Artists in the Library

 

wavering band of energy

wavering band of energy is an artist collective, started by Elizabeth Mudenyo and Subhanya Sivajothy, focused on the intersections of poetry and sound art. This collective is focused on community-based arts and believes that art can be a powerful tool for social change and community building.

Artist Statement

"As poets we were inspired by Alice Oswald’s quote that says the poem on the page is more like a musical score, it isn’t the music. That it shouldn’t be mistaken for the music of performing the poem. In our six-week program, participants will explore creative and experimental methods for storytelling through poetry and sound–exploring poems as acoustic structures. We will learn collaboratively through writing prompts, sound editing, visual poetry and spoken word poetry as well as sound walks in the neighbourhood. At the end of this exploration, we hope to showcase the sound-based poetry projects that people have been working on with a fun listening party!"

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Kamalayan Konsciousness

Kamalayan Konsciousness is a community-based organization of Filipino youth in Toronto that aims to empower and raise awareness among young people, so that they may be conscious of their power and their crucial role in creating change in society. Kamalayan means "awareness" in Filipino, and the name draws inspiration from the Katipunan, a group of revolutionaries who made their mark in history by resisting Spanish colonizers in the Philippines. Their mission was to achieve liberation and genuine democracy for the Filipino people. Since 2008, Kamalayan has carried out their mission through programming that is led by Filipino youth, for Filipino youth.

Artist Statement

"In this 5-week workshop series, Kamalayan invites Filipino youth ages 15-25 to develop creative ways of storytelling by learning about Philippines' history, society, and the resilience of the Filipino people. We will explore various mediums–collage, character design, storyboarding, comics, zinemaking–and guide your process of concept generation in visual arts. The workshop series hopes to facilitate your journey not only as an individual artist but as part of a collective, to foster our capability to make a meaningful impact on the world. Participants will culminate their learnings through a public exhibition and celebration of their art pieces."

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CANVAS Arts Action Programs

CANVAS Programs is an Ontario-based charity that provides empathy-based education on consent and 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion. CANVAS envisions a society in which all people are free to live authentically and have the tools to form safe, caring relationships. They believe that high-quality, proactive, arts-inspired education is key to combatting and ultimately ending homophobia, transphobia and sexual violence.

Artist Statement

"Through creative and compassionate workshop facilitation, participants can critically examine harmful norms, learn about the struggles of marginalized groups, and recognize their capacity to affect positive change. Together, we can work towards a more empathetic, equitable and kinder world-view."

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Eva Kolcze & Jessica Thalmann

Eva Kolcze is a Toronto-based artist who creates films and installations that investigate themes of geology, architecture, and the environment. Her work has screened at venues and festivals, including the National Gallery of Canada, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC), MOCA Toronto, the Gardiner Museum, Nuit Blanche, Cinémathèque québécoise, Birch Contemporary, and the Images Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University and a Master of Fine Arts from York University.

Jessica Thalmann is an artist and educator currently based in Toronto who received an MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College. Thalmann has taught at the International Centre for Photography, Akin Collective, MacLaren Art Centre, Toronto School of Art, Gallery 44 and City College of New York. Her work has been shown in group exhibitions at Aperture Foundation, International Centre for Photography, Camera Club of New York Baxter St, (New York), Museum of Contemporary Art, Harbourfront Centre, Angell Gallery, and Gallery TPW (Toronto). She is represented by Christie Contemporary.

Artist Statement

"Crossroads is a 14-week program that includes workshops, newly commissioned public murals, and community art-making that speak to the neighbourhood's long history with Kodak, film processing and manufacturing and the transformation of Mount Dennis as an urban centre for local residents and industry. The public murals intertwine analog and digital images of the neighbourhood's past, using archival documents from the Kodak Canada Corporate Archive at Toronto Metropolitan University's Archives and Special Collections, alongside images taken by Thalmann and Kolcze. Additional programming includes a Lumen & Cyanotype workshop, a Polaroid Lift workshop exclusively for the Youth Hub and a Drawing on Film workshop."

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Criss-Cross Curations

Morgyn Aronyk-Schell and Tanveer Alam are emerging dance artists, makers, curators, and community leaders with expertise in the fields of western contemporary dance from a lineage of American modern dance, and Kathak respectively. They have joined forces to build Criss-Cross Curations, with the goal to build community-engaged initiatives that bring together a diverse array of dance practices and forms in considered and researched mixed curatorial structures. Our goal is to be responsive to the communities in which our activities take place, and to bring to them our investment and appreciation for the art form of dance.

Artist Statement

"Criss-Cross Curations creates opportunities for community audiences to learn about, and interact with cultural dance practices and the inspiration behind the making of dance works. They will be offering a month-long initiative that highlights three dance artists practicing diverse forms. The project will exist in three parts: 1) A Mini-Art Exhibit which will provide context about each artist and their respective dance style. 2) Three open-level introductory dance workshops, each led by a different artist, sharing their dance form. 3) A performance showcasing three short solos from the artists, and a facilitated question and answer period."

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Lucas Silveira

Lucas Silveira is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band The Cliks. He gained significant recognition for being the first openly transgender man to be signed to a major label record deal. The Cliks, formed in 2004, garnered attention for their unique blend of rock, punk, and pop music. Silveira's journey as a transgender artist has been influential in the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for visibility and representation in the music industry. His ground-breaking achievements highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in mainstream media.

