 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | Detail of Balete Bulate Bituka by Leeroy New. (Stephanie Dudek) | | | It was the Thing That Devoured Fort York and the centrepiece of the Bentway’s summer exhibition for 2023: Balete Bulate Bituka — a tangle of tentacles that wrapped the Fort York Visitor Centre in a squiddy embrace from May through September. Leeroy New, the artist who made it, is famed for making treasures out of literal trash, and when CBC Arts interviewed him last spring, he was using the same approach while working in Toronto, collecting heaps of bamboo and old plastic bottles to complete the job.
But what happened to the installation when it was time to come down? As it happens, the Bentway says it salvaged 7,500 pounds of bamboo from Leeroy’s piece, and those materials have found a second life, repurposed as stakes and mulch by an educational farm north of the city. We learned about Balete Bulate Bituka’s unlikely second act in this piece, the top featured article from last week. It’s a story about a symposium hosted by the Bentway last month. The item up for discussion: sustainability in public art, and thinkers and doers from across the country were in town to share their strategies, including Exmuro from Quebec City (an organization that rehomes temporary artworks) and curator Suzanne Carte, a self-described “cultural Dumpster diver” and founder of the Artist Material Fund, which makes salvaged art materials available for free. (Love the sound of upcycled art supplies? We’ve got you covered.)
Other items from the CBC Arts universe: a look at why so many Canadian festivals are struggling. Guillaume Côté was on Q to discuss his retirement from the National Ballet of Canada (the 2024-2025 season will be his last), and Tom Power met the composer behind one of the most famous sounds in pop culture.
Even more links: This is what happens when a reporter goes undercover in the art world. This is the opposite of an art heist. And this is a detailed and procedural analysis of how artists think. | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Jess Lincoln | | I spent Thursday evening at the Artist Project art fair, dashing up and down the aisles and feeling as if I was trick-or-treating for this weekend’s eye candy. It was the opening-night party, so the scene inside Toronto's Better Living Centre was a whirl of activity. Still, Jess Lincoln’s installation (Alcoves) succeeded in pulling my focus from all the happy chaos. This is just one of the panels that comprises the piece. | | | | |  | Damini Mittai | | I was just talking about upcycled art supplies, so I figure it’s worth mentioning that Damini Mittai makes a point of using scrap fabric in her arresting textile compositions. Based in Scarborough, Ont., she’s part of the fair’s Untapped Emerging Artists Competition … | | | | |  | Heather Rule | | … as is Heather Rule, a sculptor and animator — and author of my new favourite (Instagram-ready) zine. | | | | |  | Jack Landau | | | | | Arts professionals from across the country gathered in Toronto last month to imagine a greener future. | | | | |  | Courtesy of Artist Project | | | | | Today’s your last chance to visit the art fair. Don’t miss out on these highlights. | | | | |  | Courtesy of Emily Carr University of Art + Design | | | | | | | These students at Emily Carr University believe in the power of play, and their innovative designs are bringing joy and healing to children in refugee camps. | | |  | Sydney Smith | | Last week, Sydney became the first Canadian to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration. For makers of children’s lit, there’s no higher honour, and you can read more about his win on CBC Books. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
