An Index: Exhibition of Artists from the Akin Studio Program at MOCA

An Index
July 25 - September 8, 2019
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada - Floor 4

An Index Opening Reception
Wednesday, July 24, 6-9pm
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada - Floor 4

The exhibition, An Index, exposes work by the first cohort of residency artists who entered Akin’s Studio Program in September 2018. While the participating artists’ practices range widely in terms of conceptual approach, style and media; they have also been influenced to some degree by the experience of sharing and conversing within Akin’s open-plan studio structure for the last nine months.

To find common points of departure for an exhibition, MOCA has invited curators Marsya Maharani and Marjan Verstappen, associated with the Younger than Beyoncé Gallery, to work with the 24 participating artists. The curators’ proposal, An Index, speaks to process and production, to the varied artistic approaches found within one context and the relationships built through this programme.

Left: Photo of artist Samar Hejazi. Photo by Shannon McClatchey. Right: Adria Mirabelli’s studio. Courtesy of the artist.

Taking their inspiration from Akin’s residency at MOCA, in the former Tower Automotive building, Maharani and Verstappen drew on the site’s history as a car parts factory and also a venue for raves and artist studios. “Throughout the past year, the fourth floor of MOCA served to extend this legacy by opening space for studios, residencies, as well as programmes exploring art’s utilitarian role in contemporary society,” they explained.

“In the context of the site’s histories, this exhibition features works by artists who have produced within this space as part of the inaugural Akin Studio Program. An Index makes visible the labours of artistic creation through an open and honest charting of the processes, challenges, delights, and failures of making art in the city.”

The exhibition comprises work in a variety of media from sculpture, to video, to new wall murals by:

Adria Mirabelli, Carrie Chisholm, David Constantino Salazar, Emily Woudenberg, Emma White, Eva Kolcze, Helen Liene Dreifelds, Humboldt Magnussen, Jennifer Dany Aubé, Jessica Thalmann, Jieun June Kim, Leone McComas, Liang Wang, Maren Boedeker, Nuff, Polymetis, Raoul Olou, Raquel Da Silva, Samar Hejazi, Sara Mozafari, Stephanie Avery, Su Bin Ee, Tanya Louise Workman, and Walter Segers.

Over the next couple of months, Akin will be sharing profiles on our blog of all of the artists from Year 1 of the Akin Studio Program at MOCA. Click here to see the most recent posts in the Akin MOCA Series.

Photo of artist Leone McComas. Photo by Jessica Thalmann

Accessibility
MOCA Toronto aims to be a barrier-free and accessible museum for all. Each floor has elevator access. Two wheelchairs that are available to borrow. Service animals are welcome.

MOCA Artist Series: Jessica Thalmann, Helen Liene Dreifelds, Samar Hejazi and David Constantino Salazar

Year 1 of the Akin Studio Program at MOCA , a unique studio residency program in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada, is approaching it’s conclusion this September.

This summer we have been profiling the talented group of artists from our inaugural cohort on the Akin blog. Today we are pleased to share profiles of four of the Year 1 artists, Jessica Thalmann, Helen Liene Dreifelds, Samar Hejazi and David Constantino Salazar. You can click here to see previous posts in the MOCA Artist Series.

Image source: Jessica Thalmann.

Jessica Thalmann

Jessica Thalmann is an artist, curator and writer currently based in Toronto and New York City. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York University. She has worked at the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Toronto International Film Festival, C Magazine, the Art Gallery of York University and Yossi Milo Gallery.

She has shown at various venues in Toronto, Vancouver and New York City including the Art Gallery of Mississauga, Flash Forward 2010, Whippersnapper Gallery, Nuit Blanche, the Artist Project, VIVO Media Arts Center, Aperture Foundation, the International Centre of Photography, Photoville, the Camera Club of New York and Printed Matter’s New York Art Book Fair.

jessicathalmann.com
www.instagram.com/jthalmann1

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Image source: Helen Liene Dreifelds.

Helen Liene Dreifelds

Helen Liene Dreifelds is an emerging artist ad workshop facilitator working in sculpture and installation based in handweaving. Positioning textiles as tools, performers, and archives, her work investigates theme related to affective labour, social geography, interpersonal relationships, and duration with attention to combined sensory experiences such as sight a touch.

www.helenlienedreifelds.com
www.instagram.com/h__l__d/

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Image by Adam Coish.

