In the Middle, a celebration of Canadian-Middle Eastern and North African Artists

July 15, 12pm-10pm
July 16, 9am-6pm

Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W

Opening Reception: July 15, 6pm-10pm

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In the Middle is a celebration of the unique perspectives of Canadian-Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) artists as well as those geographically adjacent. It is an opportunity to recognize the importance of MENA and MENA-adjacent artists in the Toronto art scene and to highlight an underrepresented vision as well as recognize the diversity of MENA culture and celebrate the beauty of its art.

Eleven artists will be sharing their stories and unique experiences with the world. It’s a chance to create a dialogue about the importance of representation and inclusion in the art world and to create a space where MENA and MENA-adjacent artists can be seen, heard, and respected.

Artist Participating: 
Amina Boufennara 
Amnna Attia 
Ayan Melikli 
Christina Hajjar 
Edriss Sydeqi 
Özge Dilan Arslan
Pamela Andonian (Ch!K P)
Qudsia Hussain 
Rabiyah Sagheer
Sara Abulkarim
Sara Ghaben

The Exhibition Is Curated By: 
Amina Boufennara 
Habiba Raouf
Sara Abulkarim

Sara Abulkarim is the 2022 recipient of the Akin x OCADU Career Launcher Award. Born in Iraq, she immigrated to Montreal in 2002, where she studied Interior Design. Following her passion, in 2017 she decided to study Fine Arts at OCAD University. Sara’s art often stems from memory and feelings. She paints moments and fragments of her life, meaningful spaces and moments that sculpted her into the person she is today. Intrigued by abstract, she loves to try new techniques and mediums to mimic her emotions through colours and gestures. Her work is characterized by vibrant colours and animated movement. Website: www.saraabulkarim.com

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Toronto

 

“Catch and Release” by Yannis Lobaina at Remote Gallery

July 6-13
Akin’s Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W

Gallery Hours: 1-7pm
Free Interactive Workshops: July 8 & 9 at 2pm

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Akin’s Remote Gallery is thrilled to welcome space award winner Yannis Lobaina to the Remote Gallery for a new photo exhibition, Catch and Release. 

Yannis’ work captures the fleeting moments and sacred geometry of Mother Nature. In Catch and Release, a series of twelve minimalist photographic narratives, Yannis explores patterns, pareidolias (faces), spirals, clouds, textures and their spiritual significance. 

Throughout the exhibition, Yannis Lobaina will be hosting a series of 2 free art-making photography workshops on Saturday, July 8 and Sunday July 9 at 2:00pm. The workshops will be a family friendly experience to explore Yannis’ artworks, and to get inspired to create their own piece of art. All the artwork produced during the workshop will become part of the online exhibit on Yannis’ website.

Yannis Lobaina is a Cuban artist, author, filmmaker, photographer and community arts facilitator. Currently, she lives in Toronto. In her work, Yannis explores themes of immigration, diaspora, language, and motherhood. As a photographer, she focuses on minimalist storytelling photography, landscapes, patterns, sacred geometry, and pareidolias in Mother Nature. She has been recognized with several awards and grants by the TAC and OAC, which has funded her ongoing series Alive, Upside Down. Yannis has twice received the Newcomer Space Award (2020, 2022) and has been showcased at Remote Gallery (2021) and at public Library Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre(February 2023).

Thank you to the Toronto Arts Foundation, and the Neighbourhood Arts Foundation for their support. 

Find more information about Yannis’ work here.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Image Description: Yannis Lobania’s photograph, Fibonacci Spiral, a macro, black and white shot of a sunflower against a black background. Surrounding the image is text which reads “Fibonacci Spiral, Yannis Lobaina, digital photographs, metal wall art, landscape, 11 x 14”, 2023.” 

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Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Toronto

 

Resonance of a Deep Ground, Gizem Candan

June 29 - July 2
Akin’s Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W

Opening Reception:
Thursday June 29, 6-10pm

Gallery Hours:
Friday - Sunday: 12-6pm

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Akin’s Remote Gallery is proud to introduce a showcase of brand new work from Newcomer Space Award Winner Gizem Candan. Resonance of a Deep Ground features Candan’s most recent paintings of earthworms and their enigmatic habitat. 

Fresh from a painting residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point earlier in June, Candan hosted earth worm composting workshops as part of her residency. Her contemplation of earthworm ecology has resulted in a beautiful display of abstract oil paintings which draws their inspiration from our crawling friends underground and their miraculous regenerative abilities. 

Gizem Candan is a visual artist and researcher based in Toronto. She graduated with two BFAs, one in Plastic Arts and Painting and one in Graphic Design from Yeditepe University in Istanbul. She is in the process of completing her master’s in Criticism and Curatorial Practice at OCAD University. She is represented by Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte, ON. Her works have been exhibited in Canada and Turkey, and are held in many private collections and the Special Collections of the Toronto Reference Library. She also works at Cooper Cole Gallery as a research assistant. Her artistic practice explores the tensions and depressions between humans and their surroundings in the Anthropocene. She employs a variety of approaches in her work to emphasize "figure" as both human and more-than-human, as well as the landscape-centered scenes around it. Her main area of focus is on narrating that examines the modern human and its enigmatic potential relationship through the lens of nature. "Structure" in her paintings is visible in two distinct ways: composition and colour palette. 

