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Timothy Yanick Hunter, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Everything, video, 2020

Timothy Yanick Hunter, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Everything, video, 2020

Timothy Yanick Hunter: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Everything

November 18, 2020 by Akin Collective

A Space Gallery Proudly Presents

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Everything
Solo Exhibition Featuring Timothy Yanick Hunter

Curated by Sarah-Tai Black

November 12 – December 12, 2020

A study in the temporal and sculptural capacities of image, sound, and screen, multidisciplinary artist Timothy Yanick Hunter’s first solo show is a speculative exhibit that considers dialogues surrounding the integration of the mind and consciousness with that of artificial intelligence and historically fixed technological processes. Utilizing strategies of bricolage and collective narrativization, Hunter’s work explores the effects of these non-neutral relationships and intersections on Black and Afro-diasporic experience as well as concurrent strategies of decolonization.

Biographies

Timothy Yanick Hunter is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Toronto, Ontario. Graduating from the University of Toronto in 2015 with a degree in Art History and English, his practice explores varying concepts surrounding digital security, identity (both digital and lived), as well as narratives of hierarchical power structures and how these ideas intersect with notions of Blackness and the greater African diaspora. His approach alternates between exploratory and didactic. At times Hunter defines his process as experiments in visual language, where the mediums represent a range of languages and individual works express different stories. His work ranges from painting, sculpture, video, performance and installation.

Sarah-Tai Black is an arts curator, film programmer, and writer from Toronto, Ontario. Her work largely focuses on the affective and functional capacities of Black life in screen images and visual media. Sarah-Tai has previously worked at Images Festival and Art Museum at University of Toronto, as well as spoken about Blackness and moving image arts at the National Gallery of Canada.

A Space Gallery
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 110
Toronto, ON, M5V 3A8
416-979-9633
info@aspacegallery.org
www.aspacegallery.org
Hours: Wednesday-Friday 12 – 5 PM
Saturday 12 – 5 PM

November 18, 2020 /Akin Collective
exhibition
CALL FOR ARTISTS!.png

7 CALLS FOR ARTISTS - UPCOMING NOVERMBER\DECEMBER

October 30, 2020 by Oliver Pauk

LAST MINUTE REMINDERS…

2021 AKIN STUDIO PROGRAM @ Auto BLDG (158 STERLING)

DEADLINE SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

APPLY HERE: https://www.akincollective.com/autobldg-call-2021

The Akin Studio Program is a unique and publicly open opportunity for art practitioners, curators and writers (hereafter referred to as artists) to lease shared studio space within the historical Auto Building at 158 Sterling Road in Toronto. In addition to a studio space throughout 2021, selected artists will be immersed within a community of peers, offering various opportunities for engagement. Studio members will be encouraged to develop and expand their individual practices while playing a role in the artistic community within the studios itself. Year 1 & 2 Program Cohort members are welcome to re-apply.
Studio Rental Program Start Date: January 7, 2021.

Studio Rental Program End Date: December 31, 2021.

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CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS : KEAXU Online Exhibition

DEADLINE OCT 30th 2020

APPLY HERE: keaxu2020@gmail.com  

We are calling for artists in what is currently known as Canada to submit their existing works for an art exhibition to be hosted online. The works to be considered for this exhibition will engage dialogues that can be found between our bodies and the land. We welcome submissions from artists working in any media that explore issues related to the relationships between the body, identity, land, and place.  

While any medium will be considered, we are especially interested in exhibiting works of art including (but not limited to) land-based performances, actions, and multimedia presentations.  

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2020, Notification of Results: Monday, November 2, 2020  

MORE INFO :

Due to COVID-19, KEAXU will utilize diverse online platforms to exhibit and promote the works of the selected artists. This exhibition will run for a month, from November 24 to December 23, 2020.  

Selected artists will be given an opportunity to promote their work and the exhibition by hosting a virtual studio visit, an interview, or another live appearance. 

KEAXU is a OCADU curatorial collective consisting of Katie Jakobiec, Avery Creed, Xiao Han, Unnikrishnan Kalidas.  Portfolio must be submitted by email to: keaxu2020@gmail.com  

Please include the following material: 

-Artist Statement addressing the relevance to the proposed exhibition (500 words max)  

-Bio (one paragraph, 150 words max)  

-Current CV (2 page max)  

-Portfolio (3-5 examples of work) ○ If you wish to submit video work, please upload to a site such as YouTube or Vimeo and provide a link in your application. Please provide full videos although the selection committee might view the first five minutes of each submitted video. Please number and label your visual submissions, for example (01_name.jpg, 02_name.jpg, etc.). If you are submitting large files you can send us a link via a file hosting service such as DropBox, etc. Please include an image list with the title, date, medium, and dimensions, and any additional information.  

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/KEAXU-Virtual-Exhibition-2020-110195190863773

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NOVEMBER & DECEMBER CALLS:

KASAHARA GABRIOLA RESIDENCY APPLICATION:

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 16th

APPLY HERE: https://artsgabriola.ca/kasahara-gabriola-trust-artist-residency-call-for-applications/?fbclid=IwAR10HVdg-RARi7W-HINlq2lMfwAZqO9vUmkwJP2rMkd5yg-s7SU9R0CLfNU

Residency 2(currently accepting applications from Canadian residents only)
Residency Period: February 15, 2021 to June 15, 2021
Application open: October 15 to November 16, 2020
This application deadline is November 16, 2020 at 5pm Pacific Standard Time


Please Note: Currently we are under a state of emergency and if it is not lifted by January 1st, 2021, we will not be able to offer the residency.

Kasahara Gabriola Trust and the Gabriola Arts Council is seeking applications for the inaugural residency program from artists working in a wide range of disciplines. Residencies are four months in length and take place on Gabriola Island, BC, the Isle of the Arts. Gabriola Island is a Gulf Island located in the Salish Sea and is a 20 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo, BC on Vancouver Island.

The Kasahara Gabriola Trust Residency is accepting applications from artists at all stages of their career emerging artists (artists pursuing education within arts field) or established, practicing artist with a demonstrated body of work in a professional artistic environment. Artists within a variety of artistic disciplines will be accepted. The residency provides a live/workspace on an inspirational and intimate island setting, allowing artists the opportunity to imagine, create, experiment, develop new ideas, and ultimately a new body of work. The Kasahara Gabriola Trust Residency is a self-directed retreat, with opportunity for professional development, while giving the local community access to a diverse range of arts practices, theories and experiences.
Gabriola Arts Council is strongly committed to fostering diversity within our organization and art community. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of arts on Gabriola Island including, but not limited to, visible minorities, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

If you require any form of accommodation throughout the residency application process, please contact directly Carol Fergusson at carol@artsgabriola.ca or 250-247-7409, so we can offer you individualized assistance and ensure equity in our application process.

Selected artists will reside in a beautiful 1700 square foot, 3 bedroom, ocean front home. The home does not have a formal studio space, but the extra bedroom or the front room are suitable areas for studio work. The grounds are large enough to erect a tent for outdoor work. A residency fee of $500 per month is required, and payable in advance of attending the residency.

At the end of the residency the artist is expected to present a gallery show, performance piece, reading, or appropriate sharing of the body of work completed during the residency, to the community. Gallery space/outdoor space/performance space will be provided, and all promotional activities will be provided by the Gabriola Arts Council.

Expenses paid by the artists

  • Travel

  • Short term moving costs

  • Food

  • Supplies

  • Housing (residency fee $500 per month)

What practical facilities does your residency offer?

  • Master bedroom with en suite

  • 2 Private bedrooms

  • Additional full bath

  • Kitchen and living space

  • Internet

  • Free Exhibition or performance space at Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre

  • Promotional Services

  • Networking

Application Criteria

Applications are welcome from Canadian artists working in a wide range of disciplines including visual art, film, literary arts, performance arts or music/sound.

