Call for Akin Artists: Queen West Art Crawl →

Are you a practicing artist who is also currently a member of one of Akin's 8 studio locations? Then this might be the perfect opportunity for you to show your work at a public outdoor art exhibition for free!

The 2018 edition of Queen West Art Crawl occurs on September 22-23rd. QWAC is a community-based arts and culture organization that is dedicated to supporting the arts community in Queen West and across Toronto. The cornerstone of the organization is our annual outdoor art exhibition that takes place in Trinity Bellwoods Park, the outdoor art festival brings in thousands of visitors each year.

At Queen West Art Crawl culture and art are celebrated through the 3 day juried outdoor exhibition.  Queen West Art Crawl has been supporting artists in many diverse mediums from painting and ceramics to sculpture and jewelry. Active Akin members are invited to apply for a free exhibition spot at this year's event.

Queen West Art Crawl

Dates: September 22-23rd 2018.

Hours: 11AM - 6PM

Location: Trinity Bellwoods Park, 790 Queen Street West, Toronto

Deadline to apply: Friday, September 14th 2018.

To qualify artists must be active Akin members, currently working out of one or more of Akin's 8 studio locations (including the soon to launch Akin x MOCA space). Artists or artist's representatives must be onsite for the entire duration of the event. All mediums are acceptable.

To apply please send the following, in a single PDF, to janet@akincollective.com:

-A brief biography;

-An artist's statement;

-A brief description of how you would use this opportunity;

-3 to 5 images of your most recent work.

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Deadline to apply is Friday, September 14th at 5PM.

Participating artists will be chosen by QWAC representatives. Up to 3 Akin artists will be awarded free space (shared booth) at this year's Queen West Art Crawl.

If you have any questions please direct them to janet@akincollective.com.

Sarah Letovsky's 'I Like For You to be Still' →

Project Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by Sarah Letovsky of Akin Dupont.

In this series of work, Letovsky's reverence for the portrait evolves to encompass more of the figure and spatial context; in doing so, evoking a sense of intimacy, hinting at spaces of belonging and familiarity such as bedrooms and living rooms. The paintings are reminiscent of selfies; a camera is never directly featured but implied, and raises questions about who the image is for, and by. The work invites the viewer to consider the self-photograph as a contradiction and an equilibrium in which the private becomes public, a work of both intimacy and exhibitionism.

The title of the show is a reference to Pablo Neruda's poem of the same name, in which Neruda describes the quintessential female muse – still and silent, an object of desire set apart to gaze upon:

I like for you to be still: it is as though you were absent,
and you hear me from far away and my voice does not
touch you.
It seems as though your eyes had flown away
and it seems that a kiss had sealed your mouth.

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Opening Reception: Sept 6th, 6:00-9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Sept 6-Sept 30, 2018
Location: Project Gallery, 1210 Dundas Street East

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Letovsky's subjects challenge this narrative; they are both confrontational and inviting, a director in their own representation. Their image is a performance, and we are invited to view the subject and their body through a negotiation of the self. It also invites us to consider the particularly gendered discussion of self-documentation. As Anne Burns discusses in Self(ie)-Discipline, "the gendering of selfies and the prevalent assumption that they act as proof of narcissism limit how women’s personal photography is socially valued... selfishness is a particularly barbed insult when directed at women, as it references the subject’s transgression of the norm of feminine self-sacrifice". 

Letovsky also takes inspiration from her love of prose and poetry, in particular, stories of the interior lives of women and girls, and their private narratives of love, joy, anger, grief, self-pity, and insecurity operating beneath the surface. In these paintings, Letovsky’s subjects are caught in an ambiguous and mundane moment; they seem observant, sexual, uncertain, and sometimes indifferent or bored - belying a rich interior complexity.

Sarah Letovsky lives and works in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from the University of King's College in Halifax in 2009 where she studied literature and film. She completed her BFA at OCAD University in 2014 in Drawing and Painting and was the recipient of the Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Award for Excellence in Painting. Her first solo exhibition with Project Gallery, Girls Girls Girls, opened in 2016. Most recently Letovsky exhibited in the group show "Today's Paper" at Angell Gallery in Toronto.

