2020 saw record-breaking population loss. Hear from artists who made the move.
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Hi, Art!

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Hi, Art!

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Hi, art lovers!

 
This time last week, I was plugging the Canadian Screen Awards, and I’m thrilled to report that our team nabbed a few honours which I will proudly link to here (Canada’s a Drag!) and here (The 2010s!). Awards, awards, awards! It’s apparently the season for them — to wit, Juno week begins on CBC May 27. As in Pandemic Year 1, the whole affair is going digital. But on the bright side, that means anyone can experience the programming without travelling to whatever burg the show is taking over. Of all the times I’ve lucked into attending an IRL Juno week, the annual Songwriters’ Circle rarely disappoints; find that show on CBC Music June 5 — or just acquaint yourself with their entire schedule of events. And on the subject of music, do you have the emotional fortitude to handle 15,000 words of Before Times nostalgia? CBC Music explored 50 of Canada’s “magical” concert venues. (I await your emails re: the beloved local gem they somehow forgot.) This new doc looks as if it’d trigger the exact same brand of ennui, but keeps the focus on Toronto hot spots. (Could live music be back in the city this summer, if only on the street?)

Other links: I wish I hadn’t spent last weekend watching Halston, but I’m fascinated to learn that Netflix is releasing a fashion line that lets people shop the series, especially considering the rise and rise of TV stylists, and phenomena like Bridgerton driving “Regencycore” dressing. Also, this Q&A with Halstonette Pat Cleveland includes a pandemic maxim I’ve followed all these months entirely by accident: “Get your caftan on.” Take a trip to the Louvre on reopening day. The design power of an “I got vaccinated” sticker (plus a Saskatchewan take on the same story). And as someone who’s been assigned to find bonkers Canadian angles for Hollywood stories more times than there are sequels to Meatballs, Canada’s offering at the Venice Biennale in Architecture holds a unique appeal. Impostor Cities is an exhibition dedicated to Canadian film locales, particularly spots that rarely play themselves on screen. (So all of them.) The online version of the exhibition went live Saturday. Bonus reading: CBC News covered the project’s initial announcement in 2019.
 

And because we promised you eye candy ...

 
Photo of a textile sculpture by Tau Lewis in an all-white room. It depicts a seated feminine figure wearing a a diaphonous multi-layered garment. The fabric is in shades of pink, white and peach.

@taulewis/Instagram

When the National Gallery of Canada reopens, this soft sculpture by Tau Lewis might greet you at the entrance. (The museum recently acquired the piece from the Toronto-born artist.)

 
Oil painting by Dominique Fung. A beige statue of a feminine figure n a long robe appears standing in the centre of a dark room. In fron tof th estatue is a bird cage containing a large blue teapot and three smaller essels. Another birdcage, this one containing a vase and draped with fabric opened to reveal the cage's contents, hangs to the left of the previously described tableau.

@dominiquefung/Instagram

Will you keep singing? by Dominique Fung. Like Tau, Dominique is another marvellous Toronto artist living in Brooklyn. She has a solo exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch, New York, right now. (Browse more photos over here.)
 
Mixed media image. Medium-closeup of a seated female figure wearing a strapless patterned swimsuit, sunhat and sunglasses. She smiles and looks towards the left of the canvas. Her skin and hair is composed of colourful embroidery stitches. Her clothing and accessories are appliqued printed fabric. The figure appears against a solid cerulean background.

@michellemarin_studio/Instagram

The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is going online again this summer and it announced its jurors’ picks last week. Michelle Marin is one of the honourees. This piece is called Full of Promise.
 
Photo of an illustrated ceramic vessel by Enas Satir. Featuring black linework on white, it rests sideways on a lawn of green grass. The illustration is of a cartoon-ish face with lined and spotty skin, a wide toothy smile and bushy eyebrows.

@enas.satir/Instagram

Ceramic vessel by Enas Satir. She’s the illustrator who worked on CBC’s Black on the Prairies. (Add that interactive project to your weekend reading list too!)
 
 

You've got to see this

 
 
 
Photo of Fly Lady Di, a woman of Filipino descent, performing at her laptop. A DJ, she wears her long black hair curly with a middle part. She leans down towards her laptop but looks up at the camera with a close-mouthed smile. She wears a black lace top and holds headphones to her ear, pressing it between her head and shoulder.

Brian de Rivera Simon

 

Thousands of people have left Toronto. Post-pandemic, what would bring these artists back?

From health concerns to sky-high housing costs, everyone has their own reasons for getting the hell out of Screwface City. But the fact remains: Toronto saw record-breaking population loss in 2020. Hear from artists who made the move ‘cause of COVID-19.
 
Overhead photo of a desk. Art supplies are arranged on the all-white surface: two red solo cups filled with liquid, a box of tube paints, a rectangular paint palette with a variety of colours sampled; brushes; a piece of paper with a rough painting of a pink long-stemmed flower.
Blank Canvases

A pandemic pivot that actually paid off

 
This startup hosts virtual team-building activities that are led by Canadian creatives.
 
Illustration of a world map against a blue tiled backdrop. Text in yellow reads:

Soulpepper Theatre

 

3 theatre-lovers go Around the World in 80 Plays

Around the World in 80 Plays is an audio-drama series presented by Soulpepper Theatre. The shows represent eight different countries, and for these three artists, there’s something special about connecting with stories that reflect their cultures.
 
 

Follow this artist

 
 
 
Instagram

Sarah Letovsky

@sletovsky
Painting of a female figure seated at a table with a bowl of lemons. She wears a blue dress and her skin is lilac. Her brown hair is parted in the middle and pulled away from her face. She rests her chin on her hand and gazes at the viewer.

@sletovsky/Instagram

Title: Waiting (in quarantine) by a Bowl of Lemons.

Same, girl. Same.
 

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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time!

 
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