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XAPACE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 20th

APPLY HERE: http://www.xpace.info/call-for-submissions-the-way-you-look-tonight/

Xpace Cultural Centre is accepting submissions for artwork and writing from emerging artists, designers and writers for a group exhibition tentatively titled, “the way you look tonight” curated by Philip Leonard Ocampo. The exhibition will run from January 15th  – February 13th, 2021.

From the Civil Rights movement of the 1970s, to the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, nostalgia has the capacity to eclipse the complicated, often painful realities of the historic events that had transpired during these times; the lens of retrospect can sometimes only preserve that which is amiable or enjoyable about these time periods. If the word nostalgia derives from the Greek word nostos (‘return home’) and algos (‘pain’), “the way you look tonight” seeks to embody the term’s etymological origins through exploring nostalgia as a complex method of both remembering and forgetting. In questioning the ways in which historic decades are preserved and romanticized within the collective consciousness and popular culture, this exhibition asks: 

  • What histories are obscured and erased in treasuring that which is glamorous, entertaining and marketable about the past? Inversely, how are historic experiences of struggle sensationalized and commodified when seen through a retrospective lens?

  • How is the recalling of previous decades a matter of generational experience (or lack thereof)?

  • How do we frame the histories that we’re ancestrally connected to, but never lived?

  • How can we consider the iconography of various time periods outside of the North American canon of popular culture?

  • How are members of marginalized communities affected by the way that history is documented, archived and remembered?

  • How might these contemporary times be remembered, forgotten or obscured in the future?

As this exhibition will manifest in part as an online project, this call is interested in works that utilize  text, poetry, illustration, drawing / painting, animation, video, archival materials and/or other ways of making that use of digital platforms advantageously in addition to sculpture, installation, etc.

This exhibition will prioritize artists that are Indigenous, Black, people of color, women, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and members of other marginalized communities.

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 20TH, 2020 at 11:59pm

SUBMIT ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/y6xkadtq

To apply, you must provide:

1. Artist Statement (250-500 words): The Artist Statement should give a description of your overall practice as it relates to the project you are proposing.

2. Project Description (250-500 words): The project description should give a clear and concrete description of the work you are proposing for installation.

3. Technical Description: a list of all foreseeable technical requirements including equipment and materials necessary for installation within Xpace.

4. Curriculum Vitae (Max 3 pages): Your CV should include education and exhibition history, as well as any relevant experience, reviews, etc.

5. Visual Support Material with accompanying Support Material List (5-10 images and/or minutes of video): Images must be in JPG format. You may provide links to video work/documentation.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact Philip Leonard Ocampo at philip@xpace.info

Works must be ready for exhibition by January 2021. Selected applicants will be notified in late November. All selected participants will be paid an artist fee for the exhibition.

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PROPELLER CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: MAIL ART - UNLIMITED DADA

DEADLINE DECEMBER 15th

APPLY HERE: https://www.propellerartgallery.ca/mail-art-unlimited-dada.html

Call for Submissions: Mail Art: unlimited Dada
postmarked Artwork & Online submission

Upcoming Exhibition @ Propeller Art Gallery & Online
January 20 — February 7, 2021

MAIL ART SUBMISSION FORM

COVID-19 has created crisis and instability across the world. During this volatile time, with most of us stuck in place, the mail offers us metaphorical transport out of our immediate physical spaces. Mail can travel while we cannot. In response, Propeller Art Gallery is creating an open call Mail Art Exhibition in January with all works available for sale unless otherwise noted by the artist. This creative outlet for the community will serve as a physical artefact of the time we are living through, and recognises that, while many of our interactions have moved to the virtual realm, there is also increased interest in making things by hand.

You are invited to make a piece of Mail Art: art that can travel through the mail with a stamp.

What is Mail Art?
​

The Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines mail art as "works produced by artists, often in postcard format, specifically intended to be mailed to other artists or be displayed in an exhibition."

Mail art began in the 1960s when artists sent postcards inscribed with poems or drawings through the post rather than exhibiting or selling them through conventional commercial channels. Its origins can be found in Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Schwitters and the Italian futurists. But it was the New York artist Ray Johnson who, in the mid 1950s, posted small collages, prints of abstract drawings and poems to art world notables giving rise to what eventually became known as the New York Correspondence School. Mail art can take a variety of forms including postcards, packages, faxes, emails and blogs. In the 1960s the Fluxus artist On Kawara sent telegrams to friends and family that informed them he was alive. In the mid 1990s, the artist and curator Matthew Higgs set up Imprint, which posted art by young British artists, among them Martin Creed, to critics and curators. David Opdyke “this land” altered vintage postcards and combined them into large scale works and the list goes on.

In your submission:
What emotions are you feeling, and how are you coping? What is one thing you want to remember from this time, or one thing you want to forget? What do you hope for in the future when “normal” resumes? What are you looking forward to? What feels just out of reach? What have you gained through this experience? What has been a surprise to you?

This is an unjuried show, as you, the artists are collectively our curators. Although historically some Mail Art initiatives have been without submission fees, Propeller, as a Members-run non-profit gallery since 1996 that receives no arts council funding, it is necessary to request a submission fee in order to present Mail Art: unlimited Dada.

Submission requirements:

  • Name, address, email, phone number

  • Maximum of three artwork images submitted: submission pricing as follows

  • 1 image for 25.00 payable through online submission form

  • 2 images for 35.00 payable through online submission form

  • 3 images for 45.00 payable through online submission form

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XSPACE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: AN ILLUMINATED IDENTITY

DEADLINE DECEMBER 15th

APPLY HERE: https://www.xpace.info/call-for-submissions/

Call for Artistic Proposals and Submissions_An ILLUMINATED iDENTITY

Open Call: Undergraduate and Graduate student artists working in and responding to a question of identity and individuality in a context of the Future-Present (democratized surveillance, weaponized branding, mobilized e-motions, and mythological realities).

XPACE/IMAGES festival is seeking proposals from student artists who are interested in responding to a question of the Future-Present. One could think of the term “Future-Present” as being a condition in which our dreams of the future collide with the reality of the present and where the real and imagined world are as one after the idealized World of Tomorrow has been dissolved. We live in a world that integrates technology with daily life, causing physiological and psychological shifts, giving us a kind of cybernetic lens in which to view the world. A lens that not only affects the way we think about ourselves and the world but also the images we use to represent that world. Now that peoples, places, and things are all accessible at the click of a button, what does it mean to be an individual in our contemporary condition and how are our identities formed? Proposals should consider the space the artwork occupies, the media used and its relationship to the subject in question, and a thorough understanding of the relative condition being: the Future-Present. Proposals are encouraged to be innovative and critical but also visually stimulating and sensorially provocative.

Examples may include, but are not limited to:

Online or Web specific art
Computer specific art
3D Prints
Digital Images and/or Videos
Performance Video and/or Live Performance
Animated GIF
Robotics and/or Haptic Technologies
Mobile Technologies
Weaponized Technologies
Archetypal Technologies (ie. LED’s, Electromagnetics, Cybernetics/Body-Mod Tech, Drone, etc.)

Electronic Submissions only can be sent to: david.f.m.hanes@gmail.com

Deadline: December 15th, 2012
Include in your submission:
images of the proposed work (or relevant work) or a link to a website and/or youtube/vimeo
– MAXIMUM of 6 images (72dpi @ 768 x 1024)
description of the proposed work, including physical qualities, spatial and hanging needs, technical requirements, etc. (max. 150 words, PDF only)
brief artist statement and biography (max. 200 words, PDF only)
CV (2 pages MAX, PDF only)

for addition information contact the curator of the project David Hanes:
david.f.m.hanes@gmail.com

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HAMILTON ARTISTS INC: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Multiple Events

DEADLINE JANUARY 12th

APPLY HERE: https://akimbo.ca/listings/call-for-submissions-from-artists-collectives-curators-and-writers-2020/

Call for Submissions
Exhibitions, Billboard, Special Projects and More!

