JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast Episodes: Click Here
November 25, 2023
The JL Legacy Fund has come a long way BABY!
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Hits High Note in Year Three
The Jane LeBlanc (JL) Legacy Fund has had three years of giving but wants to do much more.
In 2021, Cat and Maureen LeBlanc created the organization in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc with the help of Tony Merzetti. The organization had one flagship award, the JL Music Award. Through that award, the organization found sponsorship and specialized music support through the East Coast Music Awards, Oliver LeBlanc, Colin Fowlie, Josh Sangster, and many other Atlantic and Canadian contributors and sponsors. Then came 10 more awards in different creative disciplines. Now, in year three, there are over 24 awards, including small micro-bursaries, a community event award for smaller arts events, and sponsorship of important grassroots events and organizations such as Women in Film and Television Atlantic, Silver Wave Film Festival, and the Demonic Brilliance Film Festival.
Another unique aspect of the organization is its long-time endowment fund for one specific award, the JL Film Post Award, which has a $2000 cash value. This endowment is thanks to a generous contribution of over $23,000 from TIFF Film Circuit Saint John. The organization has also partnered with companies and governments from the 4 Atlantic provinces to create awards for screenwriters and directors.
The JL Legacy Fund recently received provincial funding for a year-long mentorship program covering different creative disciplines. It hopes to start the program in 2024 once it confirms its final funding. The JL Legacy Fund board created the program to address challenges faced by NB artists, including inadequate mental health support.
Over 2500 people have applied for the JL Legacy Fund's creative cash awards, and many artists have requested direct help with grant writing, branding, website development, digital marketing, long-term creative planning, resume building, and more.
"We support so that artists are not struggling to do their creative work alone. Everybody needs support; anybody can get stuck. I use the NB Film Co-op where I work as my example of what beneficial giving is: grants, resources, mentors, and giving people your time to listen to them and help them move forward with whatever assistance they need," says JL Legacy Fund founder Cat LeBlanc.
As an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary Arts Support Organization as designed by the Canada Council for the Arts, the JL Legacy Fund is tackling such broad issues as support and scholarships for underrepresented and immigrant artists and rural and older artists who have a lifetime of knowledge to share and who still have a rich tapestry of art they want to create.
When you give to the JL Legacy Fund, your contribution goes directly back into the community through cash awards and programs. The peer juries come from New Brunswick, Canada, and beyond.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
November 14, 2023
2023 JL SWFF Recognition Award Winners
September 27, 2023
Music Artists Matt Carr, Kylie Fox, and Jason Anderson
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Music Studio Mentors and Song Award Winner Nominated for Music NB Awards
When music artists Matt Carr and Kylie Fox aren’t performing and touring, they are mentoring the next generation of music artists through the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and now, add to that list, being nominated for their creative talent through the annual MNB Awards.
These two busy artists make time for their community and say yes when the Legacy Fund comes knocking.
Matt and his band, Tortoise The Hare and The Millionaire have been nominated for Recording of the Year for their superb album Yard Sale. Kylie has been nominated for two major awards, Song of the Year (Confetti) and Innovator of the Year.
“I’m excited and honoured to have our album “Yard Sale” nominated for the MNB Recording of the Year.” Matt Carr
“Being recognized as a nominee for SOCAN Song of the Year and Innovator of the Year by MusicNB reminds me of the community of artists I’m surrounded by who have made this possible. This nomination is the result of a lot of hard work and collaborations with my bandmates, my producer, my photographer, other songwriters who inspire me, and funding bodies like Music New Brunswick and the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund.” Kylie Fox
Check out Matt and Kylie on Spotify and Instagram for all their music updates. Matt is on tour at this time in Quebec and Ontario.
https://www.instagram.com/tortoiseharemillionaire/
https://www.instagram.com/_kyliefox_/
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund congratulates all the MNB nominees, including rising star Jason Anderson, who won the AJL Song Award in 2022, which included a cash award of $2000, through the Legacy Fund for his song Together, Apart. Jason’s song won over a star-studded music jury composed of Rose Cousins, Lennie Gallant, Joel Plaskett, Catherine MacLellan, and Jenn Grant. Jason is nominated for Recording of the Year for The Next Big Open Door.
Check out Jason’s tour updates at: https://www.instagram.com/jasonandersonmusic/
PRESENTED BY · PRÉSENTÉ PAR
SOCAN Music
Musicaction
The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR)
Arts Culture NB
SiriusXM
Music / Musique NB
CBC Music
CBC New Brunswick
Grid City Magazine
Matthew Carr
Kylie Fox
Kylie Fox
Jason Anderson
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
Fredericton Tourism
September 22, 2023
2022 JL Music Award Winner Abby McCartney
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Music Award Winner Nominated for Song of the Year
Singer and songwriter Abby McCartney is soaring high musically early in her career thanks to Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund support, Engineer and Mentor Colin Fowlie, and her talent, creativity, and hard work. Abby was recently nominated for Song of the Year for her song TIRED through the NB Music Awards.
“I was so excited to learn that Tired was nominated for song of the year! It’s been a little over 12 months since I won the JL Music Award, for which I created the demo of Tired, so it’s a full-circle moment for me! It’s an honour to be recognized by the music community in this way; it means a lot.” Abby
Abby’s fast-rising trajectory started when she won the JL Music Award in 2022. As part of her award package, she had one-on-one sessions with seasoned music pros, including music artist Rose Cousins and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Canada’s Music Incubator Vel Omazic. As Abby talked to the pros, she and Legacy Fund music specialist Colin worked on her draft song, TIRED, to bring it to life and get it out into the world. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund also confirmed a showcase opportunity for Abby at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Colin Fowlie joined her on stage for her live performance.
Check out Abby and her song TIRED, as well as her recently dropped Album, Everything At Once, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1RosJcZdLeBXSUbuZataVL?si=QEcl9j_uRxq5ZGhc6mikrw.
Abby will be spotlighted on an upcoming JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund congratulates all the nominees for Best Song of the Year, including rising star Kylie Fox, who was awarded a JL Micro-Bursary this year for a music project.
In the category SONG OF THE YEAR, the nominees are:
Abby McCartney | Tired
Dee Hernandezz | Remember Those Days
Freya Milliken | Wholeheartedly
Kylie Fox | Confetti
Marc McLaughlin | On the Beach at Night Alone
Mike Bern | Ancestors
One8tea | What’s Good
STEPHEN HERO | 40 Foot Limo
Upkvst | Euphoria
PRESENTED BY · PRÉSENTÉ PAR SOCAN
MusicMusicaction
The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR)
Arts Culture NB
SiriusXM
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
September 8, 2023
Filmmaker Britany Sparrow
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for Inaugural JL Feature Film Award
New Brunswick filmmaker Britany Sparrow has won the JL Feature Film Award. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund created the award to give New Brunswick filmmakers support at any stage of their feature film project development.
The award is $2000 in cash and comes from Cat LeBlanc Music.
Britany’s project proposal rose to the top over ten other filmmaker submissions.
“I am so grateful to Cat LeBlanc and the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund for their support. We are wrapping up principal photography for “Still Your Song” in the next few weeks, and we are very excited to receive some additional funding to move the project into post-production.”
Britany Sparrow is originally from Vernon, British Columbia, and has been making films in New Brunswick since 2006. After graduating from UNB with a BA in English (Creative Writing) and a certificate in Film and Video Production, Britany joined the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative, and she directed her first short film, The Perfect Cliché, in 2007. Since then, she has directed nine films, including The Morning After (Short Film Venture), True Hollywood Romance, Gamers: A Love Story (on CBC Download), Chopsticks (NB Joy), Here Without You, Co-Ed (collaboration with writer/director Gordon Mihan), Friend Zone (artsnb), and Stand By You. She has also co-produced three short films, including Strange Hobby (dir. Allen Galloway), Gary (dir. Jon Brenan), and Zombies vs. Cannibals (dir. Rob Gemmell). She is currently in production for her first feature film, Still Your Song.Britany has worked on over 75 film and video projects, including short films, feature films, training videos, TV pilots, and web series. She specializes in production management and assistant directing and has also mentored many first-time filmmakers as they navigated their first project. Britany was also the co-creator of the award-winning Fredericton 48 Hour Festival films Sucker Fish (2017) and Growing Younger (2018).
In 2022, Britany was presented with a Special Recognition Award at the Silver Wave Film Festival for her long-time contributions to the NB Film Co-op as president, teacher, and mentor. She is also the recipient of the WIFT-AT WAVE Award (2023), the WIFT-AT Salute Award, NB (2020), and the Silver Wave Film Festival Volunteer Recognition Award (2011).She is the past president of the NBFC, a former board member of WIFT-AT, and was formerly the editor for WIFT-AT’s newsletter, Tidings.Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sparrowhock/
@sparrowhock
Website: www.stillyoursong.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/battlecatfilms2022
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 29, 2023
JL Community Event Award
JL Theatre Organization Award Rebrands as JL Community Event Award
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund will be rebranding the JL Theatre Organization Award to be more inclusive of additional New Brunswick group and community events involving different creative disciplines.
"The Fund has been inundated for the last year with requests for support for smaller community events in the province. Although our new JL Micro-Bursary Program was created to address this issue, increased funding is still needed for community events that are slightly larger in scope. Many less recognized but equally important community events across New Brunswick are not eligible for more sustained funding. Our JL Legacy Fund board feels that our organization's role is to fill existing gaps preventing people from accessing creative funding sources," says Cat LeBlanc, President of the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund.
Eligible activities include:
Smaller festivals.
Creative community events.
Pop-up one-time creative events.
Creative events and activities with a budget under $4000.
Next Deadline: March 1, 2024
Cash Award: $1000
By Peer Jury
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/awards
JL Community Event Award: Cat and Maureen LeBlanc, Eric and Suzanne Megarity, Jan Thompson
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The Fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 24, 2023
Visual Artist Alison Vieno
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Recipients for New JL Micro-Bursary Program
The new JL Micro-Bursary Program was created to support projects representing all artistic forms and practices. These modest cash grants support either a community project or an individual artist. Out of fifty submissions province-wide, a multidisciplinary jury recently awarded three artists with micro-bursaries.
Visual artist Alison Veino is the third recipient. Her bursary application was about creativity for youth to sustain their mental health, professional development, public presentation, and giving back to her community. Alison's completed project will be exhibited at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on September 21 in the Fredericton Arts Alliance show.
"Thank you, Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and the jurors of the JL Micro-Bursary Program! My heart is bursting with joy from the news, and I appreciate the tremendous support of this inaugural award. These funds are paramount to my ability to continue serving our community and beyond, as well as taking another course that will assist me in developing a specific area of my artwork. I am tremendously thankful to the LeBlanc family for this new opportunity for NB Artists. I welcome you to follow my journey through my social media platforms or by subscribing to my newsletter on my website."
Alison is a St. Thomas University & ArtsLink NB CATAPULT artist accelerator program graduate. She is known for her colourful abstract fluid art, which conveys the process of decay, transformation, and metamorphosis. She has worked collaboratively with a Canadian Fashion designer, has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions, juried for multiple Artists in Residences, is a mentor through ArtsLink NB, and has completed collaborations and commissions for hotels and many businesses. Alison is well-represented in social and print media. Her work resides in private and public collections in New Brunswick and across Canada, the US, and Europe.Social media
Social media Links:
• Website: https://www.alisonveinoartstudios.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonveinoartstudios
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonveinoartstudios/?hl=en
• Twitter: @alisonveinoart
Photo of Alison by Zach Lake Productions
JL Micro-Bursary Program Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc and Maureen LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The Fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 23, 2023
Multidisciplinary artist Jessica Kenney
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Recipients for New JL Micro-Bursary Program
The new JL Micro-Bursary Program was created to support projects representing all artistic forms and practices. These modest cash grants support either a community project or an individual artist. Out of fifty submissions province-wide, a multidisciplinary jury recently awarded three artists with micro-bursaries.
