Unveiling the ink: The tales behind tattoos

The strangers of downtown Toronto share the unique stories behind their permanent body art  

By Kayla Solway

I don't have any tattoos of my own, but I am always curious about the ink on others. I'm intrigued by the backstories and how the shapes, colours and unique designs have come to be. Was it a spontaneous decision or a carefully planned tattoo that holds deep meaning? 

For Isabella Keats, this was the case for her first tattoo, done in memory of two of her grandparents. 

"The tattoo wraps around my wrist like a bracelet. In my inner arm, it says ‘Love Avó,’ which in Portuguese means grandmother. On the other hand, in my other grandmother's handwriting, it says ‘Love Grandma.’"

After a three-year battle with brain cancer, Keats explained that one of her grandmothers had sadly passed away over the winter break.

"I wanted to get something to commemorate her, and this seemed like the best way to do it." 

After searching through storage and finding old birthday and Christmas cards, Keats was able to get both tattoos done in each of her grandmother's handwriting. 

"Both these women in my life have made me the person I am today, and without them, I wouldn't be me. Why wouldn't I not want to commemorate them?"

Keats shows off her inner arm tattoo done in her grandmother’s handwriting (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

Sidney Haqq chose her arm tattoo for its design rather than its profound meaning.

"I follow a lot of tattoo artists based on their artwork. As a photography student, I appreciate aesthetics, so I lean towards something more creative than meaningful," she said.

Haqq received the ink only a few months ago after picking it as a flash, a pre-prepared design usually found in street shops and suitable for quick walk-ins. After making a few slight changes to the design, she settled on the final product.  

Haqq displays her tattoo that is on the back of her upper arm. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

For Hiyab Redae, her only tattoo carries a deep meaning and represents her younger sister.

"There were a lot of reasons I got it, one being my little sister. We have this little joke where we say four in a British accent. It's so stupid, but my sister is close to my heart."

Only one week after her 18th birthday, she had the number four done in red ink, although it did take preparation with her mother.  

"My mom is very Christian and traditional and does not approve of tattoos. My older sister has a lot of tattoos, so I conditioned her for weeks upon getting it."

Although small, the ink on her hand is something Redae will carry with her forever, a reminder of her love for her younger sister and a new chapter as she transitions into adulthood.

Redae shows off the ‘4’ tattoo placed on her lower thumb. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

Matti Leppik is an artist at Chronic Ink in downtown Toronto who shared his most meaningful and prominent tattoo. It took over four years to finish, spans from his neck to his knees, and contains a wide array of colours. 

"It was a big commitment, seeing as it's almost half my body and a big process with the artist," said Leppik. 

"I wanted to make sure that the tattoo was done historically in a way that accurately depicts the Japanese style tattoo. At one point I wanted something to be purple and thought it would be cool. My artist was like ‘No, that's not what colour that character is historically.’"

The main subject of the tattoo is the Indian Buddhist teacher, philosopher and author named Nagarjuna. Surrounding Nagarjuna are patterns that spread across Leppik's shoulders and all the way down his back.

"He taught at the Madhyamika school of Buddhism. The core of the teaching is the middle way. It means emptiness, not in the sense of nothingness but more in the sense of everything being connected. His teachings and principles will be something I take with me my entire life, and it will always be important to me to take the middle path," he said.

Leppik displays the upper half of his tattoo that depicts Nagarjuna. (Courtesy of Matti Leppik) 

Olivia Adolfo, who is now 22, got her first tattoo just days after turning 18: two roses interconnected on her arm. 

"I'm named after my grandmother, Rosie, and my middle name is Rose, so I got it for the both of us. I planned it the day after I turned 18, and I definitely don't regret it!"

Adolfo shows off her rose tattoo on her outer arm. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

Another delicate floral motif found its home on Keesha Levesque’s back, her tenth and most recent tattoo. She had just moved to Toronto, and it was her first week as a student living in residence at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

"I was in the elevator of my building, and I overheard a girl talking about her recent flash tattoo at a nearby shop. I liked the work, and she explained that they took walk-ins. So I thought, you know what, let me start off this new journey in Toronto with a tattoo."

Levesque has many tattoos that mark significant events in her life and symbolize personal growth. It seemed only fitting for her to get a new ink on this occasion.

"This is my only flash piece and will probably remain the only one. I put a lot of thought into the tattoos I get and want to be a part of the design process, but I thought why not be spontaneous and get a flash."

Levesque expressed that this is the first tattoo she feels genuinely proud of.

Levesque proudly displays her back tattoo of a flower. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

"I have some pretty tattoos and feel proud to wear all of them, but this one was very well done and such a cute spot. Now every time someone asks me about it, I get to tell them: it was the start of my journey to Toronto," Levesque said.

Toronto Art Crawl: Empowering local artists and designers during the holiday season

Artists showcase their finest work at the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas market

By Kristian Tofilovski

Inside the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Market, Dec. 3, 2023 (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

The Toronto Art Crawl hosted its ninth annual Christmas market, highlighting the work of more than 80 local artists and designers.

Nadia Lloyd, an artist and designer, founded the Toronto Art Crawl in 2013 to share the work of local artists and designers while also promoting culture and creativity in the city. Throughout the year, the organization holds a variety of events, including its much-anticipated Christmas market.

Hosted at the Great Hall on Queen West, vendors sold food, jewelry, home decor items, photographs and more.

The event also included a live DJ playing holiday tunes, a bar area with warm beverages and sparkling string lights dangling across the ceiling. These elements created an environment that was nostalgic, cozy and filled with the Christmas spirit, turning ordinary shopping into a joyful, multisensory experience that draws public attention.

"I've really enjoyed the vendors, the venue and the decor," said one event goer who decided to check out the market after passing by its sign outside.

A live DJ plays at the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas market, taken on Dec. 3, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

Vendors are given great networking opportunities with consumers and fellow business owners through art markets.

"This is only my second event and I’ve already made great connections," said a vendor, commonly referred to by her nickname as Dr. Auntie Ruby, owner of Dr. Auntie Ruby Stuff. "It builds a sense of community,” she added.

Art markets also provide a platform for local artists to advocate for social causes that are meaningful to them.

Janet Holmes, a local photographer, donates her profits from selling art prints and cards of wild and rescued animals and from her book, Nest: Rescued Chickens at Home, to animal rescue. Holmes said, "I encourage people to see farmed animals differently, not just as food on our tables but as individuals with personalities."

A key goal of these art markets is to offer sustainable shopping experiences often lost in online and retail shopping, which helps preserve local businesses and culture. However, some vendors find that promoting their businesses through art markets can be costly. According to the Toronto Art Crawl website, fees for a booth start at $235, including tax.

Vendors say that sharing their products with others is a key factor to supporting their businesses.

"It doesn't have to be a grand gesture," said Cyan Hill, an ambassador for Pepper Brew, highlighting the benefit of getting the word out on social media.

Holmes said displaying artists' products in your home or at work also helps spark conversation with others and draws interest to their causes.

Lia Reyes (left) and Dr. Auntie Ruby (right) represent Dr. Auntie Ruby Stuff at the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas market, taken on Dec. 3, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

The booth for Janet Holmes Photography at the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas market. (Photograph by Janet Holmes)

Cyan Hill represents Pepper Brew at the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas market booth, taken on Dec. 3, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

The atmospheric and supportive shopping experiences that art markets are able to provide continue to remain unmatched. So, if you are looking for a new way to shop for the holiday season or during the rest of the year, art markets are a great place to check out!

Turmoil, Chaos, and The Return of the Past: Margaret Atwood on Mavis Gallant’s Varieties of Exile #HotDocs

Margaret Atwood sat down with Deborah Treisman for a short story reading in the first ever live edition of the New Yorker podcast. 

By Grace Henkel

Deborah Treisman and Margaret Atwood sit at table on the Hot Docs Cinema stage

The New Yorker’s Deborah Treisman, left, and Margaret Atwood read and discuss the short story “Varieties of Exile” (Courtesy of Gabriel Li/Hot Docs)

“I don’t welcome the return of this kind of uproar and chaos, but it looks like we’re there again.”

Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood spoke powerfully as she sat down to record the New Yorker’s first-ever live podcast from the Hot Docs Cinema. The renowned author joined host Deborah Treisman to read and discuss Mavis Gallant’s short story Varieties of Exile, first published in 1976.

Atwood said the story “felt very timely,” a sentiment likely shared by readers and witnesses to current international crises.

“Every time a dominant power loses its grip, there seems to be turmoil and chaos,” said Atwood as she introduced the story. Though she specified no particular conflict, it is undeniable that humanitarian consequences introduced by the actions of “dominant powers” have been far-reaching and deeply felt across the world in the last years and recent weeks.

Atwood also noted that such stories and experiences from the past, whether memories or renderings in literature, become magnified in their significance as time progresses.

“At first, they seem to be very far away when you first live through them,” she said. However, she acknowledged, such events often return with profound relevance in future contexts.

Varieties of Exile is set during the second World War, told from the perspective of Linnet Muir, a nineteen-year-old Canadian woman. While being closely drawn to the refugees pouring into Montreal, she becomes disillusioned to the brutal cross-continental conflict, the divisive patterns of European-Canadian family units, and her own isolation.

As Muir develops a deep and idealistic fascination for the refugees with whom she feels “entirely at home,” she also observes the pattern of “remittance men.” They are the sons of English families, sent abroad in the wake of scandal.

Muir recalls how her childhood world and its truths were shaped significantly by narratives in literature. As Atwood reads, these narratives are stripped back to uncover stark realities. The refugees become “boring” to Muir the moment she witnesses one of them eating cornflakes, no longer a novelty–and the remittance men, as ties to their former identity weaken, are confronted with the reality of their very permanent exile.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Atwood’s sharp wit and quick humor cut through to the audience. During their discussion, as Treisman asked for Atwood’s insights on a particular moment in the story, the literary legend simply replied that she didn’t know, she didn’t write it.

You can read Varieties of Exile here.