Candan is a 2022 recipient of the 2022 Newcomer Space Award. Created by Akin, the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network, the Newcomer Space Award provides newcomers credit for an Akin studio membership and to Akin’s Remote Gallery. This award not only provides funding and space essential for professional artists to grow their practice, but also supports artists in growing their network through the shared studio space model.

Learn more about Gizem Candan’s work at her website and on instagram.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Image Description: Above is a painting by Candan, an abstract oil painting of earthworms, filled with light and dark browns and rust reds. Underneath it, over a white panel, black text reads “Resonance of a Deep Ground, Gizem Candan, June 29-July 2, 2023, Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON.”

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Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Toronto

 

Akin’s 2023 Career Launcher Winners Announced!

Akin is excited to announce Damon Couto-Hill and Veerta Kumar as our OCADU Career Launcher award recipients for 2023-24. We’re excited to welcome them into the community! 

These talented graduating OCAD students will be awarded $2,000 in credits to go towards a studio space at one of Akin’s studio locations for 2023-2024. In addition to the $2,000 studio credit, each recipient will receive $450 exhibition credit for use at Akin’s Remote Gallery. 

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Damon Couto-Hill

Image Description: Damon Couto-Hill looks directly to the camera in this close up shot of his face and shoulders. Damon has short brown hair, and brown eyes. Damon is wearing a red, blue, white and black striped collared shirt. Behind Damon is a room with white walls, out of focus. 

Damon Couto-Hill is a Portuguese/Mohawk man and an interdisciplinary visual artist. He is a Six Nations of the Grand River member who grew up in Scarborough and currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada. He works with digital collages to entangle his body with images of Canada, nature, the Western art canon, and the internet to visualize the dysfunctions of Western collective consciousness through an intuitive, dream-like lens. He then translates the digital collage into physical form as fragmented wood panels painted in acrylic and oil, making the image again upon the scattered shards of a slanted mosaic. 

Instagram: @damond.liver

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Veerta Kumar

Image Description: Veerta Kumar is smiling beside a large artwork. Veerta has curly black hair and wears a black, shirt with an asymmetrical neckline. The artwork, to Veerta’s left, are bright, colourful circles mounted on a black background. Each circle contains  are backlit, translucent photographs . The circles contain photographs

Veerta Kumar was born in India in 1999 and lives and works in Toronto. She considers the flux, chaos, and fragments of our perceptions to decolonize modes of re-presentation and re-creation. In the past year, she observed the interaction of paint and light and engaged in various modes of making and materials, including ornamentation, textiles, found materials, family album photos, personal photography,  and digital manipulation.

Kumar completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting in 2023 from OCAD University. She received the John Madott Fine Art Award for her recent body of work Tedhi Nazar exhibited at Grad Ex 108.

Website:  www.veertakumar.ca
Instagram: @_veertakumar

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Art Exhibition by Artist Naghmeh Ghasemzadeh

June 17 - 25  
Akin’s Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W

Opening Reception:
Saturday June 17: 5-7pm

Remote Gallery Hours:
Monday to Friday: 2-8pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11am-6pm

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Remote Gallery is thrilled to show a new and exciting exhibition by Naghmeh Ghasemzadeh, a multi-disciplinary artist and the winner of the 2022 Space Award, presented by Akin in partnership with the Neighbourhood Arts Network. Naghmeh Ghasemzadeh, a.k.a NAG, is an Iranian born, French-Canadian artist. 

Naghmeh’s work examines her own stories of immigration, cultural assimilation and uprootedness. These ideas intersect with women’s rights, gender equality and resilience. She expresses such subjects through fragmented materials and narratives that depict her endeavor to find an imaginary link between events, beings, belongings and destinies, by assembling materials that don’t usually fit together. She questions frantic consumption, accumulation and purpose by giving new life to outdated and broken things. Organic drawings and materials, medical or industrial waste are assembled in mixed media and installations, creating strange living organisms that reflect her quest to find a place and community to which she’ll finally belong.

To learn more about NAG’s work, visit www.nag-artist.com, or on instagram @nag_artist

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Special thanks to Toronto Arts Foundation, Neighbourhood Arts Network and Ontario Arts Council. 

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Image Description: A poster advertising Naghmeh Ghasemzadeh’s Upcoming Exhibition.  A white background shows brown text reading “Art Exhibition, June 17-25 2023,” The left hand side shows the artist’s logo, which reads ‘NAG’, and brown text below which reads ‘Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Hours Monday-Friday 2-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11-6 pm, Opening Saturday June 17th, 2023 5-7pm. With the kind support of the Ontario Arts Council. Special thanks to the Toronto Arts Foundation, Neighbourhood Arts Network, Akin Projects and Ontario Arts Council.” The Ontario Arts Council Logo is at the bottom right corner on the poster.  Above it is a multimedia image. In the center is a print-style black and white image of a person, covering their eyes and mouth with each hand. They are wearing a black shirt and have dark curly hair. Above them is the photograph of an eye, below them are collaged green leaves and dried flowers atop the image.

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Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St W, Toronto

 

Final Days of Narcissus at Remote Gallery, an installation by Renato Baldin - last day is June 10!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has already visited the captivating exhibition, Narcissus, at Akin’s Remote Gallery! Your support and presence have made this experience truly special. As we approach the final days of the exhibition, we invite you to join us for one last opportunity to immerse yourself in Renato Baldin's transformative artwork.