Jessica Kenney is the second recipient. Their art installation project involves creation, community, and public presentation. Their completed project will be exhibited at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on September 21 in the Fredericton Arts Alliance show.
“I am honoured and grateful to be chosen for a JL Micro-Bursary. This award comes when I need it the most and will enable me to continue to create my art installation called “Touching Music.” I want to recognize and thank the generous sponsors of this award, Cat and Maureen LeBlanc, as well as the members of the jury. Your work and effort mean so much to New Brunswick artists, especially during difficult times. I am thankful beyond words.”
Jessica Kenney is a non-binary, disabled, neurodivergent artist. They work in several mediums, finding unique and playful combinations of techniques and principles (digital art, photo manipulation, 2D animation, visual fx, needle felting, sculpture, illustration, and watercolour). Jessica enjoys finding connections between unlikely mediums; often, many of their works are a collage of techniques. Colour is an essential part of their work as well. Jessica believes you should be able to feel, taste, and hear the colour in each piece. They strive to produce vibrant work that pops off the page.
https://www.instagram.com/artjessapproaches/
JL Micro-Bursary Program Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc and Maureen LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The Fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
Music Artist Kylie Fox
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Recipients for New JL Micro-Bursary Program
The new JL Micro-Bursary Program was created to support projects representing all artistic forms and practices. These modest cash grants support either a community project or an individual artist. Out of fifty submissions province-wide, a multidisciplinary jury recently awarded three artists with micro-bursaries.
Kylie Fox is the first recipient. Her project covers the creative genres of music, film, community, and public presentation.
“Not only does The Jane Legacy Fund help artists realize their artistic goals, the organization also fosters and enriches the arts community in New Brunswick because it understands and supports that artists often hire other artists to complete projects. This is my second opportunity granted by the Fund, and I am using the bursary to collaborate with film artists to create high-quality live music content. My previous opportunity as a mentor through the JL Music Studio Mentee Program enabled me to mentor another songwriter, and we both learned so much from each other through that program. The love and care for this region’s artists by Cat and Maureen LeBlanc is exceptional and important.”
Kylie Fox is a Canadian singer-songwriter fusing indie-folk storytelling with vintage jazz and alternative rock elements. Her perceptive lyrics and undeniably catchy melodies are illustrated by a classically trained voice, warm and textured with a laid-back richness. With influences like Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, and Sharon Van Etten, her music is ethereal, lush, and authentic.
Currently based in Fredericton, NB, Fox exudes fun and love for her art and storytelling, which is evident on “Confetti” (April 2023), the lead single from her second studio album. “It’s a bright and brooding alternative rock ballad, which speaks to the nostalgia of novelty,” explains Fox. “I was thinking about how the newness of romance can fall and simply be swept away -- like confetti.” This track and the album Sequoia (release date TBC) are produced by Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, The Good Lovelies, Fortunate Ones).
Fox’s debut album, Green (2020), led her to tour Canada extensively, sharing stages alongside names like Bahamas, The Strumbellas, and Joel Plaskett, along with showcasing at the East Coast Music Awards (2021), Folk Alliance International (2021) and the Canadian Song Conference (2021). She participated in the Banff Centre for the Arts International Songwriting Residency (2020) and the SOCAN Equity X Music Production Program (2023).
Fox is also a music educator, freelance composer, songwriting instructor, and voice teacher.
Linktree : https://linktr.ee/_KylieFox_
Bandcamp : https://kyliefox.bandcamp.com/album/green-2
Website : https://kyliefox.ca/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/_kyliefox_/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/KylieFoxMusic
Twitter : https://twitter.com/_kyliefox_
JL Micro-Bursary Program Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc and Maureen LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The Fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 14, 2023
Artist Sara Griffin
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the 2023 JL Visual Art Award
New Brunswick artist Sara Griffin has won the prestigious JL Visual Art Award. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund created the award to give New Brunswick visual artists support at any stage of their development. The award is $800 in cash. Deanna Musgrave, Emma Hassencahl-Perley, and Ingrid Mueller helmed the JL Visual Art Award jury.
“I am honoured. Being an artist often takes one down a winding, arduous road, but recognition such as this one confirms that I am indeed on the right track and inspires me to persevere to make and share my art. A huge thank you to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund for recognizing the need for New Brunswick artists and the value they bring to our community.” Sara
Sara Griffin, from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University (2001), a Bachelor of Education from UNB (2010), and a Diploma of Ceramics from New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (NBCCD, 2023).
Highlights of her career include residencies in Pietrasanta, Italy (stone-carving, 2001), Malaspina’s Printmaker’s Society in Vancouver, BC (printing Lithographs, 2006), and teaching English in Japan (2007-2009.) Sara has exhibited internationally, curated exhibitions and learning programmes in Eastern Canada, and serves as studio manager for several large-scale mural projects. Griffin is an active arts advocate and served as the former Executive Director of ArtsLink NB. She then returned to her native island of Grand Manan, teaching art in the public school system, as well as facilitating several sizeable public art educational programs, such as the Grand Manan Green Initiative, using student artwork in a campaign to improve the island’s recycling capacities. Griffin is now using the culmination of her education and experience in her business to create production lines, one-of-a-kind ceramics, paintings, and sculptures. She lives in Fredericton, NB, and pursues a full-time art practice.
JL Visual Art Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc, Ann Manuel, Wendy and Wayne Hallihan, Ingrid Mueller
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 12, 2023
Actor Caroline BellJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the 2023 JL Acting Award
New Brunswick actor Caroline Bell has won the coveted JL Acting Support Award. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund created the award to give New Brunswick actors in film, theatre, and stand-up comedy support at any stage of their development.
The award is now $1300 in cash, thanks to a new partnership with Julian LeBlanc of LeBlanc School of Acting in Vancouver. "To say we are excited about Julian's contribution is an understatement," says JL Legacy Fund President Cat LeBlanc. "Our partnership is a perfect fit because our organizations want to help the creative community and creative people sustainably. Thanks to Julian's generous support, the award's cash value has increased, and award winners will also receive a pack of 5 online private classes with Julian LeBlanc worth over $500."
“I am so happy and honoured to receive this award! Growing up as a young artist in New Brunswick, I always thought I would have to leave my foggy, homey, loving community behind to pursue my acting career. But this generous award provides support and opportunity to expand my creative practice to new mediums and base my career here. With the support from the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and LeBlanc School of Acting, I intend to travel, learn, and represent this gorgeous province in far-off places. But I will always come back home. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the jury for selecting my application and to the generous sponsors of this award. I cannot wait to explore more avenues on my artistic journey and share that growth with audiences across the Maritimes on film and stage!” Caroline
Caroline Bell is an actor/creator from Saint John, New Brunswick. After graduating from the conservatory theatre programme at George Brown College in Toronto, Caroline returned home to make art in the 506. She has been fortunate enough to work closely with the Atlantic Repertory Company performing and devising new Canadian works as well as timeless classics with a rotating cohort of nationally awarded directors and talented Atlantic Canadian peers. With ARC, Caroline performed the titular role in Mary’s Wedding touring Southern New Brunswick, making its European premiere in Konstanz, Germany, and culminating in a performance at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France. Caroline has had the pleasure of working, learning, and playing with companies across the province, including devising new bilingual work with Satellite Théâtre, new play development and a holiday show with Theatre New Brunswick, workshops with Solo Chicken, and several productions with the Fundy Fringe Festival including her self written and directed solo show SWING. Most recently, Caroline made her feature film debut in Strike Pictures’ Do I Know You From Somewhere? as Olive, the protagonist caught between two worlds. Her heart is full from how much she has been able to create and play in her home province.
Instagram: @thatgirlwhoacts
JL Acting Support Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc, Julian LeBlanc, LeBlanc School of Acting
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 10, 2023
Filmmaker Rebecca Elmire TremblayJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the 2023 JL New Brunswick Creative Award
New Brunswick filmmaker Rebecca Elmire Tremblay has won the 2023 JL New Brunswick Creative Award. The award is $1000 in cash and is sponsored by Moncton powerhouse content creator BrainWorks. Rebecca is also an active member of the NB Film Co-op.
“I’m thrilled to be the recipient of the 2023 JL New Brunswick Creative Award to develop a feature film screenplay with the mentorship of award-winning writer/director Maja Jacob! It’s a privilege to be able to work with an industry professional like Maja; I value not only her experience, but also her understanding and support of the female perspective in film. In the spiritual thriller/drama genre and based on true events, the themes of my film encompass the supernatural, ancestral trauma, and women’s reproductive health. I’m very grateful to have my feature film concept supported by the jury. I appreciate Cat and Maureen for creating the JL Legacy Fund in honour of a beautiful soul!"
Rebecca Elmire Tremblay (she/her) is an East Coast storyteller, screenwriter, and director passionate about telling stories that elevate women’s voices, experiences, and perspectives. She’s the recipient of various awards to turn her screenplays into short films, including The Short Film Venture Program Award and the CBC/NB Joy Award. In addition to screenplays, Rebecca has written scripted podcasts, puppet show scripts, and plays. Her writing has been published in magazines (VIVE el éxito magazine, Mexico) and selected for festivals (St. Thomas University’s Propel Festival). Rebecca operates her own production company, By Odin’s Beard Pictures, and has worked on over 40 film, television, and commercial productions as an actor, director, production manager, wardrobe supervisor, and producer.
IG: @rebeccaelmire
FB: @rebeccaelmire
YouTube: @rebeccaelmireactress
JL New Brunswick Creative Award Sponsor: BrainWorks
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
August 8, 2023
Music Artist and Composer Jeff Patch
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for JL Music Composer Award
Photo Credit: Jessey Gagné
Music artist/composer Jeff Patch has won the 2023 JL Music Composer Award. The award is now $1000 in cash.
“I was overjoyed upon getting the news that I was selected to receive the 2023 JL Music Composer Award. My thanks to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, the jury members, and the generous award sponsors Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc, and Angela Birdsell. I have been informed that there were many submissions and that the decision was challenging. This makes this news especially rewarding. This award will substantially cover expenses for getting my original compositions ready for release. Thank you so much!” Jeff
Jeff Patch was born in Montreal, Quebec but has lived in New Brunswick for close to 50 years. Although he has been writing and performing original music since he was a teenager, he put music mostly to the side as he pursued a career in natural resource management. In 2014, Jeff became more active in the New Brunswick music scene and formed a band (Free to Grow) to record and perform songs he had written. In 2015, Free to Grow won the prestigious Stingray Rising Star Award at the 25th annual Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. Jeff’s songs have received local, national, and international airplay and have charted on radio stations in Canada, USA, UK, France, Germany, Spain, South Africa, and Australia. Jeff has also written music that has been included in New Brunswick films such as the late Brian Carty’s “Blowies,” and Brenda Malley’s award-winning “After the War” and “OK Boomer.”
Website: https://www.freetogrowband.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/freetogrowband
Bandcamp: https://freetogrow.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YTMJeCvWlV5ysLIHnyeKg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreeToGrowBand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freetogrowband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreetoGrowBand
JL Music Composer Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc, and Angela Birdsell
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
August 3, 2023
2023 Visual Art Award Jury
The JL Legacy Fund is busy with multiple juries for our awards now. Because of that, we don’t always have the opportunity to promote the stellar artists that sit on our juries and give us their valuable time. We thank them all.
We are very excited to profile one of our juries, who will be in session soon. Our 2023 JL Visual Art Award jury is Ingrid Mueller, Deanna Musgrave, and Emma Hassencahl-Perley. We thank them for their time and appreciate their expertise.
The 2023 JL Visual Art Award Jury
Honoured with the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for her work with Emerging Artists in New Brunswick, Ingrid Mueller has been an advocate and trendsetter for the visual arts in this province since arriving here from Europe with her family in 1997.
Ingrid holds an Hon B.A. from Trent University and a teaching degree. She is a published author in both English and German, a translator, and, more importantly, has curated large exhibitions, art fairs, international artist exchanges, and promoted Atlantic Canadian Art internationally. Ingrid lives in St. Andrews, where she continues working as an art consultant, writer, coach, and teacher.
