'We Do What We Love'

By P.A.Sévigny, August 15th, 2012

The Suburban
As a working artist and a long-time veteran of Montreal’s turbulent visual arts scene, NDG’s Scott MacLeod knows what it takes to put on a successful arts festival. After working closely with Paul Cargnello, a local musician with an equally impressive resume, Macleod told The Suburban that both he and Cargnello were determined to use the local arts festival to build the bridge that’s required to close the gap between the borough’s artists and their own local community. Based upon what is already a generous schedule, both Macleod and Cargnello must have called in a lot of favors because more than a few of Montreal’s leading artists and musicians will be sharing the spotlight during NDG’s week-long arts festival. 
Aside from next Friday evening’s opening block party at the NDG Food Depot’s building located on the corner of De Maisonneuve and Oxford Street, Macleod is hoping that Saturday’s Samedi in the Park concert will set the tone for the rest of the festival. Juno Award winner Elage Diouf will be one of the major players along with Montreal’s high-energy Nomadic Massif who have already made a name for themselves in the city’s urban music community. As the concert will cater to a local audience, the hometown fans will be happy to see both Chris Velan share the stage with local bar legend Shane Murphy. Inspired by more than a few of NDG’s well-known bar stories, Street Money Miracles, Murphy’s new CD, has now become required listening in almost every bar on the western side of the island.
On Saturday, local residents can take a stroll down one of the city’s largest exhibition venues as over fifty visual artists produce ‘live’ visual art for one and all along NDG’s normally staid Sherbrooke Street. As of next Sunday, the festival will be offering local residents a special treat with yet another edition of NDG’s famous Country en Ville. As of Sunday noon, there will be lots of acoustic music, lots of corn on the cob, lots of lemonade and lots of things to do for the kids.
On Sunday afternoon, the festival intends to hold a major craft fair in NDG’s Le Manoir located on the corner of Décarie and NDG Boulevard. As it will also be the NDG Community Center’s 70th birthday, festival organizers hope a lot of families will come in to join the party because there will be plenty of activities for everybody, including the children. Aside from the travelling library which will be setting up shop in Girouard park every afternoon over the entire week, there will also be lots of Youth Art which will include plenty of visual art programs for children over the entire nine-day festival. Other attractions include an exhibition with Montreal’s ‘Roadsworth’ along with a mini film festival which will feature NFB (National Film Board) films, documentaries and animation work produced by local artists. On Friday night, the festival will present the third edition of John McKay’s popular ‘Off the Wall’ film festival in Girouard Park in which everybody gets to see recent film and video work produced by the local filmmakers and videographers.
As every event is free, MacLeod told The Suburban that donations would be more than welcome and sent directly to the NDG Food Depot who would be happy to issue a charity receipt if requested to do so.n