Project is a commercial art gallery in Toronto that exhibits a critical selection of artists, whose work reflects new and innovative developments in contemporary art. It is located at 1210 Dundas Street East, in the heart of Leslieville with accompanying studios overlooking the Don Valley in Riverside.

Introducing the Akin Studio Program at MOCA 2018/2019 Cohort

Akin is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of the Akin Studio Program at MOCA. These artists will be starting their one-year studio residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada in September and will share their practices with the museum’s visitors through programs such as open studio events. The studios vary in size from approximately 25 to 250 square feet and were designed by Akin to create a light and welcoming environment for artists to develop their work. Similar to Akin’s other locations, the space will foster a community atmosphere and the exchange of ideas.

The artists: 
 
Adria Mirabelli
Carrie Chisholm
Christian Milan Butterfield
David Constantino Salazar
David Frankovich
Emily Woudenberg
Emma White
Eugenia Elder
Eva Kolcze
Ghazaleh Avarzamani
Helen Liene Dreifelds
Humboldt Magnussen
Jamie Ellis Pasquale
Jennifer Dany Aubé
Jess Thalmann
Jieun June Kim
Leone McComas
Liang Wang
Maggie McCutcheon
Maren Boedeker
Michaela Macleod
Nuff
Raoul Olou
Raquel Da Silva
Samar Hejazi
Sara Mozafari
Stanzie Tooth
Stephanie Avery
Stephanie Fortin
Steve Lee
Su Bin Ee
Tanya Louise Workman
Walter Segers

We invite you to come and visit the studios during the International Grand Opening of MOCA Toronto Canada on September 22 and 23, 2018 from 10am-5pm. The Akin Studio Program is located on the 4th floor. Following the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday morning, explore all five floors of the museum all weekend for free! An Akin staff member will be on site on to answers questions about Akin. Several artists will be in attendance throughout the weekend. 
 

Click here to RSVP

Accessibility: 

MOCA Toronto is a barrier-free and accessible museum for all. We are located on floors one to five of the Tower Automotive Building, with elevator serving each floor. The museum has wheelchair and stroller parking as well as two walkers and wheelchairs available onsite for use. If you have other needs we should know about, contact us at visitorexperience@moca.caahead of time to make any arrangements.
 

Workshops for Newcomer Visual Artists →

September 5th – Staying Updated with Cecilia Garcia, North York Arts

Staying up-to-date is hard, specially if you don’t even know where to start. This workshop, geared towards newcomer visual artists, will provide tips and online resources to keep yourself up-to-date with call for submissions, work and volunteer opportunities, grants, and arts & culture related events taking place across Toronto. Participants will also have a chance to network and connect with fellow artists.

Cecília holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film studies from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil and has built a diverse portfolio working in the Brazilian film industry. After arriving in Canada in 2014, she received a diploma in arts management from Western University and has since volunteered with multiple arts organizations in Toronto. Currently, Cecília is the Program and Volunteer Coordinator at North York Arts, and the Gallery Assistant at Queen Gallery.

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September 19th – Finding a mentor with Inés Aguileta, Neighbourhood Arts Network

More info to come

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October 10th – Networking Tips & Techniques with Norma Garcia, Independent filmmaker and Arts Administrator

More info to come

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October 24th – The Curator’s role with Ellyn Walker, Independent Curator

This workshop will involve thinking through the role of the curator in relation to artists. Sharing insight from experience in exhibition planning, curating and administration, this workshop will prepare artists for exhibition-making processes in a variety of contexts. How do artists and curators work together? Where do the responsibilities of each role lie? What are the protocols and practices of the curator/artist relationship? Find out first-hand information about how artists can engage curators and vice versa.