Artist Statement

"Lucas Silveira conceived Transcendence In Sound as a haven for transgender musicians, offering not only essential artistic guidance but also a nurturing environment to navigate the complexities of the industry. This innovative program aims to provide a safe space where trans artists can flourish, fostering a community built on support and empowerment. By equipping them with both the fundamental skills of their craft and the necessary tools to navigate their unique experiences as transgender individuals in the music world, Transcendence In Sound strives to amplify their voices and pave the way for greater inclusivity and representation."

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Jeannie Kyungjin Kim

Born in Daejeon, South Korea, Jeannie Kyungjin Kim is an artist-educator specializing in Korean traditional watercolours and digital mixed media. With her Masters in Art Education, she has delivered diverse visual and digital art programs in the community and at the postsecondary level, teaching everybody from young children to seniors across the GTA such as the Markham Museum, McMaster Museum of Art, Lakeshore Arts, and City of Mississauga. Jeannie will be hosting collaborator and co-facilitator Soyeon Kim, an artist and educator that specializes in creating three-dimensional dioramas by arranging finely painted drawings and paper cutouts.

Artist Statement

"As an artist-educator, Kim's goal is to execute impactful art-based programming focused on promoting interculturality by fostering reciprocity, knowledge appreciation, respect and solidarity with other cultures. Jeannie's research of intercultural art education works through chaekgeori (책거리, loosely translated to books and things) paintings from the 18th to 19th century unique to Korean history that depicts a scholar's books and foreign antiquarian objects to project identity and social distinction. Kim's goal for this project is to share the power of chaekgeori paintings through experimental art-making and promoting cultural exchanges to diverse communities and all age demographics."

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Dylan Dae Shin

Dylan Dae Shin is an artist born and working in Toronto, Canada. He is currently pursuing a bachelors of fine arts at OCAD university. Dylan chooses to work with ideas dispersed across a variety of mediums to piece together his environment. As he resides in Toronto, the work currently made depicts the municipal setting, occasionally through the lens of tracing family lineage around the city. Dylan is fascinated by discarded items, the removal of material, and common motifs that can help specify a site's location.

Artist Statement

"Home, it's what you make; barely anyone is really from 'Toronto.' In a city by all means troubled with identity issues, there isn't much that's cohesive about this place. It's ironic, because if we're all different, that's exactly what makes us all the same. Despite it all, we'll turn out just fine."

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Blessyl Buan

Blessyl Buan is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and visual artist. With a background in Kinesiology and Chiropractic, her artistry is enhanced by a heightened kinesthetic intelligence. Her process explores Philippine Indigenous traditions, joy, and cultural identity. Her short film 'Rara' featured in Danceworks Summer Reel 2023. With an Ontario Arts Council grant, Blessyl is developing a solo dance for 2024. She'll also lead 'Weaving Futures' for the Toronto Arts Council's Artist in the Library Program. 'Kapwa Kaleidoscope,' her solo exhibition, will be at The Clark Centre for the Arts, where she's artist-in-residence in August. She is a mother of four.

Artist Statement

"'Weaving Futures' is an immersive journey inspired by Indigenous Philippine culture. Led by local multidisciplinary artist Blessyl Buan, this six-week workshop series converges dance, painting, weaving "banig" (Philippine mat) and the ancient script of Baybayin to explore themes of decolonization, cultural reclamation, and 'Kapwa' (community). Set to culminate in a Fall 2024 exhibition at the Morningside Library, participants will delve into land-based practices, intertwining physical and sonic elements while creating with raffia, paint, and canvas resulting in a vibrant tapestry that transcends the physical realm integrating tradition, innovation, and self-expression."

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Wang Zi

Wang Zi 王紫 (born in Nanjing, China) is an artist-educator based in Toronto. She has a Bachelor's degree in Printmaking (OCAD) and a Master's in Arts Management and Administration (SDA Bocconi, Milan). She is currently pursuing an MFA in Visual Arts at York University. She has shown works in the Ontario Legislative Assembly, Métis Space (HK), Art Bank Canada, and Richmond Hill Public Library. She has facilitated arts and cultural programs in various institutions, including the Royal Ontario Museum, CAMH, the City of Ottawa and the City of Richmond Hill.

Artist Statement

"Wang Zi's practice is based on but not limited to printed objects, performance, sound-making, and installations. By reconstructing scenes and artifacts, Wang uses literal and connotative forms to examine the state of people in foreign settings: compromises that are overlooked, perplexities that remain unresolved, and emotions that are self-censored. She believes that the shared humanity is what connects us."

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Maliik

Maliik is a Jamaican, Toronto-born artist and visionary, with a multitude of musical talents. Moving with passion and a deep love for his art, he is a rapper, singer, songwriter, audio engineer, advocate for justice and seeker of truth, using his music to inspire and impact on personal and communal levels. Incorporating his Jamaican roots and the influences of his upbringing in Canada into his work, Maliik's art is versatile to the core, showcasing his constant ability to stretch expectations and step outside any boxes. Juxtaposing a platitude of sounds, Maliik has a unique ability to string elements of Reggae into contemporary Hip-Hop flows, while bringing in softer sounds when called for, creating a raw and magical atmosphere. He can seamlessly thrive in any musical element and consistently proves it - to himself and the world. Maliik released his solo project titled, 'Can't Quit, Gotta Have It' with lead single "Je Ne Sais Quois". You can find his music across all streaming platforms.

