Gleaner art director Neiland Brissenden’s annual chronicle of Nuit Blanche returns this month. Previously featured on the newspaper’s Twitter feed, Brissenden’s photo essay highlights installations that interacted with the audience to celebrate some of our neighbourhood’s most loved faces and spaces. —Annemarie Brissenden/Gleaner News
PHOTO BY SUMMER REID/GLEANER NEWS: The city’s first road mural was installed late last month on Baldwin Street in Kensington Market. Part of the StreetARToronto Road Mural program, the mural is the result of a collaboration between artists and the Kensington Market BIA. The mural was painted using latex paint, which is made to withstand weather elements and foot traffic for six to nine months. The City of Toronto launched the pilot project after a proposal to legalize road murals did not pass Toronto City Council. Four additional murals will be installed throughout the city under the project by the end of October.
—Summer Reid/Gleaner News
By Annemarie Brissenden
It’s hard to feel sad when playing a ukulele.
“Everyone feels good when they play the music,” laughs Sarah Bradley, a branch head librarian with the Toronto Public Library (TPL). She and her colleagues have been running a ukulele program at the Lillian H. Smith branch at College Street and Spadina Avenue that is proving surprisingly popular.
Tags: Annex · Arts · General · Life
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KYM WATTS: Laneways, porches, and garages come alive with music during Seaton Village’s Open Tuning festival. Musicians of all ages, genres, and abilities are welcome to perform during this community celebration, which is modelled on La Fête de la Musique in Paris.
Photo Courtesy Philip Desjardins
A canoeist portages across Bay Street on Davenport Road during last year’s Davenportage, an annual trek made by history buffs along Gete-Onigaming, an old Aboriginal trail that links the Humber and Don rivers. “Portage” by Philip Desjardins is one of 15 photographs that comprise Solitaire, curated by Becky Parsons for QSQ Giclee Boutique (845 College St.). This solo exhibition, which is part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival 2016, explores translations of the 18th century card game through 15 photographs presented alongside captions that suggest a range of interpretations.
Artist Jorge Molina poses on Walmer Road with some of his work. He is installing 416 canvases on utility poles throughout the city as part of his 416 Project.
NEILAND BRISSENDEN/GLEANER NEWS
By Annemarie Brissenden
Landscape artist Jill Boschulte, who works from small planes, creates monoprints, water-coloured pencil drawings, and collages. Her Furrows (above) will feature at Art Zone during the Hop.
COURTESY ART ZONE
By Annemarie Brissenden
Several local galleries are participating in this year’s Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, now in its 20th year. The largest photography event in the world, the festival features 1500 artists in 200 exhibitions across the Greater Toronto Area.
Exhibition: The Dark Room 5.0
Artist: Various
Gallery: 918 Bathurst
918 Bathurst St.
Date: May 17
Annex resident, Governor General’s Performing Arts Award Winner, and Order of Canada Member R.H. Thomson (shown here at The Green Beanery at Bloor and Bathurst streets) stars as a prominent historian and Quebec sovereigntist navigating the ravages of dementia in You Will Remember Me playing at the Tarragon Theatre (purchase tickets) until April 13. For full story, please see: What does it mean to remember?