Distilling Nature: New Work by Chinkok Tan

contemporary landscape painting
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 - 5:00am to Sunday, November 22, 2015 - 5:00am

Opening reception:
Saturday, November 14, 2-4:30 pm Artist present

Over the past 40 years, Chinkok Tan has become one of Canada’s most prolific painters. Possessing an innate knowledge of how to capture the essence of light and colour on canvas, Tan’s large scale pieces evoke the quiet, serene beauty of landscapes. What makes his paintings unique is that they are as emotionally powerful at a distance as they are close up; inviting the viewer to experience the meditative feeling of being in the natural world.

WED - FRI NOON - 4:00 SAT - SUN NOON - 4:30 FREE PARKING
CONTACT: www.chinkoktan.com chin@chinkoktan.com 416-698-9687

Venue & Address: 
TODMORDEN MILLS GALLERY 67 POTTERY ROAD TORONTO, CANADA
Website: 
http://todmorden@toronto.ca
Phone: 
416-396-2819

New Contemporary Art Exhibition

Illustration of a wolf chopped into pieces and floating among trees in a forest
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 - 4:00am to Sunday, June 14, 2015 - 4:00am

An exhibition of OCAD University alumni celebrating the best of Canadian New Contemporary art with an emphasis on surrealism.

Artists:
Tara Krebs 
Steven Chmilar 
Nicholas Di Genova 
Sarah Joncas 
Troy Coulterman 
Jamiyla Lowe

Opening Reception: Fri, June 5. 7 to 10 p.m.
**IMPORTANT NOTE** Because of special event laws, you MUST RSVP to this invite as "going", or to one of the artists directly to be admitted to the opening.

We will also be having an Artist Meet n' Greet event on Saturday, June 13 from noon to 4 p.m.The idea of this event is to de-mistify the art world, and make it much more accessible to people who love art. Some of the artists from the show will be present with works-in-progress set up, so members of the community and followers of our work can come and see our process and ask us any questions about our practice and/or our lives as artists in general. This event is meant to be pretty casual (it's not a sit-down talk where you have to be there at a certain time). So come on by with your friends/kids/highschoolers interested in pursuing an art career/little purse doggies, etc, and come say hello. We're looking forward to meeting you!

Image: 'The Woods'. Acrylic paint on masonite board. 12 x 16

Venue & Address: 
TAC Art/Work Gallery. 568 Richmond St. West Exhibition Dates/Hours: June 3-14, 12:00-6:00pm every day.
Website: 
http://www.facebook.com/events/412522325597949/ 

Festival of the Body marks official launch of Life Studies specialization

Image of blurred face wearing what appears to be a sheepskin hat
Friday, January 16, 2015 - 5:00am

 

On view since January 15 at OCAD U is the much-anticipated Festival of the Body. This month-long event and exhibition series for the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games highlights works by students that explore new and cross-disciplinary approaches to the body in contemporary art. The Festival also marks the official launch of Life Studies, a new Faculty of Art specialization that investigates the figure and the body in studio practice and scientific methodology.

 

The Life Studies specialization is a natural for OCAD University. The institution’s students and faculty have been considering issues of the body for 138 years. Today, drawing from the figure as a way of understanding the body and building empathy around the human condition is at the core of every student’s education.  

 

Festival of the Body panel discussions will be scheduled throughout the academic year, as a lead-in to 2015 PanAm/Parapan Am Games. They’ll feature a diverse group of experts from within and outside the university. Among this group will be a PanAm/Parapan Am athlete, faculty members, and student artists and designers, who will together discuss bodies, discipline, and the connection between sports and the arts. The Festival will culminate in a final exhibition of work by OCAD U art and design students staged during the PanAm/Parapan Am Games. 

