In this edition of the Weekender: SAW Gallery’s New Ottawa Artists Spotlight Series, Sarah Hatton, Wind & The Wild, and three other things to do in Ottawa this weekend
Thinking outside the… bag? (FREE)
Hundreds of paper lunch bags, lined up from floor to ceiling, emblazoned with a “bushy-browed creature with an unwavering stare.” Irene Beck’s use of a “standardized ephemera” makes for a familiar, yet uncomfortable, entrance into SAW Gallery’s newest exhibit by four Ottawa artists whose body of work has largely taken place outside the “confines of the art establishment.” This is the Gallery’s third instalment in their New Ottawa Artists Spotlight series, which opens this Thursday, March 6. Also on view: Phil Osborne’s video-sculptures; Anne Johnson’s large-scale, mixed-media mural; and Russell Scott’s expansive wall drawing. Thursday’s vernissage takes place from 6 to 9 p.m., with food by Friday Lunch Project, music by DJ Lakes District, and a live performance by Bonnie Doon. The show runs until April 30. SAW Gallery is located at 2 Daly Ave.
Down by the Water (FREE)
Fathom — we often use this word in association with getting a “deeper” understanding.” It also has association with “outstretched arms” — once the standard for measuring things in days before standardized instruments. Whatever the meaning, “when you are submerged, lungs burning, straining to resurface through your own distorted reflection, you accept all the various meanings of its measure.” That statement regarding Sarah Hatton’s work in Fathom, is reflected by her water-themed, impressionistic-style paintings, which play with the confusion of light in water and depicting — at times — a figure who’s perhaps struggling. The vernissage for the show is on Thursday, March 6 at Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, from 5 to 8 p.m. The show is on until March 19. Galerie St-Laurent + Hill is located at 293 Dalhousie St.
Bostonian Psycho
Of Breaking Bad fame, comedian/actor Bill Burr is quickly becoming the next big thing in standup, drawing comparisons to Louis C.K. Burr delivers comedy that’s centered around the grievances of a white, heterosexual guy unanchored and unencumbered, yet confused and even a little psychotic. He performs two shows at the National Arts Centre on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets from $39. National Arts Centre is located at 53 Elgin St.
The Other Rankin
From Rankin Family fame, daughter/niece Molly Rankin has eschewed her family’s Cape Breton Celtic stylings to front Alvvays. The band creates British-tinged indie pop that’s akin to Brooklyn’s Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Glasgow’s Camera Obscura. Garnering nods from Pitchfork, and with Chad VanGaalen, Holy F*@k’s Graham Walsh, and indie super-star producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr./Kurt Vile) signed on to produce the band’s debut album — due next year —Alvvays is definitely worth checking out. They play Zaphod’s on Friday, March 7. Doors open at 8 p.m. Opening acts include Etiquette and Stella Ela Ola. Tickets $10. Zaphod’s is at 27 York St.
Edges of Folk
It’ll be a folk explosion at Raw Sugar Café on Friday, March 7 when Wind & The Wild and Bosveld — two bands that take very different approaches to the aforementioned genre — play at the café. With their full sound and striking harmonies, Wind & The Wild draw comparisons to Jim Bryson, The Weakerthans, and Bon Iver. In stark contrast, Bosveld is an electro-acoustic band that presents dreamy, ambient soundscapes, with understated but evocative vocals. They’re set to release their debut this spring. The show is from 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets $10. Raw Sugar Café is located at 692 Somerset Ave.
Puppet’s Arctic Expedition
Twenty knitted penguins and a talking dog tell an Arctic story based on Harry Horse’s famed children’s book The Last Polar Bears. (True, penguins don’t live in the Arctic, but neither do talking dogs!) The puppet-play of the same name takes children on a journey to the North Pole with Grandfather and Roo, his opinionated dog. Live action, actual film footage from Henry Larson’s Arctic expedition in the early part of the 20th Century, and, of course, puppets make for an entertaining weekend afternoon at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Weekends not good? Head on over to the Great Canadian Theatre Company this coming week where the show will be playing from Monday, March 10 to Thursday, March 13 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tickets $10, or four for $32. Best for ages 4-11. Shenkman Arts Centre is at 245 Centrum Blvd.; Great Canadian Theatre Company is at 1233 Wellington St. W.