Do you believe in fairies? Visit this enchanting exhibit in downtown Toronto

With less than a month left, don’t wait to visit Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies this February

By: Julia Lawrence

Illustration of fairies and mythical creatures on a grassy hill.

(From In Fairyland: A Series of Pictures from the Elf-World, Richard Doyle)

Discover the origin of fairies and explore their magical history at Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies until Feb. 26. The exhibit is held at the TD Gallery within the Toronto Reference Library, under the Toronto Public Library (TPL).

The gallery’s exhibit focuses on the myth and magic of fairies within rare books, prints, writing and original artwork from TPL's Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy and Arthur Conan Doyle Collection.

As it covers the sightings and portrayal of fairies in a detailed storyline from records dating back from the 13th century to the modern-day story, visitors learn the backstory of the multi-faceted creature and how it has been woven into our history.

A main theme throughout the exhibit is its efforts to not only show the “magical pixie dust” face of these characters but also how fairies have been portrayed to be tricksters with not-so-friendly intentions.

One of the gallery texts says this common, protagonistic depiction was largely due to, “an abundance of children’s stories with friendly winged fairies,” being published in the Victorian era.

“Stories from this period emphasized that fairies were good and friendly. At the same time, stories about fairies for adults were turning to darker folkloric roots. A clear division between small, winged fairies and those who were not began to arise,” TPL added.

Mischief and Mirth also share stories about the well-known Tooth Fairy, fairy godmothers, magical realms and fairies played on stage.

For an in-depth visual learning experience, discover more about the land of fairies at TPL’s Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies this February.

Can’t visit in person? View select exhibit items through TPL’s virtual tour.

Photograph of Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies exhibit with picture frames,  blue illustrations on the walls and glass boxes with books inside

(Julia Lawrence/CanCulture Magazine)

7 places to get spooky tattoos this Halloween

Local Toronto tattoo parlours are offering discounted ink for thrill seekers this October

By: Amany Abubaker

A person in the process of being tattooed (Cottonbro via Pexels)

For some, tattoos and Halloween exist synonymously in the fall season. Getting tattooed is a popular activity during this time of year, as local parlours often offer special discounts on tattoos, allowing customers to choose from exclusive Halloween-themed flash sheets — small-scale pre-sketched designs. As a fun way to spice up this Halloween’s “spooktivites” in Toronto, take advantage of the Halloween deals at one of the tattoo shops listed below and get a permanent reminder of the spooky season!

Storm Horse Tattoo

Storm Horse Tattoo has an annual Halloween flash sale that you don’t want to miss. It runs throughout the whole month of October and with a plethora of designs to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find what you like. To celebrate the big holiday, they’re offering all-flash designs completely tax-free, from candy corn to skeletons. The studio is located at 847 Dundas St. W. and their designs start at just $80.

Abstract Arts

New Tribe is holding their annual Halloween flash sale from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31 and are offering flash tattoos starting at just $100. Both appointments and walk-ins are available for pre-sized flash tattoos, which can all be found on their website. New Tribe Tattoo and Piercing is located at 232 Queen St. W.

Finest Ink by Los Pintados

For the month of October, Finest Ink is having its Halloween Flash sale on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at just $60. Opening daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m, they are located at 7191 Yonge St., and are only accepting walk-ins for this promotion. They have all of their flash tattoo options listed on their Instagram so don’t forget to check that out!

Playhouse Tattoos

Playhouse Tattoos, located at 900 Rathburn Rd W. Unit D7 in Mississauga, will be having a Halloween flash sale from Oct. 28 to Oct. 31. You can get 50 per cent off any of their Halloween flash tattoos during their weekend sale. From small ghost tattoos to other spooky creatures, you can see their full list of flash tattoos here. Also in an upcoming giveaway, a lucky winner will get a free tattoo from their flash sheets.

Taunton Tattoo Co.

One of Toronto’s most anticipated flash events is Taunton Tattoo Co's official Halloween Flash Day! On Oct. 31, they will be offering walk-in and by-appointment flash tattoos. Located at 50 Taunton Rd E., Taunton Tattoo Co.’s has seven artists participating in this flash event and each will have their own pieces available for preview!

Wild Ink Oshawa

On Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wild Ink Oshawa will be hosting their flash sale where they will be having special pricing on Halloween-themed flash tattoos starting at $150. For this promotion, they will be accepting walk-ins only on a first come first serve basis. The shop is located at 375 Bond St. W. and their design previews are available on their Instagram.

No matter the tattoo you choose, you now have some amazing spooky options to select from, scattered all throughout the haunted hollows of Toronto. It's time to spice things up to celebrate the most unique and artistic Halloween ever!

Healing with pottery: How an all-women studio is hand-moulding a strong community

Marginalized communities are finding support between clay pots and spin wheels at a downtown Toronto ceramic studio

By: Aliya Karimjee

Work in progress — a member of the program using the pottery wheel to craft pottery art at Inspirations Studio at 369 Church St., Toronto, Ont. (Courtesy of Inspirations Studio)

Toronto’s Inspirations Studio highlights the intersection between art and collectivity, allowing communities of women and other marginalized groups to connect through pottery.

As of July this year, Inspirations Studio officially became a part of YWCA Toronto– an organization which, according to its website, “seeks a radical transformation of society where all women, girls and gender diverse people can thrive.”

Now operating out of a new studio space on 369 Church St., this low-barrier ceramics program provides resources and skills for women, gender-diverse and non-binary participants.

Inspirations Studio manager Gudrun Olafsdottir says many participants of this program have experiences with houselessness, trauma, addictions and disability, as well as institutions unwilling to provide them with the support they need to alleviate harmful material conditions. The mission of the program is to help people improve their lives through the making and selling of pottery.

“To work with pottery is a really healing activity,” said Oladsdottir. “I think by learning a skill, people can gain self-confidence and a connection to a community. Members also can earn some supplemental income by selling their work once they've developed the skills.”

Participants who are approved following an interview process will receive an eight-week skill-building ceramics course. After they have built up some basic knowledge of pottery, Olafsdottir said members of the studio will have up to nine hours a week of studio time, where they have full artistic freedom over their creations.

A member of the Inspirations Studio holding up a piece of her ceramics art completed at the new studio space at 369 Church St., Toronto, Ont. (Courtesy of Inspirations Studio)

One of Inspirations Studio’s participants, who wished to stay anonymous, says that the atmosphere inside the studio is a warm one, offering an outlet for her creative energy. “The place and the support of other artists and people in the studio allows me to be a happier, happier person.”

She explains that being part of the studio has given her not only a sense of community but motivation as an artist. “You don't always have the time or energy — or even a studio space — to do the work. It's hard sometimes to work out of your own home,” said the participant. She notes that having a communal space creates opportunities for feedback and collaboration with other women.

Because the studio became part of the YWCA Toronto this summer, Olafsdottir said there will be more programs offered by Inspirations Studio. In addition to members of the studio, they will now serve different sections of the community, such as the 120 women housed in the same YWCA building the studio is located in. The women will have access to drop-in workshops at the studio.

“The YWCA helps young women and girls improve their lives, so it's a similar mission and it’s aligned,” said Olafsdottir. “It is really great for Inspiration Studio to be part of such a well-established organization that provides wraparound services for women and gender-diverse people.”

The marrying of the two charitable organizations has also granted Inspirations Studio a new operation space, one that’s significantly bigger than its previous location.

"It's a beautiful place and roomy, and we're so lucky,” said the participant. “I feel very lucky. It's a great concept and means a lot to support women artists. I'm very grateful."

Inspirations Studio exemplifies that art is indeed therapy. Not only are participants offered a space and resources for their creative outlet, but they are also able to find support — emotionally and financially — within their artistic community.

An upcoming event hosted by YWCA Toronto's Inspirations Studio in collaboration with other organizations is The Good Work Art Market. Dozens of creators and artists will showcase and sell their work at the market, and they will be keeping 100 per cent of the revenue.

"The goal is to highlight the importance of arts for healing and helping people find pride," said Olafsdottir.

This free admission event takes place on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 12-5 p.m. at the Weston Family Learning Centre in the Art Gallery of Ontario. The Good Work Art Market is the perfect place to support the artistic community. Mark the date in your calendars! 

13 ways to celebrate this Halloween in Toronto

Stuck on how to celebrate this spooky season? Worry no more

By: Hannah Mercanti

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

Having trouble figuring out what to do for Halloween? You’re not alone. It can get old doing the same thing year after year, and the repetition makes the season lose some of what makes it so much fun. No matter what your perfect Halloween looks like, we’ve got you covered this spooky season with the scariest number (13, of course) of different fun activities all around the city guaranteed to get you in the spirit. 

If you’re looking to relax:

D.I.Y. Pumpkin Spice

Halloween is the perfect time for a D.I.Y. project. Gather some friends and ingredients to make your very own pumpkin spice base for endless PSL’s in any season.

Spooky Baking

Got a sweet tooth? It’s time to do some Halloween baking! A simple sugar cookie recipe can go a long way into creating the spooky cookie graveyard of your dreams.

Have a Themed Movie Night

There's no better time for a movie marathon than Halloween. Pick a series – Scream, Twilight, Halloween – whatever puts you in a spooky mood and have a themed movie night! Make some themed-snacks, dim the lights and get cozy.

Pick Fresh Pumpkins

Classics are classic for a reason — nothing puts you more in the Halloween spirit than a pumpkin patch. Sweet Ridge Farms in Scarborough allows visitors to pick their own fresh pumpkins straight from the patch. 

If you’re looking to go out in Toronto:

Black Lagoon Pop-up Bar

For the month of October, Black Lagoon is hosting a pop-up bar on Bloor Street. Aside from spooky drinks and eats, they have tarot readings and costume contests. This event is 19+ and admission is free, but activities cost extra.

80’s Dance and Costume Party

On Oct. 29, The Garrison is hosting a dark 1980’s dance party. Goth, post-punk, new wave and more underground ‘80’s hits will be playing all night, and costumes are more than encouraged. This event does not allow minors. Tickets are available online or at the door for $20.

