Latest news with #artisticExpression
CTV News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
CTV National News: Keeping Indigenous culture alive through art
Watch Allison Bamford speaks with a couple of Indigenous artists to learn how they're reclaiming their culture.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Celebrating Latino heritage: Pedro Veras leads mural project in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD ― Pedro Veras, a Dominican artist, will lead a mural painting event, 'Echoes of Heritage,' set to celebrate Latino culture, artistic expression and economic contributions of the Latino community. The event hosted by the 7 Arts Latino Foundation is designed as an inclusive community event and will take place June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Supermarket, 121 Spring St. The public is invited to watch the mural's installation begin. Students and families from the High School of Science and Technology will work closely with Pedro Veras to create a mural. Jorge Martinez, president and executive director of the 7 Arts Latino Foundation, said the project is more than just a mural; it aims to foster a deeper connection to Latino heritage and create a shared sense of ownership in this public art piece. 'It is a testament to the hard work, cultural richness and dreams of Latino immigrants who have shaped our community,' he said. 'It stands as a symbol of unity, artistic expression and the enduring hope for a better future that resonates with all residents.' Veras brings extensive experience, and his works are exhibited in cities across the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Italy. His vision and talent are anticipated to significantly enhance and create a lasting, inspiring impact on Springfield's cultural landscape, Martinez said. Read the original article on MassLive.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Man's Nazi salute conviction overturned after claim he was copying Ricky Gervais
A man who argued he was merely copying a performance by comedian Ricky Gervais when he performed a Nazi salute outside a Jewish museum has won his bid to overturn the conviction. Ryan Marshall, Anthony Mitchell and Daniel Muston were last October convicted of performing a Nazi salute outside the Sydney Jewish Museum in October of 2023. The trio, working nearby the museum, were on their way back to their work van when they performed Nazi salutes and a goose step one after the other. Marshall, Muston and Mr Mitchell were each convicted and handed down respective fines of $1500, $1000 and $500. All three men appealed their convictions in Sydney's District Court on Friday, the group arguing their actions couldn't be constituted or characterised as a Nazi symbol under the public act. 'Put differently, the issue is whether as a matter of statutory construction the gesture is capable of amounting to a Nazi symbol,' Judge Craig Smith SC told the court on Friday morning. However, the prosecution argued there was 'no basis and it was artificial to limit the definition of a symbol to a tangible object'. Mr Mitchell's lawyer's further argued their client was repeating, reciting or mimicking part of a performance by popular English comedian Ricky Gervais. They argued Mr Mitchell's intent was not subjectively malicious. 'It was submitted that if Mr Gervais' performance was artistic, and the appellant was copying the artistic performance, that what the appellant did (had artistic purpose),' Judge Smith said. The prosecution submitted Mr Gervais' performance was before an audience, in a theatre, and had a particular context, while what Mr Mitchell did was not reasonable or in good faith as part of an artistic performance. Therefore, there was no reasonable excuse for his actions. Turning to Mr Mitchell's argument of artistic expression, Judge Smith said a Nazi symbol during a lecture might reasonably be seen as for academic purposes and similarly during a performance for artistic purposes. 'What (Mitchell) did was not an expression of artistic purpose, it was repeating the expression of someone else's arguably artistic purpose,' Judge Smith said. 'The facts and circumstances here are a good distance from that which is excusable. 'I respectfully fail to see how … what he did could possibly be characterised as being done for an artistic purpose.' Judge Smith initially dismissed each of the men's appeals; however, he was later 'persuaded' to overturn Mitchell's. Lawyers on behalf of Mr Mitchell and Muston challenged the severity of their sentences after Judge Smith ruled to throw out their appeals, with Mitchell's lawyer arguing his client was simply copying Mr Gervais' skit and had no ties or intent related to the Nazi party. The court was also told Mr Mitchell didn't know he was outside the Sydney Jewish Museum at the time while Muston did. 'The conduct occurred over one second…it was really one second,' Mr Mitchell's lawyer told the court. 'It was definitely not intended to be seen by anyone other than the co-offenders. Importantly, the conduct was not viewed by any member of the public…it was viewed by someone from the museum who was looking at a screen. 'My submission is that the conduct of Mr Mitchell falls at the very bottom of the range in objective seriousness.' Judge Smith told the court that he was 'persuaded' to a different position in respect of Mr Mitchell, allowing the appeal and thus quashing his conviction. Muston's lawyer, Bryan Wrench, argued his client had no Nazi ideology, had expressed regret, and that he'd participated in a tour at the Jewish museum which made him appreciate the seriousness of the actions. Judge Smith didn't consider it appropriate to overturn Muston's conviction; however, he did reduce his fine from $1000 to $500, calling the initial figure 'excessive'. No severity appeal was entered on Marshall's behalf. Judge Smith emphasised the offences were to be taken 'very seriously' by courts. 'The display of Nazi symbols will not be tolerated and will be dealt with sternly by the courts,' Judge Smith said. Marshall had a cigarette hanging outside his mouth as he walked outside the Downing Centre on Friday, pausing for a moment to pose for the cameras after his win. Asked how he was feeling, he told reporters 'it is what it is', telling them to 'have a good day'. The court was earlier told there didn't appear to be any hateful ideology behind the men's' actions.
