 | Sunday, July 11, 2021 | |  | Sunday, July 11, 2021 | | Hi, art lovers! | | | More and more of us are double-vaxxed and desperate to experience something — anything — that takes us out of our screen-addicted heads, amiright? Maybe that’s why the subject of this story caught my interest recently. This past week, I wrote about attractions like the one that’s coming to the Telus Spark Science Centre in Calgary July 29: standalone galleries that’ll be permanently dedicated to splashy, immersive digital light shows. (You know the ones. They usually like to riff on the work of a certain iconic ginger.) It would seem the demand for “experiences” has survived the last few lockdowns, and it might just keep thriving post-pandemic. Down south, the Museum of Ice Cream is prepping two new outposts which are scheduled to open this summer. Granted, their “experiences” are of the real live ‘grammable ball-pit variety. The spaces covered in my article would seem to be significantly less dizzying than the "blockbuster avant-garde” fare that's discussed in this piece, an interesting argument for the future of digital immersion galleries.
More random reads: Cannes is back, so here’s a Canadian guide to the film fest. A major Andy Warhol exhibition will be waiting for you at the AGO when the gallery reopens this summer. Will one of his Karen Kain portraits be in the mix? The famed dancer is moving on from the National Ballet of Canada; here’s who’s taking her place as artistic director.
“The best way to succeed as a woman artist is to be old.” Browse the world’s best new public libraries. What happens when your “Every Child Matters” logo starts appearing on knock-off Crocs. The Queen Victoria statue at Manitoba’s legislature building was torn down July 1; could this design by Métis artist Kenneth Lavallee replace it? Duct-tape artist Mark Reinhart (seen here) is asking folks in Chatham-Kent, Ont., to fill in the blank: “I am getting vaccinated because …” | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | |  | @jean_jullien/Instagram | The word of the day is “playful,” folks. How else to describe these steel sculptures by Jean Jullien? Three of these goofy giants are lounging around in the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France. | | | | |  | The Bentway | | For the rest of the month, I’m going to have my head in the clouds — the HAPPY clouds. These puffy sculptures by Stuart Semple will be floating in Toronto skies to July 25, and you’ll never know when and where they might appear. The installation is part of an outdoor exhibition organized by The Bentway called Playing in Public. (Playful!) | | | | |  | @esmaamohamoud/Instagram | | Speaking of The Bentway, Esmaa Mohamoud wants you to come down there and shoot some hoops. Here’s a shot of her new installation Double Dribble, a fantastical take on a basketball court. The public’s invited to play, but you’ll probably need to invent your own rules. I never paid much attention in gym class, but I’m pretty sure a five-foot-wide hoop isn’t regulation. | | | | |  | @jennie_suddick/Instagram | | Unrelated, but equally playful: here’s a glimpse of State of Play, a new installation by Jennie Suddick and Anna Rose appearing at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. | | | | |  | @sarahgeemiller/Instagram | | A cheerful — sorry, playful — print by Vancouver artist Sarah Gee Miller. | | | | |  | OASIS Immersion | | | | | Already trending globally, galleries dedicated to immersive digital art are finally popping up in Canada. Is it the next big thing? Organizers think the future is bright … and projected in 360 degrees. | | | | |  | | Kazuo Nakamura | | | | | A survivor of the B.C. internment camps, Kazuo Nakamura was an artist with a keen interest in science. Years ahead of his time, his legacy is explored in a new addition to the Art Canada Institute’s Canadian Online Art Book Project. Read an excerpt. | | | | |  | Robert McQueen | | | | | Produced by the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver, this new investigative podcast series tells the heartbreaking story of how AIDS hit the local theatre community nearly 40 years ago. | | | | |  | @birdmouse/Instagram | | Lenny makes art out of reclaimed wood and he salvaged some extra-special materials to make this CBC gem. “The wood used is from the dining table my family ate around when I was a child,” he writes. “It brings up memories of boiled dinners, lobster feasts and homework! And of course the CBC was always on the radio or TV growing up." | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
forwarded to you. | | | | | | | Got questions? Typo catches? Story ideas? | | | We're just an email away. Send us a note, and we'll do our best to get back to you.
If someone forwarded you this message and you like what you've read, here's where to subscribe for more.
I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
