Akin at the Artist Project

Akin at the Artist Project | February 20-23, Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place

Akin Projects invites you to join us at the 2020 edition of Artist Project Toronto. Akin is excited to join this year's Artist Project as the non profit partner. In our booth, visitors are invited to view new work by a handful of our current members, learn more about our services and the many ways we offer support for artists.

Show Hours:
OPENING NIGHT - Thursday, February 20, 7-11pm

Friday, February 21, 11am - 10pm

Saturday, February 22, 11am - 8pm

Sunday, February 23, 11am-6pm

This year, the Artist Project turns 13 with its most exciting show yet and we can't wait to be a part of it! From collectors and curators, to gallerists and designers, visitors can explore and discover works of art from over 300 top contemporary artists from Canada and abroad.

This year, visitors you can view and interact with new works by members of Akin's community in Akin's non profit partner booth. Artists will be on site throughout the show to discuss their work and answer your questions.

Exhibiting Artists:
Antonio Pendones
Dalia Hassan
David Fredrik Moussallem
Foot-to-Face
Janet Hinkle
Jill Smith
Kim Kermode
Laura Kay Keeling

Accessibility Information:
The Artist Project is committed to excellence in serving all customers including persons with disabilities.The Better Living Centre is an accessible venue. It has a step free access to the building and is level throughout. A limited number of assisted devices are available onsite at the information desk for those who need them. Service animals are allowed into all areas of the event that are open to the public. Artist Project is happy to offer a complimentary admission pass for the support person of a person with a disability.

Winter Art Crawl - DesignTO Stops

Sometimes it’s all sunshine and rainbows and other times Toronto slingshots from Fall-like weather to a mid-winter blizzard overnight. This tricky weather occasionally affects Akin’s programming like today’s scheduled Winter Art Crawl. That being said, if any art crawl had to be cancelled due to weather conditions this created the perfect opportunity for folks planning to attend today’s event to create their own DesignTO Festival crawl over the next week.

DesignTO Festival is Canada’s leading (and largest) annual design festival that celebrates design as a multidisciplinary form of creative thinking and making, with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week, January 17-26, 2020. Since 2011, DesignTO has been bringing communities together to celebrate design, by taking art and design out of the studio and into the urban realm.

Akin’s 2020 Winter Art Crawl consisted of 5 stops in Toronto’s Queen Street West and Ossington area, but you don’t have to stop there! The DesignTO Festival spreads across the city featuring many exhibitions, pop ups, window installations and more. Visit the festival’s website for full details and locations of all of this year’s projects.

We recommend checking out the following stops that would have been featured during today’s art crawl along with a few other notable pop ups.

Image Source: DesignTO Festival. Can’t Say Nothing (Lorem Ipsum, Moving Patterns).

Can’t Say Nothing (Lorem Ipsum, Moving Patterns)

Where: Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 17-31, 2020

Using Lorem Ipsum text and the Photoshop background, ‘Can’t Say Nothing’ by Janina Anderson, turns signifiers of blankness into overlapping patterns, which are printed, mounted and stitched together. ‘Can’t say Nothing’ is a mixed media installation drawing from textile art, collage, painting, graphic design and sculpture. ‘Can’t say Nothing’ investigates the way systems of language, symbols and design affect meaning, and wonders: if even the expression of absence is so heavily coded, is it possible to express oneself without external mediation, and to what extent is it possible to truly “say nothing” at all?

Dying.exhibits

Where: Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 12 - February 1, 2020

Dying.exhibits’ is an exhibition series on end of life, inviting participants to think about their relationship with life and death as a process; encouraging heart-level conversations about difficult, often taboo topics. By holistically engaging with life, including death, ‘Dying.exhibits’ becomes a catalyst for unpacking the uncomfortable. The exhibition serves as an opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives and participate in open discussion about death and dying through engaging art and design works and participatory experiences.

During DesignTO there will be several events under the ‘Dying.’ series, featuring work by Akin MOCA artist Laura Kay Keeling and Akin Alum David Salazar, with an opportunity to visit exhibits across Toronto. ‘Dying.’ is a collaboration between the Health Design Studio at OCAD U and Taboo Health.

Daydream Under the Penny Vine

Where: gh3*, 55 Ossington Avenue, Toronto

Project Type: Window Installation

Dates: January 14 - February 2, 2020

Sylvia Lee, glass designer and Creative Director of Jeff Goodman Studio is launching her first lighting product at DesignTO 2020. Titled the ‘Penny Vine’, this piece is a luminescent wall installation inspired by the humble copper penny and a silver coin vine, a favorite succulent houseplant.

The wall mounted system comes in various size is available in multiple lengths or ‘strands’ of lights which are cantilevered on delicate copper vines. Each ‘leaf’ is an illuminated opal glass circle with subtle copper edging. For the DesignTO 2020 exhibition, Lee chose a colour palette of leaves in delicate greens and pinks.

“For my inspiration, I’m always fascinated by vernacular, obsolete objects. The Silver Coin Vine plant started a thought process about coins and specifically pennies, which are not used anymore. I envisioned this copper strand light with simple, coin shaped leaves.” says Lee of her design. The theme of obsolete objects continues from her work in past exhibitions which were inspired by simple paper file folders and an abacus.

She goes on, “I wanted this to be scalable for designers and architects to be able to layer and have vines project into their space. For this DesignTO installation, I chose a subtle palette, but we could layer infinite glass colours into any configuration.”

‘Daydream Under the Penny Vine’ also includes a translucent, hand carved Temple Glass bench lit from the inside, a cast glass architectural product produced by Jeff Goodman Studio. Passersby will come upon a small glowing bench under a magically lit strands of illuminated leaves. Lee says, “I want viewers to experience a moment of departure in their urban commute.”

