Local painter took health scare to heart

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/09/2016 (3674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ART FROM THE HEART: In 2010, Winnipeg artist Ludolf Grollé had a heart attack and it changed him. “I realized there’s enough room in your heart to love so many things.”

While international business used to trump art, now his art trumps business.

“I’m always happiest when I’m painting,” he says.

After regaining his health, he’s “drawn a line in the sand” between the popular, fiery abstracts he created before, which sold famously in Canada and other countries, and the new art he’s been painting since.

To kick-start the change, he’s having a blow-out party and sale of previous art Friday at 7 p.m. at Grollé Fine Art, Studio 24, 81 Garry St. — the downstairs level of Fort Garry Place.

Grollé, who as a younger man looked like John Lennon, has used Beatles references when naming his recent art shows. This one is dubbed Painting the Room in a Colourful Way. Assistant Margaret Switala’s adjoining show is The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes. The opening reception is from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The paintings range from $750 to $5,000. In an unusual move for an upscale modern gallery, Grollé’s selling his art at “up to 50 per cent savings,” and encouraging “make-me-an-offer” deals that continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

In 2017, Grollé is expanding and adding a larger second gallery elsewhere in the city.

“I’ll be looking for more local artists to sell there who might have international appeal,” he says.

For more information, call 204-770-4121.

BOMBSQUAD: On Sept. 11 at Shannon’s Irish Pub, five people who had never tried standup comedy and were petrified they would bomb miserably — Dan Alerta, Jonathon Lane, Terri Mac, Shay Pahpasay and Beau Turner — were pitted against each other. However, according to contest organizer and veteran comedian Nelson Mayer, they each received two weeks of private coaching “to defuse their bombing” by the Bombsquad, a group composed of five experienced Winnipeg comics. Mentors were Clayton Stewart, Greg Tuff, Jaclyn Alerta, Garet Seman and Eric Hazlehurst.

 

“They had to write all their own material and then the Bombsquad could tweak it a little,” says Mayer. “Basically, I wanted them to do their own thing.”

The audience picked Dan Alerta as the winner.

“Dan was coached by his wife, Jaclyn Alerta — herself the winner of last spring’s contest — but hubby Dan was bound and determined to do his own things,” says Mayer. “He was darker and edgier than most of the other people, had some actual jokes with punchlines and good stage presence.”

Mayer also hosts an open mic Monday nights at the Shannon’s Irish Pub at 7 p.m.

 

LUNCH AT ALLEN’S: Get your tickets now! Half the house seats will be filled with Winnipeg musicians at this show at the Burton Cummings Theatre on Oct. 13. Canadian stars Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas entertain as a quartet called Lunch at Allen’s, named after the spot they meet for coffee and confabs.

The members have written and/or sung on records for stars such as Santana, Cher, Rod Stewart, Josh Groban, Chicago, Bonnie Raitt and America, as well as writing and performing their own music. You’ll recognize McLauchlan’s Farmer’s Song, Jordan’s Marina Del Rey and Thomas’s Painted Ladies.

Vocalist Church (Quartette, Great Western Orchestra) joins them to fill out their sound on the high end. Expect a warm show with songs everybody will know — and some spontaneous sing-alongs.

 

STRIDES FOR MELANOMA: This 5K (or just one kilometre, if that’s your thing) Walk for Awareness happens Sunday in 16 cities across Canada, organized by the Melanoma Network of Canada. At the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, you’ll hear music blasting from 103.1 Virgin Radio and strumming from the Ukulele Club of Winnipeg, plus there will be unicyclists, massage folks, Wheel of Fortune games, 50-50 draws, water bottles and T-shirts.

“Please help us raise awareness and much-needed funds for melanoma patients’ support programs, prevention efforts and increased awareness,” says Carol Landry, a walker and local event committee member. “I’m walking because my daughter Kristin, 41, has had melanoma removed from her neck and now constant monitoring is part of her life — and our whole family’s life, as we are part of a study where we get tested and checked.”

Others — like you and I — must check ourselves regularly and see our doctors to ask about unusual spots and skin changes.

Walk-up registration is available, or you can register in advance on the website melanomanetwork.akaraisin.com. The registration fee is $25, waived if you raise $125 in donations. There is no fee for children under 12.

 

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE: The Winnipeg Free Press received this sweet letter, which fell into my hands. I know the world is a tough place right now, but there are still wonderful people out there. I really wanted to share it with you:

“Hi there! My name is Ashley Humphrey and I thought I’d share with you something that a small town called Niverville has done. My late husband passed away three years ago due to a heart condition that he did not know he had. He was only 28 years old. He had atherosclerosis artery disease. The first symptom was a massive, fatal heart attack. He was a super-healthy, strong, hard-working young guy on the outside. Was never sick!

“For his one-year (anniversary of his death), we wanted to do something in memory of him, along with raise awareness of heart disease, so we put together a huge backyard party out in the country, with live local music on a huge stage, games, food trucks, bonfires and a huge firework display, along with bouncy castles and face paint for the kids to enjoy, and invited everyone.

“We named it Heaps of Dreeps (Dreeps was his nickname). It was a huge success, raising $7,000 the first year, with all proceeds going to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. The second year was $12,000 and, at our third event, on Sept. 10, $12,000 again!”

Now how’s that for beautiful, people? Way to go, Ashley and Niverville.

Got cool things things happening in your world? Fun events? Been rubbing shoulders with stars? Email mscurf@shaw.ca