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The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art presents the first of its free public lectures in the 2014-2015 series:  Bringing William Blair Bruce into the Light, by Tobi Bruce, senior curator at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, who spent three years immersed in the life of the Hamilton-born artist William Blair Bruce.  His legacy of paintings helped bring the AGH into being exactly 100 years ago.  The resulting exhibition, Into the Light: The Paintings of William Blair Bruce (1859-1906), on view until Oct. 5, is the culmination of her research and travels to pull together many stands from the artist’s family, life, art, and influences–from Hamilton to France and Sweden.  She presents a personal narrative of the exhibit and life of this talented and versatile artist in an illustrated presentation.  For more information:  www.haalsa.org

Sonic Unyon is happy to announce the lineup and details for the second annual Hamilton Blues and Roots Festival, located in Westdale Village.

The free, family-friendly festival will take place on Saturday, June 7, from 12:00 noon to 11:00 p.m.

Headlining Saturday night is the self-professed purveyors of Swamp Roots Rock, Ottawa’s Monkey Junk. William Shatner calls them The Sultans of Swamp R&B–high praise from the captain of a starship. Monkey Junk also won the 2012 Juno Award for Best Blues album.

Also headlining is Hamilton’s Jesse O’Brien, who will bring some experienced hometown blues chops to the festival.  Joining Jesse will be special guests Steve Strongman and Chuck Jackson (Downchild).

Other performers include hometown blues legend Harrison Kennedy, Constantines frontman Bry Webb, Banned from Heaven with Laura Cole, Mark McNeil, Steve Sinnicks, and members of the Hamilton Blues Society.

In addition to main-stage performers, buskers, including Matthew de Zoete, will be roaming the Westdale Village offering extra entertainment.

The merchants of Westdale Village will be out in force, showing why the Village is one of Hamilton’s best kept secrets. In addition, some of Hamilton’s best food trucks will be joining us for the day.

Thanks to the Westdale Village BIA, Judy Marsales Real Estate, TD Bank, the City of Hamilton, and our volunteers for their support in making this happen.

The Hamilton Blues and Roots Festival is a Sonic Unyon production.

Hamiltonbluesandroots.com

@HamBluesRoots

facebook.com/HamiltonBluesRootsFest

Schedule

9:30 – 11:00 p.m. MonkeyJunk

7:45 – 9:00 p.m. Jesse O’Brien with Steve Strongman and Chuck Jackson

6:00 – 7:10 p.m. Hamilton Blues Society

4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Banned from Heaven with Laura Cole

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Bry Webb

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Harrison Kennedy

12:30 – 12:55 p.m. Mark McNeil

12:00 – 12:25 p.m. Steve Sinnicks

About Sonic Unyon

You may know us from our indie record label (celebrating over 20 years of releasing great music), Supercrawl, Because Beer, Seven Sundays in Gage Park, Hamilton Blues and Roots Festival, our new downtown event space Mills Hardware, or our commitment to bringing Downtown Hamilton back to life. If you don’t know us from any of those, then hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

Tickets $20, students $10.  For information about the program, see http://www.stratavocalensemble.ca/calendar.htm

On June 3^rd at 7 p.m., Westdale library will be hosting a programme entitled “The Man Who Created Narnia: the Faith and Fiction of C.S.Lewis.”

“C.S.Lewis is known as one of the most popular writers of the twentieth century. One of his best-loved works is The Chronicles of Narnia, recently turned into three movies. But not everyone is aware of how Lewis’ own spiritual journey is reflected in the shaping of the Narnia stories. John Bowen has loved Narnia since he first read the stories in his 30’s. As a professor at Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary in the University of Toronto, from 1997 till 2013, he has taught Master’s level courses on Lewis, and is the author of The Spirituality of Narnia: The Deeper Magic of C.S.Lewis (2007).”