Xpace Cultural Centre annual fall programming launch and back-to-school party

Xpace Cultural Centre invites you to join them for their annual FREE fall programming launch and back-to-school party on September 8 from 7-11pm, featuring new work created this summer at Akin Lansdowne by our summer artists-in-residence Emily Norry and Kendra Lee, with accompanying essay by Sam Roberts. Emily, Kendra and Sam were winners of the Xpace Summer Residency Program for OCAD U graduates.

September 8 – October 14, 2017
Opening Reception: Friday, September 8, 7-11pm

Poster by Wil Brask

Emily Norry, Queeries into History: The Love of Loring and Wyle (Project Space)

With accompanying essay by Sam Roberts.

This series by Emily Norry explores the lives of Toronto artists Frances Loring and Florence Wyle and their lifetime spent together. Through this show, Norry looks to expand upon her series Queeries into History with a more in depth exploration of these two artists. Where Queeries into History was meant to outline an entire ancestry of queer women through time, The Love of Loring and Wyle is a biography of two beloved but often forgotten artists that helped shape Toronto’s art world, while never wavering in their commitment to one another.

Using watercolour printmaking, Norry takes historical photos of Loring and Wyle’s careers and personal lives, paints them in colour and transfers them onto fabric. These leave images cracked, faded, and sometimes warped from the originals; this is reflective of the way history is often forgotten and overwritten in modern view. These images are then embellished, with embroidery, patterning and dried flowers as a way to describe intimacy, relationships and the way the past is reframed and added to in the present. The works will explore their sculptures, time as students, associations with arts societies, and their more then 50 year relationship. 

www.emilynorry.com

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Kendra Yee, Pantry Shelf (Window Space)

With accompanying essay by Sam Roberts.

The attempts to trace back family lineage are swallowed by the movements of time. Documents discarded, photographs burned, tombstones never carved and names changed to survive systems. Mimicking the setup of Kendra Yee’s Yeh-Yeh’s corner store in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, this installation honours family-run businesses. The items displayed replace the culture that has been lost, reclaiming broken narratives and forming new stories.

www.kendrayee.com

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Save the date! Akin will be visiting these exhibitions as a part of our Fall Gallery Crawl on Saturday September 16. Stay tuned for more info! 

Desire Lines, the latest exhibition curated by Art Spin opens tomorrow!

Art Spin is excited to present, in partnership with Waterfront Toronto, a free and exciting group exhibition titled Desire Lines, showcasing the work of some of our most notable regional artists presenting artwork from a wide variety of disciplines and opening this Thursday August 24th.

This exhibition responds to themes that deal with the highly nuanced dynamic of place making and what constitutes the concept of home, as well as exploring our complex and storied relationship to our waterfront. Desire Lines will transform a massive 8000 sqft. warehouse and retired condo presentation centre with many works responding to the unique features of the space itself.

ARTISTS:
Karen Miranda Abel • Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins • Kaitlyn Bourden • Hannah Busse • Paul Chartrand • Nicole Clouston • Naomi Dodds • Anna Eyler • Chris Foster • Young & Giroux • Sarah Kernohan • Alex McLeod • Daniel Rotsztain • Lauren Schaffer • Chris Hanson & Hendrika Sonnenberg • Sheldon Storey • Jessica Thalmann (of Akin Lansdowne) • Tough Guy Mountain • VSVSVS

LOCATION:
291 Lake Shore Boulevard East (just west of Parliament St.)
Look for a painted white warehouse. The exhibition is fully accessible. The space, which is just south of the Distillery District, can be accessed easily by bicycle from the Waterfront Trail, or by car via Queens Quay, there is a paid parking lot available on site.

DATES & HOURS:
Opening Night Reception & Party: Thursday, August 24th 7pm - 1am
Exhibition Runs: August 25th - September 3rd
Exhibition Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 12pm - 8pm, Sundays 12pm - 6pm

SPECIAL EVENTS:
OPENING NIGHT PARTY - Thursday August 24th, 7pm - 1am

CURATOR & ARTIST TALK - Saturday August 26th, 3pm - 4pm
Join Art Spin curators Layne Hinton and Rui Pimenta to walk through the exhibition and discuss some of the curatorial themes. Artists joining us to talk about their work - to be announced.

