The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) can easily claim to be one of the oldest annual traditions within the City of Toronto.  It’s certainly one of the oldest contemporary traditions, with 2008 being the 47th year in which the exhibition is being held.

One of the reasons that people tend to find the TOAE so special is the fact that it is a rarity not just in Toronto, but across all of Canada as well.  It is an exhibition taking place completely outdoors, allowing people to walk around one of the biggest outdoor squares in Toronto, taking in the great weather as well as the beautiful works of art.

The TOAE takes place in Nathan Phillips Square, which is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.  It’s about equidistant from both the Queen and Osgoode Subway Stations and is around many other Toronto attractions, allowing you to easily combine a visit to the TOAE with other events you might want to visit on the same day.

Admission to the TOAE is completely free and the exhibition will be held on Friday July 11 (10 AM to 8 PM), Saturday July 12 (10 AM to 7 PM) and Sunday July 13 (10 AM to 6 PM).

Overall, it’s expected that around 500 different artists will be showcasing their works at the various displays available around the square and the styles of art are expected to encompass everything under the Sun.  Many of the artists will be recognizable to people that follow the art industry whereas many of the others will be complete unknowns or alternatively students looking to make some cash to help pay the next year’s tuition.  It’s this melding together of the known and unknown that is one of the reasons that this year’s exhibition is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors during the 3-day event.

More information about this event is available on the TOAE 2008 website, including a list of artists, gallery of past events and contact information.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

One of the major reasons that people tend to visit Toronto is that they enjoy how nice the city looks.  From the creatively built buildings in old Toronto to the beautiful suburbs that have managed to preserve a large section of the natural environment, Toronto has really done more than most cities in terms of preserving its green space.

Now, they’re taking aim at reclaiming some of that space for the green world through the beautification of many areas near the major highways that run through the city.  The Don Valley Parkway is the first candidate for this flowering beautification and specifically, this is happening right where the Don Valley Parkway and Eglinton Avenue East meet.

But there are more than just daffodils involved.  There are also rows of Scilla and Muscari flowers along the road as well, all of which are starting to flower for the first time after being planted last March.  This is part of what will eventually be a larger strategy on the part of the city to make its roadways easier on the eyes.  If they have the same amount of success as they did with this first venture, then things should be very beautiful in the city indeed.

So, if you visit Toronto sometime this summer, make it a point to drive past that intersection at least once and take in the view!  In the meantime, I’ll try to see if I can get out there and get some pictures posted sometime before the end of the summer.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art galleries in the world and the current construction that is proceeding on the building will make it even bigger and better.  According to their website, when the construction is finished there will be over 110 galleries in the building.  While I’m not entirely sure how many were there before the construction started, I know from being there personally that it was nowhere near that amount.  The construction has been going on since October 7, 2007 and for the whole time that the construction has been proceeding, the gallery has been closed to visitors.  The latest update puts a rough date of opening in the fall of this year, but no firm date has been set.  For more information on this, check out the Art Gallery of Ontario Director’s Message.

Art Gallery of Ontario Location

The Art Gallery of Ontario is located at 317 Dundas Street West, which puts the gallery between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue on Dundas, right near Beverley Street and McCaul Street (MAP).  You can easily get to the Art Gallery of Ontario from Dundas Subway Station, which is located at the intersection of Dundas and University.  From that point it’s only about a three block walk west to get to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Art Gallery of Ontario Collection

One of the main reasons that the Art Gallery of Ontario is famous is the fact that it has one of the largest collections in the world.  Before the renovation started, there were roughly 70,000 pieces of art in the collection and they spanned the course of history from approximately the year 100 AD to the present moment in time.  In particular, the Art Gallery of Ontario has focused on promoting Canadian art to people both inside the country and those visiting.  This is why two out of every five pieces in the pre-renovation collection were from Canadian artists.  Canada has had many famous artistic talents such as the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.  There have also been rich artistic traditions amongst Inuit living in Canada and that tradition is displayed proudly within the walls of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Transformation AGO

Transformation AGO was a project that was envisioned by a new board of directors at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Their aim was to create a bigger and better version of the gallery that so many had come to love.  Indeed, looking at the construction over time shows that the physical building appears to be getting larger and that definitely bodes well for the insides which pre-renovation were stuffed full of artistic works.  The main goal of the transformation is to add new art, create new collections, add volume to the building and increase the overall exposure that artists can get through having exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  While construction has been long, it is also close to being over and the executives are promising that what you see when it re-opens will be more than worth the wait.

