The "Joni Mitchell's Beside Herself" fund is for real! An actual committee is underway to raise funds for a Joni statue in Saskatoon. The committee consists of:
Sarah Gibb... A freelance journalist/writer originally from the UK, now living in Saskatoon.
Tina Merrifield... Acting communications director at the University of Saskatchewan.
Mark Salzl... Wrote the recent letter to the Saskatoon city council about a Joni Mitchell statue which became a story in the StarPhoenix (http://www.jmdl.com/articles/view.cfm?id=1018), which interviewed Joni. The story was picked up by the Vancouver Sun (http://www.jmdl.com/articles/view.cfm?id=1012) and the Regina Leader Post (http://www.jmdl.com/articles/view.cfm?id=1013). Mark has also been contacted by CBC.
Mary Tastad... Law librarian at the University of Saskatchewan.
Les Irvin... (how'd he get on there??)
Currently the committee is looking for an artist to... well... here it is in Sarah's words:
I'd like to have a poster made up announcing the existence of the Joni Mitchell's Beside Herself Fund, to put up around Saskatoon, in the coffee houses etc, with the name of the Fund, bank account number, and an explanation that we're raising funds for a statue of Joni Mitchell in Saskatoon.Artists! We need your help. Please send ideas and sketches to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Your sketch could be the one to end up on the poster.
I was thinking it would be nice to have some artwork on it, showing roughly what the end product will look like. A park bench with Joni Mitchell sitting at one end of it. It can be a very rough pencil sketch, and I don't suppose it really has to look like Joni Mitchell - a thin woman with long hair would do it probably. The artist can make it quite abstract if s/he wants to, although it should still be clear what it's meant to be.
I was also thinking of putting some lines from her songs on the poster.
If anyone on the list can help with artwork, specifically the drawing of the bench with her sitting on it, that would be fantastic.
Thanks for your help.
Les
