ARTbus: Exhibition tour to Mercer Union, the Blackwood Gallery and Oakville Galleries- JANUARY 17

Sunday 17 January 2016, 12:00 pm–5:00 pm
Pick-up and drop-off at Mercer Union (1286 Bloor Street West, Toronto)

$10 donation includes admission to all galleries and afternoon refreshments by Trafalgar Brewing Company and Whole Foods Market, Oakville

For reservations, contact artbus@oakvillegalleries.com or 905.844.4402, ext. 24 by Friday 15 January, 4:00 pm



Ride the ARTbus and discover some of the winter’s best exhibitions in the GTA!

Mercer Union

The winter ARTbus begins at Mercer Union with Liz Magic Laser: Kiss and Cry. The exhibition presents a new video work commissioned by Mercer Union with leading support from Partners in Art. This is Laser’s first solo exhibition in Canada. Laser works across performance, video and installation. Emerging from an interest in movement and the body, her work explores the processes instrumental in forming opinion, engaging with the mechanisms of how we perform and how we are performed to through multiple modalities. She stages situations, dialogues, monologues or plays and uses the urban environment and its population as the context for her work.

Blackwood Gallery

At Blackwood Gallery, visit Maryam Jafri: The Day After. The exhibition takes root in the artist’s ongoing project Independence Day 1934-1975 (2009–present), an installation composed of photographs taken on the first independence day in former European colonies across Asia and Africa, between 1934 and 1975. Images are juxtaposed according to a broken grid around categories of events, emphasizing the generic character of the rituals and ceremonies that took place during that 24-hour twilight period when a territory transforms into a nation-state. The Day After takes this rare "collection of collections" as a starting point to question various artistic, historical, and political issues arising from these images and their historical and institutional backgrounds. The Day After was conceived by Bétonsalon - Centre for art and research, Paris, France and co-produced by Tabakalera, San Sebastian, Spain.

Oakville Galleries

Next, at Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square, visit the opening of The Green of Her. The exhibition features works that map out landscapes in unlikely sources—a fur muff, a floral carpet, the folds of a napkin—and imagine what new forms of life could be hiding within them. Like Loch Ness as described in Patricia Lockwood's “Nessie Wants to Watch Herself Doing It"—the poem from which the exhibition takes its name—these strange environments sustain their creatures, isolate them, and depend on them in turn, proposing new ways of understanding how we relate to the worlds we inhabit. The Green of Her is drawn from the permanent collection of Oakville Galleries.

Finally, at Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens visit the opening of Sky Glabush: What Is a Self?, curated by Jon Davies. Glabush draws on a wide variety of practices—including painting, drawing and sculpture—to work through pressing questions of identity, history, faith, and the role of the artist. Charting a broad path through varying forms, materials and styles, Glabush's practice is anchored in ideas of autobiography, modernism and metaphysics. ForWhat Is a Self?, Glabush presents new mixed-media sculptures and dyed weavings. With each gallery in the show conceived as a distinct vignette juxtaposing the artist's 2D and 3D works, What Is a Self? explores architecture as a structure capable of ordering the self in all its manifestations.


SCHEDULE

12:00 pm: Mercer Union. Visit Liz Magic Laser: Kiss and Cry.

1:30 pm: Blackwood Gallery. Visit Maryam Jafri: The Day After.

2:30 pm: Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square. Visit opening of The Green of Her.

3:30 pm: Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens. Visit Sky Glabush: What is a Self?. Opening reception with refreshments.

5:00 pm: Drop-off at Mercer Union.