ABOUT ART SPIN:
Art Spin has been operating professionally as an arts presenter for over eight years, activating decommissioned venues and unique public spaces to produce large scale group exhibitions along with curated bicycle-led art tours to showcase a wide range of newly commissioned art programing in unusual site-specific settings. Most recently Art Spin presented in/future: a transformative art experience, a unique 11 day festival of art and music that animated the West Island of Ontario Place in 2016. Art Spin is led by Layne Hinton and Rui Pimenta, artists and independent curators, who are driven by a strong sense of commitment and passion for presenting contemporary artworks in alternative, everyday spaces in order to make its audience’s experiences with art more engaging and exciting.
www.artspin.ca

Funding Opportunties

FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS UNDER THE ONTARIO BLACK YOUTH ACTION PLAN!

Applications for funding to deliver the different programs under the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan are rolling out. Click here to find out which program applications are open and how you can get involved.

NEW UNITED WAY FUNDING STREAMS OPEN!

United Way Toronto & York Region invites you to consider the following funding opportunities: Social and Community Services (full info here) and Youth Employability Funding (full info here).

RBC ANNOUNCES ITS FUTURE LAUNCH PROGRAM

RBC has just announced its largest ever commitment to young people - RBC Future Launch, a 10-year $500 million initiative to provide skills and work... experience for the future of work. Visit www.rbc.com/futurelaunch for more information!

APPLY FOR A JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP!

August 31st// Since 1998, the Johnson Scholarship Program has awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships and academic grants to students across Canada. Johnson will award 50 scholarships each valued at $1,000 each to students graduating high school this year, and attending a post-secondary educational institution in Canada in the fall of 2017. The deadline to apply is August 31st. More info here!

APPLY FOR A YORK U CATALYST CALL FOR PROPOSALS!

September 4th// The York U-TD Community Engagement Centre offers Community Engagement Catalyst Grants to support creative and innovative collaborations between community partners and York University. Groups may apply for up to $5,000. Click here to learn more.

Factor Grants: Music Grant Writing Workshop

September 26, 6:00-8:00PM
The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings, 247 Spadina Avenue, 3rd Floor

Thanks to the generous support of FACTOR, this event is free, however there is limited seating, please register online to attend atwww.universe.com/factor

Musicians and artists that make music! Join and to learn how to get FACTOR music grants ($$$) from the people that give them, at their office!

Akin Projects and The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR) present an interactive workshop that will explore the process of planning, writing and submitting music grant proposals and give an overview of FACTOR and their programs. As a major funder themselves, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings will provide clear examples of the grant writing process and the various the dos and don'ts of everything from ratings and the music juries to organizing your support material and work plan. Following this, there will be an extensive Q&A period so you can get the support you're looking for!

Transportation/ Accesibility: FACTOR is located at 247 Spadina Ave, 3rd floor (Just south of Dundas and North of Queen). TTC: Take the 510 Streetcar South from Spadina TTC Station towards Queens Quay, and exit at Sullivan St. The office is completely accessible by elevator to the 3rd floor.

FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) is a public/private partnership that supports the production of sound recordings by Canadian musicians and helps Canadian music companies make recordings available to a wider public. www.factor.ca

'FLAT' opening reception tonight at Bunker 2

FLAT is an immersive installation that also operates as an escape room game. Participants interact with the space and work together to solve a series of challenges over the course of an hour-long game in order to escape the gallery. Based on the structure and tropes of the escape room game phenomenon, FLAT is a game conceptualized, designed, and built by artists.

Exploring the aspirations and limitations of the micro- and minimalist-living movements, FLATresponds to Bunker 2’s form as a repurposed shipping container. The game investigates histories of small-space living—from modernist design movements to the tiny home trend to the precarity of improvised living spaces built by those pushed out by gentrification.

FLAT
A collaborative project by Alison Cooley, Ivana Dizdar, Alvin Luong, and Andrew Savery-Whiteway
Bunker 2 - 346 Campbell Ave
August 18–September 10, 2017

OPENING RECEPTION
7–10pm, Friday August 18, 2017

PLAY THE GAME
By appointment, August 19–September 10, 2017
The game is suitable for 2-5 players.

Wednesday-Friday: 7:00 pm; 8:30 pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12 pm; 1:30 pm; 3:00 pm; 4:30 pm

Please visit liveflat.ca to book

Bookings are free—there is no cost to play the game, but we ask that participants respect their commitment to their booking. Visit our website for additional booking details.

