Beer and Art, part two: Emily Urquhart discovers Heaven = Art + Beer at the Eastern Edge Gallery.
"Beers of the world, unite!"
The UNOB slogan
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Heaven = Art + Beer
Submitted by Emily
Urquhart
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The
symbiotic relationship between beer and art continues at pace here in
St. John's. Residents said goodbye to Theo Sims' recreated Irish pub
The Candahar this month, but they
won't have to wait long for the next
brewksy-inspired event.
On Sunday March 16th the Eastern Edge Gallery is hosting a fundraising auction to boost the coffers of their outreach program. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day (worldwide celebration of beer, green or otherwise) they've asked local artists to design one-of-a-kind beer labels to adorn bottles containing a fresh batch of home-brew.
Each sud-filled bottle will be auctioned off to art and beer patrons alike. The starting bid? Just $10! The UNOB's Newfoundland and Labrador Delegate Emily Urquhart sat down with one of the two organizers, John Haney (aka Alehouse John), to find out more about this event, simply and eloquently titled: HEAVEN = ART + BEER.
EU: Where did the idea for Heaven = Art + Beer begin?
AJ:
The idea is the brainchild of two brain parents. Me and Michelle Bush,
Director of Eastern Edge. She very innocently asked me if I
knew anyone who made their own beer. I
told her that Bruce, my good friend and (as luck would have it)
downstairs neighbour, was a master brewer.
This may or may not be true in the greater realm of the beer world, but I have told Bruce on numerous occasions, that if I could make beer as tasty as his, I would never buy another bottle from the store. From there, my imagination was jarred by possibility, and Michelle and I laid the foundation of what has become this event.
EU: So, beer first, art follows?
AJ: Yes, the idea was to make beer and to tie it to art. Michelle liked the idea of having some kind of event at the gallery that would reward participants with a bottle of divine homebrew. The labels may have been my idea, as I often think about label design, especially for wine bottles, which is a bit of a fetish of mine.
I liked the idea of participants making one-of-a-kind piece of art that could be slapped on to a beer bottle. Or not. I liked the idea of a fixed dimension, 5" x 8", so that the limits of the size could be a springboard for possibility. I find that guidelines, restraints and deadlines always make the most fruitful inspirations. And so Heaven = Art + Beer was born.
EU: Speaking of inspirations and guidelines, did you actually brew the beer yourself?
AJ: Yes, I made the beer, with a great deal of assistance and guidance from my resident brewmaster. Bruce has a lot of the scientific instruments needed: siphoning tube, hydrometer, stoppers, carboys, sulphites, capper, etc. I went out and got a little extra equipment and a couple of beer kits.
One is an Irish cream ale, one is a red ale. Bruce (again), who is a science guy, helped me with measurements of yeast, yeast starter, sugar, water, etc. It's quite overwhelming. And, now, I have two massive, lovely carboys of beer undergoing secondary fermentation in my apartment. Whew. In three or four days, it all gets pumped into bottles, gets capped and we're off to the races.
EU: So, how would you describe the, ah, bouquet of this particular homebrew?
AJ:: As for the bouquet of the beer, I can't rightly say. I did have a whiff before they got pumped into their secondary fermentation tanks and they smelled gorgeous. Fruity. I believe that there may be undertones of toast and caramel, with a hint of smoky sweetness tempered by an unadulterated essence of barley. Aromas of rolling Irish hills and Chrysanthemum round out the experience.
EU: Why makes beer and art a good combo?
AJ: Both are ancient, and both likely arose from boredom, or long winter months in a cave or castle or cellar. Which came first, cave paintings or beer? Was beer responsible for the impulse to paint mammoths on the cave wall? Art owes an eternal debt to inspiration and so does beer. Art owes an eternal debt to beer and beer thanks art for allowing us to fully express our happiness of beer.
The two are intermingled like the roots of ancient vines that have grown into one mutually unconditionally loving mass. From then until this very day, the brewing of beer is an artform and the continued ability to produce the beauty we call art relies, in some part, on our relishing of the sweet amber fluid that is given us by the work of yeast and malted barley.
EU: How would beer lovers both on and off the rock find out more about Heaven = Art + Beer?
AJ: Our website, by emailing me or at Facebook.
The Heaven = Art + Beer auction runs from 5 to 7 on March 16 at the Eastern Edge Gallery, 72 Harbour Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland, 709-739-1882.
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