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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 22, 2013 | 24 Artscene J O S H U A C R E E K A R T "Connected to your Community" P O D Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre held an opening reception last weekend for its Members' Art Pod exhibit, which features the works of its members. Pictured clockwise from top left are: Mary Montieth (left) talking to Sharron Rogers about Rogers' work; Diane Leslie's art piece; Sherry Prenevost posing with her work; and Mary Rischke with her work. The exhibit comes down April 14. The gallery is located at 1086 Burnhamthorpe Rd. E. photos by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Deadline coming up fast for Stars Among Us nominations Time is running out to nominate someone for the 5th Annual Cogeco Stars Among Us arts awards. The Oakville Arts Council puts on the awards gala to recognize local musicians, actors, painters, writers and anyone else who makes Oakville an innovative and creative community. The submission deadline is Friday, March 29 at 4 p.m. "We are pleased to be in our fifth year of the arts awards, celebrating the creative spirit in Oakville. Recognizing Oakville's talent is important as it shows our local artists and arts groups our community's commitment to supporting the arts," said arts council executive director Megan Whittington, in a news release. "The skills and talents of Oakville artists and arts groups are incredible and worth celebrating and it shows we understand the value the arts play in making Oakville vibrant. If you know an Oakville artist or arts group ­ nominate today." There are six categories for arts award. They are: visual arts, literary arts, digital arts, performing arts, young artist award (18 years or younger) and arts group. Each category honours an artist or organization that exemplifies excellence in their discipline. Winners will receive $500, media coverage and recognition at the gala. The awards night will take place in October at the Oakville Conference Centre. A jury will choose the winners. There will also be a Community Vote Award, given to the winner of a public vote. Applicants are assessed on artistic merit, artistic message and emotional impact, originality of concept or idea, innovative use of the medium and technical execution of the medium. Artists and arts groups can apply for the award. Supporting members of the community can also nominate a local artist or arts organization with the person's or organization's consent. For application forms and more information, visit www.oakvillearts.com. Building your audience The arts council is hosting its Social Media: Building Your Audience Through Relationships workshop at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre on Sunday (March 24). The workshop will highlight the benefits of developing a social media strategy, provide helpful tips to build one's online presence with limited resources and recommended tools to use for monitoring and measurement. The workshop will give participants a better understanding of a number of social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and more. The centre is located at 2302 Bridge Rd. The event runs from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information and to register, visit www. oakvillearts.com. Dominik Kurek can be reached at dkurek@oakvillebeaver.com or followed on Twitter at @DominikKurek.