Explore the themes of queerness, self-love, and body nonconformity as you journey through this unique installation. Don't miss your chance to meet the artist in person and gain a deeper insight into his creative process. He will be available during the gallery opening hours to engage in conversations and share his artistic vision.

Here are the remaining days and hours for the exhibition at Remote Gallery (579 Richmond St West, Toronto)

Wed, June 7: 3-4:30pm (please note the changed hours for today)|
Thu, June 8: 3-7pm
Fri, June 9: 3-7pm
Sat, June 10 (Final day): 1- 6pm

The exhibition will close its doors after June 10th, so seize this opportunity to engage with this captivating display of artistry and self-expression.

Image Description: A series of photographs showing different people visiting the exhibition at Remote Gallery. In some photos they are posing with artist Renato Baldin and looking at the camera, in some photos they are taking a selfie in a mirror, in others they are looking at the artwork on the gallery walls.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @CanadaCouncil

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Akin Yonge-St Clair is Here!

Akin is incredibly excited to announce the opening of our newest studio in Toronto’s Midtown, Akin Yonge-St Clair!

Located at 1 St Clair Ave W, right at the corner of Yonge Street, Akin Yonge-St Clair has room for 50 members in our 4 units in this large office building. Our team has been hard at work to get it ready! Akin Yonge-St Clair opened on May 15th to the first group of members who have relocated from Akin Bloor-Yonge. We are looking forward to opening the doors over the coming weeks and welcoming more members from our Akin Stockyards location to this bustling midtown location!  

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Beautiful light on the 11th floor!

Wide Hallways!

New Kitchenettes!

There are Shared Memberships available for $73/month, which includes access to shared working areas, shared storage, kitchen, a communal gathering area and bathrooms. There are 39 Dedicated Memberships in the building (i.e., your own studio), including private and semi-private options ranging from 35 square feet at $212/month to 243 square feet at $829/month. Both membership types include HST, 24/7 access, WiFi, contents insurance, as well as use of shared shelving units, washrooms, a kitchen and communal area. 

Akin Yonge-St Clair is located on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 11th floor of the building. There are no steps to enter the building and no steps throughout the building. All of the floors are accessible by elevator. There are men’s and women’s, and wheelchair accessible gender-neutral bathrooms on each floor. There is no free onsite parking for this building, but there is paid parking located down the street.

Priority for this studio has been given to Akin Bloor-Yonge Members, whose studio is closing permanently this month, and Akin Stockyards Members whose studio will be closing in June. Priority for any remaining studio memberships will be given to folks who have been on an Akin studio waitlist for 6 months or more, as well as those who identify as a member of one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP).  That being said, we will do our best to provide studio space to anyone who is interested so we encourage you to join the waiting list as we hope to expand in this building as more space becomes available.

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We would like to acknowledge the support of our partner Slate Asset Management for making this space available to Akin and our artists. We’re excited to welcome you into this studio and we can’t wait for you to be a part of this new community.

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Email info@akincollective.com to learn more about becoming a member at Akin Yonge-St Clair!

Narcissus, an installation by Renato Baldin with photographs by Filipe Paulo - Coming Soon to Remote Gallery!

The Greek myth of Narcissus tells the story of a perfect child, a gift from the gods, fated to live into old age as long as he never saw his own reflection. One day, Narcissus walked to a lake to drink, the water was perfectly still. He leaned over and saw his own reflection. Instantly, he fell in love with himself, leaned into his reflection, fell into the water and drowned. 

Brazilian Artist, Curator Renato Baldin contemplates self reflection, beauty and celebrates body positivity in his newest show, Narcissus, an interactive installation set to take place as part of Pride Toronto, at Akin’s Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond Street West from May 25th to June 10th.

Baldin was taken by the myth of Narcissus, the way it introduces reflection and self admiration as a negative construct. A queer activist, Baldin knows that self love plays an essential role in the health and vitality of the queer,  gender non-conforming community. 

“Fighting against an oppressive environment imposed by the binary gender system, we, as queer people, forget to love ourselves as we are,” Baldin says. “We all have beauty, we are all connected, we can be stronger if we stand together as a cohesive body, working as a community.”

The result will be an interactive photo mosaic of non-conforming bodies; wrinkles, muscle, skin tone, gender nonconformity, all united together in one brilliant image. Participants will be able to take photos with their phones and use a printer within the gallery to add to the installation.  Viewers are also encouraged to participate before the show on Instagram, (@renato.baldin) where he’ll bring questions, themes and reflections, inviting people to interact. 

Narcissus reflects on toxic masculinity, homophobia, fragility and freedom in the form of a broken mirror whose shards reveal the diversity of queer bodies. The exhibit will include images by Filipe Paulo, an acclaimed Toronto based photographer and filmmaker.

Renato Baldin is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, curator, and activist from Brazil. His work focuses on immersive art installations, influenced by his background in Architecture and Human Rights.  His art installations include visual statements inspired by Queer studies, Anthropology, Psychology, and Social reflections. They are experiential and invite people to reflect on our world together.

He has curated and designed over 15 exhibitions; has worked for high-tech museums like the Football Museum and Portuguese Language Museum; and is a co-founder and key organizer of the Sao Paulo LGBT Pride Parade, the largest pride event in the world with over 3.5 million participants.

Filipe Paulo is a photographer based in Toronto. His work blurs the lines of queer boudoir by exploring themes of repressed identity, sensuality, isolation and the search for the tangible in a digital world. Taking gay stereotypes, adding a wink and a bit of tenderness Filipe aims to titillate but more importantly to make the viewer feel something.

