Line-up 2014

Music

Aaron Goodwin, Edmonton, AB
Raw roots played from the belly up. Aaron Goodwin brings his slide and harmonica to the table to serve a feast of acoustic funk grass.

Adam Farnsworth, Vancouver, BC
An active member of Vancouver’s musical troupe High Society, a notable solo performer, songwriter, pianist, singer and guitarist, Adam Farnsworth has been described as many things by his contemporaries; raw, unique, poetic and fearless.

Adham Shaikh, Nelson, BC
Adham Shaikh is a Juno and Emmy Award-nominated music producer, composer, sound designer, and DJ who brings his uniquely powerful global sounds to the world stage and screen, not to mention many a crowded dance floor.

Annie Becker, Montreal, QC
It’s hard to believe Annie Becker is from the Canadian westcoast and not from the basement of a late 30s Jazz Club. In 2013 she was awarded Vancouver Island Vocalist of the Year.

Apocolyptic Sex Folk, Victoria, BC
BC’s newest super group, Apocalyptic Sex Folk, combine heavy mental breakdowns of enlightening folk genius with devastating apocalyptic R’n’B grooves that WILL turn you on.

Ari Neufeld, Penticton, BC
Ari Neufeld is an experimental chef. Brave creativity emerges from an intuitive juggling of sweet, sour, crunchy, salty, savoury. You can hear it in his full contact folk music.

Barefoot Caravan, Okanagan, BC
Barefoot Caravan is a five piece that performs indigenous music in various languages that represent the people of the world with unique, upbeat arrangements along with original compositions.

Beautiful Wild Animals, Halifax, NS
Haunting violin/voice (Jacques Mindreau) and accordion (Carly Martin) meld eastern European music adding atmospheric soundscapes. The dynamic range of this duo will pull you to your feet and send you to their imaginary universe.

Ben Sures, Edmonton, AB
Truly one of Canada’s best singer/songwriter guitar players, Ben has performed at many of Canada’s folk festivals and has been featured on CBC Radio regularly for two decades.

Betty Supple, Hamilton, ON
Betty Supple (of Dirty Grace) purrs playful, potent and powerful incantations, seducing a wide array of feelings from listeners, supported by a precious few instrumental friends and her live loops.

Bidiniband, Toronto, ON
As a member of the Rheostatics, Dave Bidini helped sow the seeds that have grown into Canada’s independent music scene as we know it. Bidini has continued to carry the torch with Bidiniband joined by one-time Rheos drummer Don Kerr, guitarist Paul Linklater, and bassist Doug Friesen.

Blackberry Wood, Vancouver, BC
Blackberry Wood is a secret and magic combination of alt-folk-gypsy punk-circus side show music. They are on tour now in support of their newest record “Strong Man vs Russian Bears.” It’s a vaudevillian ruckus!!!

Blair Leaman, Winlaw, BC
Leamen’s performed poetry is a frothy spasm of evangelical hedonism, the redemptive power of farming, and worship at the alter of music. Backed by High Society’s unfaltering soul, expect poetry on a longboard of music surfing a tunnel to the light. Or perhaps Richard Brautigan getting drunk with Mavis Staple while Jimmy Swaggart thumps the old testament.

Blocktreat, Vancouver, BC
Brandon Hoffman meshes field recordings, old-school drum machines, and effects-drenched mandolin to create a meditative mosaic of sound. Hoffman can be heard regularly on CBC Radio 2’s the Signal.

Body of Birds – Jesse Thom, Vancouver, BC
Armed with only his voice, a looping pedal and a laptop
computer full of samples he’s recorded while traveling the
world (everything from finger snaps to train rails to interviews
with young children), Body of Birds (Jesse Thom of Dirty Grace) creates unique musical worlds onstage.

Brandon Wolfe Scott, Vancouver, BC
On the road with Yukon Blonde, Brandon Wolfe Scott penned notebooks full of playful new-country ditties. With the band on a break, he found himself re-connecting with lyrics that he had once considered “a joke”.

Broken Down Suitcase (James Caldwell), Vancouver, BC
Broken Down Suitcase is a two-piece acoustic folk act who formed in the winter of 2009 in Golden, British Columbia with the meeting of Eric Larocque and Benjamin Caldwell.

Buckman Coe, Vancouver, BC
Sun-kissed folk-rock; gospel-tinged soul; intoxicating world-beat melodies and a decidedly West Coast psychedelic pop sensibility all play a part in providing the sonic platform for Buckman Coe’s socially concious lyrics.

Bull Kelp, Toronto, ON
Zoe Guigueno & Taylor Ashton are Bull Kelp: an intricate dance between two voices and two instruments, presenting weirdly beautiful songs of love, hate, chess, and coffee

Coddlefish Foxtrotter, Victoria, BC
soothing, sweet, silly and sly, let your heart and feet tap to the beat of Coddlefish Foxtrotters cunning and clever country/folk tunes. accompanied this year by the cool catfish folkestra a collection of familiar artswells musicians playing horns string and other things.

