Collaborative visual poetry with Artist Yannis Lobaina - A free workshop at Remote Gallery

Date: Saturday, October 07, 2023
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond Street West, Toronto

Join artist Yannis Lobaina for this free collaborative visual poetry workshop.

Participants will work together to create a multilingual collaborative visual poetry masterpiece! This in-person gathering promises to be a unique opportunity to explore the power of words and art. Free and family-friendly!

Whether you are an experienced poet or just curious about exploring your artistic side, this event welcomes everyone.

About the artist:
Yannis Lobaina is a Cuban artist, author, filmmaker, photographer and community arts facilitator. Currently, she lives in Toronto. In her work, Yannis explores themes of immigration, diaspora, language, and motherhood. As a photographer, she focuses on minimalist storytelling photography, landscapes, patterns, sacred geometry, and pareidolias in Mother Nature. She has been recognized with several awards and grants by the TAC and OAC, which has funded her ongoing series Alive, Upside Down. Yannis has twice received the Newcomer Space Award (2020, 2022) and has been showcased at Remote Gallery (2021) and at public Library Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre (February 2023).

Yannis is a receipient of the Newcomer Space Award, a collaboration between Akin, the Toronto Arts Foundation, and the Neighbourhood Arts Foundation.

Making a Living Making Art: Taxes for Artists - a free virtual workshop on March 28

Tax season can be a stressful and confusing time for artists. Join us on March 28th at 5:30 pm for a free virtual workshop that will help you get prepared!

Do you have questions about tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to report grants, or file T4s? Shantae Cunningham, Founder & Senior Associate of Cobella Financial, will discuss some of the most important tax topics for artists. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. The presentation will show real life examples, and a Q+A will follow. Participants are encouraged to send along questions in advance for review, to erin@akincollective.com

This webinar is free and open to the public. Closed captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. The event will not be recorded, but slides may be shared with registered attendees following the event, by request.

Update March 14: This workshop is now sold out - you can sign up on the registration page to be added to a waiting list.

Click the button below to register:

About the facilitator:

Shantae Cunningham is a Seneca College graduate and is an Accounting and Bookkeeping expert with 7 years in the industry. She has worked within many industries to help them scale and grow their company from Marketing and PR to E-Commerce and service-based industries. She works with individuals and companies from freelancers to small and medium sized businesses. With uncompromising attention to detail, Shantae uses her passion for both personal and professional finance to support these businesses. Since 2018, Shantae has worked as an Independent Bookkeeper at her own boutique firm, Cobella Financial. She is analytical, experienced and known as a savvy Accountant. Her personality and business acumen sets her apart. She has volunteered with organizations such as Woodgreen Community Centre to provide tax prep services helping those in all tax situations.

This workshop is presented in collaboration between Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighborhood Arts Network and Akin, and is in partnership with Neighborhood Arts Network’s Newcomer Spotlight program supported by RBC.

The Mindful Artist: Virtual workshop with Erica Gittens - Feb 22 at 6pm

Calling all artists... this workshop is for you!

Hosted by Erica Gittens from AURA BODY+HOME, this two-hour workshop will feature a series of short lectures followed by mindful activities to integrate into your everyday life as an artist. Themes include grounding through meditation, unlocking creativity, practices to help relieve stress and tension, creating personal affirmations, and more to support your creative and personal journey. Dedicate space and time for reflection (bring a pen and notebook) and movement (standing or seated).

Erica (she/her) is a Toronto-based mindfulness artist and founder of AURA BODY+HOME for Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga. Through movement and stillness, Erica creates imaginative, mindful experiences to support the connection of mind and body as an act of self-love.

This event is hosted online and is free for Akin members, with a pay-what-you-can option for non-members. All are welcome! Participants must register through the ticket selections on this site, and links to join the workshop will be sent the day of the event.

Accessibility: This online workshop includes guided physical movements that are optional for all participants. Please note that a waiver is sent to all ticket-holders through the sign-up process. For any questions please send a message to Erin at erin@akincollective.com. There will not be an ASL interpreter at this event, but Closed Captioning is possible. Please send a note regarding any accessibility concerns in advance and we'll do our best to make things work!