Emma Hassencahl-Perley is Wolastoqwiw from Neqotkuk (where the two rivers flow beneath each other), also known as Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from Mount Allison University (‘17) and a Masters of Art in Art History (‘22) from Concordia University. Emma is a Visual Artist, Curator, Educator, Author, and Arts Criticism Essayist. Her visual art mediums include beadwork, murals, and digital illustration. Her work explores the term “Legislative Identity” (how the Indian Act impacts the identities of Indigenous peoples in Canada).
Through material and visual culture, Emma also considers her identity in her work as an ehpit (woman) and citizen of the Wabanaki (People of the Dawn) Confederacy. Her visual art practice takes inspiration from Wabanaki double-curve beadwork and iconography, typically found on 19th-century textiles and objects. These mirrored, curvilinar forms speak about relationships, community life, and being in balance with the universe. Emma’s research interests lie within Indigenous Art History, Indigenous Feminisms, Craft and Textile History, Wabanaki Iconography, Oral History, and Decolonial Theory.
Deanna Musgrave is best known for her monumental paintings and public artwork, such as, “Cloud” (2015), which is part of the permanent collection of the University of New Brunswick (Saint John). It is displayed at the Hans Klohn Commons and measures 10’ high and 56’ long. Her work “Tropos” (2011/19), which measures 8’ high and 48’ long, found a permanent home at the University of New Brunswick’s (Fredericton) new Kinesiology building.
Early on in her career, she was selected by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 2007 for the Studio Watch Award, which aimed at introducing promising new artists to the public. She was later included in multiple Beaverbrook Art Gallery exhibits, including “Off the Grid: Abstract Art in New Brunswick” in 2014 (curated by Terry Graff) and in “Materiality and Perception” in 2019 (curated by Tom Smart). Most recently, Deanna was selected to be the first artist to fill the entire green wall of the Elizabeth Curry Gallery (Beaverbrook Art Gallery) with her work “Transcendence” in 2022 (curated by John Leroux).
The New Brunswick media have enthusiastically reviewed her work, and she has won numerous grants and awards. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University (2005) and a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of New Brunswick (2019), where she delivered her thesis titled “Connecting Crossmodal Interactions in Visual Music to Create ‘Mindful’ Experiences.”
She utilizes her background in mindfulness and art when she visits schools across New Brunswick to guide students to experience a variety of the province’s artists through the work in CollectionARTNB. Alongside her artmaking, she assists her community through energy work, hypnotherapy, and other alternative wellness practices. She has a monthly column called “Astrology for Creators” in “The Artful Mind” magazine, an arts publication in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, USA, which has been promoting art since 1994. By being publicly open about her “Intuitive Musings,” she seeks to create a safe space for alternative ways of being and perceiving.
Deanna is based out of Menagoesg (Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada).
August 2, 2023
JL Micro-Bursary Program
Inaugural JL Micro-Bursary Program Launches
The new JL Micro-Bursary Program is a funding program initiated by feedback from the New Brunswick arts community to support artists toward their creative practices.
The JL Micro-Bursary Program will support projects representing all artistic forms and practices. These micro-bursaries support either a community project or an individual artist. Eligible projects include creating art that is made publicly available. There is also a focus on rural area artists and rural area community projects.
For this round, applications will be accepted between August 15-20th, 2023, to catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
The JL Micro-Bursary Program covers the cost of creation materials, professional development, travel, equipment/software, marketing or promotional materials, and basic needs for artists' work in all disciplines.
The applicable amount to request for a JL Micro-Bursary is in amounts of $250 to $500 and can be used for costs such as:
Supplies, equipment, or software
Rehearsal, creation, or development of studio rentals
Research
Professional development (i.e., conferences, workshops, symposiums, mentorships)
Travel
Marketing/Promotional materials
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
July 25, 2023
Creative Artists Anne Lebans and Mel McCarthyJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for JL Artist Support Award
The 2023 JL Artist Support Award has gone to Anne Lebans and Mel McCarthy. The creative team will receive a cash award of $800.
“Thank you to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and jury! This series, Self IMPROVment, is super close to my heart. It explores the integration of improvisational comedy and mental wellness practices through play, exploration, self-expression, and collaboration as we acknowledge the difficult realities of creating, maintaining, and recovering mental wellness as a creative soul in this current world. I hope it becomes a platform for honest conversations, deep validation, and unleashed creative expression.” Anne
Anne Lebans is a mental wellness consultant, sound healer, and founder of Anne Ellen Sound. A trained opera singer passionate about holistic wellness, Anne’s studies of psychology, natural medicine, mindfulness, meditation, coaching, yoga, reiki, and other forms of energy work, ultimately led her to discover the profoundly healing power of self-expression and sound. Anne now uses sound to help people release mental, emotional, and energetic blockages through sound baths and sound healing sessions, connects people to their authentic voice through coaching and voice lessons, and offers workshops and programs to educate people on healing and empowering themselves
using their own voice.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.lebans
“Our project doesn’t fit neatly into categories, much like life doesn’t follow a locked script. We need to improvise, play, and show up for each other. These are qualities that Jane LeBlanc always remembered. She made up her own story, had adventures of all kinds, and encouraged others to do so. We believe this format has the potential to help creatives, including ourselves, to find/improve/sustain our abilities to share our creative gifts.” Mel
Mel McCarthy is a creator and long-time NB Film Co-op member. She has won prizes in essay and poetry contests, a Short Film Venture grant, and the NBFC Volunteer Award. Mel participated three times in the PEI Screenwriters’ Boot Camp, recently took Improv training through Solo Chicken Productions, and practices and performs with the local troupe, Department of Improvised Comedy. Mel is also a Reiki Master and practitioner, certified in Mental Health First Aid, a trainer of dogs and humans, and a strong advocate for active inclusion practices in places of work and play.
Instagram: melodogs
JL Artist Support Award Sponsors: Cat and Maureen LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 21, 2023
Photographer, painter, and literary author Leone Pippard
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for JL Photography Award
The 2023 JL Glen D. Ross Photography Award has gone to Leone Pippard. Leone will receive a cash award of $500.
“I am delighted and grateful to receive the JL Glen D. Ross Photography Award. Glen was a photographer who saw beauty, artistry, and stories in everyday things and events. I relate to his approach in my photography work. I look forward to using this award to fund a mentorship with professional photographer Roger Smith to learn the latest developments and techniques in making fine art prints of my photographs and artwork.”
Leone Pippard is an emerging photographer, painter, and literary author. Born in Stoney Creek, Ontario, her career path saw her first studying fine arts and graphic design at OCAD University, followed by writing and producing radio programs at the CBC Broadcasting Corporation. Afterward, with colleague Heather Malcolm, Leone organized a multi-year behavioural-film study on the St. Lawrence beluga whales. This led her to advocate protection and conservation on the population’s behalf. During this period, Leone wrote the COSEWIC status report that saw this marine mammal population designated as an endangered species of Canada, and she also partnered with World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace in organizing a successful public campaign to see the creation of Canada and Quebec’s Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. This was followed by Leone’s founding and running for many years, first in Quebec and then in New Brunswick, a sustainable development consultancy. Woven, however, throughout all these ventures has been Leone’s lifelong love for photography, painting, and creative writing, all of which she is pursuing more fervently today. Leone has received national awards and honours for her contributions to Canada and Canadians.
JL Glen D. Ross Photography Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Brigitte Noel, Jeremy Thomas Gilmer
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
July 20, 2023
Julian LeBlanc, CEO/President, LeBlanc School of Acting
JL Legacy Fund Partners with International Acting School to Increase Financial Support for New Brunswick Actors
Photo of Julian LeBlanc, CEO/President of LeBlanc School of Acting
The JL Legacy Fund has a new sponsor, and New Brunswick actors will be the winners. Julian LeBlanc, CEO & President of LeBlanc School of Acting, would like to support creatives in the province where he once lived and grew up as a foster child.
Founded and based in Vancouver, LeBlanc School of Acting is a leading acting school for children and teens specializing in television and film acting. The school focuses on diversity, inclusion, and cutting-edge, forward-thinking techniques guaranteed to foster success for youth actors, regardless of their background or skill set. The school went virtual in 2020 and is now international in scope.
For a background on Julian LeBlanc's childhood in New Brunswick and his fascinating climb to international success: https://macleans.ca/.../meet-the-vancouver-acting-school.../
"To say we are excited about Julian's contribution is an understatement," says JL Legacy Fund President Cat LeBlanc. "Our partnership is a perfect fit because our organizations want to sustainably help the creative community and creative people. Thanks to Julian's support, our JL Acting Support Award now has a cash value of $1,300.00. Award winners will also receive a pack of 5 online private classes with Julian LeBlanc worth over $500."
"I can't wait to help support the future! Giving back is important to me. As a proud New Brunswicker and Maritimer, I've always been in awe of the amazingly artistic talents we have here," says CEO and President of LeBlanc School of Acting Julian LeBlanc.
The deadline to apply for the award is August 1, 2023: https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/.../acting-support...
JL Acting Support Award Sponsors: Julian LeBlanc (LeBlanc School of Acting), Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is a multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family in memory of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
July 18, 2023
Singer/songwriter Ryan Gardiner
2023 JL Music Studio Mentee Award Winner Announced
July 18, 2023
Fredericton singer/songwriter Ryan Gardiner’s heartfelt video submission for the JL Music Studio Mentee Program impacted the 2023 Atlantic music jury resulting in him taking home the win over 30 other submissions. Ryan will receive eight music studio sessions with well-known music artist Matt Carr. Matt is the lead performer and musician in three bands. Two of his bands, The Tortoise The Hare & The Millionaire, and Too Bad Jim, have showcased their talent on stages everywhere. Matt will share his expertise with Ryan on some of the following topics: songwriting, song structure, creativity, show booking, time management, music distribution, showcasing, and performance technique.
You can check out Matt’s latest album on Bandcamp:
https://thetortoisetheharethemillionaire.bandcamp.com
Ryan Gardiner is a primary school teacher and lover of all kinds of music. He has begun releasing original music under the artist name The Blackline Masters with the help of Dylan Ward at Shiftwork Studio. His newest release, Seasons, features his daughter Gracie and partner Charlene singing harmonies. Studio musicians, Josh Correia and Stephan Westner played bass and drums.
“I am so excited and honoured to be this year’s JL Music Studio Mentee Award Winner! I look forward to working with and learning from Matt Carr. Taking a song idea from early conception to a finished recording is rewarding. I love putting a piece of my soul into the world through music and always hope to write songs that resonate with others.”
Along with studio time with Matt, Ryan will receive a $250 gift card from Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, grant-writing assistance, and music opportunities through Cat LeBlanc Music.
JL Music Studio Mentee Sponsors: Dan Hill, Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc, Jan Thompson, and Long & McQuade Musical Instruments
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
July 13, 2023
Filmmaker Linda Joy BusbyJL Legacy Fund Supports Atlantic Linda Joy Legacy Awards
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and the NB Film Co-op will be part of an award package for New Brunswick Filmmakers through the annual Linda Joy Awards. The award is in honour of Nova Scotia filmmaker and former AFCOOP Coordinator, Linda Joy Busby.
Linda died of breast cancer at the age of 34. The film, “Linda Joy,” which was started by Linda Joy Busby to share her experience during a period of remission, was later completed by friend and fellow filmmaker Bill MacGillivray. Proceeds from the sale of this film comprised the foundation of the initial society.
Following a two-year hiatus, the Linda Joy Media Arts Society was reinvigorated under the management of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, guided by a committee composed of founding LJMAS and film community members including: Lulu Keating, David Hopper, Chuck Clark, Jim MacSwain, Cat LeBlanc, Rose Zack and Martha Cooley.
To apply: https://afcoop.ca/awards/
Linda Joy Award Package
$2,000 cash
2 x workshops of your choice
Associate Membership
Ability to be covered under AFCOOP’s General Liability and Production insurance if required.
