Call for Submissions - Feminist Art Festival

Feminist Art Festival

Date: March 2020

Location: OCAD University, Toronto, Canada

Deadline: September 1, 2019

Feminist Art Collective (FAC) is a Toronto-based organization that brings together artists, academics, and activists to consider feminist issues through art and dialogue. We are currently accepting submissions for our March 2020 exhibition and conference.

If you are an emerging, established, and/or community artist that addresses intersectional social justice feminist themes in your work, we want to hear from you!

We encourage submissions from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists to further the discussion around recommendations in the recently released Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report in Canada.

We are committed to creating an event that is diverse and reflective of all our communities and we are actively encouraging artists who experience multiple forms of oppression to submit. We strongly encourage Artists with Disabilities, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Two Spirit Folks, Queer, Trans and Non-Binary/Gender Nonconforming people to apply.

FAC Vision

Feminist Art Collective (FAC) aims to showcase like-minded, multi-disciplinary art including visual art, film, theatre arts, music, dance, design, spoken word and literature. We will create a space that is celebratory, positive, intellectually engaging and provocative. We are committed to this space being trans-inclusive, anti-racist, and intersectional. Furthermore, by providing an opportunity for feminist artists to meet and share their work, we believe we can provide opportunities for networking and future artistic collaboration that can inspire social change and empowerment. We have the vision that the ripple effect from this type of artistic sharing and learning can provoke positive transformations in both our communities and our minds.

Only a few days left to check out Tsunami by Gwen Tooth at Red Head Gallery

There are only a few days left to check out Tsunami, a solo exhibition by Akin Lansdowne artist Gwen Tooth at Red Head Gallery. The show runs until August 24, 2019. The exhibition is Gwen’s exploration of expressing the soul, energy and movement of bodies of water.

“This exploration into the destructive and damaging force of tsunami walls took me further into the dark side and danger of uncontrollable walls of water. I incorporated bits of gold foil, and many types of textured mediums, such as black lava, resin, sand and glass beads, to express the nature and power of the churning and fast-moving wall of water as it picked up debris, crunched prized possessions, and stirred up the ground beneath it. This was and is the force of total destruction. I look back upon the evolution of my work as the semblance of reality disappears, yet the essence and feeling remain. With the installation of these paintings in close proximity, as I stand in the middle of the room, I am feeling that nature is in charge, not humans.”
- Gwen Tooth

About Gwen Tooth:
Gwen is an experimental and expressionist painter. She has in recent years completed several series of acrylic paintings revealing the moods and energies of water – whirlpools, waterfalls, and tsunamis. Gwen is a member of Propeller and of Gallery 1313. She is an Associate member of the Society of Canadian Artists. Gwen holds a B.A. from Western University, a BFA (Honours) 2005 from Ontario College of Art and Design University and a Fine Arts Certificate (Honours) from Humber College. www.zhibit.org/gwentooth

TAS Presents Makers' Market this Saturday at The Planet

TAS invites you to to support local artists & makers of all kinds and visit their Makers’ Market is this Saturday, Aug 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Planet at 1655 Dupont St. There will be something for everyone.

 TAS is a community-focused, mixed-use developer that is deeply committed to building resilient urban villages founded on sustainable connections to food, family and future. TAS cultivates long-term relationships with communities to ensure their positive impact extends well beyond the footprint of their buildings.

You are also invited to TAS’ Block Party on Sunday, September 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate the end of an exciting summer at The Planet. There will be a POP-UP Adventure Playground by EarthPLAY, a colouring mural & local food vendors—fun for the whole family!

Please RSVP here, hope to see you there!

33rd Images Festival Call for ON SCREEN Submissions

Established in 1987, IMAGES FESTIVAL is the longest running and most influential moving image festival in Canada. Our ON SCREEN program is an annual survey dedicated to contemporary artist’s film and video presented in a cinema context and to moving image in all its forms.

Images presents work that counters dominant mainstream narratives and provides alternative ways of thinking and seeing that expands the understanding of media art through our programming and education-based initiatives. 

Images Festival does not select films based on any particular themes, genres or aesthetic categories but selects moving image works that share formal and political sensibilities which emerge from recent critical discourses between contemporary art, cinema and media arts. 

DATES

The 33rd edition of Images Festival will take place between April 16 to 22, 2020.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Monday, October 14, 2019. 