Colin Cowan & The Elastic Stars, Vancouver, BC
This psychedelic folk rock project started as a result of Colin branching off from his many other bands. “Fall Paths” is a florescent cup of warm nostalgic soup fit for any contemporary starchild or drifter…

Communism, Toronto, ON
After playing and singing for over 25 years with Ron Sexsmith, Rheostatics and producing a wide variety of artists, Don Kerr is now writing and singing his own songs under the name Communism.

Corbin Keep (Wild Cellist), Duncan, BC
Solo cello performances exploring new sounds and techniques and honouring traditional ones are what my cello and I were born to do! If you love the cello, you’ve come to the right place!

Cougars in America, North Gower, ON
Scott Hamilton serves equal measures of Folk, Roots and Canadiana while his songs and stories takes you on a nostalgic trip to a bygone era of absolute freedom and adventure.

Crowd the Joanna, Kelowna, BC
“Best-darn root tootin’ foot stompers in the Okanagan Valley.” – Jim Reiner

Darylectones, Penticton, BC
Daryl Oneill has been playing at music for a long time. His most recent CD was considered the best roots record of the year by a number of music critics in Holland.

Dave Stanley Daoust, Surrey, BC
Rock Pop Blues Twang Gospel Boogie. Who does he sound like? Himself! That’s who. Sandblasted by some hard winds in life, edges polished by those same forces. Honest. Solid. Sincere. Listen…

David Newberry, Vancouver, BC
David Newberry tells poem-stories that meld folk traditions with modern sensibilities.

David P. Smith, Victoria, BC
Fantastical odysseys once embarked upon in saturated dreams have turned to dour sepia abstractions – grim, inexplicable melodramas that make Kafka look like Dr. Seuss. Still, David P. Smith is able to write songs and play his accordion.

David Ross MacDonald, Unley, Australia
Australian tunesmith and guitarist returns to Artswells with his carpetbag of captivating songs and sublime guitar playing.

David Roy Parsons, Vancouver, BC
David is an ArtsWells veteran of nine years. This year he is joined on flute with his cousin Toby Moisy. Some new intimate arrangements as well as old favorites.

David Simard, Montreal, QC
With the release of his latest Lilies EP, David Simard is on his way to be, at his own pace, a paragon of folk elegance.

Declan O’Donovan, Whitehorse, YT
A singer/songwriter/pianist from Whitehorse, Yukon. Having spent his life on a stage and at a piano, O’Donovan is a true performer, an act not to be missed.

The Deep, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver based band The Deep plays Real Raw R&B Soulfolk. Expect Lexi Marie’s gritty, soulful vocals, songs of hard times and holding on to whats good.

Dirty Grace, Victoria, BC
Dirty Grace produces a playful mix from provocatively cheeky to intimately introspective, while exploring music’s ability to expose, shake-down and heal the human spirit. Three-part harmonies, raunchy revelries, and revelatory epiphanies characterize the experience.

DJ Domino, UK
DJ Domino: the first trance female DJ to be recognized all over the world. In 1991 she ended up in England as a dance performer for Eat Static at the famous Brixton Academy.

DJ Ole Fashion, Vancouver, BC
DJ Ole Fashion is Kris Wood’s, of Blackberry Woods, alter ego. DJ Ole Fashion plays Electro-Swing, 1920’s and 30’s music, Gypsy craziness, first generation Ska, old jazz, western swing and some footstompin’ old fashion country.

Dok Auk, Cache Creek, BC
Straight outta Cache Creek, Dok has been rappin and performing for the past 4 years. With style all his own and opinion to be heard he will entertain with lyrics about life, politics and relationships.

Doug Koyama, Quesnel, BC
Doug Koyama makes songs about love. Each impromptu composition is the expression of the moment in which it exists.

Drum and Bell Tower, Williams Lake, BC
Increasingly certain that rock ain’t dead, Brent Morton whales on in Drum & Bell Tower: a one-man limb-maximization project framing Floydian space in metered thump.

Elk Tribe, Salmon Arm, BC
We are an alternative folk band with a unique raw sound. We have a foot stompin’ groove that connects well with all ages.

The End Tree, Vancouver, BC
“A unique hallucinatory, melodramatic chamber-pop string and vocal trio. The End Tree sounds like a cross between the Kronos Quartet, Nick Drake, and the Dirty Projectors.”

Faye Blais, Toronto, ON
Faye’s songwriting, presence and personality are showcased beautifully through her impressive jazzy-bluesy folk style on acoustic, electric guitars and keys with stunning, dynamic vocals.

Fish & Bird, Victoria, BC
Fish & Bird have been exploring their unique corner of the folk-rock universe for almost 8 years, and are excited to release their fourth album this fall.

Fist Full O’ Snacks, Vancouver, BC
The songweaving adventures of Vancouver’s Robyn Jacob. While asymmetrically attacking the piano, her eclectic arrangements and strong vocals will knot your brain while untangling your hair.