Artist Statement

"Maliik, a Jamaican-Canadian artist, blends passion and versatility as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and audio engineer. His love for recording arts began at 12, sparking a lifelong journey to refne his craft. Drawing from his Jamaican roots and Canadian upbringing, Maliik seamlessly merges Reggae with contemporary Hip-Hop and softer sounds, creating a dynamic and magical soundscape. He thrives on stages like Fill the BLNK and Meridian Hall, and his commitment extends beyond performance. Maliik actively teaches music recording to empower his community and aims to make high-quality recordings accessible across Canada."

 

Kseniya Tsoy

Kseniya Tsoy is a community-engaged mural artist originally from Uzbekistan and a recipient of the Newcomer Arts Award 2021 from Toronto Arts Foundation. An arts administrator in the past, Tsoy started her own artistic practice when she arrived to Canada in 2018. She has since worked with a variety of communities across Ontario and to this date has created about 50 big and small murals with a diversity of communities across Toronto and Ottawa, and has worked with partners like City of Ottawa, City of Toronto, local BIA’s, community centres, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and organizations like Multicultural Arts for Schools and Communities, STEPS Public Art, Scarborough Arts, Story Planet, Mural Routes and Vibe Arts.

Artist Statement

“As a person of mixed heritage, cultural diversity has always been the inspiration behind my work. My personal murals are dedicated to visual exploration of complex cultural identities and are inspired by folk motifs from diverse cultures that have influenced her growing up. As a community-engaged artist, I always strive to find original ways to speak about and celebrate diversity. A lot of times my murals depict participating community members and their stories. In the community, I am probably best known for whimsical collaborative murals where community members are engaged in all stages of the creative process. I use vibrant colours, bold minimalist shapes and uplifting messages to create whimsical and playful paintings that inspire joy.”

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JAYU Festival

JAYU is a registered Canadian charity and a leader in the space where the arts and human rights intersect. JAYU believes strongly that the arts provide the strongest platform to share human rights stories. The arts can be used to educate, to build empathy, to heal, to forge community and to inspire the kinds of conversations necessary to reimagine a more just and equitable world. Guided by their dedicated team of staff, artists, educators and Board of Directors, JAYU’s year-round programming includes their annual Human Rights Film Festival, their iAM arts and social justice training program, The Hum Podcast and their Human Rights Screening Series.

Artist Statement

“The JAYU iAM Program is dedicated to giving equity-deserving youth ages 12-29 access to FREE arts mentorship and employment opportunities, in a range of disciplines, including poetry and photography.”

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Alexandra Iorgu

Alexandra Iorgu is an Etobicoke land-based artist. In her current art practice, she is developing Living Sculptures, a series of site-specific ephemeral sculptures using natural materials and clay. Exhibiting themes of transformation and endurance, the sculptures will deconstruct, eventually disappearing. Her belief in the power of making and creating is often executed in the context of community. Alexandra will also be hosting facilitators and co-contributors Alan Colley (Bear Clan, Knowledge Keeper) and Nadijah Robinson (Program Manager, Lakeshore Arts). Alan’s goal is to connect people to a rich cultural history of the Anishinaabe, through an opportunity to have a hands-on experience to connect with the plants, the animals, and the earth in which they are living. Nadijah is an artist and arts-worker, and avid learner of plant and tree knowledge, and is experienced in collage, painting, printmaking, and mixed media.

Artist Statement

“Through “Life is Like a Tree”, artist Alexandra Iorgu and Knowledge Keeper Alan Colley, in partnership with Nadijah Robinson of Lakeshore Arts, invite families, youth and elders to the New Toronto Library Branch. The goals of the residency are to connect the local community to the land in the surrounding areas, and to generate an appreciation for the beauty of creation, creativity, and nature. Using art experiences to appreciate the surrounding trees, we are informed by our use of sustainable art practices. Rooted in traditional teachings, we understand that we all started from a seed filled with power, history and purpose to grow and enrich the lands in which we stand. Supporting life that shelters underneath and reaches to the sky, a tree is our metaphor to explore our relationship with nature and ourselves.”

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Braeden Doane

Braeden Doane is a parent and artist who is currently exploring the properties of sound and the practice of deep listening. Drawing from their deep love of community radio, they enjoy hosting multi-generational spaces for creative play and meaningful connection.

Artist Statement

“May we all take a moment to tune in to who surround us.”

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Musical Story Studio – Long Branch

Musical Story Studio is a collective of storytellers, musicians and artists founded by storyteller Sarah Abusarar, violinist singer-songwriter Cassie Norton, and pianist singer-songwriter Chris Taeyoung-Kim. The collective came together around our love of spontaneous, collaborative story creation and community. Musical Story Studio workshops and performances encourage participants to explore their unique place in the world, both through creative expression and hands-on learning. They work with guest artists in a variety of modalities who share their philosophy of collaborative creation and community art. For the Long Branch workshop series, Musical Story Studio will be joined by storyteller, Maria Del Carman Ordonez.

