The work of Cape Breton artist Teena Marie Fancey had been selected from among a number of other Cape Breton entries to be presented at the Kinsale Arts Festival in Ireland.
“I’m really proud and honoured that my work has been selected to represent Cape Breton at Kinsale and that it will be shared with an international audience,” exclaimed Fancey.
This year, the Kinsale Arts Festival is being held as part of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race events in the Cork and Kinsale region of Ireland.
“The festival asked all of the Clipper yacht sponsors to submit a work to represent their regions,” states Lauri Taylor, Cape Breton’s Clipper Project Coordinator with Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation. “We saw this as a great opportunity to showcase another aspect of Cape Breton’s rich culture and we’re very proud of Teena Marie’s work.”
A competition of Cape Breton artists was conducted by the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to select the representing entry for the island. A selection committee judged the process, ultimately selecting Fancey’s submission to be displayed in Ireland.
Fancey describes She Had That Sinking Feeling: “The piece has a gentleman and a lady who, although from different worlds, share an attraction. The gentleman is safe for now, in his little boat and the lady has been lured up to the surface by the promise of romance. One of them is going to have to leave their home or comfort zone if the pair wishes to be together.”
“In my latest work I use inspiration from collected photographs, found objects, and remembered poems, nursery rhymes and stories that left me full of wonder and fuelled my imagination. In this case, I’m marrying the old, a vintage photograph of my great-grandparents, and the modern, a found diving wheel component, to tell a timeless story of relationships.”
