Evelyn Tanner is entering into grade 12 year at Park View Education Centre. She loves to read, write, and create! At school, she is invovled in IB Art and the band program, where she plays clarinet and tenor saxophone. Outside of school, she enjoys playing ukulele and guitar. In art, she loves to try different medias, but her favourites are pencil and ink. She hope to go to college for graphic design and digital media.

She finds that Bridgewater seems to be very fast paced and hectic- everyone seems so caught up with their lives, and it almost seems like people don't have the time to be creative anymore. But for one night, Afterglow transforms Bridgewater. You see people that would normally be swept away by meetings and deadlines be brought together by a common interest- or perhaps a common curiosity. For a while, time slows down, and we can take in what we're surrounded by- that's awesome.

Evelyn participated in her first Afterglow during her first year of high school, so it only makes sense to take part in one more before she heads off to college. This year is her third and last Afterglow, and she couldn't be more excited. Each year it grows more and more, and she knows that this year's festival is going to be the best one yet!

I recently have had the opportunity to get to know Guy Doucette, a new arrival to Bridgewater. A few weeks ago he showed me his awesome handmade puppets and his creative spirit is truly unique.  Let's get to know Guy a little bit better: 


Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and your creativity
My name is Guy Doucette and I live in Bridgewater right on King Street. I love to work in and with many different artistic mediums to create fresh and exciting new projects and pieces to present to the public. For this years Afterglow Festival I will be presenting a piece called Guy Doucette and The Shadow Band. This project combines my love of theatre, music and puppetry to create a show that can go almost anywhere and is very different from most shows you've seen. Shadow Puppetry is an ancient art form the stems from all over the world, but it is the closest to bridging the worlds of both live theatre and modern film. Using a variety of techniques involving old school overhead projectors and mashing them up with a whole host of paper puppets and backgrounds called 'Crankies', audiences find themselves quickly absorbed in light and shadow and images that seem to leap off the screen

How do you feel Afterglow makes an impact on Bridgewater?
When you bring arts of any kind out of the galleries, stages and bars and take it to the streets you immediately change the perspective outlook of a place. I've seen shows in alleyways that on any regular day would seem dreary, dirty and uninspiring, but brought to life through the arts changes the space into one that is oppositely joyful, magical and moving. Engaging local artists to create and present in their own communities helps build local business, promotes enjoying and utilizing your town and encourages others to take part in the future. Like a good dance it only takes one person to get up and dance to encourage others to join in

Conquer All Music is a small locally owned recording studio, music store, rehearsal hall, and live-sound business, located in Conquerall Mills, NS.  CAM was founded in 2011 and has since moved into what used to be Ambrose Memorial Hall, the old community hall in Conquerall Mills.

Conquer All Music specializes in audio recording, boutique guitar pedals, used instruments, instrument/ electronics repair, and a variety of other audio-related services.  CAM is also actively involved in many local events every year, providing everything from advertisements to live sound reinforcement.

CAM is a proud sponsor and contributor for the Afterglow Art Festival.
When you see Stefan buzzing around during the festival make sure to say Hi and don't forget if you are in Conquerall Mills to stop by his shop and studio! 

I’m Kyle Oickle, from Bridgewater Nova Scotia. I grew up in Conquerall Bank. A place where we close knit with our neighbors and friends.

I’ve been creating Spray Painted Art for two summers. Although I’m not the only one in Nova Scotia that does this type of art. There are a few others just hidden tucked away in places you wouldn’t expect.

After I started this in the summer (late) last year I fell in love with it. Being self-taught in all of the artistic type things I do I had to reach to the internet for this one watching and absorbing everything I could from YouTube and other social media to learn the techniques and tricks to accomplish these paintings.

The growth and speed of this type of painting was unexpected even from myself. Every time I picked up a can of paint I could feel myself getting better every time I did.

I attended the Afterglow Festival in Bridgewater last year and I was blown away by the community support me and my fellow artists received from each other and by the curators of the event.

I chose to attend the Afterglow festival in 2014 because of the support I got from my family Kerry and Lynne Oickle, and my fiancé Keeli Laing. I found out about afterglow on social media and I told them about it and they pushed me to attend. I reached out to Ashton Rodenhiser to see if there was space left in the festival because I missed the deadline for applying and she graciously let me attend.Last year when I attended I couldn’t ask for more. My community, family and friends, browsed, stopped to sing or watch, clap or whatever it was they did to appreciate all the local talent. I expect the very same this year and it’s really the part I’m looking forward to most. I can’t wait to do it all again this year!

Find Kyle on Facebook HERE, Twitter HERE, or E-mail HERE