Open Sesame: Critics Forum v.3


LUFF art+dialogue is pleased to present the second installment of our ongoing series OPEN SESAME: Critics Forum


Based on David Cohen's Review Panel at the National Academy Museum in NYC, three critics will review three current Toronto exhibitions, after which questions and dialogue between critics and audience will be facilitated.


Exhibitions Reviewed: TBA

Critics:

NATASHA CHAYKOWSKI Natasha is a Toronto-based writer, emerging curator and art history graduate student at York University. Previously she was a curatorial intern at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and Curatorial Assistant for Preternatural (2012), an international exhibition of contemporary art in Ottawa. She recently co-curated the annual Emerging Artist Exhibition at InterAccess in Toronto. Chaykowski worked at the Canadian Pavilion for the 55th Venice Biennale, and was Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Curatorial Studies. Her writing has been published in the Art & Science Journal, the Art Gallery of York University, esse: arts + opinions and the Journal of Curatorial Studies.


RM VAUGHN RM is a Canadian writer and video artist. Vaughan is the author of many books and contributes articles on culture to a wide variety of publications. Vaughan's short videos play in festivals and galleries across Canada and around the world.

MARK KINGWELLis a Canadian professor of philosophy and associate chair at the University of Toronto's Department of Philosophy. Kingwell is a fellow of Trinity College. He specialises in theories of politics and culture.
Kingwell has published twelve books, most notably, A Civil Tongue: Justice, Dialogue, and the Politics of Pluralism, which was awarded the Spitz Prize for political theory in 1997. In 2000 Kingwell received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, for contributions to theory and criticism. He has held visiting posts at institutions including: University of Cambridge, University of California at Berkeley, and City University of New York where he held the title of Weissman Distinguished Professor of Humanities.


Moderated by:AMY LAM

Tickets: 5$ at the door

NAKED BRUNCH BOOK CLUB @ MOCCA

Check out this sweet book club- including one led by our own Michael Vickers on November 9th!


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Naked Brunch Book Club
Auteur, David Cronenberg has drawn frequently from literature with deeply psychological narratives, existential crises and transgressive characters.

Alongside the exhibition David Cronenberg: Transformation the Naked Brunch Book Club will meet over three titles taken from a list of books that Cronenberg has adapted to film. Reserve your spot for one or all of the discussions. Be prepared to enter the worlds of intensely co-dependent twin gynaecologists, a genteel café owner and family man with a jarring past, and a junkie who travels through a twisted temporal reality searching for a fix while fleeing arrest.

Whilst there will croissants and tea, this is not the Jane Austen book club. There will be PERVERSE THEMES. There will be OBSCENE LANGUAGE. There will be VIOLENCE.

RSVP – Each meeting limited to 15 participants
BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) and come prepared for a discussion
Please reserve your spot by emailing:
Subject line NAKED BRUNCH BOOK CLUB
Your name
phone number
title of the book & club meeting date you wish to participate in
Email to bdespotovich@mocca.ca

September 28, 10 am
FREE, limited to 15 participants, RSVP required
Light breakfast provided

Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland
Twins is a spellbinding novel of the bizarre lives and shocking deaths of twin doctors—bound together by more than brotherly love, damned together to a private hell of unspeakable obsessions. Twins was made into the motion picture Dead Ringers.

October 12, 10 am
FREE, limited to 15 participants, RSVP required
Light breakfast provided

A History of Violence, written by John Wagner and illustrated by Vince Locke
Presented in graphic novel form, this suspenseful crime story is about Tom McKenna, a family man who becomes an instant media celebrity when he thwarts a robbery at his own diner. McKenna's newfound fame draws the attention of a group of merciless mobsters who have been looking to settle a score with him for over 20 years. Now, as the killers descend upon his small town in Middle America, the Brooklyn native must face the actions of his youth and relive his past history of violence as he attempts to salvage the life he has built and keep his family out of harm's way.

November 9, 10 am
Free, limited to 15 participants, RSVP required
Light breakfast provided

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
Naked Lunch is the unnerving tale of a monumental descent into the hellish world of a narcotics addict as he travels from New York to Tangiers, then into Interzone, a nightmarish modern urban wasteland in which the forces of good and evil vie for control of the individual and all of humanity. By mixing the fantastic and the realistic with his own unmistakable vision and voice, Burroughs has created a unique masterpiece that is a classic of twentieth century fiction.

UPCOMING Mercer Union- Submission Deadline: October 1, 2013.

Upcoming Submission Deadline

Tuesday 1 October 2013

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Mercer Union is an artist-centred platform for contemporary art. Our main objective is to support the creation and development of new and site-specific work, often premiering artists’ work from Canada and across the globe.

Mercer Union is delighted to accept exhibition and curatorial proposals from artists, artist collectives and curators across all media for its Front and/or Back Galleries. The submission deadlines occur twice a year: 1 March and 1 October.

