The Spirit of St. Clair Mural by Akim MOCA Alum

While we’re all stuck inside our homes these days looking for activities to pass the time it is still important to stay physically active so why not peel yourself off of your couch and take a trek around your neighborhood? If you find yourself in the St. Clair Avenue West area you may even spot ‘The Spirit of St. Clair’ mural at 900 St. Clair Avenue West.

Recently, Canderel and KingSett Capital celebrated the start of construction at 900 St. Clair West on with a sneak peek unveiling of ‘The Spirit of St. Clair” – a massive mural that will eventually span 55 ft. of site frontage along St. Clair West. Inspired by a 1961 photo captured by Eric Trussler of a woman waiting by the transit loop at St. Clair Station, the public art piece recreates the scene while injecting an in-colour present-day TTC streetcar, reflecting the vibrant past, evolving present, and promising future within this community along St. Clair Avenue West. 

“Through research and exploration, we noticed that although people continue to move into this neighbourhood, there’s a beautiful way that it coexists. The ‘Spirit of St. Clair’ is shifting demographics yet a strong sense of connectedness. The essence of culture within St. Clair West has, and likely always will, remain,” says Leone McComas, an artist and student at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Image source: Ziyaad Haniff

This mural was created by Akin MOCA alum Leone McComas, Liang Wang, and David (Nuff) Balogun and organized by Akin’s Ozge Aytekin in collaboration with Canderel.

Light is Magnetic - Tonya Hart

Light is Magnetic

Jan 17 – Jan 26 2020

“Light is energy. It encompasses a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation much of which exists beyond our visible experience. This is the light that can not be seen manifest in radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma rays. My art is inspired by the physics of light as I seek to find ways to portray energy. ‘Light is Magnetic’ is an exhibition that brings together my recent experiments in light sculpture. It will include sculptures that integrate light or reflective elements with other conceptual pieces that explore the connection between light and energy.” - Tonya Hart, Akin MOCA artist

Traverse waves of electric and magnetic fields are the dynamic forces that make up light. In this sculpture they are called loops or static light. The light that is incorporated into these works serves to illuminate energy and the dynamic pathways of electric and magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are, by their nature, invisible yet abound in our natural and artificial environment through the earth’s constant geomagnetic presence and barrage of technology, cell phones and personal devices that all emit magnetic fields. Recent advances in science have deepened our understanding of magnetism to embrace radical geometries and dynamism as the language of nature and technology.

Image source: DesignTO

‘Light is Magnetic’ exhibition will showcase works that animate magnetic fields and explore alternate geometries in a solid, static state. Sculptures in the exhibition will include variations of ‘Static Light’ that debut in the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2018.

This project is part of the King East Design District (KEDD). Several receptions, talks, and events will be happening for KEDD Night on Monday, January 20, 6-9pm.

Tonya Hart studied at York University in Toronto and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts degree in 1998. Her artwork draws inspiration from nature, science and light with a focus on portraying magnetism. Nature and magnetism have manifest in a vast array of articulations in her artwork and continues to facilitate the conceptual nature of her work.

Design Thinkers Toronto 2019 featuring Akin artist David Nuff

Akin artist David Nuff will be speaking at Design Thinkers Toronto 2019, presented by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD). The event is happening on October 24 & 25, 2019 at Meridian Hall and features a full program intended to connect design professionals from around the world to explore the ideas, trends, strategies and processes driving design communications. Nuff’s talk will be among many stimulating discussions about design’s impact on business, culture and social innovation.

Design Thinkers Toronto offers in-depth analyses of trends and best practices in branding, design thinking, design management, communications technologies and user experience with a range of opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues, new and old. Attendees leave with a reconsidered and refined design or creative process, feeling inspired, refreshed and connected to the creative communications community. Early bird registration ends October 7, 2019.

About David Nuff
David Nuff RGD has a hard time colouring inside the lines. His work blurs the lines between commerce and culture, art and design. For clients, he works on brand identities, digital products, murals and publications. Independently and as part of a collective, he designs interactive installations like 2017’s Shard, a giant, icy light crystal that responds to sound and motion. He is exploring spatial design and interaction paradigms at Ryerson University’s Design Fabrication Zone and developing his artistic practice as part of the 2018–19 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto.

MOCA Goes Dark: Night Visions Dance and Art Party on August 17

For the first time ever MOCA Goes Dark, and invites you to explore  the museum transformed by the artists and curators of the exhibition “An Index” from the Akin Studio Program at MOCA.

Come see MOCA transformed into an interactive art party by some of Toronto’s best emerging artists. 158 Sterling Road was once the site of illicit dance parties, raves, and punk gigs that were legendary. Taking inspiration from its past as an underground nightlife hub, we will relive this wild legacy for one night only with amazing art and music that will light MOCA up in the dark. Starting at nine o’clock, come play with artist-led interactive installations and activities on the ground floor. Dance among art with beats by DJ Lulu Wei on our black light dance floor.

This party is presented with the exhibition An Index, featuring twenty-four artists from the inaugural Akin Studio Program. An Index makes visible the labours of artistic creation through an open and honest charting of the processes, challenges, delights, and failures of making art in the city. Night Visions credits the importance of social play in creative production. For the first time ever MOCA Goes Dark, and invites you to explore the museum transformed by local artists. Cash-only bar will be available.

MOCA Toronto aims to be a barrier-free and accessible museum for all.

