Akin at The Artist Project - April 13 to 16

Get ready for the highly-anticipated return of The Artist Project at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, from April 13th to 16th! Featuring over 250 independent artists, including several Akin members, this event promises to be a celebration of creativity, inspiration, and connection.

The Opening Night Preview is on April 13th from 6-10pm, it will include a fashion show from  Fashion Art Toronto, Aura photography, Tarot Card reading, and a live DJ set. Experience a stimulating environment designed to ignite enriching conversations and foster a personal connection with art.

The Akin booth will be showcasing the talented works of members of the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG: Amada Estabillo, Jason Bomers, Tiana Robinson, Erin McCluskey, Emily MacClennan, Mel Hayes, Felicia Cirstea, Maren Boedeker, Hamid Mohammadi, Linds Miyo and Chico Togni. Find us at booth 1009 near the Untapped Emerging Artist section (featuring Akin’s very own, Sabrina Pinksen)!

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Another interesting exhibit will be the OCAD U Career Launcher Initiative, where Vladimir Kanic, the recipient of the Artist Project 2023 Career Launcher, will present Garden of Waves, as part of his ongoing body of work with algae for the 2023 fair.

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Image Description: Miles Ingrassia at the Artist Project 2022. Miles is standing in front of his paintings which are displayed on a white wall surrounding him. Miles has a tshirt on and a hat and glasses and is smiling slightly at the camera.

While you are there, don’t forget to look for Akin members and alumni at their very own booths and say hello! Akin members exhibiting include Miles Ingrassia (booth 122), Carolina Reis (booth 108), Jen Arron (booth I6), Natalie Plociennik (booth 236) and Zoe Bridgeman (booth 926) and many Akin alumni will be among the exhibiting artists as well!  

Click here to get your tickets. See you there!  

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Accessibility Information:

The Better Living Centre has step-free access to the building and is level throughout. A limited number of assisted devices are available onsite at the information desk for those who need them. Service animals are allowed into all areas of the event that are open to the public. The Artist Project is happy to offer a complimentary admission pass for the support person of a person with a disability.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

#BringingTheArtsToLife @CanadaCouncil 

Upcoming: Four Exhibitions Featuring Akin Members

Calling all art lovers and Akin community supporters! Be sure not to miss these upcoming exhibitions from our beloved Akin-folk as they showcase exciting new work.

These shows are featuring Akin Members Erin Candela, Jason Bomers, Kyle Yip, Rosemary Miguez, Cath Turl & Jeanette McLachlin as well as Akin Board of Directors member Kristina McMullin.

Image description: Mosaic tiles showing a tiger with wide eyes, biting into the neck of a sheep against a background of black tile. On the far left side of the mosaic, a tree with white buds lays in the background behind the tiger’s tail.

Other Tigers - group show and Grand Opening of The Lost and Found Project Space - featuring Akin Members and Akin alumni.

Opening of a brand new gallery and community space, The Lost & Found, run by Ceramicist Nurielle Stern. This new project space is now accepting submissions from independent curators, artist-curators, and organizations, educational institutions, and commercial galleries. They aim to provide exhibition opportunities for emerging and established contemporary artists working in any medium.

This inaugural exhibition is featuring Akin studio artists Erin Candela and Jason Bomers, along with former Akin members David Salazar and Helen Liene Dreifelds, and many more!

Opening reception: April 15, 7:00 to 11:00 pm

Exhibition dates: April 15 - May 7, 2023

Exhibition hours: Except for the opening, the exhibtion will be open by appointment.

Location: The Lost and Found, 420 Queen St E Toronto

More details about the show including a full list of partcipating artists here 

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Image description: grey banner with black geometric shapes on it and the exhibition details which are included in this blog post written in a wavy font.

RENAISSANCE SHOW - a solo exhibition by Akin Waterfront member Kyle Yip

Image description: A photograph of Kyle Yip standing in front of a pink, geometric backdrop. Kyle is wearing a black t-shirt splattered with paint and green pants. His arms are folded, he has short black hair and a slight smile. 