In preparing your submission please consult the extensive archive of Mercer Union’s previous exhibitions as well as the floorplan to give an indication of the gallery spaces available. We also consider off-site projects relevant to Mercer Unions’ vision.
All submissions must be electronic in form (documents on Mac-friendly CD/ DVD or USB stick), including:
  • An artist statement (PDF preferred)
  • An exhibition proposal specific to Mercer Union including technical/installation needs, time-frame, etc.
  • A numbered image list
  • Ten to twenty images of current work or work intended for exhibition. Images should be JPEGs (1024 x 768 pixels max.), named and numbered consistently (e.g. 01Smith.jpg, 02Smith.jpg, etc.)
  • Other support material such as reviews and catalogues (print examples accepted)
  • A current CV with full contact information
 (Please note: we do not return submissions–for material to be returned please provide a Self-Addressed and Stamped Envelope)

Mercer Union offers artists the opportunity to create new works, from conception to realization. We are committed to paying artist and copyright fees according to the guidelines established by CAR/FAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation/Les Fronts des Artistes Canadiens), and provide curatorial support, installation assistance, insurance, promotion, documentation, and commission critical essays to accompany selected projects.

Mercer Union Project Submission Deadlines:
1 March / 1 October, yearly

Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance:
First Friday of January / 15 October, yearly
Please review the OAC Exhibition Assistance Program Guidelines

All submissions should be mailed or delivered in person. Mercer Union does not accept submissions by e-mail. Exhibition submissions which arrive after the due date will be held over until the next deadline. In order to present a cohesive yearly program, our committees review materials from both deadlines, and decisions are often not made for many months. Please be patient.



Mercer Union acknowledges the support of its memberships, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.
Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art
1286 Bloor Street West, Toronto ON M6H 1N9 Canada
T 416.536.1519
F 416.536.2955
www.mercerunion.org 
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ARTbus- September 15

ARTbus

ARTbus: Exhibition tour to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Art Gallery of Hamilton and Oakville Galleries
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Sunday 15 September 2013, 11:30 am–5:00 pm
Pick-up and drop-off at MOCCA (952 Queen Street West, Toronto)
$10 donation includes admission to all galleries and afternoon refreshments by Trafalgar Brewing Company and Whole Foods Market, Oakville
For reservations, contact artbus@oakvillegalleries.com or 905.844.4402, ext. 27 by Friday 13 September, 4:00 pm

Ride the ARTbus and discover some of the fall's best exhibitions in the GTA!

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA)
The fall ARTbus begins at MOCCA with a tour of David Cronenberg: Transformation. The exhibition features six new TIFF-commissioned artworks by leading Canadian and international contemporary artists who share pioneering Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg's inspirations from literature and philosophy—writers such as Marshall McLuhan, William S. Burroughs and J.G. Ballard—and his fascination with biological horror, the human psyche and the merging of humans and media. Artists on view include Candice Breitz, James Coupe, Marcel Dzama, Jeremy Shaw, Jamie Shovlin, and Laurel Woodcock. Organized by MOCCA and TIFF, and curated by David Liss, Artistic Director & Curator, MOCCA; and Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, TIFF. Supported by the Government of Ontario, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Hal Jackman Foundation. Also on view is Camille Henrot | Grosse Fatigue, curated by Andréa Picard and presented in collaboration with TIFF Future Projections. Supported by the Hal Jackman Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH)
The ARTbus continues to the AGH for a tour of Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins: The Collaborationists. The Collaborationists is an extensive exhibition of the multi-faceted works of Canadian artists Marman and Borins. Comprised of major installations and kinetic sculptures, as well as a selection of paintings and an audio station, this landmark exhibition highlights the recent production of this highly insightful artist duo. Drawing from the theories of mid-century modernist art, with a focus on information as a subject, the works explore intellectual subjects in a refreshingly playful manner. Co-curated by Melissa Bennett, Art Gallery of Hamilton; and Linda Jansma, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

Oakville Galleries

Next, at Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square participants will visit the group exhibition Surface Tension, guest-curated by Jacob Korczynski. Over the past decade digital media has transformed how we take pictures and how existing images circulate in the world. While many artists have questioned where to locate images in our contemporary context, their ongoing presence in museums and galleries underscores that—alongside more dematerialized forms—images remain with us physically. Surface Tension presents recent works by Canadian and international artists that readily engage with this persistent materiality. Artists on view include Matthew Buckingham, Nina Canell & Robin Watkins, Youngmi Chun, Kelly Jazvac, Sreshta Rit Premnath, Jimmy Robert, and Mark Soo.

Finally, the ARTbus finishes at Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens with the solo exhibition Kelly Jazvac: PARK, curated by Jon Davies. Over the past several years, London-based artist Kelly Jazvac has worked primarily with the medium of discarded adhesive vinyl, which she gleans from the printing industry. In PARK, her first solo museum exhibition, Jazvac will respond to the distinctive context of Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens with a suite of recent sculptural works, videos, found objects, and a new site-specific wallpaper installation based on a photo shoot in the Gardens.