Filipe's instagram account @inappropriate.touching was started in 2019 as a venue to display his work and has grown to over 5,000 followers. He has a bachelors degree in Film Studies from Toronto Metro University and his final year queer themed short film, Porcaria, premiered at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival and has played in numerous film festivals around the world.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

#BringingTheArtsToLife @Canada.Council

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Exhibition Details:

Dates: May 25 – Jun 10

Times: 
Wed - Fri from 3pm - 7pm
Sat - Sun from 1pm -6pm

Location: 
Remote Gallery (568 Richmond St West), Toronto

Narcissus at Remote Gallery is an
Official Affiliate Event of Pride Toronto 2023! 

Akin Art Studios in Scarborough & North York: a feasibility survey

Akin is looking to expand our reach with two potential new studio locations in Scarborough and North York. Before we can proceed we need your input! We’ve created a feasibility survey to assess the needs of Scarborough and North York artists, designers, makers and creators. Are you interested in a monthly studio membership in these areas? Let us know! The deadline for the survey is May 17, 2023. Continue reading for all the details or click the button below to answer the survey now! 

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Scarborough

 

Our location of interest in Scarborough is at 3730 Kingston Road (Kingston Road and Scarborough Golf Club Road), located near the Clark Centre for the Arts. Its closest TTC station is Kennedy Station. This location is on the second floor with no elevator access. It has private and semi private workspaces, as well as co-working shared memberships. Access to parking is available. The studio will include shared storage, a kitchen, and bathroom as well as WiFi, insurance, and opportunities for community building and networking with other artists and creators. Monthly studio membership fees will likely range from 30sf for $196/month - 150sf for $593/month. Shared memberships will be available at $73/month. 

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North York

 

Our location of interest in North York is at 2 Tippett Road, (Allan Road and the 401), located near Wilson Station. This location will be the third floor of an office building with elevator access and a ramp up to the building, as well as automated doors. There is a large kitchen, bathrooms, shared storage, WiFi, insurance and the opportunity to be part of a larger creative community. As it was formerly an office, this space will have access to private and semi private studios as well as co-working shared memberships. Underground parking is available. Monthly studio membership fees will likely range from 30sf for $196/month - 150sf for $593/month. Shared memberships are available at $73/month. 

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While Akin Studios are able to accommodate a broad range of artists, some practices will not be suitable for these spaces, we will not be able to accommodate space for woodworking, stone carving, aerosols or spray paint, spaces for performance, or to host rehearsals, workshops or classes.

If you are interested in a Dedicated Membership (your own studio space) or Shared Membership (access to shared work space and storage) please fill out our Akin Scarborough and North York Community Survey by May 17th, 2023. We are currently building a waiting list for the studio spaces and will be in touch with those on the waiting list in the summer with more information, hopefully news that we're moving forward with these locations. We are grateful for your input and we’re thrilled to hopefully begin expanding our network together. 

Akin’s mandate holds the needs of our community in high regard and we appreciate your effort and engagement. 

Here is the link to the survey: https://forms.gle/JfBVSqokEd6sJSCXA

Please share widely! 

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If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. Email info@akincollective.com with your comments or queries. 

Thank you for your time,

The Akin Team

What happens when an Akin studio closes?

To our studio members and friends, 

At Akin we are always saddened to hear that a studio will be closing. This year two of our studios, Akin Bloor-Yonge, and Akin Stockyards will be closing permanently. Both of these studio locations have been exciting and important studios for Akin. Akin Bloor-Yonge has a quiet atmosphere, and is inhabited by so many incredible artists. Built originally as an office space, it’s host to many private studios that artists were itching to get into. We were grateful for the opportunity to provide private workspaces to folks once again. Akin Stockyards is a big, bright, gorgeous community of artists working together in what was once a halloween store, and before that a pharmacy. 

Although a studio closure is always sad, in both of these cases it was expected, as we knew we only had a limited time in each building before the redevelopment plans for the sites were ready to move forward. This method of occupying space on an interim basis in the city is intentional and allows Akin to host artist workspaces in key areas of the city that would otherwise be unaffordable to so many of us. 

At Akin we value transparency, and today we thought we’d take this opportunity to take you behind the curtain and let you know what Akin does once we find out a studio will be closing.

When Akin staff receives official notice from the property owner to vacate a studio, the first thing we do is inform our staff and our members. Usually we are able to inform everyone within 24 hours of receiving the notice. 

Meanwhile, we have normally already begun the search to find another studio space as close by as possible for those members to move into. We like to refer to this as a relocation and not a closure, because we aim to move the community of artists to a new space to keep the connections folks have made in the studio intact. Closing a studio and opening a new one is an all hands on deck situation. We care about our members and we do everything we can to make this transition as smooth and simple as possible. 

When we're signing a lease for a new space we always negotiate with the property owners  to  receive  as much notice as possible when it is time to vacate - this is usually a minimum of 3 months. Sometime we are granted an extension as well to give everyone more time and minimize stress for everyone involved. 

What’s next is a crucial and busy time for the Akin Staff. We’ve done many relocations before and are not strangers to the process. We launch a survey to our members at the closing studio, asking if they’d like to move to a new location. We place a hold on all available studios at other Akin locations to accommodate the relocating members. Our aim is to leave no member without a studio who wants one. There are always logistical roadblocks, but we do everything in our power to make that happen. It’s always our first priority to accommodate our current members, to find them a new studio as quickly and easily as possible. 