Kyle Yip's trans-disciplinary practice integrates eastern and western recovery-based approaches derived from gnosis and neuroscience. It plays with the new fixities of identity politics drawn from the colour-field of pop physics, combining euclidean and sacred geometry with vexillology. Some of these practices include art therapy, dreamwork, as well as meditation, reiki, and esoteric cosmological rituals that unsettle mainstream norms in contemporary art. His work addresses an urgent need in the art industry to merge explorations between personal development and avant-gardist aesthetics. This exhibition is generously supported by Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.

Opening Reception: April 22, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Exhibition dates: April 18 - May 12, 2023 

Exhibition Hours:
Tue - Fri, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sat, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Collision Gallery, 30 Wellington St W Unit G114, Toronto

Special event - Sound Bath Meditation: with The SoundBody Collective on April 29, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Get tickets here.

More details about the show here

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Cripping Masculinity: Designing Fashion Utopias

Image Description: A graphic icon featuring black and white photographs of four items of clothing. The clothing is surrounded by a sulfur coloured graphic brush stroke. The background of the graphic is hot pink.

Cripping Masculinity: Designing Fashion Utopias is a journey into the fashion worldbuilding of Disabled, Deaf, and Mad-identified men and masculine people. This exhibition showcases a selection of the everyday clothing and re-made garments from participants in Cripping Masculinity. The clothing and stories highlight the fashion imagination and wisdom that comes from the experiences of disabled masculinities, demonstrating how closing off access to prevailing systems of fashion and masculinity opens up alternatives that foster belonging, creativity, and desire for disability.

The Cripping Masculinity team is made up of researchers, designers, and activists based at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, the University of Alberta in Edmonton and Parsons School of Design in New York. The team includes Akin’s Board of Directors member Kristina McMullin.

Exhibition dates: On now until May 12, 2023

Exhibition hours: Wed - Sat, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location: Tangled Art + Disability, 401 Richmond St W S-124, Toronto

Special event - FAT Fashion Show: April 29, 2023, Urban Space Gallery, Urban Space Gallery 401 Richmond St W S-124, Toronto

More details about the show here

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Visually Speaking, a group exhibition - featuring Akin members Rosemary Miguez, Cath Turl & Jeanette McLachlin

Official Opening: April 5 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates: April 4 - 9, 2023

Exhibition hours:
Tues & Sun: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm,
Wed - Sat: 12:00 pm - 8:00pm,
Artist talks daily at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Location: Show Gallery, 978 Queen St W. Toronto

Special Event - Poetry Workshops: Friday & Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Sign up by texting 1-204-299-3904

More details about the show here

Image Description: an event poster listing the event title, artist names, and exhibition details which are all included in this blog post. The background of the poster is a light purpole colour and there are photographs on the poster showing different artworks including paintings and sculptures.

Artist Opportunities Round-Up: Residencies, Exhibitions, Art Crawls & More!

As the spring approaches, we’ve rounded up some fresh new opportunities for artists. These opportunities come with deadlines in April through August. Best of luck! 

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MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project

Deadline: April 10th, 2023 (to apply for the July 4-17th residency) 

Description: In 2023 MOTHRA will be offering four artist-parent, child-inclusive, artist residencies at Artscape Gibraltar Point. 

Find more details about the MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project here

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Image Description: A concrete alleyway facing a white building with a painted mural on it. The mural has a black background, with white clouds moving across the center, and a portrait of a woman with long black hair looking off into the distance. On the left side of the mural, words written in stylized cursive read “looking towards a better future”. On the right side, the text continues, saying “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 

Call for Mural Proposals: “Just Us” Art Project 2023

Deadline: August 15th, 2023

This call invites concepts from street, mural and graffiti artists and artist collectives committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and inspiring positive change through who they are and the work they create. Project proposals should speak to historic and current social issues and movements within Black and Indigenous communities and equity deserving groups and the importance, benefits, and opportunities to build a better future through inclusion, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

Find more details about the Call for Mural Proposals here

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The Salt Spring National Art Prize 

Deadline: May 31st, 2023

The Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP) is a biennial juried open competition focused on Canadian contemporary visual arts. Approximately fifty finalists are selected for the exhibition by an independent national jury. We invite all Canadian artists whose work exemplifies originality, quality, integrity, and creativity to submit work for consideration.

