End of Year Round Up & Happy New Year!

There are only a few hours left ‘til 2020 and we can’t wait to ring in the new year! This past decade, Akin’s first, has brought endless joy and creative challenges and our community has embraced them all with ease. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the next decade and see what opportunities it brings.

2019 has been an exciting year for Akin, with many changes, new initiatives and partnerships. Over the course of the last 12 months we have welcomed many changes with open arms…

We expanded Akin Ossington twice with huge thanks to our friends at TAS Design Build, making it our largest location as of June 2019 and home to over 40 artists, from ceramicists and prop makers to painters and photographers.

We said goodbye to our King Street location at 511 King Street West and expanded one of our east end locations, Akin River, with thanks again to our friends at TAS Design Build, now home to over 25 artists, from sculptors and textile artists to designers and print makers.

We opened a new studio location just around the corner from our old King Street location, Akin Richmond, with thanks to our friends at the Toronto Arts Council now home to a small community of mixed media artists and digital creators.

We also celebrated the opening of Akin’s first event rental space, REMOTE Gallery (located next door to Akin’s Richmond studios at 568 Richmond Street West) dedicated primarily to local programming initiatives and creative exhibitions, among other projects. Our inaugural group show at REMOTE, ‘Movement’ opened in March 2019 and featured new works from 7 Akin artists. You can expect a full calendar of events at REMOTE Gallery in 2020 including exhibitions, pop-up shops, workshops and more!

Akin staff and studio members presenting at Art Chats, 2019

We were over the moon to participate in the 2019 edition of the Artist Project as the non profit partner for this year. This unique opportunity provided 10 selected Akin artists with the opportunity to present new works to the public, 3 of which also joined us in a thought provoking discussion on the role of studio spaces in the artistic community. You can catch us again in the new year at the Artist Project 2020.

We began raising money for Akin’s Rent Relief Fund in collaboration with our friend Rania El Mugammar and a number of generous individuals. This unique fund has been launched as part of our ongoing Equity and Inclusion work at Akin, including our recent demographics survey report - which highlighted the needs and experiences of our community. We intend for the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund to reduce barriers for Akin studio members and create opportunities for marginalized communities. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing, as needed, basis when funds are available. The fund will officially launch once we have raised $3,000.

Guests busy crafting at the Akin Turns 10 Party & Fundraiser, 2019

We had a wonderful time providing our community and members with free and low-cost programming throughout the year including but not limited to: our Winter Art Crawl at 401 Richmond, Life Drawing at Allen Gardens and Earth Hour Show & Tell at Akin St. Clair.

The Akin team expanded in May of 2019 to help serve our community better. We welcomed new staff, Ozge Aytekin, Laura Kay Keeling, Soroush Dabiri, and Hana Elmasry as other roles changed and developed within the organization.

We celebrated the opening of our first Etobicoke location, Akin Lakeshore, in August 2019, now home to a number of artists and designers from the community. There are still a few studios available at this location - get in touch with us if you are interested in a tour!

We continued working with our community partners and also welcomed new partnerships with collaborators including our friends at the Gardiner Museum and MOCA Toronto to the Ontario Arts Council, OCAD and Art Books and more!

Akin celebrated our 11th birthday in November 2019, jump starting our second decade ahead of the new year.

We watched and cheered as artists from our community championed their practices, creating programming and exhibiting works for local, national and international institutions from public libraries and schools to art galleries and museums, including but not limited to: the Toronto Public Library, MOCA Toronto, the MacLaren Art Centre, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Ontario Science Centre, Dutch Design Week, SCI-Arc and more! Many members of our community also created works and programming for local events like the Gladstone Hotel’s annual event Grow Op, CONTACT, and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Click here to see what the Akin members have been up to lately.

We welcomed the 2nd cohort of our Studio Program at MOCA Toronto. The studios at MOCA are now home to over 25 practicing artists working in a multitude of medias. We also celebrated the end of the 1st cohort’s residency during their group show ‘An Index’ on MOCA Toronto’s 4th floor.

Akin is thrilled to welcome Wyandot multimedia artist and Tradition Keeper Catherine Tammaro (Taǫmęˀšreˀ) to our organization as our inaugural Indigenous Elder Artist in Residence, 2019

We sought out new training opportunities for our staff, working with local experts and organizations like the Dandelion Initiative, Rania El Mugammar, Tanya Neumeyer, Catherine Tammaro and more! This cumulative training has provided Akin and it’s staff with the opportunity to develop new protocols and processes for embracing our community and it’s ever changing needs.

We launched the call for our new Studio Residency at Collision Gallery - Commerce Court. The call for applications is open until January 10th 2020, with the studio space planned to launch in March 2020.

And finally, we rang in the holidays with our annual holiday market + party, this year at MOCA Toronto with over 20 current Akin artists and our friends at Art Metropole and Forno Cultura.

10 of the 11 Akin staff, members, 2019

From our family to yours, happy new year! May the next decade bring you many exciting opportunities and inspiration for new projects.

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To inquire about studio space at any of our 10 locations please visit us here or email us at info@akincollective.com.

To inquire about REMOTE Gallery rentals please visit us here for more information or email us at gallery@akincollective.com.

Interested in supporting Akin’s Rent Relief Fund? Click here to donate.

Put that 2020 agenda to good use and don’t forget to apply to Akin’s Studio Residency at Collision Gallery (Commerce Court). Learn more about this opportunity here.

Akin's 2018 Summary Report

Looking back, 2018 marked another exciting year for Akin (our 10th birthday!) and, as we have done previously,  we wanted to be open and share a bit of an update including the yearly financial results of our non-profit Akin Projects. As a very small artist staff and a volunteer board, we’re glad to share this information with you even though it’s later than we had hoped. We wanted to be sure that we put this all together as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible.