Samar Hejazi

Samar is a trilingual woman of Palestinian descent, born in the U.S. and raised in diverse communities in the Middle East and Canada, she uses her art to question ideas surrounding identity. Through meditations on traditional practices and her present environments, her work merges eastern and western styles to express how the crossing of cultures can form new identities. Her choice in medium follows the conceptual needs of the piece which has primarily been embroidery, but also includes works on paper and new media.

www.samarhejazi.com
www.instagram.com/samarhejazi

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Image by our friends at Samara Contemporary.

David Constantino Salazar

David Constantino Salazar is a Toronto based sculptor who holds a Master in Fine Arts degree from OCAD University. His work explores the borders between necessity and excess, desires and addiction. Salazar's goal is to create work that is approachable through humour with the intent that the viewer can explor their own relationships with desire and overindulgence through his allegorical sculptures.

www.davidsalazar.ca
www.instagram.com/dc.salazar

You can see work by Jess, Helen, Samar and David from July 25–September 8, 2019 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA) as a part of An Index. The exhibition An Index comprises work in a variety of media from sculpture, to video, to new wall murals by the first cohort of Akin residency artists who entered the year-long studio programme in September 2018.

While the participating artists’ practices range widely in terms of conceptual approach, style and media; they have also been influenced to some degree by the experience of sharing and conversing within an open-plan studio structure for the last nine months. 

Join us on Wednesday July 24 for the opening reception of An Index from 6-9pm on Floor 4 of the Museum.

Digital Project Funding Opportunity: The Creation Accelerator

The Canada Council for the Arts and CBC/Radio-Canada are teaming up to offer The Creation Accelerator, an exciting opportunity for Canadian artists to develop an original concept and create a digital project for potential distribution on CBC/Radio-Canada’s platforms. 

Pitch your idea for a podcast, web series, short doc, sound art, digital graphic novel, experimental dance video, animation, and more and receive up to $50,000 in funding! No prior digital experience is required.

Individuals who are Deaf or who have disabilities, including those living with mental illness, and require accommodation at any stage of the application process may be eligible for additional assistance.

Deadline – 16 October 2019
Notification of results – January 2020

There are two Phases to The Creation Accelerator: Phase 1 is a development phase, while Phase 2 is a production phase. In Phase 1, the Canada Council for the Arts will provide up to 20 successful applicants with grants of up to $50,000 each. CBC/Radio-Canada will provide grant recipients with an orientation to digital creation. CBC/Radio-Canada will also pair successful applicants with an independent producer or approve a producer identified by the recipient.

For more information please contact accelerator@canadacouncil.ca or call 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free), ext.5574 or click the link below:

Akin Projects at Zine Dream 12 - Don't miss this FREE, one-day-only event

Akin is excited to exhibit at ZINE DREAM 12 alongside over 100 creative vendors at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA). Exhibitors will be showcasing self published books, comics, music, zines, handmade crafts, prints & much more! One day only!

Date: Sunday July 21
Time: 10am-5pm
Location: MOCA - 158 Sterling Road
Cost: FREE!

The Akin Projects table will be featuring work by Akin artists:

Emily Woudenberg - www.strikedesignstudio.com
Enas Satir - www.instagram.com/enas.satir
Jessie Elliot-Brunning - www.stomatacollective.com
Mia Zhou
Nuff - www.designbynuff.com
Minerva Mullally
Sherlyn Choe - www.smchoe.com
Stephanie Avery - www.stephanieavery.com

Akin artists Jenn Woodall, Loretta Miauw and Wenting Li as well as Akin alumni Jenn Kitagawa and Jackie Lee will be at Zine Dream exhibiting their work independently.

Art Metropole will exhibit their back catalogue of zines, featuring work by local and international artists collected by the organization over their 45 year history. This extensive zine library will be available to browse and buy at Art Metropole's storefront space on the ground floor of the MOCA all weekend long.

As a bonus you can enjoy free admission to the Museum exhibitions from 10am-2pm while you’re at Zine Dream!

Visit zinedream.com for more information including a full exhibitor list.