Photo Credits: Personal Collection

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Toronto is a city with lots of fantastic artwork attached to it.  Sometimes, as in the case of the above photo, the artwork manifests itself on one of the walls of the city or some other such public place.  However, in most cases, to see great Canadian art you have to head to one of the many artistic venues in the city such as the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, which from now on will also occupy a place on The Toronto Traveler’s blogroll.

The MOCCA as it’s known for short is exactly what the name implies and between May 2, 2008 and June 1, 2008, they are going to be having an exhibition of art entitled Between Memory and History: From the Epic to the Everday.  Here is a partial list of people that will have works on display at the event:

Raymonde April

Raymonde April is indicative of the large pool of French Canadian artistic talent that Canada is privileged to have.  She’s one of the contemporary photographic artists that Canada has built a reputation for turning out and ever since she got her start in 1979, her photographs have been in high demand for display around the country.

Robert Burley

Robert Burley, like Raymonde April, is a design photographer and one that has been working for over two decades.  According to his website, the work he does explores the relationship between nature, architectures and the overall urban landscape.  He has many excellent pictures that deal with the meat of this conceptual area, including very awe-inspiring pictures of large pockets of nature next to significantly smaller urban areas.

Martin Parr

Martin Parr is a man that refers to himself as the “chronicler of our age.”  He is a man that has been highly critical of mainstream media photography and serves to counter that photography with what he refers to as “criticism, seduction and humour.”  This gives us a chance to take a look at his interpretation of many famous media shots over time and that in itself is a very interesting thing to do.

MOCCA’s Location

MOCCA is located at 952 Queen Street West, which puts it at a major intersection nearest to Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue.  This is actually somewhat far away from the Subway, although there are busses that run along Ossington Avenue from Ossington Subway Station on the Bloor-Danforth line as well as streetcars that run along Queen Street that intersect both the Yonge and University Subway Lines, so the TTC coverage to this particular location is still extensive.

Summary

Event: Between Memory and History: From the Epic to the Everday
Location: Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), 952 Queen Street West
Dates: May 2, 2008 to June 1, 2008
Museum Hours: 11 AM to 6 PM Thursday-Sunday, closed Monday
Admission: Free to the gallery
More Information: 416-395-7490 or mocca@toronto.ca

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Singles: For people that are single and traveling around the world, Toronto is a great city to visit.  In addition to all of the major tourist attractions that are available in the city, Toronto is also home to a very bustling entertainment district containing bars, nightclubs and various other forms of entertainment that tend to appeal to single people.

Married Couples: People that are married and traveling the world will love Toronto because it is home to many different world class landmarks.  Not only is it home to the CN Tower, but Casa Loma, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario are all considered world class aspects of the city and they are definitely things worth visiting.  There are also many great romantic destinations within the city that married couples could visit, including walkways, boat rides and restaurants with fantastic atmosphere.

Families: When reading through tourism guides for different cities as I did a few years ago, one thing I noticed time and time again was that a lot of cities are great for singles or couples, but not so hot when it comes to all around family entertainment.  Even if they did have such entertainment available, chances are the adults would probably feel like they were missing out on other things.  The great thing about Toronto however is that so many of the best attractions work just as well with families as they do with singles.  The CN Tower, SkyDome, Rogers Centre, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum and many other major tourist attractions within the city are all family venues, allowing your family to have just as much fun in Toronto as you would by yourself.