You can follow Erica online at @aurabodyandhome or check out her website at www.aurabodyandhome.com. This is an Akin x AURA collaboration.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil  #BringingTheArtsToLife

Investing on a Budget: Free online workshop! Jan 24, 5-6pm

For the last of our 3-part series on Financial Literacy and Learning, Akin invites artists and the public to join us for Investing On A Budget, hosted in collaboration with facilitators from our partners at Wealthsimple. This month's session will be focussing on Investing: What is involved and how can it work for you? 

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE.

Artists may be seen as free-lance or independent workers, perhaps coming to the “business” of art without a great deal of financial literacy. As such, information and resources around investing, saving money and planning for retirement may be something many folks in our community are lacking.  

We're inviting artists to submit their questions and queries to erin@akincollective.com. Your questions will support the presentation and may be used during the Q&A period following. 

Thanks to our community facilitators Wealthsimple!  “Personal finance is the art of managing your money. How much to save, where to invest and how to budget. None of us are born knowing how to put together a smart, simple financial plan.”  Please feel free to check out their website at wealthsimple.com for more information on learning and resources towards greater financial literacy.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
@CanadaCouncil  #BringingTheArtsToLife

Akin Taxes for Artists Workshop

Tax season can be a particularly stressful and confusing time for artists, performers and other creatives. This workshop will help you get prepared! With decades of experience in accounting and taxation, Kelly Ross will spend an hour discussing some of the most important tax topics for artists including: tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to handle grants, T4s and more. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. Please come prepared with your questions, or email them in advance to erin@akincollective.com . This session will be recorded, and Closed Captions available. An ASL Interpreter will be in attendance.

Date: January 25th

Time: 6PM-8PM

Place: Online

Accessibility: This session will be recorded, and Closed Captions available. An ASL Interpreter will be in attendance.

Facilitator: Kelly Ross is the Managing Director and CEO of Ross Professional Corporation. She is a member of CPA Canada leading with strength, knowledge and passion, having over 20 years of experience in accounting and taxation. Through her career she worked in a multi-national CPA firm, then moved on to be a subject matter expert for development of an accounting program at a college. Kelly’s interest and passion for accounting came from her mother whose career was in the accounting realm. Kelly has a love for the arts and entertainment industry, which stemmed from having a father who had talent and love for music. Kelly herself played the piano, trumpet and was a dancer through her early years. Now in her downtime, Kelly can be found around the hockey rinks supporting her daughter’s hockey team and following her nephews in their live band performances. She is truly a people person and has a special skill making everyone she meets feel special.

CreateSpace Webinar: Digitizing Your Art

Hear from artists Yung Yemi and Samar Hejazi and learn how to document your work, present it digitally, and share it virtually.

Do you know how to leverage your experience as an artist working in public spaces after the installation and performance ends?

Digitizing your art through photography and sharing your creation process helps make your work interactive and available online to those who can’t experience it in person. Hear from artists Adeyemi Adegbesan (AKA Yung Yemi) and Samar Hejazi and learn how to document your work, present it digitally, and share it virtually in this 1.5 hour hour webinar that will support artists of all disciplines who exhibit their work in public spaces, through shared learnings about documenting your work.

Event Date and Time:
Thursday, April 22, 2021
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EDT

Presented by STEPS and Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network, this workshop is offered as part of the 2021 CreateSpace BIPOC Public Art Residency through Neighbourhood Arts Network’s Making A Living Making Art program.

ASL interpretation will be provided. Please email eva@torontoarts.org by April 15, 2021 with any other accessibility requests. 

TD Community Sunday: Drawing to Communicate by Dalia Hassan

Recommended Age: All Ages (Children under 10 should try this activity with an adult)

Though drawing is typically viewed as a springboard to further artistic production, this activity will explore drawing as a fundamental practice in its own right. I like drawing because it is both intuitive and forgiving. You can accidentally spill ink over a piece, but still integrate it, work with it and end up with something beautiful. Using the demonstrations below to guide you, explore different techniques and materials to see how they can all work together. You can fly solo or do this as a group activity, with participants contributing to and building on each other’s work to open up communication and response.