ROM After Dark

On Oct. 28th, The Royal Ontario Museum is opening its doors for a Halloween spectacular. Tickets include curated music, food and access to the Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature exhibit.  This event is 19+. Tickets are priced at $30 and are available online.

Halloween Punk Rock Show

For all the concert junkies out there, Angoria productions is showcasing four spook-tacular bands on Oct. 28 at their Halloween punk rock show at The Baby G.This event is 19+ and tickets are priced between $15-17 dollars.

SCENES Interactive Halloween Experience

For the month of October, SCENES Studio on Queen Street West is hosting the ultimate interactive Halloween photo booth experience. With eight different eerie scenes ranging from blood spattered living rooms to old Victorian mansions, visitors are invited to express themselves through photo and video and make some truly horrifying seasonal memories to last far beyond October. Tickets are $25 at the door.

If you’re looking to get spooked:

The Great Canadian Horror Film Festival

Calling all film buffs! The Great Canadian Horror Film Festival is screening 12 new terrifying films encompassing all genres of horror on Oct. 29 at the Royal Theatre. Films include the animated French psychological horror film Contretemps and The Man Who Loves Flowers, a short film adapted from a Stephen King novel of the same name. Tickets are priced at $20 and can be purchased online or in-person at the box office.

Casa Loma Legends of Horror

Casa Loma’s interactive theatrical experience, the Legends of Horror, is now running until Halloween. Guests are invited to tour the grounds, which have been transformed into a haunted castle infested with ghouls at their own pace and explore never before seen areas of the historic site. Tickets are available online and are priced at $48. 

Alone in the Dark Ghost Tours

For all the theatre kids out there, The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre has your Phantom of the Opera dreams covered with ghost tours of the haunted theatre. Tickets include access to the lobby and theatres after dark for investigative purposes. Visitors also get to attempt to contact one of the theatre's many alleged ghosts through different communicative techniques. The event runs until Oct. 27. Tickets are priced at $84.99 and are available online.

Rocky Horror TO

Oh, Rocky! Rocky Horror TO is hosting live performances of the cult classic from Oct. 28 - 31 at The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema on 506 Bloor Street West. Tickets are priced at $15 dollars and can be bought online.

Now you’ve got a whole bunch of awesome ways to get spooky all around Toronto, regardless of how you choose to celebrate. Now it’s time to put your costume on and have the best Halloween of your life!

Asian Heritage Month: Celebrating culture and combating anti-Asian racism

For more than 20 years in Canada, May is a time to celebrate the culture, arts and history of the Asian community and its many contributions to the country and the world’s creative scene. But with the rampant anti-Asian racism, this year’s celebration looks a little different

By: Meilin Ma

A group of dancers perform to the traditional Chinese song titled “Jasmine.” It shows how people enjoy and appreciate their wonderful life. (Zheng Hui Zhu/Golden Maple Leaf Seniors Association)

In honour of Asian Heritage month in Canada, the Toronto Community and Culture Centre (TCCC), a non-profit organization that has served the Mandarin community in the GTA since 1995, hosted a celebration on May 7 to fight against anti-Asian racism and to recognize the impact that Asian-Canadians have made within the country.

In December of 2001, the Canadian Senate passed a motion by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Since then, celebrations have taken place across Canada every May, notwithstanding the last few years which bore the brunt of the pandemic.

The Toronto Community and Culture Centre (TCCC) , the organizer of this celebration,  is a charitable, leading organization focused on serving the Mandarin-speaking community in the GTA since 1995. (Meilin Ma/CanCulture)

Simon Zhong, the executive director of the TCCC, says that Asian-Canadians have made great contributions to the development of Canada. The purpose of Asian Heritage Month is to recognize their outstanding contributions, create a more inclusive multicultural society and introduce various Asian cultures, arts and history to Canada.

"But unfortunately, as we all know, ever since the pandemic started, anti-Asian racism and attacks continue to happen, which is not acceptable,” says Zhong. "This year's celebration is very different because we want the people to know that they should act when that happens."

The TCCC has provided service to the Mandarin-speaking community since 1995 and has organized various cultural events for almost 30 years, including the Asian Heritage Month celebration. There were over 300 people that attended the event.

A Chinese ethnic minority dance that expresses the love of a young couple performed at the celebration. (Courtesy of the Golden Maple Leaf Seniors Association)

"I believe it is important for us to have moments like today where we can share our diversity to promote that understanding," said MP Shaun Chen, who attended this celebration to support the event. "That is so critical on that pathway to building a more inclusive society. So, these events are very meaningful, and we ought to continue to work together to build a better country."

There were 25 different types of programs featured in the celebration including Beijing Opera, Chinese classical dance, ethnic minority dance, modern dance, martial arts, Chinese instrumental performance and a variety of dynamic art forms. 

More than 100 cast members performed at the celebration, with the oldest member being 86-years-old.

Zeng Yuan Ding, the chairman of Ruby Art Association, is one of the show's co-organizers. He intends to spread Chinese culture by actively participating in various community cultural activities with the hope of carrying forward traditional Chinese art in Canada.

"This is the 10th time that I am performing at the Asian Heritage Month celebration," said Ding. "All of us in the overseas Chinese community should play the role of bridging and linking in cultural exchanges and spread our fine Chinese culture to other groups in Canada, and enrich Canada's diverse culture."

Zeng Yuan Ding, 75-years-old this year, singing a traditional Chinese song at the celebration and hoping to introduce and promote traditional Chinese culture in this country. (Courtesy of the Ruby Arts Association)

Another performer, Ru Xie, the chair of Golden Maple Leaf Seniors Association, was also one of the co-organizers. Most of their members are retired seniors and are not professional performers, but they spent the past few months preparing several programs for this Asian Heritage Month, which received rave reviews from the audience members during the day's performance.

"The Canadian government is very concerned about the elderly," said Xie. "To repay society and perform this program well, we practiced for a few months and hired a professional teacher to teach us. We sincerely hope all walks of life see the beauty of our Chinese art and understand our Chinese culture."

Along with  providing all the performers and programs for this celebration, the TCCC also hosted a youth focus group. The purpose of the group is to let the children talk about the anti-Asian racism around them, to let Asian youth be more aware of the hate crime occurrences in the community and to educate young people on how to protect themselves when these things happen.

Eddie Zhang, is one of the youths who joined the focus group and additionally volunteered in the event. He recalls experiencing racism since he was in elementary school, which is why he wanted to support the celebration and bring awareness to the anti-Asian racism in Canada’s fault lines.

"I feel like many children like me growing up in Canada with a Chinese background have experienced anti-Asian racism," said Zhang. "It took a lot of years for me to get through it. I'm very grateful to join today's event because I want to help my community. I want to help the other kids who might be going through the same thing as I did."

A very happy and festive Chinese-Korean national folk dance performed at the celebration. (Milk Tea/Ruby Art Association)

A study conducted by the University of Victoria surveyed 874 first and second-generation Chinese-Canadians and found that two-thirds had experienced discrimination. About one in three respondents said they had been personally threatened or intimidated, and more than one in four said they had been physically attacked. 

In another survey, the Association for Canadian Studies polled 1,547 Canadians, 75 of which came from a Chinese background. Almost half of the Chinese-Canadians polled said relations with white Canadians had worsened during the pandemic. But for the 1,255 white Canadians polled, only 40 per cent indicated that their relationship with Chinese-Canadians got worse.

According to Amy Go, the president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice, this discrepancy indicates that white people's privilege prevents them from seeing the experiences that Asian-Canadians live with and creates a barrier to change.

"COVID-19 has amplified anti-Asian racism,” said Go. “I have heard so many friends and family members telling me about the xenophobia they've experienced because misinformation and stereotypes run rampant during the pandemic.”

Go's council partnered with other advocacy organizations to create a portal for Asian-Canadians to report hate crimes. Live data from the Fight COVID Racism portal shows, as of May 26, that there have been 1,167 reported incidents of anti-Asian hate crimes across Canada.

The federal government website says the theme for Asian Heritage Month 2022 is "continuing a legacy of greatness." This month is a reminder for all Canadians to come together to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination in all its forms.

"That is why we did this event,” said Zhong. “We want to build confidence, and we want others to know our culture, to build a more inclusive society." 

The TCCC will host anti-Asian racism workshops in June following this celebration with an aim to unite communities together to oppose all forms of discrimination and create a better and more harmonious social environment.

The development of contemporary art from the 60s to now

An introduction to the modern movements that changed art forever 

Photo: Amaury Salas/Unsplash

Photo: Amaury Salas/Unsplash

By Will Lofsky

The 1960s

From the counter-culture rebellion and rise of rock n’ roll to the domination of the Vietnam War, and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and John F. Kennedy, the 1960s was one of the most culturally significant periods in the 20th century.

Pop art was born out of rebellion against the drama of abstract expressionism. High art was pushed for low-brow art and artist’s identities were thrown away to be replaced by famous images from pop culture. 

Photo: Alice Donovan Rouse/Unsplash

Photo: Alice Donovan Rouse/Unsplash

The 60s saw the mass development of technology and consumerism notably expressed in notorious pieces such as Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans released in 1962 and his comic-book style screen-printed Marilyn Monroe work released in 1967. 

This was also the birth of minimalism, which began when artists used mass-produced materials such as steel, neon and bricks to make installations and sculptures using as few materials as possible. Minimalism’s radical use of space created an entirely new avenue to explore in the art world. 

American sculptor and visual artist Tony Smith’s Die sculpture, a brooding, ominous 500-pound cube designed proportionally to the human body, was made of hot-rolled steel that was shown in the Whitney Museum of Art in New York in 1962. 

Agnes Martin, an iconic Canadian minimalist artist from Macklin, Sask., painted until four months before her death at age 92. Her work, The Tree, a six-foot square canvas with faded grey and white horizontal bars created with oil and pencil is a testament to the beauty of deliberate imperfection as the drawn lines are off kilter. 

