From cake decorating, to sidewalk chalk art and skate board demonstrations, next weekend (Aug 18-20) Jasper will be filled to the brim with arts and culture.

In a fitting end to a colourful weekend, Jasper’s first community dinner of 2009 will commence on Sunday Aug. 20. Though it will be a little different from normal, with the Leatherpass Variety Hour to showcase all the talent of Jasper.

“So, get out those tap shoes – dust off that french horn... it’s show time,” said Marianne Garrah from the Creative Campus.

If dancing isn’t your style, though, Jasper’s cake artist Kim Stark, from The Other Paw, will be judging Jasper’s cake-off on Sunday evening as well.

Meanwhile, as soon as the kids are out of school on Friday there will be an open forum on graffiti in the Curling rink, with Kristy Trinier, public art director from the Alberta Arts Council, giving a talk about public art.   

“I will be giving a short presentation on different types of public art, including mediums like sculpture and mural arts,” she wrote in an email. “I will discuss the history of graffiti, and how it is used in contemporary culture. We will also talk about the impact of graffiti art when it is practised illegally on private property and the need for communities to create some legalized spaces for these artists to develop their work.”

Jasperites Joel Cooper and Ryan McDiard will be on hand to demonstrate their art until 6 or 7 p.m., said Garrah.

Ray Syria, Jasper Artist Guild (JAG) member, will be entertaining the masses with an elaborate chalk drawing on the pavement outside the Brushfire Gallery as part of the guild’s ‘Eye Candy’.

The event will take place all afternoon and night, with local musicians playing some tunes while artists join Syria and paint around the property, said JAG member Greg Deagle.

For the movie buffs, the Jasper Municipal Library will be offering some home grown movies over the weekend.

A variety of National Film Board (NFB) documentaries will be played throughout the weekend at the library. According to Janeen Keelan, from the library, all the movies offer some different perspectives that relate directly to Jasper.

“I just think that all together they’re all great movies,” she said, “they represent a great cross section in Jasper.”

All the movies, except War Hospital, are a PG rating, she said.

Also on show is Prairie Tales 11 which is a collection of sixteen Albertan short films and videos. Produced by Metro Cinema in conjunction with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the tour is in its eleventh year.

According to tour co-ordinator Ian Leung, the collection highlights a variety of themes and subjects.

The sixteen films touch on ideas of self-renewal, identity, creation myths, communication and deception. And, what would a film tour be in 2009, without some technology based films.

The Prairie Tales 11 will be shown at 11 a.m. and the NFBs will show at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.