In-kind camera package from AFCOOP
$5,000 in-kind lighting and grip package courtesy of William F. White, Halifax*
*Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (NIFCO) will provide $3,000 in-kind gear and Atlantic Studios Cooperative (ASC) will provide a $7,500 in-kind rental of lighting and grip package for the Linda Joy Award if a filmmaker from Newfoundland receives the award.
*NB Film Co-op will provide $3,000 in-kind gear for the Linda Joy Award and an additional cash top-up from the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund if a filmmaker from New Brunswick receives the award.
*FilmPEI will provide $5,000 in-kind gear for the Linda Joy Award if a filmmaker from Prince Edward Island receives the award.
Linda Joy Post Award Package
$1,000 cash
$2,000 (valued at regular rates) in-kind access to AFCOOP’s Media Suite*
*NIFCO will provide $3,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from Newfoundland receives the award.
*NB Film Co-op will provide $2,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from New Brunswick receives the award.
*FilmPEI will provide $2,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from Prince Edward Island receives the award.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
July 10, 2023
JL Dance AwardJL Legacy Fund Unveils JL Dance Award
The JL Legacy Fund’s long-term goal of having creative awards for every creative discipline is now a reality with its latest award.
“We always wanted to have a Dance Award to support New Brunswick dancers on their creative journey, so this is exciting that we can make this award a reality,” says Fund Founder and President Cat LeBlanc. "The cash value for this award is $1000, and the deadline is August 1."
To see the guidelines for the award, go to: https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/awards/jl-dance-award.
In its third year of operation, the JL Legacy Fund now has 21 cash awards in different creative disciplines, a new pilot mentorship engagement program funded by the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, and other ongoing activities supporting creatives in multiple artistic fields as well as the JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast, which focuses on Fund sponsors, award-winners, jury members, and mentors.
In addition, the Fund was recently designated by the Canada Council for the Arts as a multidisciplinary arts support organization. This new designation means the Fund is eligible for core and project funding.
The Fund also has an endowment fund for one of its major awards, the JL Film Post Award, thanks to a fantastic partnership and long-term funding from TIFF Film Circuit Saint John.
During the pandemic in 2021, the JL Legacy Fund was created in memory of Janey LeBlanc (artist and adventurer) with one award (JL Music Award). Within a short period of time, with the help of the LeBlanc family and additional sponsors, the Fund has had a growth explosion. Cash awards have gone to 33 creatives in different creative disciplines in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc
July 7, 2023
Filmmaker Amanda GearJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for Inaugural Newfoundland Creative Award
Newfoundland filmmaker Amanda Gear has won the 2023 JL Newfoundland Creative Award. The award is $2000 in cash. Eligible activities are development and project costs, mentor or story editing assistance, master classes, and educational software. Included with the award is $1000 in in-kind Post-Production services from NIFCO.
“The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation and NIFCO’s generous long-term support and belief in the JL Legacy Fund and this award made it happen, and we thank them,” says JL Legacy Fund President Cat LeBlanc.
“I am honoured and grateful to be chosen as the first JL Newfoundland Creative Award recipient. I am committed to removing barriers for the Indigenous arts community because art is a storytelling mechanism that ensures that culture can be preserved. Decolonizing the arts strengthens entire Indigenous communities by motivating and influencing the younger generations and showing them that their culture is valuable and viable.” Amanda Gear
Amanda is an Inuk multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and journalist from Nunatsiavut. She has a deep passion for Indigenous arts and works to create space for underrepresented and marginalized communities by amplifying their voices and elevating their stories. Born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, she lives in St. John’s with her two children and husband. Amanda takes great pride in sharing her culture and helping her community by volunteering at First Light- St. John’s Friendship Centre and hosting Beauty and Braiding workshops focusing on the anthropology and history of Indigenous beauty rituals.
JL Newfoundland Creative Award Sponsors: The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation and NIFCO
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 6, 2023
Filmmaker Renée LapriseJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for Inaugural JL Prince Edward Island Creative Award
Prince Edward Island filmmaker Renée Laprise has won the 2023 JL Prince Edward Island Creative Award. The award is $1000 in cash. Eligible activities are development and project costs, mentor or story editing assistance, master classes, and educational software.
“This award and its funding are possible thanks to a partnership with Louise Lalonde Productions. Louise was the first person to step up to contribute funding. We hope to see more island organizations and companies throw in their future support for this incredibly talented community,” says JL Legacy Fund President Cat LeBlanc
“I’m thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of the JL Prince Edward Island Creative Award and so grateful to have my project, The Island of Mystical Artists, supported by the jury. Having recently decided to pursue my creative career full-time, this type of peer approval is validating and exciting. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Renée Laprise
Renée Laprise started in the film and television industry in 1999 as an animation editor in Ontario for several broadcast television series. In 2005, she moved to Prince Edward Island, where she continued to work in animated series and then moved into editing online live-action material. Renée took on the role of Executive Director of FilmPEI for eight years and developed and created her own media work during this time. In 2017 she and her creative partner were awarded a Telefilm Micro-Budget production grant for the 84-minute web series Lovely Witches Club. Renée recently produced and edited the local Mi’kmaq series The Ice Walk and Gina’matimg: Time of Learning and is currently producing and editing a feature for a local Mi’kmaq producer, as well as developing her own series, The Island of Mystical Artists. Renée is also a practicing artist.
FB – https://www.facebook.com/headwitchreneelaprise
IG - https://www.instagram.com/reneelaprisearts/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/reneelaprise
JL Prince Edward Island Creative Award Sponsors: Louise Lalonde Productions, Cat LeBlanc, and Maureen LeBlanc
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
June 27, 2023
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Receives Funding from NB Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture for Pilot Mentorship Project
Substantial funding from the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture was recently approved for the JL Legacy Fund Mentorship Engagement Program. The pilot program is being coordinated through the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund. The Arts and Culture Branch provided the grant through the Strategic Initiatives Fund - Growth and Development Component. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to support artists, creative community organizations, and events in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region with funding, mentorship, and support activities. The fund was created in 2021 by the LeBlanc family.
"We are thrilled about this funding and the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture's support for our creative outreach project," says fund President Cat LeBlanc.
The Jane LeBlanc (JL) Legacy Fund Mentorship Engagement Program is a pilot participant-driven program that connects a selected group of emerging struggling creatives in film, video, photography, visual art, acting, music, writing, and theatre, and their submitted project proposals with creative professionals who will provide high-level advice and networking opportunities to help them take their projects or objectives to the finish line. This mentorship and guidance program brings together the participants with their mentors for a year. Their mentoring includes workshops, master classes, in-conversations, and TED talks with well-known New Brunswick, Canadian, and International creative specialists to encourage and connect them. Mental health specialists are also involved with the program to nurture the participants and their mentors on their journey. The program seeks to also engage with underrepresented communities and artists in rural areas.
The mentors in the different creative disciplines are confirmed, and a full schedule is ready to roll out for the fund's one-year program, which will run from September 2023 to October 2024. Thanks to this generous provincial funding for the program, the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund looks forward to confirming their final funding partner and then putting out a call for creative mentees in September.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund thanks all of its generous sponsors including its long-time endowment sponsor TIFF Film Circuit Saint John.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
June 14, 2023
Filmmaker Colin MacDonald
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2023 Nova Scotia Creative Award Winner
The 2023 Jane LeBlanc Nova Scotia Creative Award with a cash prize of $1000 has gone to Nova Scotia filmmaker Colin MacDonald“
I am beyond excited and grateful to be selected for the JL Nova Scotia Creative Award and have the opportunity to create a documentary regarding the housing crisis in Nova Scotia. I will share stories and interviews - both personal and from our community- of the struggle to keep a roof over our heads. Thank you to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, Cat LeBlanc, the Atlantic jury, and BOYNECLARKE LLP for the generous support.”
As an award-winning filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor, Colin has been honing his creative talents in the Nova Scotia screen industry over the past ten years. He has produced over a dozen short films and music videos, including the award-winning projects Stitches (2022), Presents (2019), and Presence (2013).
Colin’s career in post-production has also granted him the opportunity to be the lead editor, colourist, and assistant editor on numerous documentary films and series, including Militaria (2020- 2023), I See You (2022), Farrin (2020), Generation We (2019), Fanarchy (2015), and Nightmare Factory (2011)
Colin’s passion lies in collaborating on documentary and narrative films that strongly focus on character and story, striving for creative and innovative ways of evoking emotion in the audience.
Instagram: onstreampro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colin.macdonald.796774
JL Nova Scotia Creative Award sponsored by BOYNECLARKE LLP
Contact:Cat LeBlanc, President/Founder
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
June 13, 2023
Filmmaker Rebecca Tremblay
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the 2023 Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award
Fredericton, June 13, 2023
New Brunswick filmmaker Rebecca Tremblay has won the 2023 Jane LeBlanc (JL) Film Post Award for her short film project. The award is $2000 in cash. The legacy fund created the award to give New Brunswick filmmakers financial assistance to hire New Brunswick, post-production specialists.
“I am very grateful to be the recipient of the JL Film Post Award for my short film about a mother’s grief. My creative team and I have worked very hard on this film, and this post-production award will allow us to create the best experience for our audience. Thank you to the Atlantic jury, the generous sponsors, and Cat and Maureen LeBlanc for making this award possible for filmmakers like me!”
Fluid in French, English, and Spanish, Rebecca Elmire Tremblay (she/her) is an East Coast storyteller, filmmaker, and actress. She received the Short Film Venture Grant for her short comedy, Good Mom (2023), which will begin making festival rounds later this year. Rebecca has been nominated for her acting in two short films, and her other on-screen acting credits include Garde Partagée (Unis TV), Diggstown (CBC), The Town Clown (Bell Fibe TV1), and Beyond Silenced (Silver Wave Film Festival). Rebecca owns and operates her own production company, By Odin’s Beard Pictures, and has worked on film productions as a director, producer, production manager, and wardrobe supervisor. She’s available for hire as a production manager.
“This specific award and its funding are significant now thanks to a very generous 23-year financial endowment from TIFF Film Circuit Saint John. The increased value of the award now enables filmmakers to hire the specialized labour they need to take their films to the finish line. Our goal is to continue to increase the value of the award over time,” says Cat LeBlanc.
Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award Sponsors: TIFF Film Circuit Saint John, Soundbud, Terry Gadsden, Hemmings House, Picaroons Brewing Company, Cat LeBlanc, and Maureen LeBlanc
To learn more about the Fund and see its sponsors, award winners, and upcoming award deadlines, visit https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization created in memory of artist and adventurer Janey LeBlanc.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc, President/Founder
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
June 5, 2023
Jane LeBlanc (JL) Legacy Fund Receives Record Number of Submissions for Upcoming 2023 Deadlines
In its third year of operation, the JL Legacy Fund has 20 creative cash awards in different creative disciplines, a new mentorship engagement program, and other ongoing activities supporting creatives in multiple artistic fields as well as the JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast, which focuses on Fund sponsors, supporters, and award-winners.
Cat and Maureen LeBlanc created the JL Legacy Fund in 2021 during the pandemic with one award (JL Music Award). With the help of the LeBlanc family and additional sponsors, the Fund has had a growth explosion within a short time.
This year, The Fund has already received close to 250 submissions for the thirteen award deadlines in June, July, August, and September with more submissions yet to come.
"We have seasoned Bilingual volunteers organizing the submissions and prepping the peer juries, so things are running smoothly," says JL Legacy Fund President Cat LeBlanc. "I'm so excited. This jump in submissions tells us that these grants are essential and needed."
To learn more about the Fund and see its sponsors, award winners, and upcoming award deadlines, visit https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization created in memory of artist and adventurer Janey LeBlanc.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc, President/Founder
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
May 17, 2023
McKenzie PowerAnnual Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Award Winner Announced!
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is thrilled to announce its winner and second, and third-place writers for the 2023 Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Award. The award, done in partnership with the NB Film Co-op, is hosted through the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick in their annual NB Writing Competition.
