By Paul Gessell

Does anyone even remember who performed at Bluesfest this summer? Or do people just remember that a monster storm toppled the stage?

The storm certainly impressed some of the 13 Ottawa artists commissioned by the Citizen’s arts-editor-at-large Peter Simpson to create artwork about Bluesfest that can be auctioned to raise funds for the Blues in the Schools program. Judging by the sneak peak offered by some of these artists, there was more of a fascination with Bluesfest: The Fright Night than with Bluesfest: The Music Extravaganza.

Andrew King certainly encapsulated Bluesfest 2011 with his spare painting called Stage Fright, which shows the stage flying away, just like the tornado that sent Dorothy and Toto sailing to Oz. (more…)