 

 

Festival of the Body

 

Thursday, January 29, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Great Hall and Central Hall (Room 230)

Exhibition Opening — Festival of the Body Part II: Speculative Bodies

Performance and video event

 

Thursday, February 5, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Great Hall

Panel — Life Studies: Art and Science

This panel will investigate the threshold between art and science, which is increasingly generative for the new specialization in Life Studies. Moderated by Dr. Caroline Langill

To include: Nina Leo, assistant professor at OCAD U; Suzanne Anker from Bio Art Lab, NY; and Francis LeBouthillier, assistant professor at OCAD U

 

Organized by Wrik Mead and Natalie Waldburger. Sponsored by: Ontario Ignite program – PanAm Parapan Am Games 2015; The Faculty of Art Innovation Fund - Office of the President; Office of the VPA; Faculty and Curriculum Development Centre; Health & Wellness Centre; Admissions and Recruitment

 

 

Nuit Rose: A Queer Contemporary Art Event Celebrating World Pride 2014 Toronto

Text reading: Nuit Rose. A queer contemporary art event celebrating WordPride 2014 Toronto
Saturday, June 21, 2014 - 11:00pm to Sunday, June 22, 2014 - 8:00am

Featuring Walls Becoming Windows, a video installation created by Evan Tapper in collaboration with Scott Sørli

About
Nuit Rose is a queer focused contemporary art event in celebration of World Pride 2014 in Toronto. This late night event will be held on Saturday, June 21st, 2014 from 7pm until 4am in two areas: Queen Street West and Church Wellesley Village.

Events include:
art installations
artist exhibitions
art marketplace
performance, theatre and music
film, video and digital art
audience participation

Featured Artists
Jessica Valme – SIKA
Elizabeth Sweeney – UNLIMITED EDITION
Roxanne Luchak – PULSE
John Simone – LEGENDS & N.Y. NITELIFE & EXPLODING PINK INEVITABLE
Roy Mitchell – ROYNATION & NEIGHBOURLY ADVICE
Natalie Wood – BANANA/BAKERGRAM
Michael Venus – ICONS & DEMI-GODS
Adam Moco – TRYST PIC
Ariel Len of Zoey’s Projects – TRIBUTES TO MARYLIN MUNROE & ELLEN DEGENERES
Seamus Butterly – RAINBOW EXPERIENCE
Evan Tapper – WALLS BECOMING WINDOWS
Pearl Van Geest – KISS UP
Humboldt Magnussen – EXPERT ART NAILZ
Joe Bruni – COCOONS (LIGHT PARADE)

Special Feature Performance by the Counterpoint Orchestra

Independent Artists
Michael Thompson (ft. Roxxie Terrain) – THE FRUIT MACHINE
Link Tong – LA NUIT EN ROSE
HΩLY JÅCKÅL (Holly Timpener and Jack Bride) – CO-FUSION
Anna Malkin (AKA Lulu Laru) – EXCERPTS FROM A QUEER STORY ARCHIVE
Phenomenon Theatrix – THE COMMON GROUND: A MUSICAL DISSERTATION
Nigel Nolan – FED, JOEL, OMAR & SEB
Robert Donnelly – RACK & PINION, & LIGHTS, CAMERA
Shawn Dall – ILLUMINALITY
Lishai & David Brame – TRANSLATION TESSALATION
Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay – Videos
Tanya Read – VS
Rachelle Lee Smith – SPEAKING OUT: QUEER YOUTH IN FOCUS
The Reading Salon – PULP LOUNGE
Ruben Llanillos – SILENCE OF THE FEMMES
Sly Maria – BALLOON ROOM
Sarah Hunter – ALL ABOUT QUEER FILM & QUEER PORTRAITS
Morris Fox and Brian Schirk – RAINBOW 1.3 KILOMETERS
Sue Lloyd – FIERCE
Sonny Bean – OTHER
Israel Vazquez & Eliud Cruz – PAINTED VOICES
Matt Hovey – I FUCK FAT HAIRY DUDES BECAUSE I LIKE FURRY ROUND THINGS
Christos Pantieras – I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE GOING WHERE I’M TREADING WITH YOU
Adam Quang – # 1000 ACTS OF KINDNESS
Beau Coleman – LET ME TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU
Anthea Black and Mikiki – PASS

Confirmed partners (to date): The Gladstone Hotel (Nuit Rose hub), MOCCA, Artscape Youngplace, CAMH, The Drake Hotel, The Theatre Centre, The 519 Church Street Community Centre, City of Toronto, Ontario Arts Council.

About Throbbing Rose Collective:
Nuit Rose is organized by the Throbbing Rose Collective, a Toronto-based non-profit group of independent LGBTI artists, curators and arts producers who want to create opportunities for local and international queer artists to reach the large audience expected for WorldPride.