Find more details about the The Salt Spring National Art Prize here

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Image description: A busy crowd of people stand in a laneway lined with white tents at the outdoor Queen West Art Crawl. There are bright green trees in the background. Some artwork can be seen on display inside the tents.

Call for Artists and Artisans: 2023 Queen West Art Crawl Festival

Deadline: May 31st, 2023 

The Queen West Art Crawl (QWAC) is a charitable corporation that drives a number of initiatives publicly benefiting artists and residents of Toronto through art, music, and multiculturalism, including a two-day multidisciplinary arts festival stretching along Queen Street West from Bathurst to Roncesvalles in Trinity Bellwoods Park in September of each year. With attendance at 20-25k, the Queen West Art Crawl has developed over the years into an inclusive arts and multicultural festival, while staying centered around its annual outdoor art exhibition. 

Find more details about the 2023 Queen West Art Crawl Festival here

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2023 Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition 

Deadline: April 30th 2023 

The Federation of Canadian Artists is providing this opportunity for artists from all over the world to exhibit for minimal cost and a chance to win prizes for their art. This year’s theme is ‘Recovery’ Submissions must be no bigger than 8" x 10" or 10" x 8" and must be unframed. Substrates can be no deeper than 4mm deep. We frame successfully juried pieces at our gallery.

Find more details about the 2023 Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition here

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14th Annual Contemporary Juried Art Exhibition
2023 Kirkland Lake Contemporary Art 

Deadline: June 1st , 2023

The Museum of Northern History and the Contemporary Art Committee will host the 14th Annual Contemporary Art Exhibition. Artists at all stages in their career are eligible and all disciplines are welcome. Theme: “Mystique & Reality”

Find more details about the Kirkland Lake Contemporary Art Juried Art Exhibition here

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Image Description: In the foreground a person watches another, smiling in a black hoodie, pins a paper drawing to a white wall, alongside a series of drawings already pinned side by side. One of the drawings reads “Freedom”, while another contains stylized figure sketches. 

Call for Facilitators of Creative Content: Nia Centre 

Deadline: June 6, 2023

Interested in facilitating art-based workshops for youth and young creatives?

The Nia Centre is looking for enthusiastic Art Facilitators to facilitate art-based workshops for our Beyond the Books: School Engagement Program. Looking for facilitators that can lead workshops across the following art mediums:

• Film

• Animation

• Mural Design

• Photography

• Creative Writing

• Dance (with a focus on Afro Caribbean and hip hop dance)

• Theatre, Acting and Performance

As workshops will be held in person at the physical location of the school, facilitators must be available to commute to schools across the Greater Toronto Area. Short-listed applicants will be contacted for a brief virtual Facilitator Show & Share.

Find more details about the Call for Facilitators of Creative Content at the Nia Centre here

From Here to Wear community events with Akin alumni Norwin Anne on March 18 & 25

This month you can join Akin Studio alumni Norwin Anne at two free community drop-in events entitled 'From Here to Wear'. Each event offers an inclusive community space where curious, like-minded people can swap and repair clothing while also learning more about "textile waste".

This initiative aims to raise more awareness on the problems surrounding the management of “textile waste” and to help prevent them from being disposed of improperly. These events create a circular closed loop system for clothing that people no longer want, while promoting a reuse and “waste not, want not” mentality. It’s a fun alternative to shopping and an engaging way to upgrade your wardrobe — a conscious practice on how to be more intentional with the clothes you wear.

Click here to learn more about From Here to Wear.

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March 18

12pm-5pm at St Matthew’s Clubhouse, 450 Broadview Avenue, Toronto.

Click here for full event details or to register.

Presented in partnership with East End Arts

March 25

12pm-5pm at stackt Market - STUDIO 28, Bathurst Street Toronto.

Click here for full event details or to register.

Presented in partnership with stackt Market.

Images above: Black and white event posters with text that describes the event details that are in this blog post. The first poster has a white background, the centre is a black and white circular drawing of people, animals, landscapes, and various symbols. The second poster has a dark background and the image on the poster features a repeated image of a planet that creates a curving shape across the image. 

