Monthly Archives: May 2017

I VISIT MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR – ST PAUL’S on BLOOR STREET FOR “DOORS OPEN TORONTO”

Each year, Toronto hosts a special weekend called “Doors Open” where we can visit beautiful buildings around the city that are normally closed to the public such as offices, law courts, architectural treasures and places of worship. I’m fortunate to live next door to one very special building: St Paul’s Anglican church which is one of the largest parish churches in N. America. When I entered, the organist was practicing – take a listen here…

During today’s special tour, visitors got to see some of the most gorgeous stained glass windows in Canada, many depicting heroic WWI stories and in fact, one of the windows was made from the glass fragments found around some 70 destroyed churches and buildings in Belgium, France and Italy.20170527_112002 20170527_11304620170527_112224Around the walls of the massive interior were many plaques and memorials dedicated to past parishioners who had lost their lives fighting in Europe….20170527_112444 20170527_113244…and the incredible wooden carvings of angels were breathtaking…20170527_112612Not a lot of people ever look up when they visit such venues but I always do (you never know what cool things you can spy up above) and I’m so glad I did…check out these awesome state-of-the-art fans in this video. They look old-school to fit in but are actually brand new….

20170527_111902 20170527_113058 20170527_112542 20170527_112647The marble altar (above) shows the Last Supper – it’s so beautiful and is flanked on either side by historic figures from the first World War. There is just one female depicted in the carvings and statuary…Florence Nightingale!  I found another beautiful window behind the altar screen (below). I could have stood there for an hour enjoying all the intricacies in this little window and the marble carvings in front….20170527_112954Next month marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of St Paul’s and to commemorate the occasion, a special craft lager has been created, the St Paul’s CLXXV, which will be available in 6-packs for a limited time only following their June 11th anniversary service. Considering the church’s reputation for warm hospitality and sharing food and drink, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate!

If you’d like to learn more about this fine church and the wonderful work they do, please visit: www.stpaulsbloor.orgSt Pauls

PETER HARRIS UNVEILS NEW PAINTINGS IN “EVENING WITH HOPPER” SOLO SHOW @ MIRA GODARD GALLERY IN YORKVILLE

While the rest of the city appeared to have “taken off” for the long Victoria Day weekend, I spent Saturday afternoon dropping in on some of the art galleries in the Yorkville neighbourhood. So nice to have such beauty and talent on my doorstep and the MIRA GODARD GALLERY at 22 Hazelton Avenue did not disappoint – I was lucky to find their current exhibiting artist PETER HARRIS at the gallery for a meet-n-greet. 20170520_134500Peter (pictured above) proudly showed off his intimate views of building entrances and night windows inspired by Edward Hopper’s iconic 1942 “Nighthawks” painting of a New York diner late at night. Many of the images are recognizable Toronto views but I really liked this one (below) which is based on a New York City art deco era building – if you look thru the lobby you can even see another Hopper-inspired painting represented in the reception area.Lobby_Entrance-NY_Office_w

As a landscape painter, I strive to create images that connect viewers to their immediate surroundings. While my work is situated in the present, it often invokes artists from the past whose paintings linger in our collective memory and influence how we think about the landscape. Edward Hopper and Lawren Harris are two such artists whose iconic imagery still resonates, and whose reputation casts a long shadow over all artists working within the genre. In the exhibition Evening with Hopper I began by meticulously recreating their historical paintings in miniature and framing them within current urban architecture. I wanted their historical depictions to be subsumed by the modern, acknowledging the power of their legacy while challenging their continued relevancy to a contemporary audience. – Peter Harris, 2017Entrance_at_668-Mtn_Landscape_sRedVestibule-ChopSuey_sAnother fave of mine is this interior of an elevator (below) – who would think that this interior space would make such a great painting subject? Just look at the metallic finishes and the light reflections…wow!Level_3_(Icebergs)_sMany of the paintings already have little red dots attached to their labels – the sign of a sale! The show continues until Sat. May 27th so I recommend you visit the gallery a.s.a.p. to see these exquisite works of art for yourself.  Visit the gallery’s website for hours & directions and you can see more of Peter’s work online – but much better to see them in person to experience the overwhelming effect of each canvas. Thank you for supporting Canadian artists!miragodardgalleryfront

