As spring approaches we want to take the time to highlight the creative work and community spirit of some of our Akin Waterfront Members. Introducing Marcia Bianchi, Vicky Vyas, and Niki Nazhand! Click “READ MORE” below to continue reading and learn more about these artists, their art practices, and why they love working in an Akin studio!
Read More
Image Descriptions: Text that reads “From Here to Wear” and three event posters from the event series with event information written on them and various graphics on plain backgrounds including a hand, the planet earth with rooths coming out of it, and a planet in a repeated pattern in a swoop shape.
This initiative aims to raise more awareness on the problems surrounding the management of “textile waste” and to help prevent them from being disposed of improperly. These events create a circular closed loop system for clothing that people no longer want, while promoting a reuse and “waste not, want not” mentality. It’s a fun alternative to shopping and an engaging way to upgrade your wardrobe — a conscious practice on how to be more intentional with the clothes you wear.
March 18
12pm-5pm at St Matthew’s Clubhouse, 450 Broadview Avenue, Toronto.
Click here for full event details or to register.
Presented in partnership with East End Arts
March 25
12pm-5pm at stackt Market - STUDIO 28, Bathurst Street Toronto.
Click here for full event details or to register.
Presented in partnership with stackt Market.
Images above: Black and white event posters with text that describes the event details that are in this blog post. The first poster has a white background, the centre is a black and white circular drawing of people, animals, landscapes, and various symbols. The second poster has a dark background and the image on the poster features a repeated image of a planet that creates a curving shape across the image.
About Norwin Anne
Norwin Anne is a Filipinx multidisciplinary artist / designer, (re)maker and eco-culture communicator. They studied Fashion Techniques and Design at George Brown College with a waste conscious approach and slow fashion mentality. Primarily working with secondhand materials, they started focusing on textile waste as a research study during school which evolved into learning more about waste generally to understand its environmental impacts and beyond. They want to continue developing their ideas and merge their knowledge of fashion with other subjects by creating wearable art and installations to visually translate complex topics through culture jamming. They always prioritize working with used objects and discarded materials. They’re dedicated to creating conceptual and functional things from what’s seen as useless. It initiates this challenge of exploring different alternatives and they try their best to avoid using new items as much as possible.
Norwin is an Akin Studio alumni from Akin Lansdowne and Akin King.
Image Description: A wide banner image with some colourful pencil crayons in the bacground and text with the event title, date and time. At the bottom are logos for Toronto Art Foundation, Neighborhood Arts Network, Akin and Cobella Financial
Do you have questions about tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to report grants, or file T4s? Shantae Cunningham, Founder & Senior Associate of Cobella Financial, will discuss some of the most important tax topics for artists. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. The presentation will show real life examples, and a Q+A will follow. Participants are encouraged to send along questions in advance for review, to erin@akincollective.com
This webinar is free and open to the public. Closed captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. The event will not be recorded, but slides may be shared with registered attendees following the event, by request.
Update March 14: This workshop is now sold out - you can sign up on the registration page to be added to a waiting list.
Shantae Cunningham is a Seneca College graduate and is an Accounting and Bookkeeping expert with 7 years in the industry. She has worked within many industries to help them scale and grow their company from Marketing and PR to E-Commerce and service-based industries. She works with individuals and companies from freelancers to small and medium sized businesses. With uncompromising attention to detail, Shantae uses her passion for both personal and professional finance to support these businesses. Since 2018, Shantae has worked as an Independent Bookkeeper at her own boutique firm, Cobella Financial. She is analytical, experienced and known as a savvy Accountant. Her personality and business acumen sets her apart. She has volunteered with organizations such as Woodgreen Community Centre to provide tax prep services helping those in all tax situations.
This workshop is presented in collaboration between Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighborhood Arts Network and Akin, and is in partnership with Neighborhood Arts Network’s Newcomer Spotlight program supported by RBC.
Image Description: A greyscale photograph of artist Faisal Karadsheh. He is smiling at the camera. There are paintings in the background.
This Saturday, March 4th, artist (and Akin Member) Faisal Karadsheh will be presenting his work ‘to be heard (soundwalk’in_2021)’ as part of New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA)’s annual Deep Wireless festival.
This work includes all three audio pieces from Faisal’s soundwalk project which were produced in 2021 using personal recordings of street protests in Toronto, each responding to national and/or international events. By visiting each of the three locations in the sound walk, the listener may consider how bodies connect, congregate and organize themselves together.
In the soundwalk project the process of concentrating or suppressing “voices of protest”, as suggested by Hito Steyerl, is being explored formally. The site is composed of three distinct locations within a very specific region in Toronto. The three protests transpired at varying times during 2021, yet seem to align across a section of the city. The abstracted sound works examine the process of documenting and formally articulating protests, in connection to its position within the urban fabric and sonic landscape of the city.
Image Description: The Deep Wireless logo which includes a cartoon drawing of a radio and the words ‘DEEP Wireless”
The 22nd annual edition of the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio & Transmission Art is presented on the theme Remote Connections with and exhibitions, performances, artist talks, an online compilation and radio programs being transmitted from and hosted at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River.
