Up Here Festival

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The Up Here Festival is an annual art and music festival, staged each summer in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Based on the theme of beautifying and transforming the city through public art, the festival blends the creation of new public murals and installation art projects with a lineup of musical performances.[1]

The festival was launched by We Live Up Here, an arts organization which grew out of a 2012 book project by local artists Christian Pelletier and Andrew Knapp.[2] It was also partially inspired by the Nuit Blanche model of art festivals, which make use of unexpected and non-traditional spaces to change the public's relationship with art, using the city's entire downtown core as a giant open-air venue.[3]

2015[]

The festival was first staged in 2015;[4] participating artists included Troy Lovegate, Labrona, Alexandra Mackenzie, Trevor Wheatley, Johanna Westby, Danielle Daniel, Nico Glaude and Alexandra Berens-Firth[5] while the musical component was headlined by A Tribe Called Red, Tanya Tagaq and Suuns.[6]

2016[]

Artists at the 2016 festival included Ella and Pitr, Ola Volo, Kirsten McCrea, Thesis Sahib, Hobz, Tracy Baker and Neli Nenkova,[7] while performing musicians included Casper Skulls, Cris Derksen, Dilly Dally, Foxtrott, Holy Fuck, Hooded Fang, iskwē, Partner, Stars, U.S. Girls, Young Galaxy and Young Rival.

2017[]

Participating artists were Jarus and Mique Michelle as muralists, while local artists Kallie Berens-Firth, Sonia Ekiyor-Katimi, Melanie Gail St-Pierre, Madison Kotyluk, Bianca Lefebvre, Matti Lehtelä, Scott Minor, Maty Ralph, Jay Rice, Holly Robin, Julianne Steedman, Dani Taillefer and Isaac Weber participated in the Power Up Project to paint 24 downtown electrical boxes.[8]

Performing musicians included The Fleshtones, Duchess Says, Deerhoof, Samito, Lido Pimienta and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan.[9]

2018[]

Musical performers included Patrick Watson, Jeremy Dutcher, Venetian Snares, Daniel Lanois, Efrim Menuck, Frederick Squire, Random Recipe, The Sorority and Charlotte Day Wilson.[10] Artists included Angela Perdue, Aidan Lucas, Maeve Macdonald, Birdo, Ben Johnston, Haley Rose, Johanna Westby, Kelly Barbosa, Kristina Rolander, Mariana Lafrance, Ness Lee, Sarah Blondin and Sarah Dempsey.

2019[]

The 2019 festival was noted for the creation, by graffiti artist RISK, of the largest public mural in Canada, at the disused St. Joseph's Health Centre site of Health Sciences North.[11] Some specialized painting equipment was stolen from the site during the festival,[12] but the mural was completed by August 31.[13]

Performers included ESG, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Milk & Bone, Hubert Lenoir, Yonatan Gat, Charlotte Cardin, Reykjavíkurdætur, Cartel Madras and Steve Lambke.[14]

2020[]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the musical component of the festival was not staged in 2020; however, various art and mural projects by artists such as Sonia Ekiyor-Katimi, Chantal Abdel-Nour, Ashley Guenette and Lümen Moratz were still undertaken.[15]

2021[]

The 2021 festival was noted for the creation, by artist Kevin Ledo, of a mural memorializing Sudbury native Alex Trebek on the outer wall of Sudbury Secondary School.[16] Other participating artists included Alex Berens, Tammy Gaber, Lauren Verwolf, Sarah Dempsey and DRPN Soul.[17]

Performing musicians included Marie Davidson, NYSSA, The 555, Cadence Weapon, Naya Ali, Jor’Del Downz, Julie Katrinette, Casper Skulls and Zoon.[18]

References[]

  1. ^ Nick Dunne, "Turning northeastern Ontario cities into outdoor art galleries". TVOntario, December 9, 2019.
  2. ^ Laura Stradiotto, "Another side of the city ; 'We Live Up Here' paints a different picture of Sudbury". Sudbury Star, November 8, 2012.
  3. ^ Mary Katherine Keown, "For Up Fest, it's what you leave behind". Sudbury Star, August 6, 2015.
  4. ^ Ryan Byrne, "Up Fest takes over Sudbury starting today". Sudbury Star, August 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Connor Pringle, "Sudbury's Up Fest going to be 'a carnival'". Sudbury Star, May 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "Family Friendly Fun at Up Fest". Sudbury Star, August 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Keith Dempsey, "Up Here finds its landing spot in Sudbury". Sudbury Star, July 30, 2016.
  8. ^ "Sudbury's Up Here festival releases full lineup". Sudbury Star, July 2, 2017.
  9. ^ Calum Slingerland, "Sudbury's Up Here Festival Gets Deerhoof, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan for 2017 Edition". Exclaim!, May 9, 2017.
  10. ^ Laura Stradiotto, "Kings in concert; A wild ride promised; Up Here festival invades downtown Sudbury with a dash of art and music". Sudbury Star, August 16, 2018.
  11. ^ "Largest mural in Canada to be painted in Sudbury, Up Here festival says". CBC News Sudbury, July 25, 2019.
  12. ^ "Specialized equipment stolen from the site of Canada's largest mural". Northern Life, August 25, 2019.
  13. ^ Martha Dillman, "Muralist RISK transforms old Sudbury hospital into a work of art". CBC News Sudbury, August 31, 2019.
  14. ^ Calum Slingerland, "Sudbury's Up Here Festival Gets ESG, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Milk & Bone for 2019 Edition". Exclaim!, April 30, 2019.
  15. ^ "You can check out the first completed Up Here mural of 2020 in Garson". Sudbury.com, August 10, 2020.
  16. ^ "Alex Trebek to be memorialized in mural on late Jeopardy! host's Sudbury high school". CBC News Sudbury, August 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "Up Here festival is ready for liftoff this summer". Sudbury Star, August 2, 2021.
  18. ^ "Up Here brings back live music to Sudbury with outdoor concerts". Sudbury Star, August 15, 2021.

External links[]

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