Also, we hope that you can join us for the official launch party of Zine Dream co-presented by Art Metropole featuring Readings & Musical Performances!

Date: Friday July 19
Time: 8pm
Location: MOCA
Cost: $10

Vector Festival presents Speculative Ecologies: Media Art at the Anthropocenic Precipice / July 11-14

Speculative Ecologies: Media Art at the Anthropocenic Precipice
At a time when humanity’s collective dithering in the face of impending ecological disaster is threatening to harm our world beyond repair, Vector Festival 2019 explores how contemporary media art reflects on this dire state of affairs. Featuring interactive installations, screen-based works, experimental games, generative art, performances, sound art, and other digital works, the festival’s curators invite you to join us in speculating on possible futures, alternative realities, and post-calamity archaeologies of the mess we have created for ourselves.

Vector Festival is a participatory and community-oriented initiative dedicated to showcasing digital games and creative media practices. This year, Vector Festival is happening from July 11-14 and the full schedule of programming includes screenings, lectures, workshops, panels, exhibitions and more! The theme of this year’s festival is Speculative Ecologies: Media Art at the Anthropocenic Precipice.

Events are happening at locations all over Toronto, including InterAccess, MOCA, the Ontario Science Centre, Trinity Square Video, Artscape Youngplace and more. Visit www.vectorfestival.org for a full schedule of events (Although many events are free, some are ticketed and require registration - an All-Access Pass is $25).

Vector Festival is brought to you by InterAccess, a non-profit gallery, educational facility, and production studio. The mission of InterAccess is to expand the cultural significance of art and technology by fostering and supporting the full cycle of art and artistic practice through education, production, and exhibition.

Vector Festival Launch Party & Opening Reception:
Join us on July 11 from 
7-10pm in celebrating the launch of Vector Festival 2019, and the opening of the festival’s flagship exhibition, Future Relics, curated by Katie Micak and Martin Zeilinger. The party is located at 950 Dupont St., Unit 1 and is FREE!

About Future Relics:
How will post-extinction media archaeologists rediscover our lost civilisation? What will robots have to say about the last days of humanity? What possible futures are already inscribed in the technologies and digital tools we use today? Future Relics, this year’s Vector Festival flagship exhibition, presents media artists whose work offers insights and outlooks on digital culture and the environment that oscillate between the playful and the critical, the hopeful and the dystopian.

Akin Summer Programming

Akin is pleased to present our July and August programming. We hope to see you at some of these events this summer! 

Pointillism at the Beach, an Afternoon with Seurat
July 14 / 12pm-2pm / $5-$10 (sliding scale) / Woodbine Beach

Calling all creatives, artists and hobbyists! Join us for some Georges Seurat style pointillism on the beach! Come meet other creatives, explore and draw beachy scenes from life with us in this fun-filled and summer space!

We will begin with some quick and expressive warm ups, moving on to more focused Summer forms and scenes and we will end the day with a free-for-all drawing period. All levels and media are welcome - no toxic materials please. Bring your own materials. 

Click here to register or for more information

Akin Projects at Zine Dream 12
July 21 / 10am-5pm / FREE / MOCA Toronto Canada

Akin is excited to exhibit at ZINE DREAM 12 alongside over 100 creative vendors this July. Exhibitors will be showcasing self published books, comics, music, zines, handmade crafts, prints & much more! One day only!

Click here for more information

An Index - Opening Reception
July 24 / 6pm-9pm / FREE / MOCA Toronto Canada

An Index comprises work in a variety of media from sculpture, to video, to new wall murals by the first cohort of Akin residency artists who entered the year-long studio programme in September 2018. While the participating artists’ practices range widely in terms of conceptual approach, style and media; they have also been influenced to some degree by the experience of sharing and conversing within an open-plan studio structure for the last nine months. The exhibition runs from July 25–September 8, 2019 at MOCA Toronto Canada. Join us on July 24 for the opening reception! 

Click here for more information

Akin River Launch Party + Potluck
July 25 / 4pm-10pm / FREE / Akin River

Akin invites fellow artists, friends and family members to celebrate the opening of our new 3rd floor River Studios 2 & 3 !! Please join us on the patio Thursday July 25th for food and drinks and a little summer camaraderie. Let's get to know each other and the space!