Then, we celebrate! We want to hold space for all the connections, all the energy that was shared in a studio for the time we were in it. It’s always bittersweet to leave a studio and move to new ones, but it’s also a chance for new connections, new experiences. In our fifteen years of operation, Akin has said goodbye to eight studios from 2008-2022. Is it sad to move studios? Yes! Does it destroy our community? No! In fact, the opposite, our community is the strongest it’s ever been. We can, at once, mourn the loss of a closed studio and be excited about what’s to come. At the closing party, with any luck, it's not goodbye, it’s see you soon

A huge thank you to Akin’s Real Estate Advisory (AREA), an initiative set up to help ensure Akin evolves in a healthy and sustainable way while continuing to support our growing community long term. We’d also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our real estate partners; without whom, none of this would be possible. In the cases of the studios we're moving out of soon, Akin Stockyards is in partnership with Marlin Spring and Akin Bloor-Yonge is in partnership with Capital Developments.

Thanks also to our fantastic, hard working staff and lovely studio members. Please feel free to direct further questions to info@akincollective.com. We welcome your feedback anytime!

AKIN DUFFERIN - Opened 2008 - Closed 2019

AKIN LANSDOWNE - Opened 2013 - Closed 2020

AKIN RIVER - Opened 2017 - Closed 2020

AKIN OSSINGTON - Opened 2017 - Closed 2021

AKIN SUNRISE - Opened 2017 - Closed 2020

AKIN KING - Opened 2018 - Closed 2019

AKIN LAKESHORE - Opened 2019 - Closed 2021

AKIN x COLLISION GALLERY - Opened 2020 - Closed 2021

AKIN BLOOR-YONGE - Opened 2022 - Closed 2023

AKIN STOCKYARDS - Opened 2022 - Closed 2023

Image Description: A slide show of the ten Akin Studios that have opened and closed.

Akin at The Artist Project - April 13 to 16

Get ready for the highly-anticipated return of The Artist Project at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, from April 13th to 16th! Featuring over 250 independent artists, including several Akin members, this event promises to be a celebration of creativity, inspiration, and connection.

The Opening Night Preview is on April 13th from 6-10pm, it will include a fashion show from  Fashion Art Toronto, Aura photography, Tarot Card reading, and a live DJ set. Experience a stimulating environment designed to ignite enriching conversations and foster a personal connection with art.

The Akin booth will be showcasing the talented works of members of the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG: Amada Estabillo, Jason Bomers, Tiana Robinson, Erin McCluskey, Emily MacClennan, Mel Hayes, Felicia Cirstea, Maren Boedeker, Hamid Mohammadi, Linds Miyo and Chico Togni. Find us at booth 1009 near the Untapped Emerging Artist section (featuring Akin’s very own, Sabrina Pinksen)!

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Another interesting exhibit will be the OCAD U Career Launcher Initiative, where Vladimir Kanic, the recipient of the Artist Project 2023 Career Launcher, will present Garden of Waves, as part of his ongoing body of work with algae for the 2023 fair.

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Image Description: Miles Ingrassia at the Artist Project 2022. Miles is standing in front of his paintings which are displayed on a white wall surrounding him. Miles has a tshirt on and a hat and glasses and is smiling slightly at the camera.

While you are there, don’t forget to look for Akin members and alumni at their very own booths and say hello! Akin members exhibiting include Miles Ingrassia (booth 122), Carolina Reis (booth 108), Jen Arron (booth I6), Natalie Plociennik (booth 236) and Zoe Bridgeman (booth 926) and many Akin alumni will be among the exhibiting artists as well!  

Click here to get your tickets. See you there!  

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Accessibility Information:

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

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

#BringingTheArtsToLife @CanadaCouncil 

Upcoming: Four Exhibitions Featuring Akin Members

Calling all art lovers and Akin community supporters! Be sure not to miss these upcoming exhibitions from our beloved Akin-folk as they showcase exciting new work.

These shows are featuring Akin Members Erin Candela, Jason Bomers, Kyle Yip, Rosemary Miguez, Cath Turl & Jeanette McLachlin as well as Akin Board of Directors member Kristina McMullin.

Image description: Mosaic tiles showing a tiger with wide eyes, biting into the neck of a sheep against a background of black tile. On the far left side of the mosaic, a tree with white buds lays in the background behind the tiger’s tail.

Other Tigers - group show and Grand Opening of The Lost and Found Project Space - featuring Akin Members and Akin alumni.

Opening of a brand new gallery and community space, The Lost & Found, run by Ceramicist Nurielle Stern. This new project space is now accepting submissions from independent curators, artist-curators, and organizations, educational institutions, and commercial galleries. They aim to provide exhibition opportunities for emerging and established contemporary artists working in any medium.

This inaugural exhibition is featuring Akin studio artists Erin Candela and Jason Bomers, along with former Akin members David Salazar and Helen Liene Dreifelds, and many more!

Opening reception: April 15, 7:00 to 11:00 pm

Exhibition dates: April 15 - May 7, 2023

Exhibition hours: Except for the opening, the exhibtion will be open by appointment.

Location: The Lost and Found, 420 Queen St E Toronto

More details about the show including a full list of partcipating artists here 

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Image description: grey banner with black geometric shapes on it and the exhibition details which are included in this blog post written in a wavy font.