About the Artist:

Dalia Hassan is a Cairo-born, Toronto-based visual artist. She received her Bachelor of Visual Arts from the American University in Cairo in 2007 and has spent the majority of her career working as an independent artist in Egypt. Hassan’s earlier work explored themes relating to city life, reflecting the abnormalities of her urban environment in a fantasized setting, often with gallows humor. Hassan’s recent practice, however, has turned toward abstraction, focusing on the mind and the relationship between consciousness and existence. Her work has been exhibited in Cairo and Toronto.

Grant Writing 101 for Artists in Communities and Schools

October 2 / 6:00-8:00pm / North York Civic Centre - Council Chambers - 5100 Yonge Street, North York, ON

PWYC (Suggested Donation $5 to help defray Akin’s costs) / Please RSVP at https://bit.ly/2kDb4aB

Due to popular demand, we have decided to offer another grant writing workshop in October!

Join Akin and the Ontario Arts Council to learn more about how to apply for grants from the people that give them. Please note: this workshop will focus on grants offered by the OAC but much of the information provided can easily be applied to grants from other organizations.

Writing grants is a significant part of many artist's careers - so let's learn how to do it properly! This interactive workshop will explore the process of planning, writing and submitting grant proposals to different governing bodies. As a major funder themselves, the Ontario Arts Council provides direction and advice on the grant writing process and the various the dos and don'ts of everything from creating your budget to organizing your support material and work plan. Following this, there will be an extensive Q&A period.

Accessibility Info:
North York Civic Centre is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can assist you. Email janet@akincollective.com by September 23rd, 2019 and we will do our best to accommodate you! Thank you.

Akin Projects would like to thank the City of Toronto for their kind donation of space to host this event.

About the Presenter:
Maura Broadhurst is the Cross-Sectoral Associate Officer at the Ontario Arts Council. In this capacity she manages the Arts Service Organizations programs as well as other project programs in the discipline and activity sections of the Council. Prior to her work at the Council, Maura was the Curator at the Latcham Gallery, the public art gallery in Stouffville, Ontario for over a decade. She has also worked at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection as an Educator and Program Coordinator, London Regional Art & Historical Museums, the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Canadian Stage Company and Desrosiers Dance Theatre.

Lorelei Queen of the Whole Entire Universe Launch & Workshop!

Come one, come all! On Sunday, June 30th the Beguiling & Little Island Comics welcome David Missio and his comics making class to the shop for an event to celebrate Lorelei: Queen of the Whole Entire Universe!

Lorelei developed out of David's work with youth in the TDSB through Story Planet and the JCC after school programme where he has been teaching cartooning and story-making workshops.
Drawing with all of the students, has now drawn David to bring Lorelei Queen of the Whole Entire Universe with him to help spark ideas and give kids a place to publish their work. It's an open source shared universe that spans the cosmos!

Art from the year will be on display, a collection will be available in print and refreshments will be served as we celebrate the first art and stories for "Lorelei: Queen of the Whole Entire Universe"!

As if that wasn't enough, there will be a comics-making workshop led by one of our favourites, Georgia Weber, writer/artist of Dumb!

It all begins Sunday, June 30th at 1PM! See you there!

Make Your Own Zine April 11 w/ Althea Balmes

Make Your Own Zine w/ Althea Balmes

An assuring zine making workshop for IBPOC. This workshop will be facilitated by Akin King member Althea Balmes. This workshop is open to Indigenous, Black and People of Colour interested in creating or collaborating on pocket zines. Its small size makes it a useful tool for organizing, mobilizing or declaring your love for someone! In this workshop we’ll create pocket zines that focus on self-healing, affirmations and words of wisdom, perfect for times when you feel like your world is out of control. Just take this zine out and remember, you have a loving community who supports you.

