做厙TV Art Museum / en 做厙TV unveils Indigenous public art installation at Hart House: Windspeaker /news/u-t-unveils-indigenous-public-art-installation-hart-house-windspeaker <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">做厙TV unveils Indigenous public art installation at Hart House: Windspeaker</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/hart-house-artwork.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rTLpYgpu 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/hart-house-artwork.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=R0up0PqU 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/hart-house-artwork.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Xcufzrwx 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/hart-house-artwork.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rTLpYgpu" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-09-17T15:05:08-04:00" title="Friday, September 17, 2021 - 15:05" class="datetime">Fri, 09/17/2021 - 15:05</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Photo courtesy of Hart House)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous-initiatives" hreflang="en">Indigenous Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art-history" hreflang="en">Art History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">做厙TV Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Eight Indigenous artists are behind a specially commissioned temporary art installation outside the University of Toronto's Hart House, <a href="https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/university-unveils-tree-protection-zone-art-installation-indigenous-artists"><em>Windspeaker</em> reports.</a></p> <p>Called <a href="https://harthouse.ca/tree-protection-zone">Tree Protection Zone</a>, the installation features mural-sized works by Indigenous artists and their collaborators on tree-protection hoardings in the Hart House Commons. The works will focus on the preservation of life, water and kin and how each is linked to the protection of trees.</p> <p>The project is curated by <strong>Maria Hupfield,</strong> an assistant professor of Indigenous digital arts and performance at 做厙TV Mississauga and member of the Wasauksing First Nation, and&nbsp;<strong>Mikinaak Migwans,</strong> an assistant professor in the department of art history in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and a member of&nbsp;Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation. In addition to Hart House, presenting partners include: the Art Museum at the University of Toronto,&nbsp;Office of the Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships,&nbsp;Indigenous Student Services and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.</p> <p>The temporary public art project&nbsp;is designed to set the stage for&nbsp;the<a href="/news/indigenous-landscape-design-draws-community-input-consultations"> Indigenous Landscape project</a>, which is being created alongside <a href="/news/u-t-landmark-project-make-st-george-campus-s-historic-core-greener-more-walkable-and-accessible">the Landmark project </a>on the St. George campus and is set to begin construction next year.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/university-unveils-tree-protection-zone-art-installation-indigenous-artists">Read more at&nbsp;<em>Windspeaker</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 19:05:08 +0000 geoff.vendeville 170403 at 做厙TV prof hosts McLuhanesque marathon talk with Margaret Atwood, Mayor John Tory and others /news/u-t-prof-hosts-mcluhanesque-marathon-talk-margaret-atwood-mayor-john-tory-and-others <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">做厙TV prof hosts McLuhanesque marathon talk with Margaret Atwood, Mayor John Tory and others</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_UrkXUns 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AT5wcEH9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cCIBkkL7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_UrkXUns" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-07-20T09:53:21-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 09:53" class="datetime">Tue, 07/20/2021 - 09:53</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Clockwise from top left; John Tory, Riley Yesno, Margaret Atwood, Paolo Granata, Mark Kingwell, Joe Wong, Derrick de Kerckhove and the late 做厙TV professor, philosopher and renowned media theorist Marshall McLuhan.</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/yanan-wang" hreflang="en">Yanan Wang</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/french" hreflang="en">French</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto-rehabilitation-institute" hreflang="en">Toronto Rehabilitation Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art" hreflang="en">Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art-history" hreflang="en">Art History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/marshall-mcluhan" hreflang="en">Marshall McLuhan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trinity-college" hreflang="en">Trinity College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">做厙TV Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">做厙TV Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">In the 1970s, the late University of Toronto professor, philosopher and renowned media theorist <b>Marshall McLuhan</b> regularly hosted gatherings at his home on Monday nights, when an eclectic group of students, fellow faculty and others came together to answer his open-ended question: Whats on your mind?</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A lengthy discussion would ensue, with no specific agenda or subject. The purpose of the dialogue was not to draw conclusions, but rather to keep the conversation going.