Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-15, Page 21Lt. ha. Leda McAlist r displays lito raphs at the Goderich Pub1icLbrary BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Leda McAlister, a Goderich Township artist, is very low key about her work. Nevertheless, she has emerged from her solarnheated "Gallery on the Bluff" (one --file-Worth -oltlie-b-ridge Beyfierd) with an exhibition which is now on display at the Goderich Public Library. Entitled "Litho Plus" this exhibition comprises 20 or so lithographs illustrating sea gulls, grasses, old buildings and conveyances. These are not Straight lithographs and the "Plus" is expressed in the additional hand finishing which in- cludes pastels, water colors and collage. The variety of effects achieved by the addition of one or the other of these media provides the viewer with an opportunity to appreciate the individuality accentuated in these interpretations. The prints of the lithographs were made at the Goderich Print Shop. Mrs. McAlister has been interested in art since she was a young girl. She started her career in commercial art by studying fashion design at the Toronto School of Design. Since then she has studied under various artists -Tom Hodgson (of the Group of Eleven), Hugh MacDonald, G. Otto and Arnold Hodgkins -to name a few. For a long time, Mrs'. McAlister worked mainly in oils but she soon came to enjoy working in water colors, sketching and even sculpting. Lithographs are a fairly new venture for her. Mrs. McAlister has done some com- missioned work, including murals for several Extendicare nursing homes and a mural for the Whitchurch Stouffville Museum. While living in Stouffville, she also operated'a studio gallery. Mrs. McAlister has done some television art work as well. She has produced drawings for the CBC production, This Land and a series of drawings for a cable television production entitled, Writers' Showcase. She has also been featured on the oderich IGN Leda McAlister, a Goderich Township artist, shows one of the lithographs she has on display at the Goderich Public Library. Entitled "Litho Plus", the exhibit will run until April 21. (Photo by Joanne 13uchanan) Little Tanya Bauer stays awake at night crying. The four-year old girl doesn't understand why her best playmate, a Year-old apricot colored poodle named Brandy, isn't around to romp at the Bauer's Port Albert home. Tanya and Brandy were an inseparable pair, but since the poodle disappeared from a friend's home in Goderich on March 27, the pre-schooler has been despondent. The light-colored poodle disappeared late at riight from a Quebec Street home in Goderich and although the Bauers have been frantically following leads, -they lead nowhere. In desperation, Tanya's mother Anne visited clairvoyant, Vera McNichol in Millbank. McNichol said the clog was at- tempting to make its way home from Goderich and was picked up. She added that Brandy is alije and being cared for by a family who live north and west of the Quebec Street home where the dog was last seen. But Tanya doesn't understand and just wants her best playmate back. The Bauers can be reached at 529-7278. Tanya Bauer...still crying a 133 YEAR -15 two television shows; once talking about her own work and once talking about the work of other artists. Her paintings have been displayed in the IBM International Artists' Exhibition too. Mrs. WAILS -ter and -her -hilaband, Alexander, a writer, moved from Toronto to the Bayfield area six years ago and began building a passive solar home. Both are extremely interested in conservation and energy saving methods. At present they are building a sun pit to heat Mrs. McAlister's studio -gallery. This studio - gallery is open to the public. People are invited to browse and purchase works that they like. "We don't think of it as a business although we have moved up to the point where we now have a provincial sales tax licence," says Mr. McAlister. "We're not interested in a lot of red tape. We like to stay low key." After moving to the Bayfield area, Mr. and Mrs. McAlister joined the book club at the Goderich Public Library. This club holds informal discussions about various books on the second Thursday of each month at noon "Webring our own sandWidies and the library supplies coffee. There are about 30 of us and I understand they are starting up clubs in Clinton and Bayfield now too," says Mrs. McAlister who can't praise the Goderich club enough. It was through the book club that she found out the library would be interested in displaying her art work. Goderich Art Club members hold an exhibition there an- nually and guest artists are invited to display their work anytime they express a desire to do so. Mrs. McAlister's art work will be featured during regular library hours until April 21. If anyone has questions about her work, she invites them to call her at her studio -gallery home (482-9181). WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1981 SECOND SECTION( • Blyth play a sell-out Trudeaus are sensitively portrayed BY JOANNE BUCHANAN For those of you who missed •Linda Griffiths' show 'Maggie and Pierre' at the Blyth Centre last week, it was your loss. Griffiths, a 27 -year-old Montreal born actress, gives a sensitive, sympathetic and sometimes hilarious portrayal of the dashing and arrogant prime minister of Canada and his flower child bride. With amazingly quick changes of hairstyle, clothes and voice, she is able to play both the roles of Margaret Sinclair and Pierre Elliot Trudeau with relative ease. Although 'Maggie and' Pierre' started out as a one -woman show which travelled across Canada, the third role of Henry, a journalist who narrates and interprets the show for us, is now played by Patrick 13rymer. Through his elyes, we see how the press has turned the Trudeau marriage and break-up into a national soap opera 7, f a •‘Zi f4 ? , # • with Maragaret grabbing as many headlines as her husband. The play opens with Maggie and Pierre meeting while on vacation in Tahiti and ends up with Maggie dancing the night away in the New York disco, Studio 54 while •Pierre goes down to defeat in the election of 1979. In between these two scenes, we see Maggie's mixed-up adolescence as she tries to follow the crowd; we hear her - saying dumb, things to diplomats and making risque statements to the press; we feel her need to be alone without RCMP bodyguards; and we come to understand her desire to simply have fun. In the play; written by Griffiths with Paul Thompson of Theatre Passe Muraille r Thompson also directs), Maggie is represented as passion over Trudeau's reason in an attempt to portray the • to 4:0a • 0.1.,„ 1. * 4, ,.,00," (4, Swingers 0 00, • nation's most famous couple aS real people. 'Maggie, and Pierre' has catapulted Griffithe. into recognition in Canadian theatre. And recognition she deserves.,- • both for her versatility and energy on stage. She bears a striking resemblance to • Margaret Trudeau with her long wavy hair -style. But by pulling the waves back and using certain shrugs and gestures, she conjures up the image of Pierre. Trudeau just as easily. She gives full attention to detail -right down to the rose in Pierre's lapel. Griffiths will continue in her dual -role play only a couple of more times before moving on to other things. Blyth was one of the., few small centres in her schedule - tickets sold out fast and an extra Thursday night performance had to be added. LiRda Griffiths k It sure is tough being a kid, what with having to deal With swings that are too high. In a charitable, big sisterly way, five-year-old Mary Crawley tried unsuccessfully to help little brother Bill, 3. on aswing in Judith Goodcrham Park Friday. The youngsters found 1he swer hy moving to another swing and Bill got his -ride. (Photos hy Ca t h Wooden) . . .