The 1970s

The 1970s art scene was deeply affected by the fallout of the hippie movement, and male artists were now no longer the dominant creators. Influenced by photorealism and 60s pop art, the pictures generation was born, along with land, performance and feminist art. 

Photo: Nicola Peratoni/Unsplash

Photo: Nicola Peratoni/Unsplash

As land was evolving from a source of materials to a canvas itself, impressionism painters moved from their easels to the great outdoors. Robert Smithson’s stonework Spiral Jetty built in a Utah salt lake and created using “over six thousand tons of black basalt, rocks and earth from the site” challenged the conventions of art and its relationship with exhibitions and marketing. 

Paul Wong, an artist from Prince Rupert, B.C., has experimented with performance art his entire career. His first piece, the 32-minute long video, EARTHWORKS IN HARMONY, was shown at the Burnaby Art Gallery in 1974. 

Wong’s first film shot in colour, 60 UNIT; BRUISE, released in 1976, shows Wong’s friend Kenneth Fletcher withdrawing blood from his own arm then shooting it into Wong’s shoulder to create a bruise. Although the piece was created to symbolize their friendship, in retrospect it speaks volumes about the AIDS crisis in the the 1980s, nostalgic innocence and the dangers of drug use. 

In this era, feminist art also stepped boldly forward, amidst queer and civil rights actions, anti-war demonstrations and the beginning of the Women’s Liberation Movement along the West Coast of California. 

Judy Chicago, Barbara Kruger and Cindy Sherman opened the doors for female creatives to enter male-dominated circles. Chicago’s iconic installation, The Dinner Party, is made up of a gigantic banquet table with 39 place settings, each honouring a historically important woman. With this, another 999 women are commemorated with gold inscriptions on the white tiles below the triangular table. 

The 1980s

Jean-Michel Basquiat, a famous American artist who broke out in the 80s, grew up in the New York punk scene and evolved from having his graffiti art spread along the walls of Manhattan to his neo-expressionist paintings being exhibited in museums and galleries around the world.

To this day Basquiat’s pieces are still sold for hundreds of millions of dollars. In May 2017 a Japanese billionaire purchased Basquiat’s 1982 Untitled painting at a Sotheby’s auction for $110.5 million. 

Throughout Basquiat’s career, he became friends with his favourite artist, Andy Warhol, and lived lavishly spending thousands of dollars on Armani suits and staying in the finest hotels in the United States. 

Photo: The Andy Warhol Museum (thewarholmuseum) on Instagram

While Basquiat was very successful, he had a serious drug problem, which got dramatically worse after Warhol passed away despite a falling out that occurred between them. Basquiat passed away on Aug. 12, 1988, from an accidental overdose at the age of 27. At the time he had completely isolated himself from his family and friends and was using 100 bags of heroin a day.

Basquiat’s pieces Untitled (Boxer), Hollywood Africans, Horn Players and many more have forever changed art and strongly influenced hip hop and the work of some of hip hop’s finest videographers and artists, Dexter Navy and Lonewolf

The 1990s

The 1990s saw a new era begin as The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989 and the American Cold War with Russia officially ended in 1991. Bill Clinton, the first baby boomer to run the White House, was the president for most of the decade before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke and he was impeached. 

The 90s was one of the most influential decades in music due to notorious groups such as Nirvana, N.W.A, Public Enemy, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day, who broke barriers in the industry. 

Though, while the 90s changed music forever, tragedy was also very much interwoven with the decade, as Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, and rap’s biggest stars, Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and Big L were all shot between 1996 and 1999. 

Cartoons and late-night talk shows in the 90s became incredibly popular, and boosted multiculturalism in the digital with the launch of the World Wide Web, cable TV and cell phones. 

Photo: scheier/Unsplash

Photo: scheier/Unsplash

Art in the 90s responded to the new dawn of the digital age, with concepts of identity and personal, lived experiences being tied all together. Some of the most popular categories of art in the 90s consisted of identity politics, new media and relational aesthetics. 

In 1993, the Whitney Museum of American Art received harsh criticism by majority caucasian conservatives, for what they believed to be condescending and political. Daniel Joseph Martinez, a Los Angeles-based artist designed badges for the museum in 1993 that read, “I Can’t Ever Imagine Wanting to Be White.” 

Another artist featured at the Whitney Biennial exhibition in 1993 was Glenn Ligon, who expressed oppression with black text on a white backdrop on, Untitled (I Feel Most Colored When I Am Thrown Against a Sharp White Background).

Relational Aesthetics was a term created by Nicolas Bourriaud, a French curator that defined the term as “essential to art from this moment.” Vanessa Beecroft’s nude and scantily clad performance art, particularly her 1999 VB35 showcased the clash of bodies and politics in museums. 

Pierre Huyghe, a French artist, became notorious for his 1999 piece (although it debuted in April 2000), The Third Memory, in which he re-created the set from the 1975 fictional movie about a failed 1972 Brooklyn bank robbery, Dog Day Afternoon. Huyghe created a hybrid between documentation and history with footage from the film, shots from news broadcasts and a real interview with John Wojtowicz, the bank robber that inspired the movie. 

As technology continued to advance in the 90s, new media gave artists more freedom than ever. Los Angeles artist Doug Aitken became one of the most creative pioneers of immersive video installations. His multi-panel video work, Diamond Sea, was showcased in 1997 at the Whitney Biennial, and his 1999 multiple-room Electric Earth which won the Internal Prize at the Venice Biennale.

The 21st century

Art in the 21st century is seemingly impossible to characterize. Though several movements such as computer art, visual culture and neo-dadaism — a term for the satiric multimedia take on day-to-day-life — and absurdist art have seemed to dominate the past two decades so far.

Graphic artists in the 21st century continue to push the boundaries of art for TV, movies, commercial work, album art packages and more. Mihailo Andic, a graphic artist based in Oakville, ON., has worked with Lil Yachty, Drake, 88 Glam, PARTYNEXTDOOR, 6LACK, and more. 

While Andic has been Lil Yachty’s creative director since his first mixtape Lil Boat, one of his most impressive pieces to date is the cover of Quality Control’s second album, Control the Streets Vol. 2. From Andic’s meticulous text design to his use of symmetry and hyperrealism for this overhead view of an airport, his attention to detail shines through and through.

Photo: Mihailo Andic (mihailoandic) on Instagram

The visual culture movement has evolved primarily out of new media, performance art, installations and relational aesthetics. Although it remains limitless, scholars of visual culture tend to analyze pieces and look for religious, political, feminist, scientific and ideological symbolism as this work is expressed through an endless stream of mediums. 

Indigenous storytelling in virtual reality has achieved popularity in Canada thanks to Nyla Innuksuk, an Inuit director, producer, writer and VR-content creator. Innuksuk’s film, Breaths, an intimate documentary on Susan Aglukark, an Inuk singer-songwriter, explores Agulkark’s powerful account of post-colonialism and the events that shaped her sound. 

Innuksuk’s very personal, face-to-face approach to studio shooting in a black room makes the viewer feel more connected to Aglukark, before being thrust into the open snowy tundra of the North. 

Ryan McGinley is a 42-year-old photographer from New Jersey that rose to fame quickly because of his ability to capture intimate moments that seem to be completely free of all the daily stresses of reality. His 2007 shot, Ann (Slingshot), is one of the defining photos of McGinley’s career along with countless other breathtaking images shown at his events in Soho, Denver, Tokyo, London and more. 

Dadaism, also known as anti-art, was started after WWI by artists that were desperate to make light against the evils of the world and today that fight still goes on with millennials in multiple mediums. 

Absurdist humour has evolved into the age of social media through the spread of memes, vines, self-deprecating websites, bizarre videos and satiric Twitter communities. 

Bill Wurtz, a famous neo-dadaist Internet personality’s Still a Piece of Garbage viral YouTube video, created in 2015, still resonates with users that enjoy self-deprecating humour. Wurtz’s combination of fast-moving colourful and semi-distorted graphics to look intentionally amateur with a catchy melody for the five second video has strongly influenced Tik Tok culture’s recipe for a viral video. 

Video: bill wurtz on YouTube

While many art critics reject neo-dadaism as nonsense, the Internet has allowed anyone to create their own satiric work online across a variety of platforms to share, and there is beauty in absurdist humour’s ability to bring some joy to a chaotic world. 

As technology continues to advance and change, art will inevitably reflect the changes through installations, new media, neo-dadaism and the blend of all its predecessors in the coming decades. 

In the oversaturated Instagram era, artists have more competition than ever before to get noticed, but perhaps that challenge is a blessing for the boundaries of multimedia to be pushed further than ever before.

Artist Profile: Hanin Mazri

Ryerson photographer Hanin Mazri has spent the last two years developing his own unique style

By Manus Hopkins

An impromptu photography session was all it took for Hanin Mazri to get hooked. 

He joined a soccer teammate of his, who was already an experienced photographer, to shoot some photos around downtown Toronto just for fun, and at the time had no idea that photography would become one of his main passions.

It was in his first year of university that he discovered his penchant for taking photos, and was quickly able to pick up a variety of different techniques. 

hanin mazri.jpg

“This photo was taken in my first year of practicing photography,” he said of the photo above. “The technique is called double exposure and at the time it was my favourite thing to do. It’s when you take two photos and merge them into one through photoshop, usually involving a portrait and nature picture.”

Mazri is a third-year journalism student at Ryerson University and made the decision to attend the school in 2017 once he had heard Ryerson’s journalism program involved hands-on work and fast experience building. 

For Mazri, honing his photography skills and developing his artistic eye mostly just came from getting as much practice as possible. He would take every opportunity he could get to take photos, whether it was for class assignments, to try out a new style or just for fun.

“Photography is something that is hard to learn at the start, if you have no idea what the basics are,” he said. “But after doing the research and practice you’ll get it, once you get it, it’s pretty simple. After that it’s about developing your unique style and that comes from constantly doing photography.”

As an avid sports lover and an athlete, Mazri lists sports photography among his favourite styles. With the combination of his sports knowledge and his eye for photography, he’s managed to land two new jobs photographing athletes at work. 