In-kind support provided by Trafalgar Brewing Company and Whole Foods Market, Oakville




Mercer Union
1286 Bloor Street West, Toronto
416.536.1519
www.mercerunion.org

Blackwood Gallery
University of Toronto Mississauga
3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga
905.828.3789
www.blackwoodgallery.ca

Oakville Galleries
Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square: 120 Navy Street, Oakville
Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens: 1306 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville
905.844.4402
www.oakvillegalleries.com

Images (clockwise from top left): Liz Magic Laser, Kiss and Cry (video still), 2015, single-channel video. Featuring figure skaters Anna MacKenzie and Axel MacKenzie and coach Marie Jonsson MacKenzie; Maryam Jafri,Independence Day 1934-1975 (detail), 2009–present. Installation photo at Bétonsalon, 2015. Photo: Aurelien Mole; Wendy Coburn, The Divers (detail), 2006, fur muff, figurines and plastic. Collection of Oakville Galleries; Sky Glabush, Local Colour, 2015. Cotton weaving stained with acrylic and ink. Courtesy of the artist and MKG127, Toronto.

 
FORGE: Arts & Business Management Workshop

January 14, 6:30- 9:00pm.

Committee Room 2, Toronto City Hall- 100 Queen Street West

Tickets: $10 (To cover presenter fee)
Purchase tickets here:
https://www.universe.com/events/forge-arts-business-management-workshop-tickets-toronto-HVSJ74

In this workshop, Ben Benedict (Benedict Creative Communications) will provide guidance on art career management and operating a small business. Topics for discussion will include effective marketing, sourcing private and public funding, exhibition opportunities, proper artist fee payments, effective tax and bookkeeping methods and professionally documenting your artwork and accomplishments.

Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A and group discussion.

The session will be divided into the following sections:

-Artist Marketing and Publicity (Print, Social media, online, networking)

-Exhibition Opportunities (OAAG, Artist Run Centres, Venues, Commercial Galleries)

-Getting Paid/Funding (CARFAC Fees, Copyright, Grant applications)

-Business Structure & Bookkeeping (Income Tax, Federal/Provincial Sales Tax, Insurance, Bookkeeping)

-Curriculum Vitae (Documenting your artwork and career).

Bio: Ben Benedict of Benedict Creative Communications is recognized as one of Ontario’s leading culture workers as a writer/editor; visual artists/curator; public relations and corporate communications professional and educator; and a sought out public speaker on The Business of the Arts, with the most recent presentation being Marketing 2.0 as part of a CARFAC: Webinar Series for Visual Artists across Canada in October 2014

This workshop is made possible by the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Akin Ceramics!

Check out the new "Akin Ceramics" tab at the top of the page ^^ for info on our studio kiln. This service is open to the public, feel free to email ceramics@akincollective.com for more info. 

AKIN CERAMICS

Regularly Scheduled Firings: Every weekend!

Drop off: Thursdays 5:00-8:00pm

Pick up: Sundays 5:00-8:00pm

Kiln Specifications:  Cone Art Electric Kiln, 10 Cubic Feet, (28” wide x 27” deep)

Please email ceramics@akincollective.com to schedule your firing and specify amount of space required, type of clay body, brand of glaze used and firing temperature.

*Please note that the Akin kiln is available for additional firings outside of this schedule (extra charges may apply)*

Pricing

$7 Half Shelf (26” diameter 1/2 circle, 12” max height)

$12 Full Shelf (26” diameter full circle, 12” max height)

$55 Full Kiln (26” diameter max, 25” maximum height)

AKIN COLLECTIVE- DUPONT STUDIO LAUNCH PARTY

AKIN Collective is thrilled to announce its expansion into the Lower Junction neighbourhood with the opening of three new artist studios as an anchor tenant of the new mixed-use building at 1485 Dupont Street.

Member Exhibition Opening + Booze + DJ + Partying in industrial building.

Saturday, November 28: 6:00pm- Late.
1485 Dupont Street, Studios 204, 205 & 206

Come celebrate with us and check out the three new studios!

ps. Looking for studio space? info@akincollective.com

Press Release:

Akin Collective Announces Three New Artist Studios on Dupont St.

TORONTO, November 11, 2015 — Akin Collective is thrilled to announce its expansion into the Lower Junction neighbourhood of Toronto with the opening of three new artist studios as an anchor tenant of the new mixed-use building at 1485 Dupont Street.