Three works from the Deep Wireless 17 Radio Art Compilation Album will be included in this in-person and online hybrid event on the theme Remote Connections. Join in person for multichannel listening or connect online with your headphones.
What: Remote Connections Concert
When: Saturday March 4, 2023, 7:00 pm
Where: Online, and/or in-person at NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River, Ontario
To register: click here the cost is $12 per person
“Radio over its history has built societal connections across multiple and remote locations. Radio Art evolved by way of artists and writers across many disciplines adding their diverse approaches to the way time, space and content could be re-imagined over the airwaves and later over digital streaming formats. The content in this year’s festival adds to that tradition with stories told through digital interactivity, round table discussions, documentaries, interactive art, poetry and sound art on the theme Remote Connections.”
Faisal Karadsheh is an Akin staff member and an Akin Studio member. He is an emerging Jordanian-Palestinian multidisciplinary artist, who has exhibited work in Jordan, Lebanon and Canada. Although his work does not necessarily depict a personal narrative, lived experiences emerge as thematic starting points throughout the art-making process. Once completed, these individualized fragments in time may instigate a wider dialogue within disparate communities about tradition, the body, ecologies, and how we define ourselves as moving beings. His oeuvre continually explores in-between spaces, where interior and exterior modalities can exist as one. By attempting to search for this mode of hybridized representation, different mediums unravel interrelated narratives, or imagined histories, revolving around the self and its ties to the body. As a result, these formal investigations into spatial possibilities always seem to be contingent on a somatic subject's perceptions, as the producer or constructor of reality. Choosing a medium to express these sentiments requires openness, which leads to a myriad of forms. Learn more about Faisal and his work at faisalkaradsheh.myportfolio.com
Image Description: A piece of paper taped to the wall with these words written on it: “Grant writing is easy and fun - said no one, ever”
1. Tell your story
Put lots of thought into who you are and what kind of project you’d like to accomplish. What is the magic cocktail of experience that makes you the right artist for this project? Why now? What in your experience has prepared you to pull this off? Believe it or not, grant writing is storytelling. Don’t hide behind jargon and big, fancy words. Writing your story clearly and passionately is the best way to capture the panel’s attention.
2. Don’t take it personally
Easier said than done, right? If you aren’t chosen for a grant, try not to let it interfere with your self worth/sense of confidence as an artist. Ask for feedback from the grant panel, they’ll usually be happy to give it to you. Remember, your entire career doesn’t ever rest on one grant. Being able to keep up a steady routine of grant writing over the years will absolutely pay off in the end.
3. Turn the grant writing process into something more
Essentially, the grant panel wants a business plan for your art project. They want you to know you’ve thought through every aspect; the themes, the timeline, the materials. If you take this process seriously, it shows! And whether you land the grant or not, you’ve finished a comprehensive plan for the future of your practice.
4. Don’t go it alone!
You should never be the only reader of your grant. It’s hard to look at your own work with eyes fresh enough to catch your own mistakes. You can ask a professional, a friend, a mother, or a studio mate to read it over. Choose your editor wisely, whoever they are, be sure they will give an honest opinion.
Description: This program supports Ontario-based Indigenous arts professionals and arts professionals of colour, or ad hoc groups and collectives made up of Indigenous arts professionals or arts professionals of colour for professional development and skill-building opportunities that advance applicants’ work and careers. It funds all contemporary and traditional art practices that are supported at OAC. Projects can include: study and training, mentorship, internship and apprenticeship and documentation of art work.
Find more details here
Description: Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship program provides support for newcomer and refugee artists to develop their artistic practice and to further their integration and inclusion to Toronto. We define a newcomer as: an immigrant or refugee who has lived in Canada for less than 7 years; a refugee is a person who was forced to leave their home country and is now located in Canada.
The program provides funding for individual newcomer and refugee professional artists to be mentored (guided) in their chosen arts discipline
The mentorship application is submitted by the newcomer artist with the mentor as the co-applicant. Both the applicant and the mentor must identify as professional artists.
Find out more details here
The program supports craft-based practices through grants to Ontario-based artists, curators, ad hoc groups, collectives and organisations. The program has five categories:
Research/Creation/Development – Emerging artists and curators: to help cover the costs of research, experimentation, creation, production and/or career development
Research/Creation/Development – Mid-career artists and curators: to help cover the costs of research, experimentation, creation, production and/or career development
Research/Creation/Development – Established artists and curators: to help cover the costs of research, experimentation, creation, production and/or career development
Research/Creation/Development – Collaborations: to help cover the costs of artists to collaborate on research, experimentation, creation, production and/or career development
Connections: to help cover the costs of projects that connect Ontario craft with audiences and expand the public profile and appreciation for craft; programming that encourages craft-based critical discourse and curatorial practice; and activities that make connections within the Ontario craft community
Find more details here
The Black Arts Projects Program supports arts projects by Black artists, Black artist collectives, and Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving organizations. For the purpose of this program, “Black” refers to African descendant people across the diaspora including but not limited to African Canadian, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, East African, West African, Southern and Central African, Afro-Arab, Afro Indigenous, etc. This funding program is intended to support the development, continuation, and flourishing of Black arts communities.