Reviewing the charts below, you will see that the most significant cost incurred is the rent paid to Akin’s landlords. Other substantial costs include staffing to run both the studios and programming, utilities, insurance, studio supplies, repairs and maintenance. All of this amounts to 75% of the rent artists pay for their space going right back into facility costs. Our organization remains entirely artist run, with our seven staff (in 2018) and now eleven staff balancing their artistic practices with their work for Akin and for the artists we serve.

 In 2018 Akin Projects was fortunate to receive one time support from the Metcalf Foundation’s Inclusive Local Economies Program- aimed at improving the economic livelihoods of Toronto’s working poor. These grant funds were used to work with NetGain Partners to assess and restructure Akin Projects with the aim of increasing our overall sustainability and ability to support the artists we work with, especially by building our partnership with MOCA Toronto (more below). With 40% of members at Akin identifying as working at or below the poverty line in our Demographics Report we strive not only to continue to provide low-cost studio space, but also professional opportunities for our member artists with $12,282 being paid out in 2018 as CARFAC and other artist fees.

Other major work that began in 2018 and remains ongoing has involved learning about and identifying the ways in which Akin Collective and Akin Projects work together. As of 2020 the collaborative relationship between the sister organizations will be detailed in a service agreement that will see Akin Collective principally facilitating space on behalf of Akin Projects which will allow both organizations to better support one another and the arts community on the whole.

Major 2018 milestones include renting half of the fourth floor of MOCA Toronto (our first space in a museum!) to launch the Akin Studio Program at MOCA- providing 32 artists around-the-clock access to studio space in the museum at the same rates as all of Akin’s other locations. The first year of this exciting program culminated in an exhibition showcasing many of the artists’ work in, ‘An Index’ that we hope you had a chance to see this past summer! Last year also saw Akin relocate over 100 artists facing the loss of their studio to a new space- Akin King- located in the center of the city near King & Spadina thanks to a unique partnership with Allied Properties REIT. Akin’s Co-Directors Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers also headed to Ottawa to make an address to The House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the need for creating and preserving artistic space across our country.

In total, Akin Projects featured 133 artists in exhibitions, presentations, and artist markets in 2018, while offering over 70 events and programs to roughly 3,000 attendees including various creative and professional development workshops and lectures, museum collaborations, public mural projects, earth day community clean ups, a winter clothing drive and a series of free programs at multiple CAMH locations.  We are also thrilled to have had Rania El Mugammar join our team last year as a consultant focused on our ongoing equity and inclusion work, the development of the inaugural Indigenous Elder Artist in Residence program with artist Catherine Tammaro (Taǫmęˀšreˀ) and the creation of a safe space policy, the results of which can be found here,

If you have any questions about our the information shared here or ideas for Akin as we move forward, please get in touch with us. 

We’re so grateful to all of our studio members, attendees of our programmed events, partner organizations and supporters of Akin. The support of individuals like yourselves is incredibly important for Akin as we continue to grow and evolve in 2019 and 2020, now over 300 artists strong. With your help, we can continue to serve the artistic community and to impact artists directly in ways that increase the creative vitality of Toronto. Please click here to learn about ways in which you can contribute.

Thank you,
Your friends,
The Akin Projects’ Staff and Board

Notes:

Akin studio members pay an average rent of $26 per square foot per year, including the communal space within the studios.


Akin studio rental prices include:

• 24hr access

• Taxes

• Insurance

• Wifi

• Utilities

• Maintenance and management

• Storage

• Kitchen

• Bathroom

• Communal working area

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Akin Projects 2018 Programming Highlights

Akin St Clair mural launch in partnership with Street Art Toronto

Embroidery workshop with artist Claire Davis at the Toronto School of Art

Desire Lines Exhibition at Steamwhistle Brewery in partnership with Neighborhood Arts Network

Akin Show & Tell at Akin Lansdowne

Toronto Arts Foundation's 2019 Toronto Arts Stats

Art Stats 2019 turns its lens to artists and arts workers. This report brings together results from a public opinion poll that surveyed over 1500 artists and arts workers to ask questions about costs of work space, homes, essential training and income.

Since 2013 Toronto Arts Foundation has been working with Leger to research public opinion about the arts and document the findings in our popular Toronto Arts Stats booklets. What has emerged is a record of the appreciation Toronto residents feel for the arts and an understanding that the arts add value to their lives and the city far beyond economics. For many, the arts are a defining asset of our city.

This year, for the first time, we examine the city from the perspective of individual artists and arts workers. The results of the 2019 survey are sobering. Bearing disproportionately high costs for both work space and essential training, and burdened by disproportionately low incomes, many Toronto artists believe they cannot sustain a living and are considering leaving the city.

As with most research undertaken by Toronto Arts Foundation, the learning gleaned from Arts Stats 2019 will be applied to future planning. Just as Neighbourhood Arts Network was created to respond to the needs of artists located outside Toronto’s core, and Arts in the Parks to offer accessible programming for under-served communities, the Foundation will work with this data and with other partners to explore solutions. We applaud those who are currently engaged in finding solutions and thank them for their vital leadership.

'Tis the season for gifting!

Still on the lookout for that perfect gift for your sibling, friend, or studio mate? Look no further! Akin has you covered this year with gift certificates that can be applied to both shared or dedicated studios spaces at any of Akin's locations (excluding studio residency programs) and at Akin's REMOTE Gallery. You choose the value and the certificate never expires, great for now or planning for the new year!

This year you can also opt to donate a gift certificate of any value to Akin's Rent Relief Fund to help a local artist in the future.

