About

Stuart Adams has worked in several artistic disciplines: literary, visual arts and music―many of them collaboratively with other artists.

Writing

After studying English at the University of Alberta, Stuart Adams began supporting himself as a journalist in 1981. Working as an editor in weekly newspapers, he developed his writing skills, winning several writing awards, before advancing into management where his publication was named ‘Best All-Around Newspaper’ in Alberta in its class. He built on that experience to move into business communications where he has sustained himself as he has continued his creative efforts in literary, visual arts and music.

Journalistic

• award-winning weekly newspapers;
• freelance writing for such publications as: Venture Magazine; Legacy Magazine; the Banff Television Festival; the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (and the AAF); Penguin Eggs Magazine; and the Edmonton Journal.

Creative

• A. in English from the University of Alberta (including a 500-level creative writing course from Governor-General award-winner Greg Hollingshead);
• Banff Centre - week-long workshops from Wayson Choy and Gloria Sawai (also a Governor-General award-winner); and
• Writers’ Guild workshops - Kit Pearson; Sheri-D Wilson and Luanne Armstrong.

Prose

The Lukas Encounters:

• YA novels for 10- to 13-year-olds:
  • Lukas and the Phantom Train - Lukas and his cousin and their encounter with a ghost train on the cousin’s family farm; I kid-tested it with a Gr. 3 class at a First Nations school where I read all 35,000 words aloud;
  • Lukas and the Wîhtikow Rex - Lukas and his cousin encounter a ‘resurrected’ T.rex at a buffalo jump near the family farm. I returned the next year and obtained sustenance funding from the AFA to write and read an installment each week (a la Dickens) to the previous class of youngsters who had then graduated into Grade 4; and
  • Lukas and the Ice Dragon - Lukas, in his home city of Edmonton, develops a relationship with the dragon, Baax, who breathes “coldfire” rather than hot fire. The novel is longer, and I worked with the same kids when they were in Gr. 5 and Gr. 6.

• 7 Sleeps Until Christmas - illustrated children’s book - produced, marketed, sold and distributed, which ‘then-Chapters’ purchased nationally (an almost unheard-of feat for a self-published title); and was among the top five children’s titles in the major bookstores in Edmonton and Calgary (including the following testimonial):
  • “In reviewing the book for CBC RadioActive and ITV, I recommended it as a superior children’s book – both for illustration and design, as well as the quality of writing and the appeal of the stories.”

Laurie Greenwood, Owner, Greenwood’s Volume II Bookshoppe

• also recorded a version which was broadcast on CBC Radio; and
• Apple iPad version - co-funded by Alberta Heart and Stroke.
• 2023 - Apple and Android versions for cell phones and tablets.

Poetry

• Heartland Commission - $30,000 commission combining 14 poems with 14 paintings for installation in the Mazankowski Albert Heart Institute;
• CBC Radio Alberta Anthology – Series of poems for broadcast;
• Legacy magazine – Selected poems published in included with articles, one of which was included in the final ‘best of’ Legacy book surveying their 14-year publishing history; and
• University of Alberta Faculty of Extension – poetry readings as part of a multi-media presentation augmenting a visual arts course.

 Visual Arts

• In the visual arts, he’s a creator as a registered silversmith—mostly making one-of-a-kind jewelry which is exhibited in the gift shop of the Art Gallery of Alberta, but has also had an exhibition of abstract silver relief sculptures.
• Additionally, he has curated for the Works Art & Design Festival ― assembling exhibitions for their 10^th and 25^th anniversaries ― most recently the ‘Boxn’t T-shirt Exhibition’ in 2010.

Music

He taught himself to play while working as a brakeman on the Northern Alberta Railways. But he played with other musicians at open stages in Edmonton, as well as in duos and trios and bands around Central Alberta.

• Various musical performances on harmonica for such productions as:
  • The Blazers “Live At Festival Place”; and
  • Edmonton Fringe Festival - Kenneth Brown’s “Life After Life After Hockey”.