Folky Stum Strum, Rolla, BC
The People that make up Folky Strum Strum play their version of Banjo Rockin’ folk music. “The group has been described by fans as having a unique and soulful sound, that is backed by exceptional songwriting.”

Genevieve Chadwick, Ulladula, Australia
Imagine if Janis Joplin and John Lee Hooker had a baby together; musically, this girl would be the offspring. Genevieve Chadwick is one not be to missed.

Ghenghis Gandhis, Ashcroft, BC
The Ghengis Gandhis call their musical style “BC Homegrown Reggae:” fun, danceable, socially relevant, original music that swells the heart and fills the soul.

The Gibson Block, Edmonton, AB
An innovative rock four piece that delivers a electrfying, genre spanning music experience. The groovy, grungy rock and roll sound of this Alberta band is sure to impress.

Glenna Garramone, Victoria, BC
Grand prize winner in the 2010 Artswells Songwriting Contest, Victoria-based Glenna Garramone crafts songs using piano, guitar, and occasionally her tap shoes. Her music has been featured on CBC radio’s “North By Northwest.”

Go On Old One,
Go On Old One is Jenny Ritter and O’mally. Two musicians who lead separate bands. They enjoy playing each-other’s music so much, they decided to do it on stage for you: banjo on banjo.

Graftician, Vancouver, BC
An eclectic mix of radio pop, musique concrete, and unhibited lyricism rising from the tectonics of bass.

Grampa Gruv, Vernon, BC
Nurturing community through pot-lucks and parties at fandango farms, Grampa Gruv has been serving the dance floor around the North Okanogan for many years. Happiness is a revolutionary act in on a planet ruled by fear.

Gurpreet Chana, Toronto, ON
Musician, composer and producer, Gurpreet Chana is one of Canada’s most diversely talented artists. Gurpreet’s travels along the path of music started when his Grandfather, Kesar Singh Chana, gave him his first Tabla set and there has been no looking back since.

Hachey the MouthPEACE, Hamilton, ON
​Technically, Jason Hachey, is a beatboxer. However, what he does is so much more than just beatboxing. He records, loops, and creates beats as he beatboxes and raps, creating original songs each time he performs.

Hearse, Victoria, BC
All the way from Victoria, BC, we are Hearse: guitar & accordion, male & female, cynical & romantic, hair-splitter & hair-puller, angry & sad, funny & mean, ecstatic & hermetic.

High Society, Vancouver, BC
High Society’s unique and contemporary take on old school performance has been heard in theaters, pubs, cafés, street corners and on the radio across Western Canada

Himalayan Bear, Victoria, BC
Victoria’s Himalayan Bear, fronted by Ryan Beattie, is a soulful cascade of drums, tonefully saturated reverb guitar and heart-worn crooning vocals. Their 4th LP “No Golden Kingdom” will be released this summer.

Ingrid Gatin, Winnipeg, MB
Ingrid Gatin creates soundscapes and dreamscapes, pulling the listener into her reveries with a soulful and sultry voice.

Jack Garton & The Demon Squadron, Vancouver, BC
Armed with fresh songs and poems, Jack Garton brings his new trio the Demon Squadron to Wells, deploying heavy artillery Amrit Basi (drums) and Michael Alleyne (bass).

Jasper Sloan Yip, Vancouver, BC
At the helm of an experimental folk rock sextet, Jasper Sloan Yip sings songs about the pains and joys of love and art.

Jeff Andrew, A tree house by the train tracks, BC
This folk-noir fiddler and singer-songwritier takes a hed full of ghost stories, murder ballads, train tunes and protest songs and turns it into an electrified patchwork of folk, punk, celtic, and old jazz.

Jenn Bojm, Vancouver, BC
This fundamentally folk project subtly dips into other musical genres creating a palpable modern approach both lyrically and musically. This project, infused with heart and soul, is both inspired and aspiring anew.

Jenny Ritter, Vancouver, BC
Jenny Ritter (Banjo/Guitar/Vocals) was born in the woods of Vancouver Island to a ballerina mother and an opera-singing father. Pursuing an innate love of music from an early age, she’s been on the road since 18.

Joey Balducchi,
The break-up of his most recent band, Blind Mule, has rekindled Joey Balducchi’s solo career, making his Artswell’s performance his first solo appearance in 7 years.

Joey Only & the Outlaw Band, Wells, BC
Dr.Joey Only is a local to Wells and despite that is one of the country’s best known outlaw country singers. This year alone he’s worked three major shows opening for the biggest bands on earth and is widely regarded as the best Stompin Tom impersonator you’d ever meet

Karyn Ellis, Toronto, ON
Tender and dynamic, she has been called a “must-see” songstress who has “a magical way with song” (Globe and Mail). Her songs are thoughtful and crafted about every day wonders, beauty and hope.