Sports Lovers: Sports tourism is definitely an undertaking that I would like to try at some point.  That having been said, for the bunch of people that already do it, Toronto is definitely a place to visit.  Not only is it home to professional franchise in the highest leagues of soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey, but it is also home to dozens of minor sport teams, minor league teams in major sports and post secondary teams as well.  For a person that just generally loves sports and sporting events, Toronto is absolutely the place to be.

These are just four groups of people I came up with off the top of my head.  Feel free to suggest others and I’ll see what I can come up with as a starting point for them for a Toronto vacation!

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Photo Credit: Henna painting by greatwhiteyakon Flickr

Henna decoration is big in Toronto, perhaps due to the large number of naturalized South Asian citizens that we have living here.  Henna decoration is a big part of the culture in countries like India and it’s ended up making its way into the Toronto culture as well, with Henna tattoos and paintings featuring largely in a number of different places as you walk around the city.  With more interest in this style of artistic expression, the Textile Museum of Canada has decided to help those interested learn how to get in the know regarding Henna painting.

Details

Event: Hands-on Henna workshop
Date: March 8, 2008
Time: 1 PM to 5 PM
Cost: $50 for members, $65 for non-members, $40 for students and $20 for materials
Location: Textile Museum of Canada, 55 Centre Avenue (MAP)
Closest Subway Station: St. Patrick Subway Station on the University Subway Line
More Info: 416-599-5321, advance registration is required at extension 2221

Venue

The Textile Museum of Canada has a history extending back more than 30 years to 1975 when it was originally incorporated as the Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles.  During the years of its existence, it has moved from humble beginnings in a small room in Mirvish Village all the way to being a full fledged museum with its own facilities located at 55 Centre Avenue.

Throughout its growth, the TMC has maintained a high level of quality when it comes to their presented collection and with a combination of good marketing skills and excellent events revolving around their many collected items, the Textile Museum of Canada has earned the right to be named amongst Toronto’s many and varied artistic venues.  Anyone that is interested in textile work should have the TMC on their visiting agenda as a must because it is truly a fantastic place to visit.

Their current collection is in excess of 12,000 items that come from over 200 regions of the world and represents one of only eight museums in the world solely dedicated to the collection and display of textiles and textile materials.

Event

At the Hands-on Henna workshop you will learn how to paint Henna designs on your body and you’ll learn all of the required preparation for doing such things.  In addition to that, some of the history regarding Henna painting internationally will be discussed.  According to the TMC, this event should be good for both adults and children over the age of 12, meaning that for some it can be an afternoon of family fun in addition to adding a new skill to your collection.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

The Rainbow Market Square Gallery, which started a 4-in-1 art show exhibit at the start of this month, will be having its last day on exhibition tomorrow.  The gallery is full of a number of beautiful paintings that are located within the heart of historic St. Lawrence Market downtown.  If you are a painting fan, then it would be a good idea to pay St. Lawrence Market a visit tomorrow and take in all of the different paintings that are available at the gallery including the 4-in-1 exhibit before they go off display.

Event Details

Event: 4-in-1 Art Show at the Rainbow Market Square Gallery
Location: 80 Front Street East, Between Church and Jarvis (map)
Closest Subway Station: Queen Station on the Yonge Subway Line
Date: February 29, 2008
Time: 12 PM to 10 PM
Cost: Free
More Information: Phone 416-756-3221

Venue Information

The Rainbow Market Square Gallery is located in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market, perhaps the most historic market in Canada and certainly the most historic market in Ontario.  St. Lawrence Market is home to over 60 different vendors specializing in many different foods and products that are sure to pique your interest.  The neighbourhood itself has managed to maintain some of the historicity about it that made it such an attractive place decades ago and since it is in close proximity to downtown Toronto, you can easily walk to many of the other attractions that the City of Toronto has to offer.