Connect, share resources and start creating a self-affirmation pocket guide to feeling okay!

Date: Thursday April 11, 2019 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Tea Base (Basement of Chinatown Centre) 222 Spadina Ave, Unit C-15
To register, email: hello.wayf@gmail.com
PWYC (no one turned away at the door for lack of funds): WAYF is currently fundraising for future programming and would love it if folks can help us out with some donations.

Snacks and tokens provided. Please let WAYF know ahead of time of your accessibility and dietary needs. WAYF are asking folks to register so that we know how much food to prepare for.

About Althea Balmes:

At the core of her practice is the embodiment of anti-oppressive framework, process of decolonization and community building. In creating visual narratives, she explores themes and stories of migration, labour and personhood. Her work expands on the decolonial aesthetics of the Filipinx diasporic experience.

Her films have been shown at Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival, Kaohsiung International Film Festival, Scarborough Arts Bridging Festival. Her illustrations and comics have been published in Briarpatch Magazine, Rice Paper Magazine, Our Times Magazine, Carte Blanche, Looseleaf Magazine and by Between the Lines Press. As part of Kwentong Bayan Collective, she creates work with and about the love and struggle of Filipinx (live-in) migrant care workers. The Collective have exhibited works in Centre d’art la Ferme du Buisson, Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, A-Space Gallery, Blackwood Gallery, Mayworks Festival among others.

Althea facilitates workshops on visual storytelling and comics working with newcomers, youth, 2SLGBTQI+, racialized groups and under-served communities. She started the Comic- Making Workshop + Residency Program (Cup Doodle Project) in 2016 to nurture and provide a creative space for Asian youth interested in telling their stories through comics.

As a UX researcher she helps designers and developers create consensual, accessible and ethical digital experiences.

She received her B.A in Anthropology and International Development Studies at York University and her Master of Information in University of Toronto in User Experience Design.

About WAYF Collective:
The Where Are You From? Collective (WAYF Collective) is an art-based and activism program for Asian-identified people (that includes but is not limited to Southeast Asian, South Asian, East Asians, Asian-Pacific Islander).

WAYF’s work seeks to address issues of agency that Asians living on Turtle Island experience in defining our identities, visibility, and representation by offering workshops for youth, running Arts events, and creating an online platform for self-representation.

WAYF work from an intersectional, anti-oppression framework to empower Asians to develop critical art practices and build activist spaces that challenge dominant culture after decades of collective silence. WAYF’s mission is to celebrate Asian identities and achievements, build capacity for Asian-identified youth, and connect diasporic Asian communities so that we can create intentional dialogue that disrupts status quo.

Contracts Workshop For Creative Freelancers

Copyright and contractual terminology that appears in licensing contracts will be defined and explained in contextual examples. Two sample contracts will also be shown to demonstrate how to use the terminology to parse contracts given to visual artists by clients and agents/reps.

This information is catered to visual artists, most specifically illustrators, photographers, designers and those who are in the business of licensing their intellectual property. Even if participants need to consult with I.P. lawyers in future, participants would understand the legal advice they are receiving.

Where: Good Gorilla - Creative Coworking Space, LL01, 401 Richmond St. W., Toronto.

When: April 25th, 6:30-9:00pm

About the instructor

Kathryn Adams is an award-winning illustrator who began her freelance career in 1987. She has been teaching Business Practices for Illustrators at Sheridan College since 2001, OCADU since 2005 and U of T (medical illustration) since 2015. She also teaches Guerrilla Entrepreneurship at OCADU. In addition, Kathryn maintains her freelance illustration business working for a wide variety of international clients, as well as her private practice doing business consulting for artists.

Akin Creative Presents: Monotype Printmaking with Gabriel Deerman

Monotype printing is a painterly and direct process of applying ink or paint to a plate (in this case plexiglass) and transferring that image to paper using an etching press or pin press - creating one of a kind prints.
In this workshop artist Gabriel Deerman will introduce you to monotype printing with watercolour and acrylic paints. Each participant will have time to produce and print two plates, resulting in finished original works on paper.