Hamilton Artists Inc. (The Inc.) is seeking dynamic proposals from artists, collectives, curators and writers at various stages of their careers for its exhibition platforms and public programs. The Inc. exhibits a range of artistic disciplines and welcomes applications by artists from local, regional and national communities. We have numerous opportunities available, please read the full description for each call to identify which opportunity is best suited to your practice/objectives.

As an artist-run centre, we are interested in works/projects that push boundaries and engage with critical, conceptual and/or experimental thinking from diverse perspectives. We are committed to providing platforms for risk-taking and creating an inclusive space for exploring expanded art practices. The Inc. supports submissions that showcase artists and curators’ most recent endeavours as well as works that incite conversation and promote a range of intersectional narratives. We pay artists based on CARFAC fee standards.

We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds including, but not limited to, Indigenous, Black, and persons of colour; refugee, newcomer and immigrant persons; Two-Spirit, LGBTQ+ and gender non-binary persons, persons with disabilities, and those on low-incomes or living in poverty. The Inc. is committed to equity and inclusion in all aspects of its operations, and will accept submissions in various formats.

Cannon Gallery
Deadline: January 12, 2020

The Cannon Gallery is the Inc.’s largest gallery space and is programmed three years in advance. Artists and curators working in all mediums and at all levels of their careers are encouraged to apply.

Click here to learn more.

James Gallery
Deadline: January 12, 2020

The James Gallery is the Inc.’s dedicated members’ gallery. We always welcome new and returning members, who will then be eligible to exhibit in this space.

Click here to learn more.

Cannon Project Wall
Deadline: January 12, 2020

The Cannon Project Wall is an 8’ x 33’ billboard on the side of our building in downtown Hamilton. The billboard sees upwards of 10,000 vehicular and pedestrian traffic each day.

Click here to learn more.

Special Projects
Deadline: Ongoing

Special Projects are activities that do not take the form of regular exhibitions. They can be one-off events, print materials, multiples, digital platforms, screenings, workshops, outdoor projects in our courtyard, site-specific interventions, off-site projects, or other unique initiatives.

Click here to learn more.

Writers/ Essayists
Deadline: Ongoing

We’re seeking submissions from regional writers interested in producing short, commissioned texts to accompany our exhibitions and programs.

Click here to learn more.


October 30, 2020 /Oliver Pauk
call for submissions, artist opportunities, akin residency, Toronto artist, art toronto, exhibition, residency, apply now
Maren Graphic (1).png

Collision Artist Spotlight: Maren Boedeker

Collision Gallery
October 14, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months.

This week we caught a glimpse of new work in progress by Maren Boedeker.

Catch a glimpse of Maren's work here

Maren Boedeker studied visual arts and art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Münster, Germany.

Her abstract, large-scale canvases have been shown in galleries in Germany, Belgium and Canada. She received the artist-in-residency-grant Liguria, Italy and was awarded first place in the exhibition "Art for Europe", curated by the European Community in Brussels, Belgium.

Besides her artistic practice, she has continuously been working with children, teens and adults as an art teacher and instructor.

Since 2013 she lives and works in Toronto. She was selected for the AKIN Studio Program 2018/19, first year, having her studio at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA).

Video by Maren Boedeker. Filmed in Toronto, ON.

To learn more about this artist and her practice visit www.marenboedeker.com/ or via instagram at @marenboedeker.artist


Watch the rest of the Collision Artist Spotlights here
October 14, 2020 /Akin Collective
Collision Gallery, Collision Artist Spotlight, Interview, artist interview
Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News
Maria Graphic.png

Collision Artist Spotlight: Maria Kim

Collision Gallery
October 11, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months.

This week we caught a glimpse of new work in progress by Maria Kim.

Catch a glimpse of Maria's work here

"During the past three years, I have been given opportunities to participate and work with international artist residencies for six months each in Paris, Barcelona, Seville and a full year in Leipzig. After returning to Toronto last September to participate as a Resident Artist at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre (MLAC), I had to decide to lengthen my stay to be with family through the events of the pandemic, and have now joined AKIN X Collision residency for the rest of the year.

Current conditions have opened my mind in redefining blurred boundaries of interior and exterior spaces, public and private realms, the lucidity of time, and notions of progress and regress. Personally, I have always been heavily informed by histories, individual and collective experiences, distorted and manipulated memories, altered perceptions of the world through the intergernerational transferring of beliefs, values and stories, and notions of truth. These interests were born initially from being a Korean-Canadian, as I long searched the tangible stories of Korean diaspora left in lands without citizenship throughout Asia during WWII and the Korean War. Through constant research and exploration of transgenerational trauma and how it affects individuals in present situations, I paint the figures using the face and body as the place which holds the traces of human experience.

This exhibition titled: "Singled Out" reveals some of these expressions, and blurred lines of memory with reality, painted during my time away and upon returning home." - Maria Kim

Video by Maria Kim. Filmed in Toronto, ON.

To learn more about this artist and her practice visit www.mihyunmariakim.com/ or via instagram at @singmariamaria


Watch the rest of the Collision Artist Spotlights here
October 11, 2020 /Akin Collective
Collision Gallery, Collision Artist Spotlight, Interview, artist interview
Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News
Lindsay Graphic.png

Collision Artist Spotlight: Lindsay Chambers

Collision Gallery
October 04, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months.

This week we caught a glimpse of an ongoing series of painted photographs by Lindsay Chambers.

Catch a glimpse of Lindsay's work here

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months. This week we caught a glimpse of new work in progress by Lindsay Chambers.

"Hello, my name is Lindsay Chambers and I am an artist at Akin's Collision Studio''. “Paper, by virtue of its intended function, has a relationship with the human need to communicate with others. With or without obvious markings upon its surface, crumpled and discarded or particularly arranged, there is an under-standing that a piece of paper has been created and influenced in content, form and gesture by its previous handler. Paper is made to capture a piece of ourselves, and my work explores this relationship.”

Lindsay Chambers is a Canadian artist currently practicing in Toronto, Ontario. Her work explores the delicacies of the human condition through paintings based on crumpled paper sculptures. All reference material, including any pattern or text, is carefully executed by the hand of the Artist. Chambers’ painting objective is always to explore materials, to manipulate paint and maintain the visibility of layers. The subject matter, as it explores our relationship with paper, is at times representational while at other times aims to find a space between realism and abstraction.

Chambers has an Honours BA from the University of Waterloo in Fine Arts and Psychology, a certificate in 3D for Broadcast Animation and Design from Humber College and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor. Her work belongs to collections across Canada, as well as in the United States, UK, Dubai, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. View the full video via the link in our bio. Video by Lindsay Chambers. Filmed in Toronto, ON.

To learn more about this artist and her practice visit www.lindsaychambers.ca or via facebook/instagram at @lindsaychamberspainting.

Stay tuned for updates on Lindsay Chambers’ upcoming programming onsite at Collision Gallery this Fall!


Watch the rest of the Collision Artist Spotlights here
October 04, 2020 /Akin Collective
Collision Gallery, Collision Artist Spotlight, Interview, artist interview
Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News
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Call for Applications for the 2021 The Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG (158 Sterling Road)

October 01, 2020 by Akin Collective in Call for Submissions

The Akin Studio Program is a unique and publicly open opportunity for art practitioners, curators and writers (hereafter referred to as artists) to lease shared studio space within the historical Auto Building at 158 Sterling Road in Toronto. In addition to a studio space throughout 2021, selected artists will be immersed within a community of peers, offering various opportunities for engagement. Studio members will be encouraged to develop and expand their individual practices while playing a role in the artistic community within the studios itself.