The program celebrates eight categories of unpublished writing in the genre of novel, short story, single poem, poetry manuscript, books for young people, and stories by young people, as well as unpublished short film script and narrative non-fiction. There were a record number of submissions this year in almost every category, creating more difficult choices for the peer judges who are chosen from outside of the province. The judges consistently reported that the submissions displayed a diverse spectrum of high-quality writing talent in the province. This also reflects the higher number of Honourable Mentions this year.
This year, the Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Award Judge was Kaitlyn Adair. Kaitlyn is a Fredericton-based artist working as an interdisciplinary writer, director, producer, and performer. She has written several short films, most notably, “Together We Move,” “Oculus,” and “March 2.4,” which won Excellence in Screenwriting at the Silver Wave Film Festival. Her stories evolve from lived experiences and focus on social justice narratives.
First Place ($500) - McKenzie Power (Fredericton, NB), “Gin Soaked Bride.”
Second Place (one-year WFNB membership) - Todd Fraser (Fredericton, NB), “One Hundred Thousand Welcomes.”
Third Place - Jacquelyn Clydesdale (Saint John, NB), “The Wonder of it All.”
Originally from Miramichi, McKenzie Power moved to Fredericton in 2015 to attend St. Thomas University and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts (Criminology/Economics).
“Winning this award is a great honour and a privilege. Seeing a script that I raised from scratch rise to this occasion and be celebrated is something I never expected, but I welcome it. I want to congratulate all the other participants for their work and passion for screenwriting. When you have an idea, there’s no better feeling than completing a first draft and being proud of it.” McKenzie Power
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, NB Film Co-op, and WFNB congratulate all the winners and all who submitted to the competition in different writing categories.
The New Brunswick Writing Competition began in 1985, the same year as the WFNB’s date of incorporation. They’ve held it annually ever since, awarding hundreds of prizes over the decades. Many past winners have since achieved national and international publishing fame. It opens every year on December 1.
Find out more about the annual JL Screenwriting Award and the JL Legacy Fund’s nineteen other awards in every creative discipline on the organization’s website: https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to nurture and support creative artists in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc, President/Founder
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
May 15, 2023
2023 JL Isaac Miller Creative Award Winner Austin Gardiner
May 10, 2023
Austin GardinerInaugural JL Isaac Miller Creative Award Winner Announced!
Legacy is an important thing to honour, especially when it's someone who, although very young, was innovative and multi-talented. Isaac Miller's joie de vivre and inquisitive mind will always be remembered through a new creative youth award that bears his name.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is thrilled to announce its first winner for the fund's new JL Isaac Miller Creative Award.
Fredericton-based student Austin Gardiner's video project, "Dismay," beat out multiple New Brunswick submissions carefully vetted by an Atlantic youth jury to take home a cash prize of $500.
"My video project is about a group of teenagers trying to survive a serial kidnapper that mysteriously starts taking kids. I hope this project will be a good beginning. My objective is to become a director and improve my acting," says Austin.
The annual JL Isaac Miller Creative Award supports New Brunswick residents between 12-17 years of age in the creation of their short videos, podcast projects, video poems, music videos, short stories, poetry, and photography projects.
Find out more about the annual Isaac Miller Creative Award and the JL Legacy Fund's nineteen other awards in every creative discipline on the organization's website: https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated, non-profit multidisciplinary arts support organization with a mission to nurture and support creative artists in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region.
2022 JL Isaac Miller Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc and Maureen LeBlanc
Media Contact:
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
April 20, 2023
Music Artist Abby McCartney2022 JL Music Award Winner Lands ECMA Television Artist Spotlight!
When Abby Keenan (Abby McCartney) won the JL Music Award in 2022, she never imagined that her original song Tired would take her right to the ECMA’s.
Through the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, Abby was fortunate to be mentored by award-winning music artist, engineer, and mentor Colin Fowlie. Colin and Abby worked together to bring Abby’s vision for her song to life and distribution on Spotify and all the music streaming platforms.
Throughout her music journey with the Legacy Fund’s help, Abby had many life-changing conversations with her mentor Colin. Also, she had the opportunity to speak to Nigel Jenkins, a successful artist manager and record label owner based in NL. Through his company, Laughing Heart Music, Nigel has worked with artists like Classified, Heather Rankin, Ben Caplan, Hillsburn, and many others. Then, Abby snagged some time with Vel Omazic, who, although an extremely busy person as executive director of Canada’s Music Incubator, took the time to talk to her. Finally, the icing on the cake was an eye-opening conversation with award-winning artist Rose Cousins. Abby’s time with Rose gave her perspective on her place in the music industry.
The return of the Rogers TV Artist Spotlight program, a 10-episode series on Atlantic Canadian artists, is exciting because Nancy Regan will host. Nancy has interviewed some of the most famous people on the planet-including Oprah, Madonna, Russel Crowe, Christopher Plummer, and Harrison Ford. The show may also be broadcast nationwide.
Abby has been selected to be featured in this new artist spotlight series filmed at The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse on Friday, May 5th, 2023. She will be interviewed and will perform with Colin Fowlie.
2022 JL Music Award Sponsors: Cat LeBlanc, Donna Davies, Brittany Kerr, Writers' Federation of NB, Melanie Eagan, Brigitte Noel, Mary McCormack, Jennifer Eagan
Check out Abby McCartney’s song Tired and her other music on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1RosJcZdLeBXSUbuZataVL?si=4rP5aFhfQTav19rpOWwoDA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbymcck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbymccartneymusic/
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
March 21, 2023
JL Legacy Fund Unveils Provincial Awards for Atlantic Film Creators
The JL Legacy Fund’s long-term goal of having creative awards for writers and directors in all four Atlantic provinces is now a reality. Louise Lalonde Productions is now sponsoring the new Prince Edward Island Creative Award, and International award-winning marketing and creative agency BrainWorks hopped into the sponsor mix today to generously bump up the New Brunswick Creative Award from $1000 to $2000.
The other generous sponsors for the Atlantic Creative Awards are Connections Productions, Cat LeBlanc, and Maureen LeBlanc (NB), BOYNECLARKE LLP (NS), the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, and the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-op (NL).
In its third year of operation, the JL Legacy Fund now has 19 cash awards in different creative disciplines, a new pilot mentorship engagement program, and other ongoing activities supporting creatives in multiple artistic fields as well as the JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast, which focuses on Fund sponsors, award-winners, jury members, and mentors.
In addition, the Fund was recently designated by the Canada Council for the Arts as a multidisciplinary arts support organization. This new designation means that the Fund is eligible for core and future project funding.
During the pandemic in 2021, the JL Legacy Fund was created in memory of Janey LeBlanc (artist and adventurer) with one award (JL Music Award). Within a short period of time, with the help of the LeBlanc family and additional sponsors, the Fund has had a growth explosion. Cash awards have gone to 28 creatives in every creative discipline in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc, Founder/President
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/
March 10, 2023
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Designated as Multidisciplinary Arts Support Organization by Canada Council for the Arts
The Jane LeBlanc (JL) Legacy Fund can now apply for core and project funding for its ongoing programs and activities as a Multidisciplinary Arts Support Organization.
In its third year of operation, the JL Legacy Fund has 18 cash awards in different creative disciplines, a new mentorship engagement program, and other ongoing activities supporting creatives in multiple artistic disciplines as well as the JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast which focuses on Fund sponsors, supporters, award-winners, mentors, and jury members.
Cat and Maureen LeBlanc created the JL Legacy Fund in 2021 during the pandemic with one award (JL Music Award). Within a short period of time, with the help of the LeBlanc family and additional sponsors, the Fund has had a growth explosion.
"I am thrilled about the Fund's growth and the support for our Fund across Canada. We could not do what we are doing to support the Atlantic creative community without our generous sponsors and supporters; we thank them for believing in us." Cat LeBlanc, Founder and President
The Fund is also focused on partnerships and looks forward to connecting with different collectives, groups, and organizations on activities and projects that support the creative community and champion inclusion and support for under-represented communities.
To learn more about the Fund and see its sponsors, award winners, and upcoming award deadlines, visit https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com.
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is an incorporated non-profit fund created in memory of artist and adventurer Janey LeBlanc.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
March 8, 2023
Ben HarrisonInaugural Jane LeBlanc Theatre Organization Award Goes to Branch Out Productions
The 2023 Jane LeBlanc Theatre Organization Award has gone to Branch Out Productions. The organization will receive $1,500.
"Branch Out Productions is ecstatic to win the first Jane LeBlanc Theatre Organization Award. BOP's directing team members will be trained as intimacy coordinators thanks to the award monies. This is an important step in strengthening the integrity of our arts community," says BOP's Artistic Director, Ben Harrison.
Ben Harrison launched the theatre company 15 years ago with a strong focus on the organization being a safe and accommodating place for people of all ages and experience levels to explore the performing arts.
"This intimacy training will allow us to ensure the well-being of our actors while they do their important work in theatre. It will give us the necessary tools to approach any delicate subject matter with informed sensitivity. This training will also allow us to be a resource to other community theatre and film production teams," says Ben Harrison.
Ben Harrison is a mental health advocate by day and a theatre artist by night. He is an avid storyteller and the Founder and Artistic Director for Branch Out Productions, a community theatre group in Fredericton, NB.
www.branchoutproductions.ca
Branch Out Productions
Jane LeBlanc Theatre Organization Award Sponsors: Jan Thompson, Eric and Suzanne Megarity, Cat LeBlanc, Maureen LeBlanc
www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
JL Legacy Fund Creative Podcast: NB Music Artist Abby McCartney
November 24, 2022
Arnold LeBlanc Songwriter Award Rebrands and Expands
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund's Arnold LeBlanc Songwriter Award will now be called the Arnold Jane LeBlanc Award (AJL) in memory of Miramichi musician Jane LeBlanc and singer Arnold LeBlanc and will focus on hard rock and heavy metal in 2024.
In addition, the new celebrity music jury will now consider songwriting, vocals, and performance in their deliberations.
"We are very excited to have some heavy metal legends interested in being on our 2024 award jury," says Cat LeBlanc, JL Legacy Fund founder.
The revamped award will be accessible to different genres of music annually. The winner will also receive a complimentary one year membership with Music / Musique NB.
In 2022, the celebrity music jury (Lennie Gallant, Joel Plaskett, Jenn Grant, Rose Cousins, and Catherine MacLellan) focused on roots, folk, and country music. The winner was talented NB music artist and songwriter Jason Anderson. Jason won a cash prize for his song Together, Apart, which audiences can find on Spotify.
Sponsored by: CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, BRAINWORKS, WRITERS’ FEDERATION OF NB, MUSIC•MUSIQUE NB
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund would not be possible without all its sponsors and supporters who contribute annually.
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/supporters
November 18, 2022
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Becomes Annual Sponsor of Errol Williams Filmmaker Award
"Preserving Errol's work and legacy is incredibly important. The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund wants to support this special initiative that keeps Errol's greatness in the public eye. Errol was someone who changed lives through his friendships and filmmaking. His spirit is still very much with everyone who knew him so well, including his beloved family, relatives, and close film friends. It is an honour for the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund to be involved with this special award that the NB Film Co-op, Chris Campbell, and Tony Merzetti sponsor annually." Cat and Maureen LeBlanc
Background: Errol Williams was a pioneer and award-winning international filmmaker who was introduced to filmmaking at the NB Film Co-op in the late 1980s. He produced dramas and documentaries. After his untimely death in 2007, a special award was set up in his honour by his friends, past NB Film Co-op President Chris Campbell, and long-time Film Co-op ED Tony Merzetti in partnership with the NB Film Co-op.
ERROL WILLIAMS FILMMAKER AWARD
Deadline: March 1, 2023
(one grant awarded annually)
Purpose: To support the production of a short film no longer than 10 minutes.
Note: Films can be short dramas or documentaries.
Eligible applicants: New Brunswick residents who are black and people of colour.
Award composition:
$400 cash from Errol Williams Fund
$300 cash from the NB Film Co-op
$400 cash from the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
$700 equipment deferral
Eight professional development workshops.
