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VenusNews » Ottawa
January 2006 . contents
- 5th Anniversary Party
- New Hours
- Venus Envy Bursary
- Winter Workshops
- Toy Parties
- Artists
- Great Valentines Gifts
- Venus Envy Events
- Community Events
5th Anniversary Party
February 4: all day
We can't believe we've been in Ottawa for 5 great years! We'd like to say thank you to all our loyal and fabulous customers by throwing you a party. The first 50 people to make a purchase on February 4th will receive a free gift with a minumum retail value of $15. And everybody gets cake, a chance to win some great prizes, and 20% off all toys in stock (vibes, dils, plugs etc).
New Hours in the New Year
Starting in January we will be open:Monday 11-6 Tuesday 11-6 Wednesday 11-7 Thursday 11-7 Friday 11-8 Saturday 11-7 Sunday 12-5
Venus Envy Bursary Society
The Venus Envy Bursary Society will be raising funds in 2006 to award bursaries to women studying in the Ottawa area. Every September, starting in 2007, the bursary society will donate one-thousand-dollar bursaries to two women in any degree, diploma, or certificate program in the Ottawa-Carleton region. Look for the application online at www.venusenvy.ca/ottawa this spring.
Certain Sort
One of the ways we'll be raising money for the bursary society will be to throw fun parties. The first Certain Sort of 2006 is booked for Saturday May 27th at SAW Gallery. Certain Sort is a dance party for queer girls, trans people, and their pals. Tickets will be available at the door for $8, and there will be a cash bar. DJs and door prizes, girly drinks, and cute girls, all for a great cause.
Board Members
So far there are three of us on the board. If you'd like get involved in fund-raising and vetting applicants, drop us a line (to ottawa@venusenvy.ca) with a note about yourself and why you'd like to join the VE Bursary Society board. We'd especially love to hear from women who have been students at some point in their lives.
Winter Workshops
See our online workshops page for detailed descriptions and registration info.
| February 1, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Writing To Seduce with Megan Butcher 1.5 hours $20.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $10.00) { » more info } |
| February 4, 2006 @ 7:30pm for women |
The New Bump and Grind: Dress up, Show off and Talk Hot! 2 hours $30.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $15.00) { » more info } |
| February 13, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Going Down: A Guide to Cunnilingus 2 hours $20.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $10.00) { » more info } |
| February 21, 2006 @ 6:30pm for women |
Sex Toys 101 for Queer Girls 1.5 hours $20.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $10.00) { » more info } |
| March 14, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Going Down: A Guide to Fellatio 2 hours $20.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $10.00) { » more info } |
| March 20, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Cheap Thrills: Do it Yourself Sex Toys 1.5 hours $20.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $10.00) { » more info } |
| March 25, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Advanced Tantra-Yoga 3 hours $25.00 (no sliding scale) { » more info } |
| March 26, 2006 @ 6:30pm for couples |
Sensual Massage for Couples 3 hours $50.00 (no sliding scale) { » more info } |
| May 6, 2006 @ 6:30pm for everyone |
Straight Talk about Sex after Sixty with Joan Price 2 hours $25.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $15.00) { » more info } |
| May 7, 2006 @ 6:30pm for women |
Straight Talk about Sex after Sixty with Joan Price 2 hours $25.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $15.00) { » more info } |
| May 24, 2006 @ 8:30pm for everyone |
Sex Bondage: Wrapped For Pleasure with Midori! 2 hours $25.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $15.00) { » more info } |
| May 25, 2006 @ 8:30pm for everyone |
Aural Sex 1: Seduction by Voice & Erotic Story Telling with Midori! 2 hours $25.00 (students, seniors, limited income: $15.00) { » more info } |
| May 26, 2006 @ 6:00pm for women |
Women's Dominance Intensive Weekend with Midori 3 days $600.00 (no sliding scale) { » More info about this amazing weekend! } |
Toy Parties
Toy parties are a great way to celebrate a shower, a birthday, an anniversary, pride week, or any other time you want to get together with a bunch of friends and learn about sex. All parties are free and you are under no obligation to make purchases.
The Venus Envy toy party is a fun and informative evening of show and tell about toys and how to use them. We'll discuss toys and anatomy for vaginal, anal, and clit play as well as some toys for boys and fun extras for massage. You'll see slippery and sensual products as well as some kinkier items such as bondage tape, cuffs, and blindfolds. Some of the highlights of the evening include tips on how to find the g-spot, how to use cock rings, and what the deal is with anal play. Toy parties can be customized to suit to your group, so if you have any specific requests about toys you'd like to see or stuff you want to learn let us know in advance!
We will bring lots of toys, massage products, lube, books, and some other fun items to buy at the end of the presentation. We accept cash, visa, and mastercard. If we run out of something you want to buy after the party, you can still make your purchase and have your order delivered in the next few days.