In collaboration with Rania El Mugammar the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund has been established by Akin Projects to provide current Akin artists and creatives with anonymous, one time emergency grants of $150 - $300, in hopes of offering short term financial aid towards one month of studio rent in unexpected situations or times of financial instability.

This unique fund has been launched as part of our ongoing Equity and Inclusion work at Akin, including our recent demographics survey report - which highlighted the needs and experiences of our community. We intend for the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund to reduce barriers for Akin studio members and create opportunities for marginalized communities. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing, as needed, basis when funds are available. The fund will officially launch once we have raised $3,000. We have currently raised almost 50% of our launch goal!

Ideas Forum: Materializing the Future

‘Ideas Forum: Materializing the Future’ features seven fast-paced and fun presentations (20 slides shown for 20 seconds each) exploring the themes and questions from DesignTO’s exhibition ‘Future Retrospectives’ with a focus on materiality.

Discover the process behind educator David Correa’s (University of Waterloo) exploration on innovative material fabrication methods and Lauren Abrahams’ (Public Work) research on terrazzo. Educator Kazmy Chi (Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico) speaks about her research into biomimicry and how biomimetics can create sustainable materials for the future.

Founding partner of gh3* Pat Hanson speaks about her work on the Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool in Edmonton, while artist and curator Jessica Thalmann of Akin Ossington shares her process of reconfiguring iconic Brutalist buildings through folded sculptural forms. Quadrangle's Richard Witt discusses heavy timber construction through case studies of built work, and Chris Pommer speaks about material memory through the work of the interdisciplinary studio PLANT.

One Tender Night by Akin Lakeshore's Jessica Hiemstra!

One Tender Night

Thursday December 5th at Super Wonder Gallery

Poetry and visual art by Jessica Hiemstra with an electrifying performance by SPECIAL GUEST singer/songwriter, Nicky Lawrence.

FREE ADMISSION. CASH BAR.
Original art, books and music for sale.

All are welcome.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JESSICA HIEMSTRA of Akin Lakeshore is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist whose work has appeared in galleries all over the world, among them Australia, Sierra Leone, Edmonton and Vancouver. She is also an accomplished showroom artist and set designer with experience creating everything from tidal waves using shims to giant iridescent octopuses. She likes using reclaimed house paint, discarded objects and single-use plastic. Since 1998 Jessica has published three full-length collections of poetry and edited numerous anthologies of poetry and creative non-fiction. Jessica likes what Paul Klee once said about art – that one eye sees, the other feels. Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces - from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas. One of the things people often ask Jessica is “what’s the difference between all the things you do?” Jessica doesn’t distinguish much between her mediums. She chooses the best medium for exploring whichever question, concern or exaltation is most pressing to her in the moment - from delight in the body to sorrow and anger at how poorly we care for our world and each other. Sometimes she uses words, sometimes pencils, sometimes paint. In 2019 she started tearing her paintings and stitching them back together. She is delighted to be presenting her most recent work for ONE TENDER NIGHT at the Super Wonder Gallery. To visit Jessica online: www.jessicahiemstra.ca

NICKY LAWRENCE is a moody, tender, tour de force of a performer and vocal artist. Moved to sing by the black women who sang before her and who continue to sing within her, Lawrence’s voice will grab you by the throat with the force of its pain, beauty, rage and ultimately—love. Brimming with the longing, courage and despair of her jazz and blues heroes—Nina, Etta, Ella—Lawrence’s original songs are devastatingly elegant and sensual, lit by the fires of the past alongside the aching light and hope of the future. Lawrence’s vocals are redemptive; with the release of her single, The Ugly Black Woman, Toronto audiences are invited to witness an excavation of truth and history that will cut the heart open and begin to heal us all. Follow Nicky online here: thenickylawrence

Akin's Winter Programming Announced!

Akin is gearing up for a winter season chock full of exciting programming within Toronto's vibrant arts scene. Rather than hibernating until April, we hope that you will bundle up, brave the cold and join us for these upcoming events.

Show & Tell: Handmade Gifts at Akin Ossington | December 4th, 6-8PM, 888 Dupont Street

This month Akin is hosting a relaxed and fun ‘Show and Tell for Artists’ at Akin's Ossington studios (888 Dupont Street). This month's Show and Tell will feature a holiday twist! Artists are encouraged but are not required to share works that they are planning on gifting this holiday season.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is a FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The December edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Ossington at 888 Dupont Street in unit 100.

Accessibility Information:

Akin Ossington is not currently wheelchair accessible. Akin regrets this barrier to access. There is a loading bay on the east side of the building. 

About Akin Projects

Akin Projects is an arts programming organization and registered nonprofit established for the purpose of providing both creative and professional development opportunities to members of Toronto’s artistic and cultural community. 

Akin's Holiday Card Making Party | December 6th, 6-8PM, 2970 Lakeshore Blvd W

Akin Projects is feeling festive and excited to present this casual crafting and card making party! Join us in the studio and make a card (holiday-themed or otherwise) for your best friend, neighbour, significant other, or a complete stranger! Some materials provided.

PWYC/Free, but please register at: http://tiny.cc/971ggz

BYOS- Bring your own supplies! Akin will have scissors, colored paper, pencil crayons, markers and pens ready but encourage everyone to bring extra!  Bring a friend, a snack or drink, and your creativity!

Accessibility

Akin Lakeshore is located on the third floor of the building and there is no elevator. Akin regrets this barrier to access. There is a ramp entrance to the building and then 38 steps to access the studios on the third floor. There are 3 gender-neutral washrooms in the studio space. One of the bathrooms has grab bars, the other two do not, and the toilets are not raised. The doorway to the kitchen is narrow, measuring approximately 24 inches across

For additional accessibility information and directions, please visit https://www.akincollective.com/lakeshore

Akin's Annual Holiday Market + Party | December 14th, 10AM - 5PM, 158 Sterling Road

Akin invites you to join us on Saturday, December 14th at MOCA Toronto for a day of good cheer at the Akin Holiday Party and Artist Market.