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About Norwin Anne

Norwin Anne is a Filipinx multidisciplinary artist / designer, (re)maker and eco-culture communicator. They studied Fashion Techniques and Design at George Brown College with a waste conscious approach and slow fashion mentality. Primarily working with secondhand materials, they started focusing on textile waste as a research study during school which evolved into learning more about waste generally to understand its environmental impacts and beyond. They want to continue developing their ideas and merge their knowledge of fashion with other subjects by creating wearable art and installations to visually translate complex topics through culture jamming. They always prioritize working with used objects and discarded materials. They’re dedicated to creating conceptual and functional things from what’s seen as useless. It initiates this challenge of exploring different alternatives and they try their best to avoid using new items as much as possible.

Norwin is an Akin Studio alumni from Akin Lansdowne and Akin King.

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.

Artist Faisal Karadsheh featured this Saturday at the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio & Transmission Art

This Saturday, March 4th, artist (and Akin Member) Faisal Karadsheh will be presenting his work ‘to be heard (soundwalk’in_2021)’ as part of New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA)’s annual Deep Wireless festival.

This work includes all three audio pieces from Faisal’s soundwalk project which were produced in 2021 using personal recordings of street protests in Toronto, each responding to national and/or international events. By visiting each of the three locations in the sound walk, the listener may consider how bodies connect, congregate and organize themselves together.

In the soundwalk project the process of concentrating or suppressing “voices of protest”, as suggested by Hito Steyerl, is being explored formally. The site is composed of three distinct locations within a very specific region in Toronto. The three protests transpired at varying times during 2021, yet seem to align across a section of the city. The abstracted sound works examine the process of documenting and formally articulating protests, in connection to its position within the urban fabric and sonic landscape of the city.

Image Description: The Deep Wireless logo which includes a cartoon drawing of a radio and the words ‘DEEP Wireless”

Deep Wireless Festival of Radio and Transmission Art

The 22nd annual edition of the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio & Transmission Art is presented on the theme Remote Connections with and exhibitions, performances, artist talks, an online compilation and radio programs being transmitted from and hosted at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River.

Three works from the Deep Wireless 17 Radio Art Compilation Album will be included in this in-person and online hybrid event on the theme Remote Connections. Join in person for multichannel listening or connect online with your headphones.

What: Remote Connections Concert
When: Saturday March 4, 2023, 7:00 pm
Where: Online, and/or in-person at NAISA North Media Arts Centre in South River, Ontario
To register: click here the cost is $12 per person

“Radio over its history has built societal connections across multiple and remote locations. Radio Art evolved by way of artists and writers across many disciplines adding their diverse approaches to the way time, space and content could be re-imagined over the airwaves and later over digital streaming formats. The content in this year’s festival adds to that tradition with stories told through digital interactivity, round table discussions, documentaries, interactive art, poetry and sound art on the theme Remote Connections.”

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About the artist

Faisal Karadsheh is an Akin staff member and an Akin Studio member. He is an emerging Jordanian-Palestinian multidisciplinary artist, who has exhibited work in Jordan, Lebanon and Canada. Although his work does not necessarily depict a personal narrative, lived experiences emerge as thematic starting points throughout the art-making process. Once completed, these individualized fragments in time may instigate a wider dialogue within disparate communities about tradition, the body, ecologies, and how we define ourselves as moving beings. His oeuvre continually explores in-between spaces, where interior and exterior modalities can exist as one. By attempting to search for this mode of hybridized representation, different mediums unravel interrelated narratives, or imagined histories, revolving around the self and its ties to the body. As a result, these formal investigations into spatial possibilities always seem to be contingent on a somatic subject's perceptions, as the producer or constructor of reality. Choosing a medium to express these sentiments requires openness, which leads to a myriad of forms. Learn more about Faisal and his work at faisalkaradsheh.myportfolio.com

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

Tonight! Artist Q&A with Wandy Cheng, Theresa Hopkins & Jennie Town!

Our Scarborough Highlights artist Art Talk is tonight (Feb 6) at 6pm on Instagram Live.

Learn more about the three artists below, and join them online this evening for the conversation! Questions and thoughts are welcome during the event through the live "chat" option, and by messaging erin@akincollective.com in advance. This event will take place through Akin's @akinprojects Instagram Feed. To join, please follow @akinprojects and be on Instagram at 6pm!


