Every month (or two) we change the art displayed on the walls of our coffee house. We get excited about showing incredible artwork by talented Hamiltonians… especially when the art helps to foster social change. We are very excited about November’s show by Good Shepherd Centres ~ Women’s Services (Link) & The Community Centre for Media Arts (Link):

A Woman’s Journey ~ A Photo Voice Project

Over the past four months we have gathered to discuss the complexities of a woman’s journey. Through honest conversation around woman abuse, motherhood, poverty and the strength of women we have begun to articulate these complexities.

Through the photo voice project women were given artistic freedom to capture how these realities intersect in their lives. The images and ideas depicted reflect the daily lived realities of the women involved.

This exhibit is not the end result; we hope that this exhibit and its images will encourage dialogue and foster change. We hope its depictions and narratives mark the beginning of a new understanding for those who experience and hear the message of A Woman’s Journey.

These are their voices.

Art Opening: Friday, November 6th
(Reception at 7:00pm, Live Music at 9:00pm)
Cost: Free admission

The Freeway is part of an initiative called the “Good Food Box.” Every month we order boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables from a great organization, called Food Share, for folks in our community. Here’s what the Food Share website says about the Good Food Box initiative:

The Good Food Box makes top-quality, fresh food available in a way that does not stigmatize people, fosters community development and promotes healthy eating.

The Good Food Boxes that we order cost $15 each and provide approximately $30-$40 dollars worth of produce. Not too shabby. If you want more information, drop us a line.

( Good Food Box )

Since its inception in 2002, The Freeway has had a spiritual retreat weekend twice a year. These are always very spiritually, as well as community, forming. On November 6-8 we will be gathering at a cottage near Parry Sound to share meals, laugh, encounter God in a fresh way, enjoy nature, engage in some spiritual practices, and have some deep and meaningful conversations with each other. The cost is $35 per adult and $15 per child under 12. If you have been around The Freeway for a long time, or if you are just getting your feet wet with this community, you should come.

( More Information )

One of the great things about The Freeway Coffee House is the artistic characters that you meet. One such Hamilton character is  Larry Strung, an amazing photographer and cycling enthusiast who in 2008 took on an ambitious project called Hamilton 365. The idea behind Hamilton 365 was that for an entire year the artist would create a photographic portrait of a different person in Hamilton every day. The photos were then posted nightly on the Hamilton 365 blog. At first glance this seems a simple task until you realize that for one year this man immersed himself in the city streets and people of Hamilton. No summer vacation up north, no weekend getaway to Toronto. At some point Mr. Strung needed to be in Hamilton taking a snap shot of a Hamiltonian.

2008 has long come and gone, but the project lives on in a new and exciting way. The Art Gallery of Hamilton has all 366 portraits (turns out that 2008 was a leap year) from the Hamilton 365 project on display until November 8th in the Jean & Ross Fischer Room.

A couple weeks ago my wife and I took our kids to see the exhibit. I loved the way it was organized, the photos were displayed in grids organized by the month they were shot in. The result was delightfully reminiscent of a calender. My kids turned 365 into a game, they would run ahead and see how many people they could find that they knew. Since they spend a lot of time at The Freeway, and we love to explore Hamilton ourselves, they recognized a number of familiar faces.

If you haven’t already done so, you should check out this wonderful (and free) exhibit at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The AGH is just a 5 minute walk from The Freeway, and is located at 123 King Street West. Play the game, see how many people you know, or better yet, the next time you see a stranger on the street that you recognize from Hamilton 365, say hello and say you saw their wonderful portrait.

Just a suggestion for those of you who come to our worship gatherings on Sunday evenings: try to come a little early next Sunday and walk over to the gallery and check out the exhibit (the AGH is open until 5pm on Sundays). You’ll still have plenty of time to get back to The Freeway and enjoy your coffee before the worship gathering.