GENERAL SUBMISSION ELIGIBILITY

Images Festival will consider works that have been completed in the last three years, including short, mid-length and feature films. Artists maintain final edit and copyright control. 

If you submit an incomplete film (rough cuts, works-in-progress), the picture must be locked. We do not offer funds for the completion of works, or take on commissions.

STUDENT SUBMISSION ELIGIBILITY

Images Festival will accept student works that have been completed in the last academic year (2019/2020) for consideration in our annual International Student Showcase program, which is programmed by students and/or recent graduates. The work must not exceed 20 minutes in length in order to qualify.

Student artists and filmmakers can submit a maximum of two submissions/works. If there are multiple submissions, only the first two works submitted by each student will be reviewed. 

If students elect to submit to the general On Screen Competition program (rather than in the student category), the entry fee requirement applies. 

PLEASE NOTE: Student works may NOT be entered into both the Student and On Screen Competition programs.

Self-care 'n Sisterhood: Seasons of Self-care

Do you constantly feel overwhelmed with life and have little or no time for self-care?

Did you know that BURNOUT is now an official medical diagnosis?

Research by The Mental Health Commission of Canada highlights lack of culturally relevant information and community support as some gaps in our current mental health care systems.

Ebony Girls Obsession is empowering black women to tap into a higher level of self-care, while building a supportive community.

At our monthly in-person, Self-care In Sisterhood sessions we focus on pouring into ourselves; sharing stories and resources; and holding each other accountable in our self-care journey. We engage in activities such as: storytelling, creative writing, community building, and creative games + exercises.

Like nature, we experience everything in seasons. So, for sessions 13 - 15 we will be exploring how to practice self-care through different seasons and moments of adversity. Each session will be as follows:

August 25 - Session 15: Self-care through adversity (co-facilitated by: Rochelle Miller)

Rochelle Miller is a multi-disciplinary movement coach and facilitator. In her teens, she trained in many different sports before starting the practice of yoga & yoga asana in her early 20s. This lead to a life long journey of inquiry and self-discovery through movement and mindfulness.

She began teaching in 2014 and her work has focused on creating spaces for embodied movement specifically in groups that have experienced trauma, and this informs all of her offerings.

She is a student first and is continuously learning new and different ways to experience joy through movement. She brings together a unique blend of yoga Postures, primary movement principles, as well as strength and mobility coaching.

Sick & Disabled Queer Zine Fair - August 25th

The Sick & Disabled Queer Zine Fair (SDQZF - known last year as SDQYZF) is back again for a second year with Bricks & Glitter! Come check out the fair featuring zines, art and merch to purchase from a sweet line-up (TBA) of sick, disabled, d/Deaf, Mad and neurodivergent 2SLGBTQ+ vendors.

The fair will take place Sunday August 25th from 1pm-5pm at the George Chuvalo Community Centre (50 Sousa Mendes St). This venue is a fully accessible facility, has all-gender washrooms, and ASL interpretation has been confirmed. The event is FREE or by donation (optional) for the Bricks & Glitter festival fund.

ACCESS INFO
The building has power doors, level floors (no steps) , all-gender washrooms (including one large single stall accessible washroom, and multi stall washrooms with some larger stalls), an elevator, and there will be a 'chill out' room for folks to sit, relax, and have light snacks. The main space is lined with very large windows so the space will be lit with natural light, and supplemented with lighting from multiple standing lamps if needed (if it is overcast and darker outside).

The George Chuvalo Community Centre strives to provide a scent-free environment. For the safety of our vendors and attendees with chemical disabilities, we ask that you do not wear scented products (perfume, cologne, essential oils, scented body products) in the space. If you are a smoker, please take a walk/roll down or across the street to smoke and make sure to wash your hands with the scent-free soap in the bathroom before approaching vendors.

BRICKS & GLITTER - We are a trouble of queers who believe in creativity and collectivity, in imagining together a world worth living in. Intersectional by default and critical by necessity, we are trying to create a space for us all of us, to world build together, and to practice the future in the now. Bricks and Glitter is a community arts festival, celebrating two-spirit, trans and queer talent, ingenuity, caring, anger, and abundance.