Submission Process: Applicants are asked to submit the following materials by email (Word or PDF documents):
Treatment for story or Script
Budget
Director's Statement
Crew/Cast list
Production plan
Email: info@nbfilmcoop.com for assistance.
September 26, 2022
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2022 Music Composer Award Winner
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Music Composer Award, with a cash prize of $800, has gone to New Brunswick music composer Zachary Greer
The jury members were music composers Joel Miller, Laura Perry, and Jeff Patch.
“I’m honoured to receive this award and be a part of Jane’s Legacy. Thank you so much to Cat, her mother, Maureen, and the fund. From what I know about Jane, it’s clear there was no adventure too daring for her, and that’s the attitude to have to inspire people looking to make a career in the arts. We need to take risks and help each other out, especially as New Brunswickers working in film. This award will be a tremendous help, and I’m truly grateful.”
Zachary Greer is a New Brunswick-based composer for film, television, and advertising. When beginning his university degree at St. Thomas, he knew early on that writing music to picture was his passion. With the invaluable teachings and guidance from his mentor and composition professor Martin Kutnowski, he began honing his skills as a composer, leading him to score his first feature film, Alice in the Attic (2015), at age 21. Since graduating, he has composed music for various projects, including documentaries, documentary series, shorts, ad campaigns, and theatre productions. In 2018, Zachary received the Excellence in Music Composition award at the Silver Wave Film Festival for the short film The Nashwaak.
Recently, he has written music for multiple projects, including, Cicerone (dir Ty Giffin), The Last Lucivee (dir Janice Wright Cheney & Matt Brown), and Fighter (dir Meagan Brown). He’s also worked on multiple documentary projects, including, Never Say Die (Jordan Greer), Meet and Eat at Lee’s Garden (Days Lee), and has music featured in the first season of Yukon Harvest on APTN, earning him an additional music credit. He’s also scored all of the Graystone Brewing ad campaigns since 2021.
Aside from his media work, Zachary also remains active as a solo artist producing instrumental albums. His major releases, The Duel and Partridge Island are based on historical events in New Brunswick, both of which received grants from artsNB, MusicNB, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Often combining experimental sounds with organic instrumentation, his work has been said to effortlessly exude serenity and beauty, as well as drama and grit.
The Jane LeBlanc Music Composer Award is sponsored By
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC
MAUREEN LEBLANC
JO JO SWEEN PRODUCTIONS
THOM FITZGERALD
ANGELA BIRDSELL
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
September 20, 2022
Artist Erin GoodineJane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2022 Artist Support Scholarship Winner
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Artist Support Scholarship with a cash prize of $1000 has gone to New Brunswick Artist Erin Goodine.
The jury members were: filmmaker and film teacher Cam Woykin, Photographer Karrie Nash, and writer and poet Kayla Geitzler.
“I am so honoured and grateful to receive the Jane LeBlanc Artist Support Scholarship and recognition from the jury. This award will be a significant help to me in developing a new body of work and in my career as an artist. I want to thank the jury and everyone involved at the Jane Leblanc Legacy Fund for their invaluable support of the arts community!”
Erin can be found on Instagram: @eringoodine
Erin Goodine is a painter, interdisciplinary artist, and designer based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Their art practice includes painting, sculpture, video, and installation. Erin collaborates as a curator and writer with the 3E Collective, who, as a group, have created exhibitions and publications for the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Galerie d’art Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen, Owens Art Gallery, and more. Erin’s artwork has also been featured at Flourish Festival, Gallery on Queen, Connexion ARC, and RE:FLUX Experimental Music and Sound Art Festival with the experimental improv trio Terre Wa. They are interested in time, form, movement, humour, and the uncanny through drawing, painting, and video compositions.
The Jane LeBlanc Artist Support Scholarship is sponsored By
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC
MAUREEN LEBLANC
MICHELLE CADOGAN
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
August 25, 2022
Filmmaker Gordon Mihan
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2022 Creative Scholarship Winner
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Creative Scholarship with a cash prize of $2000 has gone to New Brunswick filmmaker Gordon Mihan.
The JL Creative Scholarship is the only award open to directors/writers in the Atlantic region.
“My project is a stop-motion animated short film entitled Happy Campers. Stop-motion animation is something I spent a lot of time doing in my youth, and I’ve been eager to return to it as an adult. The film is based on my experiences at summer camp, and since it is in direct conversation with my own childhood, I figured this would be the perfect project to return to my old art form. Preproduction for the film is nearing completion, and I’m thrilled about the support the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and Jane LeBlanc Creative Scholarship Award will give me for the project’s next stage. It’s a tremendous aid for the film and my development with stop-motion animation. I want to give a huge thanks to the jury and everyone involved with the Legacy Fund!"
Gordon Mihan is a Fredericton-based screenwriter and film director. He has produced and directed several festival-screened short films across Canada. His most recent short film Unofficial Selection won the Audience Choice Award at the 2019 Silver Wave Film Festival, and his previous short film, Coached, was broadcast on the CBC as part of the 5th season of the Reel East Coast, now available on CBC Gem. Gordon is a member of the NB Film Co-op.
Check out Gordon’s creative updates at:
Twitter: @GordonMihan
Instagram: @strike_pictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strike.pictures.canada/
The Jane LeBlanc Creative Scholarship is sponsored By
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, WIFT-AT, ROGER MOORE, DAN HILL, BOTSFORD MEDIA INC., BOYNECLARKE LLP
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
August 20, 2022
Filmmaker Jeremy Brubacher
Special thanks to filmmaker Jeremy Brubacher, who contributed generous funds to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund this year! Jeremy Brubacher is a filmmaker currently based in Bathurst, New Brunswick. He studied film and media at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Jeremy has loved film and filmmaking from a young age and has been making short films since he was 15. He has participated in the 48-hour film competition for many years, has completed four short films separate from any competition, and currently has two in development, with one ready to shoot at the beginning of September. Jeremy is also developing a feature film project and hopes to have that completed in two years.
August 15, 2022
Visual Artist Ysabelle Vautour
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2022 Visual Art Award Winner
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Visual Art Award with a cash prize of $900 has gone to New Brunswick Visual Artist Ysabelle Vautour.
The jury members were: Ingrid Mueller (St. Andrews, NB), David Lindberg (New York, US), Alexandra Darbyshire Flood (Ottawa, ON), Barbara Safran de Niverville (Moncton, NB), and Matt Watkins (Fredericton, NB).
“Wow, thank you to the jury; this is amazing. I feel so thankful to be selected. It is validating to be acknowledged for my work, and I feel more at home in the art scene. This honour means a lot. I am excited to be able to deepen my art practice with this award.” Ysabelle
Ysabelle Vautour started out working in the mental health and disability support sector. In 2019 she decided to paint and create art every day for a year. A few months into her 365 art everyday challenge, she was featured by CBC, invited to speak at ArtsLink NB’s Short and Sweet Speaker Series, and participated in a few live painting competitions. Ysabelle’s work was also selected for a juried exhibition at the Nails on the Wall Gallery in Metuchen, New Jersey.
Ysabelle’s artwork tends to be close-up, bringing a sense of intimacy to the viewer and is a better view for the legally blind painter. She shielded away from painting, thinking it was not for her as she only sees in black and white and wouldn’t be able to tell if the colors looked muddy. It wasn’t until she tried art as therapy that she could focus on how it feels making the art as opposed to how it will look in the end.
In 2020 Ysabelle became a board member at Connexion Artist Run Center. She was featured in the Shediac Artist Village, Ami Ami-télé, and Created Here Magazine. She was recruited to give a public talk to NBCCD Craft College art students and was the artist in residence at the Fredericton Arts Alliance. Ysabelle received a micro-grant for her self-directed Alone Together residency from NBCCD Craft Library.
Ysabelle had two solo exhibitions in 2021, the first at the Penny Gallery in Fredericton and the second at Corid’art Gallery in Shediac. In addition, she was awarded two grants from artsnb for her project “Bodies in Motion,” which she will present at Leon Leger Gallery in September of 2022.
In 2021 she was featured as a live painter on the national stage at the Disability Without Poverty August Roundup event. A graduate of Artslink’s Catapult arts and business accelerator program. Later that year, she worked on Atlantic Canada’s first Disability Art Conference. The project was in collaboration with Theatre New Brunswick and the JRG Society for the Arts.
This year the artist was selected for Sync Canada leadership training. No stranger to trying new things, Ysabelle created and co-curated the NB Disability Artist Showcase at Fredericton Playhouse, Struts Gallery, and the National Access Art Center in Alberta. Look out for well as in a new television documentary on Ami-télé called 100% Passion, Third Shift, Sappy Fest, Nocturn, Bluenose Festival, Steps Public Art Roundtable, and the ZYP gallery in Alberta.
Lately, Ysabelle has been doing an artist residency at the NB Coalition for persons with disabilities and is currently undertaking the Inspire Festival Mural Training.
Check out Ysabelle’s art and updates at:
Youtube, Twitter, TikTok: @creatingaccess
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creatingaccess
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingaccess/
Sponsored By
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JEAN ROONEY, ANN MANUEL, JO JO SWEEN PRODUCTIONS, WENDY & WAYNE HALLIHAN, GEORGE & ANNETTE STRUNZ, BARBARA SAFRAN DE NIVERVILLE, INGRID MUELLER
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
August 2, 2022
Inaugural Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program Announces Second Mentor and Mentee
Saint John-based music artist John Adam Ian has been awarded the second studio placement in the newest Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund program. John Adam Ian will spend time in the studio with award-winning music artist Kylie Fox.
“I can still remember the first time I came across Kylie’s song Glowstars through a shuffled Spotify suggestion. Its sound and unique vibe made me stop what I was doing and listen to her album straight through. I’m really, really excited to participate in this mentorship with Kylie and can’t wait to see what I learn. Thanks to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund for making this music studio mentee program possible!”
John Adam Ian is a songwriter based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. After having toured Canada with the east coast metal band We, the Undersigned, John Adam Ian branched out and focuses on writing alt-rock and acoustic tunes.
John Adam Ian can be found at: www.johnadamian.com and his twitch channel is www.twitch.tv/johnadamian.
MUSIC MENTOR KYLIE FOX
Indie folk artist Kylie Fox spins stories of rolling prairies and the North-Western woods, of hometown fables and flames, and the clumsy dichotomy of youth and adulthood in sophisticated webs of cynicism, beauty, and wit. The gentle timbre of her voice is also rich with power and direction, lending to a performance as honest and compelling as her poetry. With the support of an ensemble comprising some of New Brunswick’s finest musicians, Kylie Fox and her band put on a dynamic, high-energy performance with smooth flute solos, buttery bass lines, and catchy guitar licks. Kylie released her debut album Green in 2020. She has toured Canada, participated in the Banff Centre for the Arts International Songwriting Residency, and performed at prominent festivals, including Area506, Harvest, and Folk Alliance International. She was named Breakthrough Artist of the year in the 2020 PrixNB Awards and received various nominations in 2021.
This hands-on mentorship with Kylie Fox is perfect for John Adam Ian combining creative exploration in lyric writing and song development with the passion and technique of live performance. Kylie will guide John Adam Ian through writing and performing a great song to getting it on Spotify and onto a stage!
Sponsored By
DAN HILL, CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JAN THOMPSON
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 29, 2022
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund to Launch New Theatre Awards in 2023
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, in ongoing consultation with the New Brunswick theatre community, hopes to launch two new theatre grant awards in 2023.
The first award will be for emerging New Brunswick theatre craftspeople who want to further their creative development. The award will be open to anyone working in any position in theatre (administration, technical, or artistic).
The second award will be for smaller theatre organizations to fund their operations and exhibition costs.
A peer theatre jury will judge the submissions.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 12, 2022
Photographer Thomas Haley
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces 2022 Photography Award Winner
The 2022 Glen D. Ross Photography Award with a cash prize of $1400 has gone to Saint John photographer Thomas Haley.
