A Tribute to Stevie Wonder at Mojo Music - opening Sept 8, 2011

What I love about Stevie Wonder’s music is not only the arrangement and mastery of keys, but the lyrics. As a younger woman in search of direction, I would often play music to guide me through troubled times. A song I constantly returned to when I was down is Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away.

It’s the song I play when I am disappointed in humanity and am struggling. When I am about to decide that everything is futile and there is no longer any point in pushing past the racism I encounter, pushing past the dismal words I hear, pushing through the hopelessness that often surrounds. When I hear that recording, I feel through Stevie’s voice, an energy that connects me to hope. And the most incredible thing about it is that the song provides no answers, just a message that someone somewhere else in the world is fighting similar demons and managing to get through.

This Tribute to Stevie Wonder at Mojo Music, is a collection of paintings that depict an artist who is full of talent, passion, politics and love. Some images are simply portraits of him, others include quotes from his music. The work is grouped so that you can, “…feel it, fell his spirit…” when you are in the performance room at Mojo Music.

A Tribute to Stevie Wonder
Opening September 8, 6-9pm
Mojo Music
430 Speers Road
Oakville, Ontario.
Wheelchair accessible
Free parking
Refreshments served
Free event

Venue hours:
Monday to Friday 12-9pm
Saturday 10-6pm
Sunday 12-5pm

Mojo Music is a musical instrument store and music school located close to Speers and Morton. It’s a slick venue packed with instruments and staffed with people who know music and love it.

Join us for the opening of A Tribute to Stevie Wonder to celebrate the gift of hearing this great artist and being influenced by his music. The exhibition runs until November 10, 2011.

Directions for those without cars:
If you're coming from Toronto, take the Lakeshore West Go Train
to Oakville Go Station
The cost of a day pass (return ticket for same day use) is $13.00.
Take the #4 W Speers Bus located on Station Road just outside the Go Transit building
to the stop after Morton Road and simply cross the street
it costs 65 cents
with a Go Ticket
(Show your Go Transit Ticket to the driver.)

It's about a 40 minute Go Transit ride and the bus is s short trip.
Here's the Go Transit Schedule
(If you get to Union station at around 4:30, you'll arrive at the show close to the beginning.) The trains come frequently during rush hour - 5, 10 minutes apart. It's a nice way to travel.

Here's the bus schedule
The #4 W bus leaves Oakville Station about every 20 minutes from 5:25.


Mojo Music contact including map for those who drive.
Click on the map at Mojo's site to get mapquest driving.

I'll see you there!!

simonefrank.com

A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix Closing Celebration

I am so excited to be exhibiting in Oakville again. It’s an opportunity for me to see old friends I rarely bump into in my day to day.

Mojo Music is a musical instrument store and school. Had it not been for facebook, chances are I wouldn’t be exhibiting there. The owner, Peter Tong, is a pal from my childhood. He was a rocker then as well. I was a math geek. Just kidding! Not that I wasn’t amazing at math, I’m just not sure how I appeared to my peers or if they were even pigeonholing each other into careers. I was always looking for movie stars in my classroom – musicians, dancers, writers and I had no idea what a visual artist looked like at nine, but I knew I wanted to be one.

Back in the old days, I hung out with a lot of guys and all they’d talk about was Hendrix. Hendrix is amazing. No one can play like Hendrix. Hendrix was a God. He is a God. I finally listened. To create this exhibition, I had his music playing in the background. I read some articles and looked at some images and I was continually reminded of the cool factor. Jimi Hendrix was a phenomenal subject to paint because his art didn’t stop at his music. He was visually interesting as well.

Some if the images on exhibit are portraits, but another portion of the work on display celebrates music in general.

The show is coming down soon. The Closing Celebration, will happen on Thursday, August 18, 2011 from 6 – 10 pm. Please come out to the celebration and sale of my work. It will be nice to see my people again. It’s fun to see what people set off to do after years of standing in line after recess, wearing uncomfortable uniforms and way too much mall shopping.

Mojo Music
430 Speers Road
Oakville, ON

If you're coming from Toronto, take the Lakeshore West Go Train
to Oakville Go Station
The cost of a day pass (return ticket for same day use) is $13.00.
The buses are right outside the doors you exit through
take the #4 Speers Bus
to the stop after Morton Road and simply cross the street
it costs 65 cents
with a Go Ticket
(Show your Go Transit Ticket to the driver.)

It's about a 40 minute Go Transit ride and the bus is s short trip.
Here's the Go Transit Schedule
(If you get to Union station at around 4:30, you'll arrive at the show close to the beginning.) The trains come frequently during rush hour - 5, 10 minutes apart. It's a nice way to travel.

Here's the bus schedule
The #4 bus leaves Oakville Station about every 20 minutes from 5:25.


Mojo Music contact including map for those who drive.
Click on the map at Mojo's site to get mapquest driving directions.


So especially for grads of John XXIII School, St. Jerome and Saint Martin’s High School, if you’re not at the cottage, or working internationally please do come by and say hello.

Mojo Music has many music instructors, great sized individual class rooms and a really welcoming atmosphere. Take the opportunity now to register for Fall classes. You can go to their site to get detailed information of what’ s available and who to contact for more knowledge about it. MOJO SCHOOL of MUSIC

The next artist, whom I’ve already started painting, is Stevie Wonder. I have to admit I am so overwhelmed with emotion. Because I love him. I know very little about him personally, but through his music I am in absolute awe and madly in love with him. Look forward to seeing that work displayed on September 8th, 2011. I’ll remind you.

For now, have a fabulous weekend. Enjoy the rain. Should I check the weather, I haven’t checked. Ok, for you I will. We’ll see if it the prediction becomes fact. Okay. Enjoy the clouds on Saturday and the possibility of rain on Sunday.

But mostly,
Keep hope alive.
And love.

Trippy Solo (right)
simonefrank.com