Click here for more information

There is more coming soon! Save the date for these August Events at Akin: 

August 7 - Show & Tell at Akin MOCA - 4th Floor Studios at MOCA

August 14 - Flag Book Workshop with Jessica Thalmann - Remote Gallery

August 17 - MOCA After Dark Dance Party - MOCAToronto Canada

August 22 - Akin Ossington Launch Party + Backyard BBQ - 888 Dupont St.

MOCA Artist Series: Stephanie Avery, Raquel Da Silva and Jieun June Kim

There are only three months left in Year 1 of the Akin Studio Program at MOCA , a unique studio residency program in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada.

Akin is honored to have a remarkable group of artists as a part of our inaugural cohort and are excited to profile them here on our blog over the next few months. Today we are happy to share profiles of three of the Year 1 artists, Stephanie Avery, Raquel Da Silva and Jieun June Kim. You can click here to see all the blog posts in the MOCA Artist Series.

Photo source: www.instagram.com/stephvonawesome

Stephanie Avery

Stephanie Avery is a Toronto-based artist. Focusing on themes of play, discovery, identity and memory, Stephanie uses humour and absurdity to intervene with familiar objects and imagery to give them new meanings and narratives. Her goal is to inspire new perspectives and initiate critical dialogue about elements of contemporary culture that are often taken for granted.

www.stephanieavery.com
www.instagram.com/stephvonawesome

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Photo source: www.instagram.com/raquelnaia

Raquel Da Silva

Raquel Da Silva is a Toronto based artist, working primarily with painting and installation. Raquel has been able to combine her interests of street art, animation and acrylic painting to develop her current visual language. Da Silva's current work is an exploration of how 2 and 3 dimensional forms and shapes work together to create an environment. She uses unconventional characters and shapes as the representational figures of our environments, and how they can coexist with one another in one space. The works involve alternative color palettes and shaped canvases to allow the surface, colors and composition to work with one another to deliver the message of unity in space through shape and form.

www.raqueldasilva.com
www.instagram.com/raquelnaia

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Photo source: www.instagram.com/junekima.rt

Jieun June Kim

Jieun June Kim (b. Seoul, Korea) is a painter and muralist who lives and works in Toronto. In her paintings and murals, she explores different ideas of “home” using colorful patterns and dynamic natural forms. Since she moved to Canada in 2016, her works has been shown at notable galleries and events in Toronto and she has been commissioned to paint numerous murals across GTA. Jieun is co-founder of KJ Bit Collective who create murals and street art events such as “Laneway Light Up” project (2018). She is also the recipient of the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant from the Toronto Arts Council (2018).

www.jieunjunekim.com
www.instagram.com/junekima.rt

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You can see work by Stephanie, Raquel, and Jieun from July 25–September 8, 2019 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA) as a part of An Index. The exhibition An Index comprises work in a variety of media from sculpture, to video, to new wall murals by the first cohort of Akin residency artists who entered the year-long studio programme in September 2018.

While the participating artists’ practices range widely in terms of conceptual approach, style and media; they have also been influenced to some degree by the experience of sharing and conversing within an open-plan studio structure for the last nine months. 

Join us on Wednesday July 24 for the opening reception of An Index from 6-9pm on Floor 4 of the Museum.

DesignTO: Exhibitor Registration for Independent Projects

2020 Exhibitor Registration

Independently-produced events, exhibitions, and window installations are integral to the Festival’s structure. We welcome all who want to present, discuss, demonstrate, or exhibit design in any field and/or related disciplines. Exhibitors include artists, designers, design firms, local businesses, academic and cultural institutions, and students. Exhibitors are responsible for arranging their own venue in the city of Toronto, including spaces such as galleries, studios, workshops, cafés, schools, lobbies, and businesses.

The 10th annual DesignTO Festival runs January 17-26, 2020, for 10 days. Window installations must run for the entire week, events must take place during the week, and exhibitions must run during some part of the week. Window installations and exhibitions can start before and/or end after Festival Week.

Deadlines:

• Early Bird Registration Deadline: Saturday, August 31, 2019 by 11:59pm EST.

• Final Registration Deadline: Friday, October 4, 2019 by 11:59pm EST.