Studio Rental Program Start Date: January 7 2021
Studio Rental Program End Date: December 31, 2021
Deadline to apply: October 31, 2020, 5:00pm.

Join us on Google Meet on October 13, 2020 at 6:00pm for a live info session on the program to learn more, and have any questions you have answered.  Click here to RSVP to the Info Session.

Click here for full application details
October 01, 2020 /Akin Collective
Akin Studio Program, call for submissions, call for applications
Call for Submissions
Janne Graphic.png

Collision Artist Spotlight: Janne Reuss

Collision Gallery
September 01, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months.

This week we caught a glimpse of an ongoing series of painted photographs by Janne Reuss.

Catch a glimpse of Janne's work here

Janne Reuss is a multidisciplinary and conceptually-driven artist. In her recent series Rewriting the Story, she combines photography and painting, creating ambiguous spaces that evoke imaginary and spiritual landscapes. A constant theme in her work is the exploration of the human condition of freedom and confinement. The process of liberation and transformation of false narratives and identities.

She studied Fine Arts at the Academy of Art & Design in Stuttgart, Germany, and History of Art in Mexico City, where she was born and raised. Her work is held in private as well as public collections: The Donovan Art Collection at St. Michael’s College, Toronto, Canada (2013), and the Municipal Gallery Ostfildern, Germany (2008).

Video by Janne Reuss. Filmed in Toronto, ON.


To learn more about this artist and her practice visit www.artjanne.com or https://www.instagram.com/jannereuss.


unnamed (8).jpg

Interested in viewing Janne's work in person? Visit Remote Gallery (568B Richmond Street West) September 14-23, 2020 for 'Selfreflections3'.

Join the virtual opening on September 14th at 7pm. RSVP to join via selfreflections3@gmail.com.


Watch the rest of the Collision Artist Spotlights here
September 01, 2020 /Akin Collective
Collision Gallery, Collision Artist Spotlight, Interview, artist interview
Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News
The painting featured in the background is 'Untitled 3' by Maren Boedeker.

The painting featured in the background is 'Untitled 3' by Maren Boedeker.

Collision Virtual Group Exhibition - On View Now!

August 27, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Exhibitions, Event, Member News, Residency

With the goal of reconnecting communities and highlighting the voices of the artists working in the Collision Gallery space, this virtual group exhibition shares recent work from the artists working in our shared artist studios at 18 Wellington Street West.

The work presented here reflects a small selection of works, old and new, by artists at Akin’s Collision Gallery location.

Exhibiting Artists:
Maren Boedeker, Lindsay Chambers, Kai Hart, Antonio Pendones, Janne Reuss, Joanna Strong

view the exhibition
Learn about the residency
Share on Facebook
August 27, 2020 /Akin Collective
exhibition, group exhibition, Collision Gallery, virtual programming
Canadian Art News, Exhibitions, Event, Member News, Residency
Antonio Graphic (1).png

Collision Artist Spotlight: Antonio Pendones

Collision Gallery
August 25, 2020 by Akin Collective in Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News

This month we checked in with some of the resident artists in our studios at Collision Gallery to see what they have been working on over the last few months.

This week we caught a glimpse of an ongoing series of mixed media sculptures by Antonio Pendones.

Catch a glimpse of Antonio's work here

Antonio Pendones works with a variety of media including digital canvasses through the use of mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad. Harnessing the skills and knowledge earned after years of working as a designer, Antonio’s art is bold and colourful, intricate and complex, refined and elegant, and, as he says, “wondrous and surprising”. 

Since 2004, Antonio has lived and worked in Toronto, both as an artist, as well as an Art Director. His work has been featured in galleries, venues and events throughout Toronto, such as Moniker Gallery, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, the Pan-American Food Festival and Koyman Galleries in Ottawa. In 2014, Antonio exhibited at Spectrum Miami Art Fair during Art Basel. 

Born in Guananico, The Dominican Republic, Antonio moved to New York City at the age of 20 to pursue his passion for design. He earned an Associate’s Degree from Bronx Community College. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design degree from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 1999. After completing his degree, Antonio began his design career at the prestigious The New Yorker magazine, where he held the position of Senior Designer.

At the core of each of his pieces is a story Antonio is driven to tell. Moments and experiences from his life are woven into each of his pieces, whether directly influencing the subjects he chooses, or reflected in the overall look and feel of his works. The vibrant colours characteristic of much of Antonio’s work, are inspired from his Dominican upbringing. Not easily categorized or defined, Antonio’s work continues to evolve alongside the digital technology from which it originates.

Collision artist spolight series.png
Watch the rest of the Collision Artist Spotlights here
August 25, 2020 /Akin Collective
Collision Gallery, Collision Artist Spotlight, Interview, artist interview
Canadian Art News, Interview, Member News
We're Hiring!.png

We're Hiring! Call for New Development Officer

August 13, 2020 by Akin Collective in Call for Submissions, Studio News

Akin Projects 
Job Posting: Development Officer
Deadline: August 31, 2020

JOB TITLE:             Development Officer, Akin Projects

REPORTS TO:        Fundraising Subcommittee, Akin Board of Directors   

DURATION:            1 year contract, ability to work remotely and flexible schedule. 

COMPENSATION:  $21/hour, 21 hours per week

Akin is a Toronto-based, artist-run social enterprise (consisting of sister organizations Akin Projects & Akin Collective) located on Ancestral Wendat territory and the territory of the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee, providing affordable studio space to nearly 250 artists in its 8 locations and programs roughly 40 arts-based events per year across the city. Akin is run by artists, and is dedicated to providing a working environment that maintains a friendly and inspiring atmosphere where people can work on creative endeavours 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.

For more information about Akin, please visit: www.akin.art

SUMMARY OF FUNCTION:

Reporting to the Fundraising subcommittee, this position works alongside Akin Co-Directors and the Fundraising subcommittee of the Board of Directors to support fundraising efforts and revenue generation across Akin Programs. Current and future initiatives include Akin Membership, grants and government funding, fundraising events, special campaigns and general undesignated donations.

Activities within this portfolio include (but are not limited to): drafting and preparing correspondence, leading grant writing and fundraising proposals, processing donations, coordinating stewardship activities and events including large annual fundraiser, tracking fundraising efforts and reconciling results with Akin financial reporting, and tracking expenses. The Development Officer must liaise effectively with internal colleagues, volunteers and donors on a regular basis.

We recognize that the current ongoing Covid-19 crisis can present unique challenges, difficulties and working barriers. We are flexible and empathetic to this, and part of the interview process will be discussing what an ideal work environment and set up would look like for candidates.

PROCESS:

Adapting the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Group Policy, applicants who self-identify as belonging to one (or more) of Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP) will all be prioritized. We encourage applications from these communities and will endeavour to accommodate job applicants with a disability during the hiring process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code guidelines and other applicable legislation.

Akin Projects has committed to at least 50% BIPOC representation at the Board and staff levels and has an ongoing commitment to anti-oppressive practices, equity and inclusion and an effort to engage diverse communities and artists in our organization and across our programs. This work includes Anti-Oppression training and the development of a revised Code of Conduct and needs assessment strategies.Akin is actively prioritizing self-identifying applicants from Black and Indigenous communities.

DUTIES:

Performs duties in accordance with department systems and Akin policies and procedures including security, administration, human resources and workplace health and safety.  