Event Information

There are four painters that will be on display until 10 PM tomorrow:

Julie Nierenberg: a realistic painter that has made a name for herself in the local community through her excellent talent in painting sunrises and sunsets with a distinctly impressionistic style.  If you enjoy impressionistic paintings or if you simply enjoy getting a look at how artists view the rising or setting sun, then it is definitely worth the free admission to the event just to see her stuff.

Anita Brooks: A very expressive painter that uses a concrete-like background with lots of lustre in order to create street graffiti for people to take a look at.  Toronto, like many of the other large cities in North America, is home to some excellent graffiti painters and Anita Brooks is definitely one of those excellent painters.  She’d be worth taking a look at with typical gallery admission prices, but getting to see her top work for free is most definitely a rare treat.

Dan Monaghan: Monaghan is a soapstone artist and very much one of Canada’s best.  His previous sculpting masterpieces include bears, eagles, turtles and inukshuks and much of his handiwork has been on display as part of this exhbit for the last month.

Donald Agopsowitz: A photographer that has been all around the world.  His pictures include places in Paris, Rome, Nova Scotia and right here in Hogtown as well.  Some of these photographs are absolutely breathtaking and they are certainly worth taking a look at.

Paintings, graffiti, sculpture and photographs.  What better way to spend an afternoon if you happen to be an art lover?

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Gertraud Mohwald is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 1950s, as most of her work came through in the conditions of the post-war European continent.  In the wake of World War II and before the reconstruction efforts led largely by the United States, Europe was practically obliterated.  The combination of amazingly artistic buildings and destruction all around was a rather interesting juxtaposition of the incongrous and Mohwald took advantage of this, turning destruction into opportunity and creating some of the most interesting ceramic works of her time.

Now, her collection has come to the Gardiner Museum.

Event: Gertraud Mohwald Exhibit

Date: Up to January 20, 2008

Cost: $10 to $19

Location: Gardiner Museum (map)

Nearest Subway Station: Museum (big surprise, eh?)

More Information: 416-586-8080

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

1) The Toronto Islands, from the Wikimedia Commons

2) Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto, from the Wikimedia Commons

3) Massey Hall in Toronto, from The Wikimedia Commons

4) The St. Lawrence Market, from The Wikimedia Commons

5) The Ontario College of Arts & Design, from The Wikimedia Commons

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Toronto, being a city of over 2 million people, is a city where a lot of arts and crafts go on.  Not only are students regularly practising their trades through art shows and other exhibitions, but there are also apprentice craftsmen who are doing the same thing but on a much larger scale.  With all of the arts and crafts that go on in this city, it has to be a good crafts show indeed that is able to break through the mold of the typical arts and crafts show and be thought of as an event that is worth visiting for people traveling to the City of Toronto.

Well, this show, sponsored by the Montgomery Seniors’ Social Club, is definitely one of the shows that is worth visiting.  It starts at 10 AM on November 24th and ends just four hours later, so it is a great event for you to visit if you happen to have a few hours to kill during the late morning and early afternoon.  The event itself is free, which is something that is always welcome news and the crafts themselves are absolutely spectacular and are done by people that have a lifetime of experience in the creation of beautiful arts and crafts.  You are under no obligation to purchase anything, so if you want to drop by for a half hour and browse while you’re waiting for something else to get started, by all means go ahead!  More information can be obtained by phoning 416-485-1266.

As for the venue itself, it is Montgomery Place.  Located at 130 Eglinton Avenue East, Montgomery Place is just a short walk from the Eglinton Subway Station, so you can quickly get in and out if you want to combine a visit to this Arts and Crafts show with another event taking place later on in the day.  I’ve never actually been to Montgomery Place so I can not comment on the venue itself, but I have been to different places within the Yonge and Eglinton area and it is definitely an area with everything.  There’s lots of restaurants and convenience stores if you want to make a few purchases of that kind and in addition to the nearby subway station there are also a lot of bus routes if you want to travel to an area not served directly by the subway.

All in all, this is not an event that you can dedicate a whole day to, but it is definitely something worth checking out if you’ve got the time during the 10 AM to 2 PM stretch on November 24th.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler