The City of Mission, Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture is proud to present a very special concert for Culture Days, the album release of our Mission Record project. Through an open call, four musical artists were chosen to be commissioned to create a new work connected, as literally or esoterically as the artist wanted, to the history of Mission. The commissioned artists were part of workshops at the Mission Community Archives to spark ideas and were supported to record their work for a shareable album.
The selected group are varied in their backgrounds, experiences and musical genres. Patrick Anthony's sound grew from doing household chores to the tunes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, while belting out Ritchie Valens into makeshift mics. His indigenous connection to Leq'a:mel has strongly influenced his work since he picked up the guitar at 15. Patrick’s work “Big Dreams in a Small Town” evokes being a teenager in Mission in the early 1990’s.
Mackenzie Widdows is a local songwriter, and Arts advocate who creates colorful compositions designed to emphasize the joy of living. He has worked as an Arts & Crafts specialist at various Summer Camps and released his award-winning debut album, Mackedamia, in 2019. Mackenzie’s “Mission Memories” is an infectious, electro-pop ode to the City.
Miss Shauna is a singer/songwriter, a dancer and a ballet teacher who grew up living all over Canada but found home in beautiful Mission, BC. With a passion for all things creative, Miss Shauna believes in the transformative power of art to uplift spirits and inspire change. She’s released original music on all streaming platforms and her “C.O.M.E.T.” is a pop anthem that pays direct tribute to past Mission community organization.
Amy Van Bergen has been weaving melodies since childhood. Her musical journey began with a simple iPod voice memo, and today, her creative vault boasts over 200 original songs. Amy's songwriting is deeply rooted in storytelling, with a desire to transport listeners to new perspectives and experiences as demonstrated by her work “Ode to 26”, which is a love song between the Fraser River and Mission Municipal Forest.
Created by Arts and Culture Program Coordinator Melissa Kendzierski, The Mission Record is an attempt to redefine what public art is and can be, by engaging a part of the cultural sector that is not usually aligned with past practices of public art.
This project was produced in partnership with the Clarke Theatre, Mission Community Archives and the Mission Record newspaper.