Philanthropy (50%):

  • In collaboration with Akin leadership and Board volunteers, identifies and explores new fundraising channels and prospects including individual, corporation and foundation support.                                                                                                                                     

  • As directed, supports the solicitation and stewardship of fundraising efforts by assisting with the preparation of proposals, reports, solicitation packages, membership materials, and general correspondence. Maintains accurate and complete records such as action tracking, gift details, grant deadlines, pledge payments, and related materials.                                                                                                             

  • Seeks support through grants, including the identification of available grants, proposal writing and submission, as well as the creation of necessary reports for granting bodies.

  • Responds to fundraising-related inquiries, prepares personalized correspondence to donors, and ensures appropriate materials are included with mailings.

  • Facilitates and supports the launch of Akin’s broader membership program, from membership announcements to securing membership payments and ensuring access to benefits.           

  • Maintains relationships with donors, partners, sponsors and stakeholders, working with Akin leadership and the Board to develop and prompt for regular updates and stewardship touchpoints.     

  • Under the direction of the Co-Directors and Board Fundraising Committee, coordinates fundraising events, including speakers, invitations, RSVP lists, sourcing in-kind support and expense reconciliation. Develops event reports used to evaluate event success and future planning.

  • Provides regular updates to the Fundraising subcommittee of the Akin Board of Directors. Prepares and attends meetings, coordinating meeting materials. Prepares and distributes meeting minutes. Prepares Committee assignments and follows up with Committee members on assigned tasks. 

  • Works with Akin staff and the Board to ensure philanthropic impact stories and messaging are clear in Akin marketing materials and communications, where appropriate.      

Administration (40%):

  • Using the information in the database, develops prospect, financial and other database reports and lists.  

  • Ensures donations are processed and tracked. Prepares the appropriate correspondence and outreach for donations received. Ensures donors are awarded appropriate recognition/benefits for gift(s)

  • Once Akin’s membership program is launched: tracks new members and membership renewals, from receiving payment to acknowledging the gift and delivering membership materials and benefits. Tracks renewals and follows up with expiring and lapsed members to prompt renewals, as required.

  • Provides general administrative support such as recording of minutes, follow-up on action items, document preparation, coordinating special mailings, filing, sending of courier packages, faxing, photocopying, etc. Performs other duties as required.     

Financial Reporting (10%):

  • Responsible for tracking and monitoring fundraising revenue and expenses. Verifies computer reports, including financial statements and membership status; investigates errors and takes corrective action. Maintains reporting systems for all fundraising-related activities.        

RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES:

  • 1-2 years of fundraising experience in a Development environment. 

  • Demonstrated experience coordinating and tracking fundraising efforts, including campaigns, membership and fundraising events.

  • Experience drafting and coordinating e-blasts, membership collateral, and other donor communications.

  • Experience working with Boards and/or a volunteer committee, following up with prospective members, preparing prospect reports, and coordinating meeting activities.

  • Well-developed administrative, analytical and organizational skills.

  • Well-developed interpersonal and public relations skills to interface with major donors, volunteers and staff.

  • Experience supporting the planning of donor and member events.

  • Knowledge of and ability to maintain professional standards.

  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in applicable computer programs and donor databases such as MailChimp, the Google suite, Keyboarding skills.

  • Knowledge of the visual arts an asset.


EFFORT:

  • Ensure all information is kept confidential

  • Handles multiple projects concurrently

  • Continual attention to detail with accuracy

  • Some pressure related to meeting deadlines


WORKING CONDITIONS:

  •  Flexibility in hours of work to allow attendance at events.


To Apply:

Please email your résumé with any applicable web links (in PDF format) to laura@akincollective.com with the subject heading: ATTN: Development Officer.

Akin is actively prioritizing self-identifying applicants from Black and Indigenous communities.


Application Accessibility Support

Applicants who require additional resources, support or time to apply can request as such. Please request this assistance at least one week in advance of the submission deadline. To do so, or for additional information, please contact michael@akincollective.com.

Application deadline: 11:59 pm, August 31, 2020

Position start date: September 2020 (flexible)

August 13, 2020 /Akin Collective
Job posting, job opportunities, development officer, Akin Projects
Call for Submissions, Studio News
join the akin board of directors.png

Call for Board of Directors Members

August 06, 2020 by Akin Collective in Call for Submissions, Studio News

Akin Projects

Call for Board of Directors Members

Deadline: August 31, 2020

Akin is an artist-run social enterprise (consisting of sister organizations Akin Projects & Akin Collective) located on Ancestral Wendat territory and the territory of the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee in Toronto. We provide affordable studio space to approximately 250 artists within our 8 locations and programming of roughly 50 arts-based events per year across the city. Akin Projects is a registered nonprofit, established in 2015, providing artists and creatives with the support they need for creative production and development of their careers to benefit and enhance the communities where they work and live. We have offered services to thousands of individuals since our inception through our creative studios and arts programming. Akin Projects builds community through monthly art critiques, workshops, open studio events, gallery tours, exhibitions, and various other art projects.

For more information about Akin Projects, please visit: www.akinprojects.org

Akin Projects is seeking six (6) individuals to join its Board of Directors. These individuals will ideally bring expertise, dedication, lived experience and vision to our organization. We are seeking additions to our team with a variety of qualifications and interests including financial expertise/treasurer, public programming, marketing, government relations and fundraising, human resources, board governance as well as familiarity with Akin and the larger visual arts community in Toronto and ideally, previous board experience. We strongly encourage and will prioritize the applications of practicing artists and creatives, including current and former Akin members.

Akin Projects’ Board of Directors is a working Board. Each member is expected to attend six Board meetings per year, participate in committee work between meetings, and commit to serving a two-year term. 

Akin Projects has committed to at least 50% BIPOC representation at the Board and staff levels. 

PROCESS:

Adapting the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Group Policy, we will be prioritizing applicants who self-identify as belonging to one (or more) of Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, 2SLGBTQIAP). We encourage applications from these communities and will endeavour to accommodate applicants with a disability during the hiring process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code guidelines and other applicable legislation.

This effort is part of an ongoing commitment to anti-oppressive practices, equity and inclusion at Akin and an effort to engage diverse communities and artists within our organization and across our programs This includes Anti-Oppression training and the continual revision of our Code of Conduct and needs assessment strategies. 

Commitments & of each Akin Projects Board member include:

  • Regular attendance at Board meetings and all related meetings, along with a commitment to actively participate in work as it arises and participate in at least one Board committee.

  • Being an active, informed and engaged participant in Akin Projects matters including preparing for meetings, reviewing and commenting on minutes and Reports, attending Akin Projects events and training exercises,

  • Familiarizing yourself with the activities of the organization and the larger arts community in Toronto, while also building a strong working relationship with fellow board members and Staff as applicable.

  • Participation in fundraising for the organization, and volunteering time to assist at programs

  • A deep interest in supporting artists, creatives and the arts sector.

Please note that Board members are volunteers and therefore cannot be financially compensated by Akin Projects for their related work while serving on the Board.

To Apply:

Please email a brief (one page maximum) statement explaining why you are interested in this volunteer position along with your CV, résumé or statement of experience and any applicable web links (in PDF format) to laura@akincollective.com with the subject heading: ATTN: Board of Directors Position.

Akin is actively prioritizing self-identifying applicants from Black and Indigenous communities.

Application Accessibility Support

Applicants who require additional resources, support or time to apply can request as such. Please request this assistance at least one week in advance of the submission deadline. To do so, or for additional information, please contact michael@akincollective.com.

Application deadline: 11:59 pm, August 31, 2020

Successful applicants will be contacted no later than September 9, 2020.

August 06, 2020 /Akin Collective
call for applications, board of directors, opportunity
Call for Submissions, Studio News
Akin Vitrine 2020 - Mel Hayes.png

Akin Vitrine + Mel Hayes

Akin Vitrine Gallery
July 21, 2020 by Akin Collective in Vitrine

We are delighted to introduce our current Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery artist, Akin Dupont artist Mel Hayes. Mel's work will be on exhibit in our galleries beginning at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the month of July and then 1485 Dupont for the month of August.

