Thursday, October 12th, 2006, 7 to 10 pm

Featuring a performance at 8:30 pm of an excerpt from an original composition entitled "The Handless Maiden" written by Wende Bartley with libretto by Claudia Dey. Narrated by Ruth Danziger who will be accompanied by an electroacoustic soundscape.

You are invited to the exhibition, The Handless Maiden, featuring acrylic paintings by hag (Heather Gentleman) and a storybook for adults based on the tale of The Handless Maiden by the brothers Grimm. There will also be a performance at 8:30 pm of an excerpt from an original composition entitled "The Handless Maiden" written by Wende Bartley with libretto by Claudia Dey. This performance will feature Ruth Danziger as narrator, who will perform with an accompanying electroacoustic soundscape.

This series tells the story of a woman’s journey into the underground forest of the feminine psyche and the reemergence of the Goddess into society. It is a rite of endurance and growth from a flat and fragmented existence to one of wholeness, through the process of finding one’s desire.

Fairy tales were the media of our ancestors, and were often vehicles for covert messages that were forced underground. Since they were first communicated in the oral tradition long before the Grimm brothers documented them in written form, information could be passed down from one generation to another without the fear of persecution. The cryptic message within this story is powerful and controversial enough that it had to be hidden from the prevailing and destructive forces of the Inquisition. There are clues within this story hint to premise that the story of the Handless Maiden was created during the time of conversion from Paganism to Christianity in Europe. It is more than a simple folktale – it documents the underground descent of Divine Feminine worship with its promise to reemerge when the time is ripe.

Please join us for the opening on Thursday, October 12th, 2006 from 7 pm to 10 pm at the Propeller Centre for Visual Arts, 984 Queen Street West, 416.504.7142 The show runs from October 11th to 22nd. Gallery hours are Wed to Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5.