Founding members are:
Francisco Alvarez
John Rubino
James Fowler
Syrus Marcus Ware
Javier Espino
Kaleb Robertson
Christina Zeidler
Britt Welter-Nolan
Michael Thompson
Rune Madsen

Website: 
http://nuitrose.ca/artists
Cost: 
Free

Dot Tuer receives OCAD U Award for Distinguished Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

Dot Tuer. Photo by Christina Gapic.
Friday, June 7, 2013 - 3:00pm

OCAD University recognized Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies Professor Dr. Dot Tuer with its 2013 Award for Distinguished Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity at the university’s convocation ceremony on Thursday, June 6.

The Award is conferred on the basis of a strong portfolio of research, scholarship and creative activity, and the impact that activity has had on the broad spectrum of art and design research and practice internationally. The award also recognizes contributions toward undergraduate and graduate research and scholarly training.

Dr. Tuer’s contribution of a critical voice to contemporary Canadian art that embraces historical and cultural breadth distinguishes her accomplishments as a scholar and teacher. As exemplified by her collection of essays, Mining the Media Archive (2005), her writings explore the artistic practices of new media, photography and performance in the larger context of the Americas, and the relationship of cultural expression to issues of colonialism, technology and social memory. In the past year, her curation of the highly regarded Art Gallery of Ontario exhibition Frida and Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting represents a significant milestone of creative and scholarly achievement. This laudable exhibition followed the completion of her PhD in Latin American history.

Dr. Tuer’s colleagues regard her as a leader in her fields of study at both national and international levels. “Dot maintains both a tremendous diversity and a tremendous depth in her scholarly practice,” wrote Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences associate deans Dr. Robin Kingsburgh and Eric Nay in their nomination letter. “Her scholarly work has created value within the OCAD U community, the artistic and cultural communities of Toronto and, globally, for a number of years.”

The importance of Dr. Tuer’s scholarship in addressing Canadian and Latin American post-colonial perspectives is recognized through numerous Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council awards and SSHRC research grants. As a member of the Toronto Photography Seminar, which has been funded by SSHRC since 2007, she has pursued her research interest in photography and new media art as socially engaged practices. As co-applicant on the Canadian Consortium of Performance and Politics in the Americas — a SSHRC Partnership Grant led by Peter Kulchyski at the University of Manitoba and affiliated with the Hemispheric Institute in New York City that has just been awarded $2.5-million in funding over seven years — Dr. Tuer will play a significant role as chair of the curatorial committee and board member.

This SSHRC Partnership Grant includes OCAD U as an institutional collaborator and will offer substantial research and travel opportunities for the university’s students. This summer two OCAD U graduate students are funded through the grant to attend a course hosted by the Hemispheric Institute in Chiapas, Mexico and Dr. Tuer will join them for a capstone celebration of performance and activism. In addition, the grant will support Dr. Tuer’s participation in the Hemispheric Institute’s Encuentro hosted by Concordia University in Montreal in 2014, as well as her individual research initiatives.

For more than two decades, Dr. Tuer’s commitment to a research practice that is academically rigorous and community-based has resulted in a lengthy publication list of books, chapters in books, and essays in contemporary art magazines and refereed journals; service on public gallery boards, juries, and editorial boards; participation in research groups, public conferences, symposia, panels, and workshops; and the realization of diverse curatorial projects.  With the completion of the AGO exhibition Frida and Diego marking a watershed moment in a long and distinguished career, Dr. Tuer is at work on two new book projects, the first exploring the thematic of historical memory in Canadian art and the second the relationship of witnessing to testimony in Latin American photography.

NEW YORKER ART CRITIC PETER SCHEJELDHAL EXPLAINS CONTEMPORARY ART AND THE BAROQUE AT OCAD U

Peter Schjeldhal, New Yorker contributor photo

OCAD U is host to renowned New York art critic Peter Schejeldhal, who is, asThe Globe and Mail describes, “parachuting in to explain the drama and grandiose themes” that inspired the neo baroque artists featured in “Misled by Nature: Contemporary Art and the Baroque” at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA).

Schejeldhal talks at OCAD U on Friday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m., and the MOCCA exhibit runs until April 6.

