Thematic Residency on Toronto Island!

THEMATIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM AT ARTSCAPE GIBRALTAR POINT
Soi Fischer is pleased to announce the establishment of the Thematic Residency Program at Artscape Gibraltar Point in Toronto, Canada. As part of its mandate to make international contemporary art accessible to a wider public, Soi Fischer is debuting its Education and Public Programming at Artscape Gibraltar Point, which provides short-term accommodation and studio space for artists to research and develop their contemporary art practice.


THEMATIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM (2012 – 2013)
October: Monique Mouton (L.A.)
November: Gareth Long (NYC)
December: Maryse Larivière (MTL)
January: Niall McClelland (TO)
February: Artie Vierkant (NYC)


The Thematic Residency Program offers artists the opportunity to work independently with the mentorship of a visiting professional artist, curator or critic working in international contemporary art. Thematic residencies explore various models including studio work, formal lectures, group discussion, peer collaboration and outdoor retreats. This direction allows individual residents to find common ground amongst each other's disparate practices and establish new connections through communal dialogue.


Artscape Gibraltar Point is located in a 35,000 sq. ft. former school building in the unique environment of Toronto Islands, a regional park on Lake Ontario only seven minutes by ferry ride from downtown Toronto. The largest car-free community in North America, the Islands consist of naturalized areas and wildlife reserves; beaches, forests, parks and marinas are linked by numerous walking and bike paths. Toronto Islands can be biked from end to end in approximately fifteen minutes.


The Thematic Residency Program is now accepting applications for October 2012. Enrollment in each two-week residency includes accommodation and studio space and is limited to ten places.


THE PORTABLE HOLE MONIQUE MOUTON
Program Dates: October 1 – 15, 2012
Application Deadline: August 10, 2012
$750 + HST


A passage way, a puncture, an escape route, an opening, an excavation, an aperture, a cave. In this residency the objects of discussion (essays, films, art) are like portable holes through which we might peer onto our present. The objects will be loose, to be picked up and dropped down, or packed away for later. Agilely we will step from the archaic to the critical; from the flicker of film to the stillness of a grid. Organized seminars will punctuate plenty of studio time. Casual and communal dialogue will be encouraged.


Monique MOUTON (MFA, 2014, Bard College) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Recent solo exhibitions include Pitch, Pamela, Los Angeles and Sides, Blanket Contemporary Art, Vancouver; and group exhibitions Rope Of Sand, Soi Fischer, Toronto; Some Paintings, Equinox Gallery, Vancouver; Working Title, Diaz Contemporary, Toronto; and Enacting Abstraction, Vancouver Art Gallery. Mouton recently produced a print edition for Hunter and Cook Magazine, Toronto. 


Applications are now being accepted via the Online Application Form


ABOUT ARTSCAPE GIBRALTAR POINT
Departing from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in downtown Toronto at the foot of Bay St. & Queens Quay, the seven-minute ferry ride takes you across Toronto Harbour to Hanlan's Point. A five-minute bike ride brings you to our front door. Artscape Gibraltar Point is located at 443 Lakeshore Avenue on Toronto Islands.


Accommodations include fifteen private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, coin-operated laundry machines and Wi-Fi throughout the building. Residents share a communal kitchen with personal refrigerator space and dry storage. The kitchen is fully stocked with amenities including a stove, oven and microwave; generous counter space to prepare meals; dinnerware, flatware and cookware; and staples such as coffee, tea and sugar. A banquet table that seats eighteen sits at the center of the large bright room amongst couches and houseplants. 


Studios are well-ventilated with high ceilings, tall windows and large walls. Tables, lamps and chairs are available. Facilities include a library, a black and white dark room, a woodworking studio, and a projector and PA system. 


The building is located on acres of land that include a Blue Flag beach with an uninterrupted view of Lake Ontario, a forest, sprawling lawns and gardens filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables. Tennis courts and a baseball diamond are nearby. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Great Lakes, is located across the street.


For more information please contact Lucas Soi at +1 (416) 887-4854 or contact@soifischer.com / www.soifischer.com

The Reading Nook

The Reading Nook 

A Show of Zines, Artist Books and Multiples

Narwhal Art Projects

2988 Dundas Street West

Opening reception Friday, August 3rd, 7-11pm

show runs August 3rd to August 19th, 2012

~*~campfire in the back~*~

Curated by Alicia Nauta and Kristin Weckworth

Work by: Alex Heilbron, Alexandra Mackenzie, Alicia Nauta, Andrew Bailey, Anna May Henry, Anthony Gerace, Cameron Lee, Chris Kuzma, Daniel Luedtke, Diana VanderMuelen, Ella Selbie, Errol Richardson, Eunice Luk, Melissa Fisher, Ginette Lapalme, Melissa Luk, Hanna Hur, Inés Estrada, Jesjit Gill, Shannon Gerard, Jeannie Phan, Jessalyn Aaland, Jesse Harris, Jimmy Limit, Lala Albert, Laura McCoy, Mark Connery, Robert Dayton, Matt King, Michael Comeau, Patrick Kyle, Paul Morgan, Peter Hurley, Peter Kalynuik, Phil Woollam, Pierre Richarson, Randy Gagne, Andrew Zukerman, Jeff Garcia, Rebecca Fin Simonetti, Selena Wong, Seripop and Tomas Del Balso

Poster by Steph Davidson

Introducing...