Free / All Welcome! Kid friendly!

In 2019 Akin collaborated with some amazing partners, said goodbye to one of our most central locations, opened a new studio,  (Akin Lakeshore in South Etobicoke), turned 11 years old, and welcomed many more artists to the studio community. This event is a celebration for members from all 9 Akin studios, as well as our neighbours, community partners, friends and family.    

MOCA Toronto will be open from 10am to 5pm. Come and stay for a while. Mingle, enjoy the museum, offerings at Forno Cultura and browse the market featuring art and objects by members of Akin’s community!

Artist Market Vendors:

• Linds Miyo

• Heavy Flow

• Felicia Cirstea

• Purple Fig Pottery

• 83 Studio

• Studio Indent

• Mayli Makes

• SIX-REALMS

• Goodplace Studio

• Sadia Fakih

• Erin Candela

• Jocelyn Hirtes

• The Otter Potter

• Foot-to-Face

• Sarah Moreau

• Tonya Hart

• Jenn Woodall

• Dalia Hassan

• Leesa Coleman

• Jill Smith

Dress festive, fun or fancy! Children of all ages welcome, but please no pets. This year we will also be collecting gently worn or new hats and mittens for Sistering. Gently worn items must be washed.

Accessibility:

MOCA Toronto aims to be a barrier-free and accessible museum for all. Each floor has elevator access. There are two wheelchairs that are available to borrow. Service animals are welcome.

Akin's Winter Art Crawl | January 18th, 1-4PM, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street

Akin Projects invites you to join us for special tours conversations during the 2019 edition of DesignTO in the Queen West area - an Akin Art Crawl focused on local design in alternative spaces!

Come along as artists, curators and staff provide special walkthroughs and tours of their special festival exhibits and projects.

Crawl Schedule

1:00PM - Visit Artscape Youngplace for ‘Can’t Say Nothing (Lorem Ipsum, Moving Patterns)’

1:30PM - Visit 55 Ossington Avenue for ‘Daydream Under the Penny Vine’

2:00PM - Visit 1010 Queen Street West for ‘(AI) – Aesthete’s Items’

2:45PM - Visit Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue (BAND) 19 Brock Avenue for ‘Akwaaba | Welcome Home.’

3:30PM - End the crawl at the Gladstone Hotel for ‘Come Up to My Room’
 

PWYC (suggested $10 donation), but please register at: 

All are welcome, open to the public. The more the merrier!

Any attendees who wish to explore ‘Come Up to My Room’ at the Gladstone Hotel at the end of the crawl must purchase a special discounted ticket here http://tiny.cc/g09vgz. Please be advised that not all areas of the building are open to the public.

Accessibility Information:

TBA

Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can do our best to assist you. Please email janet@akincollective.com at least one week before the event and we will do our best to accommodate. Thank you!

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise | January 26th, 12-2PM, 100 Sunrise Avenue

Kick off the new year and your new projects with Akin for our next Show & Tell session at our Sunrise studios (100 Sunrise Avenue). This is a time for Akin members and other Toronto artists to show completed works or works in progress and get friendly feedback and answers from their peers in a casual studio setting.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The January edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Sunrise at 100 Sunrise Avenue, Unit 106.

Accessibility Information:

There is step free access to the main entrance located at the side of the building parallel to the parking lot. The first door on the right hand side, once in the main entrance, is access to the studio. The studio entrance requires a key and there is no button to open the door, so someone may require assistance. There are narrow aisles and sharp turns to get into the gender-neutral washroom within the space. There are no grab bars in the bathroom and the toilet is not raised. There is a small lip on the floor upon entering the bathroom. Akin does have access to a wheelchair accessible gender-neutral washroom in the hall across from the Akin studio within the building. The space is not ideal for people with sensory processing issues, due to the white noise in the building.

Save the date!

Akin Lansdowne Farewell Party, 87 Wade Avenue | January 31st 2020 | 8PM til late

Details TBA

Valentine's Card Making Party | February 12th, 6-8PM, Akin St. clair, 1747 St. Clair Avenue West

Akin Projects is excited to present this casual, drop-in crafting party! Join us at Akin St. Clair (1747 St. Clair Avenue West) and make a card for your best friend, neighbour, significant other, worst enemy or a complete stranger! All materials are provided. Please note this is a 19+ event.

Participants will be provided with one card per PWYC donation (donations go to Akin Projects, registered not-for-profit arts organization). The cards are made of heavy-duty hemp card stock, cut and scored to make a 4”x6” card. Each card comes with a 4”x6” envelope. You can decorate the card and envelope however you wish!

Decorating supplies will be provided including:

• a variety of coloured and patterned paper

• pencil crayons, markers and pens

• paints and brushes

• stamps and ink

• stickers

• stencils

• scissors

• glue

• magazines for collage and more!

Feel free to bring additional supplies!

Accessibility Information:

This building is all on a single ground floor. Akin St. Clair Studios regrets any barrier to access. If you require more information or are concerned about accessibility barriers please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Akin at the Artist Project | February 20-23, Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place

Akin Projects invites you to join us at the 2020 edition of Artist Project Toronto. Akin is excited to join this year's Artist Project as the non profit partner. In our booth, visitors are invited to view new work by a handful of our current members, learn more about our services and the many ways we offer support for artists.

Show Hours:

OPENING NIGHT - Thursday, February 20, 7-11pm

Friday, February 21, 11am - 10pm

Saturday, February 22, 11am - 8pm

Sunday, February 23, 11am-6pm

This year, the Artist Project turns 13 with its most exciting show yet and we can't wait to be a part of it! From collectors and curators, to gallerists and designers, visitors can explore and discover works of art from over 300 top contemporary artists from Canada and abroad.