Ellyn Walker is a curator and writer based in Toronto/Tkaronto. Her curatorial projects have been presented in artist-run centres, public space, art galleries and museums across Canada – most recently at the Thames Art Gallery in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Her writing has been widely published in magazines, journals, online and in books, such as in the recent anthology DESIRE/CHANGE: Feminist Art in Canada (2017) by McGill-Queen’s University Press. Ellyn was recently awarded the Thematic Exhibition of the Year Award by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries for her project CANADIAN BELONGING(s) presented by the Art Gallery of Mississauga in 2016. She is currently a PhD candidate at Queen’s University in the Cultural Studies program.

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November 7th – Artists’ rights and copyright with Sally Lee, CARFAC Ontario

This workshop will provide a general overview of

• CARFAC Ontario – its programs, services, resources, sectoral and advocacy on behalf of artists
• Artists’ rights – including copyright, moral rights, exhibition and reproduction right, and Artists Resale Right

Sally Lee has worked at not-for-profit arts organizations representing a wide range of disciplines for over 25 years. Prior to joining CARFAC Ontario as Executive Director in 2015, Sally held management and leadership positions at the Toronto International Film Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, where she served as Executive Director. Other groups where she has worked or volunteered include the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, the Images Festival, the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, Artists for Peace and Justice Canada, Samara Canada, Pan Am Path, BorderLines Magazine and the Women’s Press. She is a Fellow of the 2006 TAC Cultural Leaders Lab and currently sits on the board of Wavelength Music, the Visual Arts and Media Arts Committee of the Toronto Arts Council, the Advocacy Network of the Toronto Arts Foundation, the Advisory Board of Reel Asian, and the Nominating Committee of Access Copyright. She has also participated in the production of several independent films and music videos. An active member of Toronto’s independent music community since the early 90s, Sally currently plays bass and sings in the band Long Branch.

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November 28th – Artist-Run Centres with Ana Barajas, YYZ Artists’ Outlet

More info to come

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Location: YYZ Artists’ Outlet, 140-401 Richmond St W.

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

RVSP required – To register: newcomer-artists-workshops.eventbrite.com

For more information: marta.paralia@gmail.com 

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Paralia Newcomer Arts Network is a collective that supports and promotes newcomer artists in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area as well as provides resources and information on current opportunities.

Call for Submissions: Life on the Line →

Life on the Line is a public art project produced by twentytwenty arts that will utilize the platform of subway advertising to exhibit submission-based artwork that reflects on the experience of mental illness. 

Prints of the artwork displayed on the "Life on the Line" campaign will be available for purchase on the TTC shop website, where artists will be paid 20% for each poster sold, and the remaining 80% will be donated to the CMHA Toronto.

Deadline: October 15th 2018.

Please send your submission to megan@twentytwentyarts.com with the following:

• Send as a .jpeg;
• If selected, images will need to be CMYK and .tif or .eps for final printing (all selected posters will be printed in a 28” x 20” format);
• Subject line in e-mail “Life on the Line" – (your name), (the date);
• Please include in your e-mail: Contact information (full name and phone number), any social media links (website, Instagram, Facebook, etc.), and a brief description of why mental health is important to you.

Images Festival 2019 Calls for Submissions →

The Images Festival was established by the Northern Visions Collective to look closely at the dynamics of accessibility. Images began as Toronto’s only alternative to the Toronto International Film Festival, integrating film and video from its inception, and later expanding to include installations, performances and new media. From the beginning, Images has been at the forefront in identifying and supporting work that has been marginalized or unrecognized by existing exhibition venues, and was crucial in opening up dialogue in the media arts community around issues of race, culture, gender and sexuality.

Toronto’s original interdisciplinary arts festival, Images, is a critical forum for the independent media arts in Canada and around the world and provides artists with a supportive and professional forum in which to present their projects. Many influential media artists have been nurtured by Images’ willingness to embrace new creative concepts and modes of expression in the media arts field. The Images Festival exhibits and encourages the work of artists producing film and video outside of mainstream commercial production, distribution systems and aesthetic conventions. In addition to the international competition programs drawn from submissions to the festival, Images includes artists’ retrospectives, national and regional spotlights, publishing projects, touring programs and special guest-curated programs.