Best Of Our Neighbourhood: BOON by Tune Your Ride Collective

August 13 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm & August 24 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Tune Your Ride Collective will host BOON: community open stages featuring local artists on a stage completely powered by stationary bicycles. Top performers will open the 10th Annual Toronto Bicycle Music Festival on August 24th.

Musicians, actors, authors, comedians, magicians, and dancers of all types, cultures, and ages are invited to share your talent at BOON: a family-friendly community open-stage powered completely by stationary bicycles.

Are you a performer who would like to sign up? See here: torontobicyclemusicfestival.com

Free Summer Programming at the Gardiner Museum

Community Arts Space: What we long for

July 9 to September 4

The Gardiner Museum presents a full summer of free programming, including community exhibitions, hands-on workshops, talks, and a podcast series co-presented with Hyperallergic. Inspired by the transformative possibilities of clay, the Community Arts Space is a platform for local artists, youth, curators, and community organizers.

How can we take care of ourselves, as well as each other?

This year’s Community Arts Space is inspired by the theme “What we long for”, and features four public projects that engage with community healing, survival tools, transformative justice, the gaps between community and institutional memory, and how craft creates opportunities for acknowledgment and action.

Visit gardinermuseum.com/whatwelongfor for the full schedule and to register for free events.

Shary Boyle, Triumph of the Will, 2010, Gardiner Museum, Gift of Sarah and Tom Milroy. Photo: Brian Boyle.

The Projects: Art Movements

July 9 – August 20
Co-presented with Hyperallergic

Hosted by Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic, this limited-run podcast inspired by the Gardiner’s collection invites prominent artists like Kent Monkman and Shary Boyle to explore the social history of ceramics and its multifaceted role in our culture. Through personal anecdotes, art historical reflection, and archival recordings, this four-part series explores issues at the intersection of contemporary ceramics and museums.

Learn more here: https://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/event/art-movements/

Intimate Encounters - Animate Histories

August 1 – 15
Co-presented with The 519, Salon Noir, and YYZ Artists Outlet

Inspired by the ‘cruising’ histories of nearby Queen’s Park, artist Abdi Osman and curator Ellyn Walker consider the diverse ways in which culturally-specific experiences of desire, physical expression, and social connection take up space across Toronto. Intimate Encounters ~ Animate Histories makes visible the dignity, love, and generative practices embedded in local Black, Trans, and Queer histories through community art-making workshops, talks, and an exhibition.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/2ZPESQM

Reading Room: Queen’s Park Oral History Transcriptions
August 14 & September 12, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Join us for a collective reading and discussion of anonymous transcripts from artist Abdi Osman’s oral history research around cruising encounters in Queen’s Park.

The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project – A Flight Path Without Borders

August 22 – September 4
Co-presented with Akin and Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization

Coinciding with the arrival of the monarch butterflies in Canada and their departure to Mexico, the Davenport Perth Community Ministry, alongside Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization, held a series of clay butterfly-making workshops facilitates by artists Lourdes (Lumy) Fuentes and Tina Conlon. These ceramic butterflies, installed in the Gardiner’s Exhibition Hall and Ancient Americas Gallery, are intended to mobilize conversation and action surrounding both the decline of the monarch and the migrant crisis.

Learn more here: https://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/event/sin-fronteras-monarch-butterfly-project/

The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project – A Flight Path Without Borders Project Launch
August 22, 6 – 8 pm
All are welcome to attend the public opening of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project, featuring a butterfly dance performed by seniors of the Davenport-Perth Community, music, refreshments, and more.

Family Sunday: Spread Your Wings
August 25, 11 am – 3 pm
Just before the monarch butterflies begin their annual migration to Mexico, join us for a special ceramic butterfly-making workshop in English and Spanish.

The Storefront Gallery at Arts Etobicoke Presents Etobicoke School of the Arts Dual Show

Dates: July 22 - August 23, 2019
Location: The Storefront Gallery
Opening Reception: July 31 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Join us on Wednesday, July 31, for the opening reception where the artists will speak about their artistic processes and concepts. Flow State is a dual show by grade 11 artists Ruby Davies and Eli Lang from Etobicoke School of the Arts.

Flow State is the state of creating where everything else around you, except your art, becomes irrelevant. Artists Eli Lang and Ruby Davies show off their unique, and yet complementary, artistic works in this brand new exhibition. Lang's breathtaking landscapes and Davies's wonderful representation of the body truly take the eye and imagination on a journey, and make anything else you see seem irrelevant!

