Whats Up Magazine — Bracebridge/Gravenhurst

Six Degrees looks ahead at what’s to come
By Zander Sherman
Six Degrees Muskoka, located in
downtown Bracebridge, looks back on
the summer’s seven themed exhibits, 90
digital animation classes, and 600 art
instalments fondly. So do the residents
of Muskoka, who’ve responded with
enthusiasm in a survey being concluded
at the time of press.
“People were blown away and
amazed,” says Jen Skinner, who
co-founded Six Degrees with her husband,
Don. “It was unexpected. And
that’s what we like.”
The 42-question survey gathered the
opinions of artists, demonstrators, and
community members alike, and nearly
all to date have indicated their support
for the gallery.
“So far ninety-three per cent of our
respondents recommended Six Degrees
to someone else,” says projector co-ordinator
Tamsen Tillson. “And all were very
positive about our impact on the downtown
experience for shoppers, other
retailers in downtown Bracebridge, and
the Muskoka arts community.”
Now the gallery has closed, the Skinners
are using feedback from the community
to help form their strategy going
forward. At the same time, they don’t
want people thinking Six Degrees, or its
animation studio, Pixels on the Parallel,
didn’t make enough of an impact during
Thursday, October 22
The film Garbage Warrior is being
presented at the Rene M. Caisse Theatre
in Bracebridge in support of Habi-
30 October 2009 www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Jen and Don Skinner operated Six Degrees Muskoka this past summer. The
gallery is now closed for the season, but was well received.
the summer to carry it through the fall.
“This is an adaptive reuse of a 124year-old
building, and we’re basically
building it over,” Don says. “It’s a huge
tat for Humanity. The show starts at 7
p.m. Tickets available at Readers World
in Bracebridge, Sustain in Huntsville,
and at the door. Call 705-385-8721.
priority. A massive amount of resources .
. . We’re rehabilitating the entire thing.”
Though much of the work being done
to the building will be completed over
Thursday, Oct. 22 to Saturday, Oct.
24
Nights on Broadway, presented by the
North Muskoka Players at the Algonquin
Theatre will feature an evening
of some of the most memorable Broadway
productions such as Les Miserable,
Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ
Superstar and more. Call 705-789-
4975.
Saturday, Oct. 24
Auburn Gallery in Gravenhurst will
be hosting its 3rd annual Great Pumpkin
event from 7-9 p.m. Twenty-five
local artists carve pumpkins in support
of Hospice Muskoka. Come and enjoy
the winter, some finishing touches, such
as the planned rooftop ribbon (an energy
conservation measure which would
generate domestic hot water), will come a
little later. In the meantime, the Skinners
are excited by a forthcoming animation
event in Ottawa, which they’ll use to
co-ordinate a winter intensive workshop.
“We hope to have a Christmas class and
challenge students to create a ‘short’ in
time for the G8 Summit,” says Jen.
And come spring, the plan is for Pixels
on the Parallel to resume its classes and
busy creative schedule. The top two floors
of the Six Degrees building are already
leased to an international firm, and the
rest of the space will be adapted to a
variety of uses in an effort to make the
building sustainable from all angles.
“Sustainability is number one,” says
Don. “We see the use of rentable
interstitial space as a value-added piece to
Six Degrees. And the added cultural value
of creative content – static art, animated
art, visual art, performance art – creates a
richer environment.”
With winter coming on, the Skinners
are now looking for input from the community
about how to empower youth and
arts.
“Six Degrees is a global community
idea about connectivity,” Jen says. “We
want ideas about how that relates to
your creative cultural side.”
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visit www.whatsupmuskoka.com for complete listings
READERS’ WORLD
pages for everyone
Enjoy an array of different titles
including:
Fiction, Non-Fiction,
Children’s Books,
Cook Books
and more!
52 Manitoba Street
Bracebridge, ON
705-645-5806
Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
the evening and have a chance at winning
one of the talented creations. Call
705-812-0749.
Friday, Oct. 30
Johnny Cash, Man in Black will be
presented at the Algonquin Theatre.
Bill Cayley, who shares the same birthday
as Johnny Cash, will perform a
tribute to the artist. A June Carter
Cash character will join Bill on stage as
well as a three piece back-up band.
Show begins at 8 p.m. Call 705-789-
4975.
For additional events, visit our website
at www.whatsupmuskoka.com
Next advertising
deadline
Oct 29
Call now to book
your ad space
646-1314