Schejeldhal is head art critic at the New Yorker and has also written for The New York TimesThe Village VoiceARTnews,ArtforumVogue and Vanity Fair. He’s published four books or art criticism and several collections of poetry. He also taught at Harvard University. In 2008 Schejeldhal won the Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing, which recognizes writers whose work is grounded in scholarship yet appeals to a broad range of audiences.

His talk at OCAD U, “Surrounding Beauty: Thoughts on aesthetic experience, with reference to the Baroque” is presented in partnership with MOCCA as part of a series of events connected to MOCCA’s current exhibition. “Misled by Nature: Contemporary Art and the Baroque” is a collaboration between MOCCA, the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta. It showcases contemporary works by David Altmejd, Mark Bradford, Lee Bul, Bharti Kher, Tricia Middleton, Yinka Shonibare and MBE that draw upon aspects of the historical Baroque.

Learn more:

Attend the talk 

Peter Schjeldahl’s contributor’s page at the New Yorker 

NGC@MOCCA Special Presentation: Misled by Nature: Contemporary Art and the Baroque 

Find out more about Criticsm & Curatorial practice at OCAD U

Alumni, faculty named in ARTINFO Canada's 30 Under 30 list

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - 4:15pm

Alumna Sky Goodden (MFA, Criticism & Curatorial Practice, 2010), Executive Editor of ARTINFO Canada, has published the organization’s 2014 30 Under 30 list, which includes four OCAD U alumni and one faculty member.

“This year’s list is the product of long thought and good council,” said Goodden. “I’ve had input from 77 curators, artists, academics, collectors, gallerists, and writers nationwide, on the matter to hand.”

Included among this year’s selections are alumni Stefan Hancherow (MFA, Criticism & Curatorial Practice, 2013), Meryl McMaster (BFA, Photography 2010), Mary MacDonald, (MFA, Criticism & Curatorial Practice, 2012) and Caoimhe Morgan-Feir (MA, Contemporary Art History, 2012) as well as Faculty of Art Instructor Francisco-Fernando Granados.

See the full slideshow of ARTINFO Canada’s 30 Under 30 subjects.

Bloor-Yorkville presents an innovative fundraiser that brings together the worlds of contemporary art and winemaking

Bloor-Yorkville presents an innovative fundraiser that brings together the worlds of contemporary art and winemaking
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 4:00am

“Art of the Barrel” artwork to be on display in Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood then auctioned off for OCAD and Casey House
(Toronto—April 28, 2010) Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area is thrilled to present “Art of the Barrel,” a collaborative fundraiser that brings together the worlds of contemporary art and the art of fine winemaking in support of the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) and Casey House.

Twelve iconic wooden wine barrels have been transformed into exciting works of contemporary art by senior students from OCAD’s Faculty of Art, and will be displayed in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood from May 10 to 26 in anticipation of the Grand Finale and Auction on Thursday, May 27.

“Bloor-Yorkville has a long history of culinary and charitable events such as Toronto Taste and most recently IceFest, which raised significant funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario,” says Briar de Lange, General Manager of the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area. “This unique fundraiser that links art and winemaking while supporting emerging artists and people living with HIV/AIDS, is the kind of event Bloor-Yorkville is proud to support.”

Mark S. Bonham, a leading supporter of Casey House and OCAD and the former owner of Stoney Ridge Estate Winery, is the driving force behind this creative initiative. Bonham donated the aged oak wine barrels, and contributed funds for an OCAD scholarship.

“Art is an ideal way to bring people together in support of an idea or a cause,” says Bonham, Chair of Art of the Barrel. “Art of the Barrel can raise awareness for the ongoing issue of HIV/AIDS and provide a platform for emerging artists to display their creativity. As a fundraising initiative, this is a unique opportunity for art patrons to acquire original artworks that will demonstrate their passion for art, wine and vital heathcare and cultural programs in our community.”

The Barrel Art
Internationally renowned Canadian artist John Scott, an alumnus and instructor at OCAD, created the first barrel prototype. Scott has been at the forefront of Canadian contemporary art for nearly two decades and his work is much sought after by museums and galleries across the country.

Talented fourth-year students at OCAD competed for the opportunity to participate by submitting proposals, and twelve successful teams or individuals were selected to create their barrels for evaluation by an esteemed jury. Each finalist received a $1,000 award in order to create a barrel artwork. The winning design will receive a $5,000 grand prize, with additional $1,500 prizes available.