• Content Deadline: Friday, October 18, 2019 (for all listings)

Toronto Arts Foundation's 2019 Arts Stats

Akin is concerned about how artists and arts workers are coping with the high cost of living in Toronto.

Toronto Arts Foundation, working with marketing and polling company Leger, will release Arts Stats 2019: State of the Artist in the fall of 2019. The survey asks artists about the high cost of living and working in Toronto. Are you considering leaving the city? Are you paid a fair wage? Are you optimistic about their future?

Click here to complete the survey. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and all of your responses are anonymous. None of the responses will be connected to identifying information.

The results will act as an important advocacy tool. The time you put into the survey will be worth it. The deadline to complete the survey is July 8th. In an attempt to reach as many people as possible the Foundation has widely distributed the survey.

DesignTO Symposium: A Future without Work - Call for Submissions

What is a future without work as we know it?

For most of us, it is impossible to imagine society without it, because work dominates and permeates every aspect of our lives.

Whether you consider work as a source of subsistence or purpose, the sacredness of work runs deep through both past and present social interactions, economy, and politics. An obsession with work lies at the core of our education system. The labour force drives our national economies. Working to earn a living is often a necessity and expectation. It can offer individuals a sense of purpose, providing opportunities for learning, growth, and prosperity. It gives status, and thereby access to many benefits and networks. Work shapes our lives and identity.

This year DesignTO investigates the theme of ‘A Future without Work’. We seek designers and thinkers exploring new forms of work. Whether you reflect on the past, design pathways into the future, experiment with new forms of work, or design alternative work environments, we want to hear from you.

Deadline: all submissions are due Friday, September 20, 2019 by 11:59pm EST.

Seniors' Arts & Crafts at Cloverdale Mall

Seniors' Summer Arts & Crafts
Dates: Thursdays, June 20 - Sept 5, 2019
Time: 11am - 3pm
Location: Cloverdale Commons

Arts Etobicoke is hosting Seniors' Arts and Crafts days at Cloverdale Mall! Starting June 20th, come down to the Cloverdale Common every Thursday to socialize with old and new friends in a creative atmosphere. Activities range from board games and story creation, to various arts and crafts.

For more information or if you are interested in participating, contact: akshata@artsetobicoke.com

THIS IS SERIOUS: Canadian Indie Comics

THIS IS SERIOUS: Canadian Indie Comics
at the Art Gallery of Hamilton
Opening June 21, 2019

THIS IS SERIOUS: Canadian Indie Comics presents a survey of contemporary Canadian artists working in the expansive genre of cartooning and indie comics. On the international stage, the comic arts are highly regarded, but in Canada, it is arguable that cartoonists don't receive the same level of art world recognition. Despite this, Canadians make considerable contributions to the greater field of international comics, and Toronto, Montreal, and Hamilton are all significant centres of comic art production.

In response to this void in the Canadian museum context, THIS IS SERIOUS takes the energy of underground artistic production and indie publishing as its impetus to make visible the breadth of activity by a diverse range of artists working in this genre, throughout Canada. Co-curated by award-winning graphic novelist Joe Ollmann and Alana Traficante, the exhibition is national in scope and features the work of 47 artists. THIS IS SERIOUS presents the recent arc of production that has helped shaped the current state of graphic storytelling, here and now on home soil.

Julie Doucet (Canadian b. 1965), Dirty Plotte (detail), ink on illustration board. Courtesy of the artist and Drawn and Quarterly.

Artists include: Sami Alwani, Ho Che Anderson, Kate Beaton, Marc Bell, Blaine, Simon Bossé, David Boswell, Chester Brown, Nina Bunjevac, Jessica Campbell, Geneviève Castrée, Marta Chudolinska, David Collier, Katherine Collins, Michael DeForge, Julie Delporte, Aminder Dhaliwal, Julie Doucet, Pascal Girard, Gord Hill, Jesse Jacobs, Patrick Kyle, Ginette Lapalme, Ness Lee, Hartley Lin, Graeme MacKay, Billy Mavreas, Carel Moiseiwitsch, Sylvia Nickerson, Obom, Simon Orpana, Meredith Park, Cole Pauls, Michel Rabagliati, Rebecca Rosen, Gord Pullar, Seth, Walter Scott, James Simpkins, Fiona Smyth, Jillian Tamaki, Maurice Vellekoop, Kat Verhoeven, Eric Kostiuk Williams, Connor Willumsen, Jenn Woodall, Doug Wright