Image Source: DesignTO Festival. (AI) - Aesthete’s Items.

(AI) - Aesthete’s Items

Where: gravity pope, 1010 Queen Street West, Toronto

Project Type: Window Installation

Dates: January 17-26, 2020

‘(AI) – Aesthete’s Items’ is founded on the philosophy that beauty must be expressed and shared commonly. It should not be reserved for a limited circle of initiates, but rather be a part of our daily lives in the form of everyday objects.

Yaw Tony’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in use of colour and its connection to humanity. His artistic oeuvre has shifted from narrative art, into experimental research on the value of colour and its impact on human behaviour. The value determines the worth and worth determines the significance of each colour.

Yaw Tony’s approach to aesthetics and beauty is an intriguing invitation to explore an eclectic, colourful, language. His work draws viewers into a resplendent world of visual journeys where artistry and character go hand-in-hand. The majority of his artwork is on 100% silk or natural fabrics, the aesthetic and design concepts are influenced by the sophisticated details of African adages, combined with elements from western culture. It is the “gameo” – “gem” – “marriage”, the fusion of two distinct elements into one. All the patterns, motifs and details are hand drawn, painted, and then transferred into colour to give them form — this is when the stories come to life. The scarf collection is the first stage in a larger series of applications for the Life Liveth brand, whose maximalist aesthetic is then applied to furniture, wallpaper, decorative items, textiles, art prints and installation and so much more.

Yaw Tony breaks all colour rules to define all colour rules. He strongly believes that all colours complement each other, one just has to know what they are doing. Take a look at nature, it consists of many colours at a given time and they all work beautifully.

Image source: Erin Candela. Installation view of Akin MOCA artist Emmie Tsumura’s work at CUTMR20.

Come Up to My Room

Where: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 16-19, 2020

‘Come Up To My Room’ (CUTMR) is an annual 3-day alternative design exhibition created and produced by the Gladstone Hotel. Art and design intersect, with the historic hotel becoming a platform for site-specific installations. Visitors can explore, discover and engage in conversation with the artists. Different from our 37 permanent artist-designed hotel rooms, CUTMR presents temporary projects that occupy and alter spaces in dramatic, conceptual, or experimental ways.

Artists are selected based on their body of work, not on detailed proposals, and they are invited to challenge themselves and try new things in this unconventional setting.  This model allows for the evolution of ideas, risk-taking and an element of surprise. Participants use art and design to converse, connect, collaborate and construct delight in the unexpected.

Projects are presented by individuals, collectives, and multidisciplinary teams.

Image source: MUKË

Other notable 2020 DesignTO Festival projects include:

Design Collection @ stackt (IN RESIDENCE)

Where: stackt market, #1-112, 28 Bathurst Street, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 17-26, 2020

During the festival, local design duo MUKË (Akin co-director Michael Vickers and Akin co-founder Michael Dellios) will move the contents of its studio (furniture, plants, pets, maquettes, materials and more) into a shipping container at stackt — enveloping it as a site to showcase new and recent work, but also inviting visitors to engage directly with our process, the practices of our Toronto peers, and one another through live programming.

100 Vases

Where: The Shop, 1485 Dupont Street, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 24-25, 2020

‘100 Vases’ is inspired by the possibilities presented when objects come together, and the dialogue that happens between them. Spearheaded by ceramicist Michelle Organ, and artist and designer, Dasha Valakhanovitch, the two day event is a showcase of diversity in contemporary clay design, featuring work by Akin MOCA artist Erin Candela.

Future Retrospectives

Where: Harbourfront Centre, Artport Gallery, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 17 - March 29, 2020

‘Future Retrospectives’ is a group exhibition featuring the work of eleven local and international artists and designers, including Akin Ossington artist Jessica Thalmann, unified by a shared methodology: using the past as a lens through which we imagine the future. It asks, “what will the future look like, and how did we get there?”

Light is Magnetic

Where: ergoCentric Showroom and Store, 37 King Street East

Project Type: Window Installation

Dates: January 17-26, 2020

Light is energy. It encompasses a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation much of which exists beyond our visible experience. This is the light that can not be seen manifest in radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma rays. “My art is inspired by the physics of light as I seek to find ways to portray energy. ‘Light is Magnetic’ is an exhibition that brings together my recent experiments in light sculpture. It will include sculptures that integrate light or reflective elements with other conceptual pieces that explore the connection between light and energy.” - Akin MOCA artist, Tonya Hart

The Sky is Falling

Where: Knife Fork Book, Mezzanine, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street

Project Type: Exhibition

Dates: January 17-26, 2020

Visual artist, designer and poet Jessica Hiemstra of Akin Lakeshore creates an abstracted paper sky on the ceiling of Toronto’s only all-poetry bookstore, Knife Fork Book. Using watercolour paper, thread and washes of Genzäh Handmade Watercolours paint, Hiemstra’s sky is one that is torn and sewn back together. This sky has tangled stitching, punctures, long dangling threads, and fragments of poetry sewn into it. Independent bookstores and especially those that specialize in theatre, poetry, music and art are becoming rarer and rarer. Knife Fork Book is an ephemeral place. It continues to exist because its sky continues to be held together by delicate threads.

Quiet Vignettes, Anahita Azrahimi Presented with DesginTO

“I feel like I am trying to gently nudge these fragments to come together - a reflection of my inner world at the moment.”