Thomas was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, and has been to almost every Canadian province at one time or another, following his artistic pursuits.
In 2004, Thomas moved to Fredericton to attend NBCCD and study Graphic Design. He also fell in love with weaving on a loom. His true love, though, was photography, and it is his focus now.
"I am greatly honoured to be chosen for this special Legacy Fund Photography Award. I have traveled extensively to follow my dreams, and my passion for being behind a camera lens is the one constant in all my travels. Since my teens, I have nurtured and strengthened my artistic skills in photography, and this award is my next step in making my photography passion my living." Thomas Haley
Graciously Sponsored By
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JO JO SWEEN PRODUCTIONS, MONTELIBRETTI PICTURES, BRIAN ATKINSON, GREG & MARY BETH MERZETTI, NANCY BAUER, JOHN MACDERMID, TONY MERZETTI, DAVE AND ROSE HARVEY, BRIGITTE NOEL, JEREMY THOMAS GILMER, GRETCHEN KELBAUGH, JAN THOMPSON
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 11, 2022
Writer and Visual Artist Jane Touchie
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Recognizes Fredericton Writer
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Storytelling Award jury has also recognized Fredericton-based writer and artist Jane Touchie with an honourable mention and cash award of $150.
The funding for Jane's prize was provided by Legacy Fund sponsor Jeremy Gilmer.
Jane is a retired physician in Fredericton. She is a watercolour painter, pastelist, and student in the Great Books Program at St. Thomas University.
“For me, the response to grief and loss is to make art - to carve life and reveal its joy. I am grateful to the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund for encouraging emerging artists and fostering a community of mutual support.” Jane Touchie
The Jane LeBlanc Storytelling Award is sponsored by:
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, JAN MILLER, JEREMY THOMAS GILMER, ROGER MOORE, WRITERS’ FEDERATION OF NB, LISA RICHARD, GOOSE LANE EDITIONS, DONOVAN RICHARD, BOTSFORD MEDIA INC.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 10, 2022
Writer Heather Gunn
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Recognizes Moncton Writer
The 2022 Jane LeBlanc Storytelling Award with a cash amount of $800 has gone to Moncton high school teacher Heather Gunn.
Heather has been a teacher for twenty-five years and is a mom to 16-year-old twins. She is a lover of dogs, coffee, and good conversation.
“I am honoured to receive this year’s Jane LeBlanc Storytelling Award. Like Jane and her family, I’m from the Miramichi and am sure that this has influenced my appreciation of a good story. This particular story is fiction, but it was inspired by a very bad week. Writing it was therapeutic (and gave me a giggle).” Heather Gunn
The Jane LeBlanc Storytelling Award is sponsored by:
CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, JAN MILLER, JEREMY THOMAS GILMER, ROGER MOORE, WRITERS’ FEDERATION OF NB, LISA RICHARD, GOOSE LANE EDITIONS, DONOVAN RICHARD, BOTSFORD MEDIA INC.
Media Contact:
Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund
catmaryleblanc@gmail.com
https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
July 2, 2022
Photo of Glen D. Ross by Brian Atkinson
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Award Changed to Glen D. Ross Photography Award to Honour Photographer's Talent and Community Involvement
The NEW Glen D. Ross Photography Award now has a value of $1200, and the award deadline for submissions has been extended to July 9th, 11 pm. For submission information: https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com/.../photography-award
To contribute to the Glen D. Ross Photography Award, email the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund at: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
Community builder and talented photographer Glen D. Ross recently passed away suddenly in the Saint John Hospital. A photographer with a discerning and artistic eye for beauty, Glen was also a loyal and faithful friend to many in the creative community.
Glen was a long-time NB Film Co-op member, lover of good movies, excellent coffee, cats, beautiful women, and jazz. He had a lovely daughter Katrina, a wonderful granddaughter Imogen, a beloved sister, wonderful nephews, and extended family who cherished him, as well as many friends from all walks of life and ages worldwide.
Glen could strike up a conversation with anyone and was a charmer. He could talk about film, history, music, and politics for hours. He loved driving his bike, visiting his family, and having coffee weekly with NB Film Co-op Executive Director Tony Merzetti and his cozy coffee clutch of friends.
"Through the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund, my family gives out awards in many creative disciplines in my sister's memory. If she was still with us, I know she would love that the photography award is now named after Glen as she knew him and loved him very much. It's important to keep Glen's legacy alive as someone who connected people in the creative community. Glen quietly helped so many people. It feels right to do this in his honour." Cat LeBlanc
To honour Glen, there will be a celebration of his life at The Charlotte Street Art Centre in the upstairs auditorium on Saturday, July 9th, from 3-5 pm. (732 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, NB). The event will have music, a cash bar, and Glen's photos will be on display. All are welcome at the event to celebrate Glen.
June 30, 2022
BOYNECLARKE LLP
Sponsor Spotlight:
Legacy Fund Receives Generous Annual Support from Atlantic Law Firm
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is thrilled to announce that Atlantic law firm BoyneClarke LLP will be contributing $1000 to the Jane LeBlanc Creative Scholarship annually. This scholarship is the only Legacy Fund Award that is open to all emerging director/writers in the Atlantic region. The award is now valued at $2000.BOYNECLARKE LLP is full service and has experienced lawyers ready to help people in a wide range of practice areas.
They use their considerable resources to tackle any challenge or opportunity with dedication and integrity. Incorporating technology into their approach makes their efforts more efficient and effective. Their entrepreneurial spirit ensures that their client's experiences with them are infused with enthusiasm and fresh ideas.
BOYNECLARKE LLP’s office is located in Dartmouth just across the harbour from downtown Halifax. In addition to serving clients in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada, they also provide quality, personalized service to clients all over the world.
Website: https://boyneclarke.com
JUNE 29, 2022
Visual Artist and Filmmaker Allan Saulis
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund thanks amazing artist and filmmaker Allan Saulis, who recently made an incredibly generous contribution to the fund. Allan is multi-talented and so supportive of what my mom and I are doing. Thank you!
Allan Saulis, Maliseet, is a well-established visual artist from Tobique First Nation who specializes in paintings that evoke emotion and look at difficult issues facing Wabanaki people today. Allan is also a graphic designer, filmmaker, and coach.
Allan is a survivor of colonialism.
His contribution to the Legacy Fund is in honour of his Mother Eva better known as Gookum.
June 16, 2022
Filmmaker/Actor Kaitlyn Adair
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund welcomes contract staff person Kaitlyn Adair
Kaitlyn will be working her magic helping the fund with promotion and online marketing. Welcome Kaitlyn!About Kaitlyn: Kaitlyn (she/her) is an actor, writer, director, and producer from Fredericton, New Brunswick. She started her career in film, working as an actor in film and television in Vancouver, B.C. She attended Vancouver Film School in 2011 and has been pursuing her passion for film since. Kaitlyn won the Jane LeBlanc Filmmaker Award for her first film March 2.4, allowing her to attend a post-production residency at The Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity. In addition, she received the Short Film Venture Grant and the CBC-NB Joy Award for her second film, Together We Move.
Recently, Kaitlyn received the Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award which is a $2000 cash award. Kaitlyn is dedicated to feminist-based media and creating inclusive spaces for marginalized communities to partake in visual arts. She is a long-time NB Film Co-op member.
You can find her @rebelatart on Instagram and Youtube.
June 13, 2022
Music Artist David Somerville
Meet Our Fourth Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program MENTOR!
If you are an emerging Atlantic Region-based music artist, submit today for this incredible virtual opportunity with award-winning music artist David Somerville!
Final Deadline: July 15, 2022
What you get: 5 hands-on lab sessions (2 hours per session)
Eligibility: Atlantic Region residents: 12 and Up
DAVID SOMERVILLE
For multi-genre songwriter and producer David Somerville, melodies are his first language. A writer, instructor, arranger, producer, singer, player, and sometimes performer, David has developed many skills he loves to share with others. As a caring and dedicated instructor, David created the NB Gov-funded “SongShop for Kids” as part of the “Artists in School” program at two Fredericton area elementary schools. This in-school songwriting program was about helping kids uncover and bring out their inner creativity and growth of self-expression they shared with their peers, family, and community.
Formally trained in audio engineering, production, and business from the Trebas Institute of Recording Arts, David has been composing, recording, and mixing music since he picked up his first guitar in the late 70s. He has written compositions he performed, musical jingles for TV and radio, compositions for business purposes, as well as music for a children’s musical. David has his own project recording studio. As a performer, David was one of the main songwriters in the duo “Somerville” that played around NB at various venues, house concerts, and festivals. David is also a trained self-development and belief coach and can bring these skills to the table, helping songwriters overcome mental blocks to their creativity and success.
Expertise:
Songwriting, Melody and Song Hook Creation, Chord Progressions, Lyric Writing, Song Structure, Production, Instruction, Self Development, and Belief Coach.
This hands-on mentorship with David is perfect for a true singer-songwriter combining exploration of enhancing creativity, song melody, hook creation, and song development in a unique way. Using a series of exercises and tools, David will guide you through a process of learning how to more easily access and enhance your inner creativity, how to write “melody first” songs in various ways, and overall song development, from scratch to finished arrangement, also including exploration of lyric and song production ideas. The tools you receive can help you overcome writing blocks and expand the way you can write music.
What is the Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program?
A music studio mentee program that assists emerging music artists with their music creation and composing growth in a studio setting (in-person/virtual/hybrid). This program utilizes experienced Canadian and International music artists as mentors in-person and virtually. The mentor is paid for their time, and the awarded mentees benefit from being in a studio setting with an experienced mentor.
Submission Guidelines
Short paragraph or resume showing your emerging training and development in music.
Brief letter or email expressing why you think you would benefit from being mentored and specifics on what you want to get from the experience OR short iPhone video (2 min).
This mentorship experience also includes grant-writing consultation with the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and other mentorship and performance opportunities.
All submissions can be emailed to catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
Sponsored by: DAN HILL, CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JAN THOMPSON
June 9, 2022
Music Artist Jason Anderson
Meet Our Third Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program MENTOR!
Final Deadline: July 15, 2022
What you get: 10 hands-on lab sessions (2 hours per session)
Eligibility: Fredericton residents: 12 and Up
Are you a Fredericton-based singer-songwriter? Have you written a handful of songs and are now ready to start performing and promoting your material around New Brunswick and beyond? Not sure where to start? This amazing opportunity with award-winning singer-songwriter Jason Anderson is for you!
JASON ANDERSON
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Jason Anderson lives his passion for music. A writer, performer, session player, producer, and educator, Jason is truly a multifaceted artist. A gifted instructor who holds a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, Jason teaches guitar and piano out of his studio at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. He is also a seasoned touring musician who has, among other things, performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and traveled the world playing music from Iceland to Australia and many places in between. His personal lyrics and passionate performances have made his concerts must-see events wherever he goes. Locally, Jason was one of Fredericton’s Artists in Residence during the summer of 2021, which led to a feature on the CBC. Other regional highlights include appearances at Harvest Fest, Paddlefest, and the Living Roots Fest, along with regular gigs at the Tipsy Muse. Most recently, Jason won the 2022 Arnold LeBlanc Songwriting Award and was interviewed on Information Morning Fredericton.
Expertise:
Songwriting, Performance, Production, Promotion, Organization, Motivation
This hands-on mentorship with Jason Anderson is perfect for the singer-songwriter who is ready to get out of the practice space and onto the stage. Jason will methodically take you through the process of selecting 3 to 5 songs for a demo recording; recording and producing the demo itself; creating a Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Spotify account to host your music online; designing and launching a social media presence via a personalized artist page on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok; navigating the local open-mic scene, including several “field trips” to perform; and, finally, booking your first local show, including strategies for promotion.
What is the Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program?
A music studio mentee program that assists emerging music artists with their music creation and composing growth in a studio setting (in-person/virtual/hybrid). This program utilizes experienced Canadian and International music artists as mentors in-person and virtually. The mentor is paid for their time, and the awarded mentees benefit from being in a studio setting with an experienced mentor.