Find more details here
Toronto Arts Council’s Visual Artist Program: Creation provides support to visual artists who have a professional independent art practice for the creation/production of new work or the completion of works in progress. Funds are intended to cover direct costs of creation/production, and materials.
Visual Arts includes drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, printmaking, performance art, installation and fine crafts and more. The Visual Artist Program: Creation does not include film or video makers- they apply to the Media Artist Program: Creation.
Find more details here
Toronto Arts Council Writers Program supports the creation of new literary works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction (including novels, short stories, children’s literature, graphic novels, etc.), literary non-fiction, poetry and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap and spoken-word.
Find more details here
Image Description: A colourful graphic in the centre of the image on a black background. The graphic has circular shapes in cool blue and grey tones. Over top of that is another shape in warm red and orange tones and in the very centre small yellow flames. The text on the image says "an exhibition by Wyandot Artist and utríhǫt* ~ Catherine Taǫmęˀšreˀ Tàmmaro, FIRE OVER WATER, Opening Saturday February 18, 1-4pm. Remote Gallery. 568 Richmond St. W.t, Toronto"
Catherine Tàmmaro . Fire Over Water
Feb. 18 - Mar. 17. | VIEWINGS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Opening Day: Sat. Feb. 18th 1-4pm
Remote Gallery: 568 Richmond St West, Toronto
Catherine Taǫmęˀšreˀ Tàmmaro is a multimedia artist and seated Wyandot FaithKeeper. Since 2019, Catherine has been Akin’s Elder Artist In Residence. We’re so excited Elder Catherine’s work will be coming to the Remote Gallery for her installation entitled FIRE OVER WATER. Fire Over Water involves sound, video, paintings, vitrines and more - inspired by Dr. Kathryn Magee Labelle’s book, Daughters of Aataentsic: Life Stories From Seven Generations, in conjunction with the Wendat Wyandot Women's Advisory Council.
Focused on Wendat/Wyandot women and their connection to their Ancestors, the land and waters; the Great Mystery and our Kin in the Natural World, Fire Over Water offers insight into Wendat/Wyandot placemaking, placekeeping, our Narratives, Motherwork as well as our precious relationships to each other across time, within the Wendat Confederacy.
Catherine Tàmmaro, Huronia: Sky World View, 2023, Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 30"
Image Description: Abstract painting with undulating shapes in earthtones on canvas.
Catherine embarked on this project ten years ago with Dr. Labelle and the Council. These works are her reflections on this deeply felt spiritual connection through time and space.
Catherine is active throughout the City of Toronto and beyond, in many organisations as Elder in Residence, Mentor, Teacher and Cultural Advisor. She is an alumna of OCA and has had a diverse career, multiple exhibits and installations, published written works and more. She served on the Board of the TAC, TAC’s Income Precarity Working Group and was the Chair of the Toronto Arts Council’s Indigenous Advisory Committee in 2020/21. Catherine is the Indigenous Arts Program Manager at Toronto Arts Council and continues teaching, learning and exploring her creativity and that of others.
Learn more about Catherine and her projects through her website, twitter, or instagram. You can listen to Catherine’s music project subductionCurrent, here
Image Description: Image with five logos. The logos are: Akin, Remote Gallery, Toronto Arts Council, Conservation Halton and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
This project was supported by the Canada Council of the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, Conservation Halton, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Dr. Labelle, the Wendat/Wyandot Women’s Advisory Council, Akin and the Remote Gallery.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. @CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
Image Description: A long pink rectangle banner features a white and black cloud graphic, where is written The Mindful Artist. A photo of Erica Gittens, a black woman with curly long hair in a white sweater is on the right side of the banner, next to text that reads Wed Feb 22 6pm and 'Virtual Workshop with Erica Gittens'. Below that in the right bottom corner a black AURA logo is placed, and a black Akin logo is on the upper left corner with 'zoom event' written in black next to it.
Hosted by Erica Gittens from AURA BODY+HOME, this two-hour workshop will feature a series of short lectures followed by mindful activities to integrate into your everyday life as an artist. Themes include grounding through meditation, unlocking creativity, practices to help relieve stress and tension, creating personal affirmations, and more to support your creative and personal journey. Dedicate space and time for reflection (bring a pen and notebook) and movement (standing or seated).
Erica (she/her) is a Toronto-based mindfulness artist and founder of AURA BODY+HOME for Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga. Through movement and stillness, Erica creates imaginative, mindful experiences to support the connection of mind and body as an act of self-love.
This event is hosted online and is free for Akin members, with a pay-what-you-can option for non-members. All are welcome! Participants must register through the ticket selections on this site, and links to join the workshop will be sent the day of the event.
Accessibility: This online workshop includes guided physical movements that are optional for all participants. Please note that a waiver is sent to all ticket-holders through the sign-up process. For any questions please send a message to Erin at erin@akincollective.com. There will not be an ASL interpreter at this event, but Closed Captioning is possible. Please send a note regarding any accessibility concerns in advance and we'll do our best to make things work!
You can follow Erica online at @aurabodyandhome or check out her website at www.aurabodyandhome.com. This is an Akin x AURA collaboration.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
Image description: Six photographs of Akin Studio Program artists, their art and their studios. More information and descriptions of each image can be found at the end of this blog post.