— Anahita Azrahimi on 'Quiet Vignettes'

quiet vignettes
Jan 17 – Jan 26 2020

A collaboration between a collage artist and a floral designer, ‘quiet vignettes’ combines both practices to create a subtle — almost evanescent — experience of a balance and poised marriage of two art forms. Both artists have responded to the other in a mirrored reaction to their work. The first, a series of understated folds and creases that evoke a sense of quiet energy. The second, a presentation of evocative foliage. Though different, the pieces mix and meld into a balanced and graceful dance. The result is an intimate spatial installation. One that nudges you to slow down and pay attention — and to reflect the unassuming authority of a unique and unexpected bond.

Anahita Azrahimi, an Akin Lansdowne alum, is a collage artist and cultural producer. In her role as the Executive & Creative Director of Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Canada’s largest contemporary outdoor art fair since 1961, Azrahimi thrives in making joy of art and direct engagement with artists accessible to all public. Azrahimi is equally passionate about creating her own moments of art.

“The works that I have created for this show are subtle collages of folds and creases that evoke a quiet movement and energy. There is a simplicity and understated quality in these works that I find deeply gratifying and calming. Fine hand-sewn stitches have replaced my previous drawings. I feel like I am trying to gently nudge these fragments to come together - a reflection of my inner world at the moment.

I have invited Lauren Wilson of Timberlost Designs to mirror the works with evocative and poetic foliage vignettes. Lauren’s creations are soulful and deep. We will create a subtle — almost evanescent — experience of a balanced and poised marriage of our practices. With this intimate spatial installation, the vision is to create a moment that nudges you to slow down and pay attention — and to reflect the unassuming authority of a unique and unexpected bond.” - Anahita Azrahimi

Akin Lansdowne Farewell Party

Join us as we celebrate Akin’s time at 87 Wade!

Unfortunately, it is with much sadness that we have to move out of Akin Lansdowne at the end of this month. Most of the current studio members have thankfully been relocated to other Akin locations.

To celebrate our vibrant Akin Lansdowne community and a building we have loved being in for many years we will be hosting a farewell party in Studio 203 on Friday, January 31 starting at 8pm. This is a public event - everyone is welcome!

When: January 31st, 2020
Where: 87 Wade Avenue, Unit 203, Toronto
Admission: Free

Installations by current Akin members to be featured in the studio space.

Cash Bar Available!

Accessibility:
Akin Lansdowne is not currently wheelchair accessible. Akin regrets this barrier to access.

When you arrive at Akin Lansdowne's entrance at the north side of the building, there are 6 steps into the building to access the building entrance. There is a flight of stairs with 10 steps, a landing, then 10 steps with a handrail leading to the 2nd floor where studio 203 is located.

There are no grab bars in the washroom and the toilets are not raised. The washroom on the second floor is level. There is a narrow gap between the countertop and the shower.

Getting there:
By TTC:
Akin Lansdowne is walking distance from Lansdowne Subway Station and is accessible by the Bloor­/Danforth subway line (Line 2) and the 47 Lansdowne Bus.

By car:
There is no reserved onsite parking but there is street parking on Wade Ave, Paton Road, and Lansdowne Ave - please check the street signs for hours. For after hours parking there is a Green P lot located at 695 Lansdowne Ave.

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise | January 26th, 12-2PM, 100 Sunrise Avenue

Kick off the new year and your new projects with Akin for our next Show & Tell session at our Sunrise studios (100 Sunrise Avenue). This is a time for Akin members and other Toronto artists to show completed works or works in progress and get friendly feedback and answers from their peers in a casual studio setting.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The January edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Sunrise at 100 Sunrise Avenue, Unit 106.

Accessibility Information:
There is step free access to the main entrance located at the side of the building parallel to the parking lot. The first door on the right hand side, once in the main entrance, is access to the studio. The studio entrance requires a key and there is no button to open the door, so someone may require assistance. There are narrow aisles and sharp turns to get into the gender-neutral washroom within the space. There are no grab bars in the bathroom and the toilet is not raised. There is a small lip on the floor upon entering the bathroom. Akin does have access to a wheelchair accessible gender-neutral washroom in the hall across from the Akin studio within the building. The space is not ideal for people with sensory processing issues, due to the white noise in the building.

Akin's Winter Art Crawl

Akin's Winter Art Crawl | January 18th, 1-4PM, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street | PWYC (suggested $10 donation): http://tiny.cc/tnq1gz

Akin Projects invites you to join us for special tours conversations during the 2019 edition of DesignTO in the Queen West area - an Akin Art Crawl focused on local design in alternative spaces!

Come along as artists, curators and staff provide special walkthroughs and tours of their special festival exhibits and projects.

Crawl Schedule
1:00PM - Visit Artscape Youngplace for ‘Can’t Say Nothing (Lorem Ipsum, Moving Patterns)’

1:30PM - Visit Artscape Youngplace for 'Dying.exhibits'

2:00PM - Visit 55 Ossington Avenue for ‘Daydream Under the Penny Vine’

2:30PM - Visit 1010 Queen Street West for ‘(AI) – Aesthete’s Items’

3:15PM - Visit Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue (BAND) 19 Brock Avenue for ‘Akwaaba | Welcome Home.’

4:00PM - End the crawl at the Gladstone Hotel for ‘Come Up to My Room’

PWYC (suggested $10 donation), but please register at: link coming soon!

All are welcome, open to the public. The more the merrier!

Any attendees who wish to explore ‘Come Up to My Room’ at the Gladstone Hotel at the end of the crawl must purchase a special discounted ticket here http://tiny.cc/g09vgz. Please be advised that not all areas of the building are open to the public.

Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can do our best to assist you. Please email janet@akincollective.com at least one week before the event and we will do our best to accommodate. Thank you!

ULI Toronto: Squeezed out? Squeezed in? A community fishbowl conversation about Social Purpose Real Estate

This event has sold out. For onsite registration information, please email toronto@uli.org. 

 Join us at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Toronto) as ULI Toronto and Akin lead a group ‘fishbowl’ discussion on social purpose real estate with a unique and eclectic group of city builders and cultural leaders.

• Why is the need for social purpose real estate emerging in the fabric of our growing city and what are the barriers on both sides of the fence?

• How can developers create unique partnerships and collaborations with non profits and other community-focused groups to address space needs and provide a social good?

• How can a booming real estate market in a fast growing city be leveraged to foster a climate where innovative and necessary but less profitable enterprises and causes can thrive and support communities?

• What are some of the successes we can look to in Toronto, and abroad, as we have a frank and open discussion around the impact and future of social purpose real estate in the fabric of our city?

Facilitator: 

Jane Farrow, Principal, Dept of Words & Deeds

Panelists:

Jessa Agilo, Founder, President & CEO, ArtsPond

Laura Alderson, Co-ordinator, Mount Dennis BIA

Georgia Cowan, Community & Facilities Manager, MOCA Toronto

Robert Fiorino, Architect, Vice President - Market Strategy, Lemay

Andrew Garrett, Executive Director, Real Estate Portfolio, IMCO

Ken Greenberg, Urban Designer

Lori Martin, Senior Cultural Affairs Officer, City of Toronto

Abigail Moriah, Senior Development Manager, New Commons Development 

Oliver Pauk,  Co-Director, Akin

Pru Robey, Consultant

Liza Stiff, Director, Research & Programs, TAS DesignBuild 

Laura Trujillo, Vice President, Property Management, Allied REIT

Peter Venetas, Real Estate Consultant

Michael Vickers,  Co-Director, Akin

Jordana Wright, Managing Director, Activate Space

More panelists to be announced. Limited to 60 participants.

What is a fishbowl conversation? Part panel talk and part group brainstorm, a fishbowl conversation is intended to help facilitate large group discussions- allowing the entire audience to participate in the conservation or simply listen. A small group of participants have been selected to fill the fishbowl, along with empty chairs available for others to join in as desired.

Accessibility

MOCA Toronto aims to be a barrier-free and accessible museum for all. This discussion will be hosted on the first floor of the building where there is an all gender washroom with automated entrances and accessible stalls with grab bars. Two wheelchairs are available for use, and service animals are welcome. Should you have any other needs or accommodation requests, including ASL interpretation,  please let us know at michael@akincollective.com to make arrangements.

Ideas Forum: Materializing the Future

‘Ideas Forum: Materializing the Future’ features seven fast-paced and fun presentations (20 slides shown for 20 seconds each) exploring the themes and questions from DesignTO’s exhibition ‘Future Retrospectives’ with a focus on materiality.

Discover the process behind educator David Correa’s (University of Waterloo) exploration on innovative material fabrication methods and Lauren Abrahams’ (Public Work) research on terrazzo. Educator Kazmy Chi (Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico) speaks about her research into biomimicry and how biomimetics can create sustainable materials for the future.

Founding partner of gh3* Pat Hanson speaks about her work on the Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool in Edmonton, while artist and curator Jessica Thalmann of Akin Ossington shares her process of reconfiguring iconic Brutalist buildings through folded sculptural forms. Quadrangle's Richard Witt discusses heavy timber construction through case studies of built work, and Chris Pommer speaks about material memory through the work of the interdisciplinary studio PLANT.

One Tender Night by Akin Lakeshore's Jessica Hiemstra!

One Tender Night

Thursday December 5th at Super Wonder Gallery

Poetry and visual art by Jessica Hiemstra with an electrifying performance by SPECIAL GUEST singer/songwriter, Nicky Lawrence.

FREE ADMISSION. CASH BAR.
Original art, books and music for sale.

All are welcome.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JESSICA HIEMSTRA of Akin Lakeshore is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist whose work has appeared in galleries all over the world, among them Australia, Sierra Leone, Edmonton and Vancouver. She is also an accomplished showroom artist and set designer with experience creating everything from tidal waves using shims to giant iridescent octopuses. She likes using reclaimed house paint, discarded objects and single-use plastic. Since 1998 Jessica has published three full-length collections of poetry and edited numerous anthologies of poetry and creative non-fiction. Jessica likes what Paul Klee once said about art – that one eye sees, the other feels. Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces - from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas. One of the things people often ask Jessica is “what’s the difference between all the things you do?” Jessica doesn’t distinguish much between her mediums. She chooses the best medium for exploring whichever question, concern or exaltation is most pressing to her in the moment - from delight in the body to sorrow and anger at how poorly we care for our world and each other. Sometimes she uses words, sometimes pencils, sometimes paint. In 2019 she started tearing her paintings and stitching them back together. She is delighted to be presenting her most recent work for ONE TENDER NIGHT at the Super Wonder Gallery. To visit Jessica online: www.jessicahiemstra.ca

NICKY LAWRENCE is a moody, tender, tour de force of a performer and vocal artist. Moved to sing by the black women who sang before her and who continue to sing within her, Lawrence’s voice will grab you by the throat with the force of its pain, beauty, rage and ultimately—love. Brimming with the longing, courage and despair of her jazz and blues heroes—Nina, Etta, Ella—Lawrence’s original songs are devastatingly elegant and sensual, lit by the fires of the past alongside the aching light and hope of the future. Lawrence’s vocals are redemptive; with the release of her single, The Ugly Black Woman, Toronto audiences are invited to witness an excavation of truth and history that will cut the heart open and begin to heal us all. Follow Nicky online here: thenickylawrence

Akin's Winter Programming Announced!