CONTACT US
WEB: liveflat.ca or bunker2.ca

Creative Users new website - Accessing the Arts!

After a two year long journey, Creative Users, an initiative of Akin Dupont member Lindsay Fisher, is thrilled to officially launch their new website and accessible events listing thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.

This website features information about Creative User projects, as well it provides an events listing, "Accessing the Arts" which features accessible arts and disability arts happening in Toronto. Creative Users' goal for the next two years is to research and evaluate the usability of this site, to expand the scope of resources to include accessible and inclusive curatorial practices happening nationally with information, news articles and documentation on making the arts accessible along with updates on what's happening in the disability arts scene. 

Creative Users is a disability-led artist platform that explores the intersection of art and design practices, accessibility, and disability. Creative Users is a shapeshifter, cultural connector and sector builder of disability arts and accessible curatorial practice. The work stems from a desire to activate art and make visible an inclusive arts culture. creativeusers.net

New Toronto Tool Library discount for Akin Members!

Akin Members now can receive 10% off any level of membership to the Toronto Tool Library.

At the Toronto Tool Library, anyone with a membership can sign-out tools for both their home and community initiatives. Whether you are hanging a picture or renovating a community park, the Toronto Tool Library offers a range of equipment for your project as an extremely low-cost, resource sharing and space-saving alternative to purchasing and owning tools.

Learn more about the Toronto Tool Library at www.torontotoollibrary.com

Benefits of a Tool Library:

• Provides access to specialized tools where ownership of the tool is cost prohibitive
• Wide range of tools available including Power Generators, Construction & Renovation
• Gardening & Landscaping, Painting & Drywall, Electrical Tools and more!
• Operates on a non-profit basis and funds itself after the initial investment through membership fees / late fees / donations
• Helps reduce environmental waste and clutter in the home
• Provides home building workshops and training so users can improve their skills
  
  Akin studio members will receive the discount information with their welcome package once they join Akin! 

Abstracted Landscapes: Paintings by Beverly Allen at S. Walter Stewart Library

Abstracted Landscapes is new solo exhibition of paintings by Beverly Allen of Akin Sunrise are on display at S. Walter Stewart Library, 170 Memorial Park Avenue during the month of August.

Beverly's latest explorations in art follow her interest in layers - the glimpse of what is underneath and how we interpret what we can't entirely see. Influenced by Chinese art and ancient manuscripts, Beverly is finding a language of her own scratched into the paintings she produces. Beverly is also co-founder of Four Corners Studio in Riverside/Leslieville.  For more info please visit www.nomadarttoronto.com

Akin Show & Tell #59: Sunrise

On the last Wednesday of every month Akin host’s a relaxed and fun ‘Show and Tell for Artists’ at one of the Akin Collective studios. 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!

This month we are meeting at Akin Sunrise located at 100 Sunrise Ave in studio 106A. 

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch! See you there!

Upcoming Calls for Submission

Ontario Place Winter Light Exhibition
Deadline: September 5

Ontario Place is seeking proposals for illuminated sculptures that project light, shape light, transmit light, reflect light and/or contain light. Applicants are encouraged to explore and combine unconventional materials and methods that respond to light in different ways, ensuring the piece is visually successful during the day and night in our winter environment. There is no application fee to submit; monetary compensation for proposals that are accepted in to the Exhibition. 

This project is a temporary exhibit to run from December 2017 until March 2018. Ontario Place will in no way own the piece post-exhibit unless otherwise discussed with the applicant directly. Photos of the prospective exhibit locations can be found here: http://ontarioplace.com/en/winter-light-locations/

Ontario Place is an agency of the Government of Ontario that features 155 acres of breathtaking waterfront property in Toronto. The iconic location is a venue for live music, festivals, events and more. 

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Michael Landy's DEMONSTRATION
Deadline: September 10

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery invite the public to participate in DEMONSTRATION, a site specific installation by United Kingdom artist Michael Landy.

Anyone can participate by sending in words, texts and slogans that represent their hopes and fears, expressing what makes them happy, angry or sad—from incidental, to monumental issues. With the help of assistants, Landy will transform selections from submitted content into red and white drawings creating a wall of protest . Over the course of the exhibition, these drawings will be installed on the walls of The Power Plant's Fleck Clerestory; and as the exhibition develops, so the demonstration will grow, making visible the social conditions of a contemporary political reality. 

