Artists of mixed disciplines presenting themselves and their work through a ‘Short & Sweet’ presentation. 20 slides, 20 seconds: no tech slip ups, no pressure. An informal twist to a stiff business event with the goal to bring folks together to find out what their peers are up to, bust everyone out of their studios to share our stories and perhaps a drink.

The Short & Sweet Speaker Series is back for its second summer!

Both events have a grant writing workshop from ArtsNB’s Sarah Beth Shiplett starting at 3:30, a break for mingling, then the talks begin at 5pm. An evening jam packed with creativity, sharing , and exciting things to see and listen too!

Join geologist Leigh Smith on an fun and informative day trip to explore the wonders of our local geology.  Pack a Lunch and meet at Sunbury Shores (139 Water Street) at 9:00 am for a brief presentation, then embark on your adventure which may take until 4:00 pm.

This is a free event, though donations to Sunbury Shores are welcome.  Carpooling to locations outside of St. Andrews may be required.

Author Kate Reed will be at Sunbury Shores with her book available for sale and signing.

A Woman’s Touch. Kate Reed and Canada’s Grand Hotels

Written by her grand-daughter of the same name, it appeared in November, 2016 with photographs of Kate’s life from childhood until her death.

Book Synopsis:

In 1900, Shaughnessy offered Hayter Reed the position of General Manager of the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. Reed accepted and the family moved into the new hotel. Kate Reed began to improve the public areas of the hotel and worked with Bruce Price, architect, whom she had known in New York. Shaughnessy offered Kate the job of decorating the Royal Train that would take the future George V and his consort Mary across Canada in 1901. From here on, Kate was the official decorator for the CPR and all of its hotels, mountain chalets and station-chalets across the country. Kate befriended and showcased the yet un-known female artists of Canada.

Thus began her career as the country’s first decorator and career woman. Upon retirement, the Reeds built Pansy Patch, one of New Brunswick’s most famous and photographed private houses.

Dr. James Whitehead

Insect pollinators are critical to the increasing demands of agriculture, yet we often misunderstand their role. This presentation will dispel some oft-repeated myths about the function of the honeybee in this context, with particular emphasis on the local Blueberry industry. The differences between commercial and hobbyist beekeeping will be highlighted, and the presentation will end with an informal show and tell about what is involved in maintaining a hive. Live bees will be present in a sealed observation hive.

Dr. Don Ostaff

According to the United Nations Environment Program, of the 100 crop species that provide more than 90 per cent of the world’s food, more than 70 are pollinated by bees. In addition, it is estimated that 90% of the wild plants are pollinated by insects. There are 19,000 described species of bees in the world, only one of which is the honey bee; 4% (730) are found in Canada. They are varied in their life styles, the places they frequent, the nests they build, the flowers they visit, and their season of activity. They remain ignored or unknown by most of us. Wild native bee populations, like honey bees, have also been declining due such factors as loss and degradation of nesting sites and floral resources, intensive agriculture and monoculture practice, displacement of native floral hosts by exotic plants, and use of pesticides. This presentation will introduce the wild bees found locally and how one can play an active role in contributing to their continued importance as effective pollinators of crops and flowering plants.

Originally from West Sussex, England, Dr. James Whitehead was introduced to the wonderful world of insects by a local publican (pub owner). He collected butterflies on the hills of southern England and bred several endangered species. He came to Canada in 1991 to pursue graduate studies and taught at both UNB (Geology) and St Thomas University (Science and Technology Studies) until retirement in 2015. During this time, he served as board member and President of Science East in Fredericton, and the installation of an insectarium in the Science Centre inspired his foray into beekeeping. Having kept bees for 8 seasons, he now has 16 hives in and around St Andrews and operates “The Bees Knees” in the local market. In 2016 he co-founded the Charlotte County Beekeepers (Charcobeeks) peer support group for new beekeepers in the area.

Dr. Don Ostaff received his formal training through undergraduate studies at Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, ON), and graduate studies at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, BC) and University of New Brunswick (Fredericton, NB). He was a Research Scientist at the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) in Fredericton and Ottawa; an Adjunct Professor at UNB, teaching courses in Insect Pest Management; and, presently serves as the Editor of the Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society. After 35 years working for the CFS studying insects attacking wood in service, wood products and those damaging Maritime forests, Don retired in 2008 and became very interested in plant pollination, particularly the role played by native bees. He is presently studying methods of enhancing native bee pollination of wild blueberries, and their role in the reclamation of highly disturbed sites, i.e., abandoned coal mines.

Presentation Title:

The Growing Autism and Neurodiversity Employment Movement

In a time when many competitive outcomes are decided by access to talent, some pioneering companies are tapping rich new sources…and learning, in the process, how to more fully leverage the talents of all their employees

This presentation will describe recent developments in the exciting and accelerating neurodiversity employment movement. Started by a small Danish company in 2004, the movement is based on the idea that many neurodiverse people (e.g., people on the autism spectrum) may have valuable talents that can benefit companies willing to reform their recruiting and hiring practices. SAP, the world’s third largest software company, was the first major company to create an autism employment program, in 2013; their Autism@Work program now employs more than 140 people in eight countries, in more than 20 different professional positions. Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, EY, Ford, and JP Morgan Chase are just a few of the many companies that have since launched neurodiversity employment programs. Without exception, these companies are experiencing a wide range of benefits from the programs. Participants in the programs – many of whom had been considered unemployable before – have benefited from life changing access to new and meaningful work opportunities.

Robert D. Austin is a Professor of Information Systems at the Ivey Business School at Western University, and an affiliated faculty member at Harvard Medical School; he has also held faculty positions at Copenhagen and Harvard Business Schools, and served as dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at UNB Fredericton. He is the author of nine books and dozens of articles published in venues such as Harvard Business Review, Information Systems Research, MIT Sloan Management Review, Organization Science, and the Wall Street Journal.  His recent research focuses on the potential of workforce diversity to enhance innovative capabilities within organizations. The article on which this presentation is based, called “Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage,” coauthored with Gary Pisano, appeared in the May-June 2017 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

This presentation has been organized by a group of students raising money for the Dragonfly Center for Autism, a local organization that provides resources within Charlotte County for children with autism and their families, including summer camps, seminars and workshops, and teaching aid and referral services.

The Dragonfly Centr aims to “support individuals who have autism towards self/realization and emotional confidence by offering gentle guidance and opportunity through expressive therapies and the surrounding environment.”

In addition to raising money for the Dragonfly, we hope to spread awareness about the need to acknowledge and accept people on the autism spectrum, and value the positive contribution neurodiversity can bring to our lives and our world.

Admission will be by Donation (All proceeds go toward the Dragonfly Centre for Autism)

Snacks and Beverages will be available

This year marks the 3rd annual summer auction hosted by Sunbury Shores. The summer auction is Sunbury Shores’ largest annual event to support arts & nature in the community, while raising funds to sustain Sunbury Shores’ outstanding programs and exhibitions. This year’s auction is called Making Waves: Art On The Island, as a tribute to the exceptional contemporary artists Sunbury Shores attracts and to the rich history of art on Ministers Island.

Bigger and better than ever before, this auction will be a ticketed, curated event showcasing select work by 20 exceptional contemporary Canadian artists in the beautiful venue of the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island. Proceeds will be split 50:50 with the artist in support of Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: makingwavesauction.com.

EARLY BIRDS! 10% off tickets if purchased before July 26.