Artist Statement

“Musical Story Studio workshops and performances encourage participants and audience members to explore their unique place in the world through creative expression and hands-on learning. We use interdisciplinary story and music and art making practices to allow for a diverse range of learners to organically engage into the process of creation. In our workshops, the thematic material evolves throughout the process, shaped and informed through the various participants’ interests and values. We believe that it is important for diverse voices to be empowered to share their stories, and for those stories to be heard.”

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DeeJay Vee

As a singer, songwriter and dj, DeeJay Vee’s artistic journey continues to be adventurous and inspired. Throughout her years as a performer, I have strived to be an original. At the core of Vee’s creative expression is the desire to evoke thought and emotions while (of course) being entertaining. Vee’s foray into deejaying began when she purchased a dj controller to experiment with elements of sound in her live show “SoundDiva”. Adopting the name Deejay Vee, she soon began deejaying at creative and corporate events, and loves spinning tunes in a variety of musical genres.

Artist Statement

“Live joyfully by being visibly engaged in your artistic expression - in environments that are diverse and welcoming!”

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Sarvenaz Rayati

Sarvenaz is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. She received her BA in painting and visual communication from an art university in Tehran. She has exhibited her works in Tehran, New York and Toronto. Her two on-going public art projects are People & Trees light installation and Mosaic Stories mosaic murals. “Storytelling has always been the main motivation to create art. Heritage, the self, path, nature, the act of seeking are the recurrent themes in my work. Persian Miniatures inspire my visual language”.

Artist Statement

Inspired by captivating world of Persian Miniatures and the art of bookmaking, practiced in the royal library of Persian Safavid king, Shah Tahmasp, artist Sarvenaz Rayati, leads series of hands-on workshops invites participants to delve into the history, vibrant colours, and mesmerizing compositions of Persian Paintings. Through the use of traditional & contemporary techniques, attendees will tap into their creativity and create a collection of artworks culminating in a handcrafted art book. The program includes engaging activities such as book binding, painting, paper marbling, lino cut, and stamping, typography, character design across 8 sessions.

In addition to the workshops, Sarvenaz will also be at the library during 5 painting sessions, each lasting 4 hours. Inspired by Persian Miniatures, she will weave a contemporary and personal approach into her paintings.

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Bucket Full of Mangoes (BFOM) Collective

BFOM (Bucket Full of Mangoes) Collective is made up of filmmaker, actor True Daley; director, playwright Karlene Millwood; musician and public speaker LaToya Jane; and theatre instructor, actor Marissa Blagrove. Collectively the group's experience in the performance arts spans over 20 years. These four women of Jamaican descent have a passion and pride for the storytelling and music rooted in their culture. BFOM's first project will be staged in the Spring of 2023 at York Woods Theatre.

Artist Statement

“BFOM provides opportunities for Black youth in high-needs communities to have access to theatre training and mentorship from professional creatives. BFOM is made up of singer/songwriters, poets, actors, and directors. The aim of the collective is to preserve the rich culture, traditions, language and music of the Caribbean by introducing children and youth to folk songs, dances and stories.”

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Leyland Adams

Toronto artist Leyland Adams is a creative person of colour who has always pushed boundaries, including the boundaries of accessible art. Working with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Adams is making murals accessible for people with visual impairment, while beautifying his community through meaningful art. Leyland has travelled the country and across the globe to places like London, New York, and India, to bring his special brand of public art to the world. Leyland’s mural work features high-contrast imagery, audio descriptions, and textured imagery and QR codes with audio descriptions for the visually impaired. Adams is a community-based public artist who partners with organizations of all sizes to ensure impactful and meaningful public art that engages community. His art can be seen at www.leylandadams.com

Artist Statement

“The artist intention is to share the therapeutic calmness and joy that comes with making art. With the hopes of demystify art as a whole and making it more accessible to the community in all aspects of the word. The intergenerational aspect of this residency really allows for a wide range of skill sets to be involved, from young children to elderly folks. This residency is focused on simplifying these art topics and practices so that it is enjoyable, in a stress and judgement free environment that will be built around inclusivity and sharing cultures.”

 

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Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography

Gallery 44 was founded by a small group of artists in 1979, who joined together to share a darkroom and studio. In 1980, the collective began mounting exhibitions, and in 1986, began offering photography workshops. Gallery 44 was part of a greater network of artist-run centres that grew across Canada in the 60s and 70s. The movement was initiated by and for artists to counter dominant institutions and create communities supporting artistic production, presentation, education, and idea-exchange.

Artist Statement

“Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography is an artist-run centre committed to supporting diverse approaches to photographic and image-based practices through exhibitions, education programs and facilitating artistic production. Gallery 44 provides space and context for meaningful dialogue between artists and publics. Together, we offer an entry point to explore the artistic, cultural, historic, social and political implications of the image in our ever-expanding visual world.”

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Paul Stewart

Paul Stewart began his pottery career in 1985 as a second-generation potter. Since then, he has produced close to a quarter million pots. He has also had the good fortune to have been an arts educator for twenty years. In that time, he has delivered hundreds of workshops in dozens of schools, community centres, health centres, libraries and in his own studio.