</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/PAOLO%20GRANATA%20-%20ph%20by%20Martyn%20Jones-crop.jpg" alt><em>Paolo Granata<br> (photo by Martyn Jones)</em></p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In the same spirit of free-flowing inquiry,&nbsp;<b>Paolo Granata</b> will host the second-annual <a href="http://www.mcluhansalons.ca/globalvillageday/">Global Village Day</a> today a 12-hour online streaming marathon that runs noon until midnight and features speakers from a range of cultures and disciplines.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Global Village Day is a way to gather an international community of scholars, thinkers and artists to not only celebrate one of the most iconic Canadian philosophers, but also to conceive of Toronto as a global village, says Granata, an assistant professor of book and media studies at St. Michaels College, referencing the term famously coined by McLuhan.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In partnership with the McLuhan Institute and the Marshall McLuhan Estate, the event aims to tackle questions surrounding place, public art and global governance that have arisen from the pandemic. Much like McLuhans own gatherings, the discussion aims to be free-flowing and open-ended. The speakers have been placed into groups of three to five, with each group occupying an hour of the marathon. They will address three core questions on lessons from the pandemic and how the global village can be reimagined for a sustainable future.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The event will be highly interactive and participatory, Granata says. The marathon will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, and audience members are invited to submit comments and questions, which Granata will in turn pose to the guest speakers.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Hailing from 12 different countries, guests will include: world-renowned author <b>Margaret Atwood</b>, a graduate of 做厙TVs Victoria College; <b>Joe Wong</b>, 做厙TVs vice-president, international; <b>Mark Kingwell</b>, a writer and professor of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, <b>Riley Yesno</b>, <a href="/news/u-t-grad-riley-yesno-voice-canada-s-reconciliation-generation">an Anishinaabe writer who graduated from Victoria College this year</a>; <strong>Derrick de Kerckhove</strong>,&nbsp;former director of the McLuhan Program in Culture &amp; Technology and a professor emeritus in the department of French;&nbsp;and Roda Muse, secretary-general of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Ontarios lieutenant governor, and Toronto Mayor <b>John Tory</b>, a graduate of 做厙TVs Trinity College, will kick off the marathon with remarks. In his greeting, Tory will also introduce <a href="https://www.artworxto.ca/">ArtworxTO: Torontos Year of Public Art 2021-2022</a>, a slate of public artworks and related programming set to officially launch this September.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Marshall%20McLuhan%20LAN731090b-027-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Professor&nbsp;Marshall McLuhan with students and other faculty during one of his famous evening seminars (photo by&nbsp;Robert Lansdale Photography via 做厙TV Archives)&nbsp;</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Im sure McLuhan would be struck by the vibrant media arts landscape that Toronto has created, Tory says in a pre-recorded greeting. And, of course, we can continue to thank him for teaching us that in a diverse city like this, a global village in a big city, communication is vital to understanding and to mutual support.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">做厙TV has worked with the city and other partners on a number of projects for ArtworxTO, including upcoming exhibitions and programming at the 做厙TV Art Museum on the St. George campus and at 做厙TV Scarborough, collaborating with the city on the annual Nuit Blanche event, student-led research through 做厙TVs School of Cities to evaluate the Year of Public Art and a future mural honouring Terry Fox at the <a href="https://www.uhn.ca/TorontoRehab">Toronto Rehabilitation Institute</a>, part of the University Health Network.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The initiatives emphasize how 做厙TV and the city of Toronto are connected, says <b>Barbara Fischer</b>, executive director of the 做厙TV Art Museum.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The university is at the heart of the city and vice versa, Fischer says. The projects will highlight how much art informs our sense of place and how intertwined the city is with the 做厙TV campus.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Photogallery%20GV-DAY2020-crop-v2.jpg" alt></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>Screenshots from last years&nbsp;Global Village Day event, which was held online due to the pandemic.</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One project is already underway at Hart House Green, where an <a href="https://indigenouslandscape.utoronto.ca/">Indigenous Landscape</a> will ultimately &nbsp;be formed on the site. In the meantime, Assistant Professors <b>Maria Hupfield</b> and <b>Mikinaak Migwans</b> are working with Indigenous artists to develop murals celebrating Indigenous relations to the land that will adorn the hoarding currently used to protect existing trees.