RENAISSANCE SHOW - a solo exhibition by Akin Waterfront member Kyle Yip

Image description: A photograph of Kyle Yip standing in front of a pink, geometric backdrop. Kyle is wearing a black t-shirt splattered with paint and green pants. His arms are folded, he has short black hair and a slight smile. 

Kyle Yip's trans-disciplinary practice integrates eastern and western recovery-based approaches derived from gnosis and neuroscience. It plays with the new fixities of identity politics drawn from the colour-field of pop physics, combining euclidean and sacred geometry with vexillology. Some of these practices include art therapy, dreamwork, as well as meditation, reiki, and esoteric cosmological rituals that unsettle mainstream norms in contemporary art. His work addresses an urgent need in the art industry to merge explorations between personal development and avant-gardist aesthetics. This exhibition is generously supported by Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.

Opening Reception: April 22, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Exhibition dates: April 18 - May 12, 2023 

Exhibition Hours:
Tue - Fri, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sat, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Collision Gallery, 30 Wellington St W Unit G114, Toronto

Special event - Sound Bath Meditation: with The SoundBody Collective on April 29, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Get tickets here.

More details about the show here

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Cripping Masculinity: Designing Fashion Utopias

Image Description: A graphic icon featuring black and white photographs of four items of clothing. The clothing is surrounded by a sulfur coloured graphic brush stroke. The background of the graphic is hot pink.

Cripping Masculinity: Designing Fashion Utopias is a journey into the fashion worldbuilding of Disabled, Deaf, and Mad-identified men and masculine people. This exhibition showcases a selection of the everyday clothing and re-made garments from participants in Cripping Masculinity. The clothing and stories highlight the fashion imagination and wisdom that comes from the experiences of disabled masculinities, demonstrating how closing off access to prevailing systems of fashion and masculinity opens up alternatives that foster belonging, creativity, and desire for disability.

The Cripping Masculinity team is made up of researchers, designers, and activists based at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, the University of Alberta in Edmonton and Parsons School of Design in New York. The team includes Akin’s Board of Directors member Kristina McMullin.

Exhibition dates: On now until May 12, 2023

Exhibition hours: Wed - Sat, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location: Tangled Art + Disability, 401 Richmond St W S-124, Toronto

Special event - FAT Fashion Show: April 29, 2023, Urban Space Gallery, Urban Space Gallery 401 Richmond St W S-124, Toronto

More details about the show here

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Visually Speaking, a group exhibition - featuring Akin members Rosemary Miguez, Cath Turl & Jeanette McLachlin

Official Opening: April 5 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates: April 4 - 9, 2023

Exhibition hours:
Tues & Sun: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm,
Wed - Sat: 12:00 pm - 8:00pm,
Artist talks daily at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Location: Show Gallery, 978 Queen St W. Toronto

Special Event - Poetry Workshops: Friday & Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Sign up by texting 1-204-299-3904

More details about the show here

Image Description: an event poster listing the event title, artist names, and exhibition details which are all included in this blog post. The background of the poster is a light purpole colour and there are photographs on the poster showing different artworks including paintings and sculptures.

Artist Opportunities Round-Up: Residencies, Exhibitions, Art Crawls & More!

As the spring approaches, we’ve rounded up some fresh new opportunities for artists. These opportunities come with deadlines in April through August. Best of luck! 

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MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project

Deadline: April 10th, 2023 (to apply for the July 4-17th residency) 

Description: In 2023 MOTHRA will be offering four artist-parent, child-inclusive, artist residencies at Artscape Gibraltar Point. 

Find more details about the MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project here

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Image Description: A concrete alleyway facing a white building with a painted mural on it. The mural has a black background, with white clouds moving across the center, and a portrait of a woman with long black hair looking off into the distance. On the left side of the mural, words written in stylized cursive read “looking towards a better future”. On the right side, the text continues, saying “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 

Call for Mural Proposals: “Just Us” Art Project 2023

Deadline: August 15th, 2023

This call invites concepts from street, mural and graffiti artists and artist collectives committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and inspiring positive change through who they are and the work they create. Project proposals should speak to historic and current social issues and movements within Black and Indigenous communities and equity deserving groups and the importance, benefits, and opportunities to build a better future through inclusion, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

Find more details about the Call for Mural Proposals here

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The Salt Spring National Art Prize 

Deadline: May 31st, 2023

The Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP) is a biennial juried open competition focused on Canadian contemporary visual arts. Approximately fifty finalists are selected for the exhibition by an independent national jury. We invite all Canadian artists whose work exemplifies originality, quality, integrity, and creativity to submit work for consideration.

Find more details about the The Salt Spring National Art Prize here

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Image description: A busy crowd of people stand in a laneway lined with white tents at the outdoor Queen West Art Crawl. There are bright green trees in the background. Some artwork can be seen on display inside the tents.

Call for Artists and Artisans: 2023 Queen West Art Crawl Festival

Deadline: May 31st, 2023 

The Queen West Art Crawl (QWAC) is a charitable corporation that drives a number of initiatives publicly benefiting artists and residents of Toronto through art, music, and multiculturalism, including a two-day multidisciplinary arts festival stretching along Queen Street West from Bathurst to Roncesvalles in Trinity Bellwoods Park in September of each year. With attendance at 20-25k, the Queen West Art Crawl has developed over the years into an inclusive arts and multicultural festival, while staying centered around its annual outdoor art exhibition. 

