourations.

Meanwhile, an X-ray examination of the canvas showed it was of the same type Van Gogh used on other paintings from the period, such as “The Rocks,” which hangs in Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

Researcher Teio Meedendorp said he and other researchers “have found answers to all the key questions, which is remarkable for a painting that has been lost for more than 100 years.”

The painting was listed among Theo van Gogh’s collection as number 180, and that number can still be seen on the back of the canvas. The work was sold in 1901.

Rueger described “Sunset” as ambitious, because the canvas is relatively large, at 93.3 by 73.3 centimetres (36.7 by 28.9 inches).

“Sunset at Montmajour” by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (AP Photo)

Van Gogh referred to the work in two other letters in the same summer it was painted, saying he was trying to present himself as a “poet” among landscape painters — but he said he considered “Sunset” a failure in several respects.

He made similar remarks about some of his most famous paintings, including the 1889 “Starry Night” that hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Vincent Van Gogh struggled with bouts of mental distress throughout his life, and died of a self-inflicted gun wound in 1890. He sold only one painting while he was alive, though his work was just beginning to win acclaim when he died.

The Van Gogh Museum, which houses 140 of the Dutch master’s works, receives more than a million visitors annually, and Van Gogh paintings are among the most valuable in the world, selling for tens of millions of dollars on the rare occasions one is sold at an auction.

The exact location “Sunset” depicts can be identified: it is near Arles, France, where Van Gogh was living at the time, near Montmajour hill, and the ruins of an abbey of the same name. The abbey can be seen in the background of the work, on the left side.

Researcher Meedendorp said the work was at a “transitional” moment in Van Gogh’s style.

“From then on, Van Gogh increasingly felt the need to paint with more and more impasto (thick strokes using lots of paint) and more and more layers,” he said.

It may be blasphemous to say, but the Mediterranean city of Marseille has become a destination within France that may encourage travellers to bypass its fashionable capital.

Thanks to its unique multicultural mix and long history of encouraging artistic creativity, the second largest city in the country has revitalized and reinvented itself. Marseille had the reputation typical of a port city: a bit rough, definitely dangerous and didn’t have much to offer visitors, except for its access to the fragrant Provence.

Visitors used to bypass Marseille to visit Aix-en-Provence and Arles, known for its connections to artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse and Chagall. But thanks to investments from being chosen the European Capitol of Culture for 2013, Marseille has been updating the old, and showing off the new by creating homegrown contemporary art projects and showcasing its colourful past within the Mediterranean.

The elegant monument of Marseille’s Palais Longchamp is home once again to the city’s Musee des beaux-arts.

Here are five reasons to immerse yourself in Marseille’s arts milieu:

Vieux Port – once a place of fishing boats and pickpockets, a new promenade has made this area a place to see and be seen thanks to the numerous cafes, a new home for local markets and a transport hub for bus, tram, metro and ferry. Currently showcasing sculptures by Salvador Dali, the Vieux Port’s Quai des Belges also features a massive, stainless steel pavilion with a reflective surface, celebrating the endless activity of locals and visitors in this area and weekly souvenir markets showcasing locally created soap, food products and crafts.

La Friche de la belle de mai – this artistic co-operative has created an environment to make art intrinsic to daily life, especially in one of the city’s poorest neighbourhoods. Not only providing an outlet for locals to gather with its skateboard park and café, but also providing in-house artistic residencies, exhibition spaces, office space and even an organic garden. There are constant offerings of photography, dance, theatre and even food trucks, all housed in a former converted factory, itself a gallery with layers of local graffiti.

Palais Longchamp – this pretty park is a lovely place for a picnic and a lavish monument to the Marseille forefathers who brought water to the city. The original home to art and natural history, the Beaux Arts Museum recently reopened with the exhibit Van Gogh to Boronne, tracing the artistic history of the area from the 1880s. The museum will officially reopen in 2014, a permanent showcase for its collection including works by Puget, Courbet, Rubens and Millet.

The new MuCEM, a museum dedicated to the history and peoples of the Mediterranean in Marseille.

MuCEM – the Musée des civilisations de L’Europe et de la Méditerannée is the first part of the J4 project, the rebuilding of an abandoned pier. Connected by a new pedestrian bridge to historic Fort Saint-Jean, the MuCEM celebrates the commonalities of the Mediterranean peoples, and uses the latest technology to offer a multimedia experience that easily pairs with antiquities of past centuries. The Gallery of the Mediterranean highlights the agriculture, trading, religion and civilization of the region.

Neighbourhoods – Marseille’s districts are colourful and photo-worthy – and show the mix of historic and contemporary that has taken hold in this city thanks to its multicultural population.  The boho district of Le Cours Julien, with its backdrop of graffiti murals is the place to buy second-hand books or classic mid-century vinyl while wandering Le Panier’s winding cobblestone streets will reveal endless cafes, local fashion ateliers and unique art galleries.  Take time to wander the Arab Market for spices and clothing or La Plein market for its mix of traditional French offerings from café au lait to tartellettes to stylish leather handbags.

In Marseille’s La Panier neighbourhood, the mix of cultures reveal tasty Italian gelato and modern Moroccan cuisine at new restaurants like Place Lorette.

Visiting Marseille:

How to get here: travellers can access daily flights to Marseille via Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, with Air France and Air Canada offering daily flights to Paris.

Accommodation: visitors should consider staying in the Vieux Port for its central location and easy access to local transit. Hôtel La Residence du Vieux-Port is a high-style boutique hotel, with all rooms offering an encompassing view of the port, numerous amenities, a lovely outdoor terrace for breakfast and a sidewalk café for drinks. Don’t miss the fresh croissants displayed daily outside the relaxing in-house library.

Dining: one of the most famous dishes of the area is bouillabaisse – and the Vieux Port’s Miramar Restaurant Gastronomique’s Chef Christian Buffa is an officially designated creator of this traditional seafood stew, who also offers classes to learn the secrets of the Marsellaise recipe. There are endless places to have good café au lait, croissant, crèpe, and course fresh seafood, but for a different spin, drop into Glacier du Roi for sumptuous italian-style gelato or modern Moroccan cuisine (and home goods) at Place Lorette, both located in Le Panier.

Travel tips: use local transit and definitely go to the local markets – there are different ones every day, offering everything from clothing and toys to locally-sourced Marseille soap and Les herbes des provence.

Weather: temperatures range from highs of 20C to lows of 10C in the Fall months.