Akin is gearing up for a winter season chock full of exciting programming within Toronto's vibrant arts scene. Rather than hibernating until April, we hope that you will bundle up, brave the cold and join us for these upcoming events.

Show & Tell: Handmade Gifts at Akin Ossington | December 4th, 6-8PM, 888 Dupont Street

This month Akin is hosting a relaxed and fun ‘Show and Tell for Artists’ at Akin's Ossington studios (888 Dupont Street). This month's Show and Tell will feature a holiday twist! Artists are encouraged but are not required to share works that they are planning on gifting this holiday season.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is a FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The December edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Ossington at 888 Dupont Street in unit 100.

Accessibility Information:

Akin Ossington is not currently wheelchair accessible. Akin regrets this barrier to access. There is a loading bay on the east side of the building. 

About Akin Projects

Akin Projects is an arts programming organization and registered nonprofit established for the purpose of providing both creative and professional development opportunities to members of Toronto’s artistic and cultural community. 

Akin's Holiday Card Making Party | December 6th, 6-8PM, 2970 Lakeshore Blvd W

Akin Projects is feeling festive and excited to present this casual crafting and card making party! Join us in the studio and make a card (holiday-themed or otherwise) for your best friend, neighbour, significant other, or a complete stranger! Some materials provided.

PWYC/Free, but please register at: http://tiny.cc/971ggz

BYOS- Bring your own supplies! Akin will have scissors, colored paper, pencil crayons, markers and pens ready but encourage everyone to bring extra!  Bring a friend, a snack or drink, and your creativity!

Accessibility

Akin Lakeshore is located on the third floor of the building and there is no elevator. Akin regrets this barrier to access. There is a ramp entrance to the building and then 38 steps to access the studios on the third floor. There are 3 gender-neutral washrooms in the studio space. One of the bathrooms has grab bars, the other two do not, and the toilets are not raised. The doorway to the kitchen is narrow, measuring approximately 24 inches across

For additional accessibility information and directions, please visit https://www.akincollective.com/lakeshore

Akin's Annual Holiday Market + Party | December 14th, 10AM - 5PM, 158 Sterling Road

Akin invites you to join us on Saturday, December 14th at MOCA Toronto for a day of good cheer at the Akin Holiday Party and Artist Market.

Free / All Welcome! Kid friendly!

In 2019 Akin collaborated with some amazing partners, said goodbye to one of our most central locations, opened a new studio,  (Akin Lakeshore in South Etobicoke), turned 11 years old, and welcomed many more artists to the studio community. This event is a celebration for members from all 9 Akin studios, as well as our neighbours, community partners, friends and family.    

MOCA Toronto will be open from 10am to 5pm. Come and stay for a while. Mingle, enjoy the museum, offerings at Forno Cultura and browse the market featuring art and objects by members of Akin’s community!

Artist Market Vendors:

• Linds Miyo

• Heavy Flow

• Felicia Cirstea

• Purple Fig Pottery

• 83 Studio

• Studio Indent

• Mayli Makes

• SIX-REALMS

• Goodplace Studio

• Sadia Fakih

• Erin Candela

• Jocelyn Hirtes

• The Otter Potter

• Foot-to-Face

• Sarah Moreau

• Tonya Hart

• Jenn Woodall

• Dalia Hassan

• Leesa Coleman

• Jill Smith

Dress festive, fun or fancy! Children of all ages welcome, but please no pets. This year we will also be collecting gently worn or new hats and mittens for Sistering. Gently worn items must be washed.

Accessibility:

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

Akin's Winter Art Crawl | January 18th, 1-4PM, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street

Akin Projects invites you to join us for special tours conversations during the 2019 edition of DesignTO in the Queen West area - an Akin Art Crawl focused on local design in alternative spaces!

Come along as artists, curators and staff provide special walkthroughs and tours of their special festival exhibits and projects.

Crawl Schedule

1:00PM - Visit Artscape Youngplace for ‘Can’t Say Nothing (Lorem Ipsum, Moving Patterns)’

1:30PM - Visit 55 Ossington Avenue for ‘Daydream Under the Penny Vine’

2:00PM - Visit 1010 Queen Street West for ‘(AI) – Aesthete’s Items’

2:45PM - Visit Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue (BAND) 19 Brock Avenue for ‘Akwaaba | Welcome Home.’

3:30PM - End the crawl at the Gladstone Hotel for ‘Come Up to My Room’
 

PWYC (suggested $10 donation), but please register at: 

All are welcome, open to the public. The more the merrier!

Any attendees who wish to explore ‘Come Up to My Room’ at the Gladstone Hotel at the end of the crawl must purchase a special discounted ticket here http://tiny.cc/g09vgz. Please be advised that not all areas of the building are open to the public.

Accessibility Information:

TBA

Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can do our best to assist you. Please email janet@akincollective.com at least one week before the event and we will do our best to accommodate. Thank you!

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise | January 26th, 12-2PM, 100 Sunrise Avenue

Kick off the new year and your new projects with Akin for our next Show & Tell session at our Sunrise studios (100 Sunrise Avenue). This is a time for Akin members and other Toronto artists to show completed works or works in progress and get friendly feedback and answers from their peers in a casual studio setting.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The January edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Sunrise at 100 Sunrise Avenue, Unit 106.