"Untitled", Lang (Painting)

Art Starts' Street Art Festival - Tomorrow!

The Art Starts Street Art Festival (ASSAF) will creatively animate Glenholme Ave. from Eglinton Ave. to Lanark Ave. through a full day of FREE performances, art exhibits, and hands-on collaborative art making.

Over 15 local professional artists will inject colour, music, and free creative art-making across different artistic disciplines on Saturday, July 27th, 2019 from 11 am to 5 pm. You can expect mural making, puppet making, belly dancing, self-portrait making, and much more!

Participate in collaborative art-making and performances by artists such as: professional belly dancer Jaicyea Smith, ukulele player and singer 'K Funk', spoken word artist Patrick Walters, portraiture artist Yara El Safi, and MANY more!

Akin Lakeshore: Akin Transforms Unused Etobicoke Office Space into Artist Studios

July 22, 2019.

Akin is excited to announce its expansion into Etobicoke with the addition of its newest location, Akin Lakeshore. Converting 6,000sqft of an unused and vacant commercial building located at 2970 Lakeshore Blvd West into usable space for local artists, Akin Lakeshore will provide more than 30 dedicated art studios and workspaces available to rent for creative endeavours of all kinds. 

Studios at Akin Lakeshore will range in price and size, starting at 25sqft or $165/month to 140sqft for $551/month, as well as large, open communal areas to accommodate Shared Memberships for $70/month. All rentals include 24/7 access to the studio building, taxes, insurance, wifi, and access to the communal working areas, storage, kitchen, and bathroom facilities.

In addition to studio space, Akin plans to expand its programming initiatives at this new location and introduce a series of free and low-cost public events launching in the Fall of 2019. 

This exciting expansion will increase Akin’s size to approximately 45,000 sqft of studio space serving nearly 400 artists, enabling Akin to continue addressing the ever-increasing scarcity of affordable workspace across our city.

Special thank you to local arts organizations Arts Etobicoke, Lakeshore Arts and the Humber Arts Commons for welcoming us into the neighbourhood!

If you are interested in renting a studio at Akin Lakeshore, please join us for one of our Open Studio days in August where you can have a look around the new space, and find out more about Akin! Our staff will be available to answer your questions and show you around. Everyone is welcome! Please note that the studios are located on the third floor of the building and there is no elevator. Akin regrets this barrier to access. 

Open Studio Days:
August 16 from 6-9pm
August 20 from 4-7pm 

We will be scheduling one-on-one tours in September for anyone who cannot make it to the Open House days. Please get in touch for more information, pricing inquiries, to book a tour or to share ideas. We look forward to hearing from you!

CONTACT:
Jen Pilles, Studio Operations Manager
info@akincollective.com

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Getting there by TTC:
Akin Lakeshore is a 3 minute walk from the Lakeshore Blvd West at Fifth St TTC stop which services the 145 Bus and 301 / 501 Streetcars. It is a 2 minute walk from the Islington Ave at Lakeshore Blvd West stop which services the 110 Bus and 337 Bus. Plan your trip: http://www.ttc.ca/Trip_planner/index.jsp

Parking:
There is paid parking located at 2903 Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 2 minute walk from the studio. There is also a Green P Parking Lot located at 120 Sixth St, south of Lakeshore Blvd West which is approximately a 3 minute walk from the studio.

MOCA Goes Dark: Night Visions Dance and Art Party on August 17

For the first time ever MOCA Goes Dark, and invites you to explore  the museum transformed by the artists and curators of the exhibition “An Index” from the Akin Studio Program at MOCA.

Come see MOCA transformed into an interactive art party by some of Toronto’s best emerging artists. 158 Sterling Road was once the site of illicit dance parties, raves, and punk gigs that were legendary. Taking inspiration from its past as an underground nightlife hub, we will relive this wild legacy for one night only with amazing art and music that will light MOCA up in the dark. Starting at nine o’clock, come play with artist-led interactive installations and activities on the ground floor. Dance among art with beats by DJ Lulu Wei on our black light dance floor.

This party is presented with the exhibition An Index, featuring twenty-four artists from 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. Night Visions credits the importance of social play in creative production. For the first time ever MOCA Goes Dark, and invites you to explore the museum transformed by local artists. Cash-only bar will be available.

