 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | The 1978 neon installation Arc en Ciel, by Michael Hayden, inside Toronto's Yorkdale Station.
(Artwork: Michael Hayden; Photo: Shin Sugino) | | | Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s all-night art thing, wrapped an hour ago. All the excitement went poof when the sun came up, but that’s the magic of Nuit. It always transforms the city, creating an art experience that comes and goes in a flash (a 12-hour-long flash, but still). Ephemerality is where it’s at, readers. But sometimes, public artwork disappears — and it’s not all part of the plan.
The must-read feature of the week is actually 10 incredible stories in one. Great art can be found in unexpected places throughout this country, but over the years, many of those Canadian treasures have been removed, demolished or otherwise disappeared. Chris Hampton unearthed a bunch of these gems, and he has plenty of fascinating history to share.
Through his research, Chris received dozens of tips that didn’t make it into the final piece. As he writes in the article, he had enough material “for a dedicated feature on vanished Toronto,” and here are a few from the GTA that didn’t make the cut: Mariette Rousseau-Vermette's tapestry for the Toronto Star lobby, Leona Drive, and David Mirvish Books — where browsers were once awed by a monumental Frank Stella.
Is there a lost Canadian artwork you wish you could see — or see again? Let us know! | | | | | Because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett | | Do yourself a favour and scroll through Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett’s Instagram. The duo’s latest public artwork, Landscapes of the Imagination, was recently unveiled at the Airdrie Public Library in Alberta, and Caitlind and Wayne began the project by polling folks in the community. Their big question: What’s your favourite book or story? Some 150 locals responded, and the artists wound up with a list of classics, including The Secret Garden, 1984, On the Road and The Handmaid’s Tale. They then crafted tiny scenes inspired by those titles, and hung them in these dreamy bubbles. There are 50 altogether. (Like I said a second ago, you’ll want to take a closer look.) | | | | |  | Chelsea Gauvin | | Hanging Still Life with Shadow by New Brunswick artist Chelsea Gauvin. | | | | |  | Artwork: Hugo Canoilas; Photo: Hugo Canoilas, Oakville Galleries | | Go ahead — walk all over the artwork (but maybe leave the biking to the artist). Yesterday in Ontario, Oakville Galleries opened Hold Your Breath — Hugo Canoilas’s first solo exhibition in Canada — in its Centennial Square space. For the show, the Vienna-based artist is presenting a painting that envelops the gallery … right down to the floors. (This photo, supplied by the gallery, is a picture of the artist’s studio.) | | | | |  | Artwork: Ella Gonzales; Photo: Unit 17 | | I adore the gauzy depth of this piece (Mirror) by Ella Gonzales. The artist has a few works appearing in Ambrosia, a group exhibition at Cooper Cole in Toronto. The show is presented by Unit 17. | | | | |  | Caroline Ji | | The Kingston Prize exhibition opens Nov. 8 at Toronto’s Arta Gallery. The show will feature works by this year’s finalists, including Caroline Ji. She entered the competition with this piece, Summer in Toronto. As Caroline writes, “The painting began as a portrait of a quiet contemplative moment, but grew to be about the extreme heat in Toronto this summer and the intense light that shined into the room as a result. When the weather is just too hot and the air conditioning provides no relief, the only thing that can be done is sitting still and trying to find inner peace.” | | | | |  | Michel Proulx, Richard-Max Tremblay, Gallery Gevik | | | | | From an absurdist highway in Vancouver to a neon rainbow at a Toronto subway station, these marvels are gone, but not forgotten. | | | | |  | CBC Arts | | | | | The Toronto-raised star discusses their new Netflix series Wayward and why trans representation matters on screen. | | | | |  | Silas Wamsley | | | | | | | “I didn’t know how to paint or draw five years ago,” says Halifax artist Silas Wamsley. “But I had all this really intense visual imagery inside of me … that cracked me open.” | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