Artist Statement

“Clay is a meditative and creative medium. It is so forgiving. Anyone can work with it and anyone can make beautiful items.”

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Ashley Culver

Ashley Culver is an artist and writer based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Culver holds an MFA from York University (2015) and a BFA from the University of Victoria (2011).

Artist Statement

“The thread of attention with care runs through Culver’s practice manifesting as sculpture, photography, artist books, community and food-related projects. Her work is in conversation with domestic space - particularly the kitchen - and desire for connection.”

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Christopher Willes

Christopher Willes is a multidisciplinary artist, musician/composer, and facilitator. His artistic work moves between disciplines and forms, focusing on the subject and practice of listening. He is an Associate Artist and Producer with Public Recordings, a performing arts collective in Toronto, and he often facilitates and organizes community arts projects. Christopher received his bachelors of music from the University of Toronto and received an MFA from Bard College (USA). He is an associated researcher with the Performing Arts Research Cluster at Concordia University, and he is currently training in Community Justice Initiates.

Artist Statement

“I work as an interdisciplinary artist, composer/musician, dramaturge, and facilitator working in experimental music, performance, publication and educational frameworks. My artistic practice focuses on the subject and practice of listening, to exploring issues of sociality, participation, perception, materiality, collectivity, collaboration and agency in music/sound and performance. My work is often situated in public and non-traditional venues, and involves the direct participation of the audience. Usually created in collaboration with other artists and community members over long term processes, the works explore how listening can transform our relationships to each other and the world around us.”

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North York Inter Community Youth Group/Pan Fantasy Steelband

Pan Fantasy Steelband is a community based non-profit organization, under the umbrella of the North York Inter-Community Youth Group (NYICYG), which strives to create awareness of cultural programming of the Steel Pan instrument through community events as well as leadership opportunities for youth. Pan Fantasy has operated for the past 35 years enrolling over 1,500 youth and has received numerous Caribbean Music Awards and performed at the 2012 Official Opening of the Pan Am Games at Nathan Phillips Square. Wendy Jones is Band Leader of Pan Fantasy and is internationally renowned as a Pannist, having received many awards including the annual Pan Alive competition eight years in a row.

Artist Statement

“My goal is to remove preconceived ideas about the steeldrum and showcase the versatility of this exciting instrument. The steelpan is often associated ONLY with Caribbean music; its versatility ranges from Classical to Jazz to Rock to Ballads and everything in between. As well, the steelpan has been utilized in small group ensembles with other instruments; and with voices/choirs. I aim to expand the horizons of the participants to see the infinite potential of the instrument.”

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Nathan Cole

Nathan Cole is a visual artist, photographer, writer, and aspiring naturalist. His practice is based on the exploration of the natural world both physically and visually, drawing inspiration from artist residencies in Costa Rica, India, and Spain. He has exhibited his work across North America and internationally. In 2022, he was one of three finalists for the Breakthrough Artist Award given out by the Toronto Arts Foundation. His artwork has also been featured in Murze and ArtAscent Magazines. Nathan is best known for his intricate and emotional wildlife scratchboard portraits.

Artist Statement

“Scratchboard is a delicate process, created by scratching away the ink. The more you scratch and the more repetitive you are, the less the surface remains the same. Humans create their societies in a similar way, they create by taking away the resources, stripping the surface to create something new. This is often a destructive process that results in animals disappearing along with their habitats. I want to creatively re-engineer this process, to give these animals a new life, a new future out of the darkness.”

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Marjan Verstappen

Marjan Verstappen is a visual artist and art educator. She specializes in teaching realistic techniques in drawing, painting and sculpture. In her teaching, she loves to share her enthusiasm for the beauty in everyday life, and strives to help her students discover it through their art. Her professional visual art practice involves painting, sculpture and photography. Notable exhibitions of her artwork include Every. Now. Then: Reframing Nationhood (Art Gallery of Ontario), INSTRUMENTA II (National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta), Atlas of Nowhere (Ashburton Art Gallery, New Zealand) and Know The Ways (Flux Factory, NYC). Marjan grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand and moved to Canada in 2012.

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Camila Salcedo

Camila Salcedo is an interdisciplinary artist, curator and facilitator born in Venezuela and based in Tkaronto, working primarily in textiles, digital art and community art practices. She has shown her work nationally at various galleries, artist-run centres and festivals, such as the Khyber Centre for the Arts (Halifax), Xpace Cultural Centre (Toronto), Art in the Open (PEI), RiAP (Quebec), Connexion ARC (New Brunswick); and internationally at GUS Gallery in South Africa and Proyecto ACE in Argentina. She has done several residencies nationally through Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), Trinity Square Video (Toronto), Vtape (Toronto), Eyelevel Artist-Run Centre (Halifax); and internationally in Mexico through Arquetopia and the Lab Program, Argentina through Residencia Corazón and Proyecto ACE, and Peru through Arquetopia.

Artist Statement

“Via her interdisciplinary arts practice, there are a few themes that she frequents: camouflage as a way to blur lines and break down social assumptions, memory as an empowering tool for time travel and creating new speculative realities, and upcycling and recycling to piece-together patchworks both materially by reusing and mending textiles, and digitally by appropriating found audio and video footage.”

