Drink, Kvetch & Smile @ EAP CONNECTS – Jan 22

The Emerging Arts Professional Network in partnership with Tarragon Theatre is bringing you another EAP CONNECTS event followed by critically acclaimed performance ‘East of Berlin’ written by emerging playwright Hannah Moscovitch.

EAP Connects is a really fun, informal event that welcomes everyone to come out and mix and mingle with local arts professionals. Every event includes a simple, not-to-cheesy ice breaker that ensures you’ll meet half the people in the room and not feel awkward if you come alone. This event will also features a short talk with Hannah Moscovitch herself, followed by the show.

The first half of the evening is free.

Tickets of the show are $20 (a crazy amazing deal Tarragon created for this night only!)

There are only 10 tickets left! Box Office 416 531 1827

A Lovely Blog

I am a lazy blogger, I’m a facebook addict and I’ve started adding more stuff on Twitter lately cause I can do a shout out in 150 words or less.

M-C Turgeon a female artist, blogger and mover & shaker in Montreal has inspired me. Other than having a lot of shared interests, her site is a great example of how you can showcase your work and share your life and passion with the world through blogs, podcasts and the like. Plus, I love the design of her really cheery site, not to mention that her CreaCamps sound awesome!

Ryan McGinness = Cool Show @ Artcore

I was wandering about the Distillery District yesterday after a meeting and stumbled upon the Artcore gallery and an ‘eye tingling’ show that is not to be missed. New York based artist Ryan McGinness is presenting his first Canadian show ever  ‘Aesthetic Comfort‘ until November 15th. It’s a fun series of visual & sculptural work that screams of pop culture, icons and flourescent colours. The black light room is too much fun and I was thoroughly impressed by the depth of field that he creates with a bit of black light, layering and flourescent paint.

Don’t miss it.

Ryan McGinness

Aesthetic Comfort

September 27 – November 15, 2008
Artcore ~ 55 Mill Street, Pure Spirits Building 62

McGinness’s new Aesthetic Comfort works present a Jackson Pollock-esque all-over cacophony of icons, drawn from the artist’s vast and ever increasing repertoire of graphic drawings. Assuming the power of logos and authoritative signage, McGinness subverts those corporate branding strategies toward universal legibility of visual modes of communication, and creates baroque mash-ups that result in beautiful collisions which inundate viewers with his personal playful stories that do not clearly convey any specific meanings but are somehow never confusing. Numerous references from our pop culture landscape find their way into McGinness’s kaleidoscopic visual mindscapes to promote a new, beautiful, if utterly quixotic, form of communication.

Ryan McGinness, 36, grew up in Virginia Beach and was influenced by skate and surf culture, rock concert poster design, and street art.

Network with the Arts Community & See ‘Scratch’ for cheap!

The Emerging Arts Professional Network presents the 4th EAP Connects on Wednesday October 22 @ The Factory Theatre – It’s a great way to mix and mingle and then take advantage of the special EAP discount ($15 if you say ‘Connects’ at the Box Office) to see the play ‘Scratch.’

Here are the details – hope to see you there!

EAP CONNECTS

Each EAP Connects event includes a little icebreaker to make you comfortable to meet and greet, so bring a friend or come by yourself and make a new connection.

Exclusively for this event – ‘Scratch’ Designer Kelly Wolf will start the evening with short behind the scenes intro to kick things off.

In addition to members of the EAP Network, CYAN and T.E.A, artists from Scratch, Factory Theatre staff will be in attendance.

‘SCRATCH’

“Upcomer” Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman will star in the lead role as Anna in the world premiere of her deeply moving and funny play Scratch.

Scratch is a compelling story of death, lice, love and coming of age. A teenage girl weaves her way between two very real and opposing worlds – a longed-for first kiss and her mother’s silent fatal disease. Using wickedly dark humour, Corbeil-Coleman’s heroine manifests her grief with a nasty case of head lice. Scratch is as bold and brave as it is real and tender.

Scratch first written when Charlotte was only 16, is a semi-autobiographical story of Charlotte’s experience, told through the touching and quirky perspective of 15 year old Anna, of losing her mother, novelist and journalist Carole Corbeil to ovarian cancer.

80 Swedish Men will Sing for You on Sunday

Once upon a time I had a two week summer romance in Paris with a lovely Swedish man named Par. So it is no wonder that I am particularly interested in checking out Soundstreams Canada‘s presentation of Orphei Drangar (Sons of Orpheus) the Internationally renowned Swedish 80 voice all-male choir, who will perform R. Murray Schafer’s Magic Songs to celebrate the composer’s 75th year.

Don’t miss it if choral music and hot men are your thing 😉

Sunday, October 19th, 2008 @ 3 pm – Metropolitan United Church

Here’s a little sound clip of the choir.

Here’s a little info from Soundstreams….

Orphei Drängar is an iconic example of the great Swedish choral tradition and a central player in the development of new music for male-voice choir. The choir, which dates back to 1853, has always been a torch bearer of the great Swedish choral tradition, in addition to playing an important international role in the development of the male-voice choir in modern music.

Meet Orphei Drängar!
Meet the member of the World’s Greatest Male Choir immediately following the concert at the Metropolitan United Church. Tickets are $10 and wine and light refreshments will be served.

Vote for the Arts!

There is no doubt in my mind who I’m voting for next week. It will be strategic and while there are many issues that are important to me, culture is at the top of that list.

It’s so exciting to see the arts community and general public rally together in support of the arts. I’m thoroughly inspired by the newly created Department of Culture which is making incredible strides across Canada to raise awareness on key issues, gain further support for culture and steer all votes away from the Conservatives. Plus they’re making it all so much fun – don’t miss This is NOT a Conservative Party tonight @ The Phoenix!

Check out the CBC site to see where ALL political parties stand on art.

Opening Parties, Autumn, Line Dancing and more..

Photo of Karen & Allen Kaeja by Ella COoper

After taking the summer off from blogging, I am officially back.

I’ve decided that autumn, is in truth, my new year. As the weather cools down, the work load mounts, and a barrage of openings and season launches hit the city, I am filled with a new sense of drive and inspiration for all those projects that slowed down with the hot steamy weather. Autumn is a new beginning.

Yeah, ok but seriously, what isn’t happening this week? It’s no wonder that everyone I meet has that frantic little look in their eye. If they’re not working their ass off, then they’re desperately trying to figure out what they should do this week.

If you’re feeling truly ambitious here’s a little list of ideas:

Tuesday, Sep 30
HUMDINGER – A Fundraising Smorgasbord
Great Hall – 1087 Queen West
7:30 – 11:pm

Susanna Hood is one of Toronto’s most unique performance artists and Mike Tong does some of the best catering in the city. The other acts looks great and for $10 who wouldn’t want to support them?

Performances by
Susanna Hood, Nial Perera, Christine Duncan and The Elemental Choir

Food by Mike Tong
DJ Chandra Bulucon

Wednesday, Oct 1
DEMON BLOG – OPENING PARTY
*Hotshot – 181 Augusta
8:pm – midnight

Think $3 beers, bad boy art by the likes of Demon Claw’s band member Jeff Clarke and Vice Magazine staffer Tim McCready.  Think of this as a debaucherous way to appreciate art.

Thursday, Oct 2
STEERS & QUEERS
Dakota Tavern
10pm – $5

I love my burlesque and my boys, throw in a little dirty line dancing and I’m happy to stay up late on a school night.

Don’t miss the special guest appearance by Boylesque TO – Can anyone say whip cream cowboy fight?

Friday
Get your sleep because you’ll be staying up late for Nuit Blanche on Saturday….