We are excited to introduce the 2023 artists in the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG! The current artist cohort includes students, emerging and professional art practitioners and curators living in Toronto. The Akin Studio Program runs from January - December annually. Selected artists moved their studio into the building for a term of one year and will share their practices with visitors through programs such as open studio events.
We invite you to click on the names of each of the artists below to visit their websites and learn more about them and their work:
Jo SiMalaya Alcampo is a collaborative partner in Kwentong Bayan Collective, they make komiks/comics and create art projects in collaboration with migrant care workers and other communities. They have exhibited and published internationally, their work is taught in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, and has been integrated into the Ontario school curriculum.
Tiana Robinson will be showcasing a selection of artwork on February 25 starting at 7pm at RAW Toronto Presents PROTOTYPE at The McCormack Warehouse.
Emily MacLennan was awarded the 2022 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Mayor’s Purchase Award. Her work, ‘Bread Factory’, is now part of the City of Toronto's permanent art collection.
Artwork by Mel Hayes titled ‘Reconstruction of the Future’ has been featured as a part of the Concept of the Year project by YummyColours on the theme “Dear Future”, a project which meditates on the coming year.
Yani Gellman is an actor, writer and director. His film ‘Greetings, from the Planet Krog!’ won the 2020 Spirit of Slamdance Award. He most recently starred in the Queensberry Pictures thriller Departing Seniors, slated for release in 2023.
You can find public artwork by Erin McCluskey inside the BMO Weston Rd & HWY 7 Branch. The mural is titled ‘The Humber River Flows Through Here’ and is a part of the BMO National Mural Series, a collaboration with STEPS Public Art and BMO Bank of Montreal.
Image descriptions (continued): 1. Artist Linds Miyo is sitting on a stool in her studio and working on a painting. She is holding a paintbrush, behind her are many large paintings. 2. Artist Jo SiMalaya Alcampo is facing the camera. They have their arms crossed are are smiling. Photo credit: Dhalia Katz 3. The studio of Anne Hamilton. There is a desk against the wall with a green chair in front of it. In the foreground is some furniture with a potted plant on it. The plant is flowering. 4. Artist Hamid Mohammadi is sitting on the floor in between his paintings which are leaning against a wall. He is smiling at the camera with his arm resting on his knee. 5. A black and white photo of Mel Hayes. She is standing in her studio surrounded by paintings and art supplies. Light is coming through an unseen window. Her hands are folded in front of her and she is smiling. 6. Artist Erin McCluskey is standing in front of a large colourful mural. She is smiling at the camera and gesturing towards the mural which shows people enjoying the outdoors.
Learn more about the three artists below, and join them online this evening for the conversation! Questions and thoughts are welcome during the event through the live "chat" option, and by messaging erin@akincollective.com in advance. This event will take place through Akin's @akinprojects Instagram Feed. To join, please follow @akinprojects and be on Instagram at 6pm!
Jennie Town is a Scarborough-based Canadian multi media artist and Indigenous Knowledge Keeper living and working in the Guildwood community for over 56 years and counting. Drawing from her experience and learnings as an Afro-Indigenous creator and teacher, Jennie's practice has covered a wealth of mediums from ceramics, jewelry and painting to beading, leatherwork, drum-making, and a variety of craft techniques that frequently use gathered and naturally-sourced materials. A great believer in sharing the creative process and nourishing the experiences of others Jennie's role as an artist extends into community engagement through workshops, guided walks and local events. Follow Jennie on Instagram at @foreverjenniedesigns
Wandy Cheng (she/her) is a multidisciplinary illustrator from Hong Kong whose work embodies contrasting textures and repeated patterns through various creative outputs, including ceramics, paper-cut and public art. She helps local businesses create a memorable presence in their communities by simplifying conceptual ideas into vibrant visuals — an illustrator illustrating illustrations. Her work is inspired by memories of lived experiences, architectures, and environments. In recent years, her illustration can be seen both on the streets of the city and within the pages of international publications. Follow Wandy on Instagram @wandy_cheng
Theresa Hopkins is a black multidisciplinary artist and arts organizer living and working in Toronto. Her work focuses on themes surrounding identity, emotion and her interactions with the world as a black woman. Using colourful, tactile materials and subject matter, her work draws on nostalgia juxtaposed with heavy, mature themes. She has shown her work at 8-11 gallery, The Whitehouse Studio Project, Whippersnapper, The Plumb gallery and most recently a solo exhibition at The Remote Gallery. Follow Theresa on Instagram @thopkinsart
Image Descriptions: 1. Beaded earrings made by Jennie Town are hanging on the edge of a clear glass jar in front of a purple background. The earrings feature many beads with angular patterns with beaded tassels hanging from the ends. 2. A mural painted by Wandy Cheng using blue, green, white and pink colors depicting an environment centered around a waterfall leading to a lake, with plants and animals in the surroundings. 3. A painting by Theresa Hopkins hanging on a wall and brightly lit. In the painting the artist sits at a poker table in a luxury casino. She is surrounded by cartoon characters. In front of her are a stack of chips and 3 tarot cards.
Upcoming Opportunities and Calls for Submissions
Who needs the sun, when there are so many opportunities to make ourselves shine? Beat the winter blues by going for gold with these Calls for Submissions with deadlines in February and March.