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Ana Lopez Castro

Ana Gabriela Lopez Castro is a Mexican visual artist based in Toronto. Her artistic formation started in the areas of photography and printmaking in 2000, where she first found the best way to express her voice. She is an active exponent of Mexican folk art, through the presentation of her alebrijes, fantastic creatures made on paper mache. The love for her roots and Mother Nature is always present in her work. In 2019, she founded Emotionart collective art group, to bring art programs to Toronto Community Housing buildings, initially for seniors to break the isolation of their tenants and rebuild their community again.

Artist Statement

“Growing up in Mexico City, I have strong attachment to my roots, to my homeland and its culture. It always inspired me to create work, in my prints or my handcrafted alebrijes (fantastic creature made of paper mache). I immersed myself in the arts since I was a child, and little did I know I would become one day an artist, I just loved creating and drawing everything. Alebrijes became part elemental of my work in 1999 when I learned how to make them. They are so unique, mythical and expressive and can come from our dreams or our imagination.”

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Mirka Loiselle

Mirka Loiselle is a Toronto-based illustrator and children’s arts educator. They work primarily in digital illustration and other drawing media, but also dabble in painting, printmaking, and puppetry. Mirka is passionate about using narrative-based art practices to help young people discover their unique creative voices. She has previously worked as a community artist with VIBE Arts and ArtStarts, and runs SkyBlue Studio, a children’s arts organization in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood. They are a member of the artist-activist collective ACMJIS, and a collaborating artist on Neartown, a zine exploring alternative justice practices through fiction, poetry, and art.

Artist Statement

“This residency is a continuation of my practices as both educator and picture book artist. Monsters are a recurring theme in my work, often as playful personifications for my anxieties. Drawing imaginary creatures is an exercise in creativity: it forces young artists to reject the notion that their artwork has to look “real” in order to be successful, and instead encourages them to find value in their unique artistic voices. The collaborative nature of the project aims to break down the divide between artist and audience, between teacher and student, to create a product that is more engaging for all.”

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Siddhartha Naidu

Siddhartha (Sid) Naidu is a published documentary photographer and award-winning creative entrepreneur who uses visual arts as a tool for creating social impact. Drawing his inspiration from street arts, cultural movements and social change, he has created numerous bodies of photographic works across Asia, Australia & the Americas. His journey led him to co-found Scarborough Made in 2019, an artist collective championing storytelling in Toronto's East through public art and youth mentorship programs. His work has allowed him to collaborate with public institutions and global organizations, such as the City of Toronto, Centennial College, Complex Canada, TEDx and UNICEF Australia.

Artist Statement

“I grew up around neighbourhoods often misunderstood by outsiders looking in. I see strength and resilience intertwined in these neighbourhoods through the untold narratives and cultural histories of the many people living here. When we place storytelling in communities where art is not typical, we provide opportunities for the people to explore different futures through their personal narratives. When we get our communities involved in documentary storytelling, we develop stronger neighbourhoods more connected to our shared experiences. From one’s cultural upbringing or personal journey and learnings, we all have a story to tell. What’s yours?”

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Amanda Lederle

Amanda Lederle (they/them) is a neurodiverse, queer, Chinese-Canadian based in Toronto. Their mental health journey has influenced their drive to destigmatize mental illness and support creative expression. Amanda’s work has been shown in group exhibitions, publications and has been invited to lead workshops and artist talks. They were featured at the Art Gallery of Ontario as one Workman Arts’ artists taking up themes of mental health awareness and advocacy in galleries and museums.

Artist Statement

“Throughout their work, they explore connection, diverse perspectives and honesty, especially as it aims to bring more compassion and kindness into the world, destigmatizing mental illness and connection with others as it relates to lived experiences with depression and anxiety. Grounded in humour and playfulness, Amanda’s work surrounds the theme that we, human beings, are all on a journey through life and are not given a guide on how to live. We may be going through similar experiences, but the way we approach, think and behave are all unique. We are all doing our best to move through life.”

 

Marley Allen-Ash

Marley Allen-Ash is an illustrator and animator working in Toronto, Canada. In her personal practice, she combines traditional and digital media to create animated and static visual work that explores memory and mood. Marley also works as an freelance editorial illustrator with clients including the New York Times and The Globe and Mail, and her work has been recognized by 3x3, American Illustration and Creative Quarterly. In 2019 she was the Innovator in Residence at Fort York Library, where she delivered programming about digital illustration. She studied at OCAD University, completing a Bachelor of Design in illustration.

Artist's Statement

"I'm interested in creating work that reflects memory and feeling through abstracted visual narratives. During this residency I will be incorporating recollections from the community into an animated installation that explores dreams and mental health. In addition, I've found that the process of drawing and animating has given me new tools for expression, and I will be facilitating virtual workshops as an opportunity to share with youth and adults how to use these tools so they can create their own digital artwork."

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Erica Brisson

Erica Brisson brings ideas to life. As a visual storyteller and artist, Erica has produced socially engaged art and design commissions in Canada and Europe for over 10 years. Organizations commission her to produce projects that often involve research, community engagement, and illustration. She brings a deep interest in psychology, learning, and visual thinking to her work. Erica has worked with the AGO, CAMH, Koffler Arts, Arts Etobicoke, STEPS Public Art, ZK/U Berlin, and Tandem culture without borders.