The simplicity of the process, forgiving nature of the materials and immediate results make this technique very popular among painters and those who find printmaking to be too process intensive and finicky. While monotype is simple and direct the visual look of the prints and broad possibilities for experimental applications are limitless.

Date: April 26, 2019

Time: 6:00-9:00pm

Location: REMOTE GALLERY, 568 Richmond Street West, Toronto

$25/person - materials included - Suitable for all experience levels.
Register to attend at https://www.universe.com/monotype-remote

Provided materials:
Paper, acrylic printing ink, watercolour paint, gum arabic, use of 8"x10" plexiglass plates and etching press.

High quality Arches printmaking paper will be available for a small fee of $2 per 9"x11" sheet (store cost). Each participant will have time to print at least 2 plates. Participants are encouraged to bring watercolour paints and brushes, as well as printed/drawn images (8"x10") to use as source material (for tracing) if they wish.

About the Instructor:
Gabriel Deerman (1979, Bolinas, California, USA) has a practice that is largely grounded in painting, drawing and printmaking but recent forays into sculpture, kinetic devices and installation are leading steadily away from disciplinary categorization. Deerman completed an MFA at Transart Institute (New York / Berlin), a BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a practicing and certified art instructor and has exhibited internationally. Gabriel was the owner/director of independent arts venues in Vancouver and Montreal and is co-founder of Salmon River Studios— an educational art studio, artist residency and cultural events space located on his farm in Tamworth, Ontario. www.gabrieldeerman.com

About the venue:
This event is being hosted in Akin’s new exhibition and programming space, REMOTE GALLERY. The gallery is an accessible space. It has an accessible, gender neutral bathroom with handrails. The entrance to the space is equipped with automatic doors.

Akin Creative Presents: Pysanky Egg Decorating with Natalie Waddell

Learn traditional techniques to decorate your own festive egg! Eggs are decorated with designs in the technique known as "wax resist". Traditional symbols, designs and patterns are applied with melted beeswax using a tool called a kistka. Eggs are then dipped into successively darker dye baths. At the end of the process the beeswax is melted off to reveal a dazzling display of colour.

Most popularly known as a Ukrainian tradition this is actually common across many Eastern European countries and the practice has been around for thousands of years in celebration of Spring and fertility.

Date: Saturday, April 13th, 2019

Time: 1pm-4pm

Location: Remote Gallery - 568 Richmond St. West, Toronto

$25/person - all materials included / limited seating: get your ticket at https://www.universe.com/intro-pysanky-egg-decorating

All materials are included. Please note that we will be working with: indelible dyes, raw eggs, and a candle flame.

About the instructor:
Natalie Waddell is a Toronto ceramic artist and a passionate 'Maker of Things' currently practicing out of Akin’s King location. Always exploring different materials and techniques she saw a photo of Pysanky eggs 7 years ago and has been making them ever since.

Accessibility information can be found at http://www.akincollective.com/richmond

Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can assist. Email janet@akincollective.com with advance notice and we will do our best to accommodate you! Thank you.

Workshops for Newcomer Visual Artists →

September 5th – Staying Updated with Cecilia Garcia, North York Arts

Staying up-to-date is hard, specially if you don’t even know where to start. This workshop, geared towards newcomer visual artists, will provide tips and online resources to keep yourself up-to-date with call for submissions, work and volunteer opportunities, grants, and arts & culture related events taking place across Toronto. Participants will also have a chance to network and connect with fellow artists.

Cecília holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film studies from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil and has built a diverse portfolio working in the Brazilian film industry. After arriving in Canada in 2014, she received a diploma in arts management from Western University and has since volunteered with multiple arts organizations in Toronto. Currently, Cecília is the Program and Volunteer Coordinator at North York Arts, and the Gallery Assistant at Queen Gallery.