OFF SCREEN and LIVE Submissions
Deadline: September 29, 2018 No entry fee for this section
APPLY HERE

GUEST PROGRAMMER Submissions
Deadline: September 26, 2017
No entry fee for this section

ON SCREEN Submissions
Deadline: November 7th, 2017
$15 CAN submission fee per entry
APPLY HERE

ON SCREEN for STUDENTS Submissions
Deadline: November 7th, 2017
No entry fee up to two works no more than 20 minutes each
APPLY HERE

The 32nd Images Festival will run from April 11 to 19th, 2019.

Reelworld Film Festival: Call for Submissions →

Do you know of any Indigenous or racially diverse filmmakers, who would like to be eligible for $125,000 of funding towards their first feature film or web-based narrative work?

Reelworld Film Festival is a recognized partner of Telefilm's Talent To Watch program, and offers access to this funding.  Through our Emerging 20 program (E20), twenty applicants are chosen each year to pitch their projects to industry professionals.  Reelworld provides professional development in September with two days of workshops, and one day during the festival October 11 to actively pitch their projects one-on-one to several industry executives. 

Deadline:  August 17th, 2018 at midnight EST.

Reelworld Film Festival Dates:  October 10-14, 2018

After the festival, participants garner an opportunity to submit their projects to Reelworld for consideration in submission of the Talent to Watch program in March 2019, where they could be chosen by Telefilm to receive $125,000 in funding!

After last year's festival, E20's Lulu Wei and Nayani Thiyagarajah had their projects submitted to Telefilm and both received $125,000 each towards their project.  Who will it be next year?

The Emerging 20 program is supported by the Inspirit Foundation and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Upcoming Events from Akin Projects

Akin St Clair Vitrine Gallery Exhibition: Andrew Kennedy / All August - Akin St Clair Vitrine Gallery / Free
Andrew has been an Akin Dupont member since 2016, and his piece ‘Fighting Alone’ will be on exhibit for the month of August. 'Fighting Alone' explores issues surrounding human agency, individual dignity, and political demoralization. Click here for more information.

Akin Dupont Vitrine Gallery Exhibition: Rebekah Andrade / All August - Akin Dupont Vitrine Gallery / Free

Our August/September Akin Vitrine Gallery artist is Rebekah Andrade. Rebekah is a member of our Akin King studios and her installation, 'Propositional Forms' will be on exhibit at the Akin Vitrine Gallery located at 1485 Dupont throughout August before moving to Akin St Clair. Click here for more information. 

Love Languages and Prioritizing Platonic Intimacy by Akin x 187 / August 15 - 187 Augusta Ave from 6-9pm / PWYC $5-10 suggested

Exploring the importance of intimacy and support of friendship and community, artist Rebecca Zala will explore the 5 Love Languages Model of Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts as they relate to platonic relationships through a workshop and group discussion. $5-10 suggested donation in advance at www.universe.com/lovelanguage

Desire Lines Exhibition Opening Reception / September 4 - Steamwhistle Brewery - 255 Bremner Boulevard from 7-10pm / Free

‘Desire Lines’ is an exhibition of ten contemporary artists who identify as newcomers and/or refugees to Toronto and are members of Akin Collective. Similar to the ways that multiple ambitions may shift and combine before being set in a concrete path, this collection of work expresses the unifying experiences that exist within individual paths. Featuring work by artists: Eyal Sagie Pundik, Lilly Kim, Maria Queiroga, Livia Roscioli, Jieun June Kim, Lili Vera, Maren Boedeker, Sarvenaz Rayati, David Chinyama, and Bianca Roco. Exhibition Dates: September 3-27 2018. Click here for more information or to RSVP. 

Akin D.I.Y. Comics School Meeting #3 / September 5 - Akin St Clair - 1747 Saint Clair Avenue West form 7-9:30pm / Free

The Akin Collective D.I.Y. Comics School is a group that meets the first Monday of every month with the goal of working together to provide our own continuing comics education. Meetings take place in the Akin St. Clair Studio at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Open to everyone and anyone interested in creating comics! Our next meeting is happening on Wednesday September 5 from 7-9:30pm (we will not be meeting on the first Monday of September because it is a holiday). This is a member-led initiative that will develop and change over time with participation from everyone. Anyone interested in comic making is welcome to join for one or all of our monthly meetings. Participation is free, materials are provided. Click here for more information. 