MOCA Toronto aims to be a barrier-free and accessible museum for all.

Doors at 9:00pm

Advance tickets are encouraged and are available at https://experience.museumofcontemporaryart.ca/452/802

$15 dollars regular, $10 MOCA members and students.
MOCA members log in first to add tickets to your cart.

REUNION: Sunday Drive returns in August with an immersive art show in Lakefield, Ontario

SUNDAY DRIVE ART PROJECTS is once again exposing audiences to art in unexpected places, this time presenting contemporary art in the picturesque rural setting of the Kawarthas. Returning with a new show format, in a new town, Sunday Drive will present REUNION, an immersive art experience on a private farm just outside of Peterborough in Douro-Dummer, running Friday and Saturday evenings in August 2019. 

For Torontonians, Sunday Drive is providing buses leaving from Toronto on specific nights. These buses are exceptionally fun with food and drinks provided. REUNION happens at sundown in open fields and wooded areas. Once you arrive in Lakefield, a bus hosted by the farm’s owners, is waiting to take visitors to REUNION, ten minutes away. This short ride provides time for visitors to get the full backstory of how REUNION came to be, to meet the artists who own the farm and deepen the experience they are about to have.

The show runs approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are $20. Group rates are available.

SHOW DATES: August 9, 10, 16 and 17 (please note, busses from Toronto are only for select shows).
BUSSES FROM TORONTO: August 10 and 17 (Future dates will be announced as current dates get filled. )

“We’re not providing too many details so that audiences get the most from the experience. This is definitely a show you need to experience for yourself.”

- Tania Thompson, Sunday Drive’s Creative Director

ABOUT SUNDAY DRIVE:
Sunday Drive is a registered not-for-profit organization presenting contemporary arts events to audiences in unexpected places. Run by a passionate group of arts professionals drawn to open spaces and concentrated culture. Sunday Drive has one foot in the city and one foot in the country, believing contemporary art should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. For more information visit www.sundaydrive.org or call 416-985-3369

Art Bus 2019

From June through October, get on board the Art Bus that will travel from downtown Toronto directly to the McMichael in Kleinburg. For only $15 + general admission, spend the day viewing the exhibitions, and walking the grounds on 100 acres of forested land along the Humber River. The McMichael is a major public gallery uniquely devoted to collecting the art of Canada located in the charming Village of Kleinburg, approximately a 30 minute drive from the city of Toronto.

Toronto departure: 11 am
McMichael departure: 4 pm
Departure point: 80 Spadina Ave.
Departure dates: July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11, August 18, August 28, September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22, September 29, October 6, October 13, October 20 and October 27

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is located on the original lands of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe People. It is uniquely situated along the Carrying Place Trail which historically provided an integral connection for Aboriginal people between Ontario’s Lakeshore and the Lake Simcoe-Georgian Bay Region. As an institution, McMichael recognizes the importance of acknowledging the original territories of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe First Nations people.

The McMichael’s permanent collection consists of over 6,500 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Métis, Inuit and contemporary artists who have contributed to the development of Canadian art.

Aisle 4 presents In Residence: July-November 2019 at the Scarborough Museum

Aisle 4 is a Toronto-based curatorial project that initiates and promotes socially engaged artwork. Through collaborations with artists from a range of disciplines, they present critical public art experiences that reach beyond core arts audiences to animate unsuspecting spaces and connect communities.

In Residence is an artist-in-residence series at the Scarborough Museum that examines the role of a colonial house museum in present-day Scarborough. Seeking to expand the museum’s institutional capacity, five participating artists and collectives will introduce new narratives, perspectives, and timeframes that build stronger linkages with the surrounding Bendale neighbourhood. The residency participants are Sameer Farooq, Petrina Ng, Serena Lee, Annie Wong, and the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective.

Focusing on ideas of intergenerational, diasporic traditions; cross-cultural hauntologies; traditional labour and leisure practices; and experimental culinary interventions, the artists will activate the site with attention on the targeted demographics adjacent to the museum.

