Hello everybody!

We are awaiting word from the Provincial Government on what will happen once the 28 lockdown period is over (December 21). We have been focused on being as prepared as possible for the inevitability of opening. The coat check is currently undergoing some final touches of a renovation to provide a safer environment for staff and visitors. The Studio 54: Night Magic installation should be near completion and we are also training staff via Zoom so we can pivot to a gallery setting once it is determined we can return. That being said, we are appropriately skeptical that we will re-open once these 28 days are over, with covid -19 cases being on the rise. Patience is a virtue and time will tell.

We all want to wish you Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas! We know these holidays will look drastically different for so many of us, but we hope that you are able to enjoy simple pleasures of the season. For some added festive cheer, please enjoy Cornelius Kreighoff’s winter scene Breaking up of a Country Ball in Canada, Early Morning (1887), below:

Read on:

Mary Hiester Reid and Helen McNicoll

Join author Molly Peacock and curator Renée van der Avoird as they discuss historical Canadian artists Mary Hiester Reid and Helen McNicoll, linked here. Two of the first women to achieve success as professional artists in Canada, Hiester Reid and McNicoll radically broadened traditional concepts of femininity, domesticity and the potential for women to pursue careers as artists. This Close Looking talk accompanies the exhibition The Open Door: Mary Hiester Reid and Helen McNicoll. I have included some interesting highlights from the talk below:

• Mary Hiester Reid made a big move from “ladies painting” (which generally involved watercolours)  to “real” painiting (oils)
• Helen McNicoll was Canada’s most wildly acclaimed Impressionists
• McNicoll grew up in Montreal and lost her hearing at a young age due to scarlet fever
• Before McNicoll died at the age of 36, she was on the verge of major artistic recognition
• Both artists where considered to be radical (by living radical lives) back in the day

I also wanted to highlight another interesting talk, Close Looking: Georgiana Uhlyarik on Bertram Brooker, on Monday, December 14th at 11am (view here).

Studio 54 The Documentary

While we are in lockdown, I’m going to suggest a great documentary, Studio 54 The Documentary (2018) which  serves as a primer for our upcoming special exhibition, Studio 54: Night Magic. The Documentary which is directed by Matt Tyrnauer, follows the incredbile rise and fall of the greatest night club ever! (Watch the trailer, here). You may think you know the story of the club, but this documentary reveals how little we truly knew. Ian Schrager (the quieter of the two partners)  had never previously spoken on Studio 54 out of shame but now gives compelling interviews on those 33 months when Studio 54 was the most famous club ever until it’s collapse in 1980. Filled with great visuals and story, this documentary will give you a solid base of information for when the special exhibition eventually opens! The film is available on Netflix and Kanopy – which is a free streaming platform through the Toronto Public Library.

Stress Relievers: Kiko Sounds

Today I am sharing one of our Friday Night programing from back in June which features Curator, sound bath conductor and healing practitioner Kiko Sounds, to help ease us into the ongoing lockdown and holiday season. Before the performance starts, the artist will be in conversation with Bojana Stancic, Assistant Curator, Live Projects & Performance at the Art Gallery of Ontario (click here to view).

Kiko Sounds shares deep listening experiences through the subtle energetics of sound, meditation, plant medicine and restorative practices. With over a decade collaborating with artists to produce exhibitions, installations and publications through her art projects, Magic Pony and Narwhal, Kiko now combines her experiences in contemporary culture with holistic modalities. In doing so, she offers ephemeral, immersive and vibrational experiences that promote extended latitudes of mental and physical union. Through creating sensitive settings for connection and self-discovery, Kiko opens opportunities for individuals to access the infinite potential that exists within and with each other. 

Be well & stay healthy,

Christine, Trish and Nicole