Jennie Town is a Scarborough-based Canadian multi media artist and Indigenous Knowledge Keeper living and working in the Guildwood community for over 56 years and counting. Drawing from her experience and learnings as an Afro-Indigenous creator and teacher, Jennie's practice has covered a wealth of mediums from ceramics, jewelry and painting to beading, leatherwork, drum-making, and a variety of craft techniques that frequently use gathered and naturally-sourced materials. A great believer in sharing the creative process and nourishing the experiences of others Jennie's role as an artist extends into community engagement through workshops, guided walks and local events. Follow Jennie on Instagram at @foreverjenniedesigns


Wandy Cheng (she/her) is a multidisciplinary illustrator from Hong Kong whose work embodies contrasting textures and repeated patterns through various creative outputs, including ceramics, paper-cut and public art. She helps local businesses create a memorable presence in their communities by simplifying conceptual ideas into vibrant visuals — an illustrator illustrating illustrations. Her work is inspired by memories of lived experiences, architectures, and environments. In recent years, her illustration can be seen both on the streets of the city and within the pages of international publications. Follow Wandy on Instagram @wandy_cheng


Theresa Hopkins is a black multidisciplinary artist and arts organizer living and working in Toronto. Her work focuses on themes surrounding identity, emotion and her interactions with the world as a black woman. Using colourful, tactile materials and subject matter, her work draws on nostalgia juxtaposed with heavy, mature themes. She has shown her work at 8-11 gallery, The Whitehouse Studio Project, Whippersnapper, The Plumb gallery and most recently a solo exhibition at The Remote Gallery. Follow Theresa on Instagram @thopkinsart



Image Descriptions: 1. Beaded earrings made by Jennie Town are hanging on the edge of a clear glass jar in front of a purple background. The earrings feature many beads with angular patterns with beaded tassels hanging from the ends. 2. A mural painted by Wandy Cheng using blue, green, white and pink colors depicting an environment centered around a waterfall leading to a lake, with plants and animals in the surroundings. 3. A painting by Theresa Hopkins hanging on a wall and brightly lit. In the painting the artist sits at a poker table in a luxury casino. She is surrounded by cartoon characters. In front of her are a stack of chips and 3 tarot cards.

Artist Talk! Theresa Hopkins, Wandy Cheng and Jennie Town - Feb 6 at 6pm

Artist Talk and Q&A: FREE

February 6th at 6pm: ONLINE through Instagram 'Live'

Please join us online on Monday February 6th for a special Artist Q&A with Scarborough Highlights artists Theresa Hopkins, Wandy Cheng and Jennie Town, who were featured participants in Akin's recent Winter Exhibition and Market at the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough. Among other things, we'll be asking what it means to be an artist from Scarborough? What kinds of experiences do artists face when practicing outside the downtown core? How can cities and organizations better support artists facing different barriers of access and opportunity?

This event will take place through Akin's @akinprojects Instagram Feed. To join, please follow @akinprojects and be on Instagram at 6pm on February 6th 2023! Questions and thoughts are welcome during and before the event through the live "chat" option, and by messaging erin@akincollective.com in advance.

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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

Over 70 artists featured at Akin winter art event!

Written by Charlotte Van Ryn

Image above: A view of the Clark Centre from the outside. The night sky is dark blue and black, and the Clark Centre is brightly lit inside. A person on the street walks towards the building.

This December, Akin is host to a Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the Clark Centre in Scarborough, nestled in the beautiful, historic Guildwood Park. It’s the perfect place to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts for your loved ones this holiday season, and view three floors of artwork on display by participating artists!

The event is highlighting Akin artists among artists from Scarborough and the surrounding area. Theresa Hopkins’ self reflective, whimsical portrait and Wandy Cheng’s floral, playful paintings were selected as featured Scarborough Artists. 

Image description: Jennie Town sits at her booth at the Winter and Arts Market. Her hair is in braids and she’s wearing a black hat and glasses. Jennie is sewing into a piece of birch bark. On her table is a large display of jewelry, dreamcatchers and handmade crafts. 