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery is Canada’s leading non-collecting, public art gallery dedicated exclusively to contemporary visual art from Canada and the world. 

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2017 Craft Ontario Craft Awards
Deadline: September 5

Craft Awards recognize accomplished and dedicated practitioners in the field of craft and design. From makers that create innovative and exceptional work to curators, administrators, writers and volunteers who support the craft community, each recipient is recognized as an important contributor to contemporary craft practice. The 2017 Craft Awards Program has nineteen awards open for application and one by nomination, totalling over $22,000.

This year's Craft Awards Ceremony will take place at Craft Ontario, 1106 Queen St. W, Toronto, on Thursday, October 12, 6 - 8 pm. During the Ceremony recipients receive their awards

Craft Ontario is the province’s only not-for-profit, multidisciplinary, member-based arts service organization devoted to the support and promotion of professional craft practice. Craft Ontario exists to grow recognition and appreciation of craft and craftspeople by building a strong, talented and distinct craft community. 

THIS SATURDAY! Akin & North York Arts: Newcomer Exhibition & Artist Talk

Artist Talk- Saturday, August 19, 1-3pm at Akin Sunrise
 100 Sunrise Ave, Studio 106A

Presented by North York Arts and Akin, 'Cursory' is an exhibition that displays new and recently created artworks by emerging artists residing in Toronto, Hussain Al Ismail, Pradeep Anurag Reddy and Victor Vazquez.

Seeking to celebrate community, 'Cursory' brings to attention an incisive look at the creative work explored by three personal narratives who fleetingly inhabit a space. Informed by their individual experiences as immigrants, the artists' multi-faceted practice is presented as an inventive quest for a thorough glance at the quotidian. Multiple art formats such as paintings, sculptures, digital art, and sketches are displayed together interpreted in the uniqueness of each artist to represent their identities.

Meet the artists and tour Akins Collective's new studio and programming space at 100 Sunrise Ave in North York. From 1-3pm August 19th.

Emma Aurelia artist in residence at Harbourfront Centre

Our beloved member Emma Aurelia is currently one of the artists in residence at Harbourfront Centre. Aurelia is a multi-media installation artist. With textiles at the forefront, her practice extends in several other directions incorporating sound, video and motors. She explores the way that these elements interact, transforming space and experience. Emma graduated from OCADU with a BFA specializing in textiles.

Freelance Wage Calculator and other resources for Urban Workers

Freelancers, including artists, often assume financial risks without the benefits of being a traditional employee. Use this calculator to convert your full-time, annual salary as an employee into an estimated freelance hourly rate. 

Akin at Zine Dream 10!!

Akin is proud to be one of over 100 exhibitors featured at Zine Dream 10. Join us on August 20 to see the best of self published books, comics, music, zines, hand made crafts, prints & much more! One day only. The event is PWYC and will take place at the Polish Combatants' Hall, 206 Beverley Street.

Our table will feature zines, books and more by our amazing Akin artists including: 

Sophie Berg - www.sophiecberg.com

Erin Candela - www.erincandela.ca

Brittany Carmichael - www.brittanycarmichael.com

Emily DiCarlo - www.emilydicarlo.com

Emma Dolan (Desert Pets Press) - www.desertpetspress.com

Julianne Ess - http://cargocollective.com/julianneess

Billy Franklin - www.eaturpie.com

Enrique Gaudite - www.instagram.com/enrique_snaps

Natascha Malta - https://greetingsfromtoronto.wordpress.com

Jen Pilles - www.jenpilles.com

Kayla Polan - www.kaylapolan.com

Katie Sadie - www.katiesadie.com

and More! 

THERE WILL BE CAKE! 
COME CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF SMALL PRESS IN OUR CITY!

Obvious and Implied: Paintings by Nancy Bennett at Deer Park Public Library

A new solo exhibition of sky paintings by Nancy Bennett of Akin Sunrise are on display for the month of August at Deer Park Public Library, 40 St. Clair Avenue East. 

Nancy Bennett is a self-schooled artist. She has studied under several Toronto artists in formal and informal settings. Nancy is also co-founder of Four Corners Studio in Riverside/Leslieville. 
Her work is held in private and corporate collections in Canada and the U.S.A.

www.nancybennett.ca

Tomorrow! Grand Opening of Project Gallery's new space!