Artist's Statement

"Growing up in downtown Toronto, I am city kid at heart, fascinated by the beauty and vitality of urban communities. Walking and drawing are great ways to get to know our immediate environment. To look closer. To pay attention. To slow down. Places tell us stories. I'm interested in my own and other peoples' different ways of seeing the place where we live. I like to create opportunities for us to share what we notice through pictures, symbols, and words."

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Community Story Collective (Emmy Pantin)

Community Arts Collective is an arts collective focused on media and storytelling for marginalized voices.

Artist's Statement

"Community Story Collective will work with customers of the Cliffcrest Branch of the Toronto Public Library to explore their stories through media, writing and storytelling, to tell the stories that don't often get heard."

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Ruben 'Beny' Esguerra

Ruben 'Beny' Esguerra arrived from Bacatá, Colombia as a political refugee with his parents, and currently lives and works in Jane-Finch, Tkaronto. Beny is a JUNO nominated musician/producer, poet, arts educator and community worker. Highlights of his career include leading New Tradition Music, designing courses for Canadian Universities, visiting schools across Ontario and receiving the 2021 Artist Educator of the Year award from the Ontario Arts Foundation. He is the music director of several Jane-Finch arts programs and co-leads the NTM Mobile Studio Project. Beny is a PhD (ABD) candidate in Musicology/Ethnomusicology, specializing in Afro-Indigenous Colombian music and Hip Hop culture.

Artist's Statement

"I am a community-based artist committed to art-forms generally under-represented in mainstream school curriculums. I realized that I never connected artistically with the music we were learning in elementary school. It was not until I was exposed to a wider range of approaches to art in University that I re-connected with music. I decided to explore many traditional and urban artistic styles and apply them to my compositions and teaching approaches. My artistic practice will be employed by creating a space for community artists to participate in open studio sessions and performances rooted in all of the forms of expression."

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Leah Gold

Leah Gold is a visual artist and community arts facilitator. Her drawings and ceramics use playful and fantastical imagery to explore emotional states and imaginary worlds, and have been exhibited locally and internationally. She has facilitated projects for such organizations as TIFF, The Koffler Centre of the Arts, Arts Etobicoke, Lakeshore Arts, and the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for the Arts. With Hijinks Collective, she creates participatory, multidisciplinary projects that combine a DIY ethos with professional calibre visual and sound art production. Leah holds a BFA from Concordia University, and is currently based in Toronto.

Artist's Statement

"What I love about community arts is encountering so many different people, and creating a context where they all feel welcome to learn and to create together. It feels like a simple thing to hand people some art supplies and invite them to sit still and pay attention, to play and to dream. But it is also a thing that can open up all kinds of interesting doors in our minds. I hope that my projects give people permission to try, and to screw up, and to see the beauty in their trembly lines and misshapen forms anyway."

Program

• Kaleidoscope Grove, Garden of the Imagination - Artist in the Library Leah Gold

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Kuné - Canada's Global Orchestra

Canada's Global Orchestra was created in 2017 by The Royal Conservatory of Music celebrating the cultural diversity and pluralism of Canada. This ensemble brings together virtuosic musicians who have immigrated to Canada as well as an Indigenous representative. In the fall of 2019, KUNÉ completed their first US tour. In early 2020, KUNÉ received a National Creation Fund grant and in partnership with Banff Centre for the Arts premiered six of their compositions with the Winnipeg Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. KUNÉ's debut record was also sponsored by the Banff Centre and is distributed by Universal Music Canada.

Artist's Statement

"KUNÉ's influences come from each member's individual cultural upbringing. KUNÉ strives to create the feeling of grounded-ness and sense of being embraced and accepted in a new and unfamiliar place generating and re-envisioning new memories and associations through music in a safe and accepting space establishing an understanding that we are all experiencing the same struggles and joys together. With musicians from different backgrounds, KUNÉ is creating the sounds of Toronto. The group is finding a way to delve into a musical genre that has just begun to be explored, consistently doing what has never been done before."

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Kwentong Bayan Collective

Kwentong Bayan is a collective of two Toronto-based artists, Althea Balmes and Jo SiMalaya Alcampo. They explore community-based art, labour, and education. In the Filipino language, 'kwentong bayan' is the literal translation of 'community stories'. They often collaborate with Filipino Migrant Care Workers who support Canadian families to care for children, elders, and those with complex medical needs. Kwentong Bayan Collective's art has been exhibited and published internationally, including the anthology, Drawn to Change: Graphic Histories of Working-Class Struggle. Their work is taught in high schools, colleges and universities and has been integrated into the Ontario school curriculum.

Artist's Statement

"Ways of Weaving" was originally developed by Kwentong Bayan and Kapwa Collective. We have facilitated this playshop series with different communities since 2015, as part of our ongoing exploration of re-indigenization, healing and play. As Filipinx peoples who have been uprooted from our own ancestral lands, and who now live, work, and benefit from the resources on Indigenous territories under the "Dish With One Spoon" covenant, we offer gratitude and respect to the traditional caretakers of the land and waterways. At this critical time of global transitions, we seek to reconnect with Indigenous ways of being and sustainable art practices."