Akin Turns 10! Party and Fundraiser / September 6 - Propeller Coffee Co - 50 Wade Avenue from 7pm - late

Join us Akin celebrates it’s 10th birthday and raises necessary funds for our nonprofit’s move into the new MOCA with DJ Bear Gravy, art and drinks! All Akin artists will receive a special discount code for Pay-What-You-Can/Free tickets. Tickets will be on sale soon! Click here for more information.

Akin St Clair Mural Unveiling / September 8 - Akin St Clair - 1747 Saint Clair Ave W from 4-7pm / Free
This summer, Akin hosted a series of workshops and community open-house events at our St Clair Studios in partnership with StreetARToronto - a program of the City of Toronto, Transportation Services Division. Our aim was to have the surrounding neighbourhood involved in the creation of a community mural on the side of our artist studio. Join us on September 8 for the unveiling celebration of the finished product! Stay tuned for more information. 

Akin Film Series: Inaugural Screening / September 20 - Akin King Rooftop Patio / PWYC ($10 Suggested) More details coming soon!
 

Call for Artists: Framed by Feminists & Made by Feminists →

Feminist Art Collective (FAC) is very excited to partner with the Gladstone Hotel to present two markets of feminist works. Framed by Feminists takes place October 28 and Made by Feminists takes place November 18. Submissions deadline for both is August 15th 2018.

Image from FAC 2015.

Framed by Feminists
An affordable market of feminist art

Gladstone Hotel Ballroom
October 28, 2018
10am – 4pm

Calling visual artists who identify as feminist.

Presented by the Feminist Art Collective (FAC) and the Gladstone Hotel, this market of affordable feminist art will run concurrently with Art Toronto. Visual artists will have the opportunity to utilize a 6 foot table to display and sell their work.

Accepting artists who work with paintings, small sculptures, prints, photographs, and mixed media.

Email questions to: framedbyfeminists@gmail.com.

Click here for more information.

Image from FAC 2015.

Made by Feminists
Handmade goods, natural products and textiles made by persons who identify as feminist

Gladstone Hotel Ballroom
November 18, 2018
10am-4pm

The Feminist Art Collective (FAC) is partnering with the Gladstone Hotel to present Made by Feminists. Makers will have a 6 foot table to display and sell their wares.

Accepting handmade goods, natural products and textiles.

Email questions to: madebyfeminists@gmail.com.

Click here for more information.

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About FAC

The Feminist Art Collective (FAC) is a grassroots, not for profit, volunteered-based organization committed to inspiring social change. FAC started in 2012 with a yearly goal of putting on a conference to exhibit and discuss feminist art. FAC now includes yearlong programming, including education projects and an annual artist residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point. It also engages in several community partnerships dedicated to the promotion of feminist art across artistic disciplines in Toronto and abroad.

Call for Artists: Catching Joy →

WHAT IS CATCHING JOY?
Neilson Park Creative Centre (NPCC) invites artists working in all creative disciplines to submit an application for an opportunity to participate in an upcoming exhibition, Catching Joy. The exhibition will tell the story of Joy by Averiss Corinne through visual representation. 35 Artists will be given a line from the story which will be used as the inspiration to create an artwork. This creates a unique opportunity for collective storytelling by presenting a diverse range of practices, which will be on display during Culture Days 2018. 

Application deadline: Sunday August 12, 2018.  FREE TO PARTICIPATE.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Send in a completed application form via email to gallery@neilsonparkcreativecentre.com or in person at the NPCC front desk by Sunday, August 12. 35 artists will be selected through a random draw to participate in the exhibition. All applicants will be informed on Monday, August 13 by email regarding the status of their application. Selected artists will be assigned a section from the story Joy, which they can interpret however they wish and used to create an artwork through direct representation or abstraction. The artwork must be finished by Sunday, September 9.

where now? Documentary Series on view at Sunrise Studios →

where now? is a narrative-driven documentary series about place-making in a rapidly gentrifying Toronto, brought to you by sisterhood media.