Call Shelley at 789 4646 to book your party today!
Artists
January and February
Morgan Rose
This show is a study of the human form, as seen through the eyes of one person, using watercolor and ink, and meshing the skeletal frame with stick-like figures. Morgan creates art that is sexy and devious.
Hailing from Toronto, Morgan has attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, the Ottawa School of Art, and has attended Carleton University studying Art History. For the past eight years she has explored many facets of the art world, and has travelled throughout the U.S. and Canada studying design and tattooing. This is Morgan's first showing in Ottawa.
Opening: January 6th, 7-8:30pm
March and April
Melody Hovey: "Paintings from Drawings"
Vibrant, monochromatic paintings display her affinity for the female figure and celebrate its aesthetic form. Her works echo classic luminaries such as Egon Schiele as well as modern-day groundbreakers such as Fafi, all precisely crafted with her own signature and unique style.
Hovey's work has been dispayed at wurm gallery, Shanghai Restaurant, Norml clothing, Character salon, and the University of Ottawa; she was selected for inclusion in the Coachella Valley Music Festival 2005 touring exhibit entitled "TRASHed".
May and June
we're looking for an artist …
Drop us a line at ottawa@venusenvy.ca or 789-4646 if you have work you'd like to show.
Toy Review
Laya spot: vibrator, $59.95, various colors
Reviewed by Megan Butcher
To put the rest of what I'm about to say in context, my go-to vibe is a Wahl electric. I've had it for almost 10 years and I live in fear of it breaking, because I don't quite trust that the newer model will be up to snuff. It's hard for a battery vibrator to live up to that kind of love.
That said, the laya spot has many advantages over what my partner calls "The Drill." This vibe's cute and small, for two. No cord, for three. Fits between two people quite nicely, and the design means that it's pretty easy to hold onto and to change the speed as well. The gradation of vibration is quite nice, with the strong being decently strong. And once you click past the highest setting, some interesting multispeed functions kick in.
It may never become my gold standard, but it sure will pack nicely. Have vibe, will travel. Even if it is only to the living room.
Great Valentines Gifts
Eve's Quest
$39.95 [more info]
This Canadian-made game about women has been getting fab reviews. A combination of trivia, charades, drawing and singing, Eve's Quest makes for an entertaining evening for anyone over 14. Great for Vday!
Vixen Tex
Silicone dildo: $109.95
Those gals over at Vixen have done what we've been hoping for for years. They've created a soft, very realistic, 100% silicone dildo that's also quite handsome. Available in "vanilla" and "root beer" colours, the Tex is 5" long and 1½" wide.
Fun Factory Silicone Mini vibes
Four styles, $59.95
Available in four fun shapes, the minis are flying off our shelves. Short and sweet, these toys have a multi-function control and are waterproof to boot. A new favorite at both the Venus Envy stores, with customers and staff!
Venus Envy Events
Danielle Egan
author of Flesh for Fantasy: Producing and Consuming Exotic Dance and Dancing for Dollars and Paying for Love
February 3th, 2006 at 7:30pm. Free!
Danielle Egan, PhD, will be givng a talk and signing copies of her new book, Dancing for Dollars, at Venus Envy. The book takes an in-depth look at the relationships exotic dancers have with their regular customers. Incorporating interviews, personal accounts, and field notes, Egan sheds light on the dynamics of desire and fantasy in exotic dance clubs to illustrate the complexity of gendered relations in everyday life. This is an accessible, revealing, and new look at a perennially intriguing and divisive subject.
A former exotic dancer, Egan is an assistant professor of sociology at St. Lawrence University, where she teaches courses in sexuality, sex work, social theory and qualitative methodology. Her work on exotic dance has been featured in several journals. She has also published work on post-9/11 political rhetoric and The Dr. Phil Show.
McGilligan Meets Durtygurls
Hilarious, sexy, political and scandalous female writers!
Sunday February 12th: 7:00pm
$6 at the door, no advance tickets
Maggie MacDonald was recently named Toronto's Best Arts Revolutionary by Now magazine and plays with bands The Hidden Cameras and The Republic of Safety. Her first novel Kill the Robot is getting rave reviews in the press across Canada, including this recent quote from EYE weekly: "[Kill the Robot is]...equal parts Kathy Acker and Philip K. Dick. Her language cruises with control and lucidity to an emotional ground zero both unforgiving and unforgettable."
Debra Anderson is an award-winning writer, playwright and filmmaker, a graduate of the York University Creative Writing Program and a regular on the Toronto reading scene for most of the last decade. Debra's writing has been anthologized in Geeks, Misfits and Outlaws (McGilligan, 2003), Bent: On Writing (Women's Press, 2002) and the Lambda-nominated Brazen Femme: Queering Femininity (Arsenal, 2002). Code White is her first novel.
