 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | Sasha Q | | | Two of our top stories last week happened to feature artists appearing at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair: we profiled Sasha Q, a Ukrainian artist who fled Kyiv for Canada last year; and Darrell Chocolate, a painter who told us about his life juggling two full-time careers, art and mining. Today’s your last chance to attend the event in person at Nathan Phillips Square. (Readers beyond Toronto: there’s an online fair, too!)
I was there for the kickoff, actually; I skipped away from my desk Friday afternoon, spending my lunch break dashing up and down the rows of tents. On foot, I usually move at a pace best described as an Olympic-qualifying speed walk, but there were plenty of booths that forced me to slow down for a closer look. I’ve dropped a few of them in the eye candy section below, although that selection is really just a slice of what I enjoyed — and an even tinier fraction of what you can find at the fair. More than 350 artists are participating, and there’s a schedule of live events including guided tours and workshops to explore as well. | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Zahra Saleki | | This storm is you by Zahra Saleki. The Toronto-based artist is showing a series of similar images at TOAF — and they’re photos, by the way, not charcoal drawings! I joined a brief tour during my whirlwind of a Friday visit. Zahra’s tent was the first stop, and I’m so glad it was. | | | | |  | Yaw Tony | | Yaw Tony’s tent was another stop, although I’ll admit I was eyeing this particular silk scarf online before I arrived at the fair. | | | | |  | Hyunsun Park | | Closed House by Hyunsun Park. A painting for when the cost of living is getting you down. | | | | |  | Steven Minh Kenny | | Because I’m drawn to spooky stuff (and drawings with a spooky amount of detail), check out Steven Minh Kenny’s work. This one’s an acrylic painting called Flowers on the Mind. | | | | |  | Stephanie Singh | | OK, so this is just a tiny detail of what Stephanie Singh has brought to TOAF. The Toronto-based artist created an all-new installation for the fair’s Art Nest program (A seat at my table), and you can find it inside a shipping container on the southwest side of the square. The centrepiece is a tabletop of Jamaican botanicals encased in glossy resin, a nod to “the coming together of family and friends for celebration” (as she writes on Instagram). The texture is wonderfully evocative. I was struck with a wave of sensory memories as soon as I saw it, imagining the scent of the spices. Check out this video of how she made it. | | | | |  | Esther DOË Kim | | Esther DOË Kim is part of TOAF’s online-only fair, and her work has inspired one of the live events happening today: a kids’ workshop where the littles can play with yarn and paint, learning to make art like Esther’s. More info here. | | | | |  | 20th Century Fox | | | | | The directors are from Canada?! We rented these movies a million times and never had a clue. (Bonus feature! The following movies also have Canadian directors but were left on the listicle’s proverbial cutting-room floor: In the Army Now; Definitely, Maybe; Sybil; Yellow Submarine and Ladybugs.) | | | | |  | Samuel Engelking/CBC Arts | | | | | The Toronto-based writer and director is our latest Rising Star. Her new film, Something You Said Last Night, is a tender and funny family story. | | | | |  | CBC Arts | | | | | | | The Canadian actor stars alongside Julia Stiles in the horny, hilarious cottage comedy. | | |  | Emily May Rose | | First they took Toronto. Then they came for our logo. This month’s contributing artist is Emily May Rose, whose cartoon raccoons have conquered the city. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