Submission Guidelines
Short paragraph or resume showing your emerging training and development in music.
Brief letter or email expressing why you think you would benefit from being mentored and specifics on what you want to get from the experience OR short iPhone video (2 min).This mentorship experience also includes grant-writing consultation with the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and other mentorship and performance opportunities.
All submissions can be emailed to catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
Sponsored by: DAN HILL, CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JAN THOMPSON
June 8, 2022
Music Artist Kylie Fox
Meet Our Second Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program MENTOR!
If you are an emerging Fredericton-based music artist, submit today for this incredible opportunity with award-winning music artist Kylie Fox!
Final Deadline: July 15, 2022
What you get: 10 hands-on lab sessions (2 hours per session)
Eligibility: Fredericton residents: 12 and Up
KYLIE FOX
Indie folk artist Kylie Fox spins stories of rolling prairies and the North-Western woods, of hometown fables and flames, and of the clumsy dichotomy of youth and adulthood in sophisticated webs of cynicism, beauty, and wit. The gentle timbre of her voice is also rich with power and direction, lending to a performance as honest and compelling as her poetry. With the support of an ensemble comprising some of New Brunswick’s finest musicians, Kylie Fox and her band put on a dynamic, high-energy performance with smooth flute solos, buttery bass lines, and catchy guitar licks. Kylie released her debut album Green in 2020 and has since toured Canada, participated in the Banff Centre for the Arts International Songwriting Residency and performed at prominent festivals including Area506, Harvest Jazz, and Blues Festival, and Folk Alliance International. She was named Breakthrough Artist of the year in the 2020 PrixNB Awards and received various nominations in 2021.
Expertise:
Songwriting, Song structure, Creativity, Lyric Writing, Grant Writing, Self-Promotion, Social Media, Show Booking, Time Management, Music Distribution, Showcasing, Performance Technique, Vocal Technique, Voice Training, Chord Progressions
This hands-on mentorship with Kylie is perfect for a true singer/songwriter combining creative exploration in lyric writing and song development with the passion and technique of live performance. Kylie will guide you through writing and performing a great song to getting it onto Spotify and onto a stage near you!
What is the Jane LeBlanc Music Studio Mentee Program?
A music studio mentee program that assists emerging music artists with their music creation and composing growth in a studio setting (in-person/virtual/hybrid). This program utilizes experienced Canadian and International music artists as mentors in-person and virtually. The mentor is paid for their time, and the awarded mentees benefit from being in a studio setting with an experienced mentor.
Submission Guidelines
Short paragraph or resume showing your emerging training and development in music.
Brief letter or email expressing why you think you would benefit from being mentored and specifics on what you want to get from the experience OR short iPhone video (2 min).
This mentorship experience also includes grant-writing consultation with the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund and other mentorship and performance opportunities.
All submissions can be emailed to catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
Sponsored by: DAN HILL, CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, JAN THOMPSON
June 7, 2022
Actor Anthony Bryan
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the Jane LeBlanc Acting Support Award
Fredericton – June 7, 2022
The Jane LeBlanc Acting Support Award jury met recently to choose the 2022 winner. The fund created the award for New Brunswick resident actors at any level who need support moving their education and craft forward.
New Brunswick actor Anthony Bryan has won the $800 cash award.
Louis Anthony Bryan (he/him) is a Fredericton-based theatre artist, stand-up comedian, performer, and educator from Trinidad and Tobago. An active and contributing member in the arts, Anthony has been involved with many local theatre and film companies, including Notable Acts, TNB Young Company, and The St. Thomas Early English Drama Society. He has also acted in short films with Rebel Femme Productions and Strike Pictures.
Anthony hosts stand-up comedy at open mics throughout New Brunswick and local arts events: including Flourish and Shivering Songs.
For the past three years, he has taught at Theatre New Brunswick, hosting their Young Playwrights program, an after-school program dedicated to introducing secondary school students to the fundamentals of scriptwriting.
"Thank you to Cat and Maureen LeBlanc for the everlasting support and the folks at the Film Co-op for always having my name in rooms. Thank you to Kaitlyn Adair and Rebel Femme productions for bringing me into this space and for a friendship I'll always be grateful for. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for the space. Voices carry far with support like this." Anthony
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
June 6, 2022
Writer Jeremy Gilmer
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund receives Generous Financial Gift from New Brunswick Writer
Fredericton – June 6, 2022
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is growing again, with a generous long-time financial contribution from writer Jeremy Gilmer.“
My mother and I are thrilled and thankful for Jeremy’s incredible gift of generous financial support.” Cat LeBlanc
Jeremy Thomas Gilmer is a writer of short fiction and nonfiction. He has been longlisted for the CBC Canada Writes Short Story Prize, won the inaugural Short Story Day Africa Flash Fiction Prize, and was selected as the writer-in-residence at the KIRA residency in 2018. In addition, Jeremy is the Art and Literature editor-at-large for The East magazine.
Gilmer has spent over twenty-five years as an Engineering Consultant on environmental, energy, and mining projects. Born in New Brunswick, Gilmer grew up in Nigeria, Northern Ireland, and Canada and has lived and worked in over forty countries. He splits his time between Eastern Canada and Brazil.
“My adopted home of Fredericton, New Brunswick, is a place teeming with artists of all kinds, as is the rest of New Brunswick. In a very short time, the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund has become a critical source of support, encouragement, and community among these artists and creatives in New Brunswick. The wonderful work that Cat and her mom have done in memory of her talented and brilliant sister brings to mind my late mom, who was my first influence in art and culture, who spent a lifelong career as an art therapist, and who believed deeply in the transformative power of art and music in people’s lives and society. I hope more people will support Cat and her mother’s work and that the fund continues to touch lives and provincial communities for many years to come.” Jeremy Gilmer
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund was created to nurture and develop emerging and seasoned creative artists in New Brunswick in honour of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc. https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
June 5, 2022
Filmmaker Kaitlyn Adair
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Announces Winner for the Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award
The Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award jury met recently to choose the 2022 winner. The fund created the award to give provincial emerging filmmakers the necessary financial aid to hire post-production specialists.
New Brunswick filmmaker Kaitlyn Adair has won the award for her short film project Oculus. The Award is $2000 in cash.
Kaitlyn (she/her) is an actor, writer, director, and producer from Fredericton, New Brunswick. She started her career in film, working as an actor in film and television in Vancouver, B.C. She attended Vancouver Film School in 2011 and has been pursuing her passion for film since. Kaitlyn won the Jane LeBlanc Filmmaker Award for her first film March 2.4, allowing her to attend a post-production residency at The Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity. In addition, she received the Short Film Venture Grant and the CBC-NB Joy Award for her second film, Together We Move. Kaitlyn is dedicated to feminist-based media and creating inclusive spaces for marginalized communities to partake in visual arts. You can find her @rebelatart on Instagram and Youtube.
“This award and its funding is even more significant now thanks to a long-term financial endowment from TIFF Film Circuit Saint John. The increased value of the award now enables filmmakers to hire the specialized labour they need to take their films to the finish line. They can hire several people to do their sound design, music score, colour correction, dialogue replacement, and picture editing. Once their film is completed, they will also have money to submit to film festivals. Many films fall short without this necessary assistance and work. Just as important, New Brunswick filmmakers are required to use the grant monies to hire New Brunswick post-film specialists, as one of the Legacy Fund objectives is to alleviate the poverty of the artist.” Cat LeBlanc
Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award is sponsored by: CAT LEBLANC MUSIC, MAUREEN LEBLANC, SOUNDBUD, TERRY GADSDEN, PATRICK DALEY, CAM WOYKIN, HEMMINGS HOUSE, BRIAN ATKINSON, PICAROONS BREWING COMPANY, PETER DE NIVERVILLE, TIFF FILM CIRCUIT SAINT JOHN, BRITANY SPARROW, AND ROB GEMMELL.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
May 20, 2022
Music Artist Anne Lebans
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is excited to announce a new music studio program that will assist emerging music artists with their music and composing growth in a studio setting. This weekend, music artist Anne Lebans will have her first in-person studio session with Cat LeBlanc. The Jane Legacy Fund Studio Mentee Program is made possible thanks to sponsor Dan Hill.
Anne is a mindfulness coach, content creator and co-founder of It’s OK to be Awesome, a mental wellness program for children. Passionate about how self-compassion helps us unleash our most authentic selves, Anne has been using this platform to help children, families, and communities take a more loving approach to themselves and each other. Anne is also a sound healer, using her voice to heal and uplift through vocal sound baths, a voice actor and writer.
About Our Program Sponsor:
How does one describe the creative force driving Dan Hill? Nominated for a Grammy for Best Male Vocal, winner of a Grammy (as co-producer of “Seduces Me” on Celine Dion’s 30 plus million-selling “Falling Into You” album), winner of five Juno Awards (Canadian equivalent to the Grammy) and the Harold Moon Award (Canadian Lifetime Songwriting Achievement Award), Dan has recorded and released multiple gold and platinum albums. His classic hits, such as “Sometimes When We Touch” (closing in on 5 million spins in America alone, and covered by hundreds of artists around the world), “Can’t We Try” (#1 Billboard AC Record of the Year), and “Never Thought (That I could Love)”, another #1 AC record, all remain staples of AC radio stations around the world.
Dan has also enjoyed consistent success as a ‘behind the scenes’ songwriter, his compositions recorded by so many artists spanning so many musical genres that it’s, well, incredible. Pop singers Celine Dion, Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, The Backstreet Boys, Rod Stewart, Donny Osmond, Jennifer Rush and Michael Bolton, R&B singers Tina Turner, George Benson, and Jeffrey Osborne and country singers Tammy Wynette, Sammy Kershaw, Mark Wills, Reba, Alan Jackson, and Lorrie Morgan, to name a select few.
Somehow, Dan found time in between his musical outpourings to carve out an esteemed reputation as an essayist and author. His latest book, the critically acclaimed, best selling memoir “I Am My Father’s Son (a memoir of love and forgiveness)” was published by Harper Collins in February, 2009. This poignant and often hilarious memoir came on the heels of a stunning cover story he wrote for Macleans magazine: “Every Parent’s Nightmare”, (February 2008).
Dan has recently recorded a new, 14 song album titled, ‘On the Other Side of Here’. Dan’s album is chock full of searingly personal songs, songs that ring with authenticity and guaranteed to be intensely relatable. Remarkably, Dan’s highly distinctive vocals shine with more power and grace than ever before. U.S. based record company ADA will be releasing Dan’s album in early 2021.
Dan Hill was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021.
In the meantime, ADA records released Dan’s new single and lyric video, the mesmerizing and evocative ‘What about Black Lives?’
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
April 15, 2022
TIFF Film Circuit Saint John
Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund Receives Generous Financial Gift from TIFF Film Circuit Saint John
Fredericton - April 15, 2022
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund is growing with a generous financial contribution from the popular film screening series TIFF Film Circuit Saint John.
The gift will be in excess of $20,000 and enables the JL Legacy Fund to add a more significant financial value to one of its 12 creative awards. The Jane LeBlanc Film Post Award is the lucky recipient for the long-time cash infusion. With TIFF Film Circuit Saint John’s support, awarded New Brunswick filmmakers will be able to hire and pay New Brunswick resident post-production specialists to take their film projects to the next level.
“My mother and I are thrilled and thankful for this incredible gift our Legacy Fund will hold in trust long-term for the New Brunswick creative community.” Cat LeBlanc
The Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund was created to nurture and develop emerging and seasoned creative artists in New Brunswick in honour of artist and adventurer Jane LeBlanc. https://www.janeleblanclegacyfund.com
The long-time popular film series presented by TIFF Film Circuit Saint John, and sponsored by Crosby’s and Commercial Properties, moved its screenings to the Imperial Theatre recently. Individuals can purchase tickets at imperialtheatre.ca or by calling the box office at 674-4100.
Media Contact: Cat LeBlanc: catmaryleblanc@gmail.com.