Expanding on its six current studios located at 444 Dufferin Street and 87 Wade Avenue, Akin Collective’s new spaces will offer ‘Akin Heavy Duty’ a studio specifically for industrial art practices along with larger, more private studio spaces in addition to its smaller, more affordable options- including continuing to offer 24/7 shared studio access to artists and creatives at  $60/month.

Akin Collective  will expand its operations within the building immediately where it will also widen many of its programming initiatives into the area including studio critiques, gallery crawls, and its Forge Workshop Series. This exciting expansion will increase Akin’s size to approximately 15,000sq feet of studio space across its three main locations- enabling it to meet the increasing demand for affordable creative workspace and offer free public programs that assist artists on both the creative and professional aspects of their career. Since opening its first modest space 7 years ago, Akin Collective has striven to make being an artist in the city a more a fun and financially viable vocation. Moving forward, Akin Collective will be able to devote itself more fully to its mission of being an inclusive artistic catalyst in a quickly flourishing part of the city.

Akin Collective’s new location will be easily accessible by subway, streetcar, bus, bike, or car. By transit, visitors can access the studios with a short walk from two TTC subway stations (Lansdowne or Dundas West), two streetcar lines and cyclists will be able to access the studios from the West Toronto Rail PATH.
 

CONTACT

Oliver Pauk & Michael Vickers

info@akincollective.com 416-826-2053

FACEBOOK/ TWITTER   /INSTAGRAM

 

AKIN COLLECTIVE: DUPONT LAUNCH PARTY

Join us on November 28 to celebrate the opening of our new studios!
6:00PM- Late.
1485 Dupont St, Units 204, 205, 206.

Come and check out the new space and have a few (or many) drinks.

Member Art Exhibition, cheap drinks and a DJ!

Join the event on facebook.

 

 

CAMILLE HENROT

We're still a bit obsessed with Camille Henrot's Gross Fatigue- she opens a new exhibition this evening at Metro Pictures.

Recent work from Camille below:

CHRIS HARMS: "RISE IN FALL" AT PROJECT GALLERY OPENS NOVEMBER 12.

Project Gallery Studios presents: “Rise in Fall” – An Exhibition of New Sculptural Works

 

































OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday November 12, 2015 from 6-10pm at Project Gallery Studios (184 Munro Street*)

EXHIBITION DATES:
November. 12 – December 2, 2015

Facebook Event
 
Chris Harms’ artwork explores the relationship between our city’s constant state of construction and its citizens. Creating vibrant and elegant sculptures with plexiglass that resemble earth-moving excavators, Harms invites the viewer to enjoy the unique reflections, surfaces, and layering his works produce while considering the transformative time between what was and what is to come.  Harnessing light and colour, Harms’ work is intended to build a feeling of expansion and possibility, and functions as an exploration of space and physicality through refined aesthetic sensibilities.
Chris Harms is a self taught artist living and working in Toronto.
www.chris-harms.com

*Project Gallery Studios is located at 184 Munro St, and accessible through the back entrance at the southeast corner of Blackburn St. and Mount Stephens St. The studio exhibition space is open for receptions and by appointment only.

Akin Collective photographed by Lennart Maschmeyer

As part of an ongoing project photographer Lenart Maschmeyer has been (and will continue to) photograph some of the amazing members of Akin Collective and the spaces they work in.

See more of the series HERE and a few of the amazing shots so far below:

Stay tuned for more updates!

FORGE: Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety

A huge thank you to everyone that attended our FORGE workshop on Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety at the Al and Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre (AHC) at Toronto Western Hospital.

Akin Collective gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Follow Akin Collective on Facebook to stay up to date on future workshops!

AKIN FALL GALLERY CRAWL- THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to everyone that attended the gallery crawl on Saturday and to COOPER COLE, Angell Gallery and ESP for showing us their new gallery spaces and current exhibitions.

Please see photos below and follow AKIN Collective for upcoming programming news!