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September 19th – Finding a mentor with Inés Aguileta, Neighbourhood Arts Network

More info to come

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October 10th – Networking Tips & Techniques with Norma Garcia, Independent filmmaker and Arts Administrator

More info to come

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October 24th – The Curator’s role with Ellyn Walker, Independent Curator

This workshop will involve thinking through the role of the curator in relation to artists. Sharing insight from experience in exhibition planning, curating and administration, this workshop will prepare artists for exhibition-making processes in a variety of contexts. How do artists and curators work together? Where do the responsibilities of each role lie? What are the protocols and practices of the curator/artist relationship? Find out first-hand information about how artists can engage curators and vice versa.

Ellyn Walker is a curator and writer based in Toronto/Tkaronto. Her curatorial projects have been presented in artist-run centres, public space, art galleries and museums across Canada – most recently at the Thames Art Gallery in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Her writing has been widely published in magazines, journals, online and in books, such as in the recent anthology DESIRE/CHANGE: Feminist Art in Canada (2017) by McGill-Queen’s University Press. Ellyn was recently awarded the Thematic Exhibition of the Year Award by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries for her project CANADIAN BELONGING(s) presented by the Art Gallery of Mississauga in 2016. She is currently a PhD candidate at Queen’s University in the Cultural Studies program.

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November 7th – Artists’ rights and copyright with Sally Lee, CARFAC Ontario

This workshop will provide a general overview of

• CARFAC Ontario – its programs, services, resources, sectoral and advocacy on behalf of artists
• Artists’ rights – including copyright, moral rights, exhibition and reproduction right, and Artists Resale Right

Sally Lee has worked at not-for-profit arts organizations representing a wide range of disciplines for over 25 years. Prior to joining CARFAC Ontario as Executive Director in 2015, Sally held management and leadership positions at the Toronto International Film Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, where she served as Executive Director. Other groups where she has worked or volunteered include the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, the Images Festival, the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, Artists for Peace and Justice Canada, Samara Canada, Pan Am Path, BorderLines Magazine and the Women’s Press. She is a Fellow of the 2006 TAC Cultural Leaders Lab and currently sits on the board of Wavelength Music, the Visual Arts and Media Arts Committee of the Toronto Arts Council, the Advocacy Network of the Toronto Arts Foundation, the Advisory Board of Reel Asian, and the Nominating Committee of Access Copyright. She has also participated in the production of several independent films and music videos. An active member of Toronto’s independent music community since the early 90s, Sally currently plays bass and sings in the band Long Branch.

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November 28th – Artist-Run Centres with Ana Barajas, YYZ Artists’ Outlet

More info to come

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Location: YYZ Artists’ Outlet, 140-401 Richmond St W.

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

RVSP required – To register: newcomer-artists-workshops.eventbrite.com

For more information: marta.paralia@gmail.com 

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Paralia Newcomer Arts Network is a collective that supports and promotes newcomer artists in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area as well as provides resources and information on current opportunities.

Toronto Art Book Fair + Book Binding Workshop by Akin MOCA Member →

This year the Toronto Art Book Fair is turning 3! This milestone is marked by a new venue, Chinatown Centre at 222 Spadina Avenue, and official collaboration with Art Metropole, a compelling jam-packed program for the 2nd annual Art Book Week (July 4-11), and a unique roster of over 300 Canadian and international artists and exhibitors.

This year's exhibitors are a combination of first-time visitors to Toronto and familiar faces debuting new original work. This curated selection of exhibitors offers a glimpse into the experimental characteristics of the artist’s book, how the medium continues to evolve, and the ever-expanding field of printed matter. Artistic forms presented at the fair include, but are not limited to zines, comics, chapbooks, journals, silk-screen and risograph prints, photography, limited edition handmade books and art objects, stick-and-poke tattoos, social practice, performance, and film.

Also featured at this year's Toronto Art Book Fair is a unique Drumleaf and Coptic Stitch Bookbinding Workshop for Artists, lead by Akin MOCA artist Jessica Thalman. 

Thalmann will present a quick lecture on artists exploring unique sculptural elements in their photobooks. Participants will then be guided through the creation of two techniques. This workshop is suitable for artists working in a myriad of disciplines including drawing, painting, collage, photography and interdisciplinary artists wishing to create try more complex book structures. 