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Moreover, 做厙TV Scarborough is working with the city to develop an app that will allow users to take self-guided tours of public art around Toronto. Graduate students are working with the 做厙TV Art Museum to develop the script for the audio tour, which will introduce perspectives and ideas surrounding public art that can be found in various neighbourhoods, parks and streets.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">ArtworxTO is part of a years-long effort connected to Torontos designation as a <a href="https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/toronto">UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts</a>, for which Granata was the principal driver in 2017.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">做厙TV has played an instrumental role in fostering media arts, technology and creativity in the city of Toronto, Granata says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/GVD2%20Banner-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While the first Global Village Day took place during the early days of the pandemic last summer, this years event will highlight the lessons gleaned from a year and a half of upheaval.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Now is the time to reflect on a fundamental question: what did we learn during this pandemic? Granata says. It is time to take account of all the valuable lessons in terms of cultural participation, higher education and all other fields. What really matters to us in a post-pandemic world? If we dont address these questions, we may go back to the old normal without really growing as a society.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He added that COVID-19 underscored the need for global governance.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">We need the flexibility of different countries working together and making decisions for the common good.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While this years Global Village Day will once again be entirely virtual, participants will show themselves passing around the marathons torch on their screens: an object of their choosing that they believe represents the idea of the global village in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. At the close of the event at midnight, there will be a toast to McLuhan to mark the 110<sup>th</sup> anniversary of his birth on July 21.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">As McLuhan said, I dont explain, I explore, Granata says. So, we will be explorers celebrating his legacy.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:53:21 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 169866 at Rooftop gardening and Toronto Fringe Festival: Check out these July events /news/rooftop-gardening-and-toronto-fringe-festival-check-out-these-july-events <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Rooftop gardening and Toronto Fringe Festival: Check out these July events </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/rooftop-1140_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xc3EvSw0 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/rooftop-1140_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pqythWsD 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/rooftop-1140_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OZoiVExc 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/rooftop-1140_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xc3EvSw0" alt="Photo of a rooftop garden at 做厙TV Scarborough"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-07-02T10:20:16-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 2, 2019 - 10:20" class="datetime">Tue, 07/02/2019 - 10:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Spend a Thursday afternoon gardening on a 做厙TV Scarborough rooftop this July (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/isabel-armiento" hreflang="en">Isabel Armiento</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dunlap-institute-astronomy-astrophysics" hreflang="en">Dunlap Institute for Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ontario-institute-studies-education" hreflang="en">Ontario Institute for Studies in Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/theatre" hreflang="en">Theatre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">做厙TV Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">做厙TV Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With convocation behind us, the University of Toronto has once again undergone its seasonal transition&nbsp;from a bustling hub of activity into a more relaxed space. Take advantage of this quiet(er) time to participate in the many events campus has to offer during the month of July.</p> <p>The Toronto Fringe Festival is in full swing this month and several 做厙TV theatres are prominent venues, including the <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/accessibility/access-at-venues/venue/robert-gill-theatre">Robert Gill Theatre</a>, the <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/accessibility/access-at-venues/venue/helen-gardiner-phelan-playhouse">Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse</a> and the <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/accessibility/access-at-venues/venue/george-ignatieff-theatre">George Ignatieff Theatre</a>. This years Fringe lineup is also replete with 做厙TV students and alumni so&nbsp;be sure to show your support for 做厙TV talent this month for only $13 a ticket.</p> <p>Or, if nurturing a green thumb is more your thing, learn to grow your own vegetables at the Instructional Centres scenic rooftop garden at 做厙TV Scarborough.