Accessibility Information:

There is step free access to the main entrance located at the side of the building parallel to the parking lot. The first door on the right hand side, once in the main entrance, is access to the studio. The studio entrance requires a key and there is no button to open the door, so someone may require assistance. There are narrow aisles and sharp turns to get into the gender-neutral washroom within the space. There are no grab bars in the bathroom and the toilet is not raised. There is a small lip on the floor upon entering the bathroom. Akin does have access to a wheelchair accessible gender-neutral washroom in the hall across from the Akin studio within the building. The space is not ideal for people with sensory processing issues, due to the white noise in the building.

Save the date!

Akin Lansdowne Farewell Party, 87 Wade Avenue | January 31st 2020 | 8PM til late

Details TBA

Valentine's Card Making Party | February 12th, 6-8PM, Akin St. clair, 1747 St. Clair Avenue West

Akin Projects is excited to present this casual, drop-in crafting party! Join us at Akin St. Clair (1747 St. Clair Avenue West) and make a card for your best friend, neighbour, significant other, worst enemy or a complete stranger! All materials are provided. Please note this is a 19+ event.

Participants will be provided with one card per PWYC donation (donations go to Akin Projects, registered not-for-profit arts organization). The cards are made of heavy-duty hemp card stock, cut and scored to make a 4”x6” card. Each card comes with a 4”x6” envelope. You can decorate the card and envelope however you wish!

Decorating supplies will be provided including:

• a variety of coloured and patterned paper

• pencil crayons, markers and pens

• paints and brushes

• stamps and ink

• stickers

• stencils

• scissors

• glue

• magazines for collage and more!

Feel free to bring additional supplies!

Accessibility Information:

This building is all on a single ground floor. Akin St. Clair Studios regrets any barrier to access. If you require more information or are concerned about accessibility barriers please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Akin at the Artist Project | February 20-23, Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place

Akin Projects invites you to join us at the 2020 edition of Artist Project Toronto. Akin is excited to join this year's Artist Project as the non profit partner. In our booth, visitors are invited to view new work by a handful of our current members, learn more about our services and the many ways we offer support for artists.

Show Hours:

OPENING NIGHT - Thursday, February 20, 7-11pm

Friday, February 21, 11am - 10pm

Saturday, February 22, 11am - 8pm

Sunday, February 23, 11am-6pm

This year, the Artist Project turns 13 with its most exciting show yet and we can't wait to be a part of it! From collectors and curators, to gallerists and designers, visitors can explore and discover works of art from over 300 top contemporary artists from Canada and abroad.

This year, visitors you can view and interact with new works by members of Akin's community in Akin's non profit partner booth. Artists will be on site throughout the show to discuss their work and answer your questions.

Exhibiting Artists:

• Antonio Pendones

• Dalia Hassan

• David Fredrik Moussallem

• Foot-to-Face

• Janet Hinkle

• Jill Smith

• Kim Kermode

• Laura Kay Keeling

Accessibility Information:

The Artist Project is committed to excellence in serving all customers including persons with disabilities.The Better Living Centre is an accessible venue. It has a step free access to the building and is level throughout. A limited number of assisted devices are available onsite at the information desk for those who need them. Service animals are allowed into all areas of the event that are open to the public. Artist Project is happy to offer a complimentary admission pass for the support person of a person with a disability.

Furoshiki - Opens Saturday!

SAMARA Contemporary in collaboration with Kid Icarus, are pleased to announce Furoshiki, A group exhibition that will feature the works of 20 artists working with the theme: “Gifting”. Furoshiki wrap is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wrapping paper.

Where: Samara Contemporary, 156 Augusta Avenue, Toronto

When: Saturday, November 30th, 12-6pm

Every holiday season more than 8 million tons of gift-wrap ends up in landfills. Disposable and chemically processed, this waste is destroying our environment. Furoshiki can be re-used, passed on from one gift receiver to the next.

Cloth wrapping has been used for over 1200 years in Japan. The word Furoshiki came about during the Edo period (1603-1868) when cloths were commonly used in bathhouses to wrap clothes or as bath matts. Today, Furoshiki can be used to wrap gifts, wine bottles, books, groceries, or just about anything!

This year and onward present your special gift enveloped in beautiful art created by some of Canada’s
top illustrators and artists! An environmentally ethical and unique option to gift giving!

Participating artists:
Daniela Roessler, Dave Setrakian, Fiona Smyth, Flips, Akin Ossington alum Jenn Kitagawa, Jill Holmberg, Jimmy Chaile, Akin Sunrise artist Jieun June Kim, Justin Broadbent, Akin Ossington alum Kendra Yee, Kirsten McCrea, Luke Parnell, Happy Sleepy, Marijke Bouchier, Mariko Paterson, Mike Ellis, Orbital Arts, Rachel Joanis, Santiago Paredes, Trio Magnus

Don Valley Art Club Annual Fall Group Show
November 20- December 1st at Papermill Gallery.

David Johns is an Akin Sunrise member and has a silkscreen monoprint “You Make Me Happier” in the Don Valley Art Club Member group Show.
www.roadartcollection.com
instagram.com/davidopenroad

One Tender Night at Super Wonder Gallery

Thursday December 5th at Super Wonder Gallery

Poetry and visual art by Jessica Hiemstra with an electrifying performance by SPECIAL GUEST singer/songwriter, Nicky Lawrence.


FREE ADMISSION. CASH BAR.
Original art, books and music for sale.
All are welcome.

Jessica will be raffling off tickets for a beautiful piece of art called The Secret Foot, find out more here.