Sail Away explores the boundaries of time and the role memories play in shaping your current reality. Inspired by expression “ One eye on the past, one eye on the future”. The piece is composed of multiple layers strategically placed in front of each other to create a larger composition.

Mel Hayes is a multi-disciplinary creative, who pushes the boundaries between visual arts and graphic design. Originally trained as a graphic designer and BDes graduate from the Alberta University of the Arts. Her studies informed her approach to abstract painting, relying on shapes and composition to elevate her ideas.

Sail Away
Mixed media
Dimensions Variable
2020

To contact the artist:
Instagram: @melhayes.art

#Akinvitrine

Akin Collective + Akin Projects are excited to present our 2020 programming in two Vitrine Galleries located at Akin St. Clair and Akin Dupont. These miniature galleries feature the diverse talent of our members with travelling installations rotating each month. Each artist will be featured for the first month at St. Clair and second month at Dupont. For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

Mel’s work will be on view for the month of July in our St. Clair Avenue West Akin Vitrine Gallery, 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin Dupont Vitrine Gallery where it will be on view for the month of August. 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.

Learn more here
July 21, 2020 /Akin Collective
vitrine, Akin Vitrine Gallery, Installation
Vitrine
AkinProjectsLogo.jpg

Akin Projects is Hiring! IT Consultant

July 03, 2020 by Akin Collective

Expression of Interest - IT Consultant
Term: 8 months with option to extend, variable part time
Contract Remuneration: To be discussed upon provided estimate and proposal.
Submission Deadline: July 12 2020
Submit one page proposal by email to tania@akincollective.com with IT CONSULTANT in the subject line. 

Akin is a Toronto-based, artist-run social enterprise (consisting of sister organizations Akin Projects & Akin Collective) located on Ancestral Wendat territory and the territory of the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee, providing affordable studio space to nearly 250 artists in its 8 locations and programming roughly 40 arts-based events per year across the city. Akin Projects is a registered nonprofit established in 2015 providing artists and creatives with the support they need for creative production and development of their careers to benefit and enhance the communities where they work and live. We have offered services to thousands of individuals since our inception through our creative studios and arts programming. Akin Projects builds community through monthly art critiques, workshops, open studio events, gallery tours, exhibitions, and various other art projects. 

For more information about Akin Projects, please visit: www.akinprojects.org 


Through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Digital Strategy Fund, over the next eight months, we will be exploring the creation of digital tools that helps match local artists and arts organizations to creative spaces in their neighbourhoods. We are looking for an IT Consultant to help us achieve this project, advising us on the best approaches, assisting in the hiring process, and helping us navigate and manage digital production of which we are not familiar. 

Reporting to the Project Manager, the IT Consultant responsibilities will include: 
● Providing overview of all technical aspects of the project, 
● Providing expert advice to the Project Manager regarding scheduling, workflow and additional hires, 
● Advising and recommending digital technology solutions best suited to the project, 
● In cooperation with the Project Manager, updating all project partners and stakeholders on technical aspects of the initiative as per the schedule. 

We welcome expressions of interest from experienced IT consultants - both individuals or companies. 


PROCESS: 

Adapting the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Group Policy, applicants who self-identify as belonging to one (or more) of Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP) will all be prioritized. We encourage applications from these communities and will endeavour to accommodate applicants with a disability during the hiring process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code guidelines and other applicable legislation. 

This effort is part of an ongoing commitment to anti-oppressive practices, equity and inclusion at Akin and an effort to engage diverse communities and artists in our organization and across our programs. This includes Anti-Oppression training and the development of a revised Code of Conduct and needs assessment strategies. 

Applicants who require additional resources, support or time to apply can request it. Please request this assistance at least one week in advance of the submission deadline. To do so, or for additional information, please contact Tania Thompson at tania@akincollective.com 


If you are interested, please email a one page brief proposal including salary expectations and references/links to past work to tania@akincollective.com with IT CONSULTANT in the subject line, by July 12 2020. 

July 03, 2020 /Akin Collective
hiring
Untitled design (5).png

Akin Vitrine St. Clair + Elsie Nisonen

June 16, 2020 by Akin Collective in Exhibitions, Event, Member News, Vitrine

We are delighted to introduce our current Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery artist, Akin River artist Elsie Nisonen. Elsie's work will be on exhibit in our galleries beginning at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the month of June and then 1485 Dupont for the month of July.

Consumption is a series of images that explore the idea of Gender, Consumption, Collecting and is also about positive and negative space. By combining the digital aesthetic with handcrafted details, I blur the lines between the digital world and the human hand, gendered stereotypes, the truth vs. folktale. I have photographed old paper dolls that were mouse-eaten as a metaphor for gender confines, consumption and collection. The use of botanicals references work done by women illustrators and photographers during the Victorian era. The curiosity of the Victorians along with their sickening approach to collections, i.e. killing the thing you are studying, invokes the idea of capture, consumption, decay, and death. 

By playing and using old tropes, I have created new visuals to push against patriarchal hegemony. I have used older/fixed icons such as a dress as a frame to re/view the world. 

Elsie Nisonen is a lens-based artist in Toronto. Her works explores light, materiality, humanity, layering, and storytelling. It resides between memory and truth, the liminal spaces where reality and fantasy are intertwined.

Consumption
Mixed media
Dimensions Variable
2020

To contact the artist:
Instagram: @elsienisonen

#Akinvitrine

Akin Collective + Akin Projects are excited to present our 2020 programming in two Vitrine Galleries located at Akin St. Clair and Akin Dupont. These miniature galleries feature the diverse talent of our members with travelling installations rotating each month. Each artist will be featured for the first month at St. Clair and second month at Dupont. For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

Elsie’s work will be on view for the month of June in our St. Clair Avenue West Akin Vitrine Gallery, 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin Dupont Vitrine Gallery where it will be on view for the month of July. 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.

Learn more here
June 16, 2020 /Akin Collective
vitrine, Akin Vitrine Gallery, Photography
Exhibitions, Event, Member News, Vitrine
Resources to Support BIPOC Communities.png

Resources to Support BIPOC Communities

June 03, 2020 by Akin Collective in Resources

This list of resources will be updated on an ongoing basis. Have any Toronto or Canada specific suggestions that aren’t on the list yet? Send us your suggestions by email to janet@akincollective.com.

There are a few resources included in this list that already exist as a directories.


COVID SPECIFIC RESOURCES

COVID-19 Black Emergency Response Fund

Organized by Black Lives Matter Toronto, the Covid-19 Black Emergency Response Fund provides financial support to Black people in the GTA community who have lost income sources for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19.  

donate here

Black Owned Businesses & Restaurants Opening During COVID

Support local businesses within the POC community. This document was created and is managed by Meg Cule and @j.a.l.i.l.

BUSINESSES LIST
ALTERNATE LIST BY AFROBIZ.CA
ALTERNATE LIST BY TRNTO.COM

Webinar: How White Folks Can Take Anti-Racist Action in COVID-19

“In this webinar, we'll talk about how to shut down racist scapegoating for this crisis and get involved in building a multi-racial movement for the things we all need in your region.”

This webinar took place online on April 29th 2020. The recordings are available below.

WATCH THE RECORDED WEBINAR HERE
ADDITIONAL READING LIST

FoodShare Toronto

FoodShare Toronto is working with more than 50 frontline agencies to ensure that Canadians who are facing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic are getting access to good food. It says that in Canada, Black households are 3.56 times more likely to be food insecure than white households. Your donation will go toward providing emergency food relief to vulnerable communities.

donate here

HOW TO BE A BETTER ALLY

Anti-Racist Allyship Start Pack

Resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness and how to be a better ally.

