UNews - Peggy Mezei

CASA opens its doors

trevor.kenney — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:08:05 +0000

The City of Lethbridge, Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are excited to announce the Grand Opening of CASA, a truly functional 42,000 square foot arts centre with a striking building design.

CASA is the realization of a 20-year dream, shared by many in the Lethbridge arts community, to expand or replace the Bowman Arts Centre and provide a home for the arts in one central location.

"I am very pleased to participate in today's celebration, which will usher in new opportunities for Lethbridge and southern Alberta's artistic community," says Jim Hillyer, Member of Parliament for Lethbridge, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

"Worthwhile projects such as this create jobs and encourage economic growth, while also providing Canadians with valuable cultural spaces."

Funding for the $20.69 million project includes $6 million from the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component (with $3 million provided by both the Federal Government and Alberta Transportation under BCF-CC), $14.4 million from the provincial Municipal Sustainability Initiative (administered by Alberta Municipal Affairs) and $200,000 from the City of Lethbridge.

"We're pleased to support local priorities and build communities through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative," says Greg Weadick, Associate Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs and MLA for Lethbridge-West.

"Facilities like CASA bring together families and neighbours while they enrich lives, entertain and create more vibrant economies."

CASA will allow for students of all ages to learn and explore many different mediums of art, drama, music, dance, yoga and more. It will become home to many local groups and events.

After the 11 a.m. Grand Opening, and for the remainder of the week, special events will be taking place in the evenings, with a Party On the Plaza from noon until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. This community festival is free and will include many local musicians and entertainers, from the Lethbridge Community Taiko Association to the U of L Conservatory of Music.

Other events during the week include dance, theatre, film, the inaugural CASA art exhibit opening and the music of Oscar Lopez.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Conservatory of Music has numerous events planned that showcase both the new facility and their diverse programs.

U of L Conservatory information, including program registration and upcoming events listings, can be found at this website.

"Our local arts community has been waiting for this day for a long time. For decades to come, this new arts facility will be a significant cultural and economic asset for downtown Lethbridge and for the entire community," says Mayor Rajko Dodic.

Along with the Allied Arts Council, who will be overseeing the facility, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is also a major partner with its Music Conservatory moving to this facility.

"We are extremely proud of U of L Music Conservatory Director Peggy Mezei and her team, and their achievements as they move in to CASA's bright and beautiful space," says Dr. Mike Mahon, the U of L's President and Vice-Chancellor. "Our commitment to the community takes on many forms, and being such an integral part of the CASA group is something we are very pleased to be a part of. This new facility will be of great benefit to our present and future Conservatory students, and also to the many members of the arts and culture community who use the facility to express their own creativity."

The Rotary Clubs of Lethbridge have also provided support to the project which has led to the naming of the Rotary Plaza, the location of the festivities on Saturday, May 18.

CASA will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 pm. on Sundays. Classes and workshops, including the opportunity to try "sampler" classes for a nominal fee, will begin the week of May 20.

Information on Grand Opening Week events as well as information on classes, workshops, facility rentals and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Music Conservatory can be found at the CASA website.

Steacy creates balance on and off track

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:10:48 +0000

When Heather Steacy takes the stage, it's all about technique — whether she's in a throwing circle or a recital hall.

The two-time CIS women's weight throw champion is as comfortable heaving weights around a track as she is playing clarinet to a convocation crowd. And while that might seem like a startling contrast, Steacy says the two disciplines actually feed off one another.

Heather Steacy won gold at the NACAC U23 Track Championship in Florida recently.

technique to be able to stay in control the whole time and be able to release in the sector, so I think it's quite similar to music."

Exercising proper breathing and executing technique at the time of performance are shared traits of musicians and athletes. Steacy says her early introduction to musical performance has aided her athletically in big competitions.

"I don't really get nervous. I get jitters every once in a while but I've learned how to control it over the years and it doesn't affect me very much."

That was on display in her first appearance at CIS nationals in the spring of 2007. Just 18 years old at the time, Steacy shocked everyone by winning gold in the weight throw (indoor). A year later, she'd defend her title, throwing a still personal best distance of 17.93 metres and dominating the competition by more than a half metre.

This past week, Steacy competed at the NACAC (North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association) Under 23 Championships in Miramar, Fla. Now 21, Steacy is still showing she's the best in her class by dominating the hammer throw (outdoor) event with a meet-record throw of 67.20 metres. The mark was also a personal best for Steacy and beat the silver-medal winning American thrower by just over three metres.

"My first year in CIS was pretty surprising because I didn't expect to win at all," Steacy says. "In 2008, it was nice to be able to do it a second time. I had been training really hard and throwing well and I always find I compete well at the big meets."

Steacy is on a career path that continues to take her to bigger and bigger meets. It's a journey already traveled by another Steacy, older brother Jim. The Canadian Olympian and multiple Canadian champion and record holder casts a long shadow, but Heather has learned to reap as much as she can from Jim's experience.

"I don't think it's as bad for me as it is for Sean because I don't have to compete with him," she says of her other brother, another former Pronghorn thrower. "I love being able to train with Jim and see how well he's doing. Knowing that I have pretty much the same opportunity of doing everything he's doing is very encouraging."