Co-curated by Joe Ollmann and Alana Traficante
#AGHComics

2019 Summer Opening
Join us for the Summer Opening Thursday, June 20 at 6:00 pm celebrating the launch of THIS IS SERIOUS: Canadian Indie Comics along with This is Moving: Illustration on Screenand My Back Pages: The Art of Zines and Indie Publishing. The evening will feature a drum, dance, and storytelling performance led by Rod Nettagog, followed by a free outdoor screening of the celebrated Canadian film The Road Forward as part of National Indigenous History Month and Hamilton Arts Week!

Call for Submissions: Paint the Junction 2019

Inviting people to paint the Junction during the 8th Annual Junction Summer Solstice Festival on Saturday, June 22nd 2019 and then to participate in ARTiculations Summer 2019 Group Exhibition.

Proudly part of the Junction Solstice Festival.

Exhibition to follow July-August 2019. Dates to be confirmed shortly.

Online registration closes June 20th. In-store registration available on June 21st and 22nd.

Registration Fees:

ADULT: $25 + hst until June 21, 2019. $30 + hst as of June 22,2019.

YOUTH & SENIORS (under 18 and over 65): $20 + hst until June 21, 2019. $25 + hst as of June 22, 2019.

$15 + hst for additional submissions )up to 3 works total)

Registration fees are non-refundable, no exceptions. Please ensure you can participate on June 20th between 1-7pm.

Registered participants will be given a 25% off purchase of a painting/drawing support for use in the competition. This can be redeemed between June 13-20, 2019 with proof of registration.

AWARDS

• Under 18 Aware

• People’s Choice Award

• Jurors Choice Award

Guest Jurors to be announced.

Lorelei Queen of the Whole Entire Universe Launch & Workshop!

Come one, come all! On Sunday, June 30th the Beguiling & Little Island Comics welcome David Missio and his comics making class to the shop for an event to celebrate Lorelei: Queen of the Whole Entire Universe!

Lorelei developed out of David's work with youth in the TDSB through Story Planet and the JCC after school programme where he has been teaching cartooning and story-making workshops.
Drawing with all of the students, has now drawn David to bring Lorelei Queen of the Whole Entire Universe with him to help spark ideas and give kids a place to publish their work. It's an open source shared universe that spans the cosmos!

Art from the year will be on display, a collection will be available in print and refreshments will be served as we celebrate the first art and stories for "Lorelei: Queen of the Whole Entire Universe"!

As if that wasn't enough, there will be a comics-making workshop led by one of our favourites, Georgia Weber, writer/artist of Dumb!

It all begins Sunday, June 30th at 1PM! See you there!

Symposium: Path of Possibilities - June 21 at the AGO

On National Indigenous Day, Art Starts invites emerging, youth, and/or newcomer artists and people from different ethnographic communities across the city to come together and learn about the 7 Grandfather Teachings, 4 Sacred Medicines, residential schools, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and much more. This free event is in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario. Lunch is included.

There are only 60 spots available for this event. You must register to attend.

Upcoming Calls for Submission

The 2020 Eyebeam Residency

Deadline: June 21, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.
Residency Dates: January 2020 through June 2020, with extended access to Eyebeam’s shared workspace and equipment through September 2020

Located in Brooklyn, NY, Eyebeam’s flagship program, the Eyebeam Residency, is a prestigious award for those creating work which engages technology and society, through art. Residents’ projects are experimental and wildly interdisciplinary, often existing outside of more traditional structures in the fields of both art and technology. The 2020 Residency will launch as a 6 month research and experimentation-focused program for creative practitioners. The residency will be awarded to 4 individuals or collaborative projects. A stipend of $22,000 is offered to all residents.

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Call for host venues at the 10th Annual DesignTO Festival

Deadline: June 21, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: January 17-26, 2020

The DesignTO Festival brings people together to celebrate  contemporary design across the city of Toronto. Join the Festival to become a part of an exciting network of creative  people, exhibitions, events, and a captive audience of designers and  design-lovers. From design talks to experimental  installations to prototypes to opening parties and curated exhibitions, the Festival featured the work of over 600 artists and designers in 2019. Potential venues include spaces in the City of Toronto such as shops, galleries, studios, cafés, schools, and lobbies. There is an associated fee: $250 + HST for small businesses (including independent shops, artist-run centres, and private galleries) or $325 + HST for large businesses and institutions.