Globe and Mail
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
The summer Sook-Yin Lee spent in a noodle costume changed her life forever
At 17, filmmaker Sook-Yin Lee took a lowly job that nobody else would, as – get ready for this – a 10-foot-tall piece of pasta with a mustache named Mr. Noodle. Was the rocker by night, pasta piece by day humiliated? Demeaned? Did the future artist and MuchMusic VJ file the gig away forever in the embarrassing-job vault? She did not. In this instalment of 'How I Spent My Summer,' Ms. Lee shares how being Mr. Noodle turned into something delicious and eternally filling. I ran away from home as a teenager to become an artist. I was fortunate to meet a supportive queer community with a vibrant and collaborative art scene that encouraged expression. I was in a band, screaming didactic political songs mostly, and we had this gig in Vancouver in an underground nightclub. Literally underground. Above was this unpopular pasta bar. One day I was lugging my gear out of the basement when it caught my eye: this sad-looking, forlorn, empty noodle costume in the window. Kinda like Gumby, but a noodle. He was a 10-foot-tall foam rectangle with big googly eyes, a French beret and a mustache. Even though I didn't have an audience, I was into performance art and social experiments, so he was perfect. I went into the restaurant and asked the guy who ran the place, Lyle, 'Hey – is anyone here the noodle?' Lyle said, 'No, no one will be the noodle.' I didn't care about the money, which was minimum wage, and I didn't really need the job, but I wanted to see what being the noodle was like in society. Robert Munsch's first job in the French countryside turned out to be a stinky situation Artist Christi Belcourt on her first job that paid $17. Not per hour ... just $17. Lyle gave me the lowdown on Mr. Noodle. He said, 'Mr. Noodle is Motown and he walks like this.' It was like a jive turkey walk, super stupid. He wanted me to walk like that and give out menus. I did that in front of the restaurant, where Lyle could see me, but as soon as I was out of view I took on a different noodle personality entirely. I made rules for myself as Mr. Noodle: Never speak words, as then the spell will be broken. I let myself make strange sounds and onomatopoeias, like brrrrrrrreeeeakkkk! or kwauk-kwauk-kwauk! I lost the Motown strut; I didn't give out the menus. I just walked, kinda listless, being a noodle. It was hot in there, and Mr. Noodle was suspended on two strings on my shoulders. I'd stack dishtowels as padding underneath the strings but it still got pretty painful. A lot of people were intolerant or rude. Many told me to move or get out of their way. Children liked Mr. Noodle, though. They'd run up and say hello and want to introduce me to their parents. There'd be the dad, sunbathing on the beach, and I'd deliberately block his sun. Elderly European men were really nice to Mr. Noodle. They'd sit down and talk to him, like really talk to him, regaling them about their day. One day, I got beaten up on Granville Street by a gang of skinheads. They thought Mr. Noodle was funny, so a crowd gathered around and they started pushing him back and forth. Luckily the body was made of foam, so it wasn't physically painful, but I watched sadly from the inside through the mesh face. I stayed in character the whole time as Mr. Noodle got beat up. Every day, I kept a diary of what happened to Mr. Noodle. It resonated with me that he was the ultimate outsider, and I wanted to see who embraced him and who didn't. I didn't have any big plans, but later that summer a friend told me about a film contest she was entering. I decided to enter too, and had one weekend to get a submission ready. It was immediately obvious to me that I'd make Escapades of the One Particular Mr. Noodle. A few months later, I found out Mr. Noodle was one of 10 scripts that was chosen to get made. It became my first legit film. I basically mobilized my neighourhood to be actors. I filmed in my house, remade the Mr. Noodle costume and re-enacted my summer as Mr. Noodle. It got enough attention that I was hired to make another film, and that's how my filmmaking life was born. All of this happened because of Mr. Noodle. Had I not followed my curiosity, had I not taken a low-paying horrible job, had I not found inspiration in him and related his experience as an outsider to mine as a Chinese-Canadian, my life would have been different. Without Mr. Noodle, I might never have become a filmmaker. As told to Rosemary Counter