</p> <p>Here is just a snapshot of the various events happening in and around 做厙TV in July:</p> <hr> <h3><strong>July 4</strong></h3> <p>Kick off the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival with <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/news-play"><em>News Play</em></a>, a comedy about chasing success in the elusive print news industry. Created by 做厙TV alumnus and eight-time Fringe veteran <strong>Madeleine Brown</strong>, the play was influenced by Browns own time working as a newspaper editor at 做厙TV Mississaugas <em>The Medium</em>. Stop by the Annex Theatre from July 4-14 to celebrate and lament the joys of working in publishing. &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>July 6 </strong></h3> <p>The Fringe Festivals <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/above-beyond"><em>Above &amp; Beyond</em></a> features a full cast of 做厙TV alumni, including&nbsp;producer <strong>Angela Sun</strong>, director <strong>Rebecca Ballarin</strong>, set/costume designer <strong>Jules Mendoza</strong>, sound designer <strong>Frank Incer</strong> and actor <strong>Francis Masaba</strong>. Catch this workplace comedy about two millennial women navigating office politics from July 4-13 at 做厙TVs Robert Gill Theatre.</p> <h3><strong>July 7</strong></h3> <p>See the Toronto Fringe play <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/every-silver-lining"><em>Every Silver Lining</em></a> from July 4-13 at the Al Green Theatre. Co-created and&nbsp;co-produced by&nbsp; and co-starring&nbsp; alumna <strong>Laura Piccinin</strong>, this dramedy-slash-musical intersects the hopefulness of youth with the hopelessness of disease to construct a poignant coming-of-age story about resilience.</p> <h3><strong>July 8 </strong></h3> <p>The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design hosts <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2423373164558496/">Bits &amp; Bytes</a>, a youth workshop on the fundamentals of urban design and landscape architecture. Students and staff are welcome to bring their children aged nine to 11&nbsp;for a week of architecture-based programming.</p> <h3><strong>July 9</strong></h3> <p>Join theatre troupe Tita Collective, the self-styled Spice Girls of Comedy with a Filipina twist and winners of the Toronto Sketchfest 2019 Producers Pick, for Fringe play <em><a href="https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/tita-jokes">Tita Jokes</a>, </em>which is<em>&nbsp;</em>co-created, co-produced and performed by jazz musician and 做厙TV Faculty of Music grad <strong>Belinda Corpuz</strong>. Catch this comedy sketch revue from July 4-14 at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace.</p> <h3><strong>July 10</strong></h3> <p>Get acquainted with 做厙TV Mississauga Assistant Professor <strong>Steven Chatfield</strong> as well as with the various medicinal plants on campus with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UTMBiology/photos/a.363578820440906/1644709515661157/?type=3&amp;theater">Wicked Plants</a>, this summers Walk with your Professor event. All members of the 做厙TV community are invited to attend this informative nature walk.&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>July 11 </strong></h3> <p>Gather in the Great Hall to hear the Hart House Singers belt out a stirring musical medley in their showcase <a href="http://harthouse.ca/events/hart-house-singers-presents-journeys-songs-of-travel-and-discovery/">Journeys: Songs of Travel and Discovery</a>. Admission is free.</p> <h3><strong>July 12 </strong></h3> <p>Join your fellow graduates for the second Grad Escape of 2019&nbsp;&nbsp;an evening of Shakespeare in High Park featuring the Bards light-hearted classic <a href="https://bookit.studentlife.utoronto.ca/Activity.aspx?ID=0821ADA1-10A2-44CB-AC89-0FDE4237F9E6"><em>Much Ado About Nothing</em></a>.</p> <h3><strong>July 13 </strong></h3> <p>Enjoy the beautiful summer weather with <a href="https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/events/volunteer-gardening-session-roof">weekly rooftop gardening sessions</a> scheduled every Thursday afternoon. Learn to grow your own vegetables in the Instructional Centres scenic rooftop garden at 做厙TV Scarborough.</p> <p>Or, if you prefer eating the food to cultivating it, stop by for a <a href="https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/events/drop-weekly-lunch-0">drop-in weekly lunch</a> and the opportunity to taste the fresh produce instead.</p> <h3><strong>July 14</strong></h3> <p>Kevin Vidal, from&nbsp;the hit musical <em>Come From Away</em>, directs Toronto Fringes <a href="https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/ouvre-la-porte-ferme-la-bouche"><em>Ouvrez la Porte, Fermez la Bouche</em></a>. This compelling story about communication and vulnerability runs at 做厙TVs Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse from July 4-14.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/tita-750_0.jpg" alt><br> <em>The cast of Tita Jokes, including 做厙TV's Belinda Corpuz (left), Ellie Posadas, Maricris Rivera, Alia Rasul, Isabel Kanaan (photo by Tyra Sweet)</em></p> <h3><br> <strong>July 16</strong></h3> <p>View <a href="https://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/exhibition/in-out-of-saskatchewan/">In &amp; Out of Saskatchewan</a>, a nuanced depiction of Saskatchewan on display at the 做厙TV Art Centre until July 27.&nbsp; Experience this unique rendering of the artistic journey between urban centres and rural spaces through a varied collection of artwork curated by Kate Whiteway.</p> <p>Catch a weekly drop-in tour of 做厙TVs featured <a href="https://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/program/summer-drop-in-guided-exhibition-tours/">summer art exhibitions</a> every Tuesday at 2 p.m.