Join us for the grand opening of Project Gallery's new 2,500 sq ft space at 1210 Dundas St E on Thursday August 3rd from 6-10pm. 

On display will be works by represented artists including Sara Letovsky and Sara Pearson of Akin Dupont, as well as:

Kevin Colombus
Camille Jodoin-Eng
Ness Lee
Jean-Luc Lindsay
Tessar Lo
Greg McCarthy
Callen Schaub
SoTeeOh

Akin Vitrine Gallery featuring Enrique Gaudite

Enrique Velez Gaudite is a storyteller. Using imagery and text, found and original, he aims to compare and contrast the power of media in its digital and analog forms. He works in marketing communications by day and on his practice beyond the 40 hours outside of the fluorescent box. His work questions sincerity in social media and problematics that come with economics, love, and other conventions.

Enrique is a current member of Akin’s Dupont Studios and his installation, 404 will be on exhibit for the month of August 2017.  

He's also the founder of a small press called Particular Instances of the Possible which specializes in publishing books, zines, artists' prints, and objects.

404, 2017
Mixed Media
dimensions variable

The Akin Vitrine Gallery is located at the Clock Factory Building at 1485 Dupont Street (entrance on Campbell Avenue). Find Akin Studio 215 on the second floor and follow the sign into the hallway around the corner.

The building is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, or to arrange a viewing outside of those hours please contact the artist: evgaudite@gmail.com

instagram: @enrique_snaps

@AkinVitrine
#AkinVitrine

Call for Artists - The Living City - Deadline August 7

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in collaboration with Crazy Dames and Evergreen, invites emerging, mid-career and established artists or artist collectives to propose new works for an art exhibit entitled ‘The Living City’.

Artworks will focus on the themes identified in The Living City Report Card – carbon, air quality, water, waste, land use and biodiversity. The report card is a progress report on environmental sustainability in the Toronto region and answers three important questions: How are we doing? Where have we excelled? On what issues do we need to work even harder?

Selected artists will be matched with an environmental expert who has worked on The Living City Report Card to learn about their research prior to the creation of the work, with the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration. Seven artworks will be commissioned in total. 

Akin Collective Artists among 2017 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibitions Award Winners

Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2017 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition Awards! Over $40,000 in cash and in-kind awards were presented last week to some very extraordinary artists of the 2017 Exhibition including many Akin Collective studio members and alumni!

Katrina Jurjans of Akin Lansdowne won Best of Painting as well as Best of Student which includes a one-week Residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point & One-week Exhibition at Artscape Youngplace.

Kendra Yee of Akin Lansdowne received the Emerging Artist by Emerging Curator Award, an award that creates an opportunity for an emerging curator and four emerging artists to participate in an exhibition at a professional gallery.

Loren Kaplan of Akin Dupont received Honourable Mention for Best of Ceramics.  

Kristy Blackwell of Akin Sunrise received Honourable Mention for Best of Painting. 

Julia Hepburn, a former Akin member also received Honourable mention for Best of 3D Works. 

We are so proud of all of you! 

Akin Announces BIG on Bloor BIG Xplorations Mural Project!

Akin is proud to announce the launch of three new outdoor murals by our talented studio artists Althea Balmes, Atanas Bozdarov & Sarvenaz Rayati of Akin Lansdowne, and Billy Franklin of Akin Dupont. 

The murals will be created as a part of BIG on Bloor Festival’s offsite pop-up series ‘BIG Xplorations’ on July 22 and 23 and remain in place for the duration of the summer for the public to enjoy. The works will be created on-site at 1319 Bloor St W in the Value Village parking lot, and along the West Toronto Railpath. These murals will represent the diversity of Akin Collective studio artists and our neighbourhood and community.

About the murals and the artists: 

‘What’s in Your Fridge?’ by Althea Balmes & Atanas Bozdarov

What’s in your fridge? Althea and Atanas will answer the question by transforming their BIG on Bloor mural structure into a fridge—exposing its inside and revealing the yummy contents through fun and colourful illustrations.

Althea and Atanas will collaborate with the community to illustrate the food and drink ideas that they provide. They will be collecting this information prior to the event, and during the live painting, taking suggestions on site. This work is intended to create a conversation about food and culture, and also engage the community allowing them to become active participants.