About the Instructor:
Jessica Thalmann is an artist, curator and educator currently based in Toronto and New York City. She received a MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York University. She has worked at the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Toronto International Film Festival, C Magazine, the Art Gallery of York University and Yossi Milo Gallery.

DIY Skateboard Workshop with Greenwood Studio →

SPRING CUSTOM
SKATEBOARD WORKSHOP

(AGES 9 +)

Imagine pulling an Ollie or a power slide on your very own custom designed deck! Using Canadian Maple veneers and a vacuum bag system, you will press your own unique pintail, old school, street deck, or penny board. Brand it with your own personal logo and graphics. Be ready to skate your own deck this summer!

Dates: 5 Tuesdays - May 22, 29, June 5, 12, 26, 2018
Time: 4 pm to 6 pm
Location: 915 Dupont Street, Toronto, M6H 1Z1
Cost: $280 + HST

No experience necessary. This program is capped at a maximum of 8 participants.
Note: Cost includes all materials to complete a skateboard deck. Trucks and wheels are not included.

Greenwood Studio is dedicated to facilitating exploration and creation in a fun and supportive environment. Their collaborative learning environment promotes playful, self-directed learning, entrepreneurial abilities, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. 

Akin Artist's Spring Courses at Toronto School of Art

Akin members Rebecca Houston, Jess Thalmann, and Candice Davies are instructors of some amazing courses happening this spring at the Toronto School of Art. Join these Spring interdisciplinary courses that follow our belief of Artists Teaching Artists!

Mouldmaking and Multiples with Rebecca Houston  
starting wednesday May 9, 6PM-9PM 

Artists create multiples to emphasize a contemplation of form, to challenge us to see difference or the unique in the face of repetition, to ask questions about value in an age of disposable, identical consumer products or as a meditation on the very process of making. In this course, we will make a series of objects using moulds in plaster and create installations with those objects. Projects will include making push moulds of symmetrical objects and creating multiples with air-drying or oven-hardening clay, making a larger object cast in plaster and a collaborative project in which students will swap cast objects. Casting in plaster has certain limitations as compared to silicone, but also certain benefits. It is cheaper, less toxic and can be used for ceramic slip casting.

Beyond the flat: The photograph as Material and Object with Jessica Thalmann
starting Thursday May 10, 6PM-9PM 

This course investigates the intersection of contemporary photography with sculpture, print, painting, drawings and new media. Since Conceptual Photography, artists have been challenging the ideas and implications of the image, pushing the boundaries of what can be considered a photograph. The inherent qualities of the medium will be explored in this class as it brings together a group of stylistically diverse but similarly innovative artists. Students are guided through technical demonstrations to alter photographs including paper folding, cutting, embroidery, surface treatments and digital interventions. Beginning with the waning days of conceptual art, this class presents a wide variety of artists including Matthew Brandt, Marco Breuer, Alison Rossiter, Letha Wilson, Sigmar Polke, Julie Cockburn, Jessica Eaton, and Gerhard Richter— all of which have reconsidered and reinvented the role of light, color, composition, materiality, and subject in the both analogue and digital photography.

Beyond the Surface: A Contemporary Approach to Drawing with Candice Davies
starting Wednesday, May 2, 10AM-1PM

This course examines the link between drawing, material and space, with a key emphasis placed on contemporary approaches to drawing. Students will reconsider the relationship between the drawn surface and the conceptual/physical concepts of form, space and display. The following questions will be asked:  What defines a drawing?  Are there limits to drawing, and if so how do you overcome them or exploit them?  What are contemporary approaches to drawing?  How can a drawing exist in space, from the space on the page to physical space of ones surrounding?  Can a drawing be a three dimensional object and how can material transform the drawn surface?  What are alternative methods of display in drawing and how can these methods enhance the drawn surface?

This course consists of weekly exercises, discussions, and group critiques. Traditional elements of drawing are utilized, such as various types and sizes of paper and the graphite pencil, providing a foundation in which to build upon. Students are encouraged to think outside the box, to think beyond traditional notions of drawing and display, in order to reconsider drawing in contemporary art.