</p> <h3><strong>July 18</strong></h3> <p>Join your peers for the third grad escape of 2019 a <a href="https://bookit.studentlife.utoronto.ca/Activity.aspx?ID=06B4D7C2-BEB2-4546-A232-66BE5B31246E">board game night</a> at Bampot House of Tea, including food, tea and a spirited round of Cards Against Humanity.</p> <h3><strong>July 20 </strong></h3> <p>Celebrate the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/301304384110075/?active_tab=about">Space Time</a>, a lunar-themed event hosted by the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics. With moon-themed games and engaging talks by astronomers, there will be something for every space enthusiast.</p> <h3><strong>July 24 </strong></h3> <p>Register now for <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-little-touch-of-the-caribbean-tickets-63883185327">A Little Touch of the Caribbean</a>, a two-part event that includes a Caribbean dance workout followed by a lunch of authentic Jamaican cuisine. Listen to steelpan music while learning about Caribbean culture at this Caribana-inspired celebration, which will take place in the 做厙TV Mississauga Student Centre. Free with registration.</p> <h3><strong>July 26 </strong></h3> <p>Attend the 2019 OISE Summer Institute conference on the theme of <a href="https://cpl.oise.utoronto.ca/OISE-media-digital-literacy-conference/?utm_source=Bulletin+Brief&amp;utm_campaign=720da84723-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_13_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_66bc4ba557-720da84723-109987547">Media &amp; Digital Literacy Education for Social Justice</a>. This two-day session offers workshops and discussions designed to refine participants digital media literacy skills, as well as strategies for practising social justice in the classroom.</p> <h3><strong>July 27 </strong></h3> <p>If youve been struggling to find a place to stay during the upcoming school year or a roommate to stay with the <a href="https://sites.studentlife.utoronto.ca/slCalendar/sleventview.aspx?vdate=7/27/2019&amp;service=OS&amp;eid=OS_23184">做厙TV Housing Fair</a> is a must. Located at the Student Success Centre, this event brings together students and landlords along with all the housing resources 做厙TV has to offer. &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>July 30 </strong></h3> <p>Take time during your relaxing summer break to get a head start on developing strategies for handling school-year stress. The Academic Success Centre offers a workshop on <a href="http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/asc/workshops">managing exam anxiety</a>, as well as other helpful workshops for effectively managing procrastination, motivation and stress. Enrol to ensure that this school year is full of success as well as self-care.</p> <h3><strong>July 31 </strong></h3> <p>For fresh produce from local farmers, visit 做厙TV Scarboroughs weekly <a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/businessdev/farmers-market">f</a><a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/businessdev/farmers-market">armers market</a>. Whether your appetite is for fruits, meats, sweets or carbs, the market will satisfy all your Wednesday afternoon cravings throughout the summer.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 02 Jul 2019 14:20:16 +0000 Romi Levine 157160 at Beat poets to rock stars: See the massive collection of photos by Allen Ginsberg on display at 做厙TV /news/beat-poets-rock-stars-see-massive-collection-photos-allen-ginsberg-display-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Beat poets to rock stars: See the massive collection of photos by Allen Ginsberg on display at 做厙TV </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Ginsberg-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zC891WXJ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Ginsberg-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=q6N54KBH 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Ginsberg-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=FQQtMcW9 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Ginsberg-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zC891WXJ" alt="Photo of Ginsberg and Orlovsky"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-01-30T15:27:47-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 15:27" class="datetime">Tue, 01/30/2018 - 15:27</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A young Allen Ginsberg and his longtime partner Peter Orlovsky (photo courtesy of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>John Shoesmith </strong>remembers the first time he came across the Beat poets. He had just graduated from university and had yet to find a job, so he spent his afternoons sipping coffee at Future Bakery on Bloor Street while getting lost in the free-flowing stories and poems of Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.</p> <p>What I responded to with the Beats is the sense of freedom, says Shoesmith.This idea that one can live an unconventional life.</p> <p>Today, Shoesmith is a librarian at University of Torontos Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library where, for the past four years, hes had access to a gold mine of artifacts from the Beat Generation: the largest collection of photographs by famed poet Allen Ginsberg in the world.</p> <p>The collection, made up of over 7,000 photos and prints, were donated to the Fisher Library and the 做厙TV Art Museum by the Rossy Family Foundation, which had acquired them from the Ginsberg estate.</p> <h3><a href="/news/major-collection-allen-ginsberg-photos-donated-university-toronto">Read more about the collection</a></h3> <p>It encompasses Ginsberg's life from the mid-1940s up until his death in 1997, says Shoesmith.