North York Soccer’s youth league has hired Mazri to be a photographer for the team, and SB Nation’s Waking the Red, has employed him to capture the Toronto Football Club (TFC) and Canadian Premier League (CPL).

hanin mazri2.jpg

“This was a photo I took in my first sports photography job,” said Mazri. 

“In sports photography you’re always trying to capture the moment, either from a goal being scored, a player making a decision, a player clapping or laughing, a coach yelling. This photo has both players making a decision.”

Mazri’s versatility with a camera is one of his strongest skils. In addition to professional sports photography, he also dabbles in recreational artistic photography. 

While it may be recreational, Mazri remains passionate about any photography he does. He has plans to travel to Portugal this coming summer and to New Zealand at some point as well to take photos for his personal portfolio. 

Originally, he planned his trip to Portugal just for the sake of travelling, but if there’s ever an opportunity to add photos that use new styles, incorporate new places, and draw from new experiences, he’s keen to take it. 

“The two countries are two of the most beautiful in the world,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of research about places to go, but it will be an adventure for sure.”

Mazri’s Canon T6i camera is nothing he considers too fancy, but he does use a top-of-the-line Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 lens these days. The photo below is one he took for a model photo shoot in November, 2019.

hanin01.jpg

“It demonstrates silhouette, when the subject is dark and the background is usually much brighter,” he said.

Mazri has come a long way in his two-and-a-half years of practicing photography seriously. He has two professional positions, an extensive portfolio and proficiency in multiple styles under his belt, but he’s only confident he will still continue to progress. 

“I don’t know why I enjoy photography so much,” said Mazri. “I just love doing it. Just like playing soccer, it’s a passion of mine. All my worries and problems go away when I’m shooting and I fall into this atmosphere where I forget about everything else, just like when I’m on the field. I’m definitely gonna stick with photography, because when you find something you love doing, you can’t let it go.”

Check out Mazri’s photography on his Instagram profile here.

Toronto Light Festival: A little light and winter cheer in the Distillery District

By Serena Lopez

On Jan. 17, the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival began in the streets of the Distillery District.

Those looking for an escape from the cold, dreary winter months can visit this exhibit that encapsulates the pockets of light that art gives the public, all in one space and at no cost.

As soon as sundown hits the alleyways of the district, it becomes lit with enormous light sculptures and over-the-top installation work.

Sydmonauts

The first eye-catching piece, located at the district’s main entrance, is called Sydmonauts and was created by Australian artists Amigo & Amigo, whose work focuses on mostly large scale and complex design pieces.

The Sydmonauts sculptures are the first thing visitors entering from the Distillery District’s main entrance will see as they begin their walk through the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The Sydmonauts sculptures are the first thing visitors entering from the Distillery District’s main entrance will see as they begin their walk through the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The nine “Sydmonauts” are intentionally placed in different locations of the Light Festival and are meant to be reflective of the “under-appreciated work of astronauts, mathematicians and space travel.”

Shrooms

The Australian duo has a second installation featured in the exhibit called Shrooms. This piece has its own room showcasing playful and eccentric inflatables of everyone’s favourite fungi. 

Visitors had ample photo opportunities with the oversized mushroom replicas. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Visitors had ample photo opportunities with the oversized mushroom replicas. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Shrooms is an interactive piece described by the artists as “being a take on a cultural value that mushrooms are a sign of good luck.” The forest of mushrooms is meant to be a show of signs of good luck for visitors.

Cloud Swing

Another installation of sculptures titled Cloud Swing was brought to life by American artist Lindsay Glatz in partnership with creative designers Curious Form, meant to encapsulate the feelings of wonder.

This artwork first premiered in the United States at the 2019 Burning Man art festival as an official honorarium project, brought to this year’s Toronto Light Festival to encourage engagement with the art from visitors. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

This artwork first premiered in the United States at the 2019 Burning Man art festival as an official honorarium project, brought to this year’s Toronto Light Festival to encourage engagement with the art from visitors. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Cloud Swing is a piece that exemplifies the childhood nostalgia associated with a swing set. When the swing seats are left unoccupied, the suspended clouds stay lit under a dim white glow and brighten with a colourful radiance once occupied.

The Palace of Winds

The Palace of Winds made its first appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Toronto and borrows its name from the actual Palace of Winds in India. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The Palace of Winds made its first appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Toronto and borrows its name from the actual Palace of Winds in India. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Featured next to the Young Centre for Performing Arts, The Palace of Winds is an 8 by 8 piece created by Toronto-based artist Whyishnave Suthagar, who drew inspiration from Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India. The Hawa Mahal, also known as the “The Palace of Winds” is a palace made of red and pink sandstone that opened in 1799. It also references the mandala imagery of a kolam; a form of drawing that is created using rice flour or chalk. The mandala is also an important spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism representing the universe.

The piece is an intricate mix of laminated plywood, fluorescent thread and black light that brings together an elaborate design into practice exploring themes of ancient myths, dreams, memory and the subconscious mind.

“My mom and my aunt would always make kolams,” said Suthagar in a phone interview with CanCulture. “All the older women around me would always like to make kolams for Hindu festivals and weddings, so then the designs that they used — I guess I studied them as a kid just by looking at them.”

When talking about the root of the inspiration for her work, Suthagar said helping her mom with making kolams when she was younger serves in her present work as a testament to her Tamil heritage and Hindustan upbringing in a reimagining of the pieces that she witnessed growing up.

Submergence

A new spin on your traditional Christmas lights, a UK-based group of artists, researchers, technologists and designers brings an immersive, walk-through experience of 5,000 individually controlled points of light that allows visitors to explore an environment that inhabits both real and virtual components, suitably called Submergence.

In this light piece, the installation is slowly lit in stages to entrance visitors in a mesmeric show of bright lights. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

In this light piece, the installation is slowly lit in stages to entrance visitors in a mesmeric show of bright lights. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

This exhibit has something for art appreciators of all ages and is just one of many ways to enjoy the Canadian winter while it lasts.

The Toronto Light Festival runs weekdays from Sunday to Wednesday from sundown to 9pm and Thursday to Saturdays from sundown to 10pm until March 1.

Valentine’s Day in the city: How creative do your gifts get?

By Lauren Kaminski

Photo: Johnny Brown/Unsplash

Photo: Johnny Brown/Unsplash

As Feb. 14 rolls around in Toronto, for some, this celebration of love can become a matter of what gift will best show your gratitude or affection for your significant other.

With this added pressure, some find Valentine’s Day to be just to be another “money-grab” — a capitalist holiday invented to empty the pockets of those in meaningful relationships and insisting that love comes with a price tag. 

The idea of spending copious amounts on a gift can seem unattainable for those that are young, broke and in love. Yet, much like the holiday season and birthday celebrations, giving the perfect DIY gift, or planning the perfect night, can be how some couples prefer to show their gratitude. 

For Michael Taglioni, the day doesn’t differ from any other, as he finds it’s “just another day to appreciate your significant other,” he explained.

Taglioni plans to make his girlfriend an “exploding box.” This project features a greeting card in a box, and when the lid is lifted, the walls of the box fall down with pictures, notes, and mementos lining the sides. When opened, it reveals 4 different layers that ‘explode.’

While Taglioni wants to maintain a DIY approach to the holiday, he also plans to surprise his girlfriend with flowers and a necklace enclosed in the box. 

“I was thinking about doing just dinner with Emma, but I decided that I want to make her something she’d really remember,” he said.

The new couple has still made plans for the 14th at La Bettola Di Terroni for dinner, a Toronto Southern Italian restaurant where they met for the first time, as well as a hotel room. Recognizing the corporation-driven nature of the holiday, the 25-year-old still acknowledges the value of showing devotion to one’s partner.

“It’s nice to shower someone with love and gifts,” he said.

This creative outlook on Valentine’s Day doesn’t differ for those in long-term relationships.

Cyreena Prasad met her boyfriend of three years, Joshua Gordon-Hinds, in high school, and after a couple of years of friendship, they made it official. 

After finding crafty inspiration on Pinterest, Prasad decided to make a little box of her boyfriend’s favourite things including candy, socks, and video games.

“It lets me get him gifts with an excuse,” she said.

As for Prasad, being in a long-term relationship has not changed her idea of Valentine's Day as “he treats me so well every day of the year so it doesn’t really make a whole difference,” she said.

Prasad explained that she still enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day for the quality time together.

“I just love spending time with him and doing fun things.”

Despite being in a relationship or not, in recent years it seems that the day of love has shifted meaning to a broader appreciation of all the ways we can experience love.  

“Galentine’s Day”, a nonofficial holiday first dubbed by character Leslie Knope in the television series Parks and Recreation, acknowledges love outside of romantic partners.

For Dini Bryant, a 29-year-old nurse and Brock University graduate, every Valentine’s Day her and a group of single friends head to downtown Toronto and go out drinking, usually on the hunt for some good live music.

“When you’re single, your friends are your makeshift boyfriend,” said Bryant. 

Bryant’s group would do fun eyeshadow looks fitting the holiday, and dress up in pink and red outfits. They would only settle for bars with live music, accompanied by the perfect decorations like strung up heart lights and cupid cut-outs. 

Bryant sees the value in celebrating the holiday with those you love, regardless of being romantically involved.

“Friends are your support system, the people who are always there for you and that should be recognized on Valentine’s Day too,” she said.

The immersive Dr. Seuss Experience reimagines your favourite childhood stories

This whimsical art exhibit has something for all ages

The Cat in the Hat balances various objects while talking to guests. (CanCultureAnnemarie Cutruzzola)

The Cat in the Hat balances various objects while talking to guests. (CanCultureAnnemarie Cutruzzola)

By Annemarie Cutruzzola

If you’re looking for some childhood nostalgia, you can get lost in the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss and his beloved characters at this local interactive art installation.

The Dr. Seuss Experience made its world premiere on Oct. 26 when it opened just outside of Toronto. It is the first stop on the exhibit’s tour of several North American cities.

