About Meghan Krauss

Meghan Krauss is a practicing photographic artist who was born and raised in Prince Albert, SK. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Windsor, Windsor, ON (2012) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (2005). www.meghankrauss.com
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Banff National Park Snow Days go beyond classic winter activities

by on February 27, 2013 in Arts, Banff, Community connection, Events, Festivals, General, Podcasts

Banff National Park’s Snow Days is a month-long festival exploring traditional winter activities such as roasting chestnuts and learning to skate, snowshoe, curl, cross-country ski, downhill ski, or snowboard.  The Ice Magic Festival at Lake Louise offered world-class ice carving competitions, skating on the lake, sleigh rides, and tours of The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and area.  Avalanche safety demonstrations were held at Sunshine Village and The Lake Louise Ski area, while The Banff Centre presented our annual Avalanche Awareness Night, which aims to help make skiers and boarders more aware of the avalanche risks associated with backcountry and out-of-bounds travel.

Beyond the classic activities associated with a Canadian winter, there are always other activities to be enjoyed.  The Banff Centre’s Walter Phillips Gallery presented Drawn to Nature in the Banff Park National Historic Site, there were old time movies to be watched at the Banff Visitor Centre, and those who were interested could take part in photography workshops, or don a heritage bathing suit at Banff’s Upper Hot Springs.  The Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival also screened selections of some of the best short winter films from past festivals in the comfort of the Elk & Oarsman Restaurant & Pub.Topping off the festival, the Take it to the Street Tournament allowed onlookers and participants to celebrate in the quintessentially Canadian game of street hockey.

Below take a listen to podcast producer, Chris Wood’s recording of ice carving at Lake Louise’s annual international ice carving competition.

 

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Culture Days in Banff

by on October 5, 2012 in Arts, Banff, Community connection, Culture Days, Events, Festivals, General, Visual Arts

As Canada’s first National Park, with an extremely rich history involving the transcontinental railway and the preservation of the Cave and Basin hot springs, Banff makes for a unique Culture Days experience. For me, Culture Days in Banff began with a tour from historian Dave Moberg around ‘Canada’s Castle in the Rockies’, The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Moberg shared the following historic quote with the group from the 1880s general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, William Cornelius Van Horne, “since we can’t export the scenery, we’ll have to import the tourists.”

Throughout the weekend I participated in a number of different Culture Day events. The photo gallery below only begins to capture all that went on here in Banff as many partners participated in this national celebration of culture. The weekend was a great reminder of not only how lucky we are here in Banff to be surrounded by such beautiful scenery, but also the fact that we are a culturally and historically rich location; a place many of us call home.

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Inverted Mountains presents art in the unexpected, perfectly reflected realm

by on August 21, 2012 in Arts, Banff, Banff Summer Arts Festival, Community connection, Festivals, General, Theatre

I arrive at the base of Tunnel Mountain in the half-light of 5:30 on a recent Sunday morning to take part in Inverted Mountains, a day-long performance presented by the world-renowned artists of Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie.  Supported by The Banff Centre and Banff National Park, Inverted Mountains is set in four locations against the grand backdrop of the Rocky Mountains of Banff. Choreographer Bill Coleman, who is known for taking the art of dance and the process of creation beyond the stage and into unexpected realms, explores the relationship between the human body and the natural environment, joined by film director Anee Troake and composer John Oswald.

Along with my fellow participants, we walk in silence as we’re guided up Tunnel Mountain in the approaching dawn.  Along the way we’re serenaded by the haunting soundscapes and visuals of concealed singers, musicians, and performers, either among us or within the landscape.  As the inverted chords, melodies, intervals, and voices continue, we watch the sun rise over the mountain ranges.

Animate becomes inanimate, humans become animals.  Mirrors – from small badges worn by participants, to large mirrors in the forest — reflect the idea of being inverted, and juxtapose humans and this pristine natural setting.

Throughout the day, our moveable audience guides itself from location to location. The finale of the day-long event is at Bow Falls, where the natural acoustics of the falling water is accompanied by musicians and performers’ voices.  We imagine together the transformation of the inanimate to animate, of the animal to human, as a performer comes out of the Earth, dramatically falls down a hill, and is welcomed back into the human realm by her peers. Together, audience and performers gain a new appreciation for the natural landscape surrounding our human world.

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Jules Koostachin: spirit of the Windigo

by on August 8, 2012 in Arts, Banff, Banff Summer Arts Festival, Festivals, Film & Media, General, Indigenous Arts

Recently, artist Jules Koostachin brought Niipii, her short film in progress to The Banff Centre with her director of photography, Alejandro Valbuena, and make-up and production designer Summer Faith Garcia.  Half of the film is set in an urban centre, which the crew had previously shot in Toronto, while the other half is set in a heavily forested area, and Banff Centre provided the ideal setting.

Niipii opens with Cree Woman, who is possessed by a Windigo Spirit, wandering through the bush, which Algonquian-speaking tribes describe as malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural beings of great power. 

Behind the scenes, prepping Jules takes Summer a minimum of three hours, and the transformation is amazing to watch. She defines veins, gives her face a deathly glow, and applies white-coloured contacts and long, singed nails. During this metamorphosis, Jules described where the concept for the story came from. After reading Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, she had a vivid dream that she wrote down as soon as she woke up. A few years later, she wrote the script for a scholarship program through imagineNATIVE. She also won a CityTV scholarship through The Banff Centre, and began filming.  Niipii will premier at imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in Toronto in October.

All photos in this post by Meghan Krauss.

 

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