This year, visitors you can view and interact with new works by members of Akin's community in Akin's non profit partner booth. Artists will be on site throughout the show to discuss their work and answer your questions.

Exhibiting Artists:

• Antonio Pendones

• Dalia Hassan

• David Fredrik Moussallem

• Foot-to-Face

• Janet Hinkle

• Jill Smith

• Kim Kermode

• Laura Kay Keeling

Accessibility Information:

The Artist Project is committed to excellence in serving all customers including persons with disabilities.The Better Living Centre is an accessible venue. It has a 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. Artist Project is happy to offer a complimentary admission pass for the support person of a person with a disability.

Furoshiki - Opens Saturday!

SAMARA Contemporary in collaboration with Kid Icarus, are pleased to announce Furoshiki, A group exhibition that will feature the works of 20 artists working with the theme: “Gifting”. Furoshiki wrap is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wrapping paper.

Where: Samara Contemporary, 156 Augusta Avenue, Toronto

When: Saturday, November 30th, 12-6pm

Every holiday season more than 8 million tons of gift-wrap ends up in landfills. Disposable and chemically processed, this waste is destroying our environment. Furoshiki can be re-used, passed on from one gift receiver to the next.

Cloth wrapping has been used for over 1200 years in Japan. The word Furoshiki came about during the Edo period (1603-1868) when cloths were commonly used in bathhouses to wrap clothes or as bath matts. Today, Furoshiki can be used to wrap gifts, wine bottles, books, groceries, or just about anything!

This year and onward present your special gift enveloped in beautiful art created by some of Canada’s
top illustrators and artists! An environmentally ethical and unique option to gift giving!

Participating artists:
Daniela Roessler, Dave Setrakian, Fiona Smyth, Flips, Akin Ossington alum Jenn Kitagawa, Jill Holmberg, Jimmy Chaile, Akin Sunrise artist Jieun June Kim, Justin Broadbent, Akin Ossington alum Kendra Yee, Kirsten McCrea, Luke Parnell, Happy Sleepy, Marijke Bouchier, Mariko Paterson, Mike Ellis, Orbital Arts, Rachel Joanis, Santiago Paredes, Trio Magnus

Akin Vitrine Galleries + Nicole Crozier

We are delighted to introduce our current Akin Vitrine Gallery artist, Akin Ossington artist Nicole Crozier. Nicole’s work will be on exhibit in our galleries beginning at 1485 Dupont for the month of November and then 1747 St. Clair Avenue West for the month of December.

Nicole Crozier is a Toronto-based visual artist and arts manager. Her work surrealistically explores the animate potential of accessories and decoration in relation to the female body. She aims to cultivate an aesthetic that is simultaneously seductive and unsettling as a means of investigating the overlap between desire, fantasy, identity, and self-image.

Bordering on the baroque, “Beckon” is a painter’s experimental foray into sculptural installation. The work plays with our magpie-like attraction to bright, reflective objects, promising delights with outstretched, inviting gestures, but from incorporeal hands surreally disassociated from reality. These hands, reminiscent of mannequin models positioned in storefront windows, are slowly being consumed by ornaments once meant to decorate them in a shrine-like ode to the power of the display. “Beckon” insists on seduction while highlighting the dangers of desire, utilizing the disembodied hand as a means of creating a point of association as well as disconnect with the viewer. It simultaneously invites and threatens, beckons and repels, offers promise and yet leads nowhere.

Beckon
Mixed Media
Dimensions Variable
2019

To contact the artist:
Instagram: @nicolebcrozier
#Akinvitrine
www.nicolebcrozier.com

Akin Collective + Akin Projects are excited to present our 2019 programming in two Vitrine Galleries located at Akin Dupont and Akin St. Clair. These miniature galleries feature the diverse talent of our members with travelling installations rotating each month. Each artist will be featured for the first month at Dupont and second month at St. Clair. For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

‘Beckon’ will be on view for the month of November in our Dupont Akin Vitrine Gallery, located in the Clock Factory Building at 1485 Dupont Street (entrance on Campbell Avenue). Find Akin Studio 215 on the second floor and follow the sign into the hallway around the corner. The building is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery and be on view for the month of December at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

Don Valley Art Club Annual Fall Group Show
November 20- December 1st at Papermill Gallery.

David Johns is an Akin Sunrise member and has a silkscreen monoprint “You Make Me Happier” in the Don Valley Art Club Member group Show.
www.roadartcollection.com
instagram.com/davidopenroad

One Tender Night at Super Wonder Gallery

Thursday December 5th at Super Wonder Gallery

Poetry and visual art by Jessica Hiemstra with an electrifying performance by SPECIAL GUEST singer/songwriter, Nicky Lawrence.


FREE ADMISSION. CASH BAR.
Original art, books and music for sale.
All are welcome.

Jessica will be raffling off tickets for a beautiful piece of art called The Secret Foot, find out more here.