In Residence is a collaboration with the dedicated staff at the Scarborough Museum to both challenge and enhance its function as an operating “historical” site through contemporary art and social practice. Each artist/collective will inhabit a space at the Museum and create work in conversation with local residents, business owners, and community organizations during their projected residency period. The Museum will become a temporary home, office, or studio in which artists can conduct research, create work, workshop ideas, host meetings, and run public programs.

The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project – A Flight Path Without Borders

Every summer and winter, monarch butterflies migrate across the North American continent. Coinciding with the arrival of monarch butterflies in Canada and their departure to Mexico, the Davenport Perth Community Ministry, alongside Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization, held a series workshops and events within the Davenport Perth community. These workshops led to the creation of a multitude of ceramic butterflies that highlight Turtle Island’s connection with ancient Indigenous cultures and the monarch.

When: Thu Aug 22 to Sep 04, 2019

Where: Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto

Part of the Community Arts Space: What we long for
Artists-In-Residence
Co-presented with Akin and Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization

Facilitated by Monterrey, Mexico-born artist Lourdes (Lumy) Fuentes and Community Minister and artist Tina Conlon during their residency at Akin St Clair, these art-making activities explore the challeng­es faced by migrants in the context of the monarch but­terfly’s risk of extinction. These ceramic butterflies, installed in the Gardiner’s Exhibition Hall and Ancient Americas Gallery, are intended to mobilize conversation and action surrounding the both decline of the monarch and the migrant crisis.

Image source: Gardiner Museum

Programming

July 17, 6 – 9 pm
Clay & Conversation
Make ceramic butterflies that will be part of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project.

July 24, 6 – 9 pm
Clay & Conversation
Make ceramic butterflies that will be part of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project.

August 22, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition Launch
All are welcome to attend the public opening of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project, featuring a butterfly dance performed by seniors of the Davenport-Perth Community, music, refreshments, and more.

August 25, 11 am – 3 pm
Family Sunday: Spread Your Wings
Just before the monarch butterflies begin their annual migration to Mexico, join us for a special ceramic butterfly-making workshop in English and Spanish.

About Community Arts Space: What we long for

Grounded in the ability of clay to transform, Community Arts Space is a platform for experimentation and socially-engaged art. Established in 2016, the project connects artists, makers, organizers, and residents through the creation of public projects that inspire social action. This year, the Gardiner is showcasing four public projects inspired by the theme “What we long for.”

The 2019 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is happening this weekend in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square and over 360 artists and makers are ready to welcome you, including a large group of Akin artists! Art: Unwalled' is the theme this year, as part of TOAF's core belief that art should be available and accessible to everyone - with no barriers.

Location: Nathan Phillips Square

Dates & Times: Sat. (10am–7pm, Beer Garden open til 9pm), and Sun. (10am–5pm).

FREE.

The following Akin artists have booths at this year’s fair. They are scattered across the square and range from painters and illustrators to textile artists and sculptors.

1. Andrew Pierce, Booth E320, Akin St Clair

2. Chris Harms, Booth C229, Akin Alumni

3. Dorota Dziong, Booth A116, Akin MOCA Year 2

4. Elycia SFA, Booth A114, Akin Alumni

5. Eugenia Elder, Booth E355, Akin MOCA Year 2

6. Felicia Cirstea, Booth D290, Akin Ossington

7. Jamileh Salek Ostadtaqi, Booth Lawn 372, Akin Alumni

8. Japneet Kaur, Booth A94, Akin Ossington

9. Leone McComas, Booth B182, Akin MOCA Year 1

10. Liang Wang, Booth E312, Akin MOCA Year 1

11. Linds Miyo, Booth B187, Akin Lansdowne

12. Loren Kaplan, Booth E361, Akin Dupont

13. Raoul Olou, Booth B179, Akin MOCA Year 1

14. Valentina Churilova, Booth E327, Akin Dupont

15. Zach Atticus, Booth B184, Akin Dupont

16. Natalie Waddell, Toronto Potters, Booth D269-269, Akin Alumni

17. Nicole Crozier, Booth 377, Akin Ossington

Today Akin will be onsite visiting the fair and the exhibiting members of Akin’s talented community. Follow along with us by tuning into the Akin Projects Instagram account!

The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is Canada's leading contemporary outdoor art fair and has been happening every second weekend in July since 1961, rain or shine, in the heart of downtown Toronto at Nathan Phillips Square.

Image Source: Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, 2019.

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.

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.