Find more details about the 2023 Queen West Art Crawl Festival here

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2023 Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition 

Deadline: April 30th 2023 

The Federation of Canadian Artists is providing this opportunity for artists from all over the world to exhibit for minimal cost and a chance to win prizes for their art. This year’s theme is ‘Recovery’ Submissions must be no bigger than 8" x 10" or 10" x 8" and must be unframed. Substrates can be no deeper than 4mm deep. We frame successfully juried pieces at our gallery.

Find more details about the 2023 Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition here

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14th Annual Contemporary Juried Art Exhibition
2023 Kirkland Lake Contemporary Art 

Deadline: June 1st , 2023

The Museum of Northern History and the Contemporary Art Committee will host the 14th Annual Contemporary Art Exhibition. Artists at all stages in their career are eligible and all disciplines are welcome. Theme: “Mystique & Reality”

Find more details about the Kirkland Lake Contemporary Art Juried Art Exhibition here

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Image Description: In the foreground a person watches another, smiling in a black hoodie, pins a paper drawing to a white wall, alongside a series of drawings already pinned side by side. One of the drawings reads “Freedom”, while another contains stylized figure sketches. 

Call for Facilitators of Creative Content: Nia Centre 

Deadline: June 6, 2023

Interested in facilitating art-based workshops for youth and young creatives?

The Nia Centre is looking for enthusiastic Art Facilitators to facilitate art-based workshops for our Beyond the Books: School Engagement Program. Looking for facilitators that can lead workshops across the following art mediums:

• Film

• Animation

• Mural Design

• Photography

• Creative Writing

• Dance (with a focus on Afro Caribbean and hip hop dance)

• Theatre, Acting and Performance

As workshops will be held in person at the physical location of the school, facilitators must be available to commute to schools across the Greater Toronto Area. Short-listed applicants will be contacted for a brief virtual Facilitator Show & Share.

Find more details about the Call for Facilitators of Creative Content at the Nia Centre here

Akin Community Highlights: Hands of Fire at Akin Waterfront

Every Saturday afternoon in the Akin Waterfront Flex Room, Hands of Fire busts out the clay to create beautiful, original artwork. 

Hands of Fire is a sculpture group working out of our Akin Waterfront location. They offer creative services for blind and visually impaired individuals. Founded in 2013, and an official chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) since 2016, they provide opportunities for folks to express their creativity through sculpting in a safe and welcoming environment. 

“We pride ourselves on our thriving sense of community, encouraging confidence in our members’ artistic abilities and social lives.”

— Hands of Fire

Organised by Chapter President Alicia Modeste and secretary/treasurer Noora Mahmoud,  Hands of Fire is a vibrant group, filled with laughter and kindness. We’re so glad Hands of Fire decided to join us at Akin Waterfront this past year! We were able to drop by and visit the group recently, and met with Hands of Fire artists’ Rohan, Karen and Michael, as they worked on their creations. 

Image Description: Karen, a sculptor with gray hair and a purple sweater sits at a table, working on a clay sculpture of a key. They are facing Noora, standing in a white shirt and blue jeans, standing beside them, laughing. On the table in front of them sits sculpting equipment, a spray bottle, a block of clay and wooden sculpting tools

Image Description: Rohan, a sculptor wearing a black and gray sweater, with short brown hair sits at a bright teal table, rolling a tube of clay in their hands. On the table in front of them sits several other pieces of clay, a spray bottle, and a rolling pin.

“Hands of Fire is a great way to meet new people, express yourself creatively, build confidence, and most importantly - have fun! As part of our sculpture group, you will receive hands-on instruction from our talented instructors and you can enjoy a great social environment with our diverse and dynamic members. We focus not only on artistic excellence and skill building but community wellbeing and ensuring members cultivate a sense of confidence in themselves and their creative spirits.” 

People with any level of vision loss are welcome to join, no sculpting experience is necessary!

Find more information about Hands of Fire here 

#AkinCommunityHighlights

From Here to Wear community events with Akin alumni Norwin Anne on March 18 & 25

This month you can join Akin Studio alumni Norwin Anne at two free community drop-in events entitled 'From Here to Wear'. Each event offers an inclusive community space where curious, like-minded people can swap and repair clothing while also learning more about "textile waste".

This initiative aims to raise more awareness on the problems surrounding the management of “textile waste” and to help prevent them from being disposed of improperly. These events create a circular closed loop system for clothing that people no longer want, while promoting a reuse and “waste not, want not” mentality. It’s a fun alternative to shopping and an engaging way to upgrade your wardrobe — a conscious practice on how to be more intentional with the clothes you wear.

Click here to learn more about From Here to Wear.

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March 18

12pm-5pm at St Matthew’s Clubhouse, 450 Broadview Avenue, Toronto.

Click here for full event details or to register.

Presented in partnership with East End Arts

March 25

12pm-5pm at stackt Market - STUDIO 28, Bathurst Street Toronto.

Click here for full event details or to register.

Presented in partnership with stackt Market.

Images above: Black and white event posters with text that describes the event details that are in this blog post. The first poster has a white background, the centre is a black and white circular drawing of people, animals, landscapes, and various symbols. The second poster has a dark background and the image on the poster features a repeated image of a planet that creates a curving shape across the image. 