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Neilson Park Creative Centre’s (NPCC) 27th Annual Juried Exhibition, Impact 2019

Deadline: June 21, 2019 at 4 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: July 22- August 9, 2019

Impact is NPCC’s most-anticipated exhibition that fosters creativity in the artistic community. Impact 2019 aims to bring together artists practicing in diverse media and approaches (both traditional and contemporary) while showcasing artwork of the highest standard. There is an application fee for this call; the fee ranges from $25-$35 fo NPCC members or $40-$50 for non-members depending on the number of works being submitted.

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Call for Visual and Performing Artists for the 9th Annual StArt Youth Presenting Art (StArt YPA) Festival

Deadline: Must register online and attend the open call on Saturday, June 29, 2019, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, at Christ Church, 155 Markham Rd, Scarborough. *First come, first seen*

StArt Youth Presenting Art (StArt YPA) is festival is looking for artists to perform and present at their 9th annual arts festival! StArt YPA is a youth-led volunteer-based initiative based in Scarborough Village that strives to provide young people with accessible arts education and outlets for self-expression, giving youth opportunities to excel in various art forms - radically enhancing creativity, and contributing to self-confidence as cultural producers in society.

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The RBC Arts Access Award

Deadline: June 24, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

The RBC Arts Access Award is presented by Neighbourhood Arts Network and RBC Foundation. It awards a total of $30,000 annually to support newcomer artists across Toronto and Toronto Greater Toronto Area. The awards range from $500 to $1500 to support costs associated with arts projects, such as artist fees, art supplies, equipment rental, space rental and food costs for a workshop or event. Additionally, awards may also support professional development, training and mentorship requests for newcomer artists looking to improve their skills regarding working in and with community.

Akin Creative Presents: Pointillism at the Beach, an Afternoon with Seurat

Calling all creatives, artists and hobbyists! Join us on Sunday, July 14th from 12-2pm for some Georges Seurat style pointillism at Woodbine Beach. We will meet at 12pm on the boardwalk by the Donald D Summerville Olympic Pool (1867 Lakeshore Blvd East, Toronto).

$5-$10 (sliding scale) / Open to all!

Having trouble finding the group? Look for the Akin sign.

Follow the Facebook event page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/317308135879340/

Come meet other creatives, explore and draw beachy scenes from life with us in this fun-filled and Summer space!

We will begin with some quick and expressive warm ups, moving on to more focused Summer forms and scenes and we will end the day with a free-for-all drawing period. All levels and media are welcome - no toxic materials please.

Please note: no materials are provided for this event. Please bring the following with you: a sketchbook or multiple sheets of paper, drawing medium (i.e.: pencils, pens, charcoal, conté, paint, etc...), and a sharpener.

This is a scenic life drawing event. No human figure model will be present .

This event is being hosted in a public space and we ask that you please be considerate and respectful of your surroundings and the people within them while participating.

About the event host:

Erin Candela is a Canadian artist originally from northern BC, currently living in Toronto. Often using historical documents such as photographs, public school books, nature encyclopedias and community journals, themes of Memory and identity are frequently present in her drawings.

Accessibility Information:

Woodbine Beach is not 100% accessible. A plastic Mobi mat system leads from the base of the Summerville Pool to the shoreline, enabling mobility devices to access the sand water. A beach wheelchair is available in summer, call 392-7688 to book.

Getting there:

Woodbine Beach is TTC accessible from both Woodbine station and the Queen streetcar. Take the Queen streetcar 501 east on Queen, or from Woodbine station, take the Woodbine bus 92 south.

THE BIG DRAW Create-a-Thon this weekend at The Distillery District

Calling all creatives! Do you write, sketch, paint, draw, or sculpt? Make your way down to The Distillery District for THE BIG DRAW Create-A-Thon this weekend.

This is free, all ages, family event welcoming both amateur and professional artists. Join fellow creatives June 15th & 16th in capturing the charm of The Distillery District, or anything else your heart tells you to in your sketch, painting, drawing, or  creative writing.