The event kicked off last weekend; upstairs, the market was in full swing. Prints, ceramics, even holiday decorations were on full display. Jennie Town, pictured above, had a beautiful selection of birch bark earrings, dream catchers, handmade deer hide drums and willowwork.  A multidisciplinary indigenous artist, and a Scarboroughlocal, Jennie is passionate about Guildwood park and the Clarke Centre, for which she attended the local planning meetings before it was built. 

Image Description: A long white wall inside the Clark Centre displays a series of hanged paintings. Two people stand in front of a large painting at the end of the hal

Paintings and sculpture cover the walls on all three floors of the Clark Centre. Notably, the exhibition Through A Hundred Windows features work from artists who were given the same base material, a wooden “window”,  but styled their own way.  Hung side by side, they create a unified, yet singularly unique look. Through a Hundred Windows will be up all month - all works are for sale directly through the artist and 100% of the proceeds from every sale go direct to the artist. Interested in purchasing work from the exhibition? Click here to see a list of participating artists. 

If you missed last weekend’s market, fear not! There’s another weekend market coming up, December 10 and 11 from 11-6 to pick up holiday gifts for friends and family. The exhibition will be up until December 18th, and can be visited any day of the week. Click here to find out more about the event and the participating artists. 

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

Akin Winter Arts Market and Exhibition - Opening Reception on Saturday December 3!

Image above: a slideshow of images showing work by participants of the Akin Winter Arts Market

Akin invites you to join us on Saturday December 3 from 1-3pm for the opening reception of the Akin Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the Clark Centre for the Arts, 191 Guildwood Pkwy, Scarborough.  

Drop in for live music and shop for a variety of beautiful gifts at the Arts Market for our opening day! You can also enjoy browsing the exhibition ‘Through 100 Windows’ featuring members of Akin’s studios as well as local creatives from Scarborough and surrounding neighborhoods.

In conjunction with this event, a selection of art work by studio members belonging to the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG will be featured on the 3rd floor of the Clark galleries, as well as work by Special Highlights Scarborough artists Wandy Cheng and Theresa Hopkins.

From paintings and prints, to ceramics and textiles, we hope to present a gorgeous and colorfully integrated expression of artistic talent to warm hearts as we head into the winter months.

The Akin Winter Arts Market and Exhibition is happening from December 3-18. Click here for full details including a list of partcipating artists.

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

The Akin Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the Clark Centre For the Arts! December 3-18

Akin is very pleased to invite art-lovers, artists, and the public at large to an exciting new initiative and collaboration with the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough!

• When; December 3-18, 2022

• Opening Reception: December 3, 2022 from 1-3pm

• Where: Clark Centre for the Arts, 191 Guildwood Pkwy, Scarborough

• What: Arts Market (December 3, 4, 10 and 11) and Group Exhibition (December 3-18)

• Hours, Exhibition: ‘Through 100 Windows’ December 3-18th from 9am-4pm

• Hours, Market Days: December 3 and 4 & 10 and 11 from 11am-6pm

• Admission: FREE!

Akin will be hosting a public arts event at the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough, featuring art by local artists around the GTA. Artists of all levels of experience and expression will be exhibiting and selling work through the Winter Arts Market and Group Exhibition. We hope that you will join us in celebrating their achievement!

Featuring members of Akin’s studios as well as local creatives from Scarborough and surrounding neighborhoods, artists and creatives of all mediums will be participating in an interdisciplinary wall installation of art panel hangings on the walls of a professional gallery, and at the market offering handmade crafts, art and objects to the public over 2 weekends. From paintings and prints, to ceramics and textiles, we hope to present a gorgeous and colorfully integrated expression of artistic talent to warm hearts as we head into the winter months.

‘Through 100 Windows’ is a collaborative art project, aimed to highlight the harmony, beauty and hope of a community of artists who continue to share and exchange their ideas; collectively resilient and active. Taken on their own, each work is a window into an individual experience. Seen together, we are a vision of combined colour, strength and power. 

In conjunction with this event, a selection of art work by  studio members belonging to the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG will be featured on the 3rd floor of the Clark galleries, as well as work by Special Highlights Scarborough artists Wandy Cheng and Theresa Hopkins  

Join us for the opening reception on December 3rd 2022 1-3pm, and drop in for live music and a variety of beautiful gifts at the Arts Market on the weekends of December 3/4th and 10/11th, from 11-6pm! The exhibition will be open during regular Clark Centre hours (9am-4pm) during the week as well as weekends (11am-6pm).

