I had a band name, blue dirt girl, I had a band, I had a first concert, I was working on video’s but i also needed some guiding principles for blue dirt girl.
blue dirt girl encompasses various lives I have lead from my 15 year Social Work/Community Development career, Arts Group Facilitator, mother, community activist, volunteer work as musician in my son’s schools, Saskatchewan born and East Van based life with my family.
blue dirt girl had to have a social justice element. A “give back” to the community each time I play music.
At our first House concert, 12.04.15 host Catharine H. worked at RainCity Housing on the Downtown Eastside. RainCity Housing and Support Society is a grassroots organization built around compassion, purpose and a commitment to delivering progressive housing and support solutions for people living with mental illness, addictions and other challenges. So 5$ from every ticket went to Rain City
My Tour in August included a give back fundraiser/awareness show, August 25th at Duncan Showroom on Vancouver Island, for Stolen Hearts.
Stolen Hearts is an important Cowichan Valley First Nation Documentary Project.
I wanted to work have local, handmade merchandise. It started with my husband Greg’s images for all the merchandise, and one image from my son Reed. Then I found Flight Path Designs, a local woman owned East Van handmade leather business, Naomi made my: keychains, pendants and mason jar holders. Last but not least I met Mike Jackson, at his store Grubwear on Kingsway, and he hand silk screened the t shirts and introduced me to local Oddball Workshop print shop to produce Reed’s image on tunics
I wanted to have happenings that brought together my artist friends in visual art, photography, dance and music. Especially the woman artists in my “WFOBOFM” group.
I started with my blue dirt girl’s production, A Chautauqua, a ticketed multi artist show in a local art space/home, Backspace, on March 5 and 6, 2016.
This Chautauqua concept will continue with shows in Vancouver and travelling shows farther afield.
“because i said i would”