Tidal wave of interest: The Dunk launches Ebb and Flow artist-in-residence program

The Dunk will be hosting a summer solstice concert on June 21 again this year, but this time it is kicking off Ebb and Flow,the venue's first artist-in-residence program and concert series.

A free concert on June 21, which is also National Aboriginal Day, will begin with a traditional Mi'Kmaq blessingandfeature performances by Hey Cuzzins Drum Group and musicians Dana Sipos, Owen Steel and Tian Wigmore/Warhorses.

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Melanie Mills,owner of The Dunk, said she wasn't expecting the response she got when a call for artists was posted for Ebb and Flow.

"We got submissions, an incredible amount of submissions, far more than we ever anticipated," she said.

"It got to the point where we were originally thinking we would just have one person per residency, and we had to open it up. So now we have two per residency."

'Life affirming'

Mills said that her father Hal Mills had hosted artists at The Dunk in the past but never as part of a formal program.

When he died in 2015, Mills took over the venue, and has hosted concerts every month since his passing.

She said the environment of the space lends itself to artistic creativity.

"The beauty of this place, the fact that it's literally surrounding by nature," she said.

"Whatever it is, there's magic about this place that, it's life affirming."

'The world needs more'

The Ebb and Flow residency and concert series is part of the Canada 150 celebrations on the Island.

Each artist will spend a week at The Dunk and finish their stay with a concert.

Mills is also hoping that the musicians will be able to get into a studio and record some of their work, culminating in a compilation of what is created during the program.

"Clearly there is a need for this. There was, again, a huge response," she said.

"We need to support the arts, we need to support people that are creating music, that are creating visual art, that are dancers. You know the world needs more of that."

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