SCHEDULE

11:15 am: Meet outside the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art for sign-in.
11:30 am: Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Tour of David Cronenberg: Transformation and Camille Henrot | Grosse Fatigue.
1:15 pm: Art Gallery of Hamilton. Tour of Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins: The Collaborationists.
2:30 pm: Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square. Visit Surface Tension.
3:30 pm: Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens. Visit Kelly Jazvac: PARK. Reception with refreshments.
5:00 pm: Drop-off at MOCCA.
In-kind support provided by Trafalgar Brewing Company and Whole Foods Market, Oakville

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
952 Queen Street West, Toronto
416.395.0067
www.mocca.ca

Art Gallery of Hamilton
123 King Street West, Hamilton
905.527.6610
www.artgalleryofhamilton.com

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

Images (left to right): Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, Pavilion of the Blind, 2013, courtesy of Georgia Scherman Projects, Toronto and Tierney Gardarin Gallery, New York; Marcel Dzama, Une Danse Des Bouffons (or A Jester's Dance) (film still), 2013, commissioned by TIFF, 2013. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner Gallery, New York/London; Kelly Jazvac, Salp, 2012, courtesy of the artist and Louis B. James, New York. Photo: Dave Kemp.

Art Reach Toronto: Free Workshops for Youth

Free Workshops for Youth!

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Art of Facilitation | Workshop Series 

Are you an artist with an amazing talent or skill that you want to teach to youth?
Are you looking for new employment opportunities within your art form?
Or, are you just looking to develop and refine your facilitation skills?

The Art of Facilitation is a train-the-trainer workshops series for youth (13-29 years) that infuses popular education techniques with the presentation and facilitation skills needed to engage diverse youth audiences. These interactive and engaging workshops will train you in the areas of facilitation, workshop planning, presentation skills, and creating safe and inclusive spaces.  In addition to this training, you will receive feedback on your facilitation style/approach, individual mentorship from an experienced facilitator in the field and receive a certificate of completion!

So whether you have facilitated before or have never transferred your skills to an audience, The Art of Facilitation will assist you in creating an engaging workshop experience that everyone will love.

*In order to participate in this program, you will have to fill out the survey herehttps://adobeformscentral.com/?f=5IxpNT3U70msy0gSUWVZDg AND attend 5 mandatory facilitator-training workshops at Metro Hall, (55 John Street) on the following dates:

Saturday September 28, 10:00am-4:00pm (room 303)
Wednesday October 2, 5:30pm-9:30pm (room 303)
Wednesday October 9, 5:00pm-9:30pm (room 303)
Wednesday October 16, 5:00pm-9:30pm (room 310)
Wednesday October 23, 5:00pm-9:30pm (room 303)

REGISTRATION: If you are interested in this opportunity, please register with eventbrite here and fill out the survey before September 13th.

This workshop series is being presented by:


 
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
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Workshop Descriptions:

Part 1- Best Practices in the Art of Facilitation 
Participants explore the multiple levels in the art facilitation by unpacking their past facilitation experiences and discovering what has worked and has been unsuccessful in the past.  By understanding what techniques work and what should be avoided, the participants will be provided with tip and tools to effectively engage youth audiences.

Part 2- Inclusive and Equitable Practices in Facilitation
Participants will learn how to be equitable in their teaching practices and who create an environment where everyone feels included and engaged through the use of popular education.

Part 3- Working with and Creating Safe Spaces for Marginalized Youth
Participants will learn how to engage marginalized audiences by recognizing the roots of their marginalization and what tools get their attention.  Emphasis will be made on creating safe spaces that youth want to be in and feel respected in.

Part 4- Presentation and Multimedia Techniques
Participants will learn the techniques that will make them stronger presenters.  Participants will focus on their volume, clarity and personal quirks.  Additionally, participants will learn how to use multimedia tools to engage their audiences in innovative ways.

Part 5- Program Organization and Planning 
Participants will learn how to put an effective, engaging, though-provoking workshop together.  Using the tools that they will acquire from this workshop, participants will create a mini workshop that they will present to the group for feedback and critique.

Facilitator Bio 
Letecia Rose is an experienced facilitator that has been involved in developing and implementing programs and initiatives within community agencies and various school boards for the past seven years.  From her experience in community theatre, she uses anti-oppression, popular education techniques, and multimedia to engage the diverse audiences that she works with.  Letecia has led workshops on Islamaphobia, homophobia, Anti-Racism, gender equity, and the practice of conducting courageous conversations in the workplace.  The popularity of these workshops has allowed Letecia to facilitate workplace equity workshops for City of Toronto, The City of Newmarket, Centennial College, the United Church of Canada, Community Microskills, and Human Resources and Skill Development Canada.  She has managed to personally work with over 3,000 youth in hands-on diversity programs and facilitate anti-racism workshops and assemblies for additional 10,000 youth across Ontario.  Currently Letecia works as a Program and Partnerships Manager at Nia Centre for the Arts where she creates initiatives to support Afro-Diasporic arts and artists.

Guest facilitators will also be brought in to share their perspectives on each of the topic areas