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Legin

Legin's journey with crochet began through the mentorship of a Rasta man in Trinidad. After using his newfound skills to design and create original pieces, he started teaching friends and youth in the community and offering programs focused on the meditative practice of crochet through Art of Crochet. Legin is also behind Legin Knits, creating one-of-a kind, original and embellished garments using crochet.

Artist's Statement

"I love crochet as a creative way to share my offerings! Initially I just wanted new hats for myself. I was 19 years old, embracing Rastafarian roots and culture and had been growing my dreadlocks for 2 years. I could not find headwear I liked, so I thought if I made it myself, I'd have everything I needed and more. Well, was I ever right! I still have the first hat I made and 25 years later, continue to innovate and change the way people see crochet. The decision to crochet changed my life and now inspires Art Of Crochet."

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Daniel Rotsztain and Romero Alexander Martin

Growing With It is a Toronto-based arts collective dedicated to facilitating authentic and hyper-local self-expression through participatory workshops. Growing With It is Romero Alexander Martin and Daniel Rotsztain, Toronto artists with a playful community-based practice and shared passion for elevating contemporary and everyday experiences by translating them into energetic and collaborative artworks.

Artist's Statement

"LOCAL HISTORY HOTLINE is a collaborative project that will add a new book to the shelves of Cedarbrae's local history collection: a volume that reflects the diverse and everyday experiences of Cedarbrae's residents. Local community input will be facilitated through interactive workshops and a 1-800 hotline number."

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Chason Yeboah

Chason Adjoa Nana Yeboah is a self-taught textile sculptor, doll maker and story-teller, exploring the oscillation of ancestral ritual through reconstructed, (un)raveled and crocheted structures. Many of her works directly focus on themes of shame, loss of identity, sexuality, the notion and practice of "self-love" hybridity, energy transference, and acknowledgement of the human form, with a primary focus on marginalized humans.

Artist's Statement

"Born to a Trinidadian mother and Ghanaian father who met in Toronto where I was born, I like to think of myself and my practice as a direct product of the innate rituals of the diaspora. A new world conduit, here to continue (as we all do) the artistic generational movement of craft and story-telling through feeling and meditative thought."

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Julián Carvajal and Paula Solano

Julián (he/him) is a passionate Colombian-Canadian Queer Mix-Media Artist, Event Producer, Project Manager and Cultural Promoter and Curator who has been working in the not-for-profit sector for the past 17 years in multiple roles. He is the Creator and Curator of this program which honours the lives of his Grandmother and Mother. Paula was born in Bogotá, Colombia, where she studied Law and Visual Arts. She worked as a lawyer until she decided to switch careers, move to Canada and studied Illustration. She has illustrated 5 published books. She is passionate about art, creativity, the inner world and teaching.

Artist's Statement

"This program has been designed to encourage seniors to share their life stories in audio and visual formats to celebrate their existence. To have a better understanding of who they are. To get inspired by their stories, and continue using storytelling as a powerful tool to learn from each other and let their imagination take them to unexisting places with real and imaginary characters, places, emotions. With this program I am honouring my grandmother, for sharing many of her adventures, and my mother through her thesis on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Gracias! Leonor Carvajal García & Beatriz Eugenia Carvajal."

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Musical Story Studio (Sarah Abu-Sharar, Chris Taeyoung Kim, Cassie Norton)

Sarah: MA accredited expressive arts therapist. BSW. Theatre School. School of Storytelling Toronto. Teaches storytelling classes for children and families in the Rexdale area with the Parent-Child Mother Goose program. Chris: B. Mus/M. A. (Music Education), B. Ed. TDSB Secondary educator. Teaches piano and songwriting at Regent Park School of Music. Cassie: BFA, MA in Music Composition. Founder of Music for Climate Justice. Teaches violin and songwriting at Regent Park School of Music.

Artist's Statement

"Musical Story Studio (MSS) aims to share our love of music and story creation with a younger generation, especially those who may not see themselves represented in mainstream art and music. We believe that it is important for diverse voices to be empowered to share their stories and to be heard."

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Esmond Lee (李春錦)

Esmond Lee (李春錦¦) is an artist, photographer, and practicing architect based in Scarborough. Lee explores long-term, intergenerational experiences of migration in peripheral, in-between spaces. He holds a Master of Architecture and draws from this to examine identity, belonging, and nuanced cultural and political borders in the built environment. Lee's work includes a 250-foot long installation for Nuit Blanche Scarborough 2019, developed during his time in the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residency, and a 25-foot tall installation at Malvern Town Centre as a CONTACT Photography Festival Core Exhibit. His work received recognition from the Burtynsky Grant and is part of CAMH's permanent collection.

Artist's Statement

"As a second generation Chinese-Canadian, I draw from my family's experience in exploring long-term and intergenerational experiences of migration in the urban periphery. I grew-up in Scarborough and still make this place my home, sharing a house with my elderly father in an arrangement of mutual care. I examined Scarborough as a site of migration and continuous change, based on the idea that migration is not the start and end of a physical journey, but a collection of experiences and values that transform through generations. I am proud to create hyperlocal research and art concerning my community here in the suburbs."

Ana Gabriela Lopez Castro

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Mania Elendari

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Alex D./ Fresh Cut Paper Studio

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Pratibha Arts