About Jessica Hiemstra
Jessica is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist whose work has appeared in galleries all over the world, among them Australia, Sierra Leone, Edmonton and Vancouver. She is also an accomplished showroom artist and set designer with experience creating everything from tidal waves using shims to giant iridescent octopuses. She likes using reclaimed house paint, discarded objects and single-use plastic. Since 1998 Jessica has published three full-length collections of poetry and edited numerous anthologies of poetry and creative non-fiction. Jessica likes what Paul Klee once said about art – that one eye sees, the other feels. Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces - from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas. One of the things people often ask Jessica is “what’s the difference between all the things you do?” Jessica doesn’t distinguish much between her mediums. She chooses the best medium for exploring whichever question, concern or exaltation is most pressing to her in the moment - from delight in the body to sorrow and anger at how poorly we care for our world and each other. Sometimes she uses words, sometimes pencils, sometimes paint. In 2019 she started tearing her paintings and stitching them back together. She is delighted to be presenting her most recent work for ONE TENDER NIGHT at the Super Wonder Gallery. To visit Jessica online: www.jessicahiemstra.ca
Jessica is an Akin Lakeshore member.
instagram.com/jessicajoyhiemstra

About Nicky Lawrence
Nicky is a moody, tender, tour de force of a performer and vocal artist. Moved to sing by the black women who sang before her and who continue to sing within her, Lawrence’s voice will grab you by the throat with the force of its pain, beauty, rage and ultimately—love. Brimming with the longing, courage and despair of her jazz and blues heroes—Nina, Etta, Ella—Lawrence’s original songs are devastatingly elegant and sensual, lit by the fires of the past alongside the aching light and hope of the future. Lawrence’s vocals are redemptive; with the release of her single, The Ugly Black Woman, Toronto audiences are invited to witness an excavation of truth and history that will cut the heart open and begin to heal us all.
instagram.com/thenickylawrence

A one-day pop-up exhibition and sale featuring artwork by Erin Candela, Jen Pilles and Emily Soden

November 17, 2019 from 10am-6pm
REMOTE Gallery - 568 Richmond St West, Toronto

Join us for a 1-day immersive art experience as we transform REMOTE gallery into a forest filled with artwork. Original paintings, fine art prints, sculptural objects and more will be on display among the ferns and foliage for this one day exhibition and sale. Experience the joy of being in the woods without ever leaving the city. Light refreshments will be available.

Erin Candela

Erin Candela is a Canadian artist originally from northern BC, currently living in Toronto. Often using historical documents such as photographs, public school books, nature encyclopedias and community journals, themes of Memory and identity are frequently present in her drawings. Ideas of North, Canadian landscape, and portentous depictions of wild creatures and characters are also common and contribute to a scattered and ambiguous narrative around identity and place.

Erin is an Akin MOCA member
www.erincandela.ca
Instagram: @candles_

Jen Pilles

Jen Pilles is a plein-air artist and freelance illustrator who recently moved away from Toronto to live in the forest. Her work is inspired by the natural world, and influenced by her love of exploration. Jen has been developing her plein-air practice for many years, enjoying the challenge of creating artwork from life outdoors. She allows her intuition to inform the work while savouring the view and staying mindful of the moment. Jen considers each new place she visits a chance to expand the scope of her practice, and discover something new about the world and herself. Jen's work uses a combination of media including gouache, watercolour, ink and coloured pencil on paper.

Jen is Akin Lansdowne & Akin King alumni
www.jenpilles.com
Instagram: @jenpillestration

Emily Soden

Emily Soden is a visual artist, illustrator, and art instructor. She is originally from Montreal and has been living in Toronto since 2012. She graduated with honours from the Bachelor of Applied Arts in Illustration, from Sheridan College in 2010. Emily’s art practice ranges from exploring portraiture, both humans and pets, to following a deep love of animals and the natural world which often inspires her illustration work. Her work is primarily in watercolour and ink, but she loves exploring many mediums such as textiles, gouache, charcoal, acrylic, and digital painting. When she isn’t drawing or painting you might find her with her nose in a book or exploring the forest floor with a camera in hand.

Emily is an Akin River member
www.emilysoden.com
Instagram: @emilysodenart

University of Waterloo MFA Open Studios | Master of Fine Arts Program

Come check out the University of Waterloo’s MFA program and this year’s cohort at our annual MFA Open Studios on November 7th.

Time: 3:00-7:00 pm
Place: University of Waterloo, East Campus Hall
Address: 263 Phillip Street, Waterloo, Ontario

Participating Students: Jordan Blackburn, Brubey (Wanzhi) Hu, Tyler Matheson, Karice Mitchell, Akin staff member and Akin Dupont Alum Sara Pearson, Akin St. Clair Alum Carrie Perreault, Akin Dupont Alum Kayla Polan, Racquel Rowe, Maria Simmons, and Becca Wijshijer.

A unique opportunity to meet the artists on their own turf—a look at their process and what’s in production.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of Waterloo is an intimate program built around a solid core of studio research, practice, professional development, and pedagogical training. Each year the program admits five students, resulting in a tight knit community with plenty of access to both faculty and resources. The studio portion of the program culminates in the completion, exhibition, and defense of a coherent body of work in a solo exhibition at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG). The pedagogical component of the program includes a seminar in course development, two teaching assistantships and the opportunity to teach a foundations level course.

Akin member work for sale at Partial Gallery

Partial is an art marketplace and platform for artists and art-seekers to connect and engage in real and accessible transactions. Thanks to our smart try-before-you-buy options, original work by local artists are just around the corner – and now within reach.

Whether you are a seasoned art collector or a curious art lover, Partial is here to make it simpler to bring true, original artwork onto your walls. You can experiment and explore artwork that speaks to you. Artwork is an investment – so, our rental model allows you to try out a piece for a few months, or express all sides of yourself with rotating artwork.


Many Akin artists sell work via Partial Gallery, you can find the list below.

