The memorial service in honour of playwright Imogen Aardeekhoorn has been scheduled for Friday, August 1, it was announced today.

The service will take place at the Park Repertory Theatre. There will, in fact, be five services or more held, according to a spokesAnimal for the theatre.

“We all wanted to hold the memorial here, but we do not have sufficient room for the numbers we anticipate. As a compromise, we decided to hold the service a number of times. There will be no difference in the content of the services; just in the time,” the spokesAnimal said.

Members of The Park’s stage and screen communities, including Millicent Hayberry, directors Donald Merriami and Douglas Cheetah, and Leola Ocelot of the Park Interspecial Fllm Festival (PIFF) will speak at the memorial. Other scheduled speakers include Chef Tab Tricolore, Wellington Whistlepig, president of the Park Association of Shops and Services (PASS), representatives of the Park Alliance of Chipmunks (PAC) and the Small Animal Hibernating Community (SAHC) and some of Aardeekhoorn’s close friends and family members.

The first service will begin at 10:00 am.

The 2014 Park ART Walk will highlight the artistic endeavours of The Park’s refugees, it was announced today.

In a joint statement released this morning, the organizers of the Park ART Walk (PAW), The Park’s Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations, the Park Museum of Contemporary Art, the Marine Mammal Bank of The Park, and the Sapsucker Savings and Loan Corporation, confirmed the theme of The Park’s 8th annual Park ART Walk.

“We are extremely pleased that we have been able to work together to bring refugee art into focus at the 2014 Park ART Walk,” the statement began.

“The Park is extremely proud of its refugees and we want to shine a light on the ways in which they have enriched our lives. These are Animals who have suffered greatly and have survived; they have lived to tell the tale and to rebuild their lives in The Park. Their resilience is and will continue to be an inspiration to all of us,” the statement concluded.

Underwritten in part by Sapsucker Savings and Loan, The Park-wide exhibition will be entitled, “From Fear to Freedom.”

This is the third time in its history that the Park ART Walk has had a distinct theme. Last year, PAW honoured The Park’s autochthonous artists in the exhibition, “From the Ground Up.” In 2012, thanks to a one-time gift from The Archons’ Initiative Fund, the event showcased art as it related to the theme, “INtegration through ART.” The stated goal of that themed exhibition was to “encourage Animals to learn more about species other than their own, so that we can understand our differences and our similarities.”

The Park ART Walk is a one-day, juried art exhibition that showcases the artistic expression of Park residents. The 8th annual Park ART Walk will take place on Saturday, August 16, 2014 between the hours of 10:00 am and 7:00 pm. Showings will take place at participating art galleries, shops, theatres and cinemas. This year’s jury will include curators from the Park Museum of Contemporary Art and the Kipos Gallery.

“Phoebic Verses” may win three literary prizes June 15

“Phoebic Verses,” The Park’s runaway best seller, could net its author a total of three prizes at tomorrow’s Chitter Radio Literary Awards.

“This is the first time a book of poetry has been entered in more than one category and we are elated,” says Kezban Aslan, manager of Kynikos Press, the book’s publisher.

In fact, the book itself has been nominated in only two categories; the third nomination is for the poet: 2014 breakout star, Phoebe, has a good chance of becoming this year’s Most Promising Newcomer.

But that is not what makes this year’s Awards extraordinary, according to the organizers. What does make it extraordinary is that a book of poetry has been nominated in the humour category.

“This is the the first time in our 19-year history that a book of poetry has received a nomination in the humour category,” said a spokesAnimal for the Awards.

According to Aslan, the book’s humour was one of the reasons Kynikos Press decided to publish it.

“We thought Phoebe’s poems offered a unique take on things and we wanted The Park’s readers to be able to experience it,” he said.

The book, which includes the poem, “Two Bones” has had a “wild ride,” since its publication in February, the publisher says.

“This is the year of Domestic Canine poetry and we’ve been riding that wave quite nicely,” Aslan said.

The 2014 Feline Fiction Fest will honour the late Nestor P. Cat

Domestic Canine poetry may be all the rage these days, but the Feline Fiction Fest intends to honour one of its own this year: the late, great Park poet and renowned scientist, Nestor P. Cat.

In a statement released today, principal organizer Corazón Oncilla confirmed that the festival has planned an elaborate tribute to the much-beloved Park citizen.

The tribute, which will take place the evening of June 17th, will include a dinner, a reading of some of Nestor’s poetic works, a short film about his life, and the introduction of a poetry prize in his name to be awarded annually, starting with next year’s festival.

“Nestor was a very important Cat, not just in the world of poetry and science, but as a citizen of The Park. We are privileged to have the opportunity to honour him in this way,” Oncilla said.

Tickets for the tribute may be purchased at the Ancient, Open-Air Theatre until June 17th.

The 16th annual Feline Fiction Fest will take place June 16-18.

Sheep fiddled as The Barkettes sang at the Anixi Agrarian Jubilee

The Sheep fiddled and the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, as Thisbe and the Barkettes ascended the stage at the 2014 Anixi Agrarian Jubilee.

“It was a glorious celebration and they made it all the more special,” said Miriam Wapiti, the celebration’s chief organizer, at a post-event party on Tuesday.

That sentiment was unanimous, as Animal after Animal remarked on the quality of Thisbe’s voice and on the special bond that was evident among the Barkettes.

Although the group declined formal interviews after their performance, saying that they wanted to enjoy the event “just like every other Animal,” it was clear they were pleased with both their performance and its reception in the place they say they will always call home.

“Music has always been our lives,” Thisbe said in a radio interview last week. “And The Park will always be our home. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to be reunited at the Jubilee. I can’t think of a more appropriate place to relaunch our career than at our annual celebration of renewal.”

With that, she removed all doubt that we would soon be lining up for tickets to a Barkettes concert. But the group still has not announced any firm dates. “Stay tuned,” is all their manager will say.

In the meantime, the Barkettes were not the only musical sensations to perform on Tuesday. The Park marked the beginning of the growing season in style, with performances by The Beasts of Burden, Inktvis and Krake, The Feral Four, The Endeka Elephant Band, Eggie and The Pigs, Banded Brothers, The DomEstyx, NIML, The Canary Cousins, and Spontaneous Generation.