“I’ve seen the conceptual drawings for these barrels and I was struck by the extraordinary flights of imagination and creativity displayed,” says Tony Aspler, Honorary Patron of Art of the Barrel. “The twelve sculptures are a testament to the skills of Canada’s next generation of artists. They have made us look more closely at the components, as they have disassembled the wooden staves and steel hoops to draw life lessons from these workaday materials.”

The jury includes Anda Kubis, Chair of Drawing & Painting, Faculty of Art, OCAD; Ann MacDonald, Director, Curator Doris McCarthy Gallery; artist Brendan Flanagan; Francis LeBouthillier, Chair of Sculpture/Installation, Faculty of Art, OCAD; George Yabu, Yabu Pushelberg Design; Linda Book, Director, Drabinsky Gallery; Perry Tung, Perry Tung Contemporary; Tom Deacon, AREA Design Inc.

More information on the artists, their designs and their statements can be found at www.artofthebarrel.com.

The Art of Fundraising

Several barrels have already been acquired by art patrons and corporate sponsors, but a public auction will be held on Thursday, May 27, where art patrons may bid on the stunning original works of art.

Art of the Barrel Grand Finale & Auction
Thursday, May 27, 6 to 9 p.m.
The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge Street, Toronto
Tickets: $75, available online at www.artofthebarrel.com

All proceeds will support OCAD and Casey House. Proceeds for Casey House raised though Art of the Barrel directly support the Emerging Artists Collection of Art with Heart, raising much-needed funds for Casey House community programs. Those programs include nursing care, recreational therapy and street outreach. Proceeds raised for OCAD through Art of the Barrel will support student awards and scholarships, and OCAD’s ongoing leadership in innovation in art and design, collaboration and research.

Viewing the Art
From May 10 to 26, the public is invited to come to the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood to view the Art of the Barrel sculptures displayed throughout the area at venues including:

1. Hazelton Lanes, 87 Avenue Rd.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, 21 Avenue Rd.
3. The Colonnade, 131 Bloor St. W.
4. Bonhams Canada, 20 Hazelton Ave.
5. Over the Rainbow, 101 Yorkville Ave.
6. Sassafraz, 100 Cumberland St.
7. The Windsor Arms, 18 St. Thomas St.
8. Perry's Yorkville, 1250 Bay St.
9. Bay-Bloor Radio, 55 Bloor St. W.
10. Indigo Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W.
11.Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.

For more information on the Bloor Yorkville area and Art of the Barrel locations, go to www.bloor-yorkville.com. For previews of the barrels and a map, visit www.artofthebarrel.com.

 

About Bloor-Yorkville
Since entrepreneur Joseph Bloor founded the Village of Yorkville in 1830, the heart and soul of Toronto has distinguished itself as the premier shopping, dining and cultural destination in the city. The Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood is bordered by Scollard Street to the north, St. Mary Street to the south, Avenue Road to the west and Church Street to the east. For the latest information on stores, events and parking please visit www.bloor-yorkville.com.

About Casey House
Casey House is a specialty hospital with community programming including home care and outreach programs. Founded in 1988, it was the first freestanding HIV/AIDS hospice in Canada. Our commitment is to provide compassionate health care to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, in collaboration with our communities. www.caseyhouse.com

About the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD)
The Ontario College of Art & Design (www.ocad.ca) is Canada’s “university of the imagination.” OCAD is dedicated to art and design education, practice and research and to knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines. The university is building on its traditional, studio-based strengths, adding new approaches to learning that champion cross-disciplinarity, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies. In the Age of Imagination, OCAD community members will be uniquely qualified to act as catalysts for the next advances in culture, technology and quality of life for all Canadians.
 

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To book an interview with a spokesperson for Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Association (BYBIA) or for more information, contact:

Nicole Manes, NKPR
416-365-3630 Ext. 28

To meet any of the student artists or speak to a spokesperson from OCAD, contact:

Sarah Mulholland, Media & Communications Officer, OCAD
416.977.6000 Ext. 327 (mobile Ext. 1327)

To speak to a spokesperson from Casey House, contact:

Kathleen Sandusky, Communications Specialist, Casey House
416-962-4040 Ext. 297

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