Image description: a person is sitting at a work table which is covered with ceramic tools and materials. In the background are shelves with more tools and materials for their work.
Craft & Design at Harbourfront Centre is accepting applications for residencies in Ceramics, Glass, Metal/Jewellery, Design and Textiles. Open to recent graduates and emerging artists with equivalent experience, Artists-in-Residence can enjoy access to affordable studio space, receive mentorship, participate in exhibitions and be part of a supportive community.
Find more details here
Description: Calling all printmakers! FUTURE PROOF is an annual virtual auction of stunning artwork to browse, bid on, and buy outright. The online auction will feature a juried selection of prints alongside a curated collection of contemporary art by artists from the wider Toronto arts community who support Open Studio.
Find more details here
Image description: Two simple line drawings side by side with black lines and muted colour highlights. The first is of an entranceway with steps leading to the door and lights hanging nearby. The second is of a two story home. There’s a fence surrounding the home and two tall trees in the yard. Image source: Klondike Institute of Art and Culture website.
Description: Founded in 2001, in a partnership with Parks Canada, the KIAC Artist in Residence Program has welcomed over 300 talented artists, musicians and filmmakers to Dawson City from all regions of Canada and around the world. The residence accommodates two artists concurrently for research, development and production of ongoing or new bodies of work.
KIAC accepts applications from visual artists, media artists and interdisciplinary artists, as well as curators. Consideration will be given to professional, established and emerging Canadian and international artists. All disciplines will be considered.
Find more details here
Image description: A still from a film, a shirtless person sits at a desk, writing in a notebook. Behind them is a bookshelf in shadows, and a windowsill holds vibrant green plants. In Memory’s Theatre (2021) By William Stock
Description: Trinity Square Video and Vtape are seeking video works from undergraduate or graduate level students, who are currently enrolled at any Ontario-based post-secondary institution! Selected works will be part of a screening taking place in March 2023.
This is a professional, juried screening. All chosen artists will receive an IMAA screening fee and a free one-year production membership to Trinity Square Video. One selected winner will also receive a $500 cash prize sponsored by Vtape!
Find more details here
Description: It’s back again – East End Arts is thrilled to announce that ArtMEETS is back this winter for its sixth year! Four workshops, all PWYC (Pay What You Can), and all about getting creative and beating the winter blues. ArtMEETS workshops are led by talented, engaging, and supportive artist facilitators, and each workshop is an opportunity for adults to learn a new art skill, meet new people, and let your creative side shine! Our hygge edition workshops are focused on getting cozy and crafty at home with simple supplies and tools. Workshops run on Saturday afternoons in February (four workshops total) from 1-4pm, online via Zoom. We are accepting a maximum of 20 participants per workshop, so register early for those that interest you!
Find more details here
Image description: a purple background with various sized snowflake graphics and the words “ArtMEETS Winter Hygge Edition! in the centre”
“In brief, hygge is about taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about - or even by yourself - to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures.”
Description: The City of Toronto invites professional artists (including artist teams) to submit their Expression of Interest to the first stage of a competition for integrated public artwork(s) as part of the redesign and replacement of the Overlea Boulevard Bridge and surrounding road work improvements.
The art component of this revitalized public space will be selected through an open two-stage competition, with a net budget of approximately $600,000. The project budget includes all costs directly associated with the artwork: all fees for design, fabrication, installation, engineering and professional services, insurance, travel and other incidental expenses.
Find more details here
Artist Talk and Q&A: FREE
February 6th at 6pm: ONLINE through Instagram 'Live'
Please join us online on Monday February 6th for a special Artist Q&A with Scarborough Highlights artists Theresa Hopkins, Wandy Cheng and Jennie Town, who were featured participants in Akin's recent Winter Exhibition and Market at the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough. Among other things, we'll be asking what it means to be an artist from Scarborough? What kinds of experiences do artists face when practicing outside the downtown core? How can cities and organizations better support artists facing different barriers of access and opportunity?
This event will take place through Akin's @akinprojects Instagram Feed. To join, please follow @akinprojects and be on Instagram at 6pm on February 6th 2023! Questions and thoughts are welcome during and before the event through the live "chat" option, and by messaging erin@akincollective.com in advance.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
Are you feeling the winter blues? Need some inspiration? Try going out to see some art! These three exhibitions are happening right now, featuring Akin Studio members Jen Arron, Marcia Bianchi & Hana Elmasry.
Image Description: Three large textile weavings hand on a white wall. The weavings have a variety of textures and materials and are blue, white and black in colour. Artwork by Jen Arron.
On until: March 8th, 2023
Where: The Lobby by Heaps Estrin, 1120 Yonge Street, Toronto
Gallery hours: Mon-Wed 10am-6pm / Thu-Fri: 10am-7pm / Sat: 10am-6pm / Sun: 11am-5pm
Jen Arron is a studio-based textile artist in Toronto. She works with globally sourced fibers to create works that have scale & presence. Weaving entirely by hand, in a freestyle approach, Jen’s large-scale woven pieces explore our connection through time, geography, and materials. There is an ecosystem of life in each of Jen Arron’s pieces. Jen’s process embodies her search for the unique feeling of discovering what she would like to come upon in her work. www.jenarron.com
Image Description: The background shows a close-up of a painting by Marcia Bianchi in swirling shapes and brown and cream colours. ON the left side of the image is white text with the exhibition information.
On until: January 29th, 2023
Where: Gallery 1313 in the Cell Gallery, 1313 Queen St West, Toronto
Gallery hours: Wed-Sat 1pm-5pm, Sun 1pm-4pm
Emotive Distance is a group of oil paintings that focuses on the female form, drawing from various influences including contemporary photography and ancient European sculpture. This series invites the viewer to mimic the stillness present in each painting, and contemplate their own inner state, starting with where they find discomfort. The intention is to enter the void through recognizing that which stands out to us about the work, and following it. Click here to learn more about the exhibition.
Marcia Bianchi is a contemporary figurative artist based in Toronto, Canada. Her work has evolved since pursuing a career in graphic design, when she began fusing the design principles with canvas. Heavily influenced by psychology and the exploration of the mind, her intention is to create pieces that will allow the viewer to experience a moment of ease. Her practice continues to evolve as she explores mediums and muses. marciabianchi.ca
Image above: An abstoract Painting by Hana Elmasry with a variety of shapes and colours
On until: February 18th, 2023
Where: Corkin Gallery, 7 Tank House Lane
Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm
From memories of cityscapes or the openness of the universe to the intimacy of floral motifs, To be conceived brings together the work Corkin Gallery’s represented artists. The exhibition commemorates recent creations in conversation with iconic bodies of work that continue enriching aesthetic dialogues. Click here to learn more about the exhibition.
Hana Elmasry investigates identity, visual expression and therapy. Through memories, the artist focuses on creating a visual cosmos, making reference at times to a connection with her Egyptian heritage. Creating a constellation of small-scale canvases, each work is also a universe unto itself. Each piece is wholly unique, often integrating collage and diverse materials within a peaceful palette; some works explore the limits of the canvas by deconstructing the traditional frame. Elmasry frequently adds materials that become a pleasure to the senses, like oils and reptile skin, achieving a multisensory experience of reflection. Hana Elmasry is represented by Corkin Gallery.
Blue text on a white background reads Investing on a Budget, with a black banner beneath reading January 24th 5-6PM, and a black Akin logo is situated on the top left corner next to the words Online Workshop. Underneath the text are yellow coins stacked on one another.
For the last of our 3-part series on Financial Literacy and Learning, Akin invites artists and the public to join us for Investing On A Budget, hosted in collaboration with facilitators from our partners at Wealthsimple. This month's session will be focussing on Investing: What is involved and how can it work for you?
TO REGISTER CLICK HERE.
Artists may be seen as free-lance or independent workers, perhaps coming to the “business” of art without a great deal of financial literacy. As such, information and resources around investing, saving money and planning for retirement may be something many folks in our community are lacking.
We're inviting artists to submit their questions and queries to erin@akincollective.com. Your questions will support the presentation and may be used during the Q&A period following.
Thanks to our community facilitators Wealthsimple! “Personal finance is the art of managing your money. How much to save, where to invest and how to budget. None of us are born knowing how to put together a smart, simple financial plan.” Please feel free to check out their website at wealthsimple.com for more information on learning and resources towards greater financial literacy.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back to what turned out to be an exciting year for Akin. We opened three studio locations, expanded our Team with the addition of 7 new staff members and 4 new studio assistants, hosted dozens of events and exhibitions at Remote Gallery, supported artists in need with over $5000 from the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund, and were thrilled to offer a variety of programming including more in-person events (while still maintaining lots of virtual programming options as well). We’ve got lots in store for 2023, but first, we thought we’d take a moment to recap all that’s happened in 2022.
Images above: Five photographs of various artist studios at Akin Stockyards, Akin Bloor-Yonge, and Akin Waterfront. The photographs show artist workspaces and works in progress.
Akin Stockyards is currently our largest studio space, host to over sixty artists. Since its opening, Akin Stockyards has shaped into such a wonderful and vibrant community. Highlights include the huge opening party with live music, games and food. Looking for a studio in the new year? Akin Stockyards still has some Dedicated and Shared Memberships available space left, email info@akincollective.com for more details.
Right in the heart of downtown Toronto, Akin Bloor Yonge opened to much excitement, and filled up quickly! (email us to be added to the waiting list). With Akin Bloor Younge we were happy to be able to start offering private studios again, which we have not been able to do since we closed our Akin King location.
Nestled in Waterfront Toronto right near the lake, Akin Waterfront has become an exciting new studio location for us and our members! Akin Waterfront boasts many interesting features, like the Spray Booth, ventilated to accommodate indoor spray painting, and the large flex room for our members to book when they need some extra space to meet a client or photograph their work. We are looking forward to adding more amenities at Akin in the coming years!
Interested in an Akin studio in 2023? Click here to see what is currently available!
We kicked off the year with a jam packed, sold out webinar explaining how to do taxes as an artist. The talk, given by accountant Kelly Ross, gave attendees helpful tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your returns, keep records, and write off expenses for your business. We followed that with a series of workshops with WealthSimple on subjects such as Financial Planning, and Budgeting Tips & Tricks If you missed these, don’t fear! Stay tuned in 2023 for more financial literacy workshops from Akin!
After two challenging yeards during the pandemic where we had to keep our spaces close to the public, we were so thrilled to be able to host visitors at our studios again in 2022! We had multiple Open Studio Events throughout the year where our artists had an opportunity to show their works, and visitors got a chance to check out the studios.
Image description: A group of people are exploring the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG. The image centres on the aisle of the studio where many people are wandering around and looking at the studios.
In March 2022, artist Yasmeen Nematt Alla hosted ‘A Love Letter to your Practice’ a virtual writing workshop and meditation to celebrate the love we have for our own art practices. Together, we took a moment to slow down and reflect on how important practice is, how it is a home for our passions, our livelihood, and our mental health. We followed that with a series of online conversations on Mental Health for Artists with artist and psychologist (and Akin member) Kim Foster Yardley. We hope to bring you more wellness workshops in the new year!
Akin has been hosting Gallery Crawls since the very beginning, almost fifteen years ago. In the spring of 2022 Akin went back to its roots! Friends and studio members met at the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG and headed out to view all the work on display for the Toronto Biennial. Did you miss this one? There will be more art crawls in the future!
We finished off the year with a bang, hosting a (nearly) month-long Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the brand new Clark Centre, Scarborough. With over 60 artists participating, there was art on the walls, tables filled with handmade art, and music in the air! A huge thank you to everyone who made that event such a success.
Image: Artwork hanging in a brightly lit gallery space.
Stay tuned for what we have in store in 2023. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, follow @akinprojects on instagram, Akin Projects on Facebook, or visit our website for up-to-date information on events, updates, and studio news as it rolls out in the new year!
Hit the ground running in 2023 with these opportunities coming your way! There are opportunities for artists of all experience levels. To give yourself the best chance, prepare your application ahead of time and ask a friend to review your proposal before sending it out.
Deadline: January 16, 2023
Description: TOAF is seeking proposals for installation, sculpture, new media and performance art that are appropriate for an outdoor setting and related weather conditions.
Art Nest project provides emerging and equity-seeking artists with the opportunity to create their first public artworks in consultation with a curator and mentor during the Fair. The program provides artists with the experience, infrastructure, training and audience exposure needed to build confidence for future public art competitions and commissions. Proposals should also account for visitor safety. All proposals are subject to approval by the City of Toronto. Show organizers will assign space at Nathan Phillips Square.
An artist fee of $2,000 plus $2,000 for material costs will be paid to each selected artist.
More details and to apply here
Deadline: March 1, 2023
Description: The Get Reel Mental Health Film Festival at Stella's Place is an opportunity to spark conversation, educate our community, create a space for healing, and feature stories about our mental health. Looking for short film proposals to be a part of the 2023 Get Reel Film Festival.
Learn more and submit here
Deadline: February 6, 2023
Description: This outdoor sculpture garden invites artists to submit proposals for the garden’s 11th exhibition year. The property offers a wide variety of sites for placement. Areas to consider include the sculpture garden proper, the outdoor area by the wintery, the zone immediately surrounding the gallery, and the pond (limestone quarry). Proposals will be reviewed and selected by the gallery. Sculptures must be original, durable and safe for viewing by the public in an unsupervised natural area. They must be able to withstand extreme year-round weather conditions and tolerate strong winds. This includes rain, snow, wind and salty air. The work must also be available for sale. The artist is responsible for the transportation, installation and removal of their work in the event it does not sell. Interested artists are to submit proposals to: Dana Charles dcharles@oenogallery.com
Learn more and submit here
Deadline: February 14, 2023
Description: The World Illustration Awards are a year-round celebration of the power and diversity of illustration being made today. Selected entries are shared on the popular @worldillustrationawards Instagram. This is followed by the announcement in May of 500 longlisted projects, and then the release of the 200 shortlisted projects which will feature in an Online Showcase on the AOI’s website launching in July. A highlight of the Awards year is the excitement of the winners announcement in September. One New Talent and one Professional Overall winner will be awarded cash prizes and profiled on the AOI website.
Learn more and submit here
Deadline: January 16, 2023
Description: Lumière: The Art of Light (formerly Winter Light Exhibition) is an acclaimed annual art event that will temporarily transform Trillium Park, the new home for the event in 2023. This free light exhibition invites visitors to explore the park and experience art developed by Ontario artists. Utilizing innovation, light and discovery, Lumière encourages Ontario-based artists and creators to “illuminate” the park under a curatorial theme of “renewal”, celebrating the change of seasons from winter to spring.
Learn more and submit here
Deadline: January 9, 2023
Description: The Artists’ Network is welcoming exhibition proposals from the visual arts community, curators, artists, collectives, working across a wide range of mediums to exhibit in its Leslie Grove Gallery during 2023.
The Artists’ Network is particularly interested in engaging proposals from diverse creative communities to share their respective voices. We also encourage proposals that challenge the visual arts’ definition and boundaries, whether socially or aesthetically. Besides a gallery exhibition, submissions can include an artist’s talk, art demonstration, community participation event.
Learn more and submit here
Deadline: January 13, 2023
Description: Pride Toronto is excited to announce that applications have now opened for their 2023 Festival for artists of all forms and mediums. This year it will be a fully in-person Festival featuring over 400 artists across Festival Weekend with 3 days and 6 stages, as well as many events throughout May and June. They are looking to hire all mediums of artists, including but not limited to, singers, dancers, drag artists, DJs, performance artists, circus artists, graphic designers, digital installation artists and visual artists. There will be an online info session on January 11 for any prospective artists which you can register for here
Learn more and submit here (scroll down to Artist Registration)
Deadline: February 13, 2022
Description: Step Above Stigma (SAS) is a registered mental health charity focused on empowering youth and young adults, facilitating systemic change, and eliminating stigma. SAS is hosting its upcoming Candid Conversations Coffee House at Beatrice Society Cafe (subject to change) on March 8th, 2023. They are looking for submissions of interest from artists to participate in the silent auction portion of this event. They are planning on running a silent auction throughout the night that features artwork by local artists. Artists may choose the starting bid and receive 70% of the purchase price, with the remainder retained as a donation to SAS. We are looking for art pieces that speak to individual experiences with mental health.
To learn more Click here to download the PDF Call
We continue today with our final post highlighting the creative work and Akin spirit of five artists from our beloved St. Clair Studio! Introducing Natalie Plociennik and Rumi! Continue reading to learn more about these artists, their art practices, and why they love working in an Akin studio! Click here to visit part one of this blog post where we met three other Akin St Clair artists.
Read MoreAs the year comes to a close, we would like to highlight the creative work and Akin spirit of five artists from our beloved St. Clair Studio! Today we are introducing Liliana Botero, Tam Phan, and Rose Sevhan Kaynar. Continue reading to learn more about these artists, their art practices, and why they love working in an Akin studio! And stay tuned tomorrow for Part Two!
Read MoreWritten by Charlotte Van Ryn
Image above: A view of the Clark Centre from the outside. The night sky is dark blue and black, and the Clark Centre is brightly lit inside. A person on the street walks towards the building.
This December, Akin is host to a Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the Clark Centre in Scarborough, nestled in the beautiful, historic Guildwood Park. It’s the perfect place to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts for your loved ones this holiday season, and view three floors of artwork on display by participating artists!
The event is highlighting Akin artists among artists from Scarborough and the surrounding area. Theresa Hopkins’ self reflective, whimsical portrait and Wandy Cheng’s floral, playful paintings were selected as featured Scarborough Artists.
Image description: Jennie Town sits at her booth at the Winter and Arts Market. Her hair is in braids and she’s wearing a black hat and glasses. Jennie is sewing into a piece of birch bark. On her table is a large display of jewelry, dreamcatchers and handmade crafts.
The event kicked off last weekend; upstairs, the market was in full swing. Prints, ceramics, even holiday decorations were on full display. Jennie Town, pictured above, had a beautiful selection of birch bark earrings, dream catchers, handmade deer hide drums and willowwork. A multidisciplinary indigenous artist, and a Scarboroughlocal, Jennie is passionate about Guildwood park and the Clarke Centre, for which she attended the local planning meetings before it was built.
Image Description: A long white wall inside the Clark Centre displays a series of hanged paintings. Two people stand in front of a large painting at the end of the hal
Paintings and sculpture cover the walls on all three floors of the Clark Centre. Notably, the exhibition Through A Hundred Windows features work from artists who were given the same base material, a wooden “window”, but styled their own way. Hung side by side, they create a unified, yet singularly unique look. Through a Hundred Windows will be up all month - all works are for sale directly through the artist and 100% of the proceeds from every sale go direct to the artist. Interested in purchasing work from the exhibition? Click here to see a list of participating artists.
If you missed last weekend’s market, fear not! There’s another weekend market coming up, December 10 and 11 from 11-6 to pick up holiday gifts for friends and family. The exhibition will be up until December 18th, and can be visited any day of the week. Click here to find out more about the event and the participating artists.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
Have you been to our market yet? What’re you waiting for! Gifts for loved ones to celebrate the holiday season are at the tip of your fingers. Join us today from 11 to 6PM for a chance to see what our market has to offer.
Here are some images of our featured artists in order:
Jessica Sinopoli, Jordan Shaw, Katerina Bohac, Leila Refahi, Nathan Cole
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. @CanadaCouncil #BringingTheArtsToLife
Today is the beginning of our market and we’re pumped to see each of you! Join us for the opening reception on December 3rd, 2022 1-3 pm, and drop in for live music and a variety of beautiful gifts at the Arts Market on the weekends of December 3/4th and 10/11th, 11-6 pm! The exhibition will be open during regular Clark Centre hours during the week as well.
Accessibility & Site Address:
The Clarke Centre is fully accessible with elevators to all three floors, barrier-free washrooms on each floor and automatic doors on the bathrooms and the front door. Located at 191 Guildwood Pkwy, The Clark Centre for the arts has free but limited parking. By TTC: from Kennedy Station, take the 116 bus to Guildwood Pkwy at the Guild Inn stop.
For more information, visit our link in bio.
Check out some of our featured artists below:
Daria Beer, Dhiviya Prabaharan, Dorota Dziong, Ella Mazur, Ellis Ricketts, Emily Honderich