Also featuring Ottawa literary luminaries Nichole McGill, (author of 13 Cautionary Tales and founder of Durtygurls reading series), and spoken word virtuouso and video artist Sylvie Hill.
Talented Tongues
A night of erotic writing featuring Megan Butcher and The Split
Friday March 24th: Doors at 8:30pm, show begins at 9pm
$7 at the door
Presented by the Capital Poetry Collective, the Talented Tongues series features established erotica writers, and gives new performers a chance to share their erotica. There will be a number of readers, as well as an open mic. Join us for a night of smut and dirty talk! Anyone who attended the last Talented Tongues knows that they're in for a great show!
Community Events
Heart's Desire Women's Valentine Dance
Saturday February 11: 9pm-1am
NAC Panarama Room
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door, available at Venus Envy and Mother Tongue
The Vagina Monologues
February 14th and February 15: 7:30 PM (doors open at 7:00)
The Bronson Centre - 211 Bronson Ave (between Somerset and Laurier)
Welcome anybody and everybody - but note that mature content and swear words are included in the show so it is not appropriate for childen. Contact for more info : www.ottawavday.ca or ottawavday@gmail.com.
Tickets are $15, and available from:
Venus Envy: 613-789-4646, 320 Lisgar Street
Ottawa Women's Credit Union: 613-233-7711, 271 Bank Street
Mother Tongue Books / Femmes De Parole: 613-730-2346, 1067 Bank Street
"Enough Man"
February 14th: 7:30pm
Ottawa Library Central Branch
Cost: donation
"Documentary meets explicit sexuality in Luke Woodward's groundbreaking debut video about body image, relationships, sex and sexuality from the perspective of nine female-to-male (FTM) transmen and their partners. Featuring health educators, college students, sex workers, activists and artists, Enough Man navigates the terrain between objectivity and personal identity, allowing viewers into some of the most personal and rarely discussed areas of transgender life."
"Enough Man ... stands in sharp contrast to the traditional transsexual documentaries that focus on gender dysphoria and sex reassignment, but skip over the difficult and delightful details of our pleasure-seeking behavior. Woodward seems to have included all sexual orientations, and he doesn't flinch from covering the full spectrum of sexuality.... It was wonderful to see our handsome, responsive bodies on screen, being affirmed by intimate touch. Wow!"
-Patrick Califia, therapist and author of Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism
"Dyke's the Word": The Dyketionnary Vol. 1 Zine Launch
Wed, February 15th, 7-9pm
Lookout Bar, 41 York Street
pay what you can: $2 suggested admission
Contact for more info: Sean Zio, ravenswing@sympatico.ca
Heart-On Burlesque
Friday February 17th
SAW Gallery
$12 at the door, $10 in advance (at Venus Envy)
An erotic queer positive burlesque style night. Dress code: Scandalous or drag! This event is for women, transfolk annd their pals. Proceeds to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa.
Tantra-Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica – Midfulness and Renewal
February 18-25, 2006
www.zensations.ca
AGITATE! Queer Women of Colour presents...
d'bi young performance and booklaunch for ART ON BLACK/SHE IN TRANSISHUN
Sunday, Feb. 19th 2006, 6:30pm
Cost TBA
SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa)
www.dbiyoung.net
Women at Sea!
Join the Out Stuff grrls on a Caribbean Cruise leaving Ottawa on Feb. 25, 2006. "Women At Sea" is a women's tour group that is organized by Out Stuff and arranged by the Cruise Ship Centre. The great rates include airfare from Ottawa, 7-day cruise on the Caribbean Princess, all port fees and taxes as well as transporation to and from the airport and the dock.
Visit www.outstuff.ca for details or call 1-866-313-3309 and say you are calling about "Women At Sea."
2nd Annual Camp Bowl-A-Thon
Saturday March 4, 2006, in 2 shifts: 4pm-6pm OR 7pm-9pm
West Park Bowl
A fundraiser for Camp Ten Oaks, a one-week, sleep-away camp for children of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit and queer) and/or non-traditional families, LGBTQ youth and their allies. Who's welcome? Everyone! To participate, all you have to do is put together a team of players (4-6 people), grab a pledge sheet, collect some pledges, book your lane and win great prizes.
Visit our website at to get a copy of "How to Bowl-A-Thon for Camp Ten Oaks in 6 Easy Steps." Contact us: Ten Oaks Project, 104 Ontario Street Ottawa, ON K1K 1K9, 613.742.5944, bowl@tenoaksproject.org, www.tenoaksproject.org, www.camptenoaks.org
Certain Sort
Saturday May 27
SAW Gallery
Tickets @ the door: $8
Certain Sort is a dance party for queer girls, trans people, and their pals. It's also a fundraiser for the new Venus Envy Ottawa-Carleton bursary (see the bursary story above). DJs and door prizes, girly drinks, and cute girls, all for a great cause!
