There was such a crush of art aficionados at the VIP/media preview last night at the LOVE ART FAIR http://www.loveartfair.com/toronto/ taking place this weekend in the Heritage Court of the Direct Energy Centre at the Exhibition Grounds in Toronto.
I was thrilled to run into artist friend Stewart Jones (below) who left the city for the wide open spaces of Wellington County last year (http://www.stewartjones.ca/ ) …….
….and Mark Gleberzon of MJG Gallery (below) in Toronto who was busy chatting with media and fans ( http://mjggallery.com/ ).
One of the first booths that stopped me in my tracks was The Art Shop, a Dutch gallery representing a variety of artists whose work encompasses several mediums and styles (pictured below) http://theartshop.nl/en
Then I found the Forest Rain Gallery from Singapore representing numerous exciting contemporary artists from China and South Asia (below). http://forestraingallery.com/
BBAM! Gallery from Montreal offered some amusing (and sexy) paintings that would look fab in any “man cave” http://www.bbamgallery.com/
I enjoyed meeting the lovely senorita who managed the Galeria Standarte (Madrid) booth. She was so enthusiastic about her artists showcased here in Toronto, her joy was infectious. Aren’t these fabulous? http://galeriastandarte.com/
akasha art projects inc. is a great gallery and framing studio located at 511 Church Street in Toronto. Mark Gleberzon had previously told me about them and after meeting the ladies at the show and seeing their framing work, I must say, this is a must for all art collectors looking for unique framing. http://akashaart.com/
I really liked the work of Peter A. Barelkowski and Frances Patella (pictured below) who proudly showcased their work….so nice to speak directly with individual artists like these. Please check out their portfolios at www.peterbarelkowski.com and www.francespatella.com
The Workman Collective booth http://www.workmancollective.com/ hosted three handsome artists (below) – Joe Sampson, Adam Colangelo and Michael Toole. The gallery is located at 1655 Dupont in Toronto so I definitely recommend a visit there to see their stunning works in person if you can’t make it out to the LoveArtFair.
I really liked the work represented by Maine-based Carver Hill Gallery, especially Rose Umerlik (Pics 1+2 below) and Megan Hinton (3rd pic) http://www.carverhillgallery.com/
Fibre artist Sheila Thompson showcased a beautiful felt piece, complete with porcupine quills (pic 2) and photographer Lori Ryerson posed proudly under one of her large format photos (pic 3 below).
www.sheilathompson.ca
www.focalocity.ca
So many cool artists are represented here…I wish I had lots of $s and a ton of wall space! I really recommend you visit this show and I thank you for supporting the Canadian and international artists!
http://www.loveartfair.com/toronto/