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Media Release

For immediate release

Chinatown Remixed presents fifth annual arts festival on Somerset Street West

2013 festival to feature inflatable street sculpture, yarn bombing, and special curated exhibition spaces

Ottawa, Monday, April 22, 2013 – One-of-a-kind Ottawa arts festival Chinatown Remixed launches its fifth annual outdoor street celebration from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.  Taking place along Somerset Street West between Bay and Preston streets, the 2013 festival includes visual and performance art, live music, workshops, and food from local vendors and restaurant owners including Kichesippi Beer Co., ZenKitchen, The Daily Grind Café, Raw Sugar Café, and others. The month-long festival runs until June 18, and a special vernissage day after-party will be held at the Shanghai Restaurant from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on May 18.

Chinatown Remixed features visual art, sculpture, and performances presented in unconventional spaces such as restaurants, medical offices, laundromats, grocery stores, and hair salons. There is a strong focus on incorporating the local business community and celebrating the uniqueness of Chinatown, one of Ottawa’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.

 “We love Remixed!” State HighJinx owners Karen Nielsen and Leigh Reid. “It’s a wonderful   showcase of local creativity and brings so many diverse people to Chinatown. We are always excited to participate as we have such a fantastic time, get to meet talented artists, and share the love of art with our neighbours.”

Highlights of the 2013 festival include a life-sized textile sculpture of China Doll, Chinatown’s resident drag performer, created by fibre artists Justy Dennis and Jasmine Vesque; Charcoal drawings by artist Samuel Jan at Panda Vacations; the thenwedieatron, a bicycle-powered inflatable sculpture by artist Natali Leduc and Matthew Gorgol; and The Machine Project, a video installation by Christine Mockett presented at Tang Coin Laundry. Musical performance acts include transgendered indie electronic musician Rae Spoon and Ottawa experimental band SILKKEN LAUMANN, who will perform at the Shanghai Restaurant and Kichesippi Beer Co. Main Stage.

This year, an exciting new feature is added to the Remixed: young artists from Canterbury High School Visual Arts and Dance Department will be participating in both creation and performance or presentation of original art works in front of Dalhousie Community Centre.

A brand new venture in 2013 is the inclusion of special exhibitions developed by invited curators. Each curator was asked to put together an exhibition featuring the work of an artist or artists, allowing them to flex their creativity while reflecting on and exploring the space they were given.