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Poetry and Art Salon with Janet Kvammen
ANVIL CENTRE | STUDIO 417
JANUARY 25 SUNDAY
Time – 2:00-4:00 pm Drop-in. No registration required.
Special Guests: Poet Jónína Kirton & Artist Nancy Whiteside
Theme – Winter Renewal, Reflection and the Natural World
Join Janet Kvammen, Poet Laureate of New Westminster, for a free afternoon of poetry readings, art “Show & Tell” chats and more! Come listen, share, and connect.
In partnership with Royal City Literary Arts Society and the City of New Westminster.
BIOS:
Jónína Kirton, an Icelandic and Red River Métis poet was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Treaty 1, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene peoples and the homeland of the Métis. She graduated from the Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio in 2007. She released her first book, page as bone ~ ink as blood, in 2015 and was sixty-one when she received the 2016 Vancouver’s Mayor’s Arts Award for an Emerging Artist in the Literary Arts category. Her second collection of poetry, An Honest Woman, was a finalist in the 2018 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Her third book, Standing in a River of Time, released in 2022, merges poetry and lyrical memoir to take us on a journey exposing the intergenerational effects of colonization on her Métis family.
Jónína currently lives in seniors housing in New Westminster BC, the unceded territory of the Hul’qumi’num speaking peoples. A chronic pain sufferer she has walked with her husband as he has faced life threatening health issues. Living in a subsidized senior housing she has also witnessed, firsthand, the challenges of others as they age and live with health issues while on a low income. This journey is documented in her fourth book. Save Your Prayers – Send Money, which will be released in April 2026 with Talonbooks.
Nancy Whiteside says:
“I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing, painting and making, art. I come from a family of artisans, stitching, weaving, woodworking, and painting their way through life, one project at a time. When I retired, I was able to attend Emily Carr, where I obtained a Continuing Education certificate in Fine Art. Over the last 5 years I’ve participated in a number of group exhibits, as well as 3 solo shows.
My work is primarily representational, but I love the alchemy that’s created when abstract imagery is combined with an element of realism. The beauty of the west coast is an endless source of inspiration. There is a visual abundance of light, colour and pattern in the natural world that is revealed when we look with intention.
Why Corvids?
There is a certain mystique about Ravens in particular, that is compelling. They are intelligent, playful and social. They love shiny things, and mate for life. They are known to grieve at the death of a mate. They’re the most magical of creatures.”
Janet Kvammen is a poet, mixed media, lens-based artist and community arts volunteer living in New Westminster on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halkomelem speaking peoples. A founding member in 2012, Janet is the President of the Royal City Literary Arts Society. The recipient of the Bernie Legge Artist of the Year Platinum Award in 2023, Janet is the coordinator of local reading events such as Poetry in the Park, the Cogswell Award and New West Artists’ exhibitions. Janet is the current Poet Laureate for the City of New Westminster, BC.
IG @janetkvammen @iheartnewwest
Facebook PlanetJanet Creations
Complete information @ https://rclas.com/2025-fred-cogswell-award/
2025 WRITE ON! CONTEST WINNERS
$150 first prize $100 second prize $75 third prize
Congratulations to all our finalists! Thank you to everyone who submitted!
POETRY WINNERS (Poetry Judge: CHELSEA COMEAU)
Poetry First Place: Jessica Lee McMillan – GILLNET
Poetry Second Place: Angela Rebrec – Spring Skiing
Poetry Third Place: Diana Hayes – J.J. and Oakley, Gone
Poetry Honourable Mentions
Anna Eastland – Grapefruit Spoons
Diana Hayes – In the Garden with P.K.
KJ MacMillan – In the Blinding Light, Dancing
NON-FICTION WINNERS (Non-Fiction Judge: J.G. CHAYKO)
Non-Fiction First Place:
Cathalynn Labonté-Smith – HOW TO EAT SUET AND OFFAL AND LOVE IT
Non-Fiction Second Place: Mark LeBourdais – Lizard Brain
Non-Fiction Third Place: Percy Du Hamel – It Is a Long Trip There
Non-Fiction Honourable Mentions
Bryan Cousineau – The Ring
Kim Harrison – The Connie Years
Emily Deegan – Juxtaposition
FICTION WINNERS (Fiction Judge: SHARON MCINNES)
Fiction First Place: Edie Reaney Chunn – ENTRIES
Fiction Second Place: Joanne E. Betzler – Gun Control
Fiction Third Place: Amber Fenik – Bus Fare
Fiction Honourable Mentions
MJ Malleck – Spring Chore
Laurel Howe – Granny’s Chair
Lesley Hebert – Snapshots of the Past
Bridging the Gap 2025
RCLAS Co-operative Poem, National Poetry Month, April 2025
© 2025 by the poets
Compiled by Janet Kvammen, New Westminster Poet Laureate
18 contributing poets in order of appearance:
Candice James Alan Girling
Jerena Tobiasen
Susan McCaslin
Jessica Lee McMillan
Angus Pratt
Karen McLaughlin Freeborn
Cynthia Sharp
Isabella Mori
Julia Schoennagel
Chelsea Comeau
Emily Molinari
Jude Neale
Jennifer Getsinger
Angela Kenyon
H.W. Bryce
Alan Hill
Janet Kvammen
New Membership & Renewals here:
rclas.com 
