 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | (CBC) | | | The next time you hear a song, ask yourself something: Who’s earning a royalty cheque — and is it the right person? Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music premiered yesterday on CBC Gem. It’s a new docuseries that takes a look at the history of pop as we know it — and the debt Black creatives are still waiting to collect.
Over three episodes, the program investigates systemic racism in the music biz, beginning with the stories of icons such as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Little Richard. The sort of battles fought by those legendary artists continue to be waged today, even as Black-owned labels have transformed both the industry and the culture at large. You’ll hear from stars Ice-T, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan and Nile Rodgers — along with a few Canadians, including narrator Jully Black and rapper Cadence Weapon. (He was on Commotion last week to discuss the series and how it reveals the “inherently exploitative” nature of the music business.) Stream the whole series on CBC Gem. | | | | | Because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Naomi Rincón Gallardo | | The Toronto Biennial of Art launched Friday, which means you have 10 weeks to explore all the free exhibitions and programs. This year’s exhibition hub can be found at 32 Lisgar St and Park (the former home of the Toronto Media Arts Centre), and Naomi Rincón Gallardo will be showing work there alongside more than a dozen artists from Canada and abroad. | | | | |  | Rob Battersby/Leeds Art Gallery | | That said, you’ll find biennial programming in venues all over the city — including the Art Gallery of Ontario. The TBA and the AGO are co-presenting Sonia Boyce’s Feeling Her Way as part of the event, and the show marks the U.K. artist’s first appearance in Canada. | | | | |  | DaveandJenn | | You Can Get Lost in This Kingdom by Calgary’s DaveandJenn. | | | | |  | Jieun Kim | | Jieun Kim (seen here) might be Toronto’s answer to Lisa Frank, and as a former eight-year-old sticker addict, I am totally here for it. Jieun just unveiled this new mural at YZD Plaza. | | | | |  | LevelFilm | | | | | Trading in painful stereotypes might get your movie funded, but these racialized filmmakers aren’t interested in playing the game. Fresh from TIFF, they’re leading a new wave of Canadian cinema. | | | | |  | Simon Leloup | | | | | Talk about a block party. Today, hundreds of volunteers will build a “moving sculpture,” which will tumble all the way to Lake Ontario. | | | | |  | Lorne Bridgman | | | | | | | In recent years, Canadian theatre companies have had an infatuation with All's Well That Ends Well. Now, the play features in 1939, a coming-of-age tale set in a residential school. | | |  | Nereidas R. | | Argentinian artists Alejandra Zeme and Marila Tarabay collaborate under the name Nereidas R., and CBC News met the duo in Montreal, where they painted this mural (The Seed Guardians) for Creativo Arts Collective. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