Rules and Guidelines:

1. Bring your creativity
2. Bring your materials
3. Bring your friends and family
4. HAVE FUN!

All artist participants will receive a FREE BBQ lunch!  

Akin Vitrine Gallery + Laura Kay Keeling

Akin Vitrine Galleries are delighted to welcome Akin Dupont artist, Laura Kay Keeling back into our exhibition spaces for the months of June and July! Working primarily in collage, Laura is bringing one of her prints to life with her installation, Rocks and TV LIVE.

Opening this month on the second floor of 1485 Dupont St, Rocks and TV LIVE will move to 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the month of July and will be visible at street level on St. Clair West.

“As an artist, I strive to explore and capture the magic that comes from everyday life. From the way the sunshine catches my eye, how the flowers look after it rains, a well groomed front lawn. I try to take moments that sometimes may be overlooked and give them a second chance to be admired. I am obsessed with landscape and how it changes in different regions, how nature’s colour palette is so vibrant and engaging and how we are so fortunate to have such beauty around us in so many different shapes and sizes. I love allowing the viewer to create their own narrative from a captured moment in time and hope my work evokes feelings from the viewer, whatever that may entail such that they can be engaged with the piece. With my 'HOT ROCKS' collage series, I feature interesting and beautiful images found in gemstone field guides which have been cut apart and put back together in a new way. Not only do I love photographing nature, I love allowing it to inspire me and guide my collages to become a new representation of things organically found in nature. My current digital collage series feature sourced imagery from National Geographic Magazines, old field guides and 35mm photos I have taken merged
together to create interesting, vibrant and engaging imagery.”

www.laurakaykeeling.com
Email: laurakay.keeling@gmail.com
Instagram: @laurakaykeeling & @lllllllllllllllllkk

Rocks and TV LIVE
Mixed media
Dimensions variable

For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

Rocks and TV LIVE will be on view for the month of June in our Dupont Akin Vitrine Gallery, located in the Clock Factory Building at 1485 Dupont Street (entrance on Campbell Avenue). Find Akin Studio 215 on the second floor and follow the sign into the hallway around the corner. The building is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery and be on view for the month of July at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

For more information about Laura’s work, follow our Instagram account @akinvitrine.

Studio spaces available for rent now at Akin River! Get in touch today to book a tour!

Akin River has many new dedicated studio spaces available to rent immediately! These workspaces are bright, clean, and freshly renovated and are suitable for artists, creatives and entrepreneurs looking for quiet workspace in a growing artist community. Located at 7 Labatt Avenue, near Dundas Street East and River St, the studios are situated on the third floor of the building with stairs access only (no elevator); Akin regrets this barrier to access.

Akin River sits on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, the Métis, and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Dedicated studio spaces range in size from 30 square feet - 250 square feet. Rent ranges from $185/month - $800/month and includes 24/7 access to the space, WiFi, insurance, and access to kitchen, bathrooms, shared workspace, shared storage, and a rooftop patio. Rent is month-to-month and there is a two month minimum when joining. Studios are unfurnished.

This location also has a large shared area for those do who do not require their own dedicated space. Shared memberships are $70/month and include 24/7 access to the shared workspaces, WiFi, insurance, and access to kitchen, bathrooms, shared storage, and the rooftop patio. Shared workspaces are furnished with work tables, chairs and easles.

Our studios provide a working environment that maintains a friendly and inspiring atmosphere where people can work on creative endeavors and entrepreneurial undertakings of all kinds. We build community through monthly art critiques, workshops, open studio events, gallery tours, exhibitions, as well as various other art projects.

Please get in touch if you are interested in renting a space at Akin River. To become a member you must first meet the studio manager and have a tour. Tours are by appointment only. If there is an available spot that you would like to move in to then we require a last month's rent deposit and first month's rent payment and for you to sign our online contract. Minimum rental term is 2 months and new renters are required to adhere to Akin’s Code of Conduct and Health and Safety Policy.

Contact Erin Candela, the Akin River studio manager at erin@akincollective.com to schedule a tour. Please note that email response time is approximately 3-5 business days.

Akin would like to thank TAS for their special collaboration on this space. See images below or get in touch to book a tour and see the space in person!

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