Art Ignite Presents 'Metamorphic Reflections' - Free Portrait & Glass Painting Workshops

Art Ignite is a non-profit community arts organization that provides free or low-cost visual art workshops and exhibitions catering mainly to the Flemingdon Park community in Toronto. Many of Flemingdon Park’s residents are new immigrants living in low-income households with limited access to art activities. Led by professional artists, these activities aim to transform community spaces into creative hubs where residents can unleash their imaginations, connect with their community, gain skills, and become leaders of change.

You are invited to participate in a series of workshops on Portrait and Glass Painting from April 10-May 15, 2018 at the Flemingdon Park Library. 

The workshops will begin with an introduction to portraiture and glass painting. Participants will then engage in one-on-one discussion with they photograph each other. These photographs will then be used to paint each other's portraits on mirrors. We hope to the conversations and paintings that result from this project will change the way we view our community members and break through the socially constructed biases we have about others.

This workshop is open to all LGBTQ+ and allies. All levels are welcome, especially beginners. To find out more or register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca.

Date: Every Tuesdays from April 10 to May 15, 2018
Time: 4-7pm
Place: Flemingdon Park Library’s Glass Room (main floor)  29 St Dennis Drive

This project is funded by Ontario Arts Council.

'Whose Community?' a drop-in event at Xpace Cultural Centre on Saturday March 17

Saturday, March 17 at 1 PM - 6 PM / Xpace Cultural Centre 2-303 Lansdowne Avenue Unit 2, Main Floor / Drop-in / FREE

“Whose Community?” is a drop-in event that aims to debunk existing tensions in the word “community” while fostering an environment wherein the language of social justice and communal change is accessible to individuals of various backgrounds (including education, class, and ethnicity). 

We invite residents from the Junction Triangle, Parkdale and Bloordale to share the wealth of resources available in their neighbourhood by participating in an ongoing community map-making session. This activity will be facilitated by community members from the following local institutions:

Melody Grant & Erin Howley (Sistering: A Woman's Place)
Mercedes S. Zayas (Parkdale People's Economy)
Althea Balmes (Akin Collective Lansdowne Studios) 
Sheila Sampath (The Public)

Additionally, please join us for an art workshop hosted by Sistering. This activity is open to people of all-ages and all-skills. 

Food catered by neighbouring establishments will be provided. 

Participants can drop in at any time. 

"Whose Community?” is part of Myseum of Toronto Intersections, an annual festival of exhibits exploring different perspectives on the city’s natural, cultural, and historical diversity. We would like to thank Myseum for their generous support.

Embroidery 101 Workshop with Claire Davis of Akin Lansdowne - January 18

The Centre for Women & Trans People Collective at Ryerson University presents Embroidery 101, a workshop facilitated by Claire Davis of Akin Lansdowne. This even is a part of Resistance Through Community Building, an Art & Self-Care Night happening on January 18 at the Ryerson Student Centre. It will be an evening of events focusing on centering self-care and love, reclaiming our agency, and community love. Arts & Self-Care Night aims to create a space that prioritizes women and trans people’s experiences. Light snacks will be provided!

About Claire Davis
Claire is an embroider and textile artist. She is constantly taking in images from her environment and dreaming up ways to translate them into stitching. Claire draws a lot of inspiration from other femmes in her community and their interpretation of the world – Claire’s work commonly explores what it means to take up space as a queer woman, survivor and activist. 

About The Centre for Women and Trans People
The Centre for Women and Trans People is an Equity Service Centre of the Ryerson Students' Union and the Continuing Education Students' Association of Ryerson (CESAR). Their services include an extensive resource centre with books, pamphlets, videos, workshops, campaigns, events, free condoms, pads and tampons, a microwave, and above all a safe space for self-identified women to sit down and relax! Men are allowed to use our resources and take part in what we do, but must knock before entering the Centre due to the sensitivity of issues that are being discussed.