In an unprecedented moment of Torontonian fame, where now? expounds on what the city and its residents truly stand to gain — and, of course, lose — in its climb to a become an internationally-recognized cultural hub. who reaps the benefits? and who is its first casualty?

where now? is directed by Amani Bin Shikhan, a writer, editor and researcher, among other things. In her work, Shikhan aims to frame and re-frame questions of tradition and movement through the lens of black cultural expressions and their multidisciplinary histories. She loves this city more than she should and is deep-in-her-bones tired of condos. she doesn’t want to leave.

Produced by sisterhood media, a platform dedicated to creating and curating content for folks on the margins. They produce multimedia works focusing on identity and community. where now? is one of these projects.

View where now? at Akin Sunrise  (100 Sunrise Avenue) until August 12th. 11AM to 6PM daily.

Call for Submissions →

Program: Ontario Arts Council - Indigenous Artists in Communities and Schools Projects

Deadline: August 29th 2018.

The program supports projects that bring together Ontario-based Indigenous artists or Elders to:

• Work with individuals or groups of people from a community on collaborative activities that create a meaningful arts experience and transmit artistic skills and knowledge;
• Teach arts workshops in schools during the upcoming school year, engaging children and youth in creative, active, hands-on and in-depth arts experiences.

There are five categories:

• Community arts projects: to help cover the costs of participatory activities that promote learning, collaboration and/or engagement in the arts;
• Indigenous languages through the arts: to help cover the costs of artistic and community-engaged projects in which the primary purpose is the transmission of Indigenous languages through the arts;
• Training for community artists and animators: to help cover the costs of Indigenous artists and animators working in community and non-arts settings to seek training and mentorship; opportunities that will strengthen their community arts, arts training or arts education practice;
• Indigenous artists in schools projects: to help cover the costs of activities that promote learning, collaboration and/or engagement in the arts;
• Indigenous artists in northern fly-in communities: supports (a) applicants from fly-in communities working anywhere in Ontario, and (b) applicants from anywhere in Ontario working in fly-in communities.

Note: Applicants may apply to only one category.

Call for Submissions →

Art After Dark by Queen West Art Crawl

New Media Submissions

Deadline to apply: July 31st, 2018.

The Art After Dark multi-media arts festival is an extension of the Queen West Art Crawl’s daytime art programming, and will feature video art, documentaries, and installations at over 20 venues along Queen St. West. Including The Theatre Centre, the Drake Hotel, and The Toronto Blues Society September 22nd from 6pm to 11pm.

Click here for more information.

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ArtWorksTO

RFPs for Youth Artists to Create Communications Products for the City of Toronto

Deadline: August 2nd, 2018.

The City of Toronto, in collaboration with Neighbourhood Arts Network, is accepting Requests for Proposals from artists between the ages of 18-29 to complete dynamic and original communication pieces for multiple City divisions that will promote City programs which serve youth needs and highlight best practices in youth-led collaborative initiatives.

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Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto

Call for submissions: Indigenous artist to paint a mural at the DFCM office in downtown Toronto.

Deadline: July 31st, 2018.

The DFCM is an academic department composed of health care professionals dedicated to leadership in teaching, research, service and the advancement of the discipline of Family Medicine.

If you're interested and want to submit a portfolio, please contact Daniella Marchione at dfcm.reception@utoronto.ca.

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Reset

Call for Programming

Deadline: July 31st, 2018.

Accepting programming proposals from folks to lead workshops, group activities/games, meditative experiences, art installations and generally wild ideas for 250 folks across 400 acres of luscious outdoor Ontario land. 

Reset was co-created in 2015 by 8 co-founders, all of whom were drawn to the idea of a digital detox adult summer camp for personal reasons, and brought together by a shared commitment to building and nurturing community.