Kia Kadiri, Vancouver, BC
Drawing on hip hop, jazz, funk and soul to create a sound that is truly universal, she has emerged from a scene that has produced some of this country’s most exciting urban artists.

Ladybug & Caterpillar, Winnipeg, MB
Ladybug: red beetle with black spots, eats aphids (Coccinellidae) caterpillar: worm like larvae of butterfly or moth (order Lepidoptera) an unlikely love story.

Ladybug the Rambler, Winnipeg, MB
If folk music is a cupcake then her has soul icing with blues hip hop sprinkles. (oh and the darkness, don’t forget the sweet darkness.)

Lily of the Valley, Vancouver, BC
Lily of the Valley is a collaboration between singer-songwriter Tanya Gallagher and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Hoffman. Now that they live in the same city, they have ample of time to play together and argue about spirituality.

Logan Thackray, Canmore, AB
Logan is a folk rock indie artist from the lonely mountain town of Canmore Alberta. There she learned animalistic harmonies and choruses that chill the human spine and rouse a spirit of the wild.

Marley Daemon, Victoria, BC
Marley Daemon (from Dirty Grace) creates songs that are both earthy and powerful, haunting and provocative. Backed by her dear friends Zoe Guigueno (Fish and Bird and Bull Kelp) on upright bass, Elise Boeur (Jenny Ritter) on violin, and Jesse Thom (Dirty Grace and Body of Birds) on percussion , Marley brings both high artistry and a courageous intimacy to her music.

Melawmen Collective, Ashcroft, BC
A contemporary aboriginal musical collaboration. Cofounders Meeka Noelle Morgan (vocals) is Secwepemc and Nuu-Chah-Nulth from the interior of BC, and Rob Hall (vocals, guitar) is from Ghengis Gandhis. Geo the Voice completes this powerful trio.

Miami Device, Vancouver, BC
The West Coast’s premiere afrobeat machine, Miami Device is a ten-piece band borrowing members from Five Alarm Funk, Portage and Main and Rude City Riot. Pure syncopated decadence.

Michael Dunn, Edmonton, AB
When the lights go down and all that remains is wood, steel, and sound, the country and folk songs of Michael Dunn feel as natural as whiskey by the fire.

Mike Morneau, Wells, BC
Wells local virtuoso steps out his back door to bring his unique guitar styling to ArtsWells.

Mikkal Waters, Vernon, BC
Combining foot stomping rhythms, enchanted melodies, moving lyrics, and an exemplary dose of old fashioned love, the Mikkal Waters Band lights long burning fires in the hearts of its audience.

Mine Agente, Vancouver, BC
Mine Agente is an exciting new international/multi-disciplinary group. Brazilian born musical sewing artist, Lisa Simpson, works with dancers Kelly McInnes and Rianne Svelnus and musician Ben Brown to create a performance piece that explores textiles, sound, and body. The group explores our society’s consumerist, materialistic culture using what we wear as the main focus.

Morag Northey, Calgary, AB
Morag’s ability to open, listen, and feel stories of people present, accompanied through her voice and cello, offers healing vibrations that inspire change and move us toward acceptance, forgiveness, and loving kindness.

Myrtle Family, Vancouver, BC
The Myrtle Family Band engage and delight audiences of all ages with their porch stomping wash-tub bass bouncing, jug-time traditional jazz; their twinkling-tap numbers and their on-stage family dynamic-antics.

NAMGAR, Siberia, Buryatia
A multi-cultural musical experience fusing Gypsy, Middle Eastern, Celtic, Greek and Turkish styles with Rock.

Nawhuln’ah,
Nawhuln’ah means “while the time is right” in Dakelh kuna the Carrier language. We are gathered for a mutual purpose; to preserve and protect our mother Naloo Yinka with pure intentions and practice…

Oh Oh Oh Ogopogo, Victoria, BC
Oh! Ogopogo! encourages children to get up and dance, yell and sing along. This is fast, furious and exciting music for active kids who want to get down to some catchy tunes.

Old Cabin, Carcross, YT
Old Cabin – stage pseudonym of Yukon singer/songwriter Jona Barr – is soulful, sincere folk music, gently steeped in old-time traditions without re-treading tracks. This is folk music done without pretension.

Oliver Swain’s BIG MACHINE, Victoria, BC
Oliver Swain, a Juno and WCMA nominated Americana and Folk-Noir musician from Victoria BC spent a dozen years in some of North Americas most loved roots bands.

OQO, Halifax, NS
Jacques Mindreau (violin) and Ian Griffiths (accordion) of “The Tequila Mocking Bird Orchestra” are excited to share their new side-project with the world. Making dogs howl and spirits rise OQO will haunt and waltzfully mend your shattered heart.

Party on High Street, Victoria, BC
With T-Rav’s hendrix-esque guitar melodies, Brin’s bouncy bass grooves, and Nick’s endlessly deep pockets, the Party will leave you with the best feeling slap in the face you’ve ever wanted.