About Jessica Hiemstra
Jessica is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist whose work has appeared in galleries all over the world, among them Australia, Sierra Leone, Edmonton and Vancouver. She is also an accomplished showroom artist and set designer with experience creating everything from tidal waves using shims to giant iridescent octopuses. She likes using reclaimed house paint, discarded objects and single-use plastic. Since 1998 Jessica has published three full-length collections of poetry and edited numerous anthologies of poetry and creative non-fiction. Jessica likes what Paul Klee once said about art – that one eye sees, the other feels. Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces - from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas. One of the things people often ask Jessica is “what’s the difference between all the things you do?” Jessica doesn’t distinguish much between her mediums. She chooses the best medium for exploring whichever question, concern or exaltation is most pressing to her in the moment - from delight in the body to sorrow and anger at how poorly we care for our world and each other. Sometimes she uses words, sometimes pencils, sometimes paint. In 2019 she started tearing her paintings and stitching them back together. She is delighted to be presenting her most recent work for ONE TENDER NIGHT at the Super Wonder Gallery. To visit Jessica online: www.jessicahiemstra.ca
Jessica is an Akin Lakeshore member.
instagram.com/jessicajoyhiemstra

About Nicky Lawrence
Nicky is a moody, tender, tour de force of a performer and vocal artist. Moved to sing by the black women who sang before her and who continue to sing within her, Lawrence’s voice will grab you by the throat with the force of its pain, beauty, rage and ultimately—love. Brimming with the longing, courage and despair of her jazz and blues heroes—Nina, Etta, Ella—Lawrence’s original songs are devastatingly elegant and sensual, lit by the fires of the past alongside the aching light and hope of the future. Lawrence’s vocals are redemptive; with the release of her single, The Ugly Black Woman, Toronto audiences are invited to witness an excavation of truth and history that will cut the heart open and begin to heal us all.
instagram.com/thenickylawrence

University of Waterloo MFA Open Studios | Master of Fine Arts Program

Come check out the University of Waterloo’s MFA program and this year’s cohort at our annual MFA Open Studios on November 7th.

Time: 3:00-7:00 pm
Place: University of Waterloo, East Campus Hall
Address: 263 Phillip Street, Waterloo, Ontario

Participating Students: Jordan Blackburn, Brubey (Wanzhi) Hu, Tyler Matheson, Karice Mitchell, Akin staff member and Akin Dupont Alum Sara Pearson, Akin St. Clair Alum Carrie Perreault, Akin Dupont Alum Kayla Polan, Racquel Rowe, Maria Simmons, and Becca Wijshijer.

A unique opportunity to meet the artists on their own turf—a look at their process and what’s in production.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of Waterloo is an intimate program built around a solid core of studio research, practice, professional development, and pedagogical training. Each year the program admits five students, resulting in a tight knit community with plenty of access to both faculty and resources. The studio portion of the program culminates in the completion, exhibition, and defense of a coherent body of work in a solo exhibition at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG). The pedagogical component of the program includes a seminar in course development, two teaching assistantships and the opportunity to teach a foundations level course.

Valentin Brown: Body Farm

Body Farm
Valentin Brown

Exhibition Dates: November 8 – December 20, 2019
Opening Reception: November 8, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Artist Talk: November 30, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Second Saturday Social: December 14, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Location: Tangled Art + Disability
401 Richmond St W Ste 122
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12:00 – 5:00 pm

About the Exhibition
Is that a mushroom, or his “peen”? Is that a pile of leaves or a pile of bones? Is that the “trunk” of the body? Valentin Brown queers the human body by combining it with forms from nature to create what he calls “soft body horror”—a mythology of monsters that describe his story. Valentin’s story sits at a largely neglected intersection: he is an autistic, trans man who inherited a complicated history of intergenerational trauma. His grotesque guardians express how he makes meaning, through a gaze that is queer, trauma-informed, and on the spectrum.

Through the many eyes (or lack thereof) in the “soft body horror” world, which worms its way to you through the Body Farm, Valentin reframes the loneliness, disquiet, and grief that result from the tangled intersecting parts of who he is. This way of seeing embraces the in-between places, and the places outside the scales on which he has been taught to place importance and meaning. “Soft body horror” gives Valentin space to begin re-experiencing his story in bits and pieces, in a greater context of awe, humour, and hope.

Valentin lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario and is a graduate of the Visual and Creative Arts program at Sheridan College. He has exhibited in group shows at Sheridan College, at the Durham Art Gallery, and in Art Spin Toronto’s 2018 project “Holding Patterns.” In 2019, he was awarded Tangled Art + Disability’s Won Lee Fellowship, and the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency. “Body Farm” is Valentin’s first solo exhibition.

This work was produced with the support of the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency and Steel City Studio.

For more information visit tangledarts.org

The Body Farm says, “RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME” by Valentin Brown

Access Information:
Tangled Art Gallery is in a barrier-free location. Audio description will be available for the exhibit. We will have ASL interpreters and attendant care present during public engagements. Service animals are welcome. We request that you help us to make this a scent-free environment.

Directions:
Tangled Art Gallery is located in studio 122 on the main floor on the 401 Richmond Building. The closest accessible subway station is at Osgoode Station. The closest accessible streetcar stop is the 510 Spadina Queen Street West Stop (going south from Spadina Station), and the 510 Spadina Richmond Street Stop (going north from Union Station).

Image Descriptions:
Image 1 (The Body Farm says, “MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!”):
A pink monster plucks a white-hot Panic Orb straight out of the middle of your brain. This monster, with his two pronged Peen-head, immediately sensed your reptilian reflexes activating—almost as immediately as your body flushed with fear in the first place. He says that he hears you singing, “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,” everyday, and that –today- he will help you sing until your throat is hoarse and the fear stops firing, as it always does eventually.