</p> <p>A selection of these photographs, carefully chosen by Shoesmith, are now on display at Fisher Library for the exhibit <a href="https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/exhibition/fleeting-moments-floating-worlds-and-beat-generation-photography-allen-ginsberg">Fleeting Moments, Floating Worlds, and the Beat Generation: The Photography of Allen Ginsberg</a>. This will be the biggest exhibit of Ginsberg photos ever to be on display in Canada.</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymvulb-lJpo?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></p> <p>Ginsbergs poem <em>Howl</em>, published in 1956, secured his place in the American literary canon. At the time of its publication, the poem was considered so controversial that it was the subject of an obscenity trial in the U.S. Hes also a known political and social activist who was openly gay at a time when it was not socially acceptable.</p> <p>Lesser known is Ginsbergs affinity for photography.</p> <p>He's more of a documentarian rather than artist in his photographs, says Shoesmith. He was documenting his friendships, his relationships and he was capturing these unique friendships he had with Kerouac and Burroughs.</p> <p>The exhibit includes intimate photos of Ginsberg and his long-time partner Peter Orlovsky as well as the people and places that laid the foundation for the Beat Generation.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7454 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Kerouac-cat-small.jpg" style="width: 230px; height: 328px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">It also features rare original photos taken by Ginsberg of Kerouac and Burroughs in Tangier, Morocco, including one of Kerouac and a cat (pictured left).</p> <p>Those are the real treasures of the collection, says Shoesmith.</p> <p>While Ginsberg was an active photographer in the 50s and 60s, he rekindled his passion again in the 80s, taking portraits of many famous faces in his celebrity circles including Madonna, Paul McCartney and Bono.</p> <p>People posed for Ginsberg because he was Allen Ginsberg, says Shoesmith.</p> <p>But despite Ginsbergs many talents, his writing is going to stand the test of time, Shoesmith says.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 30 Jan 2018 20:27:47 +0000 Romi Levine 128309 at Nuit Blanche Toronto comes to 做厙TV, Queen's Park for exhibition by Art Museum curator /news/nuit-blanche-toronto-comes-u-t-queen-s-park-exhibition-art-museum-curator <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Nuit Blanche Toronto comes to 做厙TV, Queen's Park for exhibition by Art Museum curator</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/nb-1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1xrq8jJq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/nb-1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fUrKzpWb 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/nb-1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0ayVtF0p 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/nb-1140.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1xrq8jJq" alt="Photo of Toronto"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-29T15:07:59-04:00" title="Friday, September 29, 2017 - 15:07" class="datetime">Fri, 09/29/2017 - 15:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Nuit Blanche is coming to 做厙TV's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Anton Bielousov via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Art can speak to ... what the city means to us through a lens that is informed by different histories but also different futures<br> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As the sun sets tomorrow, thousands of people will be bundling up and heading to downtown Toronto for the all-night art festival Nuit Blanche.</p> <p>Inspired by the vibrancy of Torontos streets and gathering places, <strong>Barbara Fischer</strong>, executive director and chief curator of the University of Torontos <a href="http://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/">Art Museum</a>, has curated a Nuit Blanche exhibition called <em>Taking to the Streets</em>, with eight installations around Queen's Park and 做厙TVs downtown Toronto campus.</p> <p>There's an incredible celebratory aspect to Nuit Blanche, with so many people interested and curious about encountering something that surprises them, where people seem to really enjoy seeing things they're not familiar with, says Fischer.</p> <p>Approaching Queen's Park, youll hear the bass from a group of souped-up cars blasting music for the <a href="https://nbto.com/project.html?project_id=263"><em>Automobile</em></a> installation. At the parks College Street border, join artists and activists for <a href="https://nbto.com/project.html?project_id=255"><em>Wont Back Down</em></a>, a commemoration of a Black Lives Matter protest march in 2016. Head to the 做厙TV's Medical Sciences building for a different perspective on how police and passive protesters clash,&nbsp; with <em><a href="https://nbto.com/project.html?project_id=251">Holding Still // Holding Together</a>,&nbsp;</em>and have a rest while voices sing to you in unison in the Faculty of Music building for <a href="https://nbto.com/project.html?project_id=259"><em>Dream Variations</em></a>.</p> <h3><a href="https://nbto.com/program/art-projects/curated-exhibitions/taking-to-the-streets.html">Explore all of the <em>Taking to the Streets</em> installations</a></h3> <p><em>做厙TV News</em> spoke with Fischer about the festival and why its important to showcase art in the city.</p> <hr> <p><strong>What's the message behind <em>Taking&nbsp;to the Streets</em>?