The exterior of the Dr. Seuss Experience building features some of the author’s well-known characters. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

The exterior of the Dr. Seuss Experience building features some of the author’s well-known characters. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Colourful lamppost banners with the famed author’s most iconic characters lined the streets leading to the Dr. Seuss Experience, located across the road from the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga. 

Among others, The Grinch, The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 towered over the entrance of the building and drew visitors inside to the equally as colourful exhibit.

The majority of the 15,000 square foot space was taken up with a mesmerizing balloon maze inspired by Oh the Places You’ll Go. Visitors were able to explore the maze to find words to fill in the blanks of a famous quote from the book. Surrounding the maze were eight rooms, each inspired by a different Dr. Seuss book.

The colourful maze of suspended balloons is one of the exhibit’s main attractions. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

The colourful maze of suspended balloons is one of the exhibit’s main attractions. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

When the exhibit was announced, Mark Manuel, the founder and CEO of Kilburn, the company behind the exhibit, told AP that their aim is to promote both literacy and the prosocial messages of Dr. Seuss books. 

This is most evident in the Lorax exhibit, which Manuel said “teaches environmental stewardship”. Upon entering the room, you’re given a fake coin. Then you’re faced with a difficult decision. If you donate your coin you can happily wander into a large room full of Truffula trees and swings. If you decide to keep your coin, you’re led into a small, dimly lit room where all the trees had been cut down. After a brief lecture about the dangers of greed and a timely reminder about the importance of protecting trees, you can give up your coin and join the others in the multi-coloured, mirrored room that resembles the forests pictured in The Lorax

Mirrored walls in The Lorax room make the forest of colourful Truffula trees and swings look infinite. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Mirrored walls in The Lorax room make the forest of colourful Truffula trees and swings look infinite. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Some exhibits were highly interactive and geared towards children, while others appealed to adults as well.

The large bins in the red-and-blue Cat in the Hat themed room spew out objects for guests to collect and reorganize. Attendees can ride a carousel at the Circus McGurkus or help Herbie Hart reassemble his Throm-dim-bu-lator. Those with endless curiosity can search for hidden critters such as a nink in the sink or a findow in the window while exploring the room inspired by There’s a Wocket in my Pocket

A “findow in the window” is one of many hidden creatures in the There’s a Wocket in my Pocket room. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

A “findow in the window” is one of many hidden creatures in the There’s a Wocket in my Pocket room. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Other rooms look more like a traditional art exhibit and are definitely photo-worthy. The experience caters to those hoping to take Instagrammable photos by offering limited tickets for “Gram Hours.” The ticket website describes this as an “intimate, reserved journey” through the exhibit.

One of the most tranquil rooms, entitled Horton Hears a Who, features a field of fluffy pink clovers bathed in soft lighting. Mirrored walls in the Sneetches and Other Stories room, the most popular exhibit, create an illusion of infinite Sneetches in every direction. The unique design of each creature in this room is said to encourage tolerance and individuality, according to Manuel

The waist-high pink clover field is a popular spot for selfies in the exhibit. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

The waist-high pink clover field is a popular spot for selfies in the exhibit. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

As the experience tours from city to city, it will feature different exhibits based on other Dr. Seuss books. 

Visitors in Toronto get to experience The Grinch Who Stole Christmas room. Upon entering the room filled with glittering lights, guests are given toy fishing rods and are split into two teams. Whichever team catches the most presents wins — unless the Grinch is around and decides to be unfair. 

The room is open to the public during the festive season along with the rest of the exhibits and is a perfect way to add festive cheer for those planning to go over the holidays. 

Outside the exhibit, guests can line up to take pictures with Thing 1 and Thing 2 or Cat in the Hat. There’s a gift shop selling Dr. Seuss books and all the memorabilia you can think of and a small collection of Dr. Seuss related artwork for sale. 

Dr. Seuss-inspired mugs, figurines, stuffed animals and more are sold in the gift shop outside the exhibit. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Dr. Seuss-inspired mugs, figurines, stuffed animals and more are sold in the gift shop outside the exhibit. (CanCulture/Annemarie Cutruzzola)

Outside the room of dead trees in the Lorax exhibit, an older man joked with an employee that he’d rather stay in there because of the peace and quiet. There were surprised smiles and laughter as people took selfies with the Cat in the Hat and realized it could talk. Joyful children dragged their parents around the balloon maze without a care in the world. 

The Dr. Seuss Experience will stay in Toronto until January 5, 2020. Once you enter, there is no time limit, so waiting for entry into a busier exhibit may take a fair bit of time. The crowds can be sizeable depending on the time, but among the chaos, it’s likely that you will encounter some moments of levity. 

The atmosphere exudes happiness, wholesome cheer, and a hint of nostalgia. By the time you exit the Dr. Seuss experience, it’s safe to say your heart will grow at least a couple of sizes.

40th Festival of Authors showcases poetic wonder of the world Ian Keteku and local Toronto talent

By Mia Maaytah

Ian Keteku, 2010 World Poetry Slam winner at the Toronto International Festival of Authors on Oct. 25, 2019 at the Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

Ian Keteku, 2010 World Poetry Slam winner at the Toronto International Festival of Authors on Oct. 25, 2019 at the Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

The 40th anniversary of the Toronto International Festival of Authors wrapped up their 11 day celebration on November 3 which featured over 100 Canadian novelists, journalists, and poets.

Midway through the festival on Oct. 25, the Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto hosted the annual poetry slam in partnership with Toronto Poetry Project that featured world renowned Canadian poet Ian Keteku and upcoming Toronto-based poets.

Twelve poets eagerly signed up to perform their best pieces in hopes of entertaining and exciting the audience, and that would also earn them a score high enough to advance to the second round of the competition.

Judges consisted of random audience members, handpicked by one of the event curators and chosen based on their answer to “what rules in life should be broken?” The curator explained the answers that both encompassed and denied cliches such as “rules should exist so they can be broken,” and even “the rule of J-walking should be broken.” Judges were instructed to rate performances on a scale of 1-10 and audience members were encouraged to verbally share their opinion on the scores given, whether positive or negative.

The lights dimmed and David Silverberg, the artistic director of Toronto Poetry Project and founder of Toronto Poetry Slam, began the show with a land acknowledgement, a trigger-warning, and spotlighting that an empty, wooden chair on stage was there to represent those who have been silenced and are unable or have been stopped from sharing their message.

David Silverberg beginning the Toronto Poetry Slam at the 40th Festival of Authors on Oct. 25, 2019. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

David Silverberg beginning the Toronto Poetry Slam at the 40th Festival of Authors on Oct. 25, 2019. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

As the poets took the stage, themes of race, gender, and sexuality were prevalent in many of the performed pieces, some comedic and satirical, others more serious and daunting. 

Ian Keteku, 2010 World Poetry Slam winner and featured poet of the evening, spoke between rounds of the competition and shared poetry from his new anthology Black Abacus.

His words captured the audience as he moved between analogies about life passing us by quicker than our brains can comprehend it, and used his platform to speak on gun violence, throwing shade, and the constant injustices of modern racism.

Keteku shared a poem called “How To Kill A Poet” which addressed poet stereotypes and the ways in which their message and their work can be literally and figuratively destroyed.

Keteku spoke before the show about what drives his passion to speak and create works of written art.

“I like to explore things that are ethereal but have meaning in our everyday life. I like to offer words of hope and meditation. Sometimes they are critical of the world,” Keteku said. “There’s a lot of injustices. I speak about race, I speak about African people, I speak about indigenous sovereignty around the world. I speak about opening one's heart for peace.”

Liam Galway, the winner of the competition who will be performing at the 2020 Festival of Authors, also spoke about the challenges of mental health and gender roles. 

Liam Galway performing his first poem at the Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto on Oct. 25, 2019. His poem uncovered the topic of boys and all the ways society tells them not to dance. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

Liam Galway performing his first poem at the Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto on Oct. 25, 2019. His poem uncovered the topic of boys and all the ways society tells them not to dance. (CanCulture/Mia Maaytah)

His performance entitled “Distractibility,” began by spelling ADHD, and quickly turned into a rhythm of rhyming words and speaking in a pace to mirror the speed at which his mind seems to work.

“I wish I could say what goes on in my head. Numbers confuse me, letters amuse me, my memory’s shaky and my appetites choosy. But it has its upside as well,” Galway said. 

“I can tell my mom I love her and say it differently every single day. I can write poetry for days, I can write essays, sometimes get A’s. I can take the mean things that some of my friends would say and turn them into songs and I’d sing along so their words wouldn’t hurt as much.”

It appeared as though no topic was off limits. From police brutality to stories of orgies, racism in small towns to sex on the beach, nothing was exempt from the mic.

The poets left the crowd joyfully amused throughout the show and seamlessly showcased their world of literary creativity and the importance of sharing a message, regardless of what it may be.

“The audience appreciates how, with even a very serious poem, there's a power and an emotional energy running through the room once that final syllable hits,” Silverberg said. “Because poetry slams also emphasize performance, the audience recognizes they may also watch skilled performers as well as talented writers.”

“What keeps poets coming back to slam is the chance to showcase their work to a wider audience, since poetry slams are very well attended, and they may also like a competitive format to an open mic that also energizes and engages the audience, encouraging them to, say, boo scores they don't like. Things run a bit different at a poetry slam.”

Looking back at the 14th edition of Nuit Blanche Toronto

Torontonians set out for the multilayered, mind-bending treasure hunt that is Nuit Blanche

By Pooja Rambaran

Toronto hosted the 14th annual edition of Nuit Blanche, an art exhibition that kept the city awake on the night of Oct. 5 and continued into the early hours of the following Sunday morning.

Over 300 artists with nearly 90 projects sought to interpret the theme Continuum: “the interconnected and often contradictory paradoxes of life in the changing city.”

Out of the hubbub of our regular daily lives and constant gravitation towards technology, Jennifer Deighton, a first time attendee, thinks Nuit Blanche is a good way for people to come out and appreciate art and artists. 