Training five days a week, including twice daily Wednesday through Friday, you might think Steacy has little time for anything else. Add in the fact her entire family is into track and it sounds like throwing dominates her life. That's where music steps in to provide another outlet.

"It's kind of nice coming to school where there are people who have no idea what I do," she says. "It's neat being able to explain things (about hammer) but it's also nice not being asked all the time. It's nice to have that contrast in my life."

That disparity also seems to create a student-athlete balance that leads to excellence in both arenas.

GET THE FACTS

• Hammer throw is an outdoor sport where the women heave a 4kg ball (8.8 lbs) attached to a metal wire 119.5 cm in length (three feet, 11 inches). Weight throw is an indoor sport where the women toss a 20lb weight attached only to a handle.

• Heather Steacy is the third Steacy to win gold at NACAC, following Jim, who won gold in 2003 in Sherbrooke, Que. and Sean, who won the event two years ago (2008) in Mexico.

• Steacy started playing clarinet in Grade 5, taking lessons from U of L music professor Peggy Mezei.

For more on the Pronghorns' throwing program, visit this link.

Classical duo celebrated

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:07:07 +0000

The musical event, "Schumann and Chopin: Hearts Alive at 200" on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall pays homage to Robert Schumann and Frederic Chopin by celebrating the timeless music these composers created during their lifetimes.

The year 2010 marks the bicentennial birthdays for both composers, making it the perfect time to enjoy their exceptional contributions to classical music.

"These composers wrote some of the most beautiful melodies of all time," says music professor Glen Montgomery. "There are many layers to the music they composed; it shows the richness of the minds of both Schumann and Chopin."

The variety of work being presented promises to highlight the evening.

"The program features an array of pieces, performed by faculty in the Music Department," says Montgomery. "Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben is a beautiful series of pieces to be performed along with the 1st Violin Sonata played by Peter Visentin and a set of 3 Fantasy Pieces performed by Peggy Mezei."

The evening concludes with the B Minor Sonata by Chopin, performed by Montgomery.

Tickets are available for $15 regular and $10 student/senior at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (403-329-2616).

Steacy comfortable on any stage

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:43:20 +0000

When Heather Steacy takes the stage, it's all about technique – whether she's in a throwing circle or a recital hall.

"I think there are a lot more similarities with hammer (and weight) throw and music than there are with other sports," the 20-year-old, third-year music major says. "In hammer, you have to have pretty much perfect technique to be able to stay in control the whole time and be able to release in the sector, so I think it's quite similar to music."

"I started playing piano when I was five and have been doing Kiwanis Music Festivals ever since, so I've never really had an opportunity to develop big issues with nervousness like some people have," she says. "I don't really get nervous. I get jitters every once in a while, but I've learned how to control it over the years, and it doesn't affect me very much."

That was on display in her first appearance at CIS nationals in the spring of 2007. Just 18 years old at the time, Steacy shocked everyone by winning gold. A year later, she'd defend her title, throwing a still personal best distance of 17.93 metres and dominating the competition by more than a half metre.

"My first year was pretty surprising because I didn't expect to win at all," Steacy says. "Last year, it was nice to be able to do it a second time. I had been training really hard and throwing well, and I always find I compete well at the big meets."

Steacy is on a career path that will lead to bigger and bigger meets down the road. It's a journey already traveled by another Steacy, older brother Jim. The Canadian Olympian and multiple Canadian champion and record holder casts a long shadow, but Heather has learned to reap as much as she can from Jim's experience.

Steacy is preparing for her third CIS championship appearance, Mar. 12-14 in Windsor, Ont. She opened the season with a secondplace showing at the Golden Bear Open meet in January and while not taking gold is somewhat of an oddity, Steacy says she welcomes more challengers to a relatively unknown sport.

"There's getting to be a lot more girls competing now, which is a good sign," she says. "There will actually be people to compete with now instead of just going and throwing by yourself, competing against yourself all the time."

"It's kind of nice coming to school where there are people who have no idea what I do," she says. "It's neat being able to explain things (about hammer), but it's also nice not being asked all the time. It's nice to have that contrast in my life."

That disparity also seems to create a student-athlete balance that leads to excellence in both arenas.

GET THE FACTS

• The hammer throw is an outdoor sport where the women heave a 4kg ball (8.8 lbs) attached to a metal wire 119.5 cm in length (three feet, 11 inches). The weight throw is an indoor sport where the women toss a 20lb weight attached only to a handle

• Steacy won the CIS weight throw gold last year with a throw of 17.93m, nearly two metres better (15.97m) than her win in 2007

• Her summer competition schedule could include trips to Prince Edward Island (Canada Games), Serbia (World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Games) and Lebanon (Francophone Games)

• Steacy started playing clarinet in Grade 5, taking lessons from U of L music professor Peggy Mezei

UNews - Peggy Mezei

CASA opens its doors

Related Topics

Steacy creates balance on and off track

Related Topics

Classical duo celebrated

Related Topics

Steacy comfortable on any stage

Related Topics