Mira Godard Gallery, 22 Hazelton Ave, Toronto      www.godardgallery.com

(with exception of 1st two photos, all images courtesy of Mira Godard Gallery)

TORONTO’S INSIDE OUT FILM FESTIVAL SPONSOR PARTY HOSTED @ URBAN SOURCE CATERING & URBAN GALLERY

My friends at URBAN SOURCE CATERING did themselves proud last night when they treated the sponsors and corporate partners of the Inside Out Film Festival to a medley of tasty treats and refreshing party cocktails and wines.20170517_184957Below, Urban Source Catering’s co-owner Wayne Abell welcomed the Festival’s newly appointed Exec. Director, Andria Wilson, to URBAN GALLERY… 
20170517_174316…and Andria, in turn, welcomed Inside Out’s special guests to the pre-Festival launch party such as Kelly from RBC (below R with Brad Campbell, Dir. of Corp. Sales for the fest).20170517_174449Andria got busy with social media postings along with colleagues Clayton and Andrew (LtoR, below)20170517_174713Delicious bite-sized treats were served along with wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic bevvies by the catering staff below)20170517_175001 20170517_174119Andria enjoyed a few nibblies with the guests…20170517_175103(0)…and enjoyed the festivities with colleagues Winnie Luk (below L), the Dir. of Operations & Events, and Andrew Murphy (below R) Dir. of Programming.20170517_180533Then it was time for the presentation and teaser trailer of upcoming festival films20170517_181059 20170517_181136 20170517_181347Congrats to Marketing & Outreach Mgr, Clayton Lee (below R) and tech assistant CJ (L) for helping present the video.20170517_182738Brad’s assistant, Nick (below R) posed for a quick snapshot with Festival Coordinator Jayne Schneider (L) in front of photographic art being featured in this year’s CONTACT show at Urban Gallery…20170517_184027…and below, gallery owner Calvin Hambrook lined up the guests for even more photo opps.20170517_185644As many guests observed, the table decorations were elegant and colourful…20170517_185057 20170517_185113If you’d like to learn more about the Inside Out Film Festival and see this year’s line-up of LGBTQ-focused films, please visit their website: www.insideout.ca

And if you’d like to learn more about the fabulous catering offered by Urban Source Catering and the exquisite adjoining venue available for corporate & private rentals, Urban Gallery, please visit their websites:  www.urbancatering.comwww.urbangallery.ca

Urban Gallery is located at 400 Queen St East, Toronto (just 1 block E of Parliament) with street and lot parking close by.IMG_5575

 

DONNA LYPCHUK LAUNCHES HER “CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL” SOLO SHOW @ JINKS ART FACTORY, TORONTO

What a fun, wild’n’crazy night we enjoyed at the groovy Jinks Art Factory (cafe & tattoo parlour) in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood as photographic artist, writer and pop-culturist DONNA LYPCHUK opened her solo show Mystical Toronto: The Oculis of Donna Lypchuk for this year’s Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. So many friends and fellow artists showed up to make the night a great success for Donna who held court at this fun schmooze-fest – below Donna (2nd from L) welcomes some old friends.20170511_192037The venue, Jinks Art Factory, is a charming neighbourhood social hub for artists, writers, bon vivants and miscellaneous wastrels who enjoy the hospitality of Sarah and Jen, the owners and hostesses for last night’s soiree (pictured below with Donna in the centre).20170511_185306Jinks Arts Factory offers delicious coffees and edible treats in the cafe up front and has a comfortable tattoo parlour in the back where you can acquire your own personal art. Below – the ladies are their own best walking promo for their ink skills.20170511_185245Donna’s photos were simply and effectively displayed, featuring various sizes of prints on metallic paper giving the images an iridescent quality…20170511_185324 20170511_185354 20170511_185409…and her guests loved ’em!20170511_185613 20170511_202027Donna was happy…just an hour into the opening party, she had the red dots out and applied them to several photos. Congrats to the buyers – smart choices!20170511_195904As the night progressed, lots of bo-ho chic guests showed up and the energy in the cafe ramped up…20170511_185433 20170511_202030…and our happy smiling barista worked hard ensuring all were well “lubricated” with celebratory drinkies!20170511_185643 20170511_185649Loved meeting these three “cheeky monkeys” – longtime friends of Donna’s…thanks for playing along for this photo, ladies.20170511_190843The party eventually moved out to the sidewalk ….20170511_202158 20170511_202254…where Donna enjoyed more warm camaraderie with new arrivals.