The Story of The Lost Expedition- Workshop

The Story Of The Lost Expedition

6 consecutive Wed night workshops from Oct 28 thru Dec 02/ 2015

 "When The Lost Expedition met they sat in a circle of twelve seats, one of which was always empty" 

These workshops focus on using Story as a way to talk about something that can’t be talked about, to refer to something that can’t be seen directly, to bring unknowns (even unknowable unknowns) into relationship together. When used this way Story can become a framework to facilitate a change in consciousness for an individual within a group and, more importantly, to facilitate a change in consciousness for the group-as-a-whole. Participants in the workshops will be encouraged to take on a role within the story and to let the story evolve and inform their investigation.

Allen Morgan and En Burk have been working with the Story Of The Lost Expedition since 1986, with many other artists taking part over the years. Recently this investigation has taken on the form of a mandala. These workshops will take place within this mandala landscape. 

Working with the Story Of The Lost Expedition can be particularly useful for artists of all persuasions. In order to take on a role in the Story and sit on one of the seats in the circle of twelve, it will be necessary for workshop participants to remember and then encourage a relationship with the unknown (and perhaps even unknowable) source that lies at the heart of their own personal work. Finding new ways to express and act within such a relationship is a primary concern for all artists. 

There is a somewhat unusual fee schedule for the 6 workshops: $30 to be paid by participants before or at the 1st workshop.

 After they complete the 2nd workshop $20 will be paid to participants at each subsequent workshop they attend. 

There are only10 spaces available for these workshops. For more info contact: allenmorgan@sympatico.ca

VISUALIZING ABSENCE- TANGLED ART GALLERY

Visualizing Absence: Memorializing the histories of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Opening reception:  Nuit, Blanche, Saturday, October 3rd, 7-9 pm Exhibit dates and hours: Runs October 3rd through December 3rd, 2015 Tuesday through Friday: noon to 5pm Visualizing Absence: Memorializing the histories of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital is a collaborative art response to archival images, patient records, and hidden and lost stories and memories that constitute the historic Lakeshore grounds. Artists Alison Brenzil, Dave Clark, Stas Guzar, Susan Mentis, Lucy Pauker and Hannah Zbitnew, in collaboration with Anne Zbitnew, use a variety of media to publicly recover untold, hidden and forgotten histories. We respect the past by recognizing the Lakeshore grounds as Aboriginal land, and by remembering the psychiatric patients who built, lived, worked and died there. This exhibit follows Dr. Geoffery Reaume and other mad scholars, historians, activists, artists and allies who tell stories in a historical context from psychiatric patients’ perspectives. To paraphrase Thomas King: Take these stories. Do with them what you will. Tell your friends, ignore them, forget them. But don’t say you would live your life differently if you had only heard these stories. You have heard them now. There will be difficult but important themes of institutional life, including institutional violence and abuse, discussed and represented at this event. Co-presented by Tangled Art + Disability at the future home of Tangled Art Gallery and Anne Zbitnew DIRECTIONS TO TANGLED ART GALLERY The future home of the Tangled Art Gallery is located at 401 Richmond St. West, studio 122 on the main floor. The closest accessible subway station is at Union Station. The gallery is also accessible by the Spadina streetcar (Queen Street stop going south from Spadina Station, Richmond Street stop going north from Union Station), which is intermittently accessible. ACCESSIBILITY This event is in a barrier-free location. There is an accessible washroom on the 4th floor of 401 Richmond. We will have ASL interpretation and supportive listening. We request that you help us to make this a scent-free environment. The exhibit follows Smithsonian Museum guidelines for accessibility and inclusivity. Audio description of the artwork is available. Most of the artwork can be touched. The labels are in a large font and in plain language. The labels include a line drawing of the artwork. For any other accessibility arrangements or questions about accessibility, please contact Anne Zbitnew at visualizingabsence@gmail.com. This is a child-friendly event and a sober space. CONTACT Tangled Art + Disability Eliza Chandler eliza@tangledarts.org www.tangledarts.org 647.725.5064 Anne Zbitnew visualizingabsence@gmail.com Visualizing Absence Website: http://visualizingabsence.wix.com/visualizing-absence