Call for Submissions: The Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award →

The Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Fund will help take your artistic practice to the next level:

• You will develop skills and enrich your knowledge of textiles in the context of historic and contemporary textile practices;
• You will increase your access to resources and opportunities that will support your efforts to explore, take artistic risks, and advance your practice and creative ability in ways likely to generate long-term artistic and career development.

The award is geared to help emerging artists conduct self-directed activities such as art production, apprenticeships, residencies or research. If the applicant desires, the Textile Museum of Canada will support a customized program of research, including access to the library, exhibitions and permanent collection of over 14,000 global artifacts, exposing the successful applicants to new worlds of inspiration.

WHO CAN APPLY?
Emerging artists from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, including artist collectives and collaborative projects. Artists may be working in any medium. For the purpose of this award, an emerging artist is defined as one who has begun to make an impact in their chosen field through exhibitions, community arts engagement or public presentations, and has been practicing professionally for at least three years. Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY July 9, 2018, Midnight
Two Awards of $3000 each!

Please direct any questions via email to MLEAA@textilemuseum.ca.

Akin Show and Tell on July 31st at Akin Ossington →

Every month Akin hosts a relaxed and fun ‘Show and Tell for Artists’ at one of the Akin Collective studios or at one of our partner organizations' locations. 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 July edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Ossington at 888 Dupont West (northeast corner of Dupont and Ossington) on Tuesday, July 31st from 7-9PM. 

Toronto Art Book Fair + Book Binding Workshop by Akin MOCA Member →

This year the Toronto Art Book Fair is turning 3! This milestone is marked by a new venue, Chinatown Centre at 222 Spadina Avenue, and official collaboration with Art Metropole, a compelling jam-packed program for the 2nd annual Art Book Week (July 4-11), and a unique roster of over 300 Canadian and international artists and exhibitors.

This year's exhibitors are a combination of first-time visitors to Toronto and familiar faces debuting new original work. This curated selection of exhibitors offers a glimpse into the experimental characteristics of the artist’s book, how the medium continues to evolve, and the ever-expanding field of printed matter. Artistic forms presented at the fair include, but are not limited to zines, comics, chapbooks, journals, silk-screen and risograph prints, photography, limited edition handmade books and art objects, stick-and-poke tattoos, social practice, performance, and film.

Also featured at this year's Toronto Art Book Fair is a unique Drumleaf and Coptic Stitch Bookbinding Workshop for Artists, lead by Akin MOCA artist Jessica Thalman. 

Thalmann will present a quick lecture on artists exploring unique sculptural elements in their photobooks. Participants will then be guided through the creation of two techniques. This workshop is suitable for artists working in a myriad of disciplines including drawing, painting, collage, photography and interdisciplinary artists wishing to create try more complex book structures. 

About the Instructor:
Jessica Thalmann is an artist, curator and educator currently based in Toronto and New York City. She received a MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York University. She has worked at the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Toronto International Film Festival, C Magazine, the Art Gallery of York University and Yossi Milo Gallery.

Komiks Zine Fair with Kwentong Bayan Collective →

Kwentong Bayan Collective in partnership with the Lillian H. Smith Branch - Toronto Public Library invites you to our Komiks Zine Fair!

Please join us in celebrating Kwentong Bayan's 1 year anniversary of hosting a weekly Comics / Komiks Meet-Up at the library.

There will be lots of activities for all ages including an art-making table, merch displays featuring work by Meet-Up artists, short movies about comics, and a chill reading spot featuring our favorite Filipino komiks!

Saturday July 21, 2018
1 PM - 4:30 PM
Lillian H. Smith Library - 239 College Street, Meeting Room A, Lower Level
FREE EVENT

Kwentong Bayan is a collective of two Toronto-based artists, Jo SiMalaya Alcampo and Akin King member Althea Balmes. Their artistic mandate is to explore a critical and intersectional approach to community-based art, labour, and education. Althea Balmes is a multidisciplinary visual storyteller and artist educator interested in collaborative creative expressions to tell stories and make art.