Back inside Jinks, I tried my hand at snapping some “photographic art” – below, I spied the mid-century modern furnishings and a gorgeous cappuccino machine.20170511_191728 20170511_191742 20170511_191756And I had a blast resting my bum on this fab wooden bench from Playdead Cult, a decorative art, clothing and home furnishings store located on the next block along Queen St West.20170511_191454By 8pm, lots more people arrived to see the photos taken of various locations and hidden spots around the city…20170511_202434 20170511_191646 20170511_191658 20170511_191636Congratulations to Donna for her successful CONTACT launch party….(below, Donna “works it” with this photographer!)20170511_190755….and big thanks to Sarah and Jen of Jinks who are also hosting a neighbourhood BBQ tomorrow, Sat. May 13 (12-4pm) as part of the Spring into Parkdale street party.20170511_191438 20170511_191949Mystical Toronto: The Oculis of Donna Lypchuk runs until May 31st at Jinks Arts Factory, 1664 Queen St West (near Roncesvalles).  Photos are all available for sale: prices range from $25 – $60 and sizes range 8″x 10″ to 11″x 17″. Come out and support local artists…and coffee shops!images

 

Mystical Toronto: The Oculis of Donna Lypchuk

My dear friend Donna Lypchuk unveils another series of stunning photographs for this year’s Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival – the official opening reception for her solo show  Mystical Toronto: The Oculis of Donna Lypchuk  takes place this Thursday May 11 (6-10pm) at Jinks Art Factory, a tattoo parlour, arts hub and coffee shop located at 1664 Queen Street West in Parkdale. The show runs until May 31st.

All photographs are printed on metallic paper that gives whites a silver reflective quality and a jewel-like depth. Prices range from $25 – $60 and sizes range 8″x 10″ to 11″x 17″.  Here are some of the spectacular skyscapes you’ll see….2013-10-16 17.13.342013-07-19 20.58.38-iloveimg-converted (1)fogThe Queen Street writer, anthropologist and arts scene contributor uses her signature cellphone “fauxtographie” to channel the essence of mystical Toronto with this series of fine art prints that draw new meaning from the city’s atmospheric skies, abandoned mid-century temples, secret parlour rooms, foggy forest clearings, and sacred condo-henges.  IMG_20161205_091732-685x4302014-07-08 06.10.56A long-time resident and arts scene contributor of the Queen Street West bo-ho community, Donna wrote a provocative weekly column (“the necrofile”) for the now-defunct eye Weekly newspaper and is a published author, playwright and multi-media artist. True to the intention of the original Art for Lobbies, Lounges and Living Rooms concept of producing livable interesting and affordable pieces , Donna’s cell phone folk art now hangs in the living rooms of many private collectors and in various government, religious and  business spaces.

I hope you will come on out during the month of May to support all local photographic artists participating in the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival  and Donna looks forward to welcoming you to her opening party at Jinks Art Factory this Thurs. May 11 between 6pm and 10pm. More information on the Facebook event page.th

JOIN CIUT 89.5FM RADIO SPRING MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN WITH THE HOSTS OF “HOWL!”