Accessibility & Site Address: 
The Clarke Centre has elevators to all three floors, barrier free washrooms on each floor and automatic doors on the bathrooms and the front entrance. Located at 191 Guildwood Pkwy, The Clark Centre for the arts has free but limited parking. By TTC: from Kennedy Station, take the 116 bus to Guildwood Pkwy at the Guild Inn stop.

Thank You:
Thank you to all of our community partners and the many artists and supporters who’ve come together to share this beautiful event, including local musicians Rudy Ray’s Duo and Aaron Ridge, and participating vendors.  Particularly, we are grateful to the talented and friendly staff at the Clark Centre for the Arts, who have contributed a great deal and offer a wealth of experience and grace.

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

Akin Open Studio Day!

In conjunction with the many arts and culture festivals that are hosted every fall (from the @queenwestartcrawll to @nuitblancheto and @culturedays to name a few), Akin would like to invite the public and its community to visit the place where art and culture is made - the studios! 

This October we'll be opening the doors of two west-end locations: Akin Stockyards (at 2231 St.Clair West) and the Akin Studio Program at the AUTO BLG (158 Sterling Rd. 4th floor). For those of you who are not artists yourself, or for a creative individual who is thinking about getting a studio of their own, this is an excellent opportunity to see what a collective art space looks like, as well as to browse the many artistic creations and meet the artists who make them in person. 

So pop the date in your Calendar and come say hello. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Let's Have a Summer Party!

🎉LET'S HAVE A SUMMER PARTY 🎉

Summer is here in all of its glory and we want to celebrate the opening of Akin Stockyards with you in this FREE community and family event! Come meet the Akin members in an open studio along with food, live music from Astrosurf, and a community paint wall for you to participate in.

We will also be having a special visit from Councillor Frances Nunziata, and will be hearing from them, our event sponsors from Marlin Spring and some familiar Akin faces.

When: Wednesday July 13th 2022

Time: 4:00PM - 7:00PM

Address: 2231 St. Clair Ave West

We're so excited to celebrate with you 🥳🎊🎈

Invite your friends on social media through our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter posts!

AACT & Asian Heritage Month!

We’re so excited to be in partnership with AACT and their month long programming to celebrate Asian Heritage Month!

To celebrate the 20th Asian Heritage Month in Canada, in May 2022, AACT has an exciting lineup of upcoming exhibitions, workshops, and events. Mark your calendars for a month of free public programming this May for the following dates:

• May 7: Community Care Art Workshop at Tam Cafe

• May 7-30: Gentle Care Exhibition at the Akin Vitrine Gallery

• May 13-22 Travelling Through: Conversation with Elders Exhibition at TIFF Bell Lightbox

• May 14 as Community Mosaic Art Workshop

• May 27-29 as Nostalgia: In Search of Familiarity at Akin Remote Gallery

Stay tuned for the more details on our social media or learn more at their website link.

Love Letter to your Art Practice

Do you hold love for your art practice? How do you recognize it? How do you show it? A Love Letter to your Practice facilitated by Yasmeen Nematt Alla, invites artists, makers, and creatives to join us for a writing and meditation workshop to celebrate the love we hold for our art practices. For most of us, our practices have supported our passions, our livelihoods, and our mental health. We hope to spend time together gathering as we discuss ways to show care to the very things that push us forward.

This event will take place online on March 9th at 6PM to 7:30PM.

Please join the event with a writing or drawing utensil and some paper.

You can sign up in our link: http://ow.ly/eERM50I3TwH

Yasmeen Nematt Alla(she/her) is an Egyptian immigrant and settler living in Tkaronto, Turtle Island (colonially known as Toronto, Ontario). Her practice centres alienated collectivist narratives from an immigrant’s and an interpreter’s perspective. As someone who lives between cultures, she deciphers language barriers attached to togetherness through textiles, performance, and reactive sculptures that are often situated in social practice. She wonders how translation, experiences, and visuals intertwine with care, grief, and community building.

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.