Adria Mirabelli - Akin St Clair: https://adriamirabelli.partial.gallery/
Anahita Azrahimi: Akin Lansdowne: https://anahitaazrahimi.partial.gallery/
Bianco Roco - Akin MOCA Year 2: https://biancaroco.partial.gallery/
Corynn Kokolakis - Akin River: https://corynnkokolakis.partial.gallery/
Eugenia Elder - Akin MOCA Year 2: https://eugeniaelder.partial.gallery/
Felicia Cirstea: Akin MOCA Year 2: https://feliciacirstea.partial.gallery/
Kyle Yip - Akin Ossington: https://kyleyip.partial.gallery/
Laura Kay Keeling - Akin MOCa Year 2: https://laurakaykeeling.partial.gallery/
Leone McComas Akin MOCA Year 1: https://leonemccomas.partial.gallery/
Linds Miyo - Akin MOCA Year 2: https://wonderandstory.partial.gallery/
Nancy Bennett - Akin alumni: https://nancy178.partial.gallery/
Nicole Crozier - Akin Ossington: https://nicolecrozier.partial.gallery/
Nicole Krstin - Akin Dupont: https://nicolekrstin.partial.gallery/
Walter Segers, Akin River: https://waltersegers.partial.gallery/

Northbound Exhibition Program Call for Submission

We are currently accepting applications for our Northbound Exhibition Program 2020. Northbound Exhibition Program is a FREE juried program aimed to support the professional development of emerging artists. Selected artists will receive exhibition space at North York Centre in 2020!

The application deadline is November 17th at 11:59pm

Have questions about the program or about the application?

Sign up for the information session happening on November 6th at 5160 Yonge Street, Suite 802

During this information session, you will learn more about Northbound and the application process, while getting all your questions answered by North York Arts staff. Feel free to bring your drafted application to ask specific questions, you will also get a chance to visit the space and see the exhibition panels installed.

Accessibility Notice: NYA is committed to providing accessible spaces. Please let us know in advance of any accessibility needs so we can plan accordingly.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Program and Volunteer Manager, Cecilia at cecilia@northyorkarts.org

Partial Gallery will represent the emerging art scene at Daegu Art Fair in South Korea

In a volatile and evolving international art market, the renowned Daegu Art Fair has taken a forward-thinking step by inviting Canadian online art platform, Partial Gallery, to showcase at the 2019 edition of the Fair in November. Partial Gallery will be the sole Canadian representation at the art fair alongside contemporary fine art galleries from East Asia, Paris, New York and Miami.

The studio of Bianca Roco, one of the participating artists showing with Partial Gallery at Daegu Art Fair.

Partial will be presenting selected artworks by six emerging artists from Toronto, Ontario: Nelson Cheng, Jordan Clayton, Leone McComas, Laura Kay Keeling, Melissa Patel, and Bianca Roco. This will be the first time that these artists have shown work outside of North America.

This capsule collection of artists was selected by Partial Gallery co-founders Chris Kim and Tammy Yiu Coyne. “The opportunity to introduce the East Asian market to the unique talent, diversity, and perspectives of Canada’s artists was not lost on us. We believe that these artists exemplify Toronto’s incredible emerging art scene,” says Yiu Coyne. Over the course of the fair, Partial’s art offering – and modern art model – will certainly capture the attention of attendees, and signal a shift in modern art buying. Daegu Art Fair says, “We believe this platform will be a great solution to market activation in local art communities.”

Visit Partial Gallery at Booth #94 at Daegu Art Fair from Nov. 14–17, 2019.

To arrange a viewing or to access preview catalog, please contact hello@partial.gallery or chris@partial.gallery.

About Bianca Roco
Bianca Roco is an artist living in Toronto, Canada. After moving from the Philippines to study illustration, she shifted focus to painting. Her life-size figurative work of women explores themes of intimacy, isolation, displacement and sexuality. Bianca is part of the 2019-20 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto
Website / Instagram

About Laura Kay Keeling
Laura is a collage artist and analog photographer with an interest in installation works. Themes she is exploring with her new collage works include ideas and concepts of “home”, how we form connections with our communities and nature as well as the internet / social media and its effect on our everyday lives. Laura is part of the 2019-20 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto
Website / Instagram

About Leone McComas
Leone’s painting practice examines ideas of the self and the internalization of social ideals; observations of which are used to create conceptual relationships between figure and post-digital landscapes. Following a growing sense of artistic responsibility, Leone now creates work from her source of life to counter-act the increasing presence of anxiety, social polarization, and emotional fatigue. Metaphors of transformation sift the surface of her work, reflecting ideas of change and perspective shifts; while contrasting matte black paint magnifies the sensation of renewal despite the unknown. The desire to maintain luminosity in her paintings has lead to the development of a unique transparency-driven painting process, which produces highly detailed, saturated, and translucent oil paintings that glow from within.. Leone is Akin Alum and was part of the 2018-19 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto
Website / Instagram

Window Installation Open Call for Gift Shop Show

What is “The Gift Shop” Show?

“The Gift Shop” Show is a well-curated and uniquely designed gift shopping experience in The Storefront Gallery at Arts Etobicoke. This show will have a variety of arts and crafts from many disciplines.We want to showcase craft and design from the diverse artists, members, and artisans that live, work, and play in our community.

What to consider while proposing the window design?

The Storefront Gallery at Arts Etobicoke will be transforming into an unusual art and design walk-in shop complete with an extravagant window display. The gallery will be decorated and designed around the theme of illuminating celebration. We would encourage proposals to have fluorescent, neon, pop colours, lights and glow in the dark paints or any other materials and mediums that would attract the audience to come into the space. This display will add sparkle and shine to the objects on sale.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Arts Etobicoke is hosting our members and artists in a unique exhibition, “The Gift Shop” Show in the Storefront Gallery at Arts Etobicoke this festive season! This curated show will run from November 15, 2019 to December 20, 2019.We are now accepting applications from artists and designers working in any medium to be a part of this experiential exhibition by proposing an art installation in the storefront gallery space. This opportunity is free to participate, however, the Gallery Committee will be making selections as to what makes it into the show. The selected artist will be paid an honorarium of $250, Arts Etobicoke will cover materials cost upto $200 for the installation.