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About Norwin Anne

Norwin Anne is a Filipinx multidisciplinary artist / designer, (re)maker and eco-culture communicator. They studied Fashion Techniques and Design at George Brown College with a waste conscious approach and slow fashion mentality. Primarily working with secondhand materials, they started focusing on textile waste as a research study during school which evolved into learning more about waste generally to understand its environmental impacts and beyond. They want to continue developing their ideas and merge their knowledge of fashion with other subjects by creating wearable art and installations to visually translate complex topics through culture jamming. They always prioritize working with used objects and discarded materials. They’re dedicated to creating conceptual and functional things from what’s seen as useless. It initiates this challenge of exploring different alternatives and they try their best to avoid using new items as much as possible.

Norwin is an Akin Studio alumni from Akin Lansdowne and Akin King.

Making a Living Making Art: Taxes for Artists - a free virtual workshop on March 28

Tax season can be a stressful and confusing time for artists. Join us on March 28th at 5:30 pm for a free virtual workshop that will help you get prepared!

Do you have questions about tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to report grants, or file T4s? Shantae Cunningham, Founder & Senior Associate of Cobella Financial, will discuss some of the most important tax topics for artists. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. The presentation will show real life examples, and a Q+A will follow. Participants are encouraged to send along questions in advance for review, to erin@akincollective.com

This webinar is free and open to the public. Closed captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. The event will not be recorded, but slides may be shared with registered attendees following the event, by request.

Update March 14: This workshop is now sold out - you can sign up on the registration page to be added to a waiting list.

Click the button below to register:

About the facilitator:

Shantae Cunningham is a Seneca College graduate and is an Accounting and Bookkeeping expert with 7 years in the industry. She has worked within many industries to help them scale and grow their company from Marketing and PR to E-Commerce and service-based industries. She works with individuals and companies from freelancers to small and medium sized businesses. With uncompromising attention to detail, Shantae uses her passion for both personal and professional finance to support these businesses. Since 2018, Shantae has worked as an Independent Bookkeeper at her own boutique firm, Cobella Financial. She is analytical, experienced and known as a savvy Accountant. Her personality and business acumen sets her apart. She has volunteered with organizations such as Woodgreen Community Centre to provide tax prep services helping those in all tax situations.

This workshop is presented in collaboration between Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighborhood Arts Network and Akin, and is in partnership with Neighborhood Arts Network’s Newcomer Spotlight program supported by RBC.

Artist Faisal Karadsheh featured this Saturday at the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio & Transmission Art

This Saturday, March 4th, artist (and Akin Member) Faisal Karadsheh will be presenting his work ‘to be heard (soundwalk’in_2021)’ as part of New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA)’s annual Deep Wireless festival.

This work includes all three audio pieces from Faisal’s soundwalk project which were produced in 2021 using personal recordings of street protests in Toronto, each responding to national and/or international events. By visiting each of the three locations in the sound walk, the listener may consider how bodies connect, congregate and organize themselves together.

In the soundwalk project the process of concentrating or suppressing “voices of protest”, as suggested by Hito Steyerl, is being explored formally. The site is composed of three distinct locations within a very specific region in Toronto. The three protests transpired at varying times during 2021, yet seem to align across a section of the city. The abstracted sound works examine the process of documenting and formally articulating protests, in connection to its position within the urban fabric and sonic landscape of the city.

Image Description: The Deep Wireless logo which includes a cartoon drawing of a radio and the words ‘DEEP Wireless”

Deep Wireless Festival of Radio and Transmission Art

The 22nd annual edition of the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio & Transmission Art is presented on the theme Remote Connections with and exhibitions, performances, artist talks, an online compilation and radio programs being transmitted from and hosted at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River.

Three works from the Deep Wireless 17 Radio Art Compilation Album will be included in this in-person and online hybrid event on the theme Remote Connections. Join in person for multichannel listening or connect online with your headphones.

What: Remote Connections Concert
When: Saturday March 4, 2023, 7:00 pm
Where: Online, and/or in-person at NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River, Ontario
To register: click here the cost is $12 per person

“Radio over its history has built societal connections across multiple and remote locations. Radio Art evolved by way of artists and writers across many disciplines adding their diverse approaches to the way time, space and content could be re-imagined over the airwaves and later over digital streaming formats. The content in this year’s festival adds to that tradition with stories told through digital interactivity, round table discussions, documentaries, interactive art, poetry and sound art on the theme Remote Connections.”

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About the artist

Faisal Karadsheh is an Akin staff member and an Akin Studio member. He is an emerging Jordanian-Palestinian multidisciplinary artist, who has exhibited work in Jordan, Lebanon and Canada. Although his work does not necessarily depict a personal narrative, lived experiences emerge as thematic starting points throughout the art-making process. Once completed, these individualized fragments in time may instigate a wider dialogue within disparate communities about tradition, the body, ecologies, and how we define ourselves as moving beings. His oeuvre continually explores in-between spaces, where interior and exterior modalities can exist as one. By attempting to search for this mode of hybridized representation, different mediums unravel interrelated narratives, or imagined histories, revolving around the self and its ties to the body. As a result, these formal investigations into spatial possibilities always seem to be contingent on a somatic subject's perceptions, as the producer or constructor of reality. Choosing a medium to express these sentiments requires openness, which leads to a myriad of forms. Learn more about Faisal and his work at faisalkaradsheh.myportfolio.com