Akin Vitrine Gallery + Andrew Kennedy →

We are excited to introduce our Akin Vitrine Gallery artist, Andrew Kennedy. Andrew has been an Akin Dupont member since 2016, and his piece ‘Fighting Alone’ will be on exhibit in our galleries located at 1485 Dupont and 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the months of July and August respectively.

His installation ‘Fighting Alone’ explores issues surrounding human agency, individual dignity, and political demoralization. What might be more important; the group someone belongs to, or their capacity as an individual? Whose job is it to ‘fix’ the problems of our society; is it the citizen or the politician? Can human beings who tend to find meaning in life through their realization as an individual, also find meaning in group responsibility? The viewer is encouraged to bring their own thoughts and beliefs when considering the installation. After all, there are no ‘hard truths’ when contemplating the ephemeral atmosphere surrounding the current human condition.

Andrew V. Kennedy was born in New York, NY, and currently lives and works in the greater Toronto area. He received a BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MFA in Painting from Brooklyn College. His work has always been centered around the dignity of the individual, and their life in society. Issues of politics, modernity, sociology, and our ‘inner lives’ can also be seen in his work. Kennedy’s exploration of these issues began with simple portraiture; but eventually grew to include the use of text. His work has been exhibited both in New York City, and Toronto, ON.

‘Fighting Alone’ will be on view for the month of July in our Dupont Akin Vitrine Gallery, located in 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 Saturday.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery and be on view for the month of August at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

Akin at the 57th Toronto Outdoor Art Fair →

The 57th Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Canada's largest and longest running contemporary outdoor art fair kicks off this Friday, July 6th and is an incredible summer experience you won’t want to miss! Over 360 artists, along with live performances, delicious food, and a Henderson Brewing Co. Beer Garden will grace Nathan Phillips Square at this free event. 

Dates: July 6-8, 2018

Location: Nathan Philips Square, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON.

FREE Admission

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Hours:

Friday, July 6th 10AM-7PM

Saturday, July 7th 10AM-7PM

Sunday July 8th 10AM-5PM

Photo of Loren Kaplan's recent botanical inspired work. 

This year Akin will be onsite with our friends CARFAC Ontario, drop by booth #D271 this weekend to learn more about Akin and to discover the many ways both Akin and CARFAC Ontario help artists of all professional levels.

You can also find a number of Akin members at this year's TOAF, including: Stephanie Avery and Raquel da Silva of Akin MOCA, Natalie Waddell of Akin King, Katrina Jurjans of Akin Lansdowne, Kristy Blackwell of Akin Sunrise and Loren Kaplan of Akin Dupont. You can find their work and more at the following locations:

Stephanie Avery - Booth #: E348 - Photography and Digital Media

Raquel da Silva - Booth #: A8 - Painting

Natalie Waddell - Booth #: D269 - Toronto Potter's

Katrina Jurjans - Booth #: AA4 - Painting

Kristy Blackwell - Booth #: A72 - 2D Works

Loren Kaplan - Booth #: E366 - Craft & Design, Ceramics

We would also like to congratulate Anahita Azrahimi of Akin Lansdowne for organizing and overseeing everything that makes the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair possible for 57 years and counting!

First Meeting of the Akin D.I.Y. Comics School! →

Interested in continuing your education and development as a cartoonist and in helping others do the same? Join us Monday, July 2nd, from 7pm to 9:30pm at the Akin St. Clair Studio in the “Don’s Meats” building at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the inaugural D.I.Y. Comics School Meeting.

The new D.I.Y. Comics School is just one of the member led projects to evolve from the Akin Comic Day that occurred in May 2018. Founded by Akin St. Clair member Christopher Green, aka Mumblethief, a cartoonist, educator, and fictional character who comes from the Alaskan wilderness, the D.I.Y. school will meet the first Monday of every month at Akin's St. Clair location and is open to everyone. The first meeting will include a show & tell, a visual vocabulary exercise, a 1 page comic exercise, a critique and more!

Photo of Akin Comic Day by Jen Pilles