Over the past three decades, I’ve had the privilege of working with the hosts of CIUT radio’s “Howl!” spoken word/music show (Tuesdays, live at 10-11pm) who have interviewed numerous clients of mine, supported events I’ve promoted and I’ve even appeared on-air myself chatting about life as an arts publicist.  Howl! is one of the few live media platforms available to local Toronto artists to promote their creations and performances, and as CIUT 89.5FM is holding it’s annual Spring membership drive May 8-14, I would like to encourage all my readers/followers to kindly support this amazing grassroots radio station.CIUT-30th-HelveticaNeueCondensed-WhiteOnBlackNancy Bullis and Valentino Assenza share hosting duties, alternating on-air duties each week. They have welcomed poets, authors, musicians, actors, theatre folk, songwriters – all sorts of entertainers who add to our city’s cultural landscape. Please join them Tues. May 9th between 10pm and 11pm and call-in or log on to the CIUT website to donate (details at end of this story)

Above - Valentino, Nancy & studio engineer Robert

Above L to R – Valentino, Nancy & studio engineer Robert

“It is an honour, a privilege and a sheer joy to prepare for and interview writers and artists in Canada of all genres to showcase their work on HOWL,” Nancy told me. “The radio is a great place for them to introduce new work and CIUT 89.5FM provides for this opportunity. A conduit is available here for, as you say, Glenda, “the grassroots promotions & media opps for emerging artists via HOWL!” Exactly! I think that society would be a dismal place without music, poetry, spoken word and the other arts to help us understand who we are and for artists of all kinds to express themselves. I’m a big believer in Kurt Vonnegut’s “canary in the coal mine theory of the arts.” It truly is my pleasure to be part of HOWL, CIUT 89.5FM since December 1999.” 

And Valentino added….  “For me, life is about words, and so I make HOWL! about words too.  Whether it’s a series of them that make up a novel or a cool poem, sound lyrics in a song, HOWL! is about words, and how powerful they are, and I like to expose the people that transcend words through their art.”

20150623_223457Above, Nancy interviews Grammy-nominated flutist and composer Ron Korb prior to his departure for LA and the Grammy red carpet. And below, she’s with Cuban jazz trumpeter and composer Alexis Baro whose CD launch was the following weekend.20160719_215957Before Nancy and Valentino took the helm at Howl!, the show was the sole domain of legendary poet, artist and musician Nik Beat (pictured below).  I remember working closely with Nik back when the CIUT studios were located in an old Edwardian house on St. George St…up 2 flights of rickety stairs, into the rafters.  Nik was one of the first people in the city to support poetry and spoken word performers and he and I just clicked when we first met at one of my Scribes & Muses! (or S&M for short…LOL) performances back in the late 80’s. I headed up an artists’ collective of writers, poets, musicians who performed live around the city – Nik was the only media host who gave us on-air time. Needless to say, I am indebted to Nik and Howl!/CIUT for the successes that came from those early days.NikSo to honour Nik and all those artists he helped over the years, and for Nancy & Valentino’s ongoing weekly showcase, please reach out and support the station which supports the artists. Thank you.

CIUT 89.5 FM SPRING 2017 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Presenting the Sound of Your City for 30 years
On Air Campaign Runs May 8-14
Your contributions and support have kept CIUT thriving for 30 years and we want to continue to be the sound of your city for another 30 + years!
Donations can be made right now by simply clicking on the Donation button on the website www.ciut.fm
Phone lines are open 6am-2am 416-946-7800 OR 1-888-204-8976
Show your support on this 30th anniversary because we can’t do it without you!
GOAL: $60,000 Total so far: $2,700

URBAN GALLERY OPENS ANNUAL CONTACT PHOTO FEST SHOW “WATER: SUSTAINING LIFE”

Toronto’s leading indie art gallery, URBAN GALLERY, hosted the opening reception for their annual Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival exhibition yesterday. Featuring 4 talented photographic artists, “Water: Sustaining Life” runs until May 31st at 400 Queen St East (just 1 blk E. of Parliament St) in downtown Toronto.th