Doors at 9:00pm

Advance tickets are encouraged and are available at https://experience.museumofcontemporaryart.ca/452/802

$15 dollars regular, $10 MOCA members and students.
MOCA members log in first to add tickets to your cart.

MOCA Artist Series: Stephanie Avery, Raquel Da Silva and Jieun June Kim

There are only three months left in Year 1 of the Akin Studio Program at MOCA , a unique studio residency program in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada.

Akin is honored to have a remarkable group of artists as a part of our inaugural cohort and are excited to profile them here on our blog over the next few months. Today we are happy to share profiles of three of the Year 1 artists, Stephanie Avery, Raquel Da Silva and Jieun June Kim. You can click here to see all the blog posts in the MOCA Artist Series.

Photo source: www.instagram.com/stephvonawesome

Stephanie Avery

Stephanie Avery is a Toronto-based artist. Focusing on themes of play, discovery, identity and memory, Stephanie uses humour and absurdity to intervene with familiar objects and imagery to give them new meanings and narratives. Her goal is to inspire new perspectives and initiate critical dialogue about elements of contemporary culture that are often taken for granted.

www.stephanieavery.com
www.instagram.com/stephvonawesome

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Photo source: www.instagram.com/raquelnaia

Raquel Da Silva

Raquel Da Silva is a Toronto based artist, working primarily with painting and installation. Raquel has been able to combine her interests of street art, animation and acrylic painting to develop her current visual language. Da Silva's current work is an exploration of how 2 and 3 dimensional forms and shapes work together to create an environment. She uses unconventional characters and shapes as the representational figures of our environments, and how they can coexist with one another in one space. The works involve alternative color palettes and shaped canvases to allow the surface, colors and composition to work with one another to deliver the message of unity in space through shape and form.

www.raqueldasilva.com
www.instagram.com/raquelnaia

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Photo source: www.instagram.com/junekima.rt

Jieun June Kim

Jieun June Kim (b. Seoul, Korea) is a painter and muralist who lives and works in Toronto. In her paintings and murals, she explores different ideas of “home” using colorful patterns and dynamic natural forms. Since she moved to Canada in 2016, her works has been shown at notable galleries and events in Toronto and she has been commissioned to paint numerous murals across GTA. Jieun is co-founder of KJ Bit Collective who create murals and street art events such as “Laneway Light Up” project (2018). She is also the recipient of the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant from the Toronto Arts Council (2018).

www.jieunjunekim.com
www.instagram.com/junekima.rt

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You can see work by Stephanie, Raquel, and Jieun from July 25–September 8, 2019 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA) as a part of An Index. The exhibition An Index comprises work in a variety of media from sculpture, to video, to new wall murals by the first cohort of Akin residency artists who entered the year-long studio programme in September 2018.

While the participating artists’ practices range widely in terms of conceptual approach, style and media; they have also been influenced to some degree by the experience of sharing and conversing within an open-plan studio structure for the last nine months. 

Join us on Wednesday July 24 for the opening reception of An Index from 6-9pm on Floor 4 of the Museum.

SAMARA Contemporary inaugural exhibition 'Centrepiece' opens tonight featuring work by Akin Dupont artist Luke Parnell and Akin MOCA artist David Salazar

SAMARA Contemporary, a new multi-use contemporary art space located in Kensington Market, will open to the public with its first exhibition, ‘Centrepiece’ tonight from 7-9pm. Featuring work by a variety of artists working in diverse media including sculptors Luke Parnell of Akin Dupont and David Salazar of Akin MOCA.

From the elaborate to the absurd centrepieces can direct and command attention or initiate and guide conversation. A centrepiece can exist as a concept, such as a central political or social issue in a debate. It can aesthetically unite a space, or set the tone for a soirée.

Throughout history, centrepieces have been a reflection of the times, whether they be large-scale installations of the 18th century that invoked a feeling of escape into imaginary worlds, or represent a rustic tableau, implying a contemporary preference for a more simple or eco-conscious lifestyle.

With the rich history of display pieces in mind, Centrepiece, the inaugural exhibit at SAMARA Contemporary presents a fantasy world of curated islands, laden with enticing objects.

Participating Artists:
Shary Boyle
Cathy Daley
Kaley Flowers
Emily Jan
Kent Monkman
Julie Moon
Luke Parnell
David Salazar
Leo Scopacasa
Chason Yeboah

Exhibit opening: March 2, 7-10PM
Exhibit closes: March 24
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11-7pm
Gallery location: 156 Augusta Ave, Toronto


About Luke Parnell:
Luke Parnell is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist of Nisga’a and Haida descent. He is from a long line of fishermen and is Wilp Laxgiik Nisga’a. Follow Luke on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lukifer10/

About David Salazar:
David Constantino Salazar is a Toronto based sculptor who joined the Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada in September 2018. In his work he is interested in exploring the borders between necessity and excess, desires and addiction. Salazar's goal is to create work that is approachable through humour with the intent that the viewer can explore their own relationships with desire and overindulgence through his allegorical sculptures. www.davidsalazar.ca

About SAMARA Contemporary:
SAMARA Contemporary’s core mission is to embrace and support the work of national and international contemporary creators working in the field of art + design. In addition to our in-house programming, SAMARA C will work closely with exhibiting partners and guest curators to present thoughtful and engaging exhibits that will entice the art-curious and the seasoned collector alike. Located in Toronto’s historic Kensington Market neighbourhood, SAMARA C contributes to the longstanding history and bright future of the area as an innovative and inclusive hub for creative culture. www.samaracontemporary.com