Get started here

REFINERY29 article: Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not

read the article here

National Museum of African American History & Culture: Talking About Race

Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. The National Museum of African American History & Culture has provided some tools and guidance to help empower your journey and inspire conversation.

read the guide here

6 Ways to Activate Beyond Social Media by @jezzchung

Learn more here

Mapping Our Roles in A Social Change Ecosystem

Together this map and reflection guide can be used at an individual level to reflect, assess, and plan, as well as at staff and board retreats, team-building meetings, orientations, and strategy session. It provides questions for individuals and organizations to locate and understand their own roles, identify the gaps and strengths in their ecosystems, and develop aspirations for the future.

explore the framework and guide here

The Concious Kid Instagram Account

Tools to help raise children through a critical race lens.

follow @theconciouskid here

Embrace Race

Resource to raise children who are informed about race.

Learn more here

Anti-Racist Lesson Plans & Resources for Educators

“Actively growing and changing document for the free and open distribution of lesson plans, reading material, and documents to help educators in crafting a world we wish to see.”

view the resource document here

ORGANIZATIONS & COLLECTIVES FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

BIPOC Led and Anti-Racism Organizations - Regional

view the spreadsheet

Urban Alliance on Race Relations

The Urban Alliance on Race Relations is a non-profit charitable organization that strives to address emerging issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Urban Alliance was formed in 1975 by a group of concerned Toronto citizens in response to hate-motivated violence targeting various racialized communities.

uarr resources list

Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ)

SURJ Toronto is a local chapter of an international organization committed to undermining white support for white supremacist systems and institutions. SURJ works to support and collaborate with local and national racial justice and decolonization organizing efforts led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) organizers.


SURJ Toronto will provide a space to develop consciousness, political education, skills, and political analysis to act for change under BIPOC-led organizing. SURJ Toronto aims to carry out this mission within Toronto and beyond, with a specific focus on issues and action related to the GTA and Canada more broadly. 

SURJ's anti-racist resources list

Black Lives Matter Toronto

Black Lives Matter is an international human rights movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people.

Visit the Toronto Chapter's website here
Visit the network website here

Ryerson University Black Liberation Collective

Black Liberation Collectives are an international movement of students challenging anti-Black racism in post-secondary institutions The BLC began in Canada at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto in 2015.

Learn more about the Ryerson blc here

Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Canada's leading agency dedicated to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society.

Learn more here

Canadian Anti-Racism Education & Research Society (CAERS)

Learn more here

Canada Anti-Hate Network

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network monitors, exposes and counters hate groups.

Learn more here

PETITIONS

Petition to release data on police-involved deaths in Canada

This petition calls for documentation of police-involved deaths by race, to provide transparency and data on police violence, which especially affects Canadian people of colour.

sign the petition here

Justice for Regis Petition

This petition aims to reach the attention of Mayor John Tory, MPP Bhutila Karpoche and Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders to commit to a transparent investigation in the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet and to hold the officers involved accountable.

Sign the petition here

LEGAL AID

Black Legal Action Centre

The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a new not-for-profit corporation set up under the laws of Ontario in 2017. BLAC delivers legal aid services to low and no income Black Ontarians. We work to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism.

Learn more here

BIPOC FOCUSED ART ORGANIZATIONS/ART CENTERS

Nia Centre for the Arts

Canada’s first Black art centre, committed to fostering and promoting Black identity and community in Toronto through art.

Learn more here

FOLLOW BLACK CREATORS

People of Craft

People of Craft is a growing showcase of creatives of color and their craft in design, advertising, tech, illustration, lettering, art, and more.

view the creators list here

Black Artists Union (BAU)

The BAU assists in the movement and exhibition of artists and creators of the African diaspora. The BAU aims to represent the ideas and work of contemporary Black creators. As art being a language to connect with others, this is a platform to help develop skills for navigating and engaging in art spaces.

Learn more here

Black Artist’ Network in Dialogue (BAND)

BAND is dedicated to supporting, documenting and showcasing the artistic and cultural contributions of Black artists and cultural workers in Canada and internationally.

Learn more here

HEALTHCARE & SUPPORT NETWORKS

Black Health Alliance

A community-led charity looking to reduce the racial disparities in health access and care in Canada, focusing on the broad determinants of health, including racism.

Learn more here

Black Youth Helpline (Canada-wide)

A organization that support the advancement of Black women in Toronto through educational tools, economic opportunities and cultural content.

Learn more here

EDUCATION

Black Women in Motion (Toronto)

A organization that supports the advancement of Black women in Toronto through educational tools, economic opportunities and cultural content.

Visit the website: https://blackwomeninmotion.org/

Learn more here

READING LISTS

The Kit: 10 Essential Books About Black People’s Experiences

view the list here

CBC: 25 Books About Being Black in Canada

view the list here

Huffington Post: Read Black Canadian Authors

View the list below:

“Policing Black Lives” by Robyn Maynard.

“The Skin We’re In” by Desmond Cole.

“Blank: Essays and Interviews” by M. NourbeSe Philip.

“In the Black” by B. Denham Jolly

“Queer Returns: Essays On Multiculturalism, Diaspora and Black Studies” by Rinaldo Walcott

Children’s Books That Discuss Race & Racism

view the list here

Black + Asian American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List by Black Women Radicals

view the list here

PODCASTS

Podcasts in Color

Podcasts in Color is a resource for podcasts by black and brown storytellers.

start listening here

Revision Path

Revision Path is an award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world. Through in-depth interviews, you’ll learn about their work, their goals, and what inspires them as creative individuals.

View the full list of Revision Path podcasts here

Intersectionality Matters by the African American Policy Forum

A podcast that brings intersectionality to life.

listen here

This list was last updated on 6/9/2020.

June 03, 2020 /Akin Collective
resources, BIPOC, healthcare, legal advice, arts funding, current events
Resources
Communtity Wellness Session (2).png

Free Community Wellness Session with Shadi Mogadime

May 29, 2020 by Akin Collective in Event

Date: Monday, June 1st 2020
Time: 6:30-8:30pm

How to Join this Zoom Meeting:
Copy and paste this URL into your browser:
https://zoom.us/j/95180398464?pwd=UEczRlY4akRmZTUzYVN4Zm9Ta3JBZz09
Meeting ID: 951 8039 8464
Password: 356639

This is a FREE virtual event.

Join us on June 1st at 6:30pm for an online community wellness session with a focus on moving from anxiety to resilience and creating a sense of well-being during this current period of isolation. Facilitator Shadi Mogadime will introduce attendees to various concepts and practices that can help you identify and manage daily stressors and anxiety triggers. Feel free to participate and share your experience or simply log on and listen with your fellow Akin community members and other artists.

Due to the 2hr time limitation for this event, we may not be able to accommodate everyone's questions and comments. If you don’t get the chance to speak but want to continue the conversation please email Akin at janet@akincollective.com or Shadi at shadimogadime@hotmail.com.

Accessibility:
Have a computer or mobile device? Then you're good to go as soon as you have signed up for a free Zoom account. Sign up here: https://zoom.us/

Please contact us regarding any accommodation requests or concerns, and we will do our best to support.

How to Join this Zoom Meeting:
Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://zoom.us/j/95180398464?pwd=UEczRlY4akRmZTUzYVN4Zm9Ta3JBZz09
Meeting ID: 951 8039 8464
Password: 356639

Can’t attend this event but interested in future events on health and wellness? Let us know by emailing us at janet@akincollective.com.

About the facilitator:
Shadi (pronounced so it rhymes with buddy) has been a student of many modalities in 30+ years of spiritual and personal growth exploration. Her deepest dive has been into practices of mediation, yoga and qigong as well as other wellness technologies. She has used these experiences and the knowledge she developed to mentor clients from around the world for the last 5 years. She feels privileged to have spent her 25-year professional career in the charitable sector fundraising and marketing for the missions of crucial causes and arts & culture organizations. Her current focus is creating a platform to support women in the caring professions with wellness resources, practices and indulgences.