“Perhaps, technology is taking over our lives in a big way so I think seeing artists incorporate technology into all that they do probably draws people to it,” Deighton said. “Art and technology are sort of intersecting.”

With just one night to see the art, deciding which of the projects to visit was a tough call, but below are a few from downtown Toronto that made an impact.

Kaleidoscope: A Social Media Trinity

If the long line-up at the Drake One Fifty was anything to go by, Alejandro Figueroa’s “Kaleidoscope: A Social Media Trinity,” was a clever combination of art and technology aiming to provide individuals with a social media intervention of sorts.

The human-size kaleidoscopic installation projected a live feed from the social media trinity — Instagram, Facebook and Twitter — allowing individuals to stand in the middle of the piece and contemplate their social media usage, while ironically being the perfect spot for an Instagram picture.

Peace to the Past, Reach for the Future

With energetic music reverberating throughout the air, the “Peace to the Past, Reach for the Future” sculpture stood tall against the backdrop of Old City Hall. 

Constructed by Esmaa Mohamoud and Bryan Espiritu, the hand sculptures of a two and five stood in the midst of fog and blue and purple flashing lights in honour of the Toronto Raptors’ 25 years in existence and its recent NBA championship. 

CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Inscribed onto the hands, Mohamoud and Espiritu mapped out the Raptors’ tumultuous 25-year journey and their vision for the team’s future.

“It looks super cool,” said Tina Suntres, third time attendee at Nuit Blanche. “It had music in and around the exhibit which I feel like kind of draws people into the art piece because sometimes you can hear the music before you can see the piece so I think that’s a cool incorporation of it.”

On Thin Ice

Standing an impressive 25 feet tall in the middle of Yonge and Dundas Square, the “On Thin Ice” exhibit, created by Ghost Atelier, was replicative of a cracked ice-shard, aiming to draw viewers' focus on the growing concern of climate change. 

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

An eerie instrumental background and the occasional sound of ice cracking accompanied attendees as they walked between the crack.

First time attendee Sabrina Canerli found it to be an interesting concept. 

“I’m happy Toronto is doing some good stuff for the climate action,” Canerli said. 

However, attendee Swati Vivekananthan found "this white block" to be a little less interesting and a little more underwhelming. 

“I thought it was going to be more engaging but it seems pretty dull and boring, to be honest,” Vivekananthan said.

Lunar Garden

The tranquil soundscape of Charlotte Day Wilson played invitingly to the huge crowd attempting to get a glimpse of the highly anticipated “Lunar Garden.” 

Nathan Phillips Square was transformed into New York-based artist Daniel Arsham’s canvas with the focal point being the 30-foot light orb, representing the moon, as a tall weeping willow tree stood in front of it atop concentrically raked turquoise sand.

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

(CanCulture/Cheyenne Bholla)

The installation spread throughout the square with enlarged white sculptures of everyday objects, including a camera and a clock, depicting future archaeological finds.

The Lunar Garden’s zen atmosphere was a perfect place to end off the night. 

29Rooms: The art exhibition where every room has a different story to tell

By Serena Lopez

Placed at the entrance of the exhibit is a 29Rooms sign that guests see as they embark on their journey. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

Placed at the entrance of the exhibit is a 29Rooms sign that guests see as they embark on their journey. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

Media company Refinery29 brought their immersive and collaborative art exhibition into Toronto for the first time this September. 

For its debut in Canada, 29Rooms was set up as an art park where all inventive dreams can come true, and was a perfect showcase of feminism and activism between Canadian artists, partners, and excited audiences.

Hosted at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Toronto, each session ran for 2.5 hours to give guests a chance to view what each room had to offer. 

Feminism

Audiences were given writing prompts to help brainstorm their own female character that they would like to see on the big screen and were invited to attach their character to the writers room board. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

Audiences were given writing prompts to help brainstorm their own female character that they would like to see on the big screen and were invited to attach their character to the writers room board. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

Throughout all of the rooms, certain themes were presented. This room in particular showcased the extreme creativity of the event and the need for a feminist perspective. 

Designed in collaboration with Shatterbox — a series of short films created by female storytellers — this room, appropriately called "Now Casting: Female Storytellers,” included a faux movie set inspired by the lack of female representation in the film industry to shine a light on women and voice a female perspective in Hollywood. 

In this room, guests were given a notepad to write into existence their own lead female movie characters as part of the writers room experience. Viewers got to decide their character’s passions, motivations, and goals to be added to a vision board.

The designer of this exhibit set up what is meant to be a mosaic of black female culture. Guests had the opportunity to have their fortunes read in an Ancient Egyptian practice. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

The designer of this exhibit set up what is meant to be a mosaic of black female culture. Guests had the opportunity to have their fortunes read in an Ancient Egyptian practice. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

While taking a stroll across the art park, guests would find an installation, which, at first glance, looked like a fairytale version of the aesthetics exhibited in Beyonce’s “Homecoming” Coachella performance. This room — called “A Long Line of Queendom” — was a celebration of all black women and black empowerment across the world.

The room was brought to audiences by Refinery29’s Unbothered platform — an online community specifically dedicated to Black millennial women and their stories.

The exhibit gives the viewer a glimpse into the cultural and historical belongings which are a part of and are synonymous with black culture. Included are displays of bamboo earrings, golden bonnets, and a powerful encapsulating display bringing to light particular aspects of the black female experience. 

Nostalgia

A large fridge of milk and cookies that depicts a flowing carton of milk straight into the glass. This installation was accompanied by a milk carton that had made sounds for audiences to create their own musical beats. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

A large fridge of milk and cookies that depicts a flowing carton of milk straight into the glass. This installation was accompanied by a milk carton that had made sounds for audiences to create their own musical beats. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

Got milk? This room takes the audience on a trip down memory lane to the simple times where a big glass of milk and chocolate chip cookies were relied on for an adequate calcium intake. In this showcase, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario have remodelled and resized their #whatcantmilkdo campaign — which educates Canadians about all the benefits of milk — to recreate those nostalgic feelings by building a room with a large white glass of milk made out of milk cartons and a gigantic fridge with cookies.

Canadian Influence

The “Be You” wall showcasing the exquisite portrayal of a retro-dance party. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

The “Be You” wall showcasing the exquisite portrayal of a retro-dance party. (CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

As an art gallery would feel empty without the sound of music, Toronto-based DJ, Bambii, brings the party to a room that shares similarities with a high school formal. 

The room, entitled “Dance Break,” was set up as a party within an intimate myriad of streamers, neon-light signs, and booming bass beats. It came together to create an atmosphere that felt so wholesome and personal that guests may have contemplated dancing as if nobody was watching.

Canadian artist, Hanski, a.k.a Hannah Epstein, collaborated with 29Rooms to create an interactive two-sided piece that viewers can actually spin like a coin. 

Discover & share this Animated GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

(CanCulture/Serena Lopez)

In a phone interview with CanCulture, Hanski described her work overall as being, “lowbrow, folk-craft, that’s presented in a high art context.”

The use of traditional rug-techniques in her work is inspired in part by her East Coast upbringing in Halifax.

"It wouldn’t have been enough just to have a large 3-D structure in an art-park space and not have it be interactive,” said Hanski.

The piece represents the notion of choice and the different ways in which one decision can create a multitude of possibilities.

From Covergirl’s “Lash” playground to Shoppers Drug Mart’s all-pink workshop class, outside-the-box ideas came together to create a selfie-utopia that were both thought provoking and modernistic. 

Other rooms included giant vending machines where real people cooked food in a slot where guests could see it being made, a mock Parisian diner decked out with golden french baguettes and macarons and a pilates room to sweat it all out and rid any guilt of giving into the temptations.

The 29Rooms: Expand Your Reality tour is an experience that encapsulates the magic that comes from collaboration in art and design. It had something for everyone — both artists and art appreciators alike — and also didn’t compromise on the photos for Instagram opportunities.

The 29Rooms tour stop in Toronto commenced from Sept 26 to Oct 6. For those that are in for an adventure, the event will be heading next to Washington D.C. from Oct 18 to Oct 27, Los Angeles from Nov 8 to Nov 17, and New York from Dec 6 to Dec 15.

'Liked.' - The comedy show straight from your Instagram feed

Toronto-based monthly improv show bases comedy off of audience’s social media

The show’s poster. (Liked./Carley Thorne)

The show’s poster. (Liked./Carley Thorne)

By Alexander Sowa

Liked. is a Toronto-based improv-comedy show, based on taking an audience member’s Instagram posts and using them as a jumping point for hilarity, only escalating as the performance goes on.

In their show at Bad Dog Comedy Theatre on Sept. 24, a group of seven performers started by going through an audience member’s Instagram feed, pausing to ask for more detail on certain people or events and cracking jokes all the while. When they felt they had enough material, they started the show.

The partial cast of Liked. on stage, as they ask questions about an audience member’s Instagram. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

The partial cast of Liked. on stage, as they ask questions about an audience member’s Instagram. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

As the show went on, each scene outdid the last, continuously increasing in amusement. The characters that came alive on stage were hilarious — larger-than-life — and yet also grounded in details that the performers had asked about from the audience. A friend who was nervous about driving was transformed into a climate activist who murdered people with his car. The hospital they worked at was suddenly a masquerade run by criminals. The performers took small things, apparent from social media, and used them as the seed to create great comedy.

The audience’s laughter grew with each scene, because even though what was happening was ridiculous, they were all in on the joke. The greatest feeling in the room was that of intimacy and being a part of what was happening instead of just watching it unfold. 

Even in the final scene, a lighthearted funeral for a character who had died a total of three times throughout the night, it still kept with the detail from those initial Instagram posts — something absurd drawn from the sort of everyday, mundane life that people lead.

The full cast of Liked. on stage during a funeral scene. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

The full cast of Liked. on stage during a funeral scene. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Carley Thorne, a Toronto comedian and one of the two producers for Liked., explained the initial idea for the show.

Carley Thorne, striking a pose after the show. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Carley Thorne, striking a pose after the show. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

“A lot of the improv you see in the city is short little scenes. We wanted to tell a story. And then we were thinking about the way that people portray themselves on social media, and how it’s different from how they actually are,” Thorne said.