</strong></p> <p>For me, Nuit Blanche is in public spaces, and how we are able to be in public space and who is welcome and how people feel when they are in them.</p> <p>The idea is to look at what brings us into the street, but beyond the pragmatic there's the idea that the streets are where we celebrate in collective ways where the city could be collectively somehow whether it's Pride days or Caribana. But it's also a site of protest and constant negotiation of public space and the presentation of concerns that are collective in particular.</p> <p>I wanted to pick that up and draw it out through the Nuit Blanche festival and through curating a section this year.</p> <p><strong>Queen's Park the venue for many of these installations has been the site of many of those celebrations and protests. Was that a deliberate choice?</strong></p> <p>The project remembers aspects of history of protest and, at the same time, it tries to think through them through the eyes of artists and how artists work with aspects of memory, and, at the same time, what the conversation is today and where it might be going.</p> <p>Queen's Park was the magnet it's resonant with these histories. It's the focal point in the city for people speaking to power or making themselves heard and seen.</p> <p><strong>What is the role of a large-scale art festival like Nuit Blanche for advancing the city's cultural scene and providing public access to the arts?</strong></p> <p>It's an event which is so open, anyone can come and enter into it.&nbsp;I think there's a sense that you don't need to know a lot about art to be able to participate and enjoy the surprises that greet you along the way. Nuit Blanche has become a particularly successful way for people who want to experience something different and new, and see the contemporary art as a way of opening up new worlds and different perspectives, whether at a physical, a sensory or conceptual level. I think that is part of what art can do.</p> <p>I think art can speak to particular places, to what the city means to us, through a lens that is informed by different histories, but also different futures. Artists sometimes project a way out, towards a different way of being together, whether socially or collectively or individually.</p> <p>It encourages us to think about what is important about a city and what we want a city to be, and how we imagine our lives to be in a city. Artists can contribute to that in very interesting, thought-provoking, stimulating and also sensuous ways.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 29 Sep 2017 19:07:59 +0000 Romi Levine 117456 at 做厙TV Art Museum presents history of Toronto told through its artists /news/u-t-art-museum-presents-history-toronto-told-through-its-artists <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">做厙TV Art Museum presents history of Toronto told through its artists</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/FFF1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TRYwgaTI 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/FFF1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DqictqcQ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/FFF1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eco4eIF9 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/FFF1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TRYwgaTI" alt="photo of installation"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-09-30T09:07:31-04:00" title="Friday, September 30, 2016 - 09:07" class="datetime">Fri, 09/30/2016 - 09:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">All photos by Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">做厙TV Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art" hreflang="en">Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-college" hreflang="en">University College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto" hreflang="en">Toronto</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/city" hreflang="en">City</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Form Follows Fiction covers 50 years of art by local artists, curated by Luis Jacob</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Torontos art scene is as diverse and fragmented as the city itself.&nbsp;</p> <p>Youll find the work of local artists scattered across the city in small galleries and large institutions alike all offering a different perspective of the place they call home.</p> <p>Rarely, however, are these works brought together under one roof. But thats what artist, 做厙TV alumnus and visiting professor, <strong>Luis Jacob</strong>, has set out to do with the <em>Form Follows Fiction: Art and Artists in Toronto</em> exhibition at 做厙TVs Art Museum.</p> <p>The exhibition, curated by Jacob, explores the way Toronto artists have visualized the city over the past 50 years through the themes that connect them.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Form Follows Fiction</em>&nbsp;runs from now until December 10.&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/285275359&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe></p> <h3><a href="http://www.utac.utoronto.ca/index.php/current-exhibitions/305-form-follows-fiction-art-and-artists-in-toronto">Find out more about the exhibition here</a></h3> <p><em>做厙TV News</em> spoke with Jacob about the exhibit and why its important to tell Torontos story through art.&nbsp;</p> <p>(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2124 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/FFF2.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><strong>How did <em>Form Follows Fiction </em>come about?