Pernell Riechert, Vancouver, BC
Pernell Reichert is a folk singer, songwriter, and fast finger picker. His songs reflect his experiences on the road of life and the highways of the world.

Petunia, Vancouver, BC
Rich high & lonesome vocals, ferocious screams and yodels, and a country-swing or rockabilly beat with a twisted, punk edge help describe a Petunia performance

Quique Escamilla, Toronto, ON
“Modern day troubadour Quique Escamilla makes music that comes straight from the soul. The stories he tells are the stories we need to hear; socially and politically conscious lyrics paired with exceptional musicianship.” – Garvia Bailey, CBC Radio.

Rainboard, Salmo, BC
Hailing from the mountainous West Kootenay village of Salmo, Rainboard has been making their brand of psych garage / shoe gaze music in a big way.

Red Haven, Vancouver, BC
Two parts gypsy two parts blues. Mix well. Add a dash of accordian, saxophone and banjo. Complete with a splash of cajun and folks, you have yourself a good time.

Rhoneil, Victoria, BC
Rhoneil layers her vocals with electronic drums, field recordings, organ, and autoharp. The result is a danceable, subtle, dark, warm weirdness that crosses many genres.

Ross Douglas, Delta, BC
Ross Douglas is an award winning songwriter performing in a variety of styles on several instruments with gusto, cunning and humour. Oh yeah – he’s got this great big voice too.

Sam Tudor, Vancouver, BC
After a year full of genre-bending recording projects, Sam’s highly praised live show has become something communal, anthemic, and still poignant. People sing.

Samsara,
Honoured to be reunited for their first ever appearance at ArtsWells, Samsara spent 10 years playing Western Canada fusing rolling rhythms of reggae and soca with driving high energies of funk n roll.

Sarah Burton, Toronto, ON
Sarah Burton has seen her way through acoustic folk beginnings, into country swing and steel guitars and electrifying blues-rock, but her new album “Make Your Own Bed” is a return to her first inspiration; the piano.

Scott Cook, Edmonton, AB
Alberta’s prairie balladeer has distilled the stories collected over years of touring Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia into straight-talking, keenly observant verse. Road-worn, painfully honest, and deeply human, these are songs to live alongside.

Scotty Dunbar, Prince George, BC
BC’s newest super group, Apocalyptic Sex Folk, combine heavy mental breakdowns of enlightening folk genius with devastating apocalyptic R’n’B grooves that WILL turn you on.

Shawn Stephenson, Ymir, BC
Shawn Stephenson is a solo multi-instrumental award winning musician from the small town of Ymir, BC. His signature sound is a blend of live loops, finger style guitar, hand percussion, vocals, and an occasional dose of woodwinds.

Shelder the Electric Clamfish,
Shelder the Electric Clamfish grew up on the small gulf island community called Mayne Island, where she began writing wacky songs about deflated soccer balls. She eventually migrated to the slightly larger community of Salt Spring Island, where she picked up the trumpet and ventured into the scary world of spoken word and ritualistic pagan songs about moonlight

Skye Wallace, Vancouver, BC
Skye Wallace works to compile all of the stark elements of the Canadian landscape into a sort of musical archive. Inspired by historical non-fiction and field recordings, particularly the esteemed National Parks Project, her songs are made out of stories hidden in plain sight.

Smoke n’ Bones, Saint John, NB
A mix of Atlantic blood and railroad grease, birthed by Mitch Pridham and Matt Soucy in October 2011. Incorporating many different members, any given time.

SSSNAP, Vancouver, BC
Sssnap… Granville Johnson, Jeff Postnikoff… Drum Story and Poetry… Improvised Jazz… Afro-Traditional R & B. Djembe Funk for every breathing body gyrating in the groove.

Svetka and The Raven Called Crow, Victoria, BC
An exquisite folkloric feast for the ears and eyes. Two songstresses/ shadow projection artists bring you an offering from the belly of their dreams. Tasty melodic tales from by A Raven Called Crow woven with the eccentric accordion folk-opera of Svetka.

The Tailor,
“Like a Sexy Tom Waits riding a Camel through Africa and stopping in Romania for a drink” – somebody important

Tanya Tagaq, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
Tanya Tagaq is an Inuk throat singer from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, on the south coast of Victoria Island.

Tavis Weir,
Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Tavis has a degree in jazz guitar. His songs feature expansive guitar parts and simple poetry.

Tereza Tomek, Vancouver, BC
Tereza Tomek sings stories you probably haven’t heard before. Dark and humorous folk tales inspired by nature and history.

Tower of Dudes, Victoria, BC
The Tower of Dudes aren’t just your average East meets West gypsy punk accordion rock band. Their lively stage presence and shotgun delivery inspire frenzied dancing and reckless abandon.

Tower of Song, Victoria, BC
Hear Cohen’s timeless songs arranged for two voices, banjo, string bass, piano and guitar. Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone craft arrangements that will satiate and surprise the Cohen fan in everyone.

