Category Archives: Toronto galleries

June 2, 2011

For only 14 weeks, the Museum of Modern Art presents Abstract Expressionist New York at the AGO. This exhibit features an amazing collection of more than 100 masterpieces from the likes of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Krooning, Joan Mitchell, and more! Abstract Expressionism was an American painting movement that made New York the centre of the art world in the 1940s and 50s. The exhibit’s unique paintings range from high-energy to quiet and contemplative, leaving visitors with a lasting impression of pieces that changed the course of modern art.

To fully ensure optimum enjoyment of MoMA’s Abstract Expressionist New York, the exhibit is time-ticketed. With general admission fee included, tickets for adults are $25, and can be purchased online at www.ago.net. The exhibit continues until September 4, 2011.

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101. Beyond Imaginings: Eight Artists Encounter Ontario’s Greenbelt

April 11, 2011 Heikki Walden

April 11, 2011

Celebrate the beauty of Ontario with Beyond Imaginings at the Harbourfront Centre!

Eight emerging contemporary photographers have created 72 stunning images, documenting their encounters with Ontario’s Greenbelt. The photographers explore the themes of Working the Land, Natural Beauty and People of the Greenbelt. Now including 32 new summer and fall images, you won’t want to miss the beauty of our home province captured by these talented photographers. For more information on this free event, visit the Harbourfront Centre’s website.

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88. Visit A Taste of Quebec

March 29, 2011 Heikki Walden

March 29, 2011

Located in the beautiful Distillery District, A Taste of Quebec is Toronto’s only food boutique specializing in terroir products from Quebec. Featuring the finest artisan cheeses, gourmet delicacies, and other delights, A Taste of Quebec not only offers products to help you create delicious meals at home, but provides Quebec delicacies from the Gallery Café, adjacent to the boutique and located in the Thompson Landry Gallery.

Interested in purchasing Quebecois cheese, but want to sample it first? Need a deliciously hand-crafted quiche for your dinner party, but don’t have the time to fiddle with phyllo pastry? Craving a unique lunch created from the highest-quality, local ingredients available? A Taste of Quebec is all of this and more. Explore A Taste of Quebec at http://www.atasteofquebec.com, and be sure to take a look at Heikki’s interview with Thom, one of the shop’s expert operators!

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61. The JUNO Tour of Canadian Art

March 2, 2011 Heikki Walden

March 2, 2011

In case you haven’t heard, the JUNO Awards are celebrating their 40th year of awarding Canadian music right here in Toronto at the end of the month! There’s plenty going on in the city in March to mark this momentous occasion, and today’s event, the JUNO Tour of Canadian Art, promises to begin your JUNO experience on an artistic note!

A collaborative project between the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the AGO, this event pairs Canadian art with Canadian music. JUNO Award-winning musicians including Alpha Yaya Diallo, Buck 65, Dan Hill, Gord Downie (and more!) visited the AGO and selected pieces of art which were particularly meaningful for them. The exhibit includes the musicians’ recorded responses and a piece of their own music that they feel resonates with their chosen artwork, both of which can be found next to the piece of art.

This exhibit takes place in the Canadian collection and in the Henry Moore gallery until August 31. Today (and every Wednesday), admission to the AGO is free from 6pm to 8:30pm. All other days, General Admission is $19.50.

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54. Jane Ash Poitras: New Acquisitions of Contemporary First Nations Art

February 23, 2011 Heikki Walden

February 23, 2011

The Royal Ontario Museum is pleased to display four recently-acquired original works by one of Canada’s preeminent artists, Jane Ash Poitras.

These new pieces explore the impact of colonialism through the combination of personal and historic imagery, and examine the use of traditional non-Western medicines. The featured works include Buffalo Seed (2004), The Extermination (1997), Potato Peeling 101 to Ethnobotany 101 (2004) and It’s Good for Your Heart (2003).

Jane Ash Poitras has received RCA designation from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts; of Cree/Dene descent, she continues to observe and participate in the practices of various Native cultures, seeking to share knowledge of the First Nations in her art.

Today (and every Wednesday), admission to the ROM is free from 3:30pm until 5:30pm, so take advantage of your opportunity to check out Jane Ash Poitras’ fantastic works for no cost! For more information on this and other exhibits, and to purchase tickets for other dates/times to visit the ROM, go to www.rom.on.ca.

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50. Marilyn Monroe Exhibit

February 19, 2011 Heikki Walden

February 19, 2011

Starting today and continuing until May 15th, 2011, the Marilyn Monroe Exhibit at the McMichael Gallery pays respect to the iconic actress baptized Norma Jeane Baker. Renamed and recreated by Twentieth Century Fox as Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane would become a vibrant personality, sex symbol, and cultural phenomenon.

The McMichael Gallery includes approximately 150 works that highlight the innocence of Norma Jeane and the career of Marilyn, highlighting the contrasts between her difficult childhood and vulnerability, and her rise to stardom and status as possibly the most photographed individual of the twentieth century.

Featuring works by Andy Worhol, Allen Jones, Robert Indiana, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Richard Avedon, Douglas Kirkland, and many other artists, the Marilyn Monroe Exhibit has enjoyed popularity in Europe and the United States before making its Canadian debut. Entrance to the McMichael Gallery is $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. For more information on the Marilyn Monroe Exhibit and other upcoming exhibits, check out the McMichael Gallery’s website.

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30. Come Up to My Room Alternative Design Event

January 30, 2011 Heikki Walden

January 30, 2011

As the Gladstone Hotel’s annual alternative design event, Come Up to My Room showcases the collaborative efforts of designers and artists as they transform 11 rooms and create 14 public space installations.

This year’s show is curated by Jeremy Vandermeij and Deborah Wang and features design talk events and curatorial tours. Curators select designers and artists based on their past work and experience, then turn over the exhibition space with little knowledge about what the finished piece will look like. By giving the artists and designers complete freedom, the final results are challenging, thought-provoking, and extraordinary.

Today is the last day of Come Up to My Room; exhibition hours are from noon until 5pm. Tickets are $10 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased on the Come Up To My Room website.

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12. AGO’s Maharaja exhibition + Art Talk: “Indian Popular Culture and Courtly Life”

January 12, 2011 Heikki Walden

January 12, 2011

Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts is the Art Gallery of Ontario’s exploration of the luxurious lifestyle of the maharajas. This exhibit features over 200 paintings, furniture, jewelry and more, all crafted for India’s greatest kings.

Today, you not only have the opportunity to discover this opulent exhibit, you can also attend an AGO Art Talk to learn more about the modern implications courtly life has created. Led by Dr. Stephen Inglis, curator of the AGO’s Maharaja exhibition and curator emeritus at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, you’ll learn all about the ways in which Indian popular culture and tourism have been influenced by the culture of India’s kings.

Tonight’s Talk starts at 7pm and costs $18 for the general public; to find out how to register for this fascinating foray into the story behind the Maharaja exhibition, go to www.ago.net.

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