Althea Balmes is an artist-educator rooted in community work. She uses her strong connection to her culture and her place as a diasporic Canadian woman of colour to inspire her work and as a way to connect to others.  She teaches visual storytelling workshops throughout the city. She has won the 2012 Women in Film and Television-Toronto (WIFT-T) Award for her film, “Suman Ladies”. She received The Min Sook Lee Award for her on-going community based comic book project about the real lives of Filipino live-in Caregivers, “Kwentong Bayan: Labour of Love” in 2014. Althea is currently doing her Master of Information in User Experience Design at University of Toronto. www.altheabalmes.com

Atanas Bozdarov is an interdisciplinary artist and designer who focuses on deconstructing the ways in which we read and interpret systems and structures. From quoting fragments of architectural blueprints or game sequences, to generating musical motifs from non-musical sources, he constructs incomplete and surprising structures in order to question our understanding of the working systems around us.  www.atanasbozdarov.com

‘An Artist at Work’ by Sarvenaz Rayati

An artist at work. A woman who has done a painting in a nature setting seems restless and is still looking for something. Featuring a persian poem on love.

Sarvenaz is an Iranian visual artist now based in Toronto. She received her BA in Painting and Visual Communication from Art University in Tehran. She has exhibited her work internationally and has recently participated in group exhibitions at Urban Space and Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. Since moving to the city, she has focused on her drawing and painting practice and has immersed herself in the community arts world. She visits schools, leads painting workshops, and participates in community arts and mural projects, including the Coxwell Laneway Mosaic Mural. This summer, Sarvenaz is leading People & Trees, a community art project that will culminate with an installation in East York's Dentonia Park as part of City of Toronto Cultural Hotspot’s SPARK Projects.

“Storytelling has always been my main motivation to create art. Heritage, the self, paths, nature, the act of seeking—these are all recurrent themes in my work. I’m inspired by Persian miniatures, comics, found photographs and life around me.”
www.sarvenaz-rayati.com
Instagram: @sarvenaz_ray

‘Bloordale Freestyle’ by Billy Franklin

After many years of keeping design and graffiti separate, artist Billy Franklin has combined the better parts of both worlds by staying true to the DIY ethos. Franklin works in mostly analog techniques, but also has formal training in graphic design. He quickly developed an awareness for a brush and can using self-taught techniques. With a great respect for both methods of practice, his work is carefully thought out with keen attention to detail. Focusing on hard lines, bold colours and clean typography, Billy’s work is easily recognizable. He is influenced by late 90’s skateboard graphics and cartoons from his childhood. Franklin’s work is humorous and witty, sure to draw in his audience with his clever perspective.

Working from his head, Billy will create a freestyle mural that will represent Bloordale and the Akin Community. Things that may be included in the final production: pineapples, cool shoes, coffee cups, bikes, fun patterns, bright colours, puppers, other cool fruits; maybe a classic Billy F portrait partying with a pupper while eating a pineapple and riding a bike in cool shoes thinking about coffee! No matter the final design, you can count on a super fun piece! 
www.eaturpie.com
Instagram: @eaturpie


About the festival:
The BIG on Bloor Festival is a car-free street festival along Bloor Street from Dufferin to Lansdowne. It attracts 100,000 visitors and this year is celebrating 10 years of community building, culturally significant events, activities, displays and exhibitions. This year, greater focus will be given to defining areas for exhibiting artists and spaces to showcase contemporary performances to the general public.

BIG Xplorations is a special pop-up series of live painting, sculpture installations, spot garden releases and events in various venues from West of Lansdowne to the Toronto Railpath. This portion of the street will not be car-free, instead locations will be promoted in a crawl style for visitors to explore. BIG Xplorations will feature over 20 local artists, showcasing works in sculpture, art exhibitions in shipping containers, live painting on mural structures, contemporary performances and other activities which can engage guests. These locations will be featured during the festival and will also survive after the festival dates allowing for guests to visit sites for months after.
www.bigonbloorfestival.com

About Akin:
Akin is a Toronto-based arts organization that provides affordable studio space as well as arts-based programming through it's sister non-profit organization, Akin Projects. Our studios provide a working environment that maintains a friendly and inspiring atmosphere where people can work on creative endeavors and entrepreneurial undertakings of all kinds. Akin builds community through monthly art critiques, workshops, open studio events, gallery tours, exhibitions, as well as various other art projects. www.akincollective.com
 

Interested in supporting Akin and our community programs? Learn more here or get in touch! Email michael@akincollective.com