Image 2 (The Body Farm says, “RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME”):
“Dear You,” says the outstretched Hand of Your Future Self, “I’m so sorry that I left you alone for so long.” One of your Little Lonely Monster Parts is curled up in a ball, unmoving. You can hear their thoughts, and they are screaming: “RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME,” over and over. Thousands of holy worms stemming from your Future Self envelop your Lonely Part. The Hand of Your Future Self says, “You don’t know yet that it is –your- bioluminescence that lights the tips of my fingers.”

Portfolio Day 10 (PDX) at Etobicoke School of the Arts featuring Akin artist Juliet Di Carlo

Since it started 10 years ago, ESA Portfolio Day has grown to become one of the largest events of its kind in North America. ESA’s tenth Portfolio Day (PDX) will include 74 solo exhibitions of grade 12 students representing five of ESA’s six arts majors. The primary purpose of PDX is to connect students with over 100 representatives from post-secondary arts schools in North American and Europe. ESA’s Portfolio Day also serves as an art exhibit for the public, drawing over 1000 visitors each year.

More information, including a link to buy tickets for $10, is at: https://www.esainfo.ca/portfolio-day-10/

You can also see videos of the artists exhibiting at PDX at ESA's Contemporary Arts YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8r6-XBlsjXqg7iyFyJIO1g/featured

About Juliet Di Carlo
Juliet is part of the 2019-20 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto

More information about Juliet: website / instagram / youtube

Natural Dyes - a creative workshop presented by Akin Ossington artist Meej Kaufman

Akin Ossington artist Meej Kaufman presents a natural dyeing class on the afternoon of November 9 at Romni Wools, at 208 Weston Road. You can learn to dye yarn with local plant material that Meej has been foraging and experimenting with all summer.

This class will cover the basics of dyeing, principles of respectful foraging and much more. You will dye 100 g of yarn (provided) with one or two colours, using marigold, walnut and rose of sharon flowers. There will be an opportunity to also use more advanced techniques as well.

If you are a knitter, crocheter or weaver, this is a perfect opportunity to learn to make unique yarn for your projects, with materials easily found in Toronto. If you aren't, this class would be a great gift for a friend or family member who does work with yarn, or you could take the class and give them a one of a kind ball of yarn.

To register, or for more information, call Meej Kaufman 647-341-8388

About the artist:
Miriam Kaufman, previously a part-time goldsmith and fibre artist, has recently jumped into creating full-time. While continuing to make silver and gold jewellery, Meej (as she is known to friends and family) is focusing more on making glass beads, metalwork related to fibre (shawl pins, shawl sticks and stitch markers) and on dyeing, spinning and knitting natural fibres. She has a tiny studio in a light industrial space at Ossington and Dupont. www.meejumarts.com

Photorama at 33 — Save the Date!

Preview Hour
Thursday, November 21, 2019 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Sale and reception
Thursday, November 21, 2019, 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Dance party
10 pm – late

Exhibition and Sale Continues
November 22 – December 7, 2019
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Save the date for the 33rd edition of Photorama, Gallery TPW’s annual fundraising exhibition, which features contemporary photography and lens-based art by over 80 artists.

The public sale and reception will be the first opportunity to purchase artworks by such exciting artists as Steven Beckly, Anique Jordan, Paul Butler, Maggie Groat, Isabel M. Martinez, Jennifer Murphy and Edward Burtynsky. The full list of participating artists will be announced in early November – stay tuned!

Gallery TPW is pleased to announce that the Photorama fund for the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC) will be sponsored through the generosity of Toronto Image Works (TIW). For this exciting initiative, TIW will be underwriting an acquisition fund, enabling the curators at RIC to purchase work from the Photorama exhibition for its world-class photography collection. The selected artworks will be announced at the beginning of the public sale and reception at 6:00 pm.

The evening will include food and a cash bar, stay late and celebrate this wonderful community with us on the dancefloor!

Proceeds from sales support Gallery TPW’s mission and the participating artists.

Admission to the Photorama Reception and sale is FREE and open to the public.

East End Arts Life Drawing is Back!

Life Drawing, uninstructed life drawing workshops ️ with AGA Arts, are back for the fall! Longtime and first-time drawers are all invited to come hang out and draw in a beautiful and inspiring space. Classes are drop-in (no registration is required), and tap payment is available, so you can pay via debit or credit. Discounts available for students! P.S. Please note drawing on Sunday October 13th is cancelled.

Cost: $15/session, with basic materials available for purchase on site
Dates: November 3, 10 & 24, 2019; December 8, 2019
Time: 12:00 - 4:00pm, doors open at 11:30am
Location: East End Arts, St. Matthew's Clubhouse - 450 Broadview Ave

#EASTENDLOVE Exhibition

You are invited to join East End Arts for our final #EastEndLove Exhibition taking place this November! The opening reception of this exhibition will take place on Thursday November 7th, 2019 at Riverdale Hub on Gerrard St. E. Come and view all of the collaborative art pieces we've created with community members throughout the year, enjoy some refreshments, learn more about the art-making process of collaborative screen-printing, and pick up a print or two to take home with you, while supplies last!

Cost: Free to attend!
Date: Opening reception - Thursday November 7, 2019
Full Exhibition runs from: Monday November 3rd until Friday November 29th, 2019
Time: Opening reception, 7pm - 9pm. Full exhibition, normal gallery hours.
Location: Riverdale Hub, 1326 Gerrard St. E (Main Floor Gallery)