Twin Peaks, Fort St. John, BC
Rich harmonies, a piano, a guitar, two ukeleles and unlimited wit are at the heart of Twin Peaks – an emerging folk roots duo with undertones of old country.

Twin Voices, Ottawa, ON
Twin Voices is an indie electro-folk project featuring live looping of violin, voice, synth, percussion and guitar. The live performance is equal parts stunning simplicity and playful complexity.

Tzalool,
The strings of Sunita’s Celitc harp and Gal’s fiddle resonate with the echoes of ancient footsteps. Hints of jazz improvisation, gypsy rhythms and even classical overtones are entwined with traditional Celtic and Jewish music.

Ventanas, Lansdowne, ON
VENTANAS weaves in and out of upbeat Bulgarian dance tunes, Greek, Turkish and Sephardic love songs, and heart-wrenching Flamenco dances, leading captive audiences through windows into other lands and cultures.

Warless, Vancouver, BC
Warless is the pure, honest expression of the hearts and minds of six diverse individuals that all somehow ended up on BC’s beautiful west coast to play music together.

Warren Hooley, Penticton, BC
Warren Hooley is a half Okanagan Indigenous man currently living in Penticton BC. He calls his music “Inspirational Hip Hop Fusion” which incorporates live instruments, looping technology and artists from other genres.

Wax Mannequin, Hamilton, ON
Band-backed or solo with electronics, Wax Mannequin offers Infectious art-punk and brooding folk tunes for the head and heart. Sombre satire in his lyrics is set on fire by a raucous and unforgettable stage show.

Willie Kuklis, Prince George, BC
Currently residing in Prince George, BC, this singer/songwriter incorporates his unique vocal stylings with diverse songwriting inspiration which has been summed up with three words “What A Voice”.

Windmills, Kelowna, BC
Influenced by the romantic soundscapes of film with strong vocals and heartbreaking lyrics, Windmills combines multiple musical elements to create an original singer-songwriter act.

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Visual Art

Glass Blowing with Redbeard and friends,
Redbeard is one of Canada’s best-known glassblowers, melting glass since 1998. Recognized for his work in the cannabis industry, Redbeard has focused on making medicinal delivery devices for 16 years. Now Redbeard Glass has joined up with POT.TV to broadcast a weekly internet show, (The Redbeard Show). Redbeard will be joined by friends and colleagues Christie McPhee from the Kootenays, and Gibson’s Glassworks from Quadra Island. These three artists will entertain and bedazzle you with firy molten globs of glass all weekend long. Come Check out the demonstrations happening every day at ArtsWells, and join us for the live broadcast of The Redbeard Show, Saturday at 4pm.

Karl Mattson, Rolla, BC
I was born and raised on my family farm in Rolla, a rural community in northeastern BC. I am a scavenger. The details in everyday experience, in things living and things dead, fuel my compulsion to create.

Lucas Glenn Co.,
Lucas Glenn Co. is the running pseudonym of artist Lucas Glenn. Creating work as a recycling and construction company, Glenn uses found objects and materials to construct assemblages, installations, and collages with the primary function of addressing cultural issues; most commonly addressing mass media’s influence on culture.

Vaughn Warren – Pole Carver, Kamloops, BC
is a carver, airbrusher and graphic artist who lives in Kamloops BC Canada. Vaughn Warren also provides art handling & installation services across BC and Canada. He Will be coming out to ArtsWells this year to create a new pole carving behind the IMA Public Gallery.

Mini Mural Project

The 6th annual ‘Mini Mural Project’ features professional visual artists creating ‘mini murals’ on 4’x 4’ panels over the duration of the festival. Created by Wells artist Caroline Anders, the idea is to have a stimulating and fun creative space where the artists can work together or on their own in the ever-inspiring setting of Wells. The Murals are then auctioned off and put on display on buildings throughout town.  Thanks to Rona and Opus for sponsoring some of the supplies.

2014 Mini Mural Artists

Alison Vogelaar,
Having grown up as an only child living in more rural locations of Northern B.C. Alison has always had a taste for quiet outdoors and creating her own adventures. Through her art, she is able to express and communicate some of her introspective journeys and provide a way of sharing her lonesomeness.

Bubzee–a Tail Told by Uschi Tala,
A Self taught creature of the night brought to the light, she has wandered threw worlds present and far as animal , human, witch, healing threw wands of holly horse hair, graced is the soul who shares her stories and finds in them secrets of their own truth.

Ben Blanchard,
Benjamin Blanchard’s work is found mostly in oil and acrylic paint on just about any surface he can get his hands on and is primarily fantasy inspired by nature owls often find their way in to his work.

Natasha Lepine,
Natasha Lepine is a newlygraded from Correlieu Secondary School in Quesnel, BC. She lived in Wells until she was 12-years-old, and enjoys bitter lemonade, road trips and slam poetry. In the future, Natasha dreams of becoming an art teacher.