For more details on submission click the link below: http://www.artsetobicoke.com/Art/Gallery-Exhibitions/The-Gift-Shop-Show/Window-Installation-Open-Call.aspx

Valentin Brown: Body Farm

Body Farm
Valentin Brown

Exhibition Dates: November 8 – December 20, 2019
Opening Reception: November 8, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Artist Talk: November 30, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Second Saturday Social: December 14, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Location: Tangled Art + Disability
401 Richmond St W Ste 122
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12:00 – 5:00 pm

About the Exhibition
Is that a mushroom, or his “peen”? Is that a pile of leaves or a pile of bones? Is that the “trunk” of the body? Valentin Brown queers the human body by combining it with forms from nature to create what he calls “soft body horror”—a mythology of monsters that describe his story. Valentin’s story sits at a largely neglected intersection: he is an autistic, trans man who inherited a complicated history of intergenerational trauma. His grotesque guardians express how he makes meaning, through a gaze that is queer, trauma-informed, and on the spectrum.

Through the many eyes (or lack thereof) in the “soft body horror” world, which worms its way to you through the Body Farm, Valentin reframes the loneliness, disquiet, and grief that result from the tangled intersecting parts of who he is. This way of seeing embraces the in-between places, and the places outside the scales on which he has been taught to place importance and meaning. “Soft body horror” gives Valentin space to begin re-experiencing his story in bits and pieces, in a greater context of awe, humour, and hope.

Valentin lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario and is a graduate of the Visual and Creative Arts program at Sheridan College. He has exhibited in group shows at Sheridan College, at the Durham Art Gallery, and in Art Spin Toronto’s 2018 project “Holding Patterns.” In 2019, he was awarded Tangled Art + Disability’s Won Lee Fellowship, and the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency. “Body Farm” is Valentin’s first solo exhibition.

This work was produced with the support of the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency and Steel City Studio.

For more information visit tangledarts.org

The Body Farm says, “RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME” by Valentin Brown

Access Information:
Tangled Art Gallery is in a barrier-free location. Audio description will be available for the exhibit. We will have ASL interpreters and attendant care present during public engagements. Service animals are welcome. We request that you help us to make this a scent-free environment.

Directions:
Tangled Art Gallery is located in studio 122 on the main floor on the 401 Richmond Building. The closest accessible subway station is at Osgoode Station. The closest accessible streetcar stop is the 510 Spadina Queen Street West Stop (going south from Spadina Station), and the 510 Spadina Richmond Street Stop (going north from Union Station).

Image Descriptions:
Image 1 (The Body Farm says, “MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!”):
A pink monster plucks a white-hot Panic Orb straight out of the middle of your brain. This monster, with his two pronged Peen-head, immediately sensed your reptilian reflexes activating—almost as immediately as your body flushed with fear in the first place. He says that he hears you singing, “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,” everyday, and that –today- he will help you sing until your throat is hoarse and the fear stops firing, as it always does eventually.

Image 2 (The Body Farm says, “RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME”):
“Dear You,” says the outstretched Hand of Your Future Self, “I’m so sorry that I left you alone for so long.” One of your Little Lonely Monster Parts is curled up in a ball, unmoving. You can hear their thoughts, and they are screaming: “RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME, RELEASE ME,” over and over. Thousands of holy worms stemming from your Future Self envelop your Lonely Part. The Hand of Your Future Self says, “You don’t know yet that it is –your- bioluminescence that lights the tips of my fingers.”

Portfolio Day 10 (PDX) at Etobicoke School of the Arts featuring Akin artist Juliet Di Carlo

Since it started 10 years ago, ESA Portfolio Day has grown to become one of the largest events of its kind in North America. ESA’s tenth Portfolio Day (PDX) will include 74 solo exhibitions of grade 12 students representing five of ESA’s six arts majors. The primary purpose of PDX is to connect students with over 100 representatives from post-secondary arts schools in North American and Europe. ESA’s Portfolio Day also serves as an art exhibit for the public, drawing over 1000 visitors each year.

More information, including a link to buy tickets for $10, is at: https://www.esainfo.ca/portfolio-day-10/

You can also see videos of the artists exhibiting at PDX at ESA's Contemporary Arts YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8r6-XBlsjXqg7iyFyJIO1g/featured

About Juliet Di Carlo
Juliet is part of the 2019-20 Akin Studio Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto

More information about Juliet: website / instagram / youtube

Natural Dyes - a creative workshop presented by Akin Ossington artist Meej Kaufman

Akin Ossington artist Meej Kaufman presents a natural dyeing class on the afternoon of November 9 at Romni Wools, at 208 Weston Road. You can learn to dye yarn with local plant material that Meej has been foraging and experimenting with all summer.

This class will cover the basics of dyeing, principles of respectful foraging and much more. You will dye 100 g of yarn (provided) with one or two colours, using marigold, walnut and rose of sharon flowers. There will be an opportunity to also use more advanced techniques as well.

If you are a knitter, crocheter or weaver, this is a perfect opportunity to learn to make unique yarn for your projects, with materials easily found in Toronto. If you aren't, this class would be a great gift for a friend or family member who does work with yarn, or you could take the class and give them a one of a kind ball of yarn.

To register, or for more information, call Meej Kaufman 647-341-8388

About the artist:
Miriam Kaufman, previously a part-time goldsmith and fibre artist, has recently jumped into creating full-time. While continuing to make silver and gold jewellery, Meej (as she is known to friends and family) is focusing more on making glass beads, metalwork related to fibre (shawl pins, shawl sticks and stitch markers) and on dyeing, spinning and knitting natural fibres. She has a tiny studio in a light industrial space at Ossington and Dupont. www.meejumarts.com