It is ultimately a show about youth, both in terms of the show’s cast and its audience. 

“This is a young show. It’s for students, but also for young adults,” said Veronika Slowikowska, Liked. co-producer and fellow comedian.

Veronika Slowikowska outside the theatre after the show. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Veronika Slowikowska outside the theatre after the show. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

“We’re fairly young in the community, and we thought what would be a show that would get young people out?’ And Instagram just kind of popped into our heads, and we were like ‘Oh that would be an insane show! That would have endless possibilities!’,” Slowikowska said.

“You don’t think about how people view your social media. So we thought it would be fun to show people, to hold a mirror to them to show them what their social media really says about them,” Thorne said.

Liked. has been hitting the stage for over nine months, and will be performing at Bad Dog Theatre again on October 21.

How Bettina Bogar is provoking skin cancer awareness and empowerment through photos

By Anastasia Barbuzzi

Creative Director Katherine Murdick chats with a visitor about the skinwork exhibition. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

Creative Director Katherine Murdick chats with a visitor about the skinwork exhibition. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

In a new photo exhibition called skinwork, Toronto-based photographer Bettina Bogar managed to highlight the female form, raise awareness for skin cancer, and pay tribute to a late friend, Heather Mundle, with a humble grace unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

At the exhibit launch event on International Women’s Day, a teary eyed Bogar stood before an audience ready to listen to a panel discussion about skin cancer prevention. She thanked friends and family for their attendance and took almost no credit for the alluringly curated, completely unedited collection of photos she put together with creative director Katherine Murdick.

“Heather was so passionate about skinwork and making it something bigger than us,” Bogar said. “We want to honour her life and her goal by doing as much as we can to encourage everyone to be aware of their skin’s health.”

The finer details

Featuring 60 Canadian women who have a special connection to the cause, Bogar’s exhibition took a unique approach to advocating for cancer prevention by focusing on skin markings left by melanoma. And for every skinwork print that’s sold, all profits go straight to the Melanoma Network of Canada – the movement’s official charitable partner.

Bettina Bogar shoots a close-up photo of a skinwork model. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

Bettina Bogar shoots a close-up photo of a skinwork model. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

Bogar initiated skinwork last year with a select group of women including Heather Mundle. It was Mundle who passionately advocated for the project to be about skin cancer prevention having personally experienced melanoma earlier in her life. Unfortunately, Mundle’s cancer returned shortly after the project started and she sadly lost her battle to a metastatic melanoma in September of 2018.

While walking down the long hallway of wall to wall prints inside Artscape Youngplace with Murdick, skinwork’s creative director, a silence hung in the air as she described the last few months of working on the project with Mundle. Mundle never told anyone involved in the exhibition that her cancer came back.

“Being on-set, working with over 60 women was very emotional and empowering,” said Murdick. “This project has already touched so many people, myself included, and it feels incredible.”

A personal and sensory experience

As we watched launch party-goers and influencers float throughout the room, I was surprised to have recognized some of them in the photos displayed. With the slightest clue, like a strand of blonde hair, a freckled shoulder, or pair of sun-spotted cheekbones, I was able to match a person to a photo. It became easier for me to understand how every women that bared all for Bogar’s camera felt more confident about themselves afterward. Thanks to the direction of her and Murdick, they were able to see parts of themselves that they never appreciated before as truly beautiful.

Bettina Bogar (center) and Katherine Murdick (right) on set of the skinwork photo shoot. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

Bettina Bogar (center) and Katherine Murdick (right) on set of the skinwork photo shoot. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

That’s when viewing skinwork became a very sensory experience for me. I came across a print that emphasized a woman’s midsection and hips. She had a small scar on her side that was shaped like an irregular circle and it reminded me so much of one of my own - an imprint from a recent kidney surgery. Without knowing what I was really doing, my hand moved to touch that scar on my side. I then quietly reminded myself to love that little part of me even harder and get my skin checked for cancerous spots this year.

The girl with the scar in "SWG65", a print included in the skinwork exhibition at Artscape Youngplace. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

The girl with the scar in "SWG65", a print included in the skinwork exhibition at Artscape Youngplace. (skinwork/Bettina Bogar)

Over the course of the two-day photoshoot that Murdick and Bogar orchestrated to capture skinwork, they became overwhelmed by the amount of generosity that local businesses showed them once they learned about the project’s mission.

“My dream is that skinwork becomes a movement. That this project emotionally connects with people so deeply that they take action – make a doctor’s appointment – get themselves checked and start taking care of their skin’s health,” said Bogar.

Though skinwork is no longer on display at Artscape Youngplace, I’m so happy to have seen it in the flesh while it was. You can now follow the movement on Instagram, purchase a print, or visit the website for more information. Hopefully we’ll be able to see skinwork travel to other Canadian cities soon.

5 Canadian books to look for in March

By Bree Duwyn

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground

By Alicia Elliott

Release Date: March 26, 2019

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A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Haudenosaunee writer Alicia Elliott is an important and personal reflection on racism, oppression and trauma.

Alicia Elliott offers raw insight on the treatment of Indigenous people in North America and comprehension to the continuance of colonialism and its legacy. She explores the ties between both emotional, spiritual, and cultural loss in both figurative and literal perspectives by making pivotal connections between past and present. Elliott also attempts to answer questions behind the most pressing Indigenous issues faced in today’s society to forge a welcoming tool for a better future filled with respect.

Alicia Elliot is a Tuscarora author from Brantford, Ont., from Six Nations of the Grand River and lives with her husband and child. She has had work published by The Globe and Mail, Vice, Maclean’s, CBC and Reader’s Digest, among many more. She works at The Fiddlehead as the Creative Nonfiction Editor, is an Associate Nonfiction Editor at Little Fiction | Big Truths, and works as a consulting editor for The New Quarterly. A Mind Spread Out on the Ground won gold at the 2017 National Magazine Awards.

We All Fall Down

By Daniel Kalla

Release Date: March 26, 2019

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We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla is about a woman named Alana Vaughn, who is an infectious diseases expert with NATO. Alana is urgently requested by an ex-lover to travel to Genoa, Italy to examine an unusually ill patient in critical need. She’s shocked to find out that the illness is a recurrence of the Black Death, also known as the Great Plague. Alana suspects bioterrorism but Byron Menke, who works for WHO, disagrees. In a chaotic hunt to track down Patient Zero, they come across a near century old monastery and an old medieval journal that might hold the secret to the outbreak. As the deadly disease rapidly spreads, it’s a dash to uncover the truth before countless lives are lost.

Daniel Kalla resides in Vancouver and works as an Emergency Room Physician in a major teaching hospital. He received his B.Sc. in mathematics and his MD from the University of British Columbia. Kalla also doubles as a writer, managing a dual career. He has written a total of 11 books and his Shanghai trilogy has been optioned for feature films. He pairs his job as a physician to the themes and concepts of his novels. This includes Kalla’s first medical thriller, Pandemic, which was inspired by his experience in facing the SARS crisis of 2003. Kalla has appeared on ABC, FoxNews, NBC, CNN, CBC Radio, The National Post, City TV, The Vancouver Sun and many more. Kalla now works as a clinical associate professor and the department head of St. Paul’s Hospital ER.

Crow

By Amy Spurway

Release Date: March 26, 2019

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Crow is about Stacey Fortune, known to most as Crow, who is diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumours that send her running from her glamorous life in Toronto to her mother’s trailer home in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Everyone in her hometown believes that Crow’s family is cursed. Crow decides to write a memoir to stun all. She’ll dig into her family’s past, investigate the alleged curse and uncover the mystery of her father, who vanished before she was born. Crow contends with an electric bunch of characters that add more flavour and spice to her memoir and her life. Crow by Amy Spurway is a witty, energetic and humorous tale of twists, drama and soul.

Amy Spurway was raised in Cape Breton, which influenced the setting of Crow. At the young age of 11, Spurway landed her first writing and performing jobs with CBC Radio. From there, she worked as a communications consultant, editor, performer and speech-writer. Spurway’s work has appeared in the Toronto Star, Babble, and Elephant Journal, as well as Today’s Parent. She currently resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

This One Looks Like a Boy

By Lorimer Shenher

Release Date: March 31, 2019

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Lorimer Shenher’s This One Looks Like a Boy: My Gender Journey to Life as a Man is an honest memoir of his gender transition. It is an inspiring coming-of-age story that embraces identity.

This memoir is thoughtful as Shenher shares his life experience of his gender journey from his childhood to adolescent experimentation to early adulthood denial of his gender identity.  This One Looks Like a Boy brings the reader on Shenher’s journey of self discovery and finding acceptance.

Shenher is an author, the former head of the Missing Persons Unit in Vancouver, and is also an influential public speaker. He speaks on a large spectrum of topics, including police culture and its impact on society in relation to the fight for human rights of marginalized people. Shenher is recently retired and the recipient of a MA in Professional Communication (2017). He is now a full-time writer in multiple media and has experience as a reporter and photographer, as well as a film extra and a TV technical consultant.

Immigrant City

By David Bezmozgis

Release Date: March 12, 2019

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Immigrant City is a collection of short stories written by David Bezmozgis that all focus on the lives of immigrants. Immigrant City, the titular tale, tells the story of a father and daughter duo who find themselves in an unusual version of his immigrant childhood. These tales create a sense of wonder and journey as the underlying themes play with self-discovery and following one’s heart. Within these enriched stories, Bezmozgis presents complex immigrant characters in a heartfelt demonstration.

An award-winning writer and filmmaker, David Bezmozgis has had his work published in The New Yorker, Harpers, Zoetrope All-Story and The Walrus. Bezmozgis has also written Natasha and Other Stories, a story collection and novels such as The Free World and The Betrayers.

Bezmozgis’ first feature film, Victoria Day, premiered in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and has received a Genie Award nomination (Canada) for Best Original Screenplay.

He graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and now lives in Toronto.