Corey Matthews,
Born in Nova Scotia, Corey Hardeman has drawn since she could first hold a pencil. Her education in biology and architectural drafting have influenced her practice, which combines elements of illustration and technical drawing with a love of tonal painting, an abiding interest in biology, and an eye for tension and movement.

Lee-Anne Chisholm,
I have always been intrigued by the way artwork can affect the way we see the world. My goal as an artist is to create art that will allow a person to think, feel, and imagine a deeper sense of what they see. My artistic experience began very young and started with my enthusiasm for portraits and the beauty of the feminine form. Throughout many years of developing my skills with acrylic paint I have also studied a variety of different mediums and styles that have enhanced my aptitude for fine art

Laurie Landry,
Laurie Landry has always been interested in everything Art. She completed the Fine Arts Techniques at Emily Carr University in 2008, and has continued training with a mentor program and in-class workshops, including training in Paris at Studio Escalier. Laurie currently lives in Vancouver, and considers Wells her other home.

Gabrielle Funk,
I am an artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I have experience in multiple mediums including collaborative mural painting. The natural world and the deeply authentic ways of the animal kingdom influence my art. People and their loveliness and imperfection and darkness inspire me. Nostalgia and memory seep into every aspect of my practice and guide my vision. If that sounds serious that is because it is.

Julia Iredale,
Julia Iredale is a painter and illustrator from Vancouver, B.C. She grew up on a sheep farm on Mayne Island, but has since moved to Vancouver to attend Emily Carr University for Illustration. She uses surreal imagery to celebrate the strange and bizarre experience of being a human. Among many things, her work is inspired by history, nature, dreams, and the human heart.

Nick Lakowski,
A Vancouver artist with an MFA, UBC 2012, and a BFA, ECUAD, 2004. Recent work includes themes of landscape, distress, civility, and collapse.

Tahirih Goffic,
After a tumultuous past as a goat milker, laundress, waitress and restaurant owner, She is now a mostly full time artist with brief breaks as a lodge receptionist in an effort to fake a social life. She lives a ridiculously idyllic existence in a fairytale village called Bella Coola with my charming musician husband, two amazingly creative children, and a couple of dogs whose favorite past time is eating rotten dead fish and rolling in poo.

Troy Benoit,
Art saved my life and has helped me connect with so many beautiful friends and experiences. I’m grateful for this opportunity to share with you some of my visions and to be a part of something truly magical.

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Theatre

Biography of a Voice – Written and Performed by Mia Harris, Penticton, BC
Biography of a voice is a one-woman opratic vocal performance piece. It is preformed accapella and mostly improvized. Mia Harris received her opratic training at UNC and U of T. Her interests are currently steering her toward improvisation and performance art.

BITS – Written and Performed by Patrick Raymond Joseph Kearns, Wells, BC
One of the “top-ten must-see shows of the season” featuring some of “the most promising writing at this year’s Fringe.” – CBC Canada Writes. Patrick shies away from labels, but shamelessly flirts with titles. Lately, he’s been trying to get The Artist’s number.

The Fred Wells Show – Written by Danette Boucher, performed by James Douglas,
“…even in the darkest of hours, somewhere in the world, there is a place where anything is possible…”
Have you ever wondered about the history of the very town that hosts the ArtsWells Festval? Here is your chance to find out the real story behind the founding of Wells, BC. This thrilling stage show reveals the inspiring tale of how this little town grew and prospered during the worst financial depression in living memory. The Fred Wells Show was created by Histrionics Theatre Company in 2007, and since then has played to great acclaim in the Cariboo, in Vancouver, on Vancouver Island and in the United States.

Improv Ad Nauseum,
Actor, Director, Playright and owner of Serious Moonlight Productions, Bas has been teaching improv and theater for twenty years.

Kaliban – Written and performed by Andrew Hamilton, Wells, BC
What happened to Shakespeare’s immortal mythic-man-beast after the Tempest? Come and explore the darkly comic difficulties encountered by Kaliban, as the half-human immortal struggles to fit in with an ever-changing, perpetually-shifting contemporary society. Written and performed by Wells’ Andrew Hamilton.

Moth Orbit Object Theater
With found objects and rejected materials Moth Orbit Object Theater transforms trash into treasure, static materials into spirited. The Death and Resurrection of Little Lumen Born under a dining table, hungry and alone, baby Lumen suckles a potato sprout in desperation, initiating a near-death experience, submerged in a chthonic world where he must face himself to survive.