Me!  Jessica Cappuccitti, the new coordinator for XBLOG.  I am currently a grad student at OCADU in the Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories (CADN) Program.  My academic focus is on contemporary artistic practices and I am currently researching art created by female US military veterans.  I am thrilled to join the XPACE team and look forward to posting some exciting news, interviews and reviews!  

GRUNGE TEXTURE

GRUNGE TEXTURE was a one night event hosted by XPACE on July 6th, featuring over 30 original grungey videos made by artists, designers and grunge enthusiasts, dj sets by DJs DAVID P & SAFA J, and live music performances by BILL BILL and SEXY MERLIN.
Special thanks to curator Steph Davidson for all of her hard, grunge textured work!
For more information on GRUNGE TEXTURE, check out Steph's blog: 
http://grungetexture.tumblr.com/

Upcoming at XPACE

Window Space

The Beat And The Chorus At The Same Time

Artist: Hanna Hur

July 13th- August 3rd

Closing Reception: July 27th, 2012

The Beat And The Chorus At The Same Time asks the question “how do we see?” questioning assumptions about perception through a constructed layering within both images and space.  The title references the famed musician Rahzel, and his ability to sing while beatboxing simultaneously. In the same way that the historical stereoscopic image would align two slightly different images to give the illusion of depth, Rahzel’s ability to break down and distinguish the processes of melody and beat offers an illusion of a multiplicity of voices.  The Beat And The Chorus At The Same Time is meant to deconstruct and reflect on the everyday sensory experience of sight.

Main Space and XBASE

XPACE Residency

Artists: Lee Wiesblatt, Mason Mummery and Krystina Plante

July 3- July 31

Closing Reception: July 27th, 2012

XPACE is housing a Residency for three recent OCADU grads for the month of July, we are very excited to see what these talented artists will come up with! Krystina and Lee are both Printmaking grads, and Mason is a Sculpture/Installation grad. They are using both the Main Space, as well as XBASE as their studios, and have been given 24/7 access. On the 27th they will be showing some of the work they've come up with in their time here. Rumor has it that there will be an art catapult!

Syracuse SPARK Residency show

Adrienne and Ursula will be showing work they've created during their residency at SPARK contemporary. It will take place at SPARK from 7pm to 11pm on the evening of Saturday, July 7th. It's called 'There's Something In The Woodwork.' Wish we could be there!

XPACE visits Syracuse!

Hey all,

So last week Amber and myself (Alicia) went down the booming metropolis of Syracuse, NY to visit our current artists-in-residence at SPARK Contemporary. Ursula Handleigh is a recent graduate from the Photography program at OCADU, and Adrienne Crossman is also a recent graduate from OCADU, of the Integrated media program.

Syracuse was originally a huge manufacturing hot spot, but it's population peaked in the 1950's, and the industry began to falter around the 1970's. Syracuse's economy has faced challenges over the past decades as the industrial jobs have left the area. The number of local and state government jobs also has been declining for several years. Syracuse's top employers are now primarily in education (Syracuse University) and health care. 

It was very beautiful in a run down way: so many interesting buildings (loads of 60's modernist architecture), hand painted signage and the amazing kinds of textures that start happening after years of layered and chipping paint.

 We checked out the Everson Museum of Art (built in 1968 and designed by I.M. Pei), ArtRage (which was an amazing gallery with a focus on community-based practices and social justice) and Community Folk Art Centre (showing some really great textile work).

  Kid's Photobooth at the Everson- complete with different masterpiece backdrops and costumes! The guard was not impressed with us.

We also checked out a vegan eatery with 42 different kinds of 'milk'shakes, a couple thrift stores, a delicious Mexican restaurant and of course, some of the best bbq we've ever had at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, a local favourite. 

YUM YUMS

We also went out one night to Trexx, a dance club that hosts a 'college night' on Thursdays. Beautiful drag queens, a laser light show, a constant stream of fog from the smoke machine and a weird photobooth 

(pictured below) was definitely a highlight of the trip. 

Ursula and Adrienne have been hard at work, and are coming up with some interesting work that reflects the aesthetics and tones/textures of Syracuse. They have also been drawing inspiration from the 200 year old Victorian home they are staying in. We are very excited to see what they end up showing at XPACE in the fall! Stay tuned.