</strong></p> <p>The exhibition is a product of a long conversation of <strong>Barbara Fisher</strong>, the director of the Art Museum. Shes also a very important curator in the city. For many, many years weve had this ongoing conversation about Toronto and the particular forms of culture that have been developing here. Something Ive felt for a long time is that theres obviously a great deal of artistic activity in Toronto lots of artists, lots of exhibitions, lots of galleries. So theres a sense of vitality thats a discernible quality of art in Toronto. But something I think we dont do so well is connect the dots between artists of one moment and another moment, generations of artists, even different aesthetic practices. In part, the exhibition is trying to connect the dots.</p> <p><strong>What can we expect at the exhibition?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>The premise of the exhibition is that certain themes connect works that might at first appearance look quite different from each other. There are many threads in an exhibition like this but Im trying to look at how these themes have something to say about this place we call Toronto.&nbsp;</p> <p>One of the interesting themes that is explored in the exhibition is the theme of the vacant lot. The idea of the vacant lot as a kind of metaphor or allegory or figure that artists adopt in order to say something about Toronto as a specific place.&nbsp;</p> <p>We have this historical document called a Toronto purchase. It documents the agreement conducted between the Mississaugas of New Credit first nation and the British crown about the terrain we now call Toronto. Something I find fascinating is that the British surveyor who made the document rendered the land as a kind of blank page. The drawing is quite striking. It was made at the end of the 18th century and yet it also looks like a work of minimalist art or conceptual art from the 1970s.</p> <p>Todays Toronto is definitely marked by the question of real estate, the value of real estate, the process of gentrification and so I think this idea of treating what exists as something waiting to be exploited is something that has a prevalence today which one can trace its roots to the colonial founding of the city as a kind of vacant lot. So this 18th century idea of Toronto of the land as a vacant lot waiting to be exploited does influence our contemporary relationship to the environment. Gentrification is simply another version of that kind of an impulse. &nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2126 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/FFF3.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><strong>Why is it important to present work from Toronto artists in one place?</strong></p> <p>To bring together works from different generations shows us the things that change over time and the things that remain the same. What are the themes, the ideas, the imagery and the allegories that remain the same although obviously the city itself changes over time, artistic practice changes over time.&nbsp;</p> <p>The city right now is undergoing very rapid change and that provides a good opportunity to reflect on what artist have been telling us about this place we call Toronto.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Torontos art scene tends to take place in smaller galleries across the city rather than in large art institutions like in New York City. Do you think its an advantage that Torontos art scene is so decentralized?</strong></p> <p>Thats a great observation that theres something about the mechanics in Toronto that emphasize decentralization in contrast to other cities like New York that operate very much in a kind of centralization and subsequent hierarchy. Theres something to the mechanics of culture here in Toronto that is suspicious of hierarchy and hierarchy thats produced by centralization. Thats another theme the exhibition does explore.&nbsp;</p> <p>Theres one room where theres a juxtaposition of paintings. Theres a painting by Lawren Harris called Pyramid which obviously relates to the idea of hierarchy and centralized power with another Group of Seven artist (Arthur) Lismer who made a painting called Undergrowth which is looking down rather than up, looking at weeds and the great proliferation of life that happens right on the ground rather than on the rarefied pinnacle.&nbsp;</p> <p>That juxtaposition talks about decentralization or interest among artists in Toronto to not assume the centralized, hierarchal model is the most desirable model to adopt.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2127 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/FFF4.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><strong>You moved to Canada from Peru when you were a child. Do you think thats influenced your perspective of Toronto?</strong></p> <p>In some way my experience as an immigrant is very typical of Toronto in that Toronto is largely made up of immigrants. We talk about the multiculturalism of the city. I think thats part of the DNA of the city by now.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the same time, even those of us who are born in the city, unless we are of Indigenous descent, we are also immigrants to the city even having been born here in the sense that we are acculturated with settler patterns of inhabitation. How all of us negotiate the colonial reality of this place we call Toronto, the memories and histories that are told and narrated and those that are silenced or overlooked, how we negotiate these things is part of what we call the culture of this place.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 30 Sep 2016 13:07:31 +0000 Romi Levine 101229 at