Learn more here
join the zoom session here
May 29, 2020 /Akin Collective
wellness, session, workshop, virtual, virtual programming, zoom, art, self care, anxiety, stress
Event
Walter Segers.png

Akin Vitrine St. Clair + Walter Segers

May 11, 2020 by Akin Collective in Exhibitions, Member News, Vitrine

We are delighted to introduce our current Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery artist, Akin River artist Walter Segers. Walter's work will be on exhibit in our galleries beginning at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the month of May and then 1485 Dupont for the month of June.

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR is an installation consisting of a movable doll house @lilliputgallery, still 2D images and 3D altered toys exploring the interaction between location and individuals. Each room in the doll house tells a unique story that reminds us that the future is bright with a vision of LOVE instead of WAR.

Working primarily with dolls such as Ken and Barbie, toy soldiers and toy animals, the battle of nations or battle between cats and dogs becomes intimate instead of combative.

Children use toys to discover their identity, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, and to remember and reinforce lessons from their youth.

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR is communicating a positive message, a fantasy world that Walter would like to see as being real. Why not make the focus of your life something happy!

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR
Found objects, taxidermy, photography and doll house @lilliputgallery
Site Specific Installation, Dimensions Variable
2019-2020

To contact the artist:
Instagram: @waltersegers
Website: www.waltersegers.com

#Akinvitrine

Akin Collective + Akin Projects are excited to present our 2020 programming in two Vitrine Galleries located at Akin St. Clair and Akin Dupont. These miniature galleries feature the diverse talent of our members with travelling installations rotating each month. Each artist will be featured for the first month at St. Clair and second month at Dupont. For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

Walter’s work will be on view for the month of May in our St. Clair Avenue West Akin Vitrine Gallery, 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin Dupont Vitrine Gallery where it will be on view for the month of June. 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.

learn more about this installation here
May 11, 2020 /Akin Collective
vitrine, Akin Vitrine Gallery, akin vitrine, Installation
Exhibitions, Member News, Vitrine
Copy of The Family Fun at Home Blog Series_ Part Two.png

Creative Coffee Break Blog Series: Part One

May 08, 2020 by Akin Collective in Resources

At home all day and looking for a creative or educational coffee break? Look no further! We have compiled a list of interesting reads, film festivals, virtual adventures and more you can do at home this week from the comfort of your couch.

If you are in a position to do so, please remember to support any creatives whose work you are enjoying during this time.


Activity #1: Great Read! This Place: 150 Years Retold

Image source: CBC Books

Image source: CBC Books

Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are a wild ride through magic realism, serial killings, psychic battles and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact.

Contributors include: Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Jen Storm, Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette, Chelsea Vowel, Tara Audibert, Kyle Charles, GMB Chomichuk, Natasha Donovan, Scott B. Henderson, Ryan Howe, Andrew Lodwick, Scott A. Ford, Donovan Yaciuk and Alicia Elliott.

This book is available at many online retailers including: Chapters Indigo, Amazon and more.

learn more here

Activity #2: Field Trip — Art Across Canada

Image source: Books & Brushes Field Trip: The Overstory by Richard Powers — May 12 @ 11:30AM (CDT)

Image source: Books & Brushes Field Trip: The Overstory by Richard Powers — May 12 @ 11:30AM (CDT)

Field Trip: Art Across Canada is a new online platform to deliver arts experiences with some of Canada’s most celebrated artists in a national partnership with leading arts organizations. From children’s programs to artist talks and workshops, these activities are designed to advance the work of our nation’s organizations through digital platforms for different age groups, on a range of subjects, that engage communities and support artists, particularly during the challenges presented during a pandemic.

explore all field trips here

Activity #3: Citizens of Craft - The Podcast

Citizens_of_Craft_The_Podcast.png

This series, hosted by Canadian Crafts Federation Director, Maegen Black, brings together the voices of craft artists, curators, educators and collectors who speak off the cuff about craft practice and its role in their lives.

Each episode addresses one of the ten manifesto statements from the Citizens of Craft movement. Join as the story of craft is animated through the values we all hold dear. This project is made possible through extensive partnership with voicEd Radio, and the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

listen to the series here

Activity #4: IDFA Documentaries

Image source: IDFA - ‘Agnes & Nancy’ film.

Image source: IDFA - ‘Agnes & Nancy’ film.

Explore all films and interactive documentaries that have been shown at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) over the years. Many are available to watch online (by using the filter Watch Online), some for free! 

IDFA offers an independent and inspiring meeting place for audiences and professionals to see a diverse and high-quality program. The diverse nature of the event applies to the form and content of the films as well as to the cultural backgrounds of the filmmakers. IDFA offers an alternative to mass entertainment and uniformity, confirming that there is an increasing need in audiences for high-quality films that delve deep and urge us to reflect.

Browse available documentaries here

Stay tuned for our next round up of home activities!

May 08, 2020 /Akin Collective
covid19, crafts, diy, break, coffee break
Resources

Source: Learning at MOCA

TD Community Sunday: Drawing to Communicate by Dalia Hassan

April 30, 2020 by Akin Collective in Member News

Recommended Age: All Ages (Children under 10 should try this activity with an adult)

Though drawing is typically viewed as a springboard to further artistic production, this activity will explore drawing as a fundamental practice in its own right. I like drawing because it is both intuitive and forgiving. You can accidentally spill ink over a piece, but still integrate it, work with it and end up with something beautiful. Using the demonstrations below to guide you, explore different techniques and materials to see how they can all work together. You can fly solo or do this as a group activity, with participants contributing to and building on each other’s work to open up communication and response.

About the Artist:

Dalia Hassan is a Cairo-born, Toronto-based visual artist. She received her Bachelor of Visual Arts from the American University in Cairo in 2007 and has spent the majority of her career working as an independent artist in Egypt. Hassan’s earlier work explored themes relating to city life, reflecting the abnormalities of her urban environment in a fantasized setting, often with gallows humor. Hassan’s recent practice, however, has turned toward abstraction, focusing on the mind and the relationship between consciousness and existence. Her work has been exhibited in Cairo and Toronto.

view the full workshop here
April 30, 2020 /Akin Collective
Workshop, drawing, covid19, MOCA
Member News

Artist Project's COVID-19 Studio Relief Grant

April 27, 2020 by Akin Collective

Artist Project’s COVID-19 Studio Relief Grant will be awarding one emerging contemporary artist in a visual arts field with a $1,000 Akin studio credit, along with a $1,000 honorarium to offset arts supplies and day-to-day costs.

The COVID-19 Studio Relief Grant was envisioned to provide an opportunity for an emerging contemporary artist who has been impacted by the pandemic to look forward to having a creative space among their peers unburdened by access, rental costs and supply costs.  Artist Project is looking to support an emerging artist whose practice has been impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis; through loss of income, studio space, cancelled exhibition opportunities or delayed education opportunities.

The artist selected must be available for a filmed in-studio visit including an interview on their practice and process. The artist will receive promotion through Artist Project’s e-mail, website and social media marketing platforms.

Who may apply?

Artist Project’s COVID-19 Studio Relief Grant  is open to emerging contemporary artists working in a visual arts field. For the purposes of this residency an emerging artist is defined as an artist who is currently attending or a recent graduate (3 years) of a visual arts education program, with no commercial gallery representation, and a modest exhibition history over the past 3 years.

There is no fee to apply, however applications will be limited to the first 200 entrants.

Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2020

apply here
April 27, 2020 /Akin Collective
artist project, artist opportunities, grants
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