As the gallery notes, water is the world’s most precious resource. And photographic artists Alex Turner, Chris Hominuk, Karen Silver and Maria Ricossa bring four unique perspectives to water’s special significance in our lives and the world around us.CHRIS HOMINUK Oneida Falls CHRIS HOMINUK Georgian Bay Sunrise Symmetry Karen Silver 497 KB RICOSSA_Blue Dress TURNER TransformationVersion 2TURNER INSTALLATION May 2017 at URBAN GALLERYKAREN SILVER (below) is an Executive Producer of TV Commercials and a Photographer. “I’m fascinated by reflections, things that at first glance might not be so noticeable. It began with photographing reflections in large soap bubbles and then recently, reflections in water.”20170506_144016MARIA RICOSSA (below) is an actor and photographer who observes people, hoping to recreate truthful behavior onstage or in front of a camera. Drawn to street photography, she watches people – capturing a story or a dramatic moment. She witnesses and documents private moments, after which things will never be the same.20170506_143802CHRIS HOMINUK (below) is a self-taught award winning landscape photographer. “My passion is capturing the calmness of nature. I’ll drive, paddle, or hike great distances to get that ‘one shot’. In my work I concentrate on near/far exposures to reveal the importance of what’s both in the foreground and the distance.” 20170506_143632ALEX TURNER’s work has been exhibited in Toronto and Western Canada. His photographs are in collections in Canada and the US. “These compositions seek an alignment of visual elements into an abstract whole. The results – sometimes manipulated – are often more like paintings or etchings than photography.”20170506_143905The gallery was humming with a near-packed house of guests, all entranced by the images of water subjects, and each photographer welcomed their family, friends and fans. 20170506_141220 20170506_14350220170506_140813Below, artist Angel Torres (right) drops in to join gallery curator Allen Shugar (left) and gallery director/owner Calvin Hambrook (centre) as they open the doors to the guests..20170506_133535…and Calvin welcomed tech expert from MacMedics and friend, Jeffrey Barrett, to the reception (below)20170506_142618Fellow artist and previous Urban Gallery exhibitor, Dawn Hemmy (below) also popped in to enjoy the show..20170506_143940So many beautiful photographs to view, all of which are available for purchase….20170506_14082720170506_132919 20170506_140806 20170506_14280120170506_133357Urban Gallery invites you to come visit and support local artists – gallery hours, directions and exhibit details at: www.urbangallery.ca

SCOTIABANK CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL 
WATER: SUSTAINING LIFE
May 4 to May 31, 2017

For details of the city-wide CONTACT festival visit: http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/

 

SPRINGTIME IN YORKVILLE – come for a stroll with me thru the parks & gardens

Today is the one sunny day forecast for this week so I took a stroll thru my neighbourhood parkettes and gardens, snapping away at all the pretty flowers that have finally poked their heads above ground.20170503_112819Across the street from my building is the old Manufacturers Life Bldg, surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens that I frequently photograph. Thanks to the heavy rains yesterday, most of the tulips looked a bit beaten down but I found a few nice beds still in tact – below20170503_111733 20170503_111952 20170503_112034Then down the little side street you’ll find a charming parkette (pictured below) that’s usually populated (sadly) with homeless folk but today I had the place to myself…and the flowers.20170503_112236 20170503_112752 20170503_112805 20170503_112901 20170503_112913This poor little tulip looked so lonely – his mates obviously failed to sprout!20170503_113023_002Lots more flowers to enjoy in this tiny nature strip alongside Church Street north of Bloor, including these stunning Magnolia blossoms in the back garden of one of the neighbouring row houses.20170503_113115 20170503_113125 20170503_113052Lots more lovely flowers to capture along the side streets near Yonge & Bloor…20170503_113258 20170503_113411 20170503_113857I strolled down Hazelton Avenue in the heart of chi-chi Yorkville and found some lovely surprises in the cottage gardens….20170503_114651 20170503_114742…then back home via Yorkville Ave, dropping in to say hi to the firemen of Station 312.20170503_11570920170503_115728 20170503_115808Hope you enjoyed my little virtual tour of the lovely flowers and gardens near my home…now go get out there in the sunshine yourself!