Welcome to the Debby’s, Prince George, BC
Welcome to Debby’s is an experimental play conceived by and starring Jeremy Stewart and Raghu Lokanathan. The play takes the form of a conversation between Stewart and Lokanathan one night in Debby’s all-night truck stop diner, and here’s the kicker—the dialogue is improvised. Stewart and Lokanathan are no strangers to sharing the stage with one another, and have exchanged a great deal of onstage banter over the years, but always between songs. The two have been performing together since 2005 in such groups as The Cottonweeds, The Heel of the Loaf, and the Transfiguration Good News Band. But the radical level of risk in this piece is new to both of them. Ultimately, the potency of the play derives from the large amount of talking they’ve done, on walks, in cafés and diners, and to and from gigs. Welcome to Debby’s is a show that comes out of their mutual love of good conversation and interest in artistic experiments

1-min. Play

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Film

Henry’s Glasses
In an internment camp in 1945, an eight-year-old boy has a mystical gift that makes the extraordinary happen. Even to the old and devastated Mr. Yamamoto, this gift may hold the power to make a skeptic believe.

My Prairie Home
In this feature documentary-musical by Chelsea McMullan, indie singer Rae Spoon takes us on a playful, meditative and at times melancholic journey. Set against majestic images of the infinite expanses of the Canadian Prairies, the film features Spoon crooning about their queer and musical coming of age. Interviews, performances and music sequences reveal Spoon’s inspiring process of building a life of their own, as a trans person and as a musician. Official selection at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Northern Grease
Northern Grease follows Tamo Campos and friends as they travel in a vegetable oil fueled bus throughout British Columbia and Alberta. It is a travel-snowboard documentary focusing on environmental stewardship. Telling a story of awareness, criticism, and forward thinking, against a backdrop of our country’s beautiful wilderness and fascinating people.

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Literary

2 Dope Boys In A Cadillac, Victoria & Vancouver, BC
2 Dope Boys in a Cadillac are preachers of The Anthropocalypse in the guise of barefoot beards with voices. They were also six-fifteenths of the 2013 Victoria Poetry Slam Team

Ann Walsh, Williams Lake, BC
Ann Walsh is a long time Cariboo resident and author of books about Canada’s history for young readers. She has recently begun performing her spoken word poetry.

Dave Bidini (reading), Toronto, ON

Jaden Wilkes, Quesnel, BC
“Jaden is the pen name of a girl living on the prettiest farm in BC. She shares her space with her husband, her children, and an Irish Wolfhound named Tiberius. She can now be found lurking in the dark corners of the internet looking for artful porn gifs, dirty poems and places to promo her work.”

Jeremy Loveday, Victoria, BC
Jeremy Loveday is the 2-time defending Victoria Slam Champion. His poetry “captures the magic of being alive”. His videopoem “Masks Off – A Challenge to Men” has sparked debate and attracted international media attention.

Julie Fowler – Grande Dames of the Cariboo, Penticton, BC
Co-founder of the ArtsWells Festival and Executive Director of Island Mountain Arts, Julie just published her first book – Grande Dames of the Cariboo – about her journey through Cariboo Art History.

Kathleen Miniely, Victoria, BC
Political, mischievous, perplexed, heart broken poet, can dance jigs, turn cartwheels, knit, and is exactly who you’d want if you were having a baby.

Shane Avec I Grec, Victoria, BC

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Interdisciplinary

TBA

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Workshops

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Dance

Bottoms Up Burlesque, Quesnel, BC
A troupe of dancers, singers, and actors, Bottoms Up Barely Burlesque combine burlesque, cabaret, and vaudeville styles to create polished shows. They’re known for their musical collaborations and one-of-a-kind performances.

ZarYevka Ballet – Capri and Jeff, Wells, BC
A high-energy fusion of ballet & shamelessly romantic gypsy dance. Capri Aspe began producing ZarYevka Ballet in 2011 and has been creating colorful, highly-entertaining shows ever since. Capri Aspe began producing ZarYevka Ballet in 2011 and has been creating colorful, energetic shows ever since. Jeff Wannop has been co-piloting since 2013, a dancing man himself.

Get Bent Belly Dancing, Penticton, BC
Each year, Get Bent performs hundreds of belly dance shows at community events, theatres and public schools in the Okanagan and BC.

Jake Evans,  Penticton, BC
Jake Evans is an Urban Dancer and Musician from Halifax NS, now living in the Okanagan. He has been performing and instructing from coast to coast for the last 15 years and is currently touring his new children’s book entitled “Feelin’ The Beat.”

The Spin Jinny, Comox Valley, BC
The Spin Jinny is a Vancouver Island belly-dancer and hula-hooper with a flair for fusing both with a circus aesthetic. Just add a dash of fire for some danger-singed entertainment! thespinjinny.com

Vile Pole Arts, Quesnel, BC
Competing at the 2014, World Championships, Vile Pole Arts promises to deliver an unforgetable performance. Chemistry, artisty, strength and beauty like no other.

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ArtsWells Appreciation Party Aug 4th @ the Wells Community Hall

Los Rastrillos, Mexico
Mexico City has been skanking to the cool-mestizo-reggae rhythms of the Rastrillos since 1989. Their 